Mas Adelante | Ruby Martinez

Mas Adelante - Chapter One

"I said no Lola." Oscar mumbled, grabbing his phone from the coffee table.

"Why not!" Lola ran after him, "mami said she was gonna throw me a quince!"

"Moms not here anymore." He shook his head, "I'm sorry hermanita."

"I hate you." She turned on her toes, storming into her room.

Oscar stood, frowning. He knew all she wanted was a quince and the fact he couldn't throw it for her hurt him. She had been talking about it for the longest time and he couldn't find the way to tell her he couldn't afford it. Then she turned fifteen and started asking questions.

Cesar walked out of his room, scratching his head. "Again?"

Oscar nodded, "I had to tell her I couldn't afford it." He looked down at his feet, the he shrugged sadly. "She'll get over it though."

"You think?"

He continued nodding, "At least I hope so."

Meanwhile, Lola attempted to open her bedroom window. She mumbled angry words to her self, wishing she never got stuck in this life with Oscar as her guardian. She squinted her eyes in concentration, trying to pry the nails out since the last time she escaped Oscar nailed it shut.

She huffed, falling back onto her bed when she couldn't get it open. Then she remembered, "the hammer!"

She had asked Oscar for it so she could 'hang a picture' but she really just wanted it so she could take the nails out when she wanted to leave.

She opened her underwear drawer, pulled out the tool and walked to her window, popping out the four thick nails. She turned her speaker on, connecting her old iPod and turned the volume all the way up, then jumped out of the window.

She looked both ways before running into the street, there was a spot a couple of blocks away where she would hang out. Her homies would shoot dice and smoke weed. She also had a little boyfriend she was hiding from everybody. Oscar would kill her and him if he found out she was dating.

"Hey!" Lola ran in a full sprint, leaping into mid air to have her boyfriend catch her.

"Hey baby." He kissed her head, giving her a squeeze before letting her drop to the floor. "Thought you weren't gonna come, you haven't answered my texts."

Lola laughed, "sorry. Oscar took my phone the last time I snuck out."

Angelo nodded, taking her hand, "let's get you something to drink."

She nodded, following him inside. In the kitchen was where all the rollers hung out, rolling blunts for people that didn't know how.

Angelo handed her a forty ounce, grabbing one for himself.

He opened them before speaking, "let's go out back, that's where everybody's at."

"There's more people?" She looked around, her jaw dropped.

"Baby, come on. You know who you're hittin' it with right?"

Lola smirked, taking a sip as they walked out to the backyard.

"One for me." She said.

Angelo tilted his forty to the side, letting the liquid fall to the ground, she mirrored him. "And one for the homies."

Angelo pecked her lips after that, then wrapped his arm around her and walked her across the yard.

"Jamal?" Lola raised her eyebrow. The tall boy spun around dramatically, "what are you doing here?"

"Oh hey." He smiled, "I came with Ruby and Mario, but Ruby left and I can't find Mario."

Her face fell, "Mario?" He would definitely tell Oscar he saw her.

Jamal nodded, "Yeah he's right—"

A gun went off, causing everybody to duck. As soon as the ringing in her ear stopped, police sirens filled the air.

So she ran, leaving Angelo behind. Oscar taught her that in these kind of situations only you matter and you have to save yourself first.

She ran down the street, hiding in the rose bushes at the Martinez house. She squatted there for a couple of minutes, just until the sirens faded.

"You know if you had to use the bathroom you could've came inside."

She stood up, rolling her eyes. "I'm not—I was hiding!"

He hummed, "sure."

"Ruby!" Geny yelled opening the door, "don't forget to take out the trash!"

"On it!" He groaned, his eyes traveling back to Lola. "What are you doing here anyways?"

"The party down the street got busted so I had to hide."

"Why not just run home?" He stuck his hands in his jacket pockets and watched her dust the dirt off of her jeans.

"I kinda left without permission... So I'm just waiting for it to be midnight, that's usually when Oscar falls asleep."

Ruby chuckled, shaking his head. "You just don't know how to stay out of trouble Lola."

"Don't worry about me." She grinned, "I know what I'm doing."

"Yeah, you know what you're doing. I'll visit you when Oscar hangs you from a tree." He went to turn around, "see you later Lolita."

"Hey Ruby?"

He stopped, nodding his head. "What's up?"

"Don't tell Cesar you saw me okay?"

He laughed, looking behind her. "I think you have a much bigger problem on your hands."

She turned around, Officer Hammel was rolling his window down, calling her over with a wave of his hand.

She groaned, hitting her forehead with her open palm.

"What are you doing out pass curfew Diaz?"

"Living, arrest me!" She mumbled, crossing her arms. "Let me guess, my brother sent you to find me?"

"Cesar helps me, I help him." He shrugged, "get in."

"I can walk home, it's not far."

He rolled his eyes. "Get in the car before I arrest you Lola."

"Oh, well we wouldn't want that would we?" She opened the passenger door, sitting.

He shook his head, "not again."

He took off down the road, "you need a radio in here sir."

"This is a professional vehicle Ms. Diaz."

"Oh so that means we can't–"

He covered her mouth, pointing at the radio on his dash then to his ear, mouthing the words, "stations listening."

"Lame." She sighed, looking out of the window. Seconds later they were at her house.

Oscar sat on the concrete stairs, a cigarette between his lips and a glare on his face. Cesar sat next to him, shaking his head, she was in huge trouble.