shots - spooky

sixteen - a girl's quince

Oscar

"You look amazing", I glaze over Yajel as she clasps a chain around her neck. She's dressed in a yellow dress that curves and stretches with her body. She really does look amazing.

"I guess, why am I going to this anyway? I can just go to the party. Besides, you aren't going", she finishes and stands looking over herself once more in the mirror.

For a few moments I watch her, then pull her to me, and stare down into her eyes. There's an obvious look of confusion but an underlying look of mischief. She loves our random kisses and fleeting seconds with each other.

"How about tomorrow morning I cook you breakfast", I say lining her hand up with mine, she interlocks her fingers and I kiss her knuckles absentmindedly.

"I would love that", she smiles genuinely and I swear I feel butterflies in my stomach. This girl has no clue the power she holds on my heart, I'd forget about everything to be with her.

"Right now, you have to go to the church, I'll drive you and Cesar over", I look down at her head on my chest and give her a kiss on the scalp. Cesar walks in looking a tad out of place with his freshly shaved head.

"We're ready to head out", I head outside to the car and wait for them to follow. After a few moments they both trot out laughing at a each other.

-

Yajel

The service was beautiful and I found myself really enjoying the party at the house.

"Olivia can I speak to you for a moment?", I ask the birthday girl and she smiles as I lead her to an empty room.

"What's up girl? You look great by the way", she laughs and I laugh back handing her my large wrapped present.

"I wanted you to open this alone, I don't know if you'll like it but I put a lot of thought into it, and I would just like for you to open it", I stutter out ashamed of how awkward I am.

"Okay okay I'm opening it", she sits on the bed and tears at the paper. A gasp leaves her throat.

"This is beautiful Yajel! Oh my goodness you need to hang your paintings in a gallery somewhere!", she exclaims.

"I don't know about that but, I'm glad you like it", just looking at the portrait I painted of her I can find many of my artistic imperfections. But I ignore them.

"Like it? No I love it! I'm going to hang it on the wall right now", she put the painting on the bed and walks to her dresser pulling out some tape.

"Olivia would you mind sharing a dance on the dance floor with me?", Ruby peeks his head into the door shooting a small smile my way. Tonight is really going well for him, this will definitely change him and Olivia's relationship.

"Of course, I'll hang this up later. You are sleeping over right?", she asks me leaving the room. I nod in her directions as she heads out with Ruby in tow.

I stay in the room for a little longer taking a moment to breath. This month has been one of the longest months of my life. My brother and I have been strained ever since the night of our family meeting. But after I tore those men open and poured acid over our grandfather's body I wouldn't talk to me either.
I don't even know what possessed me to do that, I've killed but never that meticulously. It's almost as if I blacked out but I was definitely in the moment.

A loud gunshot rips me from my thoughts and I leave Olivia's room to find the rest of the gang. A scream from the backyard pushes my heels outside to find Olivia and Ruby bleeding on the dance floor. His mother crying over their bodies and everyone else clearing out trying to protect themselves.

Cesar looks me dead in the eyes for what seems like minutes before taking off. Monse pulls out her phone and calls the ambulance, Abuela uses some nearby napkins to try and lessen Olivia's bleeding and I get down trying to add pressure. Ruby's father takes the twins inside and we wait trying to keep the two conscious.

"Olivia sweetie stay with me okay?", I say and a tear falls from the tip of my nose. I didn't even realize I was crying. She smiles at me and lamely holds my forearm.

"Don't forget to hang your painting Yajel, I think I might be late to the sleepover", she laughs before coughing.

"You better not be late, or I'm going to eat all of the snacks", I laugh back sniffling as she scrunched up her face.

"As long as you don't eat my secret stash", she giggles and the paramedics rush over towards her. My hands don't leave her chest as they call for a stretcher.

"Ma'am I need you to let me help her okay?", a man speaks to me.

"Come on Yajel let the dreamy man help me out", Olivia says with a smile on her face. I can see the blood on her teeth and I know she's going to need surgery. If I can keep my hands on her wound she'll be fine, just keep applying pressure.

"Ma'am I promise I'll keep her safe you just need to let her go okay?", the man asks again and I hesitate.

"Yajel, I love you but I need you to let me go okay?", she asks squeezing my arm lightly.

"Okay, okay", I slowly pull back my hands and the man replaces mine.

After that everything moves way too fast, we are in the ambulance, in the emergency room and then in her hospital room.

I'm not sure in what part of the trip her heart stopped, I'm not sure what part of the trip I fainted onto the emergency floor. I'm not sure what part hurt the most, but I know everything seemed to move way too fast.