Maria Maria | Oscar Diaz

3 - Something's Up

I frowned, "Yo, y'all fools here that?"

The homies nodded. Santi turned to me, "Hell yeah. That shit happens like every couple of days."

"What, really?" I stood up. The screaming stopped. Then I heard a crash, like something breaking. "I'm going to check that shit out."

I walked across the street to Rico's house and knocked on the door. All the noises stopped. I heard some movement and then the curtains moved near the window. "Aye, Rico! It's me fool. Everything good?"

Then the door unlocked and opened up. Rico stood there looking out of breath. 

Maybe they were just in here fucking. 

"Everything good homie?" I asked raising my eyebrow.

He nodded, "Oh yeah, everything's good. You need something?"

"Nah, I just heard some shit. Just wanted to make sure y'all was good."

"Yeah, everything's good." 

"Okay." I turned to leave. Before he closed the door I turned to look back at the door one more time. "Oh yeah, I got that new pack in if you wanted a serve."

"Oh yeah, just come back in a few minutes."

I nodded, "Okay. Text me when you want that." Rico went back inside and closed the door.

I started walking back across the street. I stopped at the sidewalk and looked back up at their house. In the upstairs window I noticed Maria sitting in the window sill. She looked down and saw me. We locked eyes for a moment. I felt as though she was trying to tell me something but she couldn't. Then she jumped as if she heard something and left the window. I walked back over to the house and went inside.

The homies followed me in. "So what's up?" Santi asked me lighting up a blunt. 

I shrugged, "I don't know. Rico said everything was cool. He answered the door kind of out of breath so maybe he was over there dicking his girl down."

We all laughed. Sino passed me the blunt and I took a hit before bagging up some weed to take over to Rico.

"He said he wants to cop some shit in a few. You fools sober up a little and come with me so we can check his shit out." 

"Easier said than done", Tony said before chugging the rest of his 40.

I shook my head. 

I put the weed in a book bag and we all headed back outside. My phone went off. "Aye it's Rico. Let's go."

Me, Sino and Tony walked across the street. We walked up to the door and I knocked on it. This time Maria answered the door. 

Damn she's so fucking fine.

She still didn't really look at me. 

"Hey, um Rico wanted us to come through."

She nodded, "He's downstairs in the basement."

We walked inside and followed her to the basement door. She stayed upstairs letting us go down. I stopped at the door before walking down and looked at her. "Everything okay with you?"

She frowned while looking down at the floor. Then she nodded.

I put my finger under her chin and lifted her face so that she could look at me. "Are you sure?"

She just stared at me for a moment. She looked scared, but she also looked like she was fascinated by my face. I smirked. "You like what you see mami?"

She gave me a small smile. "Oh there it is. So you do smile?"

Her smile widened.

"Maria! Where is Spooky?!" Rico shouted from the basement. She flinched and practically jumped into my arms. She leaned against me a little with her hands against my chest. It was like, she wanted me to protect her. I frowned. I wanted to know what was up.

"Yeah I'm here. I just had to go by the bathroom first!" I shouted down to Rico.

She moved her hands and backed up from me. "Wait?" I reached out for her, but she shook her head and went towards the kitchen. I sighed.

I need her to talk to me. I can tell she's scared and that something ain't right. But I won't know unless she tells me something.

I walked downstairs. 

"There you are! Let's see this weed." Rico said rubbing his hands together.

I nodded and pulled off the book bag on my back. I pulled out the ziploc bags of the weed we had just gotten in from Mexico. This was some good shit. So I know he was about to cop at least an eighth. He opened up the bags and started sniffing the buds. "Damn Spooky! Yeah, I need some of this one and this one."

I smirked at him. I nodded to Santi to bag up whatever Rico wanted. 

"So what's up with Maria?" I asked.

Rico frowned, "What you mean? Was she talking to you?" His features had darkened a little.

I shook my head, "Nah. The opposite actually."

Rico laughed, "Oh, she's just shy."

I kind of averted my eyes from him. "Oh, Okay." I tried to shrug off the feeling I was getting. "Alright so that's 350 Rico."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the money. He handed it to me. "Thanks for the delivery man."

"No problem. Santi, Tony, let's go." They nodded and dapped up Rico and we headed back upstairs.

Maria was standing near the entrance of the kitchen. I looked over at her again before walking over to the door. Rico walked us out. "See you Spooky."

"Yep." I looked over his short ass at Maria. "Bye Maria!"

Her eyes shot open and she shook her head violently. 

Rico looked back at her and frowned. She ran into the kitchen before he could say anything. He looked back up at me before slamming the door in my face.

Okay. Yeah, something definitely wasn't right. 

"The fuck was that?", Santi said looking at the door.

"Yeah. Homie seems a little possessive." Tony said.

"Yeah." We walked back across the street. "I'll catch you fools tomorrow." I went inside and put up the weed. I walked into my room and sat on the bed and counted out the money Rico gave me. I don't trust anybody with my money. 100, 200, 300, 50. This fool accidently gave me a receipt too. I opened it up and looked at it. It was a receipt from Sprint for a new number. 

Maria Espinoza, new number. I smiled. Oh, he fucked up.