You-Monse Finnie

chapter one...

Anita Diaz wasn't like her brother, Oscar. She was never the violent type, she never wanted to live up to him and get jumped into The Santos. She and her twin brother, Cesar, just wanted a normal life. That was impossible so to speak. The two had a group of friends, one of the siblings having been secretly in love with her friend for years. Yes, in their group of five, Monse Finnie and Anita had always been a little closer than the others. No one bothered to question it, though, seeing as they were the only girls in their circle. And that's how Monse felt, but Anita always felt something more. She, surprisingly, confided in her older brother Oscar who told her she had two options. Either confess how she felt and possibly ruin the friendship, or put Monse first and keep her emotions hidden. The second option was her plan until, well, until that fateful summer that changed everything.

XXX

Here we were. Five scrawny little eighth graders watching a party from the next roof over. Ruby's idea, of course. Right now, we were waiting for my brother to get back with the beer that he'd decided to get for us.

Monse sighed. "Do you see him? I don't see him."

"Something bad is happening. I can feel it. I knew this was a bad idea." Jamal said.

"Pop a zannie, J. We can't see him 'cause he's being stealth." Ruby explained to him. I had no doubt in my mind that Cesar was fine. I mean, after all, he was Little Spooky. And since I was born two minutes after him, I was Baby Spooky. If anyone questioned why he was carrying five beers out of a party, they'd see he was Little Spooky and let him go with no questions asked.

"No doubt. When has my brother ever disappointed?" I asked the group.

"Mm, fourth grade, kickball tourney. We lost." Jamal reminded me.

"Only 'cause I picked a kid with no skills." Cesar's voice was heard from behind us. "And I'd pick you again. Loyalty trumps victory, Compa." Cesar tossed a beer to each of us. "Take it in." He said, viewing over the roof at the party next door. "This is about to be us. This is high school." We all took a sip of our beers, cringing at the taste.

"Ruby, you think your brother's gonna marry Angelica?" Monse asked him.

"No idea. Mario tells me jack." He admitted.

Jamal laughed. "What about that time he said Angelica has a dangler?" Ruby sighed, frustrated. "But he said that."

"In private!" Ruby said through gritted teeth. "Time and place, dude. Oh, guys, check out Huerita at nine o'clock. Anita, Monse, if you guys were girls-" Immediately, the two of us cut Ruby off.

"We are girls!" We said in unison.

"Yeah, but if you guys were girls like that, would you wear underwear?"

"Oh my god, I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die." Jamal repeated.

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

"Those guys play for the 'Ridge." He pointed at a group of football players. "Did you know that last year alone, over a quorum of kids-"
"Died playing football?" Monse guessed, seeing as that's how that sentence usually ended. "You're stuck on repeat." Monse informed him.
"So don't play." I added.

"No choice. My Pops was a legend. It's family tradition." Jamal exhaled shakily. "I'm dead."

"You're not dead." Monse told him sternly, following Jamal who had stepped down and crouched over.

"Football spiral?" Cesar came down with us. "Jamal, CTE is not your future."

"Guys, check out my game." Ruby turned around. "Huerita just gave me the nod." All of a sudden, a member of the Santos came up behind Ruby and grabbed his neck.