Xiomara;

It's Sunday afternoon and Dave and I are spending it walking around Downtown Los Angeles right after we already got some lunch.

"Let's get some ice cream." I say, spotting an ice cream truck across the road.

"You ain't just ate?" Dave says and looks at me crazy, clearly trying to draw me out.

"Boy don't do me." My eyes playfully roll as I take his hand, leading us over to the truck. I get a popsicle while he gets an ice cream on a cone with sprinkles and blue bubblegum sauce. "What a gentleman," I coo as he insists on paying for the both of us.

"What is that flavor anyway?" He asks me.

"Try it." I hold my popsicle up to his lips, letting him have a taste. "It's good?" I ask and start laughing as he squeezes his face, getting a brain freeze. "And that's why you don't bite popsicles, weirdo."

"Nah but that taste good though, shorty. You tryna trade?"

"Sure." I shrug, swapping with him since I don't mind. It isn't like I bought it anyway.

Dave and I walk away from the truck and start heading down the street again. "So where haven't you been in LA?" I ask randomly, having learnt that he's only stayed here around seven months so far.

After doing six years in prison, Dave only did a year of parole in New York even though he was supposed to do five but that was before he was cleared of all charges. As soon as his conviction was overturned, he came right over here and ended up staying with Ari.

"Nowhere, really. I'on really feel like I'm missing out on nothing though."

"Excuse me? Hell nah, you definitely missing out." I say, wondering what I should do with him first.

"Like what?" He chuckles.

"First of all, parties on the beach are the littest. Especially when it's dark. Then there's Double's Burgers and Wings which is where everybody likes to chill and watch rap battles which are actually way more fun than they sound. And if you're local, you'll know about watching street races and I'm talking about some real Fast and Furious type shit."

"Word?"

"Hell yeah. It's not all about the Hollywood sign and the Walk of Fame or whatever, you know? Shit, I lived here my whole life and I ain't never been there." I say laughing.

"Nah but that shit sound mad fun though. That's how y'all get down over here?"

"Mhm. But since it's still afternoon, I guess we can just hit the pier." I say since none of the shit I mentioned never goes down until night. I don't usually see street races often since you can get arrested on some aiding and abetting shit but I wouldn't mind going just to show Dave around.

When you're feeling a little wild, I guess the best part about watching the street races is running from the cops.

We get back to Dave's car and drive to the pier while vibing to his playlist. "Hold up, I'ma hit you with sum'!" I yell over the music currently playing while loud wind gusts in from the open windows as we speed down the coast road.

I mess with Dave's phone which is connected to his car through bluetooth, putting on some early 2000s shit.

"Oh shit I ain't heard this in a minute." Dave chuckles. "Watchu know 'bout this youngin'?"

"Nigga we damn near the same age!"

We pull up in a parking space at the beach and I watch Dave press the start/stop button, cutting off the engine. Grabbing my purse and my phone, I hop out and slip my hand in his as we head for the sand. Now that we're at the beach, I feel like just chilling by the water but I also wanted to go on the Ferris wheel so Dave and I head for the steps anyway, leading up to the pier.

"Oh you defo need to try this place one day." I say, pointing at a Mexican restaurant as we're walking by it. If we hadn't already eaten then I would be making my way inside right now because of how good the food is, just that I haven't visited the place in a couple years and I don't plan to for a couple more.

"It's good?" Dave asks, making me give him a 'what you think' look.

"Of course it's good." I tell him. "My abuelita owns it." I say more softly.

"Shit, you ain't gon' go inside and say hi?" He asks, looking at me weird.

"Hell no. Hence why I said you should try it one day." We walk over to the Ferris wheel and join the line of people already there. "I haven't spoken to my family since I turned eighteen." I say sadly.

"How come?"

I sigh and wave it off before my feelings start showing in full effect. "I just haven't."

We go through the line before finally paying to get on a cart. "You scared of heights?" I ask Dave jokingly as we get seated.

"I look like a nigga who scared of heights?" He asks.

"Hmm, let me think. Yup."

Dave shakes his head, seeing that I'm just trying to mess with him. He throws his arm over my shoulders and pulls me into his side as the ride starts moving. "You know you can tell me 'bout what happened with yo' family, right?" He says in my ear since there's other people on the cart too. His deep, low voice sends shivers down my spine, literally.

"I know." I sigh. "Honestly it ain't even a big deal. They left me when I needed them the most and if it's one thing I know how to do, it's holding grudges. It's like.." I pause, looking for the right words. "You have everything one moment and then the next, there's just nothing. My family is really tight so it feels like I was excommunicated from a church or some shit, you know? And I didn't even do nothing."

Dave nods in understanding. "Ain't nothing worse than family turning they back on you. I wouldn't know what to do if I ain't have my people."

"Exactly. I mean they tried making amends and stuff but the damage is already done, you know? Like you can't smash a plate on the floor, apologize to it and expect it to fix itself, right?"

"And I agree wit' that but now I'ma hit you with some advice like you did me. The last thing you wanna do is hold a grudge, Zo."

I lay my head on his chest and look out to the view as we reach the top of the wheel. "I think I'm good with my grudges, Dave."

Once the ride is over, we head down to the beach just to walk around. "So what you think death is like?" I ask Dave randomly, holding my slides in my hands so I can feel the sand in between my toes.

"Those the type of questions you ask when you high. I ain't got your answer though." He says so I nod and hum in deep thought.

"Well then where you think you going after all this? Heaven or hell?" I ask, making him start looking at me weird.

"I'on think it really matter." He responds so I decide to leave the questions there. We settle into a calming silence as we walk along the shore but about five minutes in as we reach an area a little more spaced apart from everyone else at the beach, Dave stops walking.

"David.." I say slowly as he sweeps me off my feet out of nowhere. He stares into my eyes before breaking out into a smirk. "David!" I scream, managing to let go of my purse so it falls on the sand just as he takes off running into the water, dropping me right into the ocean.

I submerge under the water and thrash about until finally resurfacing. "Davidd!" I whine angrily.

"Chill out. C'mon, lets go." He says laughing.

"Chill out? We in freezing cold water! Believe me I'm chill." I say and hold out my hand. He rolls his eyes and extends his arm to help me up so I grab it, only to drag him right into the water with me since his tall-self is still standing. 

I laugh and pull him closer to me by his soaked shirt, kissing him passionately. My hands move to the back of his neck, only to pull away when he starts squeezing on my butt. "David, there's kids," I say, looking a little way over at all the people at the beach. We've found ourselves at a little distance away but anybody could still see us.

"Fuck 'em kids." He says lowly, sliding his hands in my shorts under the water to feel up on me. I start kissing him again, only to pull back as I remember something.

"David?"

"What's up?" He says but his voice is muffled as he kisses his way down to my neck, making me let out a little moan.

"I lost my shoes." I whisper. I remember holding my slides when he dropped me in the water but now my hands are empty. They must've floated away but I can't see them anywhere.

He pulls away from my neck and starts laughing at me. "Deadass?"

"This is your fault," I say, sucking my teeth. "Where are yours?"

"Shit, I left mines on the beach. You shoulda been smart."

"Yeah cuz' I was just supposed to know you was going to throw me into water!" I yell but he only laughs at my frustration.

"Let's get out of here." He says, kissing my lips once more.

We walk out of the water since we aren't too deep into the sea. While he gets our stuff together, I walk over to a little kiosk and buy two towels so I can dry myself off. I had to be thankful that I was wearing shorts and a bralette otherwise my clothes would've felt much heavier from the water.

"Here." I say, walking back over to Dave, handing him a towel. He's shirtless now, only in his basketball shorts. "And I'm getting a piggyback ride on our way back to your car since I'm suddenly shoeless."

"Whatever you say boss."

Dave carries me back to his car and then starts driving. He pulls up at my house in no time and I'm about to get out of his car without so much as kissing him since I'm still mad but with the way he's staring at me, I can tell he's waiting.

"You wanna um—" I hesitate, twisting my lips. "You wanna come inside?"

"Watchu' tryna do?" He smirks.

"Shit, I'm tryna take a shower and get dry. I figured you would wanna do the same." I say smartly, completely steering away from his sexual innuendo.

I get out of his car, searching through my purse for my keys as he follows me into the frontyard.

"So you ain't even got nothing else in mind?" Dave says knowingly, pressing up behind me as I unlock the door.

"Boy, my baby brother's home."