Eyes on You

Isabel

Luna had dance class after school today so I didn't have to worry about leaving right away to pick her up.  Lin was tracking my phone now so I had to be careful about where I went.  So overdramatic.  I got a text from Samara that she another member of Latin Kings were smoking a couple blocks over in an alley so I tucked my phone in my jeans pocket and headed over there.

I said hi to Samara and two guys I didn't know that well.  I'm pretty sure they were in their early 20's.  One of them kept glancing over at me and my heart pounded.  I took a hit from him and felt myself relax.

After a few more hits I began to feel myself get a little giggly.  I had too much, probably, and lost track of the time.  It was a stupid thing to do with Lin on my case.  I saw him walk past the alley I was in with his phone in his hand, looking around.

"Shit," I said, blowing out the remaining smoke to the side.  "Gotta go."

I walked down the alley towards where Lin was looking around.  The GPS was pretty good but not exact.  As he turned around to retrace his steps, he looked up and saw me.

"Isabel," he said, tucking his phone away.  "Do you know what time it is?"

"Showtime?!" I deadpanned, referencing his musical.  He sighed and narrowed his eyes at me a little, examining my face.

"Are you high?" he asked me.

I rolled my eyes.  "Please."

He stepped forward and sniffed me and I giggled.  "You're high," he concluded, and gripped my upper arm.  "Let's go."

He hailed a cab, probably not wanting to be seen with me in public.  I snickered some more as he guided me into the backseat.

"Who the hell were you with?" he asked after he'd told the cabbie where to go.

"Friends," I said evasively.

"Latin King friends?" he asked.

"No!" I lied.  "You told me to stay away from them so I stopped associating with them immediately."

I tripped over the word associating and he rubbed at his forehead.  The rest of the cab ride he was silent as I horribly sang along with what was on the radio.  Lin paid the cab driver and helped steer me in the right direction.

"Go to your room," he told me as soon as we walked in.  I grabbed some chips from the pantry, rolled my eyes, and headed back.  After binging on my Lay's I fell asleep on my bed, spread eagle.

I awoke to Lin patting me on the cheek.  I shook my head side to side as he looked down at me, hands tucked into his hoodie pocket.  "How long has this been going on?"

"What?"

"Smoking pot," he said.  I sat up and yawned, feeling better from my nap.

"A while," I told him.  He sighed, looking down.

"I'm worried about you, Isabel," he told me, eyebrows raised.  There was a time when I wanted to please him, but that time had passed.  Unfortunately, he thought I still needed to live by his stringent rules.

I rolled my eyes, looking away.

"We talked about what was going to happen if you fowled up again," he reminded me.  "Do you remember that?"

"Yes," I groaned, not really thinking he would follow through just yet.  I feel like he'd give me another warning.

"Did you think I wasn't serious?" he asked me, crossing his arms now.  I sighed and sat up.  Truthfully, I hated the idea of going to a group home, but I didn't want him thinking he could threaten me.