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"THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE,"Gia glared down at Santana, watching as she was handcuffed and shoved to the ground. She tried to hide it, knowing Santana loved to play on her weakness, but she still felt sorry for the girl. Gia continued, wiping away her sympathy at the sight of the girl's devious eyes, "Oscar's not answering his phone and your father's still behind bars. Are you in the mood to cooperate or not?"
"It's not like they'd come anyways," Santana had growled back, playing with her nails as she swung her hands in front of her while her knees dug into the ground.
"I've tried so hard to keep you from going back to juvie and you've blown it," Gia continued, "I can't stop them from trying you as an adult anymore."
"They can't do that, I'm 16," Santana rebutted, her scheming smirk had started to falter as she finally locked eyes with Gia.
"You've been in and out since you were 13 years old running around with a pocket knife," Gia answered, "Now, I asked you — are you in the mood to cooperate today or not?"
"It sounds like you've got something up your sleeve then, go on Gia," Santana kept her eyes on the ground, trying to ignore the suffocating feeling that started to come over her.
Gia crouched down to her level, lifting her chin up, "Your mother's side, you've got an auntie living in the Outer Banks. You never talk about her."
"Selah," Santana nodded, "Haven't seen that bitch in years. She fell out with my mother before she... before she disappeared. Tell me, did you check her before announcing my mom was dead?"
"That bitch said she'd welcome you to her home with welcome arms," Gia continued despite Santana's growing frustrations, "And your mom? A fault of gang life, a fault of the path you're headed down. We think disconnecting you from-"
"Tell me there's another option," Santana cut her off.
"I mean that alternative is definitely easier," Gia laughed, "They'll pull your records and try you as an adult for this. Real jail time, Santana."
"Where even is Outer Banks?" Santana sarcastically remarked, rolling her eyes. She didn't exactly wanna go back there, she hadn't set foot on that island since long before her mother's downfall.
Gia calmly took a breath, "I'm gonna ignore the sarcasm and instead of giving you a ride down to the station, how about I drop you off at the airport in the morning?"
Santana gulped, "If I go back home, we both know I won't be going to that airport, G."
"You can stay with me, kid," Gia nodded, "We'll leave early, I'll escort you to your place so you can grab some things... get you out of this shithole... hopefully for good."
"You couldn't get rid of me even if you tried," Santana argued, with simmered distaste, "Do you know if she's still living on the southside?"
"For someone who's been slumming it with a gang," Gia paused, now hovering over Santana, "I wouldn't complain about getting a free ride. So what's it gonna be? Deal or no deal, Sana?"
"Southside here I come, then," Santana scoffed, plastering excitement on her face despite her dead eyes.
"When I come see you in a couple months, I want to see you settled, I want to see that beautiful smile I saw once," Gia helped Santana stand, though she turned serious, "But I also want to see the Outer Banks unscathed."
