Stay

7

The next couple of days were hectic. I had a shit load of tests and I had to get ready for my birthday party. I was finally turning 18 and I was excited as hell.

Because I had so much on my plate, I actually let Ruby help a bit. He handled the cake and extra decorations, while Tito got the food and bottles.

Things were hot on the block so Tito wasn't around as much, so I was grateful for Ruby's help.

"What is with you and the black?! This is a celebration, not a funeral." Ruby said as he went through the decorations my brother and I got.

"What? I like black, white and silver. That's not a funeral vibe" I replied.

"Ugh, you're such a Santo. I can't with you sometimes. I just want to throw this whole color scheme away and start over." He said.

"Really Ruby? Last I checked, it was my birthday. Can we just keep my color scheme?" I asked.

"Fine. You're right. Its the big 1-8. So the princesa gets what she wants." He replied.

For the next few days, ruby helped with everything leading up to the special day.

My birthday had finally arrived and I was lucky it was a Saturday.

I woke up to Tito knocking on my door and signing happy birthday.

I couldn't help but smile. I was blessed to see another year.

"Thank you!" I yelled.

He opened the door and came in with a donut that had a candle in it.

"Happy birthday Nati" he said while kissing me on my forehead.

"Thank you hermano. I love you" I replied.

"Love you too Nati. Now make a wish before you have wax glaze with your sprinkles" he said.

I closed my eyes and made a wish.

"Well now that you 18, you can do as you please. So... I'm officially allowing you to drive my car. You can use it to visit colleges and do what you need to. Like pick up tampons" He said while handing me a pair of car keys.

"Oh my goodness! Really?!" I squealed.

"Yup. But there are rules. You gotta ask permission first. Cause I might need it for a job" he replied.

"Of course! Thank you so much!" I said while hugging him.

"I'm glad you're happy. Now get up and get ready. Ruby already showed up at 7 in the morning. The lil fool has been decorating all morning." He said.

I quickly got up, and took a shower. After getting ready, I went to the yard and saw Ruby hanging string lights.

"Happy birthday Nati" he said while getting down from the ladder.

I hugged him and smiled.

"Thank you Ruby. This is amazing. You really didn't have to start so early." I replied.

"You know me, I like to be one step ahead of the game. Gives us time to relax before the guests arrive." He said.

I grabbed some decorations and started helping Ruby. We were done just in enough time for us to get a bite to eat before getting ready. The whole place looked amazing. There were even balloons in the bathroom.

"This is amazing. Thank you so much" I said to Ruby as we ate our pizza and admired the backyard.

"You deserve it Nati. You've been there for all of us. Its time to celebrate your life." He said.