Ride Or Die | o. diaz

siete

(That song inspired all this shit.)
TW: abuse/violence

Even though she had a boyfriend, someone that actually asked her, Tatiana sometimes caught herself thinking about what could've been if Oscar asked her the question she waited to hear for years. Now, she fell asleep beside someone else, and she was held by someone else, even if she didn't like it sometimes.

"Hey, Tati." The short freshman greeted, and the senior jumped. "Sorry. I just wanted to check up on you because you haven't really talked to any of the guys in a while."

The senior nodded, but kept looking around which confused Ruby because she normally smiles and hugs him. Now, she looked around and avoided eye contact. "Yeah, sorry about that. I've just been a little busy with dance competitions, school stuff and... Nate."

"Oh yeah, how's that going? Can I meet him?"

The senior's eyes bulged out and she shook her head. "No! I mean, not yet. I just want to make sure things are serious before I introduce him to everyone in my life." She informed, and when she saw her boyfriend walk into the hallway over Ruby's head, she started walking away. "I have to go, but tell your family I said hello."

Ruby watched as she walked away and he also noticed the way her boyfriend gripped her arm and pulled her away from the crowd. "What did I fucking tell you about talking to guys?"

"He's like my little brother, Nate. I can't just-"

"I don't care who he is." He told her, looking down at her as he pushed her against a wall and gripped her arm tighter with each word. "You don't talk to guys anymore."

"Please let go of me." She whimpered, already feeling another bruise as his grip never left her arm. "Nate, there's people." Tatiana winced as he gripped harder before finally letting go.

She had no idea how she got into this situation. One day, Nate was the sweetheart she met in the office, and suddenly, she was dating someone who started controlling her and leaving her with bruises.

What she didn't know was that Ruby hid behind a corner and saw everything, even the single tear that slid down her face and disappeared a second later. With the scene playing in his mind, he started thinking of a plan to save his friend.

After school, Tatiana stood in the kitchen with her leggings and denim jacket still on to hide any evidence that could get her in trouble. It was already night by the time her "boyfriend" walked in tipsy, so she was hoping he wasn't in a bad mood. When she said she wanted a boyfriend, this is not at all what she was asking for.

She wasn't sure why he never went home, but she knew if he did, she'd run. Maybe.

"I don't want this, make something else. Something... American. Not this Mexican crap."

"Excuse me?"

"I said make me some food."

For the first time since they got together, she stood up to him. "No, you're not just going to talk shit about my culture and think I'm okay with it. Make your own food, gringo."

She felt good, like maybe she could leave the relationship like she walked out of the kitchen. She was starting to walk down the hallway and to her bedroom when she felt a harsh tug on her arm and suddenly she was against a wall again. Tatiana felt her head throbbing from how it hit the wall, but before she could put her hand up to rub it, Nate's hand struck across her face and his other hand grabbed her throat before she could fall.

"Don't you ever fucking speak to me like that, understand?" Tatiana said nothing, just stared up at him with frightened eyes until he put more pressure against her throat. "Understand?" To get out of the situation at hand, she nodded quickly and inhaled deeply when he let go. "I'm going home now."

A few miles away at the Martinez house, Ruby was pacing his living room and explaining what he saw to his friends. "Guys, I'm telling you! He's hurting Tati and she's too scared to do anything. We have to help her before he kills her."

"Ruby, Nate isn't hurting Tati. If he was, she would've told someone. What you described is what half of the seniors do in the hallway. He pushed her against the wall and they were probably going to end up making out until the bell rang."

"I know what I saw. He was holding her and she started crying. Well it was only 1 tear, but still."

The three teens on the couched stared at him as he started using his hands to talk. "And you didn't stop him? Ruby, it sounds like you're delusional."

"Well, in case you haven't noticed, the dude is like 6 foot and I'm only 5. But guys, we have to help her."

The following days later, Ruby tried getting his friends to believe him, but they weren't coming around. So he worked alone and watched how different Tatiana's body language was now compared to before she met Nate. He also noticed how much more makeup she wore now. He knew there was only one left that could possibly help him, but he wanted to work alone.

Ruby found himself at the Diaz house the next morning. He waited for the door to open and when it swung open, Oscar stood on the otherside, shirtless and glaring at the unexpected company. "Tati's in trouble."

× × ×

Early in the morning, the young mexican girl was putting on concealer and asking herself a lot of questions. Why was she still in a relationship with an abuser? Why hasn't she called for help while Nate was gone? She came up with no answers. She loved Nate, right?

She doubted that she did because on bad days, she missed Oscar. Though she didn't want to, she thought she had to get over Oscar because she refused to be another one of his hynas. Then again, anything would be better than her current relationship.

Today, her "boyfriend" seemed to be upset about something and she was mentally praying that he wouldn't get violent. After Nate's constant need for Tatiana to drive somewhere, she went back to walking after dance. On her porch, there he sat and she walked faster.

"Oscar, what are you doing here?" She asked him frantically. In the moment, she was scared shitless in the case of Nate seeing a guy at her house.

He watched as she kept looking down the street and furrowed his eyebrows. She seemed paranoid about something, and he intended to find out. "Ruby said some things so I came here to check."

"You need to go, now."

"No, I think I'm good right here." He commented, opening his arms to gesture to her porch swing.

"Oscar, you don't understand. You need to-"

She froze as she felt a hand on her waist and Oscar watched and her face twitched a few times. "Who's this, babe?"

After she got over her initial shock and remembered how to breathe, she glanced up at Nate. "Just a neighbor. He was just leaving."

Tatiana watched as Oscar stood and looked Nate up and down before he chuckled and walked to his car. Her heart was beating rapidly as she watched him leave because she felt as if Nate was going to strangle her. The two walked inside silently and Nate stood by the window, waiting for the Santo to leave.

Tatiana stood at another window, praying that the gang leader would come back and beat the shit out of her "boyfriend". When the red impala drove away, she felt her stomach drop.