I hate coming out here by myself. Especially at night. I hardly know my way around. You know what... I hate Richmond. Not the people in it, but the city in general. Where the hell am I?

"Ey, Excuse me... Where's the BART station at?" His back is still turned to me.
"Oh it's um, well go over there and make a right, and the..."
"What?" Why is he looking at me like this? Aw shit. Blue belt. I'm fucked. Well, he doesn't know me. Maybe he won't trip. And it's obvious I'm not from Richmond so...
"Oh and go down 23rd... Ey is your name Reina?"
What the fuck is this? "Yeah, wsup? Where you know me from?"
"You from Frisco?"
"Why?"
"You got funk wit mah sister..."
"She from Richmond?"
"Yeah."
"I don't have funk wit nobody from Richmond. Sorry Chale."
"Naw, Naw. If that's what she says, then I believe her. ."
"Well who the fuck is your sister?"
"Don't trip."
"How are you bout to tell me I got funk with her, and won't tell me who she is? And anyways, even if I did, what are you gonna do? Handle her business?"

Before I could say anything else, he stuck me in the jaw and left an imprint of his ring in my face. I was still dazed, but I kicked him in his family jewels which gave me enough time to get myself together and hit him back. Instead of hurting him, I just pissed him off. He knocked me into an old rusty, beat up fence that cut my arm. I'm so steamed that my mind draws a blank and I bank him, two maybe three times. I knocked him down and I thought he turned around in defeat. But in a billionth of a second to late, a brick crashed into the side of my face. I don't even remember hitting the ground.

Don't cry is all I told myself. But it didn't mean anything because my stomach was feeling the damage of a steel toe boot. I guess he left cuz he got tired. I just laid there, my mouth full of blood, dirt and grit. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't spit it all out. I still had an adrenaline pumping, so I didn't feel anything. It got cold, like bone aching cold, so I got up. I wiped off my face with my jacket, only to find that I had a split lip and a cut under my eye that wouldn't stop draining my vital body fluids. I found a payphone and called my cousin Caballo to come and get me. When I hung up, I just sat down and leaned against the phone booth. The adrenaline was wearing off and I knew by morning I would have three or four shade of purple climbing over my back and stomach. Oh wait... I think he said something like "...chapete don't fuck with Trucho..." some time when he hit me. Where have I heard that name?...

"Oh shit! Reina I'm takin you to the hospital!"
"Don't trip Caballo. I'm alright."
"The hell you are. Mira, esta yendo."
"I guess I can call you scarface now ey...?!"
"Shut up Caballo."
"4 stitches? Ooooh you're a saav.. ha ha. It looks like you got a lil cresent moon settin under your eye."
"Take me home Caballo."
"Do you know who did it?"
"I think his name is Trucho."
"Trucho?!"
"Yeah... you know em?"
"Heard of em. He from Richmond?"
"He said so. He had hella tatts and a ponytail."
"Oh shit... What did you do to piss him off?"
"I asked him where the BART station was."
"I don't know why he messed with you. He likes Norteña girls."
"Not this one."
"Does he know you're Shadows lil sister?"
"I guess. He knew who I was."
"By name?"
"Yeah."
"can't wait to see what your brothers do."
"Me too."
"Tell them his name is Ramsey Montero."
"Aiight."
"You know I'm down for whatever so have your brothers call me up before they go."
"Aiight."
"Later."
"Latez."

* * *

"Oh my God... What happened to you?!"
"Some scr... my bad, Sureno, named Trucho claimed I had beef with his hermana, y entonces esto."
"Hell naw. I'ma beat his ass. I'ma kill that foo!!"
"My brothers are gonna handle that."
"Not if I get to him first."
"Ant stop talkin shit, k... Rudy what's wrong? You over there lookin lost and mad at the same time." My face was starting to hurt again.
"Don't trip. What'd you say his name was?"
"Trucho... ummm Ramsey Montero. Ow, Rudy come here. I need you to hold on to me. I feel like I'm about to break into a million piecese." Rudy had a -I know who it is and I'm bout to kill him- look on his face.

* * *

"Oh shit! What the fuck is he doing here?!, Where's Rudy at? and Ant?" I ain't gonna run, so I walked up to him. As best I could.
"Oh good. Estas aqui."
"What, you want more?"
"Hmph, I think it's the other way around. Who got who's ass beat here?" He smiled. If he hadn'ta tried to kill me last night, I'da probably said he had a nice smile.
"It wasn't a fair fight. You surprised me." People were starting to gather, like ants to spat out candy. Circling the edge, but never hitting the hard sticky center.
"You're talking like you want a rematch."
"You fight like a bitch." He just looked at me. The same look he started with yesterday.
"Whats your real beef with me?" I started getting crazy, and talking shit. "I know it ain't your sister, or you'd let her handle her own business. Unless she's a bitch like you. Are you fighting me to cover up the fact that no puedes pelear! Fighting a girl doesn't prove you can fight! You're a lil bitch Ramsey!" He swung at me and missed. I drew a blank. I pulled a De La Hoya flurry on him (only I hit him when I did it). He retaliated with repeat hits to the same places as before. I kicked him again and threw my fist into his temple. I thought I broke my wrist. He countered with a knuckle to my stitches. The last one damn near knocked me out. I was dizzy and light headed. And just as I got ready to fight some more... BAM! Rudy's fist rushes past my face into Trucho's eye. I stumbled over and sat on the ground to watch. I was too tired to stop them. Then I heard them yelling at each other...
"I thought I told you to stay away from her!" BAM "Oh are you some kinda slob lover now?!" My world was spinning. "Why... the fuck... did... you hit her..." Between every break, Trucho ate Rudy's fist. "You gotta choose... your slob friend... or RST..." Rudy tasted Trucho's. I passed out.

* * *

"Get up... come on baby get up."
"Rudy... are you ok?" I felt like I had been sleeping in a blender.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Here lemmie take you to get stitched up again." "I thought I told you to stay away from her!" BAM "Oh are you some kinda slob lover now?!" My world was spinning. "Why... the fuck... did... you hit her..." Between every break, Trucho ate Rudy's fist. "You gotta choose... your slob friend... or RST..." Rudy tasted Trucho's. I passed out.
"No more stitches."
"Come on."
"Alright..." I didn't feel like arguing with him. "Rudy did you know him?" I couldn't get comfortable in his truck. I just stared at the streets wizzing past me.
"Yeah. He used to be a friend of mine."
"What happened?"
"He touched you." It was quiet for a little while. I could tell he needed to think. I just looked at him and waited. I don't know what I was waiting for.
"A long time ago, I told Trucho that I had a homegirl who was a Nortena. He looked at me and told me I was an idiot. He said I can't claim Sur and have Norte patnas. I told him I didn't have Norte patnas, just her. I told him she was different. I had her back if anything happened. No matter what. I didn't know at the time how much I actually cared about her. But I guess that's why I got hella mad when he said "Fuck that slob bitch!" I almost beat his ass. But our friends stopped us. Thing is, that girl doesn't really claim anymore, and neither do I really. So it's not illegal for me to say I love her."
He turned and looked at me shyly. I didn't know what to say.
"Trucho thought that by hurting you, he would make you hate Surenos again, and in turn, stay away from me. When you told me what happened last night, I got hella mad and left to call him to have him come up there. That way when he came I could beat his ass. I didn't mean for him to get to you first."
What could I say...
"If your brothers hadn'ta come... I think... I probably woulda did more then hurt him. But they took him away before I could do anything else."
Damn... I didn't know he cared that much.. I felt like crying... I don't know why. At least I knew the feelings were mutual. "Thank you Rudy." Is all I could think to say.
He smiled. "don't trip love. Listen, after you get stitched up again, why don't I take you to my house to make sure nothing else happens to you."
"Alright..."
"Oh, and Reina... I love you."

- I smiled inside....

written by Reina aka Maka