I Don't Need Anything Else

57: A Cycle

Valentino

The pounding on the door makes me jump out of bed.

God, I was dreaming of Elena, what could it possibly be?

I look at the clock. It's 2 in the morning.

"Valentino!" Rico's desperate voice calls from the front door.

The girls and I open our doors at the same time, poking our heads out to the hallway.

"Go inside," I tell them. I look at Yoselin. "Make sure they stay in bed."

He bangs on the door. "Valentino!"

I open the door to find Rico, bloodied nose and cut lip. Rene and Tommy run across the street to us.

Stephanie comes out of her house. "What's happening?"

"Go inside," all of us say in sync.

Stephanie takes one glance at Rico and knows. She goes inside.

"¿Que paso? " I ask. But in the pit of my gut, I think I know what happened.

As he opens his mouth, the smashing of plates cuts through the air.

I shut the door behind me and run with Rico, Rene, and Tommy to Rico's house, the only house with the screaming coming from it.

The door is open and Rico's sick grandmother wails out as Carlos throws cups and plates, sending them to shatter in all directions.

We've been here before, standing at Rico's door only to watch Carlos completely melt down. We were teenagers. We were kids until that night. That time, Carlos had killed a person and had blood splashed across his face all while the Serpientes stood outside the door, ready to kill him for killing one of them. A cycle.

This time, he empties packs of sugar and jars of salt on the floors. "Where is it!" he screams, frantically searching through the grains of white.

I snap out of it and push through the guys. I grab Carlos by the collar and slam him against the wall. His eyes are crazed, looking for things that don't exist.

"Get it together man!" I scream.

He fights against me but Rene and Tommy hold his arms to the wall while Rico holds his leg

"Carlos, I'm gonna sock you in the face!" Tommy screams.

Carlos meets my eye, something sinister slithering in them, and laughs. "Con cuidado," he tells me, something in him turning. "Be careful, Valentino."

"What are you talking about?"

He howls in laughter, avoiding my questions. I slam him against the wall and he groans.

"What are you talking about?" I ask.

"You tell me," he says. "You're Elena's bodyguard."

Hearing Elena's name come out of his mouth makes me forget what restraint is. I forget what holding back is. I forget to hear the screams of the guys around me. I forget everything but Elena.

I slam Carlos on the floor. Then I slam my fist into his face one time after another. As I raise my fist for another, Tommy and Rene hold my arm, taking me back.

"Let me go!" I scream at them, struggling against their hold on me. Rico helps Carlos up. Anger blazes in my chest as if pouring gasoline on a fire. "Don't touch her, Carlos! Don't you dare touch her, Carlos!" I scream.

Carlos throws his head back and laughs, blood staining his mouth. "You got the wrong enemy, vato."

Before I can even process what he meant, I notice the flashing blue and red lights on the wall. Damn it, someone called the cops.