"so, what's her name?"
cesar didn't answer, and continued to pace around the room.
"cesar."
"cesar."
he looked up, and shook his head apologetically.
"sorry," he sighed, taking a seat beside me.
"monse." he spoke quietly, almost mumbling the words.
i titled my head, trying to remember the features from the girl i had seen not even an hour before.
the name suited her.
"that's a pretty name." i commented, looking at him.
he nodded, "it is."
he looked stressed, and wouldn't stop moving.
"you're not with me."
he looked up, confusion written on his face, "what?"
"physically you're here, but you're not mentally." i explained, and cesar only nodded in response.
"mari, i'm sorry. i just feel like the guilt is gonna eat me up." he explained, slightly slouching.
i rolled my eyes, standing up.
"you said it, and now you gotta deal with the consequences."
"i'm aware." he grumbled, following me as i walked outside the room and to the kitchen.
we were at my house, only for the solemn reason that we both had nothing better to do.
since our encounter with monse, he had begged me to just hide out inside, and wait until she had chilled down a bit.
i told him he was stupid.
if anything, waiting would make it ten times worse.
though, according to myself, i am not involved in what he had gotten himself into, so i prohibited myself from expressing my opinions.
"do you have any beer, mari?" he asked, taking a seat on the counter.
"yes, now get your fatass off my counter."
he laughed, jumping off and walking over to the frigde.
he rummaged around for a couple of seconds before i saw his eyes sparkle, and suddenly he was pulling something out.
"a full pack of coronas just waiting to be opened by a marvelous person." cesar spoke dramatically, lifting the pack on to the counter.
before he could continue, i opened a cabinet, grabbing a pair of scissors and cutting off some cardboard from the pack, placing a bottle for myself on the counter.
"yes, a marvelous person." i smiled, while cesar glared daggers into my head.
he rolled his eyes, grabbing a bottle for himself, and using the edge of the dining table to pop off the top.
"dude! my table is not made of indestructible fucking steel." i exclaimed, running my hand over the small dent that had been made.
cesar only grinned, taking a generous sip. "shame."
i glared at him, looking back in the cabinet for a bottle opener, finding one successfully.
i popped the cap off, and took a sip, slightly cringing at the bitter flavor.
"you know, i heard somebody call that a church key one time." cesar commented, motioning at the bottle opener in my hand.
i stared at him for a couple of seconds.
"why. just why."
he sat up, "well, it looks like a church key."
"that doesn't explain my question-"
"it looks like a key that is meant to open churches."
i pursed my lips, and looked at the floor for a second.
"may i ask on how you've collected this very interesting information?" i tilted my head, making cesar's grin wider.
"a genius never tells his secrets."
"well, that same genius just messed up a phrase that is meant to say magician."
"you know what, fuck you." cesar rolled his eyes, folding his arms across his chest.
i laughed at his state, and was suddenly glad that he was in much better composure.
"when's manuel coming?" cesar asked, running a hand through his hair.
i pursed my lips, looking at the grandfather clock against the wall.
we're classy.
"not sure." i shrugged, "shouldn't be more than two hours though."
cesar nodded, taking a seat on one of the dining table chairs.
my household was much like cesar's.
both have brothers involved in the same gang, no parents around, and probably doomed to become a member.
the fate wasn't foreign, but we both never talked about.
it was gonna happen eventually, though.
nothing was prohibiting it.