. ⋆ ⭑✧*:･ﾟ

The group was momentarily quiet. After Cesar handed them their drinks, he took a step back to stand by Cora. And she was just waiting for someone to say something. 

"And what's she doing here?" the short boy pushed, Monse crossing her arms. "You didn't just let some random freshman in on our spot?"

Okay, maybe not that.

"You know, I have a mouth and the capability to process words and their meaning through my brain," Cora snapped. "I can answer your questions just fine." They all averted their eyes away from the latina girl, Cesar half-heartedly smiling at Cora. She cleared her throat and blinked, sipping her now half-empty soda. "I'm here because I'm a friend of Cesar's and he wanted to introduce me to his other friends," Cora swallowed hard.

"Well hi, I'm Jamal," he stepped forward with his hand outstretched for her to shake, which she did with her right hand. "I remember you, from the uh," he paused, Cora remembering that he walked in on her makeout session with Cesar years prior. "Uh, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Jamal. And by the way, I'm not a freshman," she added, turning to the shortest boy. 

"I'm Ruby," he put a small smile on his face for Cesar's sake as he shook hands with Cora.

"You're our age?" Monse asked, her lips curled into a scowl, arms still crossed.

Cora nodded. "Some girls hit puberty before others."

Cora had not known Monse, so she had not known Monse was the bear that you don't poke. And to the boys, it was a surprise that she didn't jump at Cora's throat, only took a deep breath in and out before turning around to face the party going on in the backyard. She seemed no longer interested in Cora.

"Take it in," Cesar changed the subject, leading Cora to stand up on a wooden crate so she could see over the fence too. Taking Cesar's hand, she joined the four of them. Once she could peek over the fence, she saw two couples in the middle of the dance floor. 

One was basically having dry sex, heavily making out and touching each other everywhere with their hands. The other was dancing to the music, him twirling her before she landed right in his arms again. He held her tightly and looked down at her like she single-handedly put the stars in the sky.

The second couple was Adam and Lola.

"This is about to be us. This is high school," Cora watched as Cesar narrated his thoughts aloud before the gang all took a sip of their beer, she watched them all impatiently waiting for their reactions, chuckling quietly when Jamal spit his back in the can. They all just ignored her.

"Ruby, you think your brothers going to marry Angelica?" Monse asked, every one looking to the couple making out in the backyard. 

"That's your brother?" Cora asked, shocked. She meant to hold it in, but she couldn't. The boy on the dancefloor was tall and handsome, his hair sitting nicely on his head and his muscular arms holding the girl — Angelica — in his arms. He didn't look so much like his younger brother, but then again, Cora didn't look that much like Lola.

"Yeah, his name's Mario," Ruby answered her. Cora nodded. "No idea," Ruby turned to address Monse. "Mario tells me jack."

"What about that time you said Angelica has a dangler?" Jamal asked, cracking himself up. Cora was silently amused by all the personalities Cesar's group of friends possessed. "But he said that."

"In private!" Ruby defended, Monse smirking. "Time and place, dude." Cora snickered, then continued to watch Adam and Lola tear up the dance floor.

 "Oh guys, check out guerita at nine o'clock." Everyone went to look at nine o'clock. "Monse, if you were a girl—" 

"I am a girl," Monse interjected.

"Yeah, but if you were a girl like that, would you wear underwear?" Ruby asked, earning an eye roll from Monse.

"Ces, where do you find these personas?" Cora shared a laugh with the latino boy to her left as he placed a hand on her hip, ultimately bringing them closer.

"I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die," Jamal started repeating to himself, and Cora was really starting to wonder how they all became friends. At this time, Adam and Lola decided to go inside, probably looking for drinks.

"Why are you gonna die?" Monse asked him.

"Those guys," Jamal pointed to some tall and muscular men. "Play for the 'Ridge. Did you know that last year alone over a quorum of kids—" 

"Died playing football?" Monse interjected again. "You're stuck on repeat. So, don't play."

"No choice. My Pops was a legend. It's a family tradition," Jamal shook his head. Cora wasn't looking at him until now, and she finally understood his place in the group. She figured him out pretty quick. "I'm dead," Jamal decided, suddenly panicking as he was taking deep breaths and fanning his face. He stepped away from the wall, Monse immediately turning around to console him.

"You're not dead," Monse stepped down, Cora following, taking her eyes away from the people who were still dancing in the backyard.

"Football spiral?" Cesar backed Cora. Cora watched as he took more deep breaths and just started losing it. "Jamal, CTE is not in your future," Cesar squatted next to his friend. Cora smiled at the attention Cesar was trying to give to his friend, even if he wasn't really paying attention.

"Guys, check out my game. Guerita just gave me the nod," Ruby cut in, nodding himself. Cora laughed aloud, not caring if it was actually funny or not. The fun was cut short though when a man jumped up from behind the fence and grabbed Ruby's neck.

"Are you eyeing my girl, cabrón?" the man asked with a heavy accent, and Cora's smile dropped, instantly knowing he was Sad Eyes. She stayed quiet as Cesar and his friends stood up.

"No, God no. I'm not into blondes," Ruby squeaked.

"Easy, he does your moms taxes," Cesar reminded him. "Miss Guzman, right?"

"Three thousand dollar refund. Schedule C, line 30, home office deduction," Ruby nodded. Had Ruby's neck literally not been on the line, she might've laughed.

"Seriously, dude?" Monse asked as another man in a white shirt popped up, then stopped when he saw Cesar.

"Yo, what are you doing, esé?" he slapped Sad Eyes' arm. "That's Spooky's little bro, dawg," he reminded him. Cesar nodded. Sad Eyes immediately let Ruby go, flocking under Cesar's left arm.

"And dude, that's Diabla's hermana!" he laughed at Sad Eyes, pointing to Cora. Cora smiled at the mention of Diabla, taking another sip of her coke as all eyes went to her.

"I didn't recognize you, homies. Hey, listen, man," Sad Eyes addressed Cesar. "Tell Spooky Sad Eyes sends respects, alright?" Nodding was the only thing Cesar could do. "Let's get outta here."

And then, as fast as they'd appeared, they were gone.

"You're part of a gang?" Monse asked Cora, her fiery eyes setting their targets on Cora.

"Technically I'm just affiliated," Cora shrugged, taking the very last sip of her coke, looking around for a trash can she could toss the trash in. And it was the truth, Cora had not yet become part of the gang, even if she was bound to.

"I can't believe this," Monse said to Cesar. "You're friends with her?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cora piped up, tilting her head, her long ponytail swinging with every move she made. She loved her hair, it was like her secret weapon.

"We're all playing the same game here," Cesar reminded the girls, taking a step forward and holding his right hand out as a caution.

"Cesar, she's affiliated with the Santos!" Monse insisted.

"And what do you think your boy Cesar is?" Cora asked. "Just because we're affiliated with the Santos, doesn't mean we're dangerous," Cora stepped closer to Monse, holding the coke can in her hand. "The lion only bites when it's hungry," Cora squished it, bending the can.

Cora walked away. She'd had enough drama for one night, so it almost seemed walking away at this point could save some potential drama for later. Cora could be hot-headed and quick to rally up a temper, and she was after all an Aries. The last thing she wanted to do tonight was to fight with one of Cesar's friends, she knew how much they all meant to him.

"Thank God for your brother," Ruby decided, still out of breath, as they watched Cora throw her bent can away in a trash bin by an open door, the same one Cesar and Cora had just come out of minutes ago. It's crazy how quickly life changes.

"Don't. Thank God for better things," Cesar argued, everyone silently agreeing. Monse felt guilty, and so did Cora, it was clear that the two didn't see eye to eye. 

Cora turned around, ready to apologize, and the gang was watching her walk back when suddenly, a gunshot was shot through the air. The music stopped, and people started screaming, running in every which direction. "Cora!" a loud male voice cut through the air immediately after, and Cora spun around to face Adam Deluca in the living room of the house. 

"Vámonos!" he grabbed her arm and ran out the front door where Lola was already outside, the older girl immediately relaxing when she saw her sister was safe. With Adam's hand still holding Cora's, the trio crossed the street where they'd peacefully walked on earlier, following Lola's lead as they all kept their heads low and ran quickly to get to some kind of safety as more gunshots went off.

Cora looked back once, only once, to meet eyes with the one they'd eventually call Lil Spooky and the one who could possibly either ruin her life or save it.

This was not how Cora saw her night going.

⋆ ⋅ ☆

[ DEDICATED TO oIympias
i love you so much! ]

CHAPTER THREE
1,742 words

TRANSLATIONS
guerita — blonde girl
personas — people
cabrón — dumbass
esé — man
diabla — female devil
hermana — sister
vamonos — let's move

PUBLISHED may 4, 2018
[ happy star wars day! ]
EDITED may 28, 2020