Saturday night's were the most popular at Empire Roller Rink for two reasons: disco and drugs.

The place was loud. The beat of every disco song coming from the speaker made everything thump and vibrate. The colorful flashing lights reflecting off the disco balls were circulating and making its way around, illuminating a few parts of the dimly lit skating rink.

Nathan followed closely behind Andy as he led him to the bar to get themselves a drink. "This place is cool," he commented as they reached the bar. "Where'd you find it?" He asked as a bartender came up to take their orders.

"The place just recently started blowing up," Andy said as he ordered his drink. "Two bourbons," he told the bartender. "Went to a family party the other day and my cousins couldn't stop talking about this place so I️ thought, why not?" He explained as the bartender came back with two bourbons. Andy takes his glass and raises it up. "Cheers to another semester brother," he laughed.

Nathan smiled and clinked his glass against his. "Amen to that," he chuckled as he tossed it back. He put his drink down and saw a couple of girls walk past him, with one particularly catching his attention.

She had smooth brown skin, with straightened hair, parted down the middle, and a white jumpsuit. She laughed alongside whatever her girlfriend on he side was telling her. Nathan watched as she walked away, his eyes trailing down her backside.

Well goddamn...

"Don't even think about it Romeo," Andy said as he downed his drink. Nate looks over at him with questioning eyebrows. "You're playing with fire if you go after that one."

"What's wrong with her?" Nate asked as he llooked over back to where she was. She was at the skate rental with her friend, waiting to be attended.

"Ain't nothing wrong with her, she foxy as hell," he admitted. "It's him, you gotta worry about.

Nathan looked up to see a tall, suave and intimidating guy walk up to her with a playful smirk on his lips, making her roll her eyes. Regardless, she gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek, and continued the conversation.

"Who's that?" Nate curiously asked.

"Yo that's Rico Madeira," Andy sounded a bit scared. "He maybe a local drug dealer, but he runs this side of town," Andy warns him. "I️ heard some crazy shit about him man. All I️ know is that you really don't want to fuck with him."

* * * *

"I️ thought you said he doesn't come here!" Jessica harshly whispered to her cousin as soon as they got away from Rico.

"I️ swear to god Jess, I️ didn't know!" Kimberly tells her. "He usually doesn't come here! I️ don't know how-" Kim then gasped and looked behind her to see Mario laugh alongside Rico, before looking back at her and giving her a taunting smile, making her scoff. "Fucking Mario!" She exclaimed. "He told Rico you were coming here."

"How the hell did he know that?!" Jessica practically yelled since the music to the skating rink was so loud.

"Asshole must've heard me talking on the phone with you. I️ swear, I️ hate my brother," she crossed her arms. "He'll do anything to please Rico."

Jessica looked back over to her cousin and shook her head in anger before storming off, needing a place to cool down.

Rico Madeira was the fucking devil. Wickedly handsome on the outside but completely rotten on the inside. And for a man who has everything, he was seemingly never satisfied until he had her at his side.

As if he hadn't wrecked her life enough by extorting protection money from her aunt and uncle's bodega and recruiting the guy who was the closest thing she had to a brother, he was heavily insistent on making her his, which she refused many times. She was not ready for marriage. She did not want to be his little perfect Latina house wife. She did not want to be involved in his illicit businesses and she had no interest in being shot just for being with him.

She skated on against the carpet, trying to make way towards the snack stand so she could eat her emotions away when she felt a hand on her wrist spin her around, making her clumsily land against a hard chest. "There you are mamita," Rico said, his other arm encircling around he waist, pulling her closer. Jessica pushes him away from her, making him visibly angry. "Jessica," he hissed, "te calmas or yo te calmo," he threatened.

"I️'m not scared of you, pendejo," She sassed back, crossing her arms, refusing to look at him. She knew it was pretty ballsy of her to disrespect him like that, but after everything he's done to her, he doesn't deserve her respect. "And get your hands off me! I️ already have a man!" She let slip out, making him raise an eyebrow towards her. He then let's out a cruel laugh, as if she was making a cute little joke. "What? What are you laughing at?!" She demanded to know.

"Ay mamita," he breathed out. "Nobody in here would fucking dare lay a hand on you. I️ already claimed you," he pointed out. Jessica's face almost fell when she realized he was right. Everyone in the skating rink were all from the same block that she lived on. The same block that Rico ran and controlled. They all knew she was claimed-

She was looking around when she noticed a guy at the bar that she's never particularly seen before in her life. He was with Andy whom she known from middle and high school. Andy was known as the one who made it out to everyone in the neighborhood and now goes to the fancy college across town.

And it seemed now that he brought one of those friends along with him. The guy that Andy brought with stepped down from his stool and briefly made eye contact with her before turning away. She watched as they got down from where they were and walked over to skate rental. Once they got their shoes, they went to go put them on, making him look up to make eye contact again, this time holding it a little longer.

He was gorgeous. If Rico was the devil, then this man was definitely an angel. He had long blonde hair, and she assumed blue eyes as well although she couldn't tell from the dim lighting. He was perfect. Nobody knew him, and he looked like he didn't know how their part of town worked. To be frank, he looked like a typical rich white boy, which was exactly what she needed. Someone clueless.

"So where's this little novio of yours then?" He asked haughtily.

"Couples! It's now your time to shine!"

Nate took that as a cue to get up and move out of everyone's way. Lots of people were making their way off the rink for the couples skate, and he decided it would be easier if he moved back to the bar. Andy, being the smooth talker he was, already found him a girl to skate with him. And ironically, it was the same girl that walked with Jessica (Andy told him her name). Except he didn't make it to the bar because one second he was walking towards a seat, the next he was standing directly in front of the person he least wanted to get in the way of that night.

Jessica had seamlessly snatched him up to stand by her side. And now he was standing in front of Rico Madeira himself. He eyed him up and down, seemingly unimpressed but as soon as he spoke, Nathan heard the jealously that tinted his voice. "You're dating this...gringo?" He looked down at her.

Nathan looked between in confusion.

Dating???

"Yes," she snapped, her arms sneaking around his waist, prompting him to wrap his arm around her shoulders. He played along, but no doubt he wanted an explanation afterwards. "Introduce yourself, babe," she said pointedly, her eyes gesturing towards Rico who was watching them in suspicion.

"Nathan," he politely held his hand out towards him, "Carter."

Rico just looked at his open palm in contempt. Nate awkwardly pulled his hand back and stepped away. "Hey babe," he said, hand squeezing her waist as he pulled her closer. "How about we go skate now?" He asked her.

"Sure!" She said enthusiastically, taking his hand and quickly leading him on to the rink.

As soon as they reached the floor, he said, "Explain."

Jessica dropped the act and sighed, looking up at him while they skated around to Stevie Wonder's "Superstition". "I needed an excuse...and you just happened to be walking by," she simply stated. Apprently, that excuse didn't do it for Nate. He roll his eyes and clenched his jaw, looking pissed. "Look, just play along for tonight. After tonight, you don't ever have to see me again," she swore.

Nate looked down at her, trying to read her. She did seem desperate...

"Alright calm down," he said, "I'll play the part," he assured her, making her squeal and wrap her arms around him.

Rico watched on from the sides as Jessica laughed alongside that pinche gringo, looking completely content and that angered him. Rico walked over to her cousin Mario and grabbed him by the collar, confusing the crap out of him.

"Oye Rico, what the hell man-"

Rico shoved him against the railing and pointed down to where she and Nate were. "Do you see what I'm seeing?" He seethed. "Cause what I️ see if your cousin dancing with some white boy that she claims, is her boyfriend," he tells him.

Now Mario was really confused. "Rico, I swear to you, I've never seen that dude in my life-"

"I don't care what you swear to me cabron, just make sure I never see him around my block ever again, got it?" He threatened. "And don't disappoint me again Mario," he says before letting him go and storming off.

___________________________

Featuring in this chapter...(cause there's a lot of characters and I wanna put a face to a name)

Elijah Kelley as Andrew "Andy" Brooks

Christina Milian as Kimberly Perez

Anthony Ramos as Mario Perez

A young Benecio Del Toro as Rico Madeira

Tell me what y'all think of this chapter and there's more to come! :)