Monse and Ruby

**Monse and Ruby** is the relationship between Monse Finnie and Ruby Martinez. They are portrayed by starring cast members Sierra Capri and Jason Genao, and début before the first episode of Season 1.

## Summary

Monse and Ruby's relationship becomes stronger in which ways a friend relationship she be they never dated each other (false information)

They both care for each other when they are going through tough times, and when Monse is confronted by the gang members, she feels very uncomfortable about her body. Ruby recognizes this and gives her his sweater because he notices she feels unsafe.

They do not have feelings for each other but have a strong friendship. Through out all the bad and good times this have been a struggle for both of them

## Throughout the Series

In Chapter One they along with Jamal and Cesar are observing a high school party. Monse asks Ruby if his brother, Mario, is going to marry his girlfriend, Angelica. He doesn't know because Mario doesn't tell him about that stuff. After they hear gunshots they leave and go back to Ruby's house. There, Mario tells them to stick together in high school, and to not bone Monse. 10 weeks later, after Monse has gotten back from her writing camp, she goes to Ruby's house and he and Jamal tell her that they're on the outs with Cesar. She continues to pressure and badger them to tell her, and eventually Jamal lets it slip that Cesar said that he and Monse hit it before she left for camp.

The next day she goes to Ruby's house while his abuelita is using him as her dress model. She then takes him outside and demands to know the context of what Cesar said. He says that he doesn't know why Cesar said what he said, but he said it nonetheless. So they cut him off, and he tells her to do the same. She says she can't because she remembers Mario's words before she left. Ruby says that she doesn't need to take them to heart, and says that it's not just about what someone says, but *how* they say it. He says that Cesar said what he said like he meant it. He goes and says that losing him isn't worse than entering high school with that reputation. Jasmine then shows up and says that she knows about Monse and Cesar, so she goes to his house and beats him up. Jamal and Ruby come in time to stop her, and she in return cuts them off.

The next day after hanging out with Jasmine, Monse makes up with Ruby and Jamal. The next day, the 3 of them walk to school and come to Cesar's house. He comes outside and walks with them briefly before his brother picks him up. They all walk behind the car, and Monse tells them that they need to save Cesar.

Chapter Two starts with an intervention for Cesar. The three try to tell them about their brainstormed ideas on how to get him out of the gang, but he dismisses them. The next day they decide that one of them should talk to his brother, Oscar. Ruby is chosen and he then goes on to have a a panic about what will happen to him. Monse and Jamal ignore him and says that he has to do it. Monse then says that they have to meet at Ruby's house after school to discuss the plan.

There, they also meet a family friend of Ruby's, Olivia. Monse then pulls Ruby aside to tell him about the plan. However, he's more focused on Olivia admiring Cesar's abs. After he and Monse are done talking he lets it slip that he's saving Cesar.

In Chapter Four Ruby lets Monse and Jamal in on his plan to get a kiss from Olivia on Halloween. However, his plans are derailed as they end up taking a trip to Brentwood.

In Chapter Six after Monse reveals to the group that Cesar kissed Olivia, she flips the script by pointing out that Ruby is in love with Olivia. He is very furious at her for revealing that and they all begin yelling at each other and leave.

The next day at school, Ruby, Monse, and Cesar are sitting at a table eating lunch. Olivia walks in surprised that they're cool again. They say they are but secretly are not as they make indirect hurtful comments to one another.

At the football game, everyone is incredibly hostile towards each other especially Monse and Ruby. He tells her that he's starting to think that the rumor that was spread over the summer wasn't just a rumor but was the truth. She tries to deny it and the situation continues to escalate, as Ruby calls Monse a liar and a *puta*. Olivia frequently tries to seize the fighting but they all continue until she reaches her breaking point and yells at them in Spanish. She then tells them to talk behind the bleachers.

She tells them that despite what may or not have happened over the summer, they love each other. They're a family and they've now become her family. So they need to work out this issue whether they want to or not. So she apologizes for kissing Cesar, but Monse says that it's not her fault. Olivia says that she didn’t know one kiss would do so much damage, but Monse says that it's all on her and that she's been lying to everyone and needs to come clean. Cesar tells her that she doesn't need to to do this but she says that she does. So she says that she was into Cesar, had a big crush on him, told him before she left for camp, but she lies and says that he didn't feel the same way. Olivia and Ruby tell her to stop talking, but she continues. She says that after she told him she left for camp and that Cesar told Oscar's homies they smashed to protect her but nothing more. She then apologizes to Olivia for not telling the truth and yelling out that they kissed. She says it was out of jealousy and that's in the past now. Ruby apologizes for calling her a *puta* and she forgives him.

Next in Chapter Seven, Monse and Ruby are very uncomfortable with Cesar and Olivia dating, which is shown when they're all eating chips, playing cards, and at Thanksgiving. Then it's revealed that Olivia's quince is approaching. Olivia tells Monse, Cesar, and Ruby that she's hurt that she's gonna spend her quince without her parents. But Ruby convinces her to do it in honor of them.

Monse helps Olivia with the choreography, however Ruby's harsh coaching and insistence of everything being perfect upsets all of them including Olivia. During their rehearsal Monse and Ruby comment on how good Olivia and Cesar look together. He then says that girls like Olivia don't go for guys like him for the same reason that guys like Cesar don't go for girls like Monse. After rehearsal, Monse tries to tell Ruby to calm down on his coaching but he twists the narrative by accusing her of being jealous at Cesar and Olivia dancing.

Next in Chapter Eight, Monse reveals that their old classmate, Latrelle, rolled up on her and Cesar last night with a gun. Cesar come and reassures them that he's okay and tells Ruby and Monse to keep Olivia busy.

They all go to Ruby's house after school. When Olivia's dress arrives Monse ruins the mood by saying negative comments. So Ruby sends her to his room. After Monse sees that her supposed mother needs a babysitter Monse decides to leave and reassures Olivia that she and Cesar are going to be fine.

In Chapter Nine Ruby runs into Monse and Jamal while they're looking for the RollerWorld money (with makeup on his face from Olivia's makeup test). He dismisses their belief in the money throughout the journey but does try his best to help them. They search for clues at the park and find a cross that leads them to the library. While looking through books, Ruby draws a dick on it, and, in response, Monse flicks him off. The clues from the books lead them, along with Abuelita, to Pimp Lane, the pool, and the P.O.O.L Theater. They all make it to their final destination, the church. After Monse catches Abuelita praying about certain individuals, Ruby tells her that she's praying about characters in her telenovela. They then start search around the church, and think that they've found gold, but it turns out that it's chocolate. Ruby and Monse become furious at Jamal for wasting their time, and cut their friendship with him.

In Chapter Ten Ruby and Jamal are handing out pamphlets for Olivia's service. They are resentful at the fact they were just there the night before but they try to put on fake faces for Olivia's sake. When Cesar comes comes he tells Ruby and Monse that he didn't kill Latrelle but he's out of town.

Things go awry throughout the day, with Jasmine getting sick, and surprises being canceled. Since Jasmine got sick and went home, Ruby says that Monse and him have to dance, which she sarcastically overjoys over. However, after Olivia breaks up with Cesar, she decides to dance with Ruby. Later, he then pulls her aside after she and Monse finish talking.

After Ruby, Olivia, Monse and Cesar become official, they all start dancing and have a good time. Its' all fun...until Latrelle returns and aims tries to shoot Cesar but misses and hits Ruby and Olivia. They start to bleed and loose all their breath.

In Chapter Eleven Monse and Cesar go to Ruby's house for their New Year's Eve tradition. Ruby tries to pretend that he's ok with almost losing his life and losing Olivia throughout the whole night. Monse and Jamal tell him that he can let out how he's really feeling but he decides to drown his sorrows in pie.

Right before midnight, Ruby gives a speech on how grateful he is that he's still alive, and that he's ready to bring in the new year. However as the poppers go off it triggers him. He begins to have a panic attack and goes outside for fresh air. After running into to Cesar, they along with Jamal and Monse, walk up to Olivia's shrine and reflect on how much she meant to each of them. Monse tells Ruby to unwrap the present he was going to give Olivia, a Spanish dictionary. They all make fun of how awful the the gift and was and all say how much they miss her.

Then they all go to Jamal's house so he can show them the RollerWorld money.

In Chapter Fourteen they run into each other while in line to buy tickets for the upcoming Valentine's Day dance. Ruby tells her that he's ready to be back to his old self and that he plans on winning the dance competition. Jasmine then takes them both out of line and into the gym where she has a set up a Speed-Dating type game with a bunch of girls to help Ruby find a date. Monse is only there so none of the girls felt uncomfortable, as Jasmine thinks Monse is the least sexual person at the school. After watching them dance, Monse leaves and tries to get any of them to leave if they feel uncomfortable but none of them do.

Later at the dance, Ruby and Jasmine perform a routine that wins the competition and a Chili's gift card. Monse hugs Ruby and congratulates him, however the song that was playing when he and Olivia were shot plays and Ruby's PTSD returns and he has another panic attack so Cesar and Monse take him outside. Jasmine then comes outside to comfort him.

In Chapter Sixteen Monse invites Ruby and Jamal to her mother's house in Brentwood. They are blown away by the house and Monse's new look. She is conflicted because her mom asked her to stay with her permanently so she invited them to help her decide. They tell her to stay because of how good her life would be and because the RollerWorld money would be much safer there. However Monse says that they shouldn't have brought it because she invited friends over, Jane and Sahara, and later on Jasmine. Jane and Ruby begin flirting throughout the night (Ruby eventually ends up touching Jane's breasts), and Jamal gets high off of marijuana gummies and Sahara tries to calm him down. This becomes stressful for Monse and Jasmine suggests they use an ouija board to help her decide. It doesn't prove to be helpful and Monse asks Jamal and Ruby if she was too harsh on Cesar when she broke up with him. Jamal makes fun of her friends valley girl accents and Ruby tells her that he thinks that he wasn't hard enough on Cesar. Cesar and Monse need to take themselves and they can't do that if they keep worrying about each other. He tells her, in Spanish, that luck and love only come once. She decides to stay in Brentwood, but sends her friends home so she can confront her mom about her lies.