Then & Now [OMB || Cesar Diaz]

then - 7

There was a knock on her door that prompted Layla to get up. "I'll get it dad!" She announces as she rushes over to open it. She meets the out of breath and tired faces of Monse, Jamal and Ruby. "Hey guys-"

"It's Cesar! He's going to kill Latrelle," Monse quickly tells her, making her eyes widen in shock. "You have to come with us! You're like the only person he'll listen to," she takes her wrist and pulls on it but Layla quickly tugs back.

"I️ can't just leave- hold on," she says. "Monse, come with me. You two, stay out here," she points at the boys.

"You're not gonna even invite us in!" Ruby scolds as she shuts the door on him. "Come on! Not even offer us some water!"

"Hey dad. Monse wanted to know if I️ could go with her to Olivia's house for some last minute quince things," she lied. Monse waves at her dad, trying to act normal.

"Oh...well okay. What time will you be back?" He asked.

They both looked at each other confusedly. "Like, 7? 8?" She says.

"She wants to make sure the dresses...fit," Monse tried to add.

Her dad looked between them and shrugged. "Alright. Let me know if you need me to pick you up. You know how I️ feel about you walking in the dark," he says.

As soon as they walked out the door, they were off, grabbing their bikes and peddling as fast as they could to Freeridge community park, where they knew was a major Prophet hangout.

"Where is he?" Layla muttered as soon as they got closer, getting off their bikes and frantically looking around.

"I️ see Latrelle," Monse points over to where Latrelle and two of his boys was sitting on some picnic benches, drinking something out of a cup. "I️ think they're getting drunk."

"Making this the perfect time for them to get smoked," Layla realized. Latrelle soon gets up and heads towards the public bathrooms. And that when she notices Cesar getting out of a car and pulling his head up, walking over towards the bathroom.

Layla quickly jumps up and rushes over to him. "Layla wait!" Monse tries to stop her but it was too late.

She rushes to catch up to Cesar. "Cesar wait!" She yells in a hushed tone, making him turn around to face her, looking alarmed.

"Layla, what are you doing here?!" He angrily yells, grabbing her arm and pulling her to the side of the building that housed the public bathrooms, pressing her against the wall to conceal them.

"Cesar, please don't do this. You're better than this, I️ know you are," she tells him.

"I️ don't have a choice Layla! If I️ don't kill him, then they'll kill me," he says harshly. "He threatened us with a gun, okay? I️ told you I️ would protect you and that's what I'm doing."

"But not like this!" She pleads. "There's no going back from murdering someone," she tells him quietly.

Cesar looks between her and the door to the boys bathroom. And without saying anything else, he leaves her there and marches towards the bathroom with purpose.

A murderous one.

Layla cries in disbelief in the side of the building as Monse hurries over to her and tries to help her up. "I️ don't even know him anymore," she weeps as her friend walks with her to go home.

"I don't neither...." Monse replies sadly.

                                   * * * * *
Layla glumly changed the next afternoon alongside Monse, Danna and Jasmine. Except Jasmine was showing signs of being sick. But she still insisted on being there despite getting cold sweat and being delirious.

Danna noticed her friend being more quiet and upset than usual and wanted to ask what's up but there was no time in between getting ready, piling into the cars, and heading to church for the ceremony.

Cesar didn't appear, and it worried her. Maybe something went wrong or maybe he just needed time to process the fact that he murdered someone.

But turns out, he was okay because he showed up a few minutes before the ceremony even started. They could all barely stand to look at him and Danna was out of the loop so she wasn't sure why everyone was acting so weird.

It wasn't until after the ceremony, that Cesar and Layla had a private chance to speak. She was just walking out of the church when he took her wrist and pulled her to the side.

"What-"

"I️ didn't kill him," he says, catching her off guard. "I️ couldn't. You were right," he tells her. "I️ don't need to go down that road."

Layla smiles with a giggle before throwing her arms around him, pressing a kiss on his lips. "He's not dead but...he's gone," he explains.

"What does that even mean?" She takes a step back to ask him.

He then goes into detail about him and Latrelle faking his death and helping him go into hiding. "How do you know he's really gone?" She asks him worryingly.

"The block is still hot. He wouldn't be dumb enough to come back," he says. "I️ don't want to talk about this anymore, alright? Now come on. I️ believe I️ owe you a dance," he smiles, taking her hand and piling into the back of Ruby's dad's car.

They took lots and lots of pictures and selfies before going into their unpracticed dance routine. It was a mess, and everyone had a good time laughing at it. They sat down and ate before Cesar offered her his hand, and took her out onto the dance floor where everyone else decided to join them in the fun.

"Cesar?" She says, as they dance closely to each other.

"Hmm?" He hums out.

"I️ think I️ ...I️ love-"

And then it happens.

"Cesar!" She hears Ruby yell, and suddenly she was on the ground, with Cesar landing right on top of her while a gun goes off, making everyone scream.

Layla hyperventilates as Cesar quickly looks around for the threat. "Are you okay?" He asks his shocked girlfriend.

There, she spots Ruby bleeding out on the ground next to Olivia, and starts crying. "Ruby! Ruby no!" His mother starts to wail. "Somebody call 9-1-1!"

"Ruby?!" Danna calls out, shocked as she comes from the house and rushes to his side. "Oh my god..."

"Olivia!"' Monse cries out, kneeling down to her, holding her hand alongside Ruby's abuelita.

Shocked, Layla clings on to Cesar, shaking and crying. She couldn't even speak.

It was the last time Cesar and Layla saw each other for the rest of freshman year.
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Enjoyyy ❤️❤️