Ride Or Die | o. diaz

cuarenta y uno

Tatiana skipped to the front of the school when the final bell rang, and looked around until she saw the red imapala she loved so much. "Hola!" Tatiana dragged out, sitting down in the passenger seat with her backpack on the floor before leaning over and initiating a little makeout like she hasn't seen her boyfriend for 5 years.

Oscar wasn't even mad about it, and didn't hesitate to drag Tatiana across the seats and place her in his lap. The two people in the backseat, that Tatiana didn't see, watched the two, and didn't know if they were allowed to break them apart. Even the freshmen walking pass the car tried to get as far away as possible.

"Umm..." Someone in the back spoke up. Tatiana furrowed her eyebrows, then moved her head to see the cholo and chola in the backseat.

"Oh, you've been there the whole time?"

The two nodded their heads, and watched Tatiana look down to Oscar, who was gripping Tati against him and preventing her from moving. "Oh shit, I forgot about you guys." Oscar commented, glancing back to his new Santos while Tatiana managed to free herself and actually sit in the seat. "They're new."

Tatiana nodded while Oscar started driving away from the school and back to their house. The two in the back sat quietly and awkwardly, but the couple in the front were unbothered.

"Did you make the c-"

Oscar nodded his head, not even letting Tatiana finish her sentence. "It's still on the stove." Tatiana smiled wide, turning towards the front and suddenly more excited to go back home.

× × ×

The pair of new Santos watched their new leader, Oscar, talk to his girlfriend, who was sitting in his lap, while she kept trying to feed him. For the Santos, it had no affect, but the new Santos thought it was out of character for him. For a guy named Spooky, he smiled a lot. Or maybe it was because Tatiana was around him.

"I will literally shove my arm down your throat, try it!"

"He's shoving something else down your throat later tonight." One of the cholos laughed. He hit the shoulder of the guy beside him, but he just stared at him and drank his beer.

Everyone on the porch went silent, staring at the guy who was still laughing. "The fuck did you just say to her?"

The Santo calmed himself down, noticing now that everyone was staring at him with blank faces. Tatiana looked between Oscar and the Santo, slowly sliding herself off of his lap in case something were to happen. The Santo had completely calmed himself down and started to fidget in his seat from the glare Oscar was giving him. "Sorry, I didn't—"

Oscar stood to his feet quickly, scaring the guy and making him fall off of his crate and down the stairs. Tatiana sensed trouble and walked into the house. However, once she closed the door, she looked out the window, peeking behind the curtains and listening to the muffled threats Oscar was giving the cholo who had managed to stand up.

When Oscar turned around, Tatiana shut the curtain, then went to the kitchen for juice acting like she saw nothing. Oscar didn't really care if she did, but at the same timw he did care. That way, if she was ever questioned about him, she wouldn't have to lie, because she really wouldn't know.

× × ×

Oscar wasn't supposed to be seen with Cesar, because of the Santoa, so the only way to personally check on him was to have Tatiana go for him. Plus, Tatiana wanted barbeque, so why not get two things done at once. Tatiana walked up to his job, Dwayne's BBQ,

"Get off your phone, ensalada." Tatiana commented, sticking her head through the window and looking at Cesar.

Cesar was standing behind the soda machine, texting when he should've been folding the napkins. "Hey, Tati."

"Hey." Tatiana dragged out. "How've you been?"

"I mean, I'm making money." Cesar shrugged, making Tatiana laugh to herself. "You didn't come here just for that, right?"

Tatiana pursed her lips, squinting her eyes as she looked at Cesar. "You're lying. I'm coming in."

Before Cesar was able to protest, Tatiana started walking around the building. Cesar's eyes followed Tati as she opened the side door and went to sit at a table. "Ven aquí." Cesar sighed and brought over his napkins to go sit beside his future cuñada. "What's up?"

"Nothing feels right anymore. Like I have friends, but I feel lonely." Cesar started. For over an hour, he and Tatiana talked and folded napkins together, Tatiana mainly just giving insight while Cesar ranted about how screwed up gis life is.

"We'll get you back soon and I know I've been saying that for a while, but Cuchillos isn't easy to convince. You'll be back home soon, I promise." Tatiana said, sticking up her pinky and waiting for Cesar to entangle it with his own. "Now, can I get my food now? I told Oscar I would be gone for 20 minutes and it's been almost 2 hours."

"Hey, at least you'll have napkins."