The Block Is Hot | Oscar Diaz

17

I was on the phone with Monse. I explained that Mason had called me mama, which made her freak out. I guess I was on speaker, because some of her rich white girl friends were trying to compare their idiotic life stories to my current situation.

"Monse, if your so called friends say one more thing I will go to Brentwood and punch them in the face." I threatened.

"Just relax." Monse responded. "They're harmless. Don't take what they say to heart."

"Okay. I'm not harmless." I said with a sigh. "I can't believe this is happening."

"Mia, in case you didn't know. You've been the only one there for him really. He looks up to you as a mother. Any baby in that situation would." Monse explained.

"So what do I do?" I asked.

"There's nothing you can do. Maybe it was a simple mistake." Monse replied.

I sighed. "Yeah, I guess so. He's not even two years old yet. But it's still wrong if you ask me."

"Just go with the flow, Mia. By the time you come back from college he'll be bigger. And... I don't know... know more." Monse said.

""Know more"? Really, Monse?" I asked.

Monse sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm tripping."

"Still worried about Cesar?" I questioned.

"Is it that obvious?" Monse asked.

"You've liked and re-reacted to all of his posts on Facebook. If not worried, obsessive." I responded.

"Have you even tried to talk to-"

"You asked me that earlier, Monse. No. I haven't tried to talk to Oscar. And will I try? No. I won't."

"I know you might think that what he did is wrong. But he did it because he loves you." Monse said.

"Which part?" I asked. "The part where he got a tattoo without telling me? The part where he tried to convince me not to go to Duke, without me knowing? Or him breaking the truce with the Prophets?"

"It's amazing how hard headed you are. He does everything he does because of you. Not the breaking the truce part, I don't know why that happened." Monse replied.

"It happened because of his idiot friends. I don't know, that night was crazy. Drunk Ruby is not my favorite Ruby." I said.

There was a knock on the door. "Unlock the door." Aunt Sylvie called.

"Monse."

"I know the drill. Jamal and Ruby are on the way, so that should be fun." Monse replied.

"Just... call me tonight. Okay?" I asked.

"I will. Bye." She said before hanging up the phone. I made my way to the door and unlocked it.

"Why did you lock the door?" Aunt Sylvie asked.

"Because me and him like it when the door is locked when we're asleep. Something that I told you about when I left him with you." I explained.

"Must have slipped my mind." Sylvie replied.

I rolled my eyes and looked at the time on my phone.
"Is that him?" Sylvie asked.

"Yup." I said, looking at the picture of me and Oscar as my lockscreen. "That's him."

"He's not someone that I want to talk about. For awhile." I added. "Mason thinks I'm his mother."

"What are you talking about?" Sylvie asked.

"Earlier when I was on the phone with my friend Monse, he came up to me and called me "mama". At first I thought I heard him wrong, but he said it again." I explained.

Sylvie sat down on the small black futon.

"No way. When exactly did he say this?" Sylvie questioned.

"About an hour ago. My brother thinks I'm his mom. Do you know how messed up that is?" I asked.

"Maybe he tried to say Mia. You know, they sound alike."

I sighed. "He said it twice. Okay, yeah, maybe he did try to say my name. Maybe he didn't. Maybe he really thinks I'm his-"

"Nonsense." Sylvie interjected.

I rolled my eyes. "What if it isn't nonsense? What if he really thinks I'm his mom, instead of that fucked up woman that actually gave birth to him?"

"Don't you talk about your mother that way." Sylvie replied.

"Why? You all talked about my dad that way. And you didn't even know him. He actually raised me. That's a lot more than you can say about Mason's dad. Or her. My dad raised me." I explained.

"I'm not getting into an argument about Jacob, Mia. If you came here to start arguments then you need to leave."

I looked at Mason. He was in his crib, now asleep. "Fine." I said, tearing up.

I rushed my way into the living room and repacked all of my stuff in a suitcase Sylvie let me borrow. "So you're just going to leave? Just like that?"

"You said if I came here to start arguments, then leave. I guess I get it from mom's side. Always talking shit then starting more shit." I explained.

Sylvie exhaled. "Well, I'm not going to stop you."

"Thanks." I responded, sarcastically.

"But what are you going to do? Enroll mid-year?" Sylvie asked.

"If they'll let me." I replied. "I don't care. All I know is I have to get the hell away from everything and everyone."

"Including your brother?" Sylvie asked.

I stopped what I was doing and looked at my aunt. "Are you serious right now? Really? I mean, you act like I really am his mother. What I can't go to college and live my life how I want it? You just told me to get out."

Sylvie sighed. "Take care of my brother." I said, before walking out of the house.

I started tearing up as I walked over to my car. It was pitch black outside.

So maybe nobody would be outside and hear me scream inside the car.

I sat down in the car and closed the door. "Damnit!" I yelled as I punched the wheel, making it honk a little.

I'm abandoning him. Just like how his mom did. Like how his father did. I'm doing the same thing. But trying to justify it. I shouldn't have to deal with this at my age. I should be getting ready for college. Having the best time of my life while his actual parents take care of him.

But no, his parents don't give a shit about him. Step-douche cares more about his "gang family". Like Latrelle, or Luke, and his other henchmen. He makes me sick.

Now that I've really wrapped my head around it. I'm glad the truce ended. I don't know what's exactly happening in Freeridge right now, but now that Cesar is living with Jamal, Monse's in Brentwood, and Ruby's having the time of his life... I don't care anymore. At all.

I don't care what happens to the Prophets. Latrelle is gone. Luke is in jail, probably for the rest of his life. And my stepdad, well... who cares about him anyway except for his bs of a family that would betray him in a heartbeat. All of his loyal members are gone.

So who cares?