New on the block

Anything

Cesar wakes up because of the sun light flooding in through the thin hospital curtain. "Good morning, we usually don't let friends stay the night but your brother was very convincing." One of the nurses laughs. "Is she ok?" He asks. "Yeah, all the medicine she's on makes her a little sleepy so she'll probably sleep for most of the day." She says with a smile. "Ok, one last thing do you know where Latrelle is? He's a friend of mine he got admitted two days ago." Cesar lies. "I probably shouldn't tell you but he's three doors down. To the right." The nurse says as she changes Monse's IV bag. "Thank you." Cesar says as he darts out of the room. He peeks in through the small window on Latrelle's door and sees he's alone. He runs into the room but before he can punch Latrelle he goes against what every muscle in his body wants and instead he walks away. "What do you think Ima do? I'm in this bed 'cause you shot me, remember?" Latrelle says as Cesar walks away. "Are you why Monse and Ruby got shot?" He asks bluntly. "What?" He asks groggily. "If you're messing with me I'll shoot you again." Cesar says. "No one's visited me other than my mom and my little sister. I mean the prophets probably know but you're the only gang member who's come here." Latrelle says. It made Cesar uncomfortable to see Latrelle so small and fragile he almost sounded hurt when he said no one came to see him. "I didn't tell anyone to do shit." Latrelle says. "Why should I believe you?" Cesar asks as he steps closer to Latrelle. "I'm serious! I don't even have my phone!" Latrelle claims. "And my girlfriend almost died because two prophets went after me. You're the only one who's ever tried to hurt her before so sorry that I automatically though it was you." Cesar says sarcastically. "As soon as I'm better my family's moving. Give me a couple weeks and you'll never see me again." Latrelle assures Cesar. "Ok, if I see you outside of this hospital you're dead." Cesar says before he walks out. He walks back into Monse's room and sees her trying to sit up. "Hey, aren't you supposed to be resting?" He asks. "I was looking for you... or at least trying to." She says. "I'm sorry I was just visiting Ruby." Cesar says. "Really, because I've been here this whole time." Ruby says from the corner of the room. "Jesus Ruby you couldn't have said anything!" Cesar says. "Nope, especially since I'm not talking to you because now Olivia's parents are thinking of moving her to Mexico, you know because California is too dangerous." Ruby says. "I'm sorry but I didn't mean for any of this to happen." Cesar argues. "But it did and it's all your fault." Ruby says as he stands up. "Get out Ruby. I'll talk to you later but right now I just need to talk to Cesar." Monse smiles at Ruby and he nods. "Where were you really?" Monse asks. "I saw Latrelle, he says he didn't tell anyone to do anything." Cesar admits. "Did you do anything to him?" Monse asks. "No, I wanted to but I didn't." Cesar says. "Good, because trust me after all this the last thing we need is another one of us in the hospital." Monse says. She yawns and tries to sit up again. "Maybe you should go back to sleep." Cesar suggests. "No, I need to have my bandages changed in ten minutes there's no point." Monse says. "Ok, so do you know how long you have to stay here?" Cesar asks. "At least a week and a few days but it depends on how well I heal." She tells Cesar. "Has your dad called?" He asks. "No, but he will soon." Monse assures herself. "I'll see if Oscar can find out where he is." Cesar says. "You don't have to, I'm sure he's going to call soon." Monse says with a straight face. "I can just call Oscar really quick." Cesar says as he pulls out his phone. "No! I mean, it's fine he'll call." Last time Monse's dad didn't call was two weeks before they moved to Freeridge he was gone for six days and she thought he abandoned her. She knows if he doesn't call something's wrong and Monse desperately needs something to be ok. "What's the worst that could happen?" Cesar asks. "He could be dead, or he could be in jail." Monse says bluntly. "Wouldn't you want to know if something was wrong?" Cesar keeps pushing. "No, I don't want anything else to be wrong I got shot last night because of you Cesar and I should probably be mad right now but I'm not because you're all I have right now." Monse says without thinking. "I didn't mean it like that." Monse mumbles. "It's ok, I get it. If you need some space just let me know. I know this is my fault I'm really sorry." Cesar tears up again. "No, I don't need space I just can't breathe. It feels like everything's just falling on top of it's self." Monse says sadly. "I'm gonna go get some water." Cesar mumbles. "Please stay." Monse says as she sits up quickly. She screams in pain and Cesar turns around. "Are you ok?" He asks. She moves her hospital gown and sees she's already bled they her bandage. "I popped a stitch." She says as she presses the call nurse button by her bed. The nurse rushes in and sees that Monse's bleeding. "We told you that you needed to stay laying down! It's ok, I'll get you stitched up and good as new." He says. "You, unless you want to see me stitch her up then you should step to the side." The nurse tells Cesar. Before Cesar can move he cuts open the bandages. "Oh God that's gross." Cesar says without thinking. "Ok you can wait outside." He says as he glares at Cesar. "What's wrong?" Olivia asks as she approaches Monse's room. "She popped a stitch because of me. Why can't I do anything right?" Cesar asks. "I'm sure it wasn't your fault. Monse texted me earlier and look... she's just going on and on about how this wasn't your fault and she blames the Prophets and, this is my favorite by the way, she even said seeing you is the one thing that stops her from crying." Olivia says as she shows him the texts. "I can't lose her." He says. "Then don't push her away. She loves you and if you keep blaming everything that's gone wrong on yourself then eventually she's going to see it that way too." Olivia says honestly. "Ok, you guys can go in now. Don't let her sit up on her own." The nurse says. "Hey, how are you?" Olivia asks as they walk in the room. "Everything hurts." She groans. Olivia nudges Cesar and points at the bed. He sit next to her, too scared to make contact. "I don't blame, you didn't hurt me." Monse says. "But if I didn't shoot Latrelle-" "Then you'd be in a morgue." Monse points out. She starts to shift but Olivia stops her. "Aren't you supposed to lay down?" She reminds Monse. "I just want to kiss my boyfriend and I can't even do that without people needing to help me great." Monse sighs. Cesar leans down and kisses her. "I love you." Monse says. "How can you love me after all of this?" Cesar asks. "Because that's how love works, nothing you do on accident will make me not love you." Monse explains. "I'll be right back." Cesar kisses Monse and he runs a few miles back to his house. "I'm in, whatever I have to do to keep Monse safe I'll do it." Cesar says when he sees Oscar and Oscar just smiles. "What took you so long compa?" Oscar asks.