[ goddess - banks ]
______
BROKEN WINDOWS.
"Yo, this is fucked up!" Oscar yelled at the TV, his expression pained.
I laughed at his words from next to him on the couch. He was sitting forward, his elbows on his khaki covered knees as he looked at the show. His eyebrows were furrowed together in sadness as he frowned. I was almost certain I could see tears forming in his eyes, too.
The credits began to roll and Oscar's head whirled towards me. "Please tell me Poussey comes back to life," he pleaded.
I shook my head. "Sorry, but I can't say she does."
His head moves from side to side, disapprovingly. He leaned back in the chair, defeated as he crossed his arms over his chest. "This is some bullshit."
"Agreed, Mr. Diaz. Agreed," I said, grabbing the remote from the coffee table and quirking an eyebrow at him. "Next episode?"
A smile slowly grew on his face and he nodded. "Hells yeah."
I nodded, approvingly as I clicked the 'Continue' button. The theme song began to play and I leaned back into the couch, getting comfortable again.
It had been a few days since the ultimate Santos makeover and Oscar and I had been spending more time together. Whether it was him cooking for me, or just binge watching shows on Netflix for hours on end. And it was pretty enjoyable. Once you got past the thick gang leader wall he had he was actually good company.
The theme song was coming to an end when my phone began to ring. I leaned up from my position and grabbed it. I saw Catalina's name and instantly accepted as I brought the phone to my ear.
"Hey-"
"Come to my house ASAP!" she ordered, her voice firm. I could hear a lot of shuffling on her side, which made me sit up straight, worriedly.
"What? What's going on?" I asked.
"I'll explain when you get here, just hurry," she said before the line went dead.
The conversation must have caught Oscar's attention because when I went to turn around he was already standing up. "C'mon." He grabbed his keys from the counter and walked to the door.
"You don't have to take me, I can walk or drive," I told him as I stood up and slipped on my sandals that were sitting by the door.
"Not letting you walk alone in this neighborhood," he shook his head, opening the door. He walked out and I followed him. He went to the drivers side and opened the door. "Plus, it more than likely has something to do with Bane, and he's in my gang so it concerns me."
I smirked as I pulled the passenger door open. "What happened to not caring about him and his relationship problems? Thought you had too much to worry about already."
"Yeah, well. Someone told me I need to do better, so I'm trying," he shrugged, the smallest smile tugging on his lips as he slipped inside the car.
I smiled to myself before sliding in right next to him.
†††
When we arrived at her house we walked into the already open front door. The house was quiet except for the sound of things dropping and being thrown coming from the back of the house. Oscar and I followed the noise, which led us to a cracked bedroom door. I pushed it open, revealing Catalina who was looking like a mix between angry and sad as she dug threw a pile of junk on her bedroom floor.
She must have felt our presence because she looked up. "Good, you're here," she said, standing up and picking up a box from her bed. "Hey, Spooky," she nodded as she pushed the box into my arms, making me lose my balance and stumble backwards, but Oscar grabbed onto my arms and steadied me. The action made my mind wander to the moment we first met, but I quickly returned back to the present.
"Cat, what's going on? What are you doing?" I asked, looking into the box. It was half full of random junk. Pieces of paper, CDs, shoes, magazines, weed grinders and even a couple of pipes.
"Breaking up with Antonio," she answered, throwing a framed picture of her and him into the box. "I'm cleansing myself of him, and if I don't do this quickly I'm afraid I'm gonna go back on my word, so we need to hustle."
A proud smile crept onto my face at the news. Catalina had come a long way in the few weeks I've known her. She abandoned the red lipstick and now she's breaking up with Antonio. It felt good watching the girl shed her baggage and the weights that held her down.
"What made you come to this realization?" I questioned, handing the box to Oscar, who looked at me surprised. Although, I paid no attention to his expression as I walked over to Cat and began helping her sort through the junk on her floor.
She shook her head, "I'm just tired. Tired of wondering what he's doing, who he's with. If he even loves me like I love him," she sighed, sadly. She stopped sifting through the pile and looked at me. "Do you know how that feels?"
"Yeah," Oscar's voice sounded from the doorway.
I turned my head to look at him to see he was already looking at me. Our eyes stayed on each other's for a moment before I cleared my throat and turned back to Cat.
"Okay, so what's the plan? You're just gonna go to his house, give him the box and tell him its over?" I asked.
She nodded. "Yeah, that's what I was thinking."
"Something tells me Antonio's not just gonna let you do that without putting up a fight," I said, taking a seat on her bed as I looked down at her.
"She's right," Oscar interjected. "As long as you guys have been together you should know Bane's not the type to just get dumped. He won't accept it, especially not from you."
"Well, he's gonna have to accept it today," Catalina shot back, throwing another piece of paper in the box.
"If that's true, we need some back up. You know, in case he starts wilding out," I said.
Catalina scoffed. "What back up do we have?"
"You got me," Oscar offered.
Catalina looked at him. "You would go against him for me? He is in your gang, isn't there some sort of loyalty rule you guys have or something?"
"When it comes to enemies and business," he shrugged. "But I make the rules, Sangria."
I smiled at the man holding the box. He really was trying to do better. The pride I felt for both the people in the room was infinite in that moment. I knew weeks ago Oscar wouldn't have even thought about standing up for Catalina. Him laughing at her weekly humiliation in front of the Santos was proof enough. But here he was, about to stick up for this girl who wasn't even apart of the Santos to someone who had been a loyal member for years.
"That's right," I nodded, standing up. "And if he isn't enough, I got a backup backup." I walked to the corner of her room and grabbed the metal bat that was leaning against the wall. I held it up, turning around with a giant smile on my face.
"I don't think it'll come to that," Catalina said, rolling her eyes.
I shrugged. "You never know."
†††
"You know, he wasn't always like this," Catalina spoke from the backseat of Oscar's impala.
My eyes flickered to her reflection in the rear view mirror. She had the box of mementos in her lap and was holding what looked to be a picture as she smiled down at the frame.
"When we first started going out he was sweet. Always bringing me flowers, or buying me things. We would write notes to each other in class and he would make me these mixtapes," she recalled, her voice soft and quiet.
"Cat, you don't have to-" I started only to get interrupted by her.
"They had like two horribly written love songs on them and the rest were rap songs by people I would never listen to, but I never said anything to him. I just let him keep making them, and I would take and listen to every single one. And I would love it, because he made it for me," she said, her voice wavering. Oscar and I didn't try to speak, we just let her vent as we continued towards our destination. "And one day he stopped making them. He stopped bringing me flowers. He would come over and we would fuck or eat some bad take out and watch a horrible movie and he would leave. Nothing more, nothing less. He was cold, not like the warm sixteen year old Antonio I knew. And then I caught him with some bitch that lived a few blocks over on our anniversary," she laughed, sadly. "And I forgave him because I wanted us to work. We were high school sweethearts and I didn't want to let it go, so I forgave him every time after that, too. But I've ran out of forgiveness," she finished, her words turning bitter.
"Well, Ima need you to keep that same energy, muñeca," Oscar said, pulling over onto the curb. "Because we're here."
We all looked out the window at the light blue house, enclosed by a short, metal fence. I turned to the back seat.
"You ready?" I asked.
She nodded and I pushed open the door, hopping out and pushing up the chair so she could climb out of the backseat. She reached back and grabbed the box, taking a deep breath before continuing towards the house. I leaned into the back, taking out the bat before sliding back out and slamming the door shut. Oscar rounded the back of car and paused, giving me a 'really' face. I shrugged.
"What? Just being cautious," I mumbled. We followed Cat inside the gate and up to the front door.
"I'm your protector," he said, making me scoff.
"I should've brought two bats, then," I joked, and he shoved me slightly, making me laugh.
We stopped behind Cat as she rung the doorbell. A minute passed and she rung it, again. Shuffling was heard on the other side of the door before it swung open, revealing Antonio.
"What the hell-" he paused when he saw Oscar. "What's up? Los chicos bien?"
"Everyone's fine, homie," Oscar reassured with a nod of his head.
"You won't be though," I smirked.
His eyebrows crinkled in confusion at me before looking to Catalina. He looked at the box in her arms, before crossing his arms. "What is this?"
"Your stuff, and everything else you've given me or left at my house," Cat said, extending the box to him. "Take it. I don't want it or you anymore."
He rolled his eyes. "Catalina, I don't have time for your tantrums today."
"And I don't have time for you or your lies or your shit anymore so take it!" she yelled.
"What are you trying to say?" he asked.
She took a deep breath, calming herself down. "We're done," she answered, simply.
A loud, obnoxious laugh sounded from his lips and it made my blood boil. Who the hell did he think he was?
"What makes you think you can break up with me?" he laughed.
I couldn't take standing back anymore, so I butted in. "What makes you think you're hot enough to be acting this way?"
"Conseguir tu chica, Spooky," Antonio ordered, dropping his arms to his sides as he tried to glare at me, threateningly.
♪♪
Oscar was about to say something, but I beat him to the punch. "No, how about you get your shit, so Cat can move on with her life and we can leave."
"Antonio," Cat said, bringing his attention back to her. "I'm serious. I'm done."
Antonio's eyes turned softer as he stepped forward, grabbing her face in his. "Catalina, baby, don't do this. You can't give up on us, don't you remember what you said all those years ago?" he asked, softly as he stared into her eyes. When she didn't say anything, he answered for her. "'We're really good together, Antonio.' And we still are, you know that? You still love me don't you?"
"You manipulative asshole!" I accused, gripping Catalina's arm and jerking her back to me. "Don't listen to anything this psychopath is saying. He doesn't mean any of it."
I looked at her to see tears falling from her eyes as she looked down at the ground.
"Cat, don't do this," I pleaded, turning her to me. "You take him back and it'll just be more of the same. What did you say in the car? You said that you've run out of forgiveness. Remember that, right now, remember that. Drop that box on this porch, and leave without looking back. You owe that to yourself."
She sniffled, opening her eyes to look up at me. "I just don't want to be alone, Violetta," she cried, her voice breaking.
"You won't be alone. You have me," I said, truthfully.
"It's not the same, and you know it," she shook her head. "Thank you for all of your help. Thank you for being my friend. I hope you still will be after I dragged you all the way here only to go back on my word."
Tears began to fill my eyes as I started shaking my head, profusely. "That man doesn't love you," I spat, pointing at him. "He doesn't care about you. But I do."
"I love you, too," she smiled, sadly. "That's why I hope you'll underst-"
"Babe, what's taking so long?" a high pitched voice cut her off.
♪♪
All of our heads snapped to look behind Bane. A tall hispanic girl with dyed blonde hair appeared behind him. Her lipstick was smudged and her hair was messy. If that didn't tell us enough, she was dressed in nothing but a long white t-shirt that had to be Antonio's.
She held onto his bicep as she looked at the three of us. "Who are you?" she asked with an attitude.
"No, bitch. Who are you?" I asked, harshly.
"The hell I look like answering to you?" she shot back.
"Maybe because you're in her man's house," I said, nodding to Catalina.
Her softened features had hardened. Her tears were gone, and replaced with a glare. She shook her head. "Ex-man's house," she corrected, coldly.
She turned to me, shoving the box into my arms again. "Hold this, please," she said. She grabbed the bat out of my hands and descended down the stairs quickly. We all watched as she walked towards the black truck that was parked in front of Oscar's impala.
"Is she gonna..." Oscar trailed off.
"I think so," I finished, following her figure as she approached the truck.
She held the bat up, letting it rest over her shoulder before swinging it forward. The metal collided with his passenger window. The glass shattered, falling inside and outside of the truck.
My mouth fell open in shock. Oscar began laughing as she continued swinging at the car, breaking more windows and leaving giant dents in the side.
"Yo, what the fuck!" Antonio yelled, pushing past Oscar and I. He ran to Catalina and we ran after him.
"Oh my God!" his hoe screamed, running behind us.
He wrestled to get the bat out of Catalina's hands. "Dejarlo, Catalina!" he ordered, angrily as he tried to tug it from her hands.
"Just like I let everything else you've done to me go, right?" she yelled, refusing to give up the bat.
"You're crazy!" the girl screamed as she watched the scene unfold.
Antonio was finally able to tug the bat from her grip. He tossed it over the fence into his front yard, and as he turned around Catalina spit in his face.
"Tu puta!" he screamed, raising his hand up. His arm swung sideways, striking Catalina across her cheek. Her head snapped sideways and her hand went up to her reddening cheek. I gasped, wide eyed in shock. I was getting ready to attack him when Oscar brushed past me.
"Hey!" he yelled. Antonio turned around, still fuming. Oscar's fist came up and in one, quick motion connected with his jaw. Antonio fell to the ground, holding his jaw in pain. Oscar bent down and got in his face. His expression was dark and it made my heart stop. He looked like he wanted to kill him. Something told me if we all weren't here he might have. "Only cowards put their hands on women, and I refuse to be the leader of cowards. No eres un Santo. Not anymore. No monstrar tu cara a mi casa otra vez."
If I thought his face was scary, his voice was downright terrifying. I had never heard it so deep and low before and the sound made my blood cold. I stood there frozen, staring as he towered over the cowering 'man'.
He slowly stood up, delivering one swift kick to his ribs before walking over to Catalina, who was still holding her cheek. The girl ran to groaning Antonio's side. "I'm gonna call the cops!" she threatened, standing back up.
I reached into the box I still held and pulled out one of the mixtapes. I chucked the case at her head, the plastic bouncing off her of her forehead and onto the ground. Her hand flew up to the emerging bump as her mouth parted in shock.
"How about you call your stylist and get your roots done, puta!" I spat.
She charged towards me, and I threw the box down as I prepared for the impact. We flew to the ground and began rolling around, delivering swings and hits to each other's face. I quickly got the upper hand as I sat on top of her, repeatedly punching her.
I felt arms wrap around me, pulling me off of her. I began kicking, trying to get one last hit in before I was dragged away.
"Put me down!" I yelled and they did.
I turned around to see Oscar looking down at me. I exhaled deeply before putting my hands up. "I'm fine. Completely calm."
He nodded his head. "Good."
Catalina walked past us and back into front yard. She stepped over the girl on the ground and picked up the box again. She walked back out and up to Antonio, who was still on the ground. She turned the box over, and all the contents spilled out onto him. Once nothing else came out she let the empty box fall onto him, too.
"No me llames. No pienses en mí. No quiero verte. Ever," she ordered, firmly.
She walked away from him and back to Oscar and I. "I'm ready to go," she said.
I nodded. "I'm so proud of you," I smiled, engulfing her in a hug.
After a few seconds we pulled back. She glanced towards a pitiful looking Antonio who was still on the ground. She looked back to me, smiling. "I am, too."
"Who wants cake to celebrate?" Oscar asked, cheerily.
We both looked at him. I quirked my eyebrow. "You can bake, too?" I asked.
"No, but I can go to the grocery store and buy a cake," he smirked.
We all laughed and when it died down I nodded, throwing my arm over Cat's shoulders. "Let's go buy some cake, then!"
∭
• Muñeca → Doll
• Los chicos bien? → The guys okay?
• Conseguir tu chica → Get your girl
• Dejarlo → Let it go
• Tu puta! → You bitch!
• No eres un Santo → You're not a Santo
• No monstrar tu cara a mi casa otra vez → Don't show your face at my house again
• No me llames. No pienses en mí. No quiero verte → Don't call me. Don't think about me. I don't want to see you.
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can we get a round of applause for catalina standing up to antonio's bitch ass? she really did THAT!
↓ violetta during this entire chapter ↓
(she may be rich as hell, but she got them hands. don't try her)