Status: Contest Entry
The Difference Between Lovers and Enemies
uno
Maria took a long drag of the Marlboro Red between her fingers and closed her eyes as she held the smoke for a couple moments. It burned a little, but that was her favorite part. Plus the L.A. night air was beginning to turn crisp, hinting at the end of summer and fall.
“Hey, Maria!”
Ruby lips parted as Maria allowed the smoke to gently breeze through and escape her body. She said nothing at first and took another drag of her cigarette. The smoke made a perfect O as it floated into the night.
“Maria!”
Her eyes opened in slits as she gracefully leapt onto her feet, dropped the cigarette onto the concrete roof, and put it out with the toe of her black leather boot. She waited a moment for Isaac to draw nearer before quirking one of her perfectly groomed brows at him.
“Where the hell have you been? The guys got back over an hour ago, now let’s fucking go to the bar,” he snarled, crossing his thick, dark arms across his chest.
“I think I’m going to sit this one out,” she shrugged apathetically. “I’m not really in the mood for bar fights and shit.”
Isaac, being of Spanish decent, had characteristically dark eyes but when something angered them, it was like the dark depths opened up into an endlessly black abyss. It used to frighten Maria, but she was used to it now . Isaac could rarely intimidate her. “You aren’t in the mood?” he repeated slowly, as if tasting each venom-laced word. “And why the hell not?”
“It’s the same thing every time with you lot.”
Just as Isaac was about to fire something at her, the roof latch opened loudly – causing both of them to jump in surprise. Dimitri appeared then, shirtless as always and baring his tattoos for the world to see, and grinned at the two.
“Trouble in paradise?” he teased, slinging an arm around Isaacs neck. When neither Isaac or Maria so much as cracked a smile, Dimitri sighed and folded his arms over his chest. “Come on, you two. Stop whatever fight has been going on lately and let’s just go get drinks, alright? Mi familia, por favor?”
“Whatever,” growled Isaac and stormed off, sending one last glare to Maria before disappearing back into the house. Maria glanced apologetically at Dimitri, who simply shrugged the moment off..
“What’s going on with you two?” he asked and absentmindedly pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. Maria watched silently as he placed a stick between his lips and fumbled in his pockets a moment for a lighter. Just as he took his first drag, he held the pack towards her. “Quieres uno?”
“I need to quit,” she mumbled, still eyeing the cigarette between his lips. Dimitri let out a hearty laugh.
“Qué? Maria Garcia, quitting smoking?” he chuckled, shaking his head. “I don’t believe it.”
“Oh, fuck off,” she growled, plucked the cigarette from between his fingers, and took a long drag. “I had one like three minutes ago. I’m trying to cut back.”
Dimitri hummed in response, a ballet of amusement dancing through his eyes. “You’ll quit the day you leave the Kings, Mari. It’ll never happen.”
Her lips pressed into a thin line and her eyes immediately went to the five point crown tattoo nestled on the inside of Dimitri’s bicep. “Yeah,” she mumbled, flicking her gaze back towards the city. “It’ll never happen.”
“What’s really going on with you and Isaac, Maria?” he asked after a couple moments of silence. She sighed and pulled out her own pack of cigarettes. It seemed that these days, even the mere mention of her boyfriend would begin to stress her out.
“He’s getting sloppy lately,” she said, releasing a cloud of smoke. “He’s getting sloppy and lazy.”
“And you’re afraid we’re going to get caught.”
“If he keeps this shit up, then yes – it’s inevitable at that point, D.”
“Maria, you know Carlos has our backs,” said Dimitri, offering a smile of encouragement. Maria only scowled.
For Carlos Mendez, the sales and trading of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana was a family business – along with everything else that came with being a Latin King. That’s why his decision to become a cop was almost a self-destruct button… until he began working in Guns and Gangs. He had kept everyone safe so far, and even aided in more drug trafficking – but Maria didn’t trust him.
It seemed like Carlos has our backs had become a dangerous mantra for the boys, especially Isaac, and they began to get reckless.
“Yeah,” she sighed. “Of course.”
Dimitri wrapped an arm around her shoulders and dropped his cigarette. “I’ll talk to him, if that’d make you feel better.”
Her eyes flickered up to his for a moment and they shared a soft, secret smile.
“Now, let’s head on downtown with the boys, shall we?” he inquired, the soft smile beginning to stretch into a full grin.
“Vámonos!”
“Hey, Maria!”
Ruby lips parted as Maria allowed the smoke to gently breeze through and escape her body. She said nothing at first and took another drag of her cigarette. The smoke made a perfect O as it floated into the night.
“Maria!”
Her eyes opened in slits as she gracefully leapt onto her feet, dropped the cigarette onto the concrete roof, and put it out with the toe of her black leather boot. She waited a moment for Isaac to draw nearer before quirking one of her perfectly groomed brows at him.
“Where the hell have you been? The guys got back over an hour ago, now let’s fucking go to the bar,” he snarled, crossing his thick, dark arms across his chest.
“I think I’m going to sit this one out,” she shrugged apathetically. “I’m not really in the mood for bar fights and shit.”
Isaac, being of Spanish decent, had characteristically dark eyes but when something angered them, it was like the dark depths opened up into an endlessly black abyss. It used to frighten Maria, but she was used to it now . Isaac could rarely intimidate her. “You aren’t in the mood?” he repeated slowly, as if tasting each venom-laced word. “And why the hell not?”
“It’s the same thing every time with you lot.”
Just as Isaac was about to fire something at her, the roof latch opened loudly – causing both of them to jump in surprise. Dimitri appeared then, shirtless as always and baring his tattoos for the world to see, and grinned at the two.
“Trouble in paradise?” he teased, slinging an arm around Isaacs neck. When neither Isaac or Maria so much as cracked a smile, Dimitri sighed and folded his arms over his chest. “Come on, you two. Stop whatever fight has been going on lately and let’s just go get drinks, alright? Mi familia, por favor?”
“Whatever,” growled Isaac and stormed off, sending one last glare to Maria before disappearing back into the house. Maria glanced apologetically at Dimitri, who simply shrugged the moment off..
“What’s going on with you two?” he asked and absentmindedly pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. Maria watched silently as he placed a stick between his lips and fumbled in his pockets a moment for a lighter. Just as he took his first drag, he held the pack towards her. “Quieres uno?”
“I need to quit,” she mumbled, still eyeing the cigarette between his lips. Dimitri let out a hearty laugh.
“Qué? Maria Garcia, quitting smoking?” he chuckled, shaking his head. “I don’t believe it.”
“Oh, fuck off,” she growled, plucked the cigarette from between his fingers, and took a long drag. “I had one like three minutes ago. I’m trying to cut back.”
Dimitri hummed in response, a ballet of amusement dancing through his eyes. “You’ll quit the day you leave the Kings, Mari. It’ll never happen.”
Her lips pressed into a thin line and her eyes immediately went to the five point crown tattoo nestled on the inside of Dimitri’s bicep. “Yeah,” she mumbled, flicking her gaze back towards the city. “It’ll never happen.”
“What’s really going on with you and Isaac, Maria?” he asked after a couple moments of silence. She sighed and pulled out her own pack of cigarettes. It seemed that these days, even the mere mention of her boyfriend would begin to stress her out.
“He’s getting sloppy lately,” she said, releasing a cloud of smoke. “He’s getting sloppy and lazy.”
“And you’re afraid we’re going to get caught.”
“If he keeps this shit up, then yes – it’s inevitable at that point, D.”
“Maria, you know Carlos has our backs,” said Dimitri, offering a smile of encouragement. Maria only scowled.
For Carlos Mendez, the sales and trading of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana was a family business – along with everything else that came with being a Latin King. That’s why his decision to become a cop was almost a self-destruct button… until he began working in Guns and Gangs. He had kept everyone safe so far, and even aided in more drug trafficking – but Maria didn’t trust him.
It seemed like Carlos has our backs had become a dangerous mantra for the boys, especially Isaac, and they began to get reckless.
“Yeah,” she sighed. “Of course.”
Dimitri wrapped an arm around her shoulders and dropped his cigarette. “I’ll talk to him, if that’d make you feel better.”
Her eyes flickered up to his for a moment and they shared a soft, secret smile.
“Now, let’s head on downtown with the boys, shall we?” he inquired, the soft smile beginning to stretch into a full grin.
“Vámonos!”