Spooky's Girl

New Issues

               A few more months had gone by. Cesar still texted me every morning and every night. He told me he was staying at Jamel's and got a job working at Dwayne's Joint.
         I decided to go have lunch there one day while Oscar was gone," hey, Harley," Jamel said.
            "Hey Jamel. Cesar here?" I smiled.
               "Cesar!" Jamel yelled.
           Cesar walked around from the back, "Harley!" He smiled and hugged me,"what're you doing here? Spooky's gonna be mad."
            "Came to get some lunch from the best BBQ place and to check up on my mijo," I smiled.
          "Why don't you take an early lunch break, Cesar? Spend some time with Harley," Dwayne smiled.
        "Really?" Cesar asked.
         "Yes, really," Dwayne said.
          Jamel took my order and Cesar got some fries and we sat down and talked,"I've been on Oscar about letting you come home everyday. He just won't budge," I sighed.
        "Stop trying. You're only gonna make him mad at you too. I'm fine. Dwayne's been really good to me and I'm still going to school. Everything's working out," he smiled.
          "Fine," I sighed.
         "I better get back to work," Cesar sighed.
         "Okay. I love you," I smiled.
         "I love you," he smiled back.
               I gave Cesar a hug, kissed his forehead, and he went back to work. I pulled Dwayne aside,"thank you for giving him a place to stay and a job."
         "It's not a  problem,"Dwayne smiled. I pulled out a few 100's and handed them over, " nope, keep it. I don't mind having Cesar around. It's good for Jamel."
           "Thank you," I smiled. I kissed his cheek and went back home.
             A few days later I got a text message from Cesar:
                  *text*
Cesar: can we talk?
Harley: of course.
Cesar: front couch?
Harley: Yep!😊
                 *End of text:
             "I'm going out front. Cesar is gonna drop by," I told Oscar. 
            "Why?" He growled.
          "He needs to talk. Just stay inside," I growled back.
           "He's not welcome in my house."
         "OUR house, and he's not coming in, just shush," I rolled my eyes and walked outside.
              Cesar was already on the couch when I walked out,"I didn't mean to cause a fight," he said.
             "You didn't. What's wrong, baby?" I asked.
          "I messed up."
         "What do you mean?"
          "I made Monse choose between her mom and I."
          I smacked Cesar in the back of the head, "you idiot! Never make someone choose between 2 people. I never made your brother choose between me or the Santos. Why? Because loving him, I had to learn to love them, and accept that this is his life style. If you truly love Monse, you wouldn't have made her choose. You would have accepted that she was going to Brentwood for a while. It's a 10 minute drive. He'll, I would've drove you myself!"
          "I feel REALLY stupid."
             "Why?"
         "I slept with the trainee at work."
          "You idiot! You have to tell Monse when she come back," I smacked him again.
        "I know. I better get back to Jamel's. Thank you, Harley."
          "You're welcome kiddo. I love you," I said kissing his forehead and hugging him.
           "I love you too," he smiled. He got up and walked away.
           I sat on the couch for a couple more minutes when Oscar walked outside,"what's wrong?" I asked walking up to the porch.
            "You need to choose to stay here with me or keep seeing Cesar," he said.
           "Are you fucking kidding me? I never once made you choose me or the Santos! I choose you over my own mom! And now you're telling me I have to choose between you or your brother? You piece of shit!" I screamed. I noticed people starting to watch us, so I walked inside.
           Oscar came inside and started getting in my face, " you didn't choose me over your mom, she dropped you. I'm telling you now to pick,Cesar or me?"
         "Get. Out. Of. My. Fucking. Face," I growled. When he didn't I moved back and shoved him away. He just threw his hands up and walked back to the bedroom. I walked in grabbed a shirt and moved back to Cesar's room.
              When I woke up the next morning I was laying in the bed and Oscar was holding onto me. I got out of bed and started coffee. Oscar walked into the kitchen and got his coffee, "I'm sorry, Harley."
            "Don't you ever try to make me choose again.  I never made you choose."
       "I know," he stood up and kissed me.
          I heard my phone ringing, so I went and answered it to see it was Dwayne:
                *Call*
Harley: hello?
Dwayne: Harley, it's Dwayne. The Prophets just left here looking for Cesar. Latrell's back.
Harley: I'll talk to Oscar
Dwayne: thanks
           *End of call*
            I walked back into the kitchen, "you need to let him come now. Latrell is back in town, and they know where he is," I said to Oscar.
        "No."
      "They'll kill him!"
       "I'm not talking about this anymore!" Oscar said leaving the kitchen.
            He spent most of the day outside. Oscar moved his car out back and was working on it under the light, so I grabbed a beer and sat on the front porch. I'd just lit my cigarette when Cesar came running up to me, "Where's Oscar?" He asked.
           "Around back," I pointed. Cesar hugged me and walked around the house.
        I flicked my smoke in the yard and watched them from the window. Oscar hugged Cesar, then Cesar started to walk away, "you could've done this for me. You piece of shit!" Cesar screamed.
         I walked out the back door and over to Oscar. I pulled him into a hug, "Cesar, wait. Harley, go back inside," Oscar said. I nodded, kissed Oscar's lips, then Cesar's forehead, and walked inside.
            A little later the 2 came back inside, "I'm leaving town," Cesar said.
        "Why? You need to be here with us. We can keep you safe! Tell him Oscar!" I said.
          "He's got to go," Oscar said.
           I hugged Cesar and kissed his forehead, "I love you, mijo.  promise you'll see us again?"
       "I promise. I love you too," he said. Cesar packed up his clothes and slept on the couch with his head in my lap, while Oscar fell asleep in the chair.
                When I got up the next afternoon I was in bed and Cesar and Oscar were both gone. I sat outside and waited for Oscar to get home. A while later his car pulled up in the drive and he and Cesar both got out. I jumped up and ran to Cesar, engulfing him in my arms, "I thought you left without saying goodbye," I said tearing up.
         "I promised I'd see you again," he smiled.
        We went inside and Oscar explained how they did everything, "we bought his freedom with marked bills. They're going down."
               A few days later while I was cleaning up the kitchen from breakfast while Oscar drank his coffee the news was on and we saw all the Prophets being taken out in cuffs. Cesar was finally able to come home!