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

76

The next day, I was in the mirror getting ready to meet Nate at the coffee shop in downtown LA. I put on a small short top and bralette with a tight white pencil skirt on. This particular outfit wasn't chosen because I wanted to win him over...though if it did, that was just a plus...but this was to let my people, my local team in the area that I was with a cop/Federal agent.

I didn't want any of them to act on my behalf to put their freedom in jeopardy and by wearing this outfit:

I checked my make-up and my hair to make sure everything was on point. I quickly grabbed my phone and texted Juliana and the team about the text I had received to which they told me that they were posted around the shop on the watch.

If I go down, I knew that they would also go down with me. Having them go down with me would only ensure more illegal street activity. Given that I had halted my activities, cops in the local area haven't complained about any illegal races. But who knows what will happen.

One thing that I knew I wanted to do was to go to the woman who I was willing to sacrifice everything for, my grandmother.

"Nieta, you look beautiful!" she cheered, "Another date with Oscar?"

"No," I answered, "I am speaking to Nate..."

"Nate?" my grandmother questioned.

"Yaya, you might want to sit down for this," I began.

"¿Qué traes? Tienes mala cara." she said.

"You are about to match this look once I tell you what I have been doing," I mumbled.

"Lena, what's wrong?" she asked again.

I couldn't even answer her. Telling her this would break her and me. I wasn't even sure how she would take it. Sure, every one of us is hiding something, a secret we're too afraid to tell others because we feel like it's too big or they couldn't accept us for it. But this secret had become a part of me, one of the little box that I usually lock away and protect.

"He sido ilegalmente carreras callejeras para hacer dinero para nosotros para mudarse de esta ciudad..." I told her.

Words left me. I stared into those bright brown eyes I inherited burning with regret and sadness, and my heart fell silent. I hurt her bad, I honestly couldn't live with myself on this but I want to let her know I did this for her.

"I knew."

At that moment, I couldn't breathe and I was in utter shock. How the hell did she know?

"Y-you knew?"

"Actúas tanto como tus padres, que era inevitable, Ruby's grandmother told me during our poker game, and Juliana questioned me about the type of dream house I wanted," she answered as she sighed and walked towards the kitchen and began washing the dishes, "I had hoped for you to take a different path in life nieta but I guess it might be a family trait."

"I'm sorry..." I mumbled.

"No...I'm sorry," she replied, "I should have been more attentive...but I realized that you have been more pre-occupied with Oscar that you haven't been doing those illegal racing..."

"I made a deal with him to stop..."I confessed.

"Even though I don't like that guy's lifestyle, I loved the fact that he was able to do something I couldn't do," she said, "So tell me more?"

Even after all that I told her, she was acting so casual to the situation. First, I wanted to remember the fact that I was blessed for not having a strict family that would have immediately bussed out La Chancla.

"The final payment on the house is put down and we can move when we are ready to," I began...

Before going to Nate, I needed to give my grandmother the full details of my plan because if I was going to get arrested, I wanted the woman who I have done this all for--to make sure that she knew she can leave this hell hole and that she was going to be safe.