"Handled!"

Jamal yells as Spooky and Willy told us what they said to Cuchillos. We had told the two since they're closer to her and well, their our brothers.

"What do you mean handled? Handled could mean anything. Handle with care. Manhandled. Twitter handle."

"Yeah cause Spooky and Willy is setting Cuchillos up with a twitter handle." I said rolling my eyes.

"There are handles that handle every-"

"Enough!" Spooky yelled.

"Are you sure about this?" Monse asks the two Santos. "We're talking about taking a life here."

"Or yours, mine, everyones." Willy growled.

"And yet you work for her."

"Worked. Past tensed." Spook steps up. "Shes out of control. Its never been this bad before. And its all for nothing. Putting you kids in the middle of her crazy vendetta...shits messed up. And she doesnt give a damn. She doesnt give a shit about no one. Even those most loyal to her. Like our dad." Cesar looks up at Spooky. "Made him take the fall back in the day. But her times up. Shes taking a meeting shes not walking out of."

"Oh." Jamal gasps. "Handled."

"You guys need to keep yourselves busy starting now." Willy tells us. "Go somewhere you'll be seen. A place with lots of cameras, like a mall."

"I hate malls. Dying industry. I shop everything online." Jamal sighs. Are you serious?

"Wherever you are, use your phone. Just dont use it to call me or lil diablo."

"How do we know when its been handled?" Ruby asks. Spooky picks up his phone.

"I'll hit up Cesar."

"And ill text Valeria." We all sat there quietly. "Val." Willy takes me to the other room.

"How do we know that this is gonna work? If you-"

"Its going to work hermanita." He places his hand on my cheek. "Ill be okay." He looks at me, just like the day he told me not to look at my father's 'dead' body. Him telling me to only focus on him, only him.

"I cant lose you. Not you. You're all i have."

"Ill be home before you know it." He kisses my head.

"Dont say it." I said to him. I knew what he was gonna say.

"What? That I love you?" I sighed. Those words. "Because i do."

"Wilfredo."

"Go." Me and the gang went to the corner store, doing what they said. I walked through the aisles. I had my phone in my hand, every buzz i got, it wasn't from Willy. Ruby comes up to me.

"He's going to be okay." He tells me.

"He better." I went to get something to drink. I opened a can of soda, and start drinking it. I then started to eat candy, im getting nervous. It doesnt feel right. Nothing feels right. I started to get anxious, i ran outside and started to breathe again. Ruby came outside. "Sorry, im going back-"

"Val..."

"Im sorry." I looked at him. He looks at me weird. "I didnt mean to say what I said that night. Its just that, I dont want you to get hurt. Every time someone says that they love me, they end up getting hurt. Its like im cursed. And I care about you and I dont want you to get hurt."

"You dont have to say if you're not ready. I shouldn't have-"

"Don't apologize for something you didnt do. Ruby." I walked up to him, holding his face. "I want to be with you. I just want to be happy with you. You made me the most luckiest girl in the whole wide world. And I dont want to ruin us."

"You're not ruining us. You're all I want. You dont have to be pressured to say it." He pulls out a ring pop. "My dad gave this to my mom when he proposed because they were so broke. No matter what we are going through, we'll work it out, together." A tear came out of my eye. He placed the candy ring on my finger.

"Ask me again when we turn 18." I chuckled. He smiled back.

"I promise you it will be prettier when i get the real one." We both laughed. "Willy, will be okay. Hes strong, just like you. Im not worried." I kissed him.

Its been three days since we heard from Spooky and Willy. Its not like them. Ever since then, i stayed at Rubys, he told me I shouldn't be alone.

"Maybe they're hiding out. Laying low." Monse tells us as she tries to calm me and Cesar down. I shook my head, Cesar pacing back and forth.

"For three days? No this is bad." Cesar yells at her. "They would have called us or taken our calls."jamal and ruby came back from our houses to check. I stood up. "Well?"

"Spookys car hasnt been moved from the driveway. Neither has Willys from the garage." Ruby tells us.

"Did you look in the house?"

"Yeah. Through the front window."

"And the side. Nothing."

"What about the back?" The two boys looked at each other.

"You didnt tell us to look in the back." Jamal whispers.

"I didn't think i had to. Check the house means check the house, not part of the house." I held Cesar back as he yelled at them.

"Okay Cesar, everyone is doings the best they can."

"You know what? Just forget it. Im gonna go see if theres any sign of them." He grabs his bag but Monse quickly grabs it from him.

"No! We agreed you cant go home."

"Maybe this is what Spooky Lil Diablo meant by handling it." Jamal says.

"You're being stupid." Cesar growls.

"Im just trying to help."

"You cant." He points at Jamal. "If this was just some dumb ass conspiracy, then maybe, just maybe you could help but this real life! Something awful is happening." Monse and i pulled Cesar away. Ruby whispered to Jamal about we were sitting ducks. I overheard. I was heated.

"What did you say?" I said, making everyone look at me.

"Nothing, dont worry princesa."

"Dont princesa me, say it." My voice cracked.

"Look, we're all worried."

"Yeah, for yourselves." Cesar said with a chuckle. "My brother and Vals brother wasn't thinking about themselves when they stepped in to save all of us."

"Thats not what we meant."

"Well what did you mean Jamal?" I hummed. "What did you mean? Sorry you guys wouldve grow up and handle things by yourselves." I picked up my bag.

"Thats not fair." Ruby said as he grabbed my arm. I quickly yanked it as i made it the door.

"Nah you want to know whats not fair?" Cesar says as he followed me. "Is that you all complain about our brothers and the gang, but soon as you need them, you come begging. Well, im not sitting on my ass while Oscar and Willys out there saving all of yours." Cesar and I left the home and started looking for the gang. We knew they were by the park. So we went there. We saw them. Cesar and I looked at them. They weren't even worried. Made me sick. "Have you guys seen Spooky and Lil Diablo?" Cesar calls out. They just ignored us. "Its been three days." Again, nothing. "Have you seen them?" We walked up to the table where Joker was playing. Cesar walked up to Joker. "You guys are all their days ones. Where the hell are they?"

"Look at lil spooky trying to grow up." Everyone laughed. "You gonna shoot me?"

"Dont worry. His gun would jam. We aint taking orders from you." They all laughed again. I had enough of this bullshit. I bit my lip and pushed the dominos off the table. Joker didnt like that one bit.

"What's your problem, Diabla?"

"He asked you a goddamn question. Answer him, Have you seen Our brothers?" I sternly growled.

"Maybe they kicking it with some haynas." Not even true. Willy aint like that, hes got Jacky.

"Remember when they dipped to Vegas with fine ass Leti and Jacky?" Oso said. "Maybe they there."

"Yeah. We aint seen them for a few days."

"Then why in the hell are you all sitting on your asses? Put a goddamn ear to the street and go find them!" I yelled. Joker stood up and got up in my face.

"You want to test me?"

"I aint scared of you." I looked at him. "Did you turn on them?"

"What?" Joker grabbed me, yelling at me. "What did you say?" Cesar pulled me away and Sad Eyes pushed Joker off of me.

"What you want to fight! Come on!" I yelled. "Whats the matter Joker? Cant deal with a girl whos not afraid of you?"

"Relax! Relax!" Sad eyes yells at us.

"Just get up on your asses and find them!" I demanded. Sad eyes looks at the two of us.

"Hey." He says. "We got you lil spooky. And we got you diabla. You heard them. Lets go." Sad eyes demands. Everyone gets up and leaves. Joker and I were still staring at each other. As he walked away, i grabbed him.

"Lay a hand on me again, and the next time, I will kick your ass." He just walks away. Sad eyes nods at us. He pats my shoulder and Cesars as he walks away.