"Handled?" Jamal shouted at Oscar. "What do you mean handled? Handled could mean anything? Handled with care. Manhandled. Twitter handled."
"Yeah cause Spooky is setting Cuchillos up with a Twitter handle." Monse argued. "There are handlers that handle everything-"
"Enough!" Oscar stopped him. "Are you sure about this? We're talking about taking a life here."
"Or yours? Or mines? Or everyone's."
"And yet you work for her."
"Worked. Past tense. She's out of control. It's never been this bad before and it's all for nothing. Putting you kids in the middle of her crazy vendetta. Shit's messed up. And she doesn't give a damn. She doesn't give a shit about no one. Even those most loyal to her. Like our dad. Let him take the fall back in the day. But her times up. She's taking a meeting she's not walking out of." Oscar spoke.
"Oh. Handled." Jamal said. "You guys need to keep yourselves busy starting now. Go somewhere you'll be seen. A place with lots of cameras like a mall."
"I hate malls. Dying industry. I shop for everything online." Jamal complained. "J you know what he means." I shook my head.
"Wherever you are. Use your phones. Just don't use it to call me." Oscar ordered. "Well, how do we know when it's been handled?" Ruby questioned.
"I'll hit up Cesar, or Y/n." Oscar responded. I walked off to my room and closed my door.
"Damn it." I had the worst cramps and they were getting worse along with a huge headache.
I took a few painkillers and grabbed my backpack. I stuffed my laptop, two chargers, two portable chargers, and the rest of the painkillers in it.
"Hey Y/n?" I heard a voice in front of my door. "Mhm." I answered.
"You okay?" Jamal asked and came in. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just having a headache right now." I smiled slightly. "I wanna go with Oscar. What if he needs backup?" I zipped up my backpack.
I slipped on a hoodie and put the backpack on. "That's dangerous and even then he'd never allow it," Jamal closed my door behind him. "You'd get hurt and he would too."
"It's not like it'd be new." I muttered causing him to tilt his head. I got a text from Jasmine to which I ignored. She may be helping us but I refuse to put her in this more. I guess Ruby and I were thinking the same thing.
"J, if I tell you something. Promise you won't get mad at me." I looked down. "Is it a secret or?"
"Well, it's only been a secret from you." My eyes watered a little bit. "I only wanted you to think I was okay. And, I hate that I kept this from you for so long after everything."
"A-Are you crying? You can tell me. I won't be mad. I promise." Jamal came over and pulled me into a hug. I told him how I got into the gang and about my conversation with Cuchillos.
Jamal stayed silent afterward and just hugged me tighter. "I don't know why you think you had to hide that from me. I can't believe that you had to go through that. I wish I was there. I could've helped you. You didn't have to do this by yourself." Jamal sniffled.
"I didn't want you to get hurt, but I guess me keeping this from you hurt more and I'm so sorry." I looked up at him and wiped his eyes for him. He did the same for me.
"You are my everything. You know that right. I love you so much." Jamal smiled a little. "I know. I love you too." I grinned and kissed him.
"Do it again I blinked." Jamal pouted. "Now isn't the time idiot..." I laughed at him and kissed him once again.
I grabbed my bookbag and got up. "We gotta head somewhere with cameras. I'd say the corner store or something." I suggested as me and Jamal headed back to Ruby and Monse.
"You guys cool?" I asked them and tilted my head. "Mmhm." Monse hummed.
"Thank you guys for dealing with this Cuchillos shit." I smiled and sat down. "If I were you guys I would have been left because this is too much."
| TIME SKIP |
I was paying for a bunch of candy for myself while Jamal was loudly walking around on Instagram live.
"Has he texted yet?" I asked Cesar. He shook his head. "You?" I sighed and shook my head as well. "I should've gone with him. What if Cuchillos can't be trusted on both sides. Then what'll we do? Just wait for our turn?"
This thing was stressful and what we already know about Cuchillos, it could be a possibility that she's tricking all of us.
"You won't be going anywhere until we get the clear." Cesar told me, not looking up from his phone.
Monse came over and I thought I'd just leave them alone so I went over to Ruby and Jamal. "Hey, Y/n, Leon works right?" Jamal pointed to his shirt.
"You want me to lie orr?"
"Just- Just lie and say it looks good."
"So you admit it's bad? What percent is your phone at?" I asked. "Uh, 53% why?"
"Here. We need everyone's phones charged and you've been using it to an extreme." I handed him a portable charger. "Thank you for being so... kind," Jamal said. "Mmhm. Bring it back when it hits 70%." I told him.
Hours went passed and still no response. "Cesar, can I please go now? I know where the house is. I can easily go get Spooky." I tried to persuade.
"You walk out that door and leave us, you will be in big trouble. Y/n I'm not telling you again, stay put." Cesar scolded. I had no energy to argue or say anything back so I just nodded and walked off.
I grabbed more tubs of ice cream and purchased them. "Hey live! See my wonderful girlfriend, Y/nn!" Jamal pointed the camera to me.
"And all those things of ice cream. Are you gonna share?" Jamal asked me as I gave the cashier the money. "No." I snickered and grabbed the bag with all the ice cream I had in it.
"Come on, you've only gotten me a snickers bar today."
"That should be enough for you."
"Y'all see how mean she is to me."
"I'm mean? I bought you a whole ass snickers bar for you when I said I wasn't getting anybody anything." I looked at him. "I mean I guess. But, it's been hours and-"
"Get what ice cream you want and make it quick." I handed him the bag. "Really? Thank you, baby!" Jamal kissed me and went through the bag.
I don't think anyone was noticing it but I was stress eating like crazy. At first, it was small candies, then full-sized chocolates, then actual big bags of chips and a bunch of drinks, to full tubs of ice cream.
Jamal got his ice cream and gave me back the bag. "Thank you, thank you." He said again and kissed my forehead.
"Mhm, you are very welcome." I grinned and went back to Cesar. "Text yet?" Cesar shook his head as his response.
"It's getting late. We should head home." Cesar told me. I nodded and checked my phone again to see no text from Oscar.
I didn't think handling things took this long.