PROMISE ME (OSCAR DIAZ x OC)

Chapter Six (Alana)

CHAPTER SIX

Alana

Halloween

"So I'm thinking..." Olivia went into the closet and pulled out cowgirl boots and a pair of denim shorts and a pink flannel. "Cute cowgirl? I think I have a hat too."

I shook my head and giggled. "Yeah, sure. Looks cute." I looked down at my phone and paid more attention to trying to my own plans than I paying attention to what Olivia was planning to do and wear for the night.

"Are you dressing up?" She asked. "Or are you working?"

I shook my head. "I'm dressing up in my sweatpants and a comfy blanket and I'm going to be a couch potato for Halloween." I winked. "Try and hustle some extra candy for me."

She laughed and sat down on the bed as she pulled up her boots and then started putting her hair into low pig tails. "I think I heard Jamal say he wants to go to Brentwood to trick-or-treat. Have you ever been there?"

"No, I haven't. Rich people live there and they see us... As animals. We're not human to them." I explained. "Be careful out there. It may be safe crime wise but don't let anyone treat you less than who you truly are when you're there."

I curled up in the corner of my bed and clutched the cross around my neck. Olivia's eyes flickered at me and she raised a brow. "No one else in your family has a cross like that... Where'd you get yours?"

Silently I looked up at her.

Never have I ever told anyone the reason why I have this cross or why I've never taken it off. When I shower it stays on. When I go to the pool I end up with tan lines to match my cross. This chain never leaves my neck or my sight.

"Trust." I replied softly. "Trust is how I got this."

Confused, she started to pry for more. "So like, your grandfather? Someone else?"

"Anyone here tell you how I am about promises?" I asked her cautiously. "If I make you promise to never utter a word to anyone can I trust you'll keep my promise?"

She nodded.

"Olivia, that's not enough for me. You need to say out loud that you promise to me you'll never so much as breathe a hint of it to anyone. No one knows except Mario and Abuelita. And Cesar." I replied.

"I promise, Alana. I won't let anyone catch wind of me knowing anything." She reached her pinky to me and that's how I knew I could trust Olivia with this secret.

I swallowed heavily. "You know Cesar's brother, right?"

She nodded.

"Well, I promised him a long time ago I'd watch after Cesar for him when he went away to prison. Always take care of him and make sure he's safe. In return he gave me his necklace. I've never taken it off. Oscar gave it to me when he knew he was going away and before he was picked up by the cops he and I had a night together. We hooked up and he put the necklace on me. So when they loaded him up in the cop car I swore to him I'd take care of Cesar. This necklace is a reminder of how much I love Oscar and how I have to always take care of Cesar."

"You love Oscar?" She asked softly. "Your parents don't seem like-"

"They don't know." I grit through my teeth. "Like I said. You're one of the few who knows and I am trusting you to never say a damn thing about it."