SATIVA ✞ ON MY BLOCK [OSCAR DIAZ]

II. TWENTY FIVE

Ximena slammed the locker shut. turning around to be met with Monse's concerned face. Ximena jumped, gasping as she grabbed her chest.

"What the fuck, dude?" She sighed, as Monse followed her down the hallway.

"I need girl advice," Monse said, gripping the straps of her backpack.

"With?" Ximena questioned, raising an eyebrow. Monse never came to her for "girl advice", that was always Olivia's spot.

"Well, I'm pretty sure you know what Cesar did," Monse sighed.

Ximena nodded her head slowly. She did hear about what he did when Jamal immediately spilled the tea during family dinner. Her heart hurt for the girl as she looked at her. But, she didn't say anything, all she did was nod.

"Well, anyway, now he wants another chance.He gave me this big speech about how it was his life's biggest regret, blah blah." Ximena just nodded again. Monse rolled her eyes at the girl's lack of words, continuing, "And I basically told him to fuck off."

"Okay," Ximena stopped walking, "so, what exactly do you need my help with?"

"He wants a second chance."

"And are you going to give him one?"

"What! No!" Monse yelled, making people in the hallway stare at them, so she calmed down, "I don't know what to do, should I cut him out of my life completely?"

"Well-"

"I should, right? He cheated! Cheaters should not be forgiven! They are the worst kinds of people, who gets in a. fucking relationship and can easily sleep with another person so easily, its disgusting!" Ximena didn't say anything as she felt the pain in

her stomach again, the feeling of disgust.

It had been two days since she had slept with Logan and she hadn't been okay since. She avoided Oscar as much as she could, even when they'd occasionally see each other around town. She had quit her job, lying to Jamal's family that she had found another in the mall.

Nobody knew what had happened besides her and Logan and she feared the day anyone would find out.

But she couldn't keep the secret to herself anymore, it was eating her alive.

"Monse," Ximena spoke, her voice beginning to crack as tears surfaced in her eyes, "I need to tell you something."

•

"Wow," Monse let out a deep breath, "do you think you'll ever tell Oscar?"

Ximena sat still on the library floor, "I have no idea. I am so scared of how he will react. He's going to kill me, he's going to kill Logan. He will never forgive me, and I understand that, what I did was unforgivable. What happened didn't mean anything to me, and I'm not sure he will believe me. After it happened, all I could feel was regret and all I could ask myself is why did I do it? If I wanted to feel some type of comfort? If I did it out of anger? If I did it just because maybe I did have some sort of feelings towards Logan? But, as time goes on, I can't find an answer. And I can't tell Oscar until I can explain why I did what I did."

"When you did what you did, did you love Oscar?"

"Of course I did, I still do, I just-I don't know. In that moment, I wasn't thinking about him, how he would feel, how bad it would affect everything. I was completely selfish."

"You have to tell him," Monse placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, "It hurt when I found out about Cesar, but I would rather feel that hurt than live in ignorance. It's not fair to Oscar for him to never know, especially if you still love him."