RIDE OR DIE ➸ OSCAR DIAZ [1]

THIRTY FIVE

I SIT DOWN on the couch with a soft sigh. We couldn't do it. We couldn't save Cesar. We ran around Freeridge all day trying to find the Rollerworld money and all we ended up finding were a bunch of chocolate coins. Maybe there really isn't any money. Maybe it was stupid to believe Jamal and to encourage him about this.

A loud knock on the door drags me out of my depressing thoughts. I inhale a deep breath as I get up and walk over to the front door. It's not like Ruby's going to come answer the door, he locked himself in his room the second we got home. I pull open the door and immediately a warm, hyperventilating body pulls me into a hug. I'm startled for a second but when I look down I realize it's Cesar... with a shaved head. Holy fucking shit.

"Cesar," I say hastily as I close the door. "What happened?" I ask as I pry him off of my body. His face is flushed and tears are streaming down his cheeks. And his hair is gone. Everyone knows what that means. "You didn't..." I trail off as I step backwards. "Did Oscar do that?" I ask in a quiet tone, nervously chewing on my bottom lip.

"Cami," He shakes his head as he rubs his hands down his face. "I didn't want to. I told him I couldn't do it. But-" his voice cracks as his eyes flutter around the empty house.

"Let's go to my room," I say softly, trying to control the anger that's building up inside me. I can't believe Oscar would make him do that. I can't believe we couldn't find a way to get him out of it. This is all my fault. Cesar's going to forever be fucked up because of me.

Cesar sits down on the edge of my bed and exhales a shaky breath. "I didn't kill him." I let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding in as I sit down beside him. "Yet somehow, I think that's worse. I could've ended his life but I didn't. And if Oscar finds out, he'll end mine." Cesar whispers as he turns his head to look at me.

"What did you do Cesar?" I ask.

"I let him go. I told him to disappear and he promised he would." A deep frown settles upon his features as he looks down at the floor. "Cami, he promised. Do you think he'd go back on that? He has every reason to kill me."

I suck in a sharp breath as Elijah's words float around my head, Latrelle has a mind of his own and can't be controlled. "I don't know. I hope not." I answer truthfully as I play with my hands.

"Cami I'm scared," Cesar whispers as his knee bounces up and down. "What am I supposed to do if Latrelle doesn't go to Florida like he said? What do I do if Oscar finds out?"

"Cesar," I sigh as I hug him. "Don't think like that. Oscar thinks you killed Latrelle so don't give him any reason to doubt you. Just play it off for as long as you can." I pause for a second and pull away from him and wipe the tears off of his cheeks. "And as for Oscar, I'm going to go talk to him."

Cesar manages a small chuckle, "You mean yell at him."

I smile back at him. "Yes, that's exactly what I mean."

I ring the doorbell and wait for Oscar to open the door after a mostly quiet walk here with Cesar. He's still in shock from what he almost had to do, and I honestly have no clue how to make this better. But at least dealing with this will keep my mind off of what happened the other night.

I wince at the thought of that night. Just pretend it doesn't exist, I think bitterly. The front door swings open and there stands Oscar, wearing his stupid cholo outfit. His eyes shift between me and Cesar several times before he opens the door wider and says, "What's up?"

"Te diré qué pasa, cabrón." I exclaim angrily in Spanish as I step inside.
[translation: I'll tell you what's up, dumbass.]

"She's really mad," Cesar says as Oscar closes the front door behind us. "Have fun." He mumbles before heading towards his room.

"Cesar told you." Oscar sighs as he walks into the kitchen.

I scoff loudly, following behind him. "Of course he told me, but he didn't need to. It's so fucking obvious. Oscar, I can't believe you made him do that!"

"I didn't make him do anything." Oscar defends himself as he spins around to face me.

"You didn't exactly give him another choice! He's a kid Oscar, or did your stupid head not comprehend that?!" I yell angrily as I run a hand through my hair. "I just don't understand how you could make him do that!" Even though Cesar didn't actually kill Latrelle, I'm so mad that Oscar forced him to.

"He needa learn how to deal with his problems. I'm not always gonna be there." Oscar exclaims back as he walks past me, heading down the hallway we just came from.

"Oscar you just don't fucking get it." I sigh defeatedly as I pinch the bridge of my nose. He stops walking but doesn't turn around to look at me. "He's just a kid and you fucked him up for life. He's never going to forget how his older brother forced him to kill a kid he used to go to school with."

Silence hangs in the air between us for a few moments before he decides to break it. "I shouldn't be having this conversation with you then. I mean, you're just a kid too. Don't tell me how to raise my brother." Oscar says coldly over his shoulder before stalking off, most likely to his room.

I exhale a breath of disbelief as I run my hands down my face. He's so fucking immature. "Oscar Diaz, eres una maldita persona horrible!" I shout at the top of my lungs before storming out of his house. If he wants to be like that then fine, whatever. He's no better than Elijah.
[translation: Oscar Diaz, you're a damn horrible person.]

I was halfway down the driveway when Oscar pulled open the front door and yelled, "Y tú eres sólo una perra!" I spin around on my heel and glare at him. He's so fucking annoying. He really left his room just to open the front door and call me a bitch as I'm leaving.
[translation: And you're just a bitch.]

"You literally don't give a single fuck about anyone but yourself!" I shout. "All you care about is your stupid image. You don't care about Cesar or me!"

"That's a fucking lie," Oscar says angrily as he walks down the porch. "I would do anything for both of you."

"I wish I never agreed to date you. You're nothing but a selfish bastard." I spit venomously as I take a step towards him.

"Then go back to Elijah. I don't want his sloppy seconds anyway." And with that comment, he turns around and walks back into his house, slamming the front door shut behind him. I can only hope that he doesn't take his anger out on Cesar.

He really isn't any better than Elijah.

A/N : the tea is exceptionally hot today.

I used a heck of a lot of Spanish in this chapter and I honestly don't even know if it's right, I really hope it is.

y'all, this is the second last chapter. I'm 99% sure that the next one will be the last one. I really don't want to end this yet omgg. but I also don't want to keep you guys waiting, so I'll post the last chapter tomorrow (later today bc it's like 12am for me?) hopefully. aLso I changed the cover agAin bc I can't stick to the same one for a while.
-h