"Im so hungry."

I whispered to Carlos as I was on my phone. Ruby and Jasmin have been making us dance all night and im tired! Im done!

"No one is into this quince, including me." I overheard Olivia. I saw Monse get up and talk to Ruby. My stomach growled.

"Hungry?" Cesar asked.

"No, my stomach did that for boredom. Of course!" I told him.

"Ruby, I need to talk to you." Monse told Ruby.

"Oh, me too. You think your dad's 18-wheeler could hold a horse?" A horse?! I cant believe he's going all out.

"Why?"

"Well, I found a dancing horse in Barstow, but I need to provide its transpo to and from the party."

"That's it. Ruby, you've become a total quincecabra." Monse yelled at Ruby.

"A what?"

"A monster! You're too wrapped up in this party and driving us all crazy and potentially shortening our lives with all this unnecessary anxiety." I nodded my head. Ruby pulls Monse on the side and i went back on my phone. I scrolled through Instagram and liked posts from several friends and family.

"Unacceptable!" Ruby yelled as he looked at his phone. He made us all jump.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Jamal just late-cancelled practice. He's fired." Ruby paced around the room. "We need a replacement. Carlos, are any of your friends free Saturday?" I shook my head no and Carlos shook his head no.

"We can't replace Jamal." I told Ruby.

"I don't know anyone else." Olivia stressed.

"Well, consider this an opportunity to make new friends." Ruby announced as he went to get the food we ordered. "Thank you. You available Saturday for a quince?"

"Ruby!" We all yelled.

"What? He's the right height." He gave the man his tips. "I'm sorry. The ladies have no vision." The man didnt care and left. Ruby puts the food on the table.

"Okay, let's dive in." We all were about to dive in but Ruby blocked the bags.

"Not Not the food! Let's dive into the agenda." We all groaned and laid back. Ruby, are you serious! "Food is for inspiration. Food is for closers. Okay, I'll start. So it turns out the dancing horse doesn't actually dance."

"I can dance that part too." Jasmin started to dance and we all looked at her. "What? I don't see anyone else stepping up!"

"Cesar, what do you think about riding bareback with a sword?" Ruby asked him. Cesar gave him the most confused look.

"Where am I gonna get a sword?" He asked him.

"Agh, do I have to do everything myself?"

"No!" Olivia jumped up and yelled. We all were shocked.

"What's the problem?" Ruby wondered.

"You! You're the problem." Olivia had enough. "Take dinner. We're adjourned." We all went to grab the food but Ruby, again, blocked us.

"But you haven't earned it yet!"

"Enough! A quince is supposed to be a celebration, but now it's a chore. Nobody wants to do this, least of all me. It's cancelled. The quince is off." Olivia walks to get her bag of food and hands us our bag. "See you at school tomorrow." We all looked at Ruby and he was stressed. Cesar started to eat, when is that man never eating.

"I gotta go, i gotta finish the special surprise." I told Ruby.

"Dont bother." Ruby sadly said. "Just throw it away."

"Well i didnt stay up late for you to tell me to throw it away. Im dropping it off in a few." Carlos, Monse, Cesar and I left Ruby's. I went home and added some details and went back to Rubys to drop it off.

"Val?" Ruby said as he stepped out. I placed the stand for her parents and and fixed it.

"Its not really good, since it was last minute but-"

"It's beautiful." Ruby looked at me. I blushed. "Val, you did great."

"Thanks Ruby."

"Im very impressed."

"Oh stop it, its nothing." I pushed him gently. "I just hope she likes it, may not find it creepy." I giggled.

"Likes it? Val, shes gonna love it. If i love it, she'll love it too."

"Now you're just pushing it." I playfully rolled my eyes. Ruby held my hand and smiled at me.

"Listen, I have to say that im sorry for night and the other nights, the whole planning went over my head."

"You sure do over the top with the planning." I tangled my fingers with his. "I got the centerpieces ready, ill drop it off in the morning."

"Dont stress it. Valeria, you are amazing."

"Thanks Ruben." We both looked at each other and smiled. Every time he looks at me, feel like im the only girl in the world. He makes me feel special. How can i be so stupid for not being with him! I cant believe it. We heard a cough and we pulled apart. It was Carlos.

"Sorry." Ruby said.

"Dont be." I gave him a small smile. "Bye, see you tomorrow." I waved goodbye to him as me and Carlos left. We drove to a restaurant and grabbed something to eat. We spent about an hour there. We walked back to the car and drove. Carlos pulled over to the side and parked it.

"What?" I asked as he looked at me. He grabbed my thighs and started to kiss me. "Carlos stop." He didnt stop. I tried to push him off. "Carlos get off me!" I slapped him. He almost got on top of me but I hit him. I got out of the car.

"The hell was that for?" Carlos said as he got out of the car.

"Didn't you hear me say stop?"

"So?" I laughed.

"So? So?" I got angry. "What am I to you? A damn trophy?"

"Why are you so hurt? You didn't care?"

"This time i do care! Im not gonna let you treat me like that anymore."

"So what?" I threw my drink at him. He spit out the water and looked me. He grabbed my arms and pushed me against the car.

"Get off me!" I tried to get him off me. I screamed and spit on him. He let me go and I was in tears. I was scared.

"Bitch!"

"Whatever we had, its over. Its done." I walked off. He yelled back.

"Because of Ruby?!" I turned back and I slapped him.

"You dont bring him into this. Ruby is more of  a man than you are."

"Ruby-"

"Shut it! Ruby actually respects people, cares about other peoples feelings, and i know for a fact, he doesn't treat girls like some piece of trash." I walked away.

"Thats right! Walk away! I only was with you because you were so easy! Easier than Monse!" I stopped. I was trying so hard not to walk back to him. "You weren't even worth it!" I made my knuckles turn white. I ran back and sucker punched him straight in the face. He fell back.

"You can say whatever you want to say about me, but dont you ever! EVER! Say anything about my friends, asshole!" I kicked him again. "Dont look at me, dont talk to me, dont go near me, or the next time you do, I'll mess you up." I walked away and ignored him. I made it home and I slammed the door and walked to my room.

"Valeria?" Jacky calmingly said as she walked in my room. She saw me cry. "Whats wrong?"

"Im so stupid. I fell for him."

"Who?" She asked as she sat next to me.

"Carlos Hernandez." She pulled me to her arms. "I should've listened to everyone. I just felt so lonely."

"Listen mija, screw him. Forget him. You're gonna find someone else who likes you, for you. Not for some stupid reason." She wiped my tears from my face. "That person who loves you for you, he'll love you twice as much as anyone has love you. That person would drop everything to be with you."

"I was with him because I thought Ruby didnt like me. But when we started to hang more, I discovered that i really do like him. I was just so foolish for being with Carlos, i was so over my head. I cant believe it." Jacky kissed my head and rubbed my back.

"So you do like Ruby?" She smiled.

"Ever since the 4 grade." She chuckles.

"Now, what you gotta do is say that you like him."

"You're saying that like it's simple."

"It is, why do you think me and your brother are together. I was the one that asked him out." I looked at her. "Im not saying that you should tell him right now, take your time, you'll know when its the time." I hugged her.

"Thank you Jacky."

"Anything for you Valeria."