Afraid

Chp. 1

Amaya's POV

Moving back to this stupid God forsake, gang filled city was not what I planned after living in Seattle for the last 6 years. But when mami told me that she needed help with my little siblings, I couldn't tell her no.

Mami got me a job just like her, teaching at the high school I couldn't wait to escape. I wanted to teach in this fancy-lavish school where they had working Smart Boards and clean bathrooms. But I couldn't resist when they hired me without an interview. They must be hurting for teachers if they didn't give two shits enough to interview me. 

I pulled back into the same brick and mortar house I once lived in and got out to smell the food someone was cooking.

That's the one thing I miss.

The food.

Up in Seattle there was never a good-homemade place that served purely Mexican food. Hell I would have settled for another kind of hispanic food but all they had were places that served cold pressed juice as a meal. I bet within my first week here I gain back at less twenty pounds. And for once I wouldn't be mad about being here.

My house was filled with toys everywhere. All kinds spread out amongst the living room and kitchen. I pushed past the mess and climbed the stairs to my old bedroom. Which was now taken over by one of my little sisters. I put her crap back into a box in the closet and put it in the hallway.

I'm a 24 year old woman, there was no way in hell that I was sharing a room. 

Especially with a snotty 10 year old.

I heard the front door open up and I prepared myself for whoever was about to come up the stairs.

When no one came up, I made my way downstairs to greet whoever it was. To my surprise it was my mom and some guy. They were speaking in low voices, too low for me to hear them. I saw my mom pass the guy a bunch of money and that's when I made myself known.

"Hi Mami." 

I stepped off the stair and walked towards them.

"Baby! I'm so happy to see you." 

She pulled me in for a hug and I kept an eye on this guy standing here.

"Amaya this is Oscar Diaz, do you remember him?"

The name sounded familiar but I couldn't put a finger on who he was.

"No. Hi I'm Amaya."

I shoved my hand out and caught it in his to shake.

"Oscar Diaz."

"I knew that."

"Señora Sanchez, I'll take care of that for you. Business calls."

He says waving his phone in the air. As soon as my mom nods he backs out the front door he goes.

"Who was that?"

"A friend, don't worry about him. So, when did you get here?"

"A couple minutes before you. When do I have to be at the school?"

School should have ended thirty minutes ago, which is why I was confused about why my mom was home so soon. She usually has after school activities planned, her became the director after some teacher quit.

My mom would never give up hope on the youth in Freeridge but I didn't know why.

Oscar's POV

She was back in Freeridge.

After 6 years-4 of them I served time but still, she was home.

When I left her house I felt the same wave of emotions I first got for her when she finally showed me the time of day almost 12 years ago.

I was fourteen, first jumped into the gang. My dad as well as her's had both just been murdered. Cuchillos made me and Cesar go see her mom once a month with a widow's care package.

When I was sixteen and started to take over more of the responsibilities of a leader I made one of the homies go instead. It helped that Señor Sanchez was his homeroom teacher so we never had to go to their house. But when Señor Sanchez moved up to the high school, we all had to be more creative because none of us wanted to be seen at their house.

Cesar entered high school while I was in jail and he took over the responsibility of giving her the package. It was his final year of school and made it a little harder with Amaya being there, we'd have to be extra careful.

I got into my car and drove to my next pick up. Today was gonna be a long ass day thinking about that feisty, blue eyed babe.

Amaya's POV

Mami told me that school didn't start for a week but that she enrolled all the little kids in sports to get their energy down when they were home. And that's where she 'was'.

At soccer practice.

Which added 'dropping the kids off at soccer' to my ever lasting list of shit to do.

I went back up to my room to clear out most of my little sister's crap and put it in the hallway for her to take back to her old room.

I loved being the oldest. I could tell her what to do and she'd have to listen. But living with 'roommates' who had no idea of personal space or hygiene would be better than living with my crazy Seattle roommate, Selene.

Selene once thought I stole her boyfriend and lit all my shit on fire. After a trip to the police station and to her boyfriend's apartment. She realized that he was cheating on her with a dude with the same initials as me-AJS.

"Amaya! Go to the store for me! I have to go get the kids and we need groceries!"

Mom broke me out of my daydream of Selene. I grabbed my purse and booked it down the stairs. Ain't no way and I being bombarded by screaming 10 year olds.

The ride to Ms. Castillo's grocer was quick and easy rather than driving to a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's in Seattle. The parking was quicker too, I'll I had to do was pull up front rather than wait for some hipster asshole to move his Prius.

I pulled up and a red Impala pulled right next to my Mustang.

"Yo Amaya! You back girl?"

I recognized the voice.

Hearing it made me want to cry.