Los Carnales

Chapter 8: What Is Loyalty?

WARNING: Smut ahead. Skip it if you don't fw it, I don't wanna hear it. By the way, if y'all ever met a faithful gangbanger especially in the early 2000s, let me know 'cause I never heard of them. In this book, everybody's messy except for Chris and Lucia. So yeah, except MESS. ;) For a little while at least.

During the gun war, play My Buddy by G-Unit. It's got gun sounds for effect and gives you the full experience. Hope you enjoy.

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6:07am - Grapeland Heights

A lot of shit went down that Lauren would rather not think about. Everything hurt too much and she couldn't afford to be in her feelings. Jhene was thankfully taken to the hospital on time and was currently in recovery; the bullets were removed from her shoulder and back, and she had lost a lot of blood but it did no significant damage to her brain. Lauren almost thought she lost her. She couldn't lose Jhene, Jhene had too much potential to not be alive before she could be lieutenant or something better. She was one of the few people Lauren actually trusted. Lauren didn't have to make the move to save Jhene because Normani and Ariel beat her to it. At that point, all she was left with was Shawn and Camila. Shawn was useless but he still started all of this, and Lauren wanted to end him in the worst way, therefore she dragged the boy on the way to the skating rink and tossed him to Messiah—ordering him to take him back to the safe house and keep him locked in what they called the 'torture room'. Shawn was going to be a gift for Jhene when she got out.

What a mistake it was to go after Camila though—a waste of time, to better describe it. Lauren rushed to the petite brunette upon seeing her escaping the skating rink alongside some boy she didn't think anything of. Camila wasn't pleased with Lauren at all, nor did she want to continue being caught in the middle of any more gun fights. She yelled at Lauren that she'd be fine and to leave her alone because she was better off and safer with someone like him—someone not affiliated with this mess. That's when Lauren began paying attention to him. Joel Villareal. The rosary around his neck and the protective arm around her body said all that Lauren needed to know. She'd kill him but that'd only make Camila hate her. There was nothing she could do except leave Camila alone. Dinah also left with her and advised that leaving Camila with him was the better thing for Lauren to do.

The raising question was: where the fuck did he come from and why were they acting like they knew each other?

Heartbroken and enraged, Lauren got off with killing a couple of Estrabao Cartel goons to let it all out, then took Aleesia with her to catch up with the crew at the hospital. Every LC member (who could) showed up to be there for a very wounded Jhene. It was sworn to her that this attack would not be pushed aside—that they were all going to retaliate one way or another.

It was too early now and Aleesia's parents were still home; they'd be gone for work in about an hour. Neither of them knew Lauren snuck in three hours ago and slept over. Aleesia quietly brought Lauren a cup of noodles and water to have before bed since she was hungry, and it was the only thing she could offer if she didn't want her parents to wake up. They didn't talk anymore about what went down. Instead, Aleesia played with Lauren's hair as the gang leader laid her head on Aleesia's stomach, falling asleep together in the middle of silently watching As Told By Ginger on the box TV. When they woke up, Lauren was reluctant to leave and get back to the streets. She was still tense and angry, she didn't quite feel like being the boss of a gang today. So she stayed back with Aleesia and actually got to know her better.

As Lauren was getting to know Aleesia more as a person, she felt herself becoming five times more attractive to the girl and feared that maybe she liked her company better. No one could compare to Candy but Aleesia was very suitable for Lauren. Aside from gangbanging, Aleesia liked to study medicine and had dreams of maybe becoming a nurse one day—forgetting that it was a long shot. She had three bothers; two were in prison, one was away in the Peace Corp. Aleesia loved to cook and invent stuff in the kitchen, loved watching basketball games at the local court but not playing it, enjoyed fast rides, wanted so badly to get out of the ghetto, always put her parents first, and didn't let her belief in God dictate her life choices or made her want to judge people who committed sin on a daily basis. She was a bright, good girl who rarely showcased it unless she was alone with somebody she liked and trusted. That was very common for fellow teenagers these days.