New on the block

Julia: The Master Manipulator

* February 8th: after school*
Monse's POV:
"So, I'm gonna see Julia today." I tell Cesar over the phone. "Does your dad know?" He asks. "No and I'm not planning on telling him anytime soon." I say honestly. "Ok but baby if you need anything I'm never too busy to for you." He says. "I know but you got Santo shit to take care of I'm not gonna bother you with any of this." I tell him. "Speaking of Santo shit I gotta go." He says. "Ok, I love you babe." I say. "I love you too." He hangs up and I hope he'll be ok. This last month has been uneventful which is usually a bad sign. "So, we're all going to the dance right?" Mariana asks when I walk back into the room. "I never miss an opportunity to shake these nalgas!" Jasmine says passionately. "I'm five months pregnant so no thanks, I'm gonna stay home and sleep for twelve hours." Olivia laughs. "Cesar's forcing me." I shrug. "Don't wear heals, he'll break your ankles." Jasmine laughs. "His dancing isn't that bad!" I insist and they all share a look. They burst out laughing and I just shake my head. "We slowed dance at Olivia's quince and my ankles are still intact!" I start laughing with them because if I'm being honest my toes would be better off without him stepping on them. "Ok but we need to go shopping because Monse I've seen how you dress... no offense!" Mariana says. "No, take offense! I've tried getting this girl to dress right but these doo doo outfits are a deadly virus." Jasmine laughs. "Wow, thank you guys so much." I roll my eyes. "Well if it helps I like how you dress. I think I'll start dressing like that when I'm around... seven months maybe eight." Olivia laughs. "You're not helping!" I raise my arm like I'm gonna hit her. "You can't hit a pregnant girl!" She squeals. "You got lucky." I laugh. "In more than one way aye!" Jasmine nudges Olivia. "Gross!" Mariana laughs. "I love you guys but I have to go my mom's outside." I tell them. "Ok bye Monse!" Jasmine says. "She's just running 'cause she knows we're right!" Mariana yells as I walk away. "Mira esa muchacha con eso doo doo outfits me va a matar!" I hear jasmine laugh. "Si ella va al baile en una sudadera, voy a gritar!" Mariana adds. Hearing them speak Spanish makes me want to get to know my mom that much more. I love my dad but being afrolatina and not knowing the latina half is kinda haunting. "Hey Finnie. I hope it's ok for me to call you that, I'm the one who started it." I want to scream it hate when anyone other than my dad calls me Finnie. "Yeah that's fine." I clench my jaw. "I was wondering if you wanted to grab some coffee maybe go over one of my book ideas." She suggests. "That sounds great." My... Julia is a writer and maybe the key to my Hispanic side. "So, any ideas. If your anything like me you get new book idea every minute." Julia says as we drive away. "I have a couple Cesar actually gave me a notebook a few months ago and-" She cuts me off before I can finish my ramblings. "Is he you won't move in with me?" She asks. "Cesar only wants what's best for me. I don't think moving is a good decision for me and all he's doing is agreeing with me." I tell her honestly. "What if you come for a month or a week? Just like a trial period?" She asks. "This isn't Spotify I can't just try for a month and say nah I'm good." I tell her. "Why not? No strings attached I promise." She smiles. "Where are we going?" I ask. "My favorite cafe in Brentwood." She says. "Oh yeah, of course we are." I mumble. "Is that a problem?" She asks. "No, it's totally fine." I clench my fists. I want to get to know my mom not get coffee at a cafe in Brentwood. "It sounds a little stuck up doesn't it?" She asks. "No, it's your life I want to get to know who you really are... everything I know about you is from when you were Selena." I tell her. "If I'm being honest I go to Tío Pepito's coffee shop like six times a week." She laughs. "Why does everyone call him tío?" I ask. "He's always been there, he's like everyone's grandpa or dad or brother. Family's a big part of Freeridge but I don't have to tell you that." She says and we pull up to the cafe. "If this is too much for you I get it. When I moved here it was all very... suffocating? I guess." She says. "I'll have to get used to it if I want to live with you." I shrug. "Seriously? There's so much I want to tell you! Especially about your dad, that was a crazy time." She sounds like an excited teenager ready to gossip. "Ok, let's go inside." I smile. "So your dad was the hottest guy on the football team and of course I begged Cesar's aunt to introduce us. When I found out how they knew each other I was-" I cut her off. "Scared?" I ask. "Relieved. I'd been affiliated because of my dad, your grandpa, and I started running with the Santos when I was thirteen... two months after your grandpa got shot." She says honestly. "How'd you get out?" I ask. "I got pregnant, your dad figured it out. Cesar's dad had a soft spot for me because I was due around the same time as Cesar's mom was." She explains. "My dad just told me you left and forgot about us." I say. "No, he did all the work to make sure I was ok... we were ok." She smiles. "I just hope Latrelle Can find a way out before his son's born." She says. "I don't think he'll ever leave." I shrug. "People said the same thing about me but a kid can change you. Mari told me that Latrelle said he'd be a single dad if he had to be." It's weird hearing her talk about Freeridge stuff she's just so... different from all of that. "If a kid can change you so much why'd you keep doing drugs? Why would you drive with me when you were high?" I ask. "Shh, I don't need anyone from here finding out about that." She whispers. "Sorry. Being a parent can change you, a lot, but it can't fix you. Why do you think I went to jail? Your dad lied but I was a bad person, I did bad things, I deserved it. Now I'm different and I hope I deserve a relationship with my little girl." She tells me. "I'm not your little girl though. I want to get to know you but I don't want you to think coffee is going to fix everything you did." I tell her honestly. "I understand, that's another reason you need to stay with me, so I can try and show you that who I was before isn't at all who I am now." She tells me. I think for a moment and I can tell she's nervous. "I can't leave yet, maybe over summer?" I suggest.