Amor Prohibido | r. martinez

uno

It was finally summer and the crew was finally done with middle school.  Per tradition, the seniors who just graduated were having a party.  Her older brother, by 3 minutes, had the bright idea of sneaking over and getting some beer.

The only reason the crew came to the house party and was looking over the fence was to get a glimpse of what high school would be like.  Instead of High School Musical, it would probaby be like Degrassi.

Arcelia stood beside Ruby, standing on an extra crate so she could see over.  The rest of the crew just stood on a long box to look over, Ruby standing on his toes, while Arcelia needed some extra support. 

She wish she got her father's height like Oscar did, but her and Cesar were stuck with their mother's.

"Do you need another crate to stand on?" 

With a shake of her head, she replied, "I'm fine, Ruby."  The short boy looked at her and shrugged before the both of them looked back at the party. 

All Arcelia saw was grinding, makeouts and a lot of smoke and beer.  So irresponsible.  "Do you see him?  I don't see him."  Monse said, moving her head around to find Cesar.

"Something bad is happening."  Jamal started.  "I can feel it.  I knew this was a dumb idea."

Arcelia shook her head and watched the party play out.  She recognized a few of the party-goers like Mario and some of the Santo members like Sad Eyes and Jose.  She didn't even realize Cesar came back until she felt the crate she was on shake and a can of soda was in front of her.

"Hey, how come I can't get a beer but everyone else can?"  She complained, staring at the can of sprite in front of her. 

While everyone popped open their can of beer and shuddered, she was glaring at Cesar.  "Because Celi, you're my little sister and I don't approve."  Arcelia rolled her eyes and opened her soda can.  She felt a nudge and looked to Ruby who held his can to her.  She smiled and took it from him before drinking it.  "Hey, I said no beer!" 

Arcelia swallowed the beer and stared at the can in disgust.  "You should've gotten Modelo, this tastes like shit." 

"Yeah?  And how do you know what beer tastes like?"

Arcelia shrugged and turned back to the party.  "Oscar let me have some."

"Monse, Lia, you guys were a girl-"  Ruby started.

Both Monse and Arcelia scrunched their faves up and stared at Mario and Angelica.  "We are girls."

"But if you were a girl like that, would you wear underwear?"

Monse sighed while rolling her eyes and Arcelia looked down at her jeans and back to the blonde Ruby was staring at.  Arcelia watched the party some more, then climbed down when she saw Jamal hunched over and panting like he just ran a mile. 

"Guys, check out my game!  Huerrita just gave me the nod."  Ruby smirked, but it quickly faded when someone jumped up from behind the brick wall and put his hands on the pressure point of Ruby's neck.

"Eyeing my girl, cabrón?"  The guy, who Arcelia recognized as Sad Eyes, asked Ruby.  He hadn't even noticed that his boss' little siblings were a mere few feet away.

"No, never!  I'm not into blondes."  Ruby said, only ending up with more pressure on his neck.

"Easy, he does your mom's taxes.  Mrs. Guzman, right?"

Sad Eyes nodded his head, staring right at Cesar.  Maybe he doesn't remember.

"$3,000 refund, schedule C, line 30, home office reduction."  Ruby choked out, gasping for breath after each word that he spoke.

"Seriously, dude?"  Monse asked.

Another bald cholo, Enrique, popped up and grabbed Ruby's shoulder.  He looked at the group, then back to Ruby before whiplashing back to the group.  "Aye, what you doing, Ese?  That's Spooky's little bro and Celia, dawg."  Sad Eyes let go and Arcelia caught Ruby and put her arm around his waist since she couldn't reach his neck.

"Didn't realize it was you.  Aye, tell Spooky, Sad Eyes sends respects, homie."  He told the twins.  "Let's get out of here."

The two cholos ran off and the group was left alone.  "Thank god for your guys' brother."

"Don't, thank God for better things."  Arcelia nodded, agreeing even though she loved Oscar.  Seconds later, gunshots echoed and the squad all ran out of the alley while everyone in the house ran down the streets and into their cars. 

"That was a .38!"  Monse claimed.

Jamal shook his head as they all kept running.  "No, it was a .45."

"It sounded like a .44."

Arcelia shook her head and continued running between Cesar and Ruby.  "You're all wrong."  She sang.

Another gunshot went off and everyone instinctively ducked.  ".357!"

***

Everyone was now in Ruby's house and while the guys watched Mario and Angelica fight outside, Monse sat on the couch thinking and Arcelia was looking cor a bag of chips Geny said she bought for her.

She found it and silently cheered begore walking back to the couch.  "Here come the waterworks."  Jamal rushed out, the whole crew following him to the couch. 

Arcelia groaned as Jamal accidently sat on her, so she pushed him off and put the bag of chips in her lap.  The front door opened and everyone watched Mario walk in worth a solemn look on his face. 

Arcelia will actually admit that she found Mario attractive, but in her mind, his brother was cuter.

"Were you guys spying on me?"  Everyone, besides Jamal, shook their head.  Mario looked away and started weeping while the five incoming freshman watched him. 

"You okay, homie?"  Cesar asked him.  Mario looked back to the group and wiped a fallen tear. 

"Yes.  No.  I don't know."  Mario whined, marching over to stand directly infront of the group of 5.  Out of no where, he started smiling and chuckling.

"Look at you.  On the verge of high school, all the excitement.  All the firsts: first party, first football game, first love.  Want me to drop some knowledge?"

Arcelia shook her head, saying, "No, I think we're good."  Even with all the objections, Mario still went ahead and did it.

"High school is the foundation for the rest of your life."  He said.  From there, he started ranting about some nonsense while everyone stared at him in confusion.  As he talked Arcelia, took the time to stare at him and noticed his eyes were red.  She wasn't sure if it was from the weed or all the crying he did outside.  "I'm going to college, mofos!"  He cheered.  "Now kiss my class ring."  Ruby hesitantly rose from his seat and stared at his friends before quickly kissing his brother's ring.

Mario walked away and the group quickly got to whispering.  "I think he's losing his mind."

"That's why you don't smoke that stuff."

"Oh, one last thing: don't bone Monse or Arcelia."  He said, causing Arcelia, who was trying to get some Takis out of her braces, freeze.  Before he was even completely gone, they all started laughing.

"Why would anyone want to do that?"