More Than What Meets the Eye-Oscar Diaz-On My Block

1

To the girl blackout drunk in the bushes outside the frat house. The girl who proudly drinks shot after shot of apple skol vodka with no chaser necessary. The girl who laughs all day through the week to cover up her pain until she can drown it all in alcohol on Friday night. The girl who only feels beautiful when intoxicated men are fawning all over her. The girl who doesn't know what having a true friend means beyond having someone to keep pouring booze down her throat.

Yeah, you.

What's gotten into you? What's going on? What happened to the real you? The one filled with hopes, dreams, and enough smiles to fill the whole world? Can you hear me? Are you in there or am I just talking to myself?

Funny.

Hindsight twenty-twenty always sounded nice until I was looking back at myself silently screaming with tears in my eyes. Who knew hindsight could be as much hell as I used to be? I wish I could get through to me before I take another hit of that joint or shot of that booze. But who am I kidding? This is a losing game. You can't help someone if they don't want the help.

Oh, the things I would do to give you that realization before you're two years deep and swallowed up unable to utter a peep. But I can't save you. You can only save you. I just wish I could have gotten through sometime before all this got the best of you...before you lost everything before your eyes and now you are forced to live in the rough inner-city Los Angeles neighborhood, Freeridge with your Abuelita.

And now I am reminded of everything as I sit at this party with my childhood best friend with Angelica, and yet I couldn't help but hate being here.

"Selena, stop being a grouch and have some fun girl!" Angelica yelled while she was grinding against her boyfriend, Mario.

I simply rolled my eyes and made my way to the four little underage kids that were watching from the sidelines, literally from over a fence looking down at the party.

"Loyalty trumps victory, compa." a guy stated while throwing beer towards the kids.

"It's funny that you went through all of that trouble just to get some cheap beer," I said to them as the four of them looked down at me as I looked towards them.

"H-Hey S-s-Selena," Ruby said with a bit of nervousness in his voice, causing me to chuckle at his voice.

"Hey Ruby," I said with a small smile and turned my back around to lean against the wall.

"Wait Ruby, you know this hot chick!" one of his friends whispered.

"Well, she is Mario's girlfriend's childhood best friend, my next-door neighbor, and she moved back here to the Ridge to take care of her grandmother," Ruby said, "This is Selena Herz. Selena, this is Cesar, Monse, and Jamal."

"Howdy guys!" I said while flashing them a smile, only to get that dumb look across their face, "Come on guys, you should be more focused on what your lives will be like when you enter High School."

"She's right, this is going to be us, this is high school!" Cesar said while everyone took a swig of beer and was immediately dissatisfied with the taste, causing you to chuckle and turn back to the scene in front of you.

"Hey, why aren't you out there grinding on some guy right now?" Monse asked as the guys were checking out the ladies.

"Well, one none of these guys are my type. And two, I don't think I want to be known at a party like this," I replied, "Honestly, I want to keep a low profile and just take care of my grandmother while I finish my degree in Pre-Law and move on to focusing on my JD."

"Woah, so you are studying to be a lawyer?" Ruby asked joining the conversation.

"Most definitely," I replied, "Hopefully, I can avoid trouble in these streets."

"Good luck!" The four of them chanted.

"Thanks, and while your brother and my best-friend continue to suck each other's faces, I think I am going to take this opportunity to sneak out before she forces me against my will to stay, hopefully, I will see you guys around," I said waving at them and walking off only to hear them talking.

"Yo, that girl is so awesome and hot!" Jamal said.

"It is shocking to see none of the Santos at the party has claimed her," Cesar said, "Well, there is probably one person that would claim her when he is released."

"You mean 'Spooky!'" Ruby asked, "He can't claim her, she is pure, like an angel and he is...well...far from that!"

"We have to protect her from him!" Monse says.

"Yeah, but how?" Jamal said.

"We will prevent her from running into him when he comes out, which would be in like the next two years so we have time until then..." Ruby said.

"What about the other Santos?" Cesar asked.

"Uh..."

"We will figure this out!" Monse said.