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"i just want to wake up to the sun."
leilani entered her house angry, throwing down her jacket on to the couch. lenore luna sat on the couch with her legs propped up on the end on the couch as she watched tv, once a jacket hit her legs hard lenore looked up from the television. "what got you so hot, mamas?" lenore yelled out to leilani as she entered the kitchen. leilani sighed as she entered the kitchen, opening the fridge looking for something to drink. she couldn't tell lenore the truth. leilani grabbed a water bottle and walked back into the living room and leaned on the frame. "where is lorenco?" leilani ignored the question opening the cap of her drink.
"he's not here, he left about an hour ago. something about school pictures, i don't know what's been up with him lately." lenore shrugged, narrowing her eyes at her younger sister. she gathered that it was lorenco that put her in this mood. leilani drowned the bottle of ice cold water without hesitation. "yeah well, i'm not here to stay. gotta pay a visit to an old friend." leilani tossed the empty bottle in the trash. lenore just nodded slowly.
"be ba-" lenore went to tell her little sister he instructions but leilani already knew the drill. "be back by 10:30 nothing later, and at least keep my phone charged to 15 percent. i know, nore." leilani moaned out as she headed to the door. lenore just smiled at her baby sister happy to know she knew the drill and how to be safe. leilani opened the door and headed back out.
∘◦
leilani was surprised to get a text from jamal saying they were in front of cesar's house. but she walked her way there alone, finally happy when she reached her friends. "im not gonna hash shit out. to what end? death? cesar might've joined the gang. and it's not a good idea for leilani to be here if he did." jamal turned to leilani pointing to the girl but leilani wasn't focused on them. she looked across the street to the gangbangers that were scattered upon the the front yard. they were her ticket of knowing the stupid stuff her brother could've possibly done.
"he's not stupid. he's affiliated, yes because of his brother and so is lani for that matter, but..." monse went to explain but jamal rolled his eyes. "unlike lani, cesar is affiliated by his cousins, uncles, dad, his grandpa. even the gay one." jamal spoke through his teeth turning to the family that sat on the lawn, leilani sadly nodded along.
"i know. i know." monse told them both making jamal and leilani turn to each other. "wait. you knew about the gay one?" jamal questioned monse for both himself and leilani, they both turned to monse desperately waiting for her to answer them just for her to deadpan them.
"alright his name is bananas. it's not subtle, whatsoever." leilani lightly tapped jamal on the shoulder explaining why monse could possibly know. jamal nodded in agreement and monse angrily put her foot down. "no! i know cesar's family's been in that life forever. but he'd never join a gang. he's an outliner. so whatever's going on, it's not that." monse tried her best to take up for her friend she hadn't seen all summer.
