A Second Glance

8: "you'll regret it after"

Driving the black pickup to her place, one hand hold the steering wheel tight and the other one massaging her temples, thinking on how she's going to cope with Papi. But in the other hand, that's the only way to get her to step back from Drago's gang. "This is the only way for me to get out of this. I deserve better, Horatio deserves better". She is about to park Al's black pick up truck in front of her house and thought of returning it to him after having dinner with her family, but Al caught up with her first. She sighs looking at Al waiting for her on her front steps. She gets out of the car and holds her head down, wanting to walk pass Al and and avoid listening to the lecture that Al is about to spill her ear.

 Al grabs her arm as she walks pass through him, "you're seriously thinking that I'm letting you slip this time? Estas loco?", a concerned look washes through his face but Gianna pulls her arm away.

"What the fuck are you doing here?", she folds her arms against her chest and face her friend, "well, do I have to remind you that you stole my truck?...", Gianna cut him off, "I was going to return it later tonight, cause now it's dinner time with ma familia". 

"G, did you actually go to see Papi? Why are you putting yourself in more trouble than you're already are? Did he let you join his drug gang?", Al asks and Gianna pout her lips, signalling for him to keep his voice down so her mother could not overhear their conversation. "Maybe your mother should know what you're doing, cause this is going out of hand,G!", he says. The front door opens suddenly and Mrs.Gerez's petite figure appears, "is everything okay here?". Gianna smiles and say, "everything's okay, mama. I just have some work stuffs to go through with Al here, I'll be in a minute". Mrs.Gerez smiles back and look at Al, "well, Al is always welcome to have dinner with us". Before Al could accept the kind invitation, Gianna places her hands firmly his chest and answers, "Al has plans tonight, he has a date". Al's expression yet changes again to a confusing one but as Mrs.Gerez speaks, he returns to smile from ear to ear. "That girl is sure a lucky one. Well, I'll see you then", she says while clasping both of her hands and closes the door behind her. 

"Next time inform me that I have a date 24-hours before so that I could plan out my outfit at least!", Al yells and Gianna sighs deeply, "listen Al, I appreciate that you're looking out for me. I couldn't ask for a better friend but yeah, Papi let me work with him secretly", Al shook his head cause Papi would not go behind Drago's back just like that, "there has to be a catch, he's super loyal towards Drago". Gianna bit her lip, "I have to go out with him this weekend". Al spread his arms in shock, "what? And you agree to that? You know how Papi is, his reputation with the ladies ain't exactly clean and pristine..", Gianna tries to calm her friend, "calm down, I can handle him. If he crosses a line, then I'll cut the deal off, alright?"

Al fold his arms, "oh yeah? So when the deal is off, you think that he's not going to tattle tail you to Drago and your head will be Sunday's brunch?!". She silences for a quick second, realizing that she did not think this one through, "I'll figure it out, okay?", then she saw Horatio walking towards their direction, Gianna calls him out, "where were you? You should be at home before dinner, Horatio, where were you?".

Horatio just walk pass by without answering his sister and walk up the front steps, "Horatio, I'm talking to you". He goes into the house as if Gianna and Al were ghosts, "I have to go Al, I'll talk to you later, I'll call you tomorrow", she runs up her steps and Al shouts,"keys!". She throws the keys in her hand and Al catches it perfectly in his palm. 

She enters the kitchen and both Horatio and her mama are already at the table, waiting for her to have dinner together. "Sit down mi hija, I made good chili cause the chili looked so fresh at the market this morning..", Gianna is heated up with anger towards his brother's rudeness and cut off her mum, "what's with the attitude, Horatio?". He shrugs his shoulders without making eye contact, "nothing". She widens her eyes in shock, "I called out to you but you did not answer me, don't tell me you can't hear me cause I was right in front of you". Horatio looks at his mother instead, "I am hungry, can we eat now?". Gianna was taken aback with this kind of behaviour, and she puts her hands on her waist, but before she could tell him off, her mother motions her to sit down, "sit down mi hija, let's have dinner alright? Maybe Horatio was too hungry to notice you". Following her mother's orders, she sits down and let Horatio off the hook, this time.