𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞, 𝐨𝐦𝐛/𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧

five.

Ruby Martinez

It was lunch time now. Ruby's classes so far were alright. Nothing he couldn't handle. The only bad part of his day was Cesar blaming him for his unloyalty. Ruby couldn't believe he had once saw a friend in him.

Cesar was an idiot. How could he blame someone else for his cheating? Ruby had invited him to that party out of the kindness of his heart. He didn't know he was going to cheat. And who in their right mind would cheat on Monse? She was a sweetheart, and she didn't deserve any bullshit.

Cesar cheated with Alexa Demie. What a downgrade. Her best friend Chloe was way more stunning, with her beautiful blonde hair, and her perfectly shaped eyebrows that complimented her face. And that body, oh that body.

"Why are you drooling?" Jamal asked as he sat down next to Ruby.

Ruby snapped back to reality, checking the side of his mouth to make sure he didn't drool. "I-I'm not."

"Where's Cesar?"

"Probably getting it on in the bathroom."

Jamal burst out laughing. "You're petty for that." They laughed and then he ate his pizza. "And Monse?"

"I don't know actually..." Ruby scanned around, looking for his best friend, but saw Latrelle, Coop, and that new girl Olivia pass by. Those three had been inseparable all day.

Ruby was fixated on the baddie in the middle. Olivia. And so was Jamal, apparently, because they both said, "God damn."

Jamal swatted him on the arm. "Back off! I call dibs this time!"

"You like her?"

"She's beautiful, is she not?"

"Stunning. That's all you though, bro. I got my eyes on someone else."

Ruby looked straight ahead at Chloe Rice with heart eyes. Jamal followed his gaze and gasped. "Chloe? That's Alexa's bestfriend!"

"Yeah, but she isn't a hoe like Alexa. At least I hope not." Oh god, he hoped not.

Jamal egged him on. "Go spit game then."

"On who?" Cesar's annoying ass asked as he sat across from them.

Ruby rolled his eyes hard. "Here you go."

"The fuck is your problem?" he asked angrily.

"You and your hormones are my problem, to be exact."

"And you and your big ass mouth are mine," he fired back.

Ruby slammed his hands on the table and stood up, leaning towards him as he hissed. "Listen to me Cesar, I don't give a fuck if you're mad I snitched, and I don't give a fuck if you blame me for inviting you to that party. I don't regret what I did." He continued. "I'mma always have Monse's back, like you should've had. I'm doing the job you were supposed to do, so kindly kiss my ass!"

Cesar sprung up from his seat angrily, but his little side chick intervened. "Woah, woah, woah, what's with the hostility?!" Alexa asked with a laugh. She held onto Cesar tight. "Sit down, babe."

He obeyed her, and then she kissed him on the cheek and held his face while smirking at Ruby. Cesar wasn't even telling her to move. Thank god Monse wasn't there to see this nonsense.

Ruby just shook his head at Cesar. "You're honestly so fucking pathetic. Thank you for tearing this squad apart."

Then he grabbed his tray and stormed off. He heard Cesar shout his name. "Ruby!"

"Let his whiny ass leave, babe," Ruby heard Alexa say.

Ruby rolled his eyes and kept walking. He ended up running into Monse, who was heading towards their table.

"I wouldn't go over there if I were you," he warned.

"Why?" She looked at their table and saw Alexa and Cesar. She scowled. "That's why." Ruby nodded sadly. She sighed. "Well, looks like we're sitting somewhere else."

"Looks like we are."

They walked around, trying to find a table. The air was so much clearer now that he was away from Cesar's ass. Ruby really couldn't stand him anymore, and he meant that.

And someone needed to remind him to never invite him to another party.

Jordan Baker

"Come on, pick up Liv!"

Her phone went to voicemail once again, and Jordan was growing more anxious each second. He needed to make sure she was safe. He needed to make sure she was alive.

"Jordan, calm down!" John pleaded from his spot beside him. They were at lunch right now.

"Don't tell me to calm down! She could be dead right now!"

He tilted his head. "Look, I know Freeridge is bad, but it ain't that bad."

Jordan argued with him. "You don't get to play both sides, John. You're the one who told me to transfer because you know she's not safe there. Which isn't happening, by the way."

He sighed. "Yes, but-"

"There's no buts!" Jordan focused back on his phone and called his sister again. Once again, she didn't answer. "Okay, she won't answer regular calls? Let's FaceTime."

John opened his mouth to protest. "Uh, Jordan, I don't think-" He silenced once he saw Jordan already calling. "Never mind then."

Surprisingly, Olivia answered this time. Based on the background and the noise, she was in the cafeteria.

"Jordan, what the hell do you want? You're blowing me up!"

"Why aren't you answering your phone? And why is it so damn rowdy over there?" he demanded to know.

"Because I'm at lunch with my friends!"

He looked at her bewilderedly. "Friends? What friends? I want names!"

"Latrelle and Coop."

"Who are they? Thugs?!"

"I'm Coop, and I ain't no thug, man!" a girl corrected, shoving her face in the camera. Jordan just swallowed hard.

Olivia came back into the camera and looked at him disappointedly. "You offended my friend. Are you happy now?"

Coop sure was offended because she said, "Get in the camera, Latrelle! Let him know we ain't no thugs!"

But Olivia objected. "No. Jordan needs to mind his business." She looked straight at him. "Bye." Then she ended the call.

"Well, that went well." John laughed.

Jordan looked at him seriously. "Who the hell is Latrelle? That sounds like a fuckboy name."

"Aye, don't judge a book by its cover."

"Fuck a cover," Jordan spat. "When it comes to this Latrelle dude, I want to read every single page." Because he needed to know if he was a good dude since he was gonna be around his sister. But something was telling him that he wasn't. Not by a long shot.