Then & Now [OMB || Cesar Diaz]

now - 6

"You know you're not allowed to see him!" her father yells at her as she sits on the couch, frowning. "I️ trusted you to stay here by yourself and still Mrs. Robertson tells me she saw him here."

Mrs. Robertson was a fucking snitch.

"You're grounded," he tells her, making her mouth fall open.

"Dad-"

"I️ don't wanna hear it. You're to go to school and back. If Danna wants to see you, then she can come here," he states. "And no tv, or phone. And you can only use your computer to study," he restricts.

"What?!" She screeches. "How long am I️ grounded for?" She scoffs.

"Until I'm not mad anymore," he says.

"Dad, me and Cesar are just friends! And he just came over to check up in me," she quickly lied.

"Cool. But you know the rules. He's not allowed around this house, around this family and especially around you," he points at her. "Now go to your room and go study," he orders.

Two hours into staying in her room, her dad knocks on the door. "Come in," she says glumly. She sees her dad walk in and sit on the bed next to her, making her sit up straighter. She was about to give him some sassy remark when he hands her back her phone. She looked up at him confusingly when he spoke.

"Layla...you're my only child, okay? And I️ just don't want to see you get hurt," he speaks. "I️ know you care about Cesar, but he's in a gang baby," he says with such urgency, as if trying to make her understand the situation. "And I️ know how gangs work. If the other gang sees you're still with him, they'll come after you and maybe even me," he explains.

Layla frowns, almost tearing up because that's exactly what happened. "I️-I know-"

"So if you know, why do you keep going back to him?" He asks. "He doesn't have a future. But you do," he points at her. "I️ know at this age you feel everything strongly but I'm pleading you to leave him alone, and to focus on going to college next year," he reminds her. "Because while you're over there, getting an education, he'll still be here...hopefully," he concludes. He then stands and gives her a hug and a kiss. "I️ just don't want to get the same call Olivia's parents got," he whispers, before pulling away, walking out as she started to weep.

Olivia's quince...that was definitely a night she would never forget.

                                  * * * * *

"Where have you been and why haven't you texted me?" Danna demanded to know as soon as they met up at the quad at school.

"I️ was grounded, my dad took my phone away," she explained. "So much happened this weekend..."

She started to fill her in on what's been going on, being chased down by 19th Street, Cesar  visiting her and Latrelle's return to Freeridge. "Latrelle wants to bring back the Prophets," he tells her.

"I️ still can't believe you and him had a thing," she mentioned.

Layla rolled her eyes. "Why do people keep saying that?"

"It's true!" Danna defended. "One day he's pointing a gun at your man and the next, he is your man."

"I️t was a weird time, I️ just wanted to hurt Cesar," she said as they headed to class.

Danna scoffed. "It turned out to be a lot more than that though, didn't it?"

Layla didn't answer. Instead, they went their separate ways to class before meeting up again a couple of hours later for lunch before heading to their last class of the day. As Layla walked home, she definitely wasn't listening to music this time, keeping a vigilant eye on her surroundings.

A loud honk behind her spooks her, making her jump as a green car rolls up on her. She stops and realizes it's just Latrelle and immediately sighs in relief. He rolls the window down and leans over. "Damn girl, you good?" He asks. "You look tense as fuck," he points out.

Layla scoffs and waves him off. "I'm fine-"
Another car honks and she jumps once more. She then huffs and lowers herself to the window's height. "Okay fine...I'm scared," she admits to him. They did used to date...

"Get in," Latrelle nods, opening the car door. Without a moment's hesitation, she gets in the car.

"Thank you," she sighs in relief as he drives in direction of her home.

Latrelle didn't respond, focusing on the road. The tension was slightly thick and Layla tried to play on her phone to distract her instead. She knew it was wrong to be in the same car as him. Latrelle was a constant thorn in Cesar's side and the fact that she and him have gotten close at one point is one part of the past that Cesar doesn't even like to acknowledge.

Latrelle killed Olivia.
He tried to kill Cesar.
And he used to constantly rob and terrorize Monse, Ruby and Jamal.

So what the hell did she see in him?
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Don't know where this story is going but let's just enjoy this ride ayeees