Amor Prohibido | r. martinez

cuarenta y cinco

"Thanks for letting us use your house to practice, J." Arcelia said, putting on her backpack as she looked at all of her chambelanes. "I think our dance looks great."

"You're only saying that because you choreographed it." Jamal squinted, then he sighed. "Okay, you're right."

Arcelia smiled and shrugged her shoulders, trying to be humble. "Anyways, I have to get home. It's already past 9."

"You better bring brownies tomorrow like you promised!" Jamal yelled. Arcelia waved him off and walked out with Sebastian while Jamal and Cesar just watched. "She's not bringing the brownies, is she?"

Cesar pursed his lips and shook his head. "Doesn't look like it."

The next morning, Arcelia walked into the kitchen after she smelled the food from her bedroom. "Oscar, guess what?" Rather than a verbal answer, he just hummed. "My quince is in 2 weeks. You better get me a good present."

Oscar scrunched his face up and turned around to look at Arcelia. "I literally payed for the entire party."

"I still want a present." Oscar just shook his head and brought over Arcelia's plate. "Where's my juice?"

"It's not your birthday yet, get it yourself."

Arcelia looked at the fridge and pursed her lips before turning around to her plate. "I don't even like juice." She said stubbornly, thinking Oscar would stand up and get it for her. "Can I go to the party with you?"

"No, you're not allowed at Santos parties."

"What if I stay with you the whole time?"

"No."

"What if I hold your hand the whole time?"

"No."

Arcelia smacked her lips and stabbed into her blueberry pancake. "You're no fun."

A few hours later, Arcelia stood beside Oscar in the backyard of one of the Santos' house since she convinced him to let her go to the party. She didn't have to hold his hand, but he said he had to be able to see her.

Since she couldn't really escape, Arcelia just had a plate full of chips and guacamole while Oscar was talking to everyone. "O, I'm bored. This party sucks and these chips are stale." Arcelia whined, tugging on Oscar's arm dramatically.

"Hey, I brought those chips."

"Your chips are ass." Arcelia glared, visibly upset over her snack.

The cholo smacked his lips and had it been any teenager other than Arcelia, the literal light of Spooky's eye, he would've lost his shit to put her in her place. "Why don't you go hang out with your little boyfriend?"

Arcelia rolled her eyes and looked up at said cholo with her eyebrows raised. "He's not here."

"He's literally been organizing the food table for like 30 minutes."

Arcelia looked at the Santo across from her and Oscar before turning around. The first thing she saw was Ruby touching the tops of the utensils with his elbows. "That is not my boyfriend."

Oscar looked down at Arcelia and sensed she was getting uncomfortable, so he changed the subject. "You get all your stuff ready for her quince?"

"Claro que sí, fool. I even got new speakers so the music would sound better and louder."

× × ×

"Ruby, go away. You're drunk."

Ruby stumbled as Arcelia pushed him back, and then he tried to reach out for her again. "I may be drunk, but at least I'm not drunk." He slurred with a hiccup. "Wait, let me try again. I may be drunk, but at least I didn't start dating my ex's friend."

"And whose fault is it that the relationship ended in the first place?" Arcelia snapped back. "Get off of me."

"I don't wanna."

While Arcelia was trying to shove all of Ruby's body weight off of her, one of the cholos that was close to the Diaz family snuck up. He was watching from far away, but after seeing how uncomfortable Arcelia was getting and Oscar being distracted with Santos stuff, he walked over and shoved Ruby back. "Back up, foo'. She said leave her alone."

Ruby stumbled and for once, his eyes opened. "Woah, hey. I'm talking to my girl."

"You're about to have my whole foot up your ass." Arcelia mumbled. She looked up to the cholo and watched him move to stand in front of her. "And I'm not your girl."

"Right, because you're the little puta dating the guy living in my house!" Ruby slurred.

Oscar may have been far away, but with Ruby yelling, he heard everything. "I'm the puta? You're the one that kissed my best friend in front of the whole school a few days before Valentine's Day!"

Ruby scoffed and almost fell over before grabbing the cholos arm for balance. "I tripped, you stubborn bitch."

"Who the fuck you calling a bitch?" Oscar's deep voice asked from behind Ruby.

The short freshman turned around and gazed up to his ex-girlfriend's older brother. "Uhh..."

"You don't disrespect mi hermana at a Santos party. Espera, you don't disrespect her anywhere. Ever."

Jus a lil filler but guys!!!!! Im so hyped for her quinceñera😭😭