Cesar Diaz stood on the basketball court at the park, wiping sweat from his brow as the sun set over Freeridge. The ball was still bouncing after he made a three-pointer, but he barely noticed. His mind wasn't on the game, or the gang drama he was constantly trying to escape. It wasn't even on his usual worries about his brother, Spooky, or his friends. No, tonight his thoughts were consumed by one thing—or rather, one person: Monse.

They had been through so much together—more than most people their age ever experienced. And yet, despite everything, here he was, still tangled up in feelings for her. Feelings he wasn't sure he could untangle.

The lyrics of Taylor Swift's "Dancing With Our Hands Tied" looped through his head, the words fitting his situation all too well: "I loved you in secret…" That was how it felt sometimes with Monse. Loving her in the quiet moments, but never being able to fully embrace it without the weight of their complicated lives crashing down on them.

Cesar picked up the ball, dribbling absentmindedly as he replayed their last conversation in his head. She had been upset—no surprise there, given everything. The pressure of their friendship group, the danger that constantly loomed over him because of his ties to the Santos, it was all too much for them to handle sometimes. He was trying to keep her safe, but the distance it put between them was killing him.

Just then, Ruby Martinez walked up, a huge grin on his face as he held out his phone toward Cesar. "Yo! Check this out! The community center is holding this big freestyle dance competition next weekend. I'm signing us all up!"

Cesar blinked, coming back to reality. "Wait, what? You're signing us up? I don't dance, Ruby."

Ruby waved him off, still bouncing with excitement. "Oh, come on! It's for fun! And it's for a good cause—raising money for the new after-school program. Plus, Jasmine's going to be there, and you know she's been practicing her moves for weeks. We can't let her show us up."

Cesar groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Man, I'm really not in the mood for this right now."

"Not in the mood for what?" Jasmine herself appeared out of nowhere, her usual whirlwind of energy practically knocking Cesar over. "I heard dancing and competition—two things I'm amazing at. Count me in!"

Cesar shook his head, laughing despite himself. Jasmine's enthusiasm was contagious, even when it wasn't exactly what he needed. But maybe Ruby had a point. Maybe a night of dancing and forgetting about all the drama was exactly what they all needed.

Ruby shot Cesar a knowing look, wiggling his eyebrows. "So, what do you say? Are you in?"

Cesar sighed, tossing the basketball to the side. "Fine, but I'm telling you now—I'm not responsible for any broken toes."


The day of the dance competition arrived quicker than Cesar had expected, and the community center was packed. People from all over the neighborhood had shown up, excited for a night of freestyle dancing, laughter, and friendly competition. Music blasted from the speakers, filling the air with a pulsing beat that made it impossible to stand still.

Cesar stood off to the side, watching as Ruby, Jasmine, and Jamal hyped each other up for the competition. He couldn't help but feel out of place. He wasn't a dancer—he was a fighter, a survivor. The idea of dancing in front of a crowd made him more nervous than he cared to admit.

Jasmine noticed his hesitation and bounced over, hands on her hips. "Come on, Diaz. Don't tell me you're chickening out now. You survived the Santos, you can survive a little dancing."

Cesar chuckled, shaking his head. "You don't get it. I've never done this before."

Jasmine raised an eyebrow. "Please. Freestyle is all about confidence. You just move how the music makes you feel. It's like dancing with your hands tied—there's no rules, no expectations. Just you and the beat."

Cesar raised an eyebrow at her analogy but couldn't help but smile. "Dancing with your hands tied, huh? That's deep, Jasmine."

She grinned, flicking her hair over her shoulder. "Yeah, well, I have layers. Now, get ready to show off those moves. Monse's watching."

Cesar's eyes widened. "Wait, Monse is here?"

Jasmine pointed toward the entrance, where Monse had just walked in, looking effortlessly cool in her usual casual-but-perfect outfit. She spotted Cesar across the room, offering a small wave and a smile that sent his heart into overdrive.

"Great," Cesar muttered under his breath. "No pressure, right?"

Ruby and Jamal came bounding over, both of them clearly psyched for the competition. Ruby clapped a hand on Cesar's back, practically vibrating with excitement. "Dude, we got this. Just follow my lead. We're gonna blow their minds."

Jamal nodded, though he looked slightly more panicked than Ruby. "Yeah, totally. We're not going to embarrass ourselves in front of, like, half the neighborhood, right?"

Cesar couldn't help but laugh at his friends, the tension in his chest easing just a little. "Alright, alright. Let's do this."


The competition kicked off with a series of individual freestyles, each dancer taking turns showing off their moves. Cesar watched as Jasmine effortlessly stole the spotlight, her energy infectious as she twirled and leaped across the dance floor. Ruby followed, surprising everyone with his impressive footwork and flair for the dramatic. Even Jamal, despite his nerves, managed to pull off a few impressive moves that got the crowd cheering.

Then, it was Cesar's turn.

The music changed, shifting into a slower, more rhythmic beat that pulsed through his body. Cesar stepped onto the dance floor, feeling the eyes of the crowd on him. But none of that mattered—none of it, except for the fact that Monse was watching. She stood by the edge of the floor, her gaze fixed on him, her expression soft but curious. He could feel her presence like a gravitational pull, and suddenly, it wasn't about the competition anymore.

He closed his eyes, letting the music guide him. For once, he wasn't thinking about the Santos or the weight of his past. He wasn't thinking about the danger or the mistakes he'd made. He was just moving, letting his body follow the rhythm. His movements were slow and deliberate at first, but as the beat picked up, so did his confidence. He wasn't a professional dancer by any means, but he was feeling it—feeling free.

As he spun and stepped in time with the music, he caught Monse's eye again, and in that moment, it was like the rest of the world disappeared. It was just the two of them, the silent connection between them growing stronger with every beat.

"I loved you in secret…" The lyrics from "Dancing With Our Hands Tied" played in the back of his mind, and for the first time, Cesar understood exactly what they meant. He and Monse had always been dancing around each other, tied up by their circumstances, by the secrets they kept, by the unspoken feelings they were both too afraid to address.

The song ended, and Cesar came to a stop, his chest heaving as the applause erupted around him. But he barely heard it. His eyes were locked on Monse, who was smiling at him with something different in her eyes—something that told him maybe, just maybe, she felt the same way he did.

He walked over to her, his heart racing, and stopped just a few feet away. "So… what'd you think?"

Monse crossed her arms, her smile widening. "I think you're better than you give yourself credit for."

Cesar laughed softly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Thanks. I guess I had a good reason to try."

Monse tilted her head, her gaze softening. "And what reason is that?"

He took a deep breath, the weight of everything they'd been through together finally catching up to him. "You."

Monse blinked, her smile faltering as she processed his words. "Me?"

Cesar nodded, his voice low. "Monse, I've been trying to keep you at a distance because I thought it was the right thing to do. Because I thought I could keep you safe that way. But I can't. I can't keep pretending like you don't mean everything to me."

Monse's eyes shimmered, her expression caught between surprise and something deeper. She took a step closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "Cesar…"

He shook his head, not letting her finish. "I love you, Monse. I've always loved you. I just didn't know how to say it."

Monse stared at him for a long moment, her emotions flickering across her face like she was processing everything he had just said. Finally, she let out a soft laugh, her eyes glistening. "You really know how to make things complicated, don't you?"

Cesar grinned, the tension in his chest easing as relief washed over him. "Yeah, I guess I do."

Monse stepped closer, her hand reaching out to take his. "But I guess I've always known that about you."

He looked down at their intertwined hands, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "So, what now?"

Monse smiled up at him, her eyes bright. "Now? Now we figure this out together."

As they stood there, hand in hand, the world around them felt a little less chaotic, a little more bearable. Cesar knew they still had a long way to go, still had obstacles to face, but for the first time in a long time, he felt hopeful. Maybe they had been dancing with their hands tied for too long, but now? Now they were free.

And as the night wore on, Cesar knew one thing for sure: whatever came next, they'd face it together.