Culpables | Oscar Diaz

Culpables - Chapter Sixteen

Diana set a twelve pack of beer down on the counter along with two bottles, sighing.

"Uh.." the clerk said, checking her out. "I'ma have to see your ID ma'am?"

"Ma'am?" Her eyes flicked up quickly, being taken back as she did.

"Everything okay?" He chuckled awkwardly.

"You just uh..." she shook her head softly, "look so much like someone I know." She continued shaking her head, quickly. "I mean—what? That was weird, I—am–I'm sorry."

He grinned, "no worries. Thirty-three-forty-two."

"Uh." She stuttered, reaching for her bag, she opened her wallet, handing him the ID, then handed him fifty bucks.

He bagged the items, ignoring her stare, if he fed into it his cheeks would turn red. "Your change is sixteen dollars with fifty-eight cents." When he handed her the two bags and her ID, he smiled, "have a good day, ma. Your change and receipt are in the bag."

"You too." She nodded, walking out of the liquor store. "Dude!" She opened her car door, setting the bags in backseat. Then she sat down, smacking his shoulder.

"What?" He scooted away, "stop hitting me!"

"Ese vato." She pointed into the store, "the cashier, wey! He is fine as hell!"

"Oh Nick?" He laughed, "yeah, obvio."

"Obvio?" She furrowed her eyebrows, "girl have you seen him? He is a different kind of fine!"

"Dude he went to high school with us, you just didn't notice him because you were all up on Oscar." He studied the bottle of tequila, "he asked you to junior prom and you completely ignored him."

Diana's jaw dropped, gripping the steering wheel. "I'm so stupid." She set her head on hands, "we would've had such beautiful whitina babies."

Manuel laughed, "I didn't know a white-sican could make a white-sican baby. And! You already have a beautiful baby. But," he popped the top off of the bottle, taking a swig, "one thing I will tell you is, your babies would have had a father present in their lives sis."

"Ha." She said sarcastically, glaring at him. "Very funny."

"What are you waiting for? Go get his number. Make him a step daddy amiga, I heard he has a big dick." He shrugged a shoulder, dancing his eyebrows.

"You're right." She nodded. Shortly after, she began to shake her head at him. "No! I'm scared."

"Girl," Manuel scoffed, "scared? Of the dick? Girl you use to take Spooky dick and that shit reaches his knee–"

"No pendeja!" She smacked her lips, cutting him off, "of rejection! I've been out of the game for a really long time."

Manuel rolled his eyes. "He use to be into you, you know? Until you broke his heart."

"I didn't know he was that fine! Who asks people to prom through Instagram dms?" She sighed, moving a piece of her hair behind her ear.

"Girl he's always been that fine," he laughed, "now go get his number before I do it."

"Omg!" She gasped, hitting Manuel's arm again. "You totally should! Tell him it's for me! Please, please, please! I'll buy you tacos when we're super drunk at three in the morning."

Manuel stared at her for a second, "they better be from Beto's tacos bitch." He huffed before opening the car door and walking into the liquor store. It only took tacos to get him to do what she wanted. "Hey." He smiled, waving softly.

"What's up?" Nick mumbled, shutting the register with his eyebrows furrowed, "can I help you homie?"

"Um." Manuel chuckled, scratching above his right eyebrow. "We went to high school together, remember?"

Nick shrugged, "I guess I've seen you around."

"Yeah cool, anyways." He cleared his throat. Nick set his hands flat onto the counter, listening. "My girl-friend Diana over there thinks you're cute." He pointed outside, Diana waved from the drivers seat. He waved back, smiling.

He chuckled, his dimples presenting themselves, "is that right?"

Manuel nodded, "yeah. So she wants to know if you'd be interested in giving her your number."

"Diana?" Nick laughed, "as in Diana Martinez?"

He nodded again, "that one."

"Doesn't she have a kid with Oscar Diaz?"

"Yeah but," Manuel shrugged, "I don't think she minds making you a step daddy."

"Alright." He mumbled in an awkward tone, raising his eyebrows momentarily. "You don't think that's gonna be a problem with her baby dads?"

Manuel scoffed, "baby let me tell you about him." Nick raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms when Manuel leaned onto the counter. "He ain't shit, he ain't ever been shit and we don't like him. He's done with for good." Nick hummed, looking out of the glass windows to Diana who waved again. "He's with that hoe Marisol." He rolled his eyes, grabbing a pack of gum and setting it on the counter.

Nick grabbed the gum, scanning it. "Marisol? Villalobos?"

"Mm-hm." He hummed, handing him a five dollar bill.

"No way," he shook his head, laughing. "We dated last year."

Manuel took his gum and change, shaking his head. "Damn she just been with everybody huh? You're canceled I guess, see you around guapo." He went to walk away but Nick spoke up.

"But I found out she was cheating on me with that Oscar guy."

Manuel walked backwards a couple of steps, stopping in front of the counter. "You said what now?"

Nick nodded, "yeah, so I dumped her, haven't heard anything about her since." He shrugged.

Manuel sighed, whining. "Come on now, are you going to give her your number or not? Our beers getting hot."

"Uh, sure." He printed out a clean piece of receipt paper, grabbing a pen and writing down his phone number. "I get off at eight, if she wants to text me then. Maybe we can hang out tonight."

"I'll be sure to let her know." He winked, strutting out of the store.