. ⋆ ⭑✧*:･ﾟ

"You know I'm not blessing this, but Monse won't relent," Cesar said to Ruby on the phone. His free hand was playing with tangles in Cora's naturally curly hair as she laid her head on his lap, her nose in a book. "And she absolutely cannot be the one to do it. I think Oscar will go easiest on you, especially given his respect for Mario."

"But when you say he'll go easy, what do you mean?" Ruby said from the other end of the line.

"I mean, he probably won't hurt you," Cesar explained.

"Is there a good, like, happy time for him? I mean, some people aren't morning people."

"Do it before school."

"In a couple of days, a week?" Ruby tried procrastinating.

"Tomorrow," Cesar said sternly. "He's expecting you. Don't be late. Good night."

"Good night," Ruby said before hanging up.

Cesar closed his phone and set it aside. "Are you sure you're clear to spend the night here?" he questioned the brunette laying on him.

"Yeah," Cora answered, without looking away from her book. "Lola said it's fine 'cause she knows where I am, but if anything happens to me it's your dick that's at risk."

"How warming," Cesar continued playing with her hair until she got tired of her book.

⋆ ⋅ ☆

"What's up?" Cesar greeted Monse first thing in the morning as she was in his yard.

"Ruby can't be the one to talk to Oscar. He's the wrong messenger."

"I can't believe you guys are going through with this," Cora walked out the front door, her hair in two low pigtails at the bottom of her head with a blue ribbon tied on each of them. Her flats made almost no noise as she skipped against the concrete wearing a blue and white floral top and jeans, approaching Cesar, Monse, and Olivia who was waiting on the sidewalk.

"No one should talk to Oscar, but he's the best of the worst options," Cesar opened his arm for Cora to crawl under.

"I could," Monse said.

"No. Oscar doesn't do badgering," Cesar said. Cora nodded.

"How am I badgering? I don't. Give me an example of how and when I've done that before? You can't, can you?" Monse badgered. Cora smiled as Cesar looked to her.

"We're not doing this crap this early in the morning, Olivia! Wait up!" Cora said, pulling Cesar along with her, leaving Monse grunting. They just barely missed Ruby sneaking past them to the backyard.

⋆ ⋅ ☆

"I did it! I did it!" Ruby came up to Monse, Jamal, Andres, and Cesar with a smile on his face. "I mean, it's done. I rocked that talk hard. And for a guy named Spooky, he's surprisingly jovial.

"Wait, are you serious, Ruby?" Jamal asked.

"Ruben," he corrected. "And yes. Cesar's out the gang. Boom. Killed it."

Cora walked up just in time to hear, "You did kill it. You killed it so hard that I got promoted." Immediately, her eyebrows furrowed.

"No. Spooky and I had an understanding," Ruby frantically said.

"Just got a text, gonna start running for the Santos," Cesar said. Cora blinked a couple times.

"No. No, no, no. That can't be true. He must be joking," Ruby said. Cora put a hand on his shoulder, unsure how to cheer him up.

"Compa, I love you for trying, but like I said, this deal is done," Cesar said. "And I don't blame you. I blame Monse."

"Me?" Monse asked.

"Yeah, you're the instigator and the frickin' honey badger," Cesar spat.

"Cesar," Cora put her other hand on his arm.

"Okay man, no need to go making her feel bad about herself," Andres stepped in.

"She doesn't quit," Cesar said to Andres before turning to Monse. "But now you have to. No more. It's over."

"And so is 'Ruben.' I'm not man enough to bear that name," Ruby ducked his head down and began walking away. Jamal winked at Cora as if to say he had it under control before walking after Ruby, instantly putting his arm around him in comfort. Cora smiled sadly.

"This wasn't a one-woman show. We all came up with the plan," Monse kept fighting.

"I know it was you," Cesar said, letting Cora pull him away by his arm.

"Cesar, sweetpea, you need to chill.  She was just trying to help," Cora said to him as they walked away. "It's not that big of a deal. Plus, they're gonna stop now, just like you asked them."

"Are you bossing me around right now?" Cesar asked.

Cora furrowed her eyebrows again. "Tell me you didn't need that slap in the face from reality."

Cesar shrugged. "Can't say that I did or didn't."

Cora rolled her eyes. "Don't be a bitch to me when you know I'm the one who has your back twenty-four seven." She turned and began walking away only for Cesar to pull her back by the hips and spin her back around.

"Hey, hey, I'm sorry," Cesar apologized. "You know I've just been really stressed out lately, about everything. How can I make it up to you?"

"Oh, I can make it up to you, papi," Jasmine surprised them again. "Just gotta make it fast. Jasmine has other offers."

"Take the other offers."

"Yeah, okay," Jasmine said.

"What's wrong with Ruby?" Olivia approached Monse and Andres.

"He's fine. He's just still bummed he had to give up his room," Monse answered.

"Am I interrupting something?" Olivia asked as she looked between two.

"Nope. Nothing. Sorry, not trying to be weird," Monse apologized, realizing the way she was coming off.

"But she can't help it," Andres said with a playful pout. Olivia nodded.

"So, after school, you—" Monse began.

"Wanna hang?" Andres said over Monse.

"Oh, I have plans with Monse and Cora," Olivia said.

"Oh, what?" Cesar chimed in as he and Cora walked by.

"I'm happy to join," Andres said, looking at Monse. "And I know Cesar would probably be too," he said, not even having to look at Cesar to know he was nodding along.

"It's kind of a girl thing," Olivia said with a small smile.

Cora smiled sweetly back at the fair-skinned girl. "Damn right," she added.

"Ohh," Cesar said as if he understood. "Can I watch?"

Cora, Olivia and Andres chuckled while Monse looked at the boys with a glare, as if to ask them what the hell they were thinking all the time. "Maybe another time.  Okay, I think we're gonna go get to class now," Cora put her hand upon Cesar's chest to push him away. "Catch you guys later!"

"I got to get to class too," Monse said, as they watched Cesar and Cora leave.

"Cool. Bye," Andres said. "Just text me when you get out of sixth period."

"Okay, Monse turned to Andres.

"I'm sorry I wasn't talking to you," he clarified. "Let me give you my number, Olivia. Is that a problem?" he looked at Monse.

"No, why would that be a problem?" Monse said. Andres only answered with a shrug, laughing as Monse tried to make it seem as if she wasn't watching him as she walked away.

⋆ ⋅ ☆

[ NOTE i feel like jamal/cora is gonna be my fav brotp! ]

CHAPTER ELEVEN
1,282 words

PUBLISHED november 15, 2018
EDITED may 27, 2020