I never knew one person could make your life so damn complicated, but I guess there's a first for everything. My name is Camillia Miron, one of many brought into the harsh world that now consumes me. I was only fifteen years old (almost sixteen) when the life I had began to unravel and the spirit I obtained to be pushed into an unfamiliar world. I guess it started before that one night, I just never noticed.
It was cold, way to cold for spring. "Get in." My boyfriend Ismael ordered. He hated the movies, and always wanted to go cruezing instead. I could usually convince him to go to the movie but he was so dam stubborn this time. "No." I folded my arms across my chest, and gave him a look that meant get your butt in the movies now. He shook his head and said" please just this once? I ant you to come with me, you never go cruzen with me." He pleaded but I knew better. Cruzen was how u got knocked up and worse sometimes. "NO, I don't want to get in the care with all you homies, they drive like maniacs." I said making my point very clear. "Tony will drive, you he doesn't do that." Dam, he found a weak spot in my defense. Yeah I knew that Tony was an excellent driver and I had no other argument. I opened my mouth to say something but he cut me off." and who cares if you get grounded till your 16, that's in a week anyways." He smiled deviously. He was right, when I turn sixteen ill have a lot more freedoms, but I was still worried about cruzen with them.
"Okay." I said and rolled my eyes at him. He smiled and picked me up hugging me insanely tight. "Come one Shay the goof balls want us to come." I said bitterly, and shay laughed at me. She climbed in before Ismael pulled me in not his lap." so where we go n?" she asked spunky and excited. "South O" Tony smiled winking at her and she giggled. Ismael squeezed my leg and smiled, "I'm glad you're finally coming with us." He said a little to over joke. I smiled back taking his face in my hands. "I was tired of the movies." I said smiling. It was true I was, but it was the only place I could go with him without my mom breatheing down my throat. He pulled me in kissing me. I kissed him back and bit his upper lip while he bit my bottom lip. I loved it when we did that. He laughed and I smiled sheepishly. God I love his laugh. I felt my phone vibrate and I pulled it out. A text from Mom, What movie are you going to what time does it start? She demanded in the text. I sighed and began to let my fingers move freely across the keys. We're seeing Night of Honors 2 and it starts at 9:40. I lied, and hit the send button. It was 8:00 so that gave us at least 5 hours seeing as how the new Night of Honors movie was extra long.
"who was that?" he whispered in m ear." my mom don't worrywe have at least 5 hours before I have to be home." I said smiling. A lot could happen in five hours, and I could hang with him tomorrow too, if my mom didn't find out I was cruzen with him. We were cruzen, for once, and tony had the music up loud and the car shaking in time with the beats.
"Where do you wana go
after this?" he whispered in my ear again. "After what?" I
asked over the music and everyone looked at me. Tony turned the music
down and turned around when we came to a red light." You didn't
tell her?" he asked staring at Ismael. "What was gonna tell her."
He said then turned to me. I felt the car moving again but there was
nothing but silence." tell me what?" I asked suddenly very
curious. "We gonna shoot up 24th." Tony said for him, and I felt
my eyes go wide. "What?!" I asked as I looked out the window to a
street sign. 20th. I had a few blocks to get out of this car. "NO,
no no no no no, Hell no!" I said furious. "Pull over let me out
now!"
I demanded reaching for the door handle. Ismaels hand
caught mine, and held it fast to my chest. I can't let you out."
He said holding me down. "Ismael let me the fuck out of this dam
car imp not going!" I yelled. Tony stopped and I looked out the
window, 23 st. "Ismael let her out." He said understanding my
hysteria. "No not alone!" he growled at him." I didn't say
alone why dont you go with her?" he shot back. "FINE!" he
yelled swinging the car door open and lifting me out. He set me on my
feet and spoke something in Spanish to the others in the car. "Shay?"
I asked and she smiled. "I want to stay." She said seriously. I
sighed and knew I couldn't get her out of the car. Tony threw
Ismael something black and shiny. Ismael caught it and put it behind
his back in his pants. "A gun?" I asked. "Yeah "he said
shutting the door. As they drove away I gave him my best innocent
look that I could manage. "Sorry, did you really want to go?" I
asked staring at my feet. "No, its okay." He spoke giving me a
tight hug. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged back letting my
eyes open slightly.
What I saw made my eyes bulge from my head, women coming at us one with a gun in his hand. After that everything happened so fast, I didn't even think about the pros and cons.
I pushed Ismael down onto the pavement with the force of my body, pulling his gun from behind him where it had been in his jeans. I shot at the men, as many times as the gun would allow, and watched as they shot back at us in turn. As soon as they emptied their guns they ran. I felt the impact as my body landed on Ismaels, his eyes squinted with pain. "Oh! No no no did they shoot you babe? No no!" I started sputtering helplessly. I didn't understand his shocked and horrified expression, he had no wounds and I saw no blood, but then he lifted his hand to reveal a red sticky liquid.
His eyes were wide, and I still didn't quite understand. He lifted the left side of my shirt to reveal a line of blood where one of the bullets grassed me. Only then did the pain come. "ahhhh! Dam it!" I felt the profanities escape my mouth. "Baby baby, no no!"He was saying as he pulled me up into his arms. He was panicking, and I stood there yelling profanities. It may not have gone that deep but it went deep and it hurt.
He was searching his pockets for some thing, and soon he pulled out his phone and flipped it open. He must have hit speed dial cus he was already talking, and his voice was a shrill of panicky. "Tony gets back here now!" he yelled into the phone. We listened then started to speak Spanish, it didn't take him long before he flipped the phone shut. "He inspected my side, and then held his hand over the wound so the blood would stop flowing. He stared a tme as I looked at his bloody hand still muttering cuss words. "Dam it." I said louder and he opened his mouth to say something but then closed it.
Tony pulled up and Ismael swung the door open. "Hell no!" Hose yelled from the passenger seat. You're not getting her in this car with all that dam blood." He yelled. The Ismael began yelling at him in Spanish, I recognized some cuss words but the rest mashed together.
"Holy shit!" Shay said jumping out of the SUV, tearing off her white jacket. She wrapped it around my waist, not caring the least bit about the stain. "Hose! Let her in u jerk!" she yelled and hose gave her an immature look. "Fine." He said like a five year old who was denied a toy. Shay and Ismael hurried me into the SUV holding the white jacket to my side and panicking. "Where to?" Tony asked. "The hospital!" shay blubbered tears welling up in her eyes. "No to my house, the hospital would want the police." Ismael interrupted shays blubbering. Tony gave him a stern nod and the car began to move.
The whole way to his house Ismael stared into my eyes, never letting me go. I felt safe and protected with his arms around me. It didn't take long to get to his house from the shooting site. He picked me up in his arms and carried me into the house. "I can walk." I said struggling to get out of his iron grasp. "No you've lost a lot of blood." He said easily keeping me secured in his arms. Tony opened the door for us, and then once inside I could see the wide eyes of his mother. I've never met her before and wasn't glad about meeting her under these circumstances. She had long dark almost black brown hair that waved to her back, and her eyes so dark they looked black. Her skin was flawless and clear, her lips full and her clothes looked to old for her. She started yelling in Spanish, and then turned around to walk down the hallway to the bathroom. She came back with a first aid kit and some rubbing alcohol. "Don't move." She said sighing as she began to work on my side.
"Ismael wash your shirt before it dry's, and get her some pain medication." She said strict authority in her voice. He nodded then obeyed without a word. "Don't worry, its not real deep but it'll leave a scar." She said dabbing an alcohol soaked cotton ball on my wound. I squinted as it stung. "what happened?' she asked putting a large band aid on my side, then sitting up to look at my face. "Imp not sure it all happened so fast." I said shaking my head, trying to think through the haze of loosening so much blood. Ismael returned with the pain pills and a clean shirt. "Get her something to wear." She ordered him and he picked me up like a groom would pick up his bride.
He walked with me in his arms down the hallway, to the second door. He kicked the door open and set me down on his bed. "Here." He said throwing an extra large shirt at me. I looked at him coming a bit out of my daze.
I stood up and pulled my blood soaked shirt off and threw it to the floor, then sighed pulling on his t-shirt. My white shirt would be stained no doubt.
His shirt was like a dress on me until I tied it up in the back with my hair tie. He chuckled then picked me up and set me on his lap.
"I'm sorry this is my entire fault." He whispered in my ear. "No, no, I could stayed at the movies but I came it was my decision to get in the dam car." I said shaking my head. He hugged me tight and held me for a long while. I closed my eyes imagining that I would never have to leave here, that I could just stay forever.
"Come on." He spoke lifting me in his arms. "You need to eat." He said swinging me out the door and walking casually down the hall.
Once we reached the living room I saw the majority of what was going on. Shay was yelling at Hose for being so dam heartless, and Tony was on the phone talking in Spanish all business like. He looked up and saw Ismael and I then muttered something else into the phone and flipped it shut. "He's coming." He said as hey sat on the couch. "What?" Ismael asked surprise coloring his tone. I guessed this must be out of the ordinary. "Who's coming?" I asked a little curious.
"The boss" replied Jose for him. My heart dropped and I knew this would be the end.
I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, I pulled it out and gazed at the caller ID. Rubin, the boss of my protective family. I sighed flipping open the phone and holding it to my ear. "Words?" I asked immediately. "We got problems." He said emotionless into my ear. "Tell." I said keeping the words small to keep everyone's eyes from reading my face. "The mafia got one of our boys tonight, its time to take them out ya dig?" he said anger seeping into his tone a bit. "How did that happen?" I asked keeping my voice monotone. "dey jacked his car an shot em." His voice was sad when he spoke the last sentence. "dam not good." I said still monotone. Even with my voice and expression under control every one looked at me studying what I said. "that means it's over between you and your boy ya dig?" he said emotionless again. I felt my face flush with anger. "why?" I said trying to keep my voice down. "what?! Did you not hear me his mafia shot one of our boys!" he yelled into the phone and I tilted my head away squinting as the volume hurt my ears. "yeah I got it." I said monotone again. I felt my features twist a bit as he spoke. "good now break it off n meet us n the rest at ma house ya dig?" he asked his voice still angry. "yeah got it gives me 15 minutes." I said and flipped the phone shut.
"we got problems." I said repeating Rubin's line. "what happened?" Shay asked. I looked into Ismaels eyes, "the mafia stole one of our boy's cars n shot em." I said shaking my head. "who?" she asked scared now. "I don't know him." I said monotone. "point blank." Ismael asked anger piercing into his eyes. "their making me chose you or them." I said my voice breaking with fear. "who are you gonna chose baby?" he asked looking into my eyes. I turned to Shay; she was havening some sort of debate in her head. "Shay?" she looked up innocently. "yeah?" "you chose on your own, but imp not going to that meeting." I said keeping my voice strong. "you're staying?" she asked her eyes widening and jaw dropping. "yeah imp staying." I smiled at her.
Some how I knew her answer, even though since we were kids she followed me every where. But she was dating Rubin, the man who took her virginity. The man who was trying to pry me away from the man I clearly wanted.
"I have to stay." She said tears filling her eyes. "no, Shay, you don't but its okay. I know this is harder for you than it is for me." I said walking to sit besides her on the tan couch. Her eyes let the tears spill over and stain her cheeks. "look at me." I said pulling her face sideways so I could see her expression. Her face was torn, trying to choose. "you don't have to go with me, just go to the meeting." I said smiling. "what happens when you don't show up with me?" she asked fear shaking her voice. "just tell them I called you n told you where to meet the rest of us. Don't tell them where I am or where I went. It'll be like I disappeared. Okay?" I said my voice growing quiet as tears welled up in my eyes. I hugged her tight and she hugged me back. I sat up and turned my face to Ismael as I wiped my tears away. "okay what do I have to do?" I said standing up. Shay was sniffling behind me pulling money out of her pocket. "we need to get you clothes, n what ever you need. We need to call the boss to get a new location to meet at. And we'll have to leave Omaha and never come back." He said looking into my eyes still wet from the fresh tears. "I know." I said. "come, we need to pack clothes and supplies for the trip." His mother said waling into the room from down the hall. "I'll get rid of evidence that you were here." She said dropping bags onto the couch. I grabbed one and headed for Ismaels room. "hurry we don't have much time." I called behind me. "I heard Ismael tell Tony to call the boss. I lay the bag on Ismaels bed, unzipped it, and began pulling clothes from his dresser dowers and stuffing them into the empty space. Tan hands began helping me as I shove in shirts and pants. "don't forget my boxers." He said chuckling. I laughed without humor and grabbed another handful of clothes.
The bag was soon full, but somehow he stuffed a smaller bathroom bag into what little space there was left. He slung the bag over his shoulder and pulled me out of his room and down the hallway into the kitchen. He set the bag down and began packing food from the counter and cupboards. "No refrigerated foods they'll spoil." His mother said walking into the room and handing me a thick roll of cash. "you'll need it to get where you going." She said smiling a beautiful motherly smile. I smiled back but I knew I looked sad. "don't worry child, he'll look after you well." She said then left the room.
I felt Ismael's hand on my shoulder. "come on lets go, we need to get your clothes." He said quickly. I grabbed the bag of food and turned to leave but Shay had stopped me. She was shoving all the money she had on her at me, trying to smile. "take it you need it more than I do." She spoke her voice shaky. "No you need it for a cab ride to Rubin's." I said pushing it back to her. "we have money don't worry, I have lots at home." I said with a reassuring smile imp sure she didn't believe. "okay." She nodded letting tears fall. She walked wit me out the door, but stayed on the porch. I sighed walking around the car and shoving the bag into the back seat. I slid into the front seat, and waved at her. Salty streams came from my eyes once again.
Shay was out of site soon, and the tears stopped after a few minutes. We rode to my house in silence, as I thought of what I was going to have to say to my mother. I had no idea. It took about 15 minutes for us to get to my house. I saw as we pulled up to the curb that my mother was most defiantly home. Her red sparkling frontier truck sat in the driveway, and the living room lights were on. I groaned, pulling myself out of the car. "Ill be right back it won't take long okay?" I said closeting the door. "he yelled back a weak okay, as I opened the front door. I half ran up the stairs to my room, an slammed the door when I got inside. "Camillia?" my mom called from the other side of the door, as I took clothes from their hangers and stuffed them into my purple duffle bag. "yeah mom?" I asked breathless. "What's wrong, what are you doing?" she asked pounding on the door. "I'm leaving mom, I don't know where but I won't come back." I said monotone. The door opened and she stepped into my room. "What?" she asked as she watched me pack the last of my clothes and my bathroom supplies. "Get me some food from the cupboards okay?" I asked pushing her out of my room as I slung my bag over my shoulder. "What's going on?" she asked almost shouted. "Gang war mom, and imp caught in the middle of it, now let me leave or let me die." I said turning to get one last glimpse of my room.
I loved my room, especially now that it was finished. The chocolate walls and one wall with green purple and blue circles. My canopy bed and curtains. It was my dream room but now it was nothing.
Before I lost my mind I spun around running down the hallway to the kitchen. "mom! Hurry." I shouted as Ismael honked the horn at me from outside. My mother shoved a bag of food at me, her eyes puffy. I pulled my phone out and flipped it open, hitting the camera button. "smile for me okay?" I asked. She gave a weak sad smile and I hit the ok button. I saved the sad last memory of my mother, ash brown hair, and brown eyes. I was going to miss her so much. I gave her a tight hug, tears coming into my eyes again.
Then I ran.
Ran to Ismael's car tossed my bags into the back seat and jumped into the front.
He drove away quickly, and I buckled my seat belt.
It was about a minute and a half before his phone buzzed. He quickly flipped it open, "hola." He said quietly. He nodded and spoke something's in Spanish, then flipped the phone closed. "where are we meeting the boss?" I asked him before he could tell me. "at a warehouse." He said. "nearby here so it wont take long to get there." He said driveling through a red light. I nodded at him and closed my eyes, leaning the seat back so I could lie down. I rubbed my temples, and tried unsuccessfully to relax. "don't worry your going to be fine." He said, and I felt his hand on mine. "I know, its Shay imp worried about." I admitted. "why? She has Rubin." He said humor I his voice. "That's what worries me." I said and I knew he didn't understand. We sat in silence the rest of the ride. His hand occasionally leaving mine to drive but always returning. I felt the car slow, and I opened my eyes. "I thought you fell asleep." He chuckled lightly at me, his brown eyes warm. "no, I just needed to relax." I assured him and he seemed to like that idea. "well we're here, so relax." He smiled, and I put my seat back up. "I will." I said smiling back. His hand squeezed mine and I squeezed his back.
He parked in an empty lot, and we both got out of the car. He made a sign with his hand and I just watched as the wall in front of me turned into an open door. I shut the car door and walked hand in hand with Ismael to find my fate.