The Innocent (Oscar Diaz Fanfic)

Chapter 12

Now the group started to not believe Jamal, but Elizabeth did believe him. She had to go home so she bid everybody good night, but turned back to Cesar, "Go to my house after you drop off Monse," Elizabeth smiled, "you're crashing with me and my mom knows,"
Cesar grinned at his friend with Monse, "thank you, mana,"
"I got your back always. Oscar doesn't need to know and he usually doesn't come over, but if he does then there is a window out to the backyard through the window," Elizabeth winked and walked out.
Oscar stood around the corner and raised an eyebrow at the sight of his girl walking alone with her attire. He started to go towards her to walk next to her. She turned to see him, but turned back to look forward. "Bebe, I'm sorry. I don't know what went through me when I said those things so please forgive me," Oscar sighed.
Elizabeth sighed, turning to her boyfriend, "Oscar. I forgive you, but the next time you snap at me because things are 'rough' then it's over. Relationships are teamwork, not whatever you think a relationship is,"
Oscar nodded with a smirk on his, "now tell me why you're walking home alone with that dress,"
"Shut up and walk me home," Elizabeth laughed and continued walking.
When they got to her place, they stood in front of the door and just gazed at each other with the look of adoration on both faces. Elizabeth, however, had to go inside and get the guest room ready for Cesar and Leticia knew this so she opened the door, "Hey, Oscar. Happy New Year! Now I gotta get Elizabeth inside. We're doing something for her. Breakfast tomorrow morning though! Be here at 9 am. Do not reject either," Leticia grabbed Elizabeth's hand, "good night and thank you for walking her home,"
Oscar chuckled, "Gracias, ma,"
Leticia closed the door and rushed her daughter to the guest room to rush the process so when they were done then everything would be ready for Cesar. It was right on time because when they heard the knock they were done with the room so Elizabeth rushed to the door and ushered the little brother in.
She led him to the room. "Here is your room and Oscar is going to be here tomorrow morning at 9:30 am so you should probably be out by 9 am," Elizabeth smiled.
"Thank you, Eli," Cesar smiled sadly at his best friend.
"No problem. Now go to sleep. You probably got a big day tomorrow with Jamal and Monse," Elizabeth closed the door behind her.
The next day came and Elizabeth was up at 8:30 am and decided to make Cesar a little breakfast before his adventure with Jamal, Ruby, and Monse. When she was done it was 8:45 am so she walked into Cesar's room and jumped on the bed to wake him up.
"Eli! It is 8:45 am...oh," Cesar chuckled.
"I made you breakfast so eat up and get ready, puto," Elizabeth laughed and walked out.
Cesar walked out and ate breakfast with Elizabeth sitting next to him cracking jokes. It didn't take long for Cesar to be done so he washed the dish and put it on the drying rack, hugging Elizabeth before running out of the house to meet with the rest of the crew. Now 15 minutes later, Leticia and Elizabeth were awake and in clothes that weren't their pajamas, cooking breakfast with the music on high, dancing away. A knock interrupted the dance session so Elizabeth ran to the door and opened it to see her boyfriend there with his "Spooky" face, but it dropped when he saw Elizabeth. He walked inside and smelled the food, making his stomach groan at the nice smell.
Elizabeth gave a kiss to his lips before gesturing to the chairs and table and going back to dancing with her mom and the music on blast.
Oscar sat on the chair and smiled at the sight of his lover and her mother dancing away as if there were no stresses, cooking for the three of them. Soon after, breakfast was done and the three sat around the table enjoying the food and each other's company.
"Oscar, what are you going to do today?" Leticia asked with a smile.
"I'm gonna relax and chill with the homies. What about you, ma y mi amor?" Oscar turned to his Elizabeth. Elizabeth's phone dinged so she looked down and saw it was a text from Ruby telling her to meet up with him and Olivia to go help Cesar, Monse, and Jamal. "I am going to help Ruby and Olivia with something," she stood up and kissed her mother's cheek before moving onto Oscar, "I'll see you guys later. Oscar, I'm gonna go with you to the bodega for your party," Oscar nodded before she left the house and to Ruby's. When she got there, Ruby was there looking sad and angry while Olivia looked a little sad. "What's up with you guys?"
"I'm tired of having nightmares and PTSD! I just want to live the normal life before the shooting," Ruby ranted, "you got shot because of your boyfriend's gang! When is our life gonna be ok?"
"I don't know, Ruby. Why aren't you at church with your family?" Elizabeth asked.
"I don't know if there is a God. This shouldn't have happened to us. No shooting was supposed to take place," Ruby shoved passed the girls and started the journey to Monse, Cesar, and Jamal with Olivia and Elizabeth following.
They were about to walk past Oscar's place, but Ruby grabbed Olivia's hand and motioned for Elizabeth to follow, she didn't know what to do except follow her friends. There was a hope inside of her for Oscar to stop them and ask how they were doing and it was answered.
"Hey," Oscar called out, "Hey! I'm talking to you,"
Ruby stopped and turned so fast to walk towards the leader and kicked the crate that Oscar's foot was resting against, "What?"
"Just wanted to check up on you. You good?" Oscar asked.
"No, I'm not good!" Ruby freaked out.
"Yo, chill out," Oscar frowned.
"Chill out? That's all you got as you sit there on your damn throne? I got shot! Your girlfriend got shot! For what? Nothing! Nothing but some cullshit beef that means nothing! And that night won't stop playing on auto repeat in my head, and every time I move my arm, which is often because I'm a gesticular, it kills, furthermore reminding me of that night, thanks to you so don't tell me to chill out!" Ruby ranted as the Santos looked at each other.
"You must be in the anger stage," Oscar took a sip from his Redbull while Santos laughed.
Olivia went to meet up with the other three friends while Ruby and Elizabeth went to the bodega with Oscar. They had walked in with Ruby holding the basket and Oscar walking close to Elizabeth.
"How many times can I say I'm sorry? I know I stepped out of line," Oscar grabbed a Corona from the fridge, "but I really don't have time to be your valet."
"We need a few nopales," Oscar continued walking. "We need a cart. This is getting heavy," Ruby complained as he tried to keep up with Oscar and Elizabeth. "Do you ever not complain?" Oscar looked back.

"Well, no one told you to bring me," Ruby said.

Oscar smirked, "what else don't you like about me?"
"Nope," Ruby denied, "I'm not falling for that,"
"It's not a debate. What else don't you like?" Oscar grabbed something from a hook.
"Is this like Queen for a Day sitch?" Oscar stopped and looked back confused, "it's a legal expression whereby someone can say anything they want and their words can't be used against them,"
"Speak, Queen," Oscar turned down an aisle.
"Well, you guys call yourself 'the Santos,' the Saints, and yet you hurt people, so what's the point of you, really?" Ruby raised his voice at the end.
Oscar turned so fast while Elizabeth had her eyes wide open, "you're coming at me! But I didn't start this war,"
"Yeah, said the complicit one," Ruby glared at the leader.
Oscar dropped a bag into the basket, "you like history?"
"World or American?" Ruby asked.
"Freeridge. Doesn't get more American than that," Oscar started walking the freshman back, "Back in the day, the pinches Prophets terrorized Freeridge. Didn't matter who you were. Paletero trying to make a living. Viejita coming home from church. You were a target. They went to the cops. But you know how that goes. Until, finally, Lil Ricky said, 'no más.' This neighborhood is his familia, and you don't mess with family. He started the Santos to protect the hood." Oscar motioned outside.
"Great," Ruby spit, "now you have two groups terrorizing the neighborhood,"
Oscar leaned in really close to Ruby's face, running his hand down his mouth and chin, "terrorizing?" he grabbed the bag behind Ruby, "you mean protecting. It's complicated. The Santos are a family. Families are complicated," Oscar walked to the fruit section.
"What do you know about family? You threw your own brother out!" Ruby spit.
"I said it's complicated," Oscar yelled, "Cuchillos made that call and no one questions Cuchillos."
"Cuchillos can suck a dick!" Ruby yelled at the leader, but everyone turned in horror, "look, all I'm saying is if you're a saint, then save people. Don't kill people," Ruby's phone started ringing so he shoved the basket towards Oscar and answered it, walking away to get some privacy.
Elizabeth turned to Oscar, "thank you for taking it easy on Ruby,"
"Of course, mami. You ain't the only one that got shot for my brother's mistakes," Oscar stood really close to Elizabeth who put her hands on his chest.
She just rolled her eyes before kissing her fingers and giving him a soft slap on the face while he chuckled at her alternative to kiss him rather than actually doing it. Ruby came back and the three went back to Oscar's house and, by the time they got back the sun was down. Elizabeth stood next to Ruby, on her phone, looking through her email to see one from UCLA providing all the steps she needs to take for the future classes she is going to take.
Oscar looked at the way Ruby was cutting limes, but stopped him, "learn how to cut a lime. You cut like a serial killer," Oscar showed the right way before giving Ruby the knife back. Ruby did it the right way causing Oscar to nod, "good. You're excused,"
"I'm excused?" Ruby asked confused.
"Yup," Oscar said, "I listened, you listened. We're good. You can go,"
Ruby glanced at Elizabeth, "uh...ok,"
Oscar opened a beer and setting it down in front of Ruby, "or you could stay," Ruby took the beer as Oscar grabbed an octopus tentacle, "taste it," Ruby made a disagreeing noise, "expand your palette, homie,"
Ruby ate it then his phone dinged telling him that a text came in so he unlocked it to see a text from his mother, "damn. Yo, get off me already. It's my mom. She was on me about going to church, on me about hanging out with friends. Now she's just blowing me up wondering where I am. Can I just be left alone already?"
"Pressures of the privilege," Oscar said.
"Privileged," Ruby scoffed, "I live in a house with bars on the windows. With two parents inside and a college future waiting outside. Don't whine to me about your mom. No one took care of me and Cesar when my mom was out there,"
Ruby looked down, ashamed, "I didn't mean to-" Oscar cut him off, "be ungrateful? I get that you and Eli was shot, but why do you think no one came to finish the job, huh? 'Cause of me. Think about how fast that truce happened. Me, again."
"I'm sorry," Ruby said, "I didn't know."
"Yeah, there are a lot of things you don't know," Oscar chopped the food, "like what it's like walking into a job interview with a record. You think Walmart's gonna hire someone with two strikes?"
"See, I wouldn't work there. They have poor employee satisfaction," Ruby said being a smart ass, again.
Elizabeth flicked his cheek while Oscar let the knife fall, "it ain't a joke, Ruby!"
"This shit's real! That's the kind of stuff that makes a man snap! But being mad at the world ain't gonna help you. It'll only hurt you," Oscar went back to chopping.
Ruby decided to leave then so Elizabeth walked to Oscar and made him stop chopping food to wrap her arms around him. The two stood like that for a few minutes until Oscar had to turn the food over and the two of them had enjoyed a nice dinner before Oscar drove Elizabeth home and stayed with her since Leticia wasn't home yet.