MANITA

CAPITULO UNO

"Get up Gabs. We gon be late for school"

I felt a pillow crashing to my head. I opened one eye to the sight of my twin brother, Cesar, staring at me.

"You could wake me up more gently, you know" I growled, sitting on my bed.
"Ya sé, hermana. But you know there's no other way to wake you up. Your alarm has been going on for almost an hour" He answered, and left.

I got into the shower and washed my very long hair. I didn't have time to dry it, so I got out of the bathroom and stared at my opened wardrobe for a whole minute, trying to figure out what to wear. I finally decided to go with some black sweats with a santos cloth cross that I had sewed to the right leg of the pants like a year ago, and a black lingerie top. For shoes, I chose my white airforces. I did my usual makeup: black wing eyeliner and mascara. Y sprayed some body mist on and I was done. I went to the kitchen. Both of my brothers were there.

"Morning" I said.
"What are you wearing" Oscar said, clearly annoyed by my top.
"Clothes?" I answered.
"Yeah no, manita. Cover up" he said, while lighting a cigarette
"Look Oscar, I'm not judging you, and you're having a cigarro for breakfast. So don't you dare judge me"
"Where's your cross?" He asked, looking at my bare chest. He meant the santos cross in a necklace that every gang member wears. I'm not an actual member, but because of Oscar, I'm affiliated.
"I can't find it" I answered, taking a banana from the fridge.
"Then you wear mine. Toma" He said, handing his necklace to me
"Can't I just not wear it for A day? I already have it in my pants, por favor." I begged. 
"The block is hot Gabi, you know that. I don't want anything to happen to you. So take mine. And leave. You guys gon be late"
"Can you drive us Oscar?" Cesar asked.
"I got shit to do, mano" Our older brother said, looking the other way while inhaling some smoke.

"Lets Go Cesar" I said, grabbing my backpack. He grabbed his and we took off, not wanting to know what "shit to do" meant. It is better if we don't, really.

When we got outside, we saw Sad Eyes pull over. I swear, the dude practically leaves at our house. I smiled at him, he smiled back, and my twin and I kept walking. On the way to school we always meet Monse, Ruby and Jamal.

"Yo guys, I think I'm gonna ditch first period" I said, looking at my phone. I had just gotten a text from my friend Tanisha, asking me to go smoke some weed with her.
"What you gon do. You know that we can't be on the streets that much. There is a lot going on with the Prophets" my brother warned me.
"Im gonna go get high with Tanisha, to bellflower park" I said
"That place is full of Prophets usually. And you're all santo today with that necklace and patch on your pants" Ruby said. I was getting tired of the gang shit already and it wasn't even 8 in the morning.
"Whatever you say, Im going. Is someone coming with me?" I asked.
"I wasn't feeling like going to biology, so I might as well join you" Monse said. I smiled big, cause I love this girl.
"Ill go" Cesar said. It is crazy how he will do whatever Monse does. I mean, I suppose that's what you do when youre in love.

Jamal chickened out, as usual, and Ruby made up an excuse, as usual. I was actually glad about them not coming, cause them and drugs, they just don't get along well. I remember that one time when they tried edibles. Not pretty.

We met Tanisha at bellflower, and while we were smoking some random dudes in a car rolled up on us.

"Yo lil Spooky, tell your brother to respect what is ours. Tell him we don't wanna see no santo on our streets" One of them said, with almost his whole body hanging out of the car by the window. Im pretty sure he wanted us to know he was holding a gun in his pants waist band. 

Cesar got up to say something, and I placed a firm hand on his chest, in order to stop him. We know better than to get involved on anything without backup.