On Our Block: Monse and Cesar s4

Chapter 14: Future

Cesar's POV:
"I don't have shit to say to you." I didn't bring my gun. Why the fuck didn't I bring my gun?! "Then I'll talk." He knows I have no choice. "What happened with Monse was a mistake." He says. "A mistake? You shot my girlfriend!" I yell. "Yeah." Sapo's being so serious I can't tell if he understands rhetorical questions. "So you weren't trying to kill me?" I laugh sarcastically. "I wasn't there that night. I know who was and I know who told them to kill you." Sapo tells me. "Get the fuck off my car." I just walk past him. "You telling me you haven't felt like you're being watched? Seen the same cars driving past you everyday?" He asks. Sapo's right, but I can't let him know that. I can't look weak. "Cuete know you're here?" I take the clothes out of my backseat for Monse. When he doesn't respond I know Cuete's the one that put a green light on me. "I don't need your help. I'm not letting y'all hurt anyone else I care about. I see you or anyone else, I'm gonna shoot them. You should've just killed me." I try to walk away but he stops me. "Cuete's a problem for both of us. Let me know when you're ready to deal with him and stop being a little bitch." He says. "I have a way to solve both my problems. I tell Cuete you're trying to get him killed. He'll stop fucking with me and he'll just get rid of you for me." I finally get back inside, but I feel like I can't breathe.

"You good? You were out there for like fifteen minutes." Ruby asks before he looks back the tv. "Yeah." I lock the front door and close the curtains. "Cesar, what's going on?" Monse pulls me on to the couch. Jamal , Jasmine, and Ruby are too busy to notice anything's up. "Sapo was waiting for me outside." I whisper. "Are you ok?!" She squeezes my arm. "I'm good. He just wanted to talk. He said he was trying to help but I don't trust him. Sapo wouldn't sell out Cuete for nothing." I explain. "Is he the one that rolled up on us? Did he... he's the one that shot me?" can see how scared she is. "He says it wasn't him." I say. "You believe him?" She asks. "Sapo had his gun, I didn't. If he wanted me dead would've killed me tonight." I put my hand on her thigh. She's trying to look ok but I might've just made it worse. "Why are you making that face?" I ask. "I'm not making a face." Monse shakes her head. "You're making a face." Jamal says when he turns around for a second. "I have three classes with Sapo and one with Cuete. How am I supposed to be around them?" She asks. "Sapo said it was a mistake. No one's gonna come for you." I promise her. "What if you're wrong?" She asks and I don't know what to say. "Right... I'm gonna change." She tries picking up the clothes and holding her crutches but she drops them. "Here-" I try to help her but she stops me. "I got it." She looks annoyed and I back off. I pull out my phone and, after a second on Instagram, I find Sapo. This could be a trap but I can't let Monse get hurt. I've fucked enough shit up already.
C: whats the plan

Monse's POV:
I get in the bathroom but instead of changing I just sit on the floor for a minute. I'm done of being back in Freeridge, and I'm tired of being in love with a guy who's almost got me killed multiple times. Why can't it just be easy? Someone knocks on the door and I get up. "Hold up." I yell through the door and start changing quickly. "It's me." Cesar says so I open the door when I'm done. "Sorry, I just needed a break." I try to smile. "I'm handling the Cuete problem. I'm gonna make sure you're ok." He assures me but I guess my fake smile isn't good enough for my best friend. "Unless that's not why you needed a break." He furrows his brows. "It is... kind of. I'm just tired of Freeridge, and needing help, and everything else." I admit and he just wraps his arm around me. "August isn't too far away and you won't have to me stuck in Freeridge. Until you leave, you got the Santos' support when you need used." He promises. Now would probably be a good time to mention that I'm taking a gap year. "I'm not stuck." I lean my head on his shoulder. So many people worked their asses off to give me the chance and now they're all just gonna think I'm throwing it away. I don't wanna let anybody down, but I am. I wanna go but I'm not ready for everything to just be over. "You're gonna be ok, Monse. If anyone can survive this place it's you." He says. "Yeah, but can you?" I ask but he doesn't respond. "Don't do anything stupid for me. You're gonna get out and I'm not ruining it for you." I remind him. "I think it's too late for that." He says. "You know I'd do whatever it takes, right?" Cesar asks me. "I know you would but you can't just give up your future out of-" he stops me. "I don't have a future without you." Cesar says like it's obvious.

"I swear if y'all were gettin' it in, in my house-" I cut off Ruby. "Nope. Nothing happened!" I say quickly. "Leave them alone. If they wanna get back together for the hundredth time, they can." Jasmine teases us. "Oh my god." I drop down on the couch. "They're back together?" Jamal says from under the kitchen table. "No... why are you under the table?" I ask him. "Abuela's weed. I thought I could handle it... I can't." He hugs one of the table's legs.