┏━━━━✶ ࣪˖࿐ *━━━━┓

FLASH FROM THE PAST

ELLA TRIED NOT TO LET WHAT HAPPENED AT THE POOL AFFECT HER TOO MUCH.

Seeing Spooky after two whole years of avoiding seeing him, talking about him, and even hearing about him had gone down the drain in a matter of minutes. The way he'd acted so surprised that Ella was holding onto a grudge seemed to piss her off even more, because he was so ignorantly unaware of just how that day at the beach affected her.

She was just trying to be a good friend, to force the boy into seeing his potential like he had done many times to her, and the thanks she got was him having the audacity to yell at her. To yell at her for being one of the very few people who gave a shit about him.

Yeah, she wouldn't be making that mistake again anytime soon.

Their pool day ended up getting derailed anyhow, with everyone getting sick and puking all over the pool. Hell, she wanted to puke just at the sight of the commotion, and it was safe to say that they packed up real quick at the first sight of vomit.

Though, the day wasn't a total bust just yet— not when Pia alerted her to the fact that the fair was happening that very night. Hence why they were waiting in the atrociously long slushy line.

"Okay, I've changed my mind about wanting one," Pia whined, feet tapping against the grass beneath her feet. "I need to piss."

Ella scanned the area before pointing in the direction of the porta potties at the opposite end of the grounds. "You sure you don't want one?" Pia merely shook her head. "Okay, go go; I'll be here."

Pia pinched her cheek before she was literally darting off toward the bathroom, leaving Ella in the line amongst the other slushy-loving citizens of Freeridge. She took her phone out to pass the time, inching forward in the line at a snails pace.

It was only a matter of minutes when she'd moved up another two places in the line that she heard her name being called.

"If it isn't Ella Turner."

That voice was one she immediately recognized, her head snapping to the left where it was coming from. A figure was approaching her, a leisurely kind of smile on his oh so recognizable face. This time around, it was a face she didn't want to actively avoid.

"Wait— Ronny?" she laughed out, surprise coating her voice.

Aaron Moore, or Ronny as he'd been called ever since sophomore year, was more of an acquaintance to Ella than anything more during high school. Maybe they'd gone to senior prom together and maybe Ella helped him cheat on their Chemistry exam that very same year because of a teeny tiny little crush she had, but that was really it.

School friends— that was the precise, textbook definition of what they were, given the Santos weren't the only gang to gallivant around Freeridge. But there she was, seeing him for the first time since their damn graduation party.

She held back her surprise when he went in for a hug. "You're looking good, Turner," he mused, his shoulder knocking against hers. "You here with anyone?"

"Just Pia, who's—" her voice trailed off when she spotted the girl in question standing just off to the side of the porta potties, talking to a taller man as she giggled at something he said, "—uh, busy, actually."

Ronny followed her gaze and laughed. "So what I'm hearing is you need some company?"

She quirked an eyebrow up as her face morphed into a smile. "You offering?"

"'Course I am," he replied. "Matter of fact, I'm prepared to camp out in this shit ass line with you."

Her face dramatically went to her chest. "Ronny Moore, ever the sweetheart," she gushed, though it turned into a fit of cackled when he shoved at her shoulders playfully.

Her voice lowered a little as they moved up. "I heard about the takedown," she started, and Ronny's mouth quirked up into a half-smile. "I wasn't so sure I'd be seeing you anytime soon."

"I did some time right after high school. Petty theft," he answered in response, and the girl's eyes widened at the confession. She certainly hadn't heard about that; although, a part of her couldn't be surprised. "I got out the day after the raid, on good behaviour."

Ella's eyebrow raised. "You? Good behaviour?"

"Was my first charge. Plus, I'm an upstanding citizen," he smirked, pairing it with a shrug. "Left all that Prophet shit behind. Had to."

She hummed. "So you've been here?"

"You know of all people that I wasn't college material," he scoffed, though there wasn't any heat behind it. "I've been workin' over at the auto shop over by Westgate. Car detailing and shit." 

"That's great, Ron," she congratulated, because at least he'd turned his life around in that regard.

"I get by," he dismissed, before the pair noticed they were finally at the front of the line. He gestured to the list of flavours. "You still like blue raspberry?"

Ella blinked, her eyebrows furrowed. "How did you—"

"There isn't much I don't remember about high school, Turner."

✶ ࣪˖*

With Pia gone, having sent a text saying she would be getting a ride with somebody named Gio, Ella and Ronny traversed the fair grounds and, like any pair of school acquaintances did, they reminisced about their high school days.

Ella was good at keeping secrets, a trait her brother hadn't inherited in the slightest, so keeping her itty bitty crush behind lock and key was an easy feat. It wasn't like Ronny knew, as they'd agreed to go to prom as friends and nothing more, anyway.

Plus, it had faded away with time, like most things tended to do, right?

"I still can't believe Mario and Angelica actually got back together," Ronny chuckled. "You remember how she freaked on him at that party, don't you?"

Ella sighed out. "Oh, believe me, I didn't believe my brother for a second until he coughed up the details from Ruby," she said with a shake of her head.

"Dude attracts crazy, that's for sure," Ronny added.

"A hundred percent he does." As Ella was mid laugh, she felt something hit her square in the chest. But it wasn't something— no, it was someone.

The breath had been knocked out of her for a beat while the person in question simply hugged her. "Monse?" she questioned, blinking down at the girl.

Like Cesar, and Ruby for that matter, Monse Finnie was yet another face she'd known since the dawn of time. She was a close friend of her brother's, and on a handful of occasions, she'd babysat the girl when she was younger.

"Ella!" the younger girl shouted, trying to jostle her around. "Are you on a date?"

Ella couldn't help but flush. "What? No—" However, when another girl she'd only vaguely recognized bounded up to the pair of older teens, that was when Ella smelt something. "Hold up, are you guys drunk?" she asked, pulling Monse away from her to actually get a decent look at her.

Monse waved off her concern. "Psh, no we aren't," she denied, but her glassy eyes betrayed her instantly. She giggled upon seeing the flat look on Ella's face. "Okay, maybe just a lil—" 

"A lil?" Ronny parroted back, holding the Turner girl's slushy for her while she inspected the pair. "You two are drunk as hell."

"How are you girls getting home?" Ella asked the two very inebriated teenagers with caution. There was no way they could walk home alone in such a state, not that she'd let them, anyway.

Though, before either could give a decipherable answer, the very person she was still trying to not think about appeared out of thin fucking air.

"I'm taking them home," Spooky responded, looking at Ella. "You need a ride?"

So much for not thinking about him, because that task was starting to become increasingly difficult the longer he stared expectantly at her. The urge she had felt earlier to punch something returned tenfold.

"It's cool, I can take her home," Ronny responded with a slight edge to his tone, placing his hand on the small of Ella's back for emphasis. Though, the motion was one that the Diaz man immediately caught.

She didn't know if it was Ronny's heated gaze or the action itself that seemed to set the man off, but something evidently did. "Funny, 'cause I wasn't talking to you," he sneered out, arms crossing over his broad chest. "Shouldn't you be locked up with the rest of your boys, cabrón?"

Ronny tried taking a step forward before Ella's hand was on his chest, intersecting the action. "Y'know what, I'll tag along with them," she said, trying to give the Moore boy a reassuring smile.

"You sure?" he asked, hesitantly looking between the girl and the man who seemed to be watching their interaction with precision.

It wasn't that Ella didn't trust Oscar Diaz, but that was precisely the problem at hand. She wasn't dealing with the Oscar she had once known, had once adored. Not the one that wasn't as deeply affiliated as the man behind her now was.

She was dealing with the leader of the Santos, and she didn't know if she could trust Spooky just yet.

"Positive," she replied, nudging Ronny's shoulder against hers in hopes that it would come across at comforting. "We'll talk soon, yeah?"

Ronny visibly calmed at that, nodding with a half smile on his face. "Imma hold you to that, Turner," he said, handing the girl her slushy back.

And then, he was gone, and Ella was brought back to the present. She barely reacted in time to catch Monse from toppling over, but managed to support the girl's dead weight as she looked at Spooky with her lips downturned.

"Let's go before they throw up all over us."

✶ ࣪˖࿐ *

[ wyn's note ]

ronny, friend or foe or a third evil thing?! we shall soon find out. but jealous spooky alert hellloooo

thanks for the support on this my loves x