penny.

13; Please be okay

After the pep rally Jace had come over for bro time, which meant a few beers and my awesome cooking while we gossiped like teenage girls at a sleepover. I told them everything I overheard during lunch while they both nursed a bottle of cheap beer in the game room. We were honest with each other no matter what and I felt like this information was meant to be shared with them. Isa had become our family the minute we found out about the gang, the minute she answered all our questions without hesitation. Ruby was becoming it too, more so because Owen was completely whipped for her.

    "It doesn't make any sense, why would they set a trap?" Owen asked. I shrugged my shoulders and Jace stayed quiet, thinking.

    "They're rivals, it's like sports," I said. Owen rolled his eyes.

    "They're gangs, not a football team," He deadpanned and took a swing of his beer. None of us were drunk or buzzed even, my bottle was still sealed on the counter.

    "Do you guys think Isa's dangerous?" Owen asked, his eyes trained on the opening of the bottle in his hand. I should have said yes, that we should stay away from her, but I didn't want to. The side of me that knew she could kill me with a few hard punches was screaming at me to never talk to her again, but I couldn't do that. I wouldn't do that.

    "No, she's cool," I said. I don't think I could ever express the words I thought described her. Not in this lifetime and definitely not to Owen and Jace, even if they were my best friends.

    "Just cool?" Jace eyed me skeptically and I could see the smirk playing on Owen's lips from a mile away.

    "I have no idea what you're trying to say." I mumbled.

    "So you don't like her?" Owen's amusement was evident.

    "Of course not," I lied. Isa went for guys like Jay, who was basically everything I wasn't. A mexican gangbanger that she's known her whole life. "Anyways, how's Ruby?"

    Owen went red for a second. Sucks doesn't it?

    "You know what? I'm not afraid to admit I like her and things are going great between us." He smiled like a proud papa while Jace scoffed.

    "She literally tells you to fuck off everyday." Jace sniggered.

    "At least I can get a girls attention Mr. I-don't-need-a-girlfriend," He scoffs but we all know he's joking.

    Jace practically swore of dating until college because apparently, 'Girls here just weren't girlfriend material.' Whatever that means. Not that he hasn't done anything else because, come on, he's still a guy.

    "All I need is a joint and some good music bro," He says in a sarcastic voice. That reminds me...

    "Oh, Ruby smokes by the way," I smirked at Owen. He liked a girl smoking just as much as Jace and I did. It didn't make sense but then again most of a guy's turn ons don't.

    "I'm already whipped man, don't say anything else or I'll be falling in love with the girl," I chuckled and opened the lid of my beer. The second the lid popped off two loud honks sounded from outside. All three of us turned to look at each other before racing to the window.

    There was a truck outside, a built guy standing while others were sitting on the edge. I recognized Marisol from that night at the compound, Jay was there too. Luis was sitting next to him and I could see the space he purposely left between their legs. It wasn't until I saw Isa running out of her garage that I panicked. She must have been hitting the punching bag, her hands were taped and she was only wearing a sports bra and running shorts. What made my face pale for the second time today was what she was slipping into her waistband while she frantically shut the garage door.