PART TWELVE

"I am not your mirror. You are your own prisoner." —Unknown.

Ξ GU,OD Ξ

I pushed my newly braided box-braids out of my face and proceeded to put it in a ponytail. My door creaked open. Monse poked her head into my bedroom. "Hey, how are you?" She asked with a sly smirk on her lips. "What did you do?" I asked, suspicious of her odd behavior. Her mouth fell agape. "So I can't ask how my favorite sister is feeling now?"

I rolled my eyes though a small smile was evident on my lips. "First of all, I'm the only sister you have and it's not like I'm gonna fall apart if I'm alone, Mo." The day me and Oscar had our 'fight' she heard everything and since then she hasn't been stopped asking every hour if I'm fine or need something. I guess she's as overprotective as me sometimes.

"You sure?" I let out a little laugh and nodded. "I'm good. Besides, I'm going to a party tonight." She raised her perfectly shaped eyebrows. "Are you gonna act like those air headed 'I just broke up with my boyfriend so I'm gonna act like a fool and get drugged' type of girls?" She spoke in one breath. "No, Monse! I'm not even gonna drink. I just want to have some fun. I need it."

She sighed and sat on my bed. "Fine, but I'll let Jasmine keep her eyes on you." I frowned. "Jasmine? I think I will be the one watching her. That chick is crazy, man."

"I just need someone to go with you. What if someone robs you?! You know if you're with Jasmine she will knock that thief out." I shook my head before laughing. "Girl, please. Let's talk about you now. What's up with my boy Cesar?"

She rolled her eyes. "Your boy? Sin, you hate him." She stated. "Mo, you know that's not true. I don't hate him, I just don't like him." I replied with a smile.

"Well, nothing's going on. We're not a thing. We never were." She said as she got up from my bed. I squinted my eyes, not believing her. "Mo, I'm gonna ask you something important. Please answer this truthfully okay?" She nodded. "Do I look like a clown to you?" She sighed and rolled her eyes once again. "I really don't like him!"

✞

"Do I gotta wear the red ones or the black ones?" Julio asked as he held up two ugly pairs of vans sneakers. "None of them. They're both ugly as f*ck bro." Fernando replied. Laughter erupted causing him to get irritated. "Y'all don't give me the respect that I'm owed! Don't complain when I get all the b*tches tonight!" He shouted at the couple of boys sitting on the couch before walking to the bathroom. "That chico never pulls a chiquita. Only thing he'll pull tonight is a muscle." I joked.

"I heard that, tonto!" Julio yelled from the bathroom. I was about to reply back when Cesar walked into the living room. "Oscar, can I talk to you real quick?" I nodded and stood up from the couch.

"So I heard you was going to Rahkim's party tonight." I once again nodded. Rahkim was the prophet everyone knew. No matter what your status was, everyone had respect for him. Even though he was technically my enemy, I always liked that dude. He knew how to stay within the boundaries of our friendship. We could talk and all that stuff but no more than that. It wouldn't make sense nor be respected that I was mejores amigos (best friends) with a Prophet.

"Are you sure you wanna go?" I slid my hand in my pocket, looking for my lighter. "Why would you ask that hombre?" He parted his lips to talk but closed them, not wanting to speak. "Talk, Cesar. Why don't you want me to go? Did one of those Prophets say something?!" He quickly shook his head. "No, that ain't it. Monse texted me and-" I clenched my jaw and cut him off, immediately knowing where this would lead.

"Let me guess, Sin's gonna be there?" He slowly nodded. Cesar would ask me about her here and there and normally, I would reply nonchalantly. But after our little disagreement, I shut him down as soon as her name rolled out of his mouth. Because of that he knew that I wasn't on good terms with her anymore. "You haven't seen her in over two months. You think you're gonna contain your feelings for her?"

"They don't call me Spooky for nothing, hermanito (little brother)."

✞

"Girl! You look good!" Jasmine shrieked as I walked up to her. She texted me and told me to meet her at the location of the party. I almost had a heart attack when I saw that it was the Prophet's neighborhood but damn.. a girl gotta live sometimes. The music was playing was so loud, that I could feel the thudding of it through my body. "Thank you." I replied slightly awkward.

I still wasn't used to her outgoing and noisy attitude. "You know any hot cholo's that are gonna come?" She asked as we stepped into the house. "Why?!" I shouted, trying to let her hear my voice above the loud music. "What do you mean, why? I've got to release some energy and I know a perfect way to do that. You kno' what I mean?" She questioned with smirk plastered onto her lips.

"Yeah.. whatever. Let's just dance. Forget boys for one night. It isn't that hard." I said as I pulled her towards the large group of people dancing. "I could try but just know, if I see a fine ass cholo, I'm abandoning you."

Just as I was about to make a comment, she hushed me and started dancing. "This is my jam!" She yelled as she bended over and started whining horribly. Tyrant by Kali Uchis played.

I managed to forget anything that happened in the past six months as I was dancing. I swayed my hips to the beat and ignored all the thirsty 'boys' that kept their eyes glued upon me. "I'm gonna go. I spot a cutie in the back. I'll be outside. Catch my drift?" Jasmine smirked as she glided her tongue over her teeth. "Go do you."

The longer I danced, the better I felt. I felt even better that I'd not seen Oscar and his posey. As soon as I felt the heat rise, I moved from the dance floor. I walked towards the spot where people talked and drank. I looked around to see if I could spot anyone I knew until my eyes locked with someone I did not want to see at the moment. Oscar. He had changed a bit in three months. His goatee had grown a little fuller, making him look more mature and he probably started training because he was looking quite buff.

How much I hated him, he looked good. The door swung open, hitting the wall with a thud. Jasmine walked in with tears on her face and blood smeared onto her clothes. "A kid just got shot!" She cried.

"What?! Where?" I questioned as I rushed over to her. "A-Around the cor-.. corner." I ran out the house with people trailing behind me. I didn't know who this kid was but that was all I knew. It was a kid. That was enough for me to worry.

As I turned around the corner, I saw indeed a child lying in a puddle of blood. My heart thudded against my chest as the kid looked familiar. I stepped in front of the body with my eyes closed. My instinct was to run away but I just couldn't. I slowly opened my eyes and stared into the dull and lifeless eyes of Rico.