Taken By The Gang Leader

36 Excuse Me?

                          •Ryder's POV•

       Two years. It's been two years since I've seen my angel. Two years since I've held her in my arms. Since I've left. I know she sends me gifts. I get them and I keep them. I have a spot in my closet for them. She just never sends letters or tells me what's going on. She only sends me gifts. I wonder if she misses me. Or if she still loves me. I know I still love her. I called Janet, just to see what was going on with everyone. But I didn't mention Delilah and neither did she. So I wonder what she's doing.

"Anthony, are you ready?" Rosa asks from my kitchen. No, we aren't together. She still loves Blake and I still love Delilah. But we are good friends. I'm sure Rosa and Delilah would be good friends. They have a lot in common. At least I hope they do. I pray to god that Delilah isn't too different.

       "Yeah!" I call back as I finish putting concealer on my tattoos. Rosa doesn't know about them. She knows that I don't always wear my glasses because I "wear" contacts.

        "I'm ready." I tell her as I walk into the kitchen a few minutes later with my glasses on. Which are fake. But she doesn't know that.

       "Good, lets go!" Rosa says as she takes my hand and drags me outside. She's wearing a red and white plaid long-sleeved button down shirt, light blue jeans and tan cowboy boots. Her hair is in dutch braid. I'm wearing jeans and a navy blue hoodie with black sneakers.

         "Easy!" I say with a chuckle. She just laughs at me.

       "Nieta! A donde vas?!" (Granddaughter! Where are you going) Rosa's grandma, Frida, demands as we walk by her watering her plants.

       "Con Anthony!" (With) Rosa responds, dragging me to her small light blue Toyota.

      "Que te diviertes!" (Have fun) Frida yells and I yell back a quick "We will!". Rosa just laughs at me.

       "So where are you taking me?" I ask her and she just shrugs her shoulders.

       "It's near the end of October and do you know what that means?" Rosa asks after a few minutes.

       "Candy and Halloween?" I ask.

        "No, Día de Muertos." (Day of the Dead)

       "Oh yeah! Then there's one for children too, right?" I ask and she nods.

        "So are we getting stuff for that?" I ask and she shrugs.

         "You can be very irritating at times." I mumble and she laughs.

        "As can you." I roll my eyes at her and listen to the radio. Rosa changes the station to country. Last time we listened to pop and Rosa seems to enjoy some of the pop singers, just not rap.

                             ••••••••

        "We're here!" Rosa announces as she parks the car. I get out and see that we are at a bakery. Interesting.

         "What are we doing here?" I ask her.

        "Ordering food for my ancestors." Rosa explains and I understand. For Day of the Dead, people bring their ancestors food. Usually it's "Pan de Muerto" (Bread of the Dead) Man, my Spanish teacher would be proud!

        When Rosa talks to the person about ordering stuff, I check my phone. A text from Fred, a call from Linda, my boss and a text from Kelly. I look at the text from Fred first.