Back to You

Sprung

Cesar's POV

With Oscar's friends over and Monse away I decided to spend the morning at a coffee shop to get some work done before heading over to Ruby's for a guys day. I quickly find a corner table to take over and get to work.

"Hey," some girl snaps me away from my thoughts. Hmm she looks familiar, maybe she went to Freeridge High.

"Uh , hi," I reply wondering what she wants from me.

"I see you're an architect that's so cool," she smiles

"Yeaaa, and you are?" I squint at her

"Oh I'm Jess, we went to Freeridge High around the same time," she says as if I should know that already.

"Oh okay, nice to meet you again but I'm trying to get some work done," I try to end the conversation.

"How about we catch up soon? You know get some dinner and stuff," she puts her hand on my shoulder.

"Uh I'll take a pass, my girl wouldn't like that," I don't like where this is heading.

"Who? Monse? Come on you could do so much better. All the girls in the staff room see you at school and agree she's a waste of your time,"Jess rolls her eyes. She has a damn nerve.

"Excuse me? I'm going to ask you to go. The fact that you feel like insulting her will make you seem better is proof that you're not someone I should associate with. Monse is the love of my life and if you want to even be friends you better respect her," I start packing my things

"Ugh I don't know what you see in her anyways," she pushes

"She's beautiful, smart, cares about her students, pushes me to be my best and loves me for me with all of my problems. Have a good day," I grab my bag and head to Ruby's not even waiting for a response. That Jess girl has some nerve talking about my girl like that. My girl. Doesn't that sound so right?

I'm so caught up in my thoughts I don't even realise I'm already on Ruby's street. I get to his house and Abuelita is drinking on the porch.

"What's up lover boy?" she greets.

"Uh, nothing much," I shrug.

"So any progress on your assignment?" she inquires.

"Sorta, I'm working on it. I-,"

"Abuelita, we talked about interrogating my friends," Ruby bursts through the door and pulls me into the house.

We head to his room to play video games with Jamal.

"Cesaaar!" he runs to hug me before I even realise what's happening.

"Hey Jamal,uh I missed you too," I wriggle my way out of the hug before he crushes me.

"I know man, I know," he tries to play cool

"We both know he misses Monse more in two weeks than he missed you for two months," Ruby teases.

"You're right, I miss her so much," I sigh looking at my phone.

"Dude even your lock screen? You have it baaad," Jamal joins the teasing. My lock screen was a picture of Monse and I from Jamal's going away dinner.

"I miss her so much guys, I miss her company, the way she smiles when I put my hand on her-,"

"No ew we don't need to know about that," Ruby covers his ears.

"It's nothing like that," I roll my eyes.

" You and Monse been doing the nasty before we even started highschool. Can you blame us for thinking like this?" Jamal makes a good point.

"Nah not this time. We're taking it slow this time," I counter.

"Monse? Slow? Unheard of," Ruby feigns shock.

"It's not that serious. We are just trying to get reacquainted. I know she's the one so there's no need to rush," I smile.

"Maaaan you're sprung. How did you even date at UCLA," Jamal questions.

"Freshman year it was mostly meaningless hook-ups, I dated this girl in Sophomore year when I saw Monse with that new guy but that was maybe two weeks. I realised meaningless hook-ups were just not for me and every girl would never match up to Mon and how she makes me feel. After Maria I decided to focus on my dreams of being an architect until I was over Monse or she came back into my life. We were young and dumb but the love I had for her then and have for her now aren't common," I respond knowing I'm going to get teased some more.

"I get you man. Jas has been the only girl on my mind since junior year. I doubt I would have done well on the dating scene either," Ruby surprisingly confesses.

"I can't relate, it's not like Margarita has me wanting to be with her all the time. We have fun and that's all," Jamal points out.

"So dude you're telling me it's okay if she sees other guys? Doesn't text you back within a certain time? And that you don't see a future with her?" Ruby grills.

"Maybe, sometimes I think she could be the Mrs one day but who doesn't think like that when you're with a girl frequently?" Jamal tries to play it cool.

"Uh guys who are just in it for a good time. Are you really there for a good time only?" I join in.

"Well, I uh sorta. No, I want to be legit she just needs to stop being so insecure. I want her and only her. She was the girl who liked me as the weird guy who wouldn't shut up. I missed her so much while I was away and don't want to think about next year when I'm gone to Belize for that dig. Dammit you're right, I have it bad," Jamal sighs

Realizing we're all sprung we drop the topic and spend the rest of the day playing video games and eating pizza. There's nothing like a day with the guys when I want to be cheered up.