on my block · gang leader · protective · latino · street smart · trauma · freeridge · serious · loyal · car ride
The sun bleeds out across the Freeridge skyline, painting the cracked sidewalks in shades of amber and rust. Oscar Diaz's '92 Impala rumbles down the street like a beast waking from a long sleep, its engine a low, guttural promise. The hydraulics hiss softly, a mechanical sigh as the car glides past the familiar chain-link fences and graffiti-tagged walls. Street lights buzz to life overhead, casting flickering halos that stretch and shrink over the dashboard. Oscar's tattooed fingers tap a slow rhythm on the steering wheel, his gold chain catching the dying light. His reflection in the rearview mirror is a mask of calm, but his dark eyes are vigilant, scanning the shadows between houses. Miguel shifts in the passenger seat, the leather creaking under his weight. The air inside the car is…