Julianne Deluna goes through many obstacles during her freshman year of high school; heartbreak, life, new love, stress, and wonders if she'll ever be the same.
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Ruby, Monse, Jamal, and Julianne all stood at their future fate aka high school and all the partying. Cesar snuck in to fetch the crew some beers, he'd been taking a while longer than the fam had expected.
Monse sighed, "Do you see him? I don't see him." Ruby glanced over to Julianne giving her hand a tight squeeze, they're happily in a relationship. The Martinez boy followed in his older brother, Mario's footsteps of falling madly in love with a girl in the seventh grade. "Something bad is happening. I can feel it." Jamal chirped in, "I knew this was a bad idea."
"Pop a zanny, J." Ruby mocked the older teens, "We can't see him 'cause he's being stealth." Julianne laughed hugging into her boyfriend's side. The short Latina didn't condone drugs but knew living in Freeridge and being an incoming freshman they were bound to be around her.
"No doubt. He's got this. When has Cesar ever disappointed?" Monse agreed, Jamal shook his head in disbelief. "Mmm, fourth grade. Kickball tourney. We lost." Julianne rolled her eyes, "In the fourth grade."
"Only 'cause I picked the kid with no skills," Cesar announced, with five beers in hand. "And I'd pick you again. Loyalty trumps victory, compa."
Cesar tossed Jamal a beer, before climbing onto the wooden pallet. "Ah, take it in. This is about to be us. This is high school."
The fam glanced around the party, seeing teens dancing, drinking, smoking, making out. They cracked open the beers and took a swig, everyone practically gagged. "Ruby, you think your brother's gonna marry Angelica?" Monse pondered out loud, Ruby shrugged, "No idea. Mario tells me jack."
"What about that time he said Angelica has a dangler?" Jamal laughed, Ruby quickly shushed him. "He said that." "-In private!" Ruby hissed, "Time and place, dude."
The crew continued to sip their beers which they despised and looked at the party goers some more. Out of nowhere, Jamal began to panic.
"Oh, my god. I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die." Jamal repeated over and over. "Why are you gonna die?" Monse whispered to him, Jamal pointed at some guys in football jerseys, he was frightened. "Those guys play for the 'ridge. Did you know that last year alone over a quorum of kids-"
"Died playing football?" Monse and Julianne asked in unison. "You're stuck on repeat. So, don't play." Monse replied slightly annoyed by the boy. Jamal frowned, "No choice. My pops was a legend. It's a family tradition."
Monse rolled her eyes. Jamal took a deep breath, which shakily escaped his lips. "I'm dead." Jamal quickly hopped off the pallet. Hyperventilating. "You're not dead," Monse replied,
Julianne frowned at the poor boy's worry. She gently rubbed his back as he placed his head between his legs breathing unevenly. "Football spiral?" Cesar joked which caused Julianne to look up at him disapprovingly while Monse nodded. Jamal instantly began to whimper. Cesar bent down to look at him. "Jamal, CTE is not in your future." Cesar tried to comfort him but nothing worked.
