Happy Valentine's Day! (Or Galentine's!)

After Shani explains to Diane what had happened with Barb in full detail, Blanca and Karla join her and tell their stories about Carol and her minions. "You're right," Diane says. "They should be back in prison, like forever!"

"She demanded that I strip, too...that's when I told her I was uncomfortable," Shani mumbles. "Then she stopped, finally, but gave me the cold shoulder and evil eye the rest of last night."

"How would we get rid of her and her sister?" Blanca asks. "The threats Carol made at me and Diablo were so gross and scary! Don't worry, though, she absolutely loved your daughter."

"Yeah, and her minions said I should basically be dead because I survived getting back to the United States on foot," Karla informs Diane somberly.

"I'll call Charles right now and he can make the arrests," Diane says kindly. "There's no way I'll let them near any of you again. Even if they didn't do anything to Alex, I'm still so furious at them. Every single one of you young ladies did not deserve them as mentors-if they can even call themselves that."

The girls breathe sighs of relief. "Oh, thank you so much!" Shani exclaims.

"Gracias," Blanca and Karla add in unison.

"You're very welcome!"


"Yo, they catch your family's stalker yet?" Flaca wants to know on Thursday.

Daya shakes her head no. "My fish tank was knocked over last night! I can still hear the crash...it made such a huge mess that I had to spend an hour or so cleaning up. The person disappeared out the window...but god, it was creepy!"

"Ugh, I bet," Lorna grumbles.

"Also, some racist white cop pulled Leon over yesterday afternoon and played a mean prank on him, pretending he was in trouble for something...and his tools were out in a dangerous way...like just laying casually on the kids' bunk beds!"

"Wow, so scary!" Adarsh comments sadly.

"Yeah, it was...but I think I know who's after us. Gloria is terrified to even think this, but...Arturo." At this, Daya's clique gasps in horror. "She's even wanting to move out with her boys and her aunt, take them all to Florida with some friends of theirs, but Frankie and Rita are closer to Lourdes then Gloria, Benny, and Julio...but then she said if they go to Florida, she'd miss all of us and Fahri too much."

"I thought Arturo's back in prison after what he did at my quinces," Blanca mutters.

"So did we, but if he escaped twice already, he could very well do it again. He's obsessed with Gloria, he'll do whatever he can to get her in his clutches, and he'll hurt anyone in his way." Diablo puts his arm around Blanca and gestures between them. "We were there when that motherfucker came into Friendly's uninvited and demanded to know where Diane was hiding Gloria."

"I remember," Alex says, referring to the time Arturo had rammed into her at her mother's restaurant the first time he'd broken out of prison. It's what had caused Diane to ask Charles to install an alarm in the place.

"Wouldn't he be tormenting Flaritza as well? Since they're the ones who got him in prison to begin with?" Nicky wants to know.

"Gloria is his main goal, it sounds like. Who actually called the police?" Shani wonders out loud, glancing at Flaca and Maritza.

"Me," Flaca responds. She deflates and the color drains from her face. "I came home yesterday to dirt in my bed...shit!"

"Ew!" Maritza wrinkles her nose. "I'm sorry, babe. He didn't do nothin' to me, but it was my idea, I told Flaca to dial nine-one-one."

"Yeah, but see, Flaca didn't have to do as you said. Since she did, she's a target as well. Every psychopath has a motive and a specific person who they want to attack," Karla points out. "It all connects, like a chain of events. Trust me, I watch a lot of Law and Order."

"Oh, so if Gloria and her boys went to Lourdes instead of my ma's house, then we'd be left alone, but they'd be homeless and in shelters, since Arturo is out to get Lourdes as well...and of course, nobody wants that!" Daya points out. They all nod their heads yes in agreement.

"I know, it's great!" Michelle exclaims and then there's a loud murmur of assent.

Flaca suddenly sees Alana eating lunch with Badison and her gang that afternoon. "Alana's crossed over to the dark side, I guess."

"I was nice enough to invite her to my quinces," Blanca grumbles.

"She's become pals with Zirconia, I've noticed," Alex murmurs as the annoying blonde girl ambles over to their table and taps her from behind. Alex looks up at her. "What?"

"Hey, you don't gotta sound so harsh. I've got an idea that you'll love. Trust me. You know how we both hate Stella Carlin?"

"Everyone does," Alex informs her.

"Yeah, but nobody's got the balls to do this except you and me. So, why don't we go through a bag of Oreos I brought with me, but break them apart, lick out all the cream, and then fill them with mint flavored toothpaste and give them to her as a little gift?"

"Ew, gross," the other girls mutter.

Badison sneers at them. "I wasn't asking the rest of you cookies, so fuck off!"

"Okay, on one condition. You leave my friends alone," Alex says.

"Can do...but I can't stop Carol from seeking out Flores. She's the boss, and we need to obey her rules."

"I haven't heard from her in days," Blanca points out.

"Barb neither. I wonder what happened," Nicky says.

"I hope nothing bad!" Lorna exclaims, but the rest of Barb's girls give her incredulous looks.


Poussey had been listening to Taystee and Alison's conversation about Carol and Barb finally having killed each other, but she also has something else on her mind. She stands up suddenly, thinking about how Gloria and Claudette give such good advice. Taystee does too, but Poussey doesn't want her best friend to say she told her so. "Yo, I'mma talk to a couple of the cafeteria ladies...if you'll excuse me." She doesn't wait for them to respond.

"What's up, P?" Taystee asks in concern.

"Nothing really, T, I just want some adult widsom, not that you don't have any, but uh, yeah, I'll tell you later." She walks to the backroom and peeks inside to make sure the two women she looks up to aren't too busy. They're all just eating lunch, along with the janitor. "Oh...I'm sorry to bother y'all, but could I chat with you for a minute, Gloria?"

"Of course," the Puerto Rican lady replies warmly. She reminds Poussey a lot of her own mom, and so does Claudette, but the older African American woman is more tough than Gloria. Still, though, she's a role model to Poussey. Gloria sets her fork down into her macaroni and cheese and sits on the counter. She pats the spot beside her so Poussey jumps up there to join her. "You alright?"

Poussey nods. "I am...kinda. I just realized I never thanked you properly for what you did last year."

"Oh, honey, you didn't need to-"

"Nah, I did...I was drunk and sayin' mean stuff and got beat up in a bathroom stall because of it, you took me to the nurse, and then...I dunno. I guess I thought that was your job, since you're staff and all, but I'm really grateful."

"Well, I get paid to care for the students here, but I was happy to help you," Gloria tells her warmly, and they share a grin.

"Yeah, I know. I also need some advice."

At this, Claudette looks their way and slowly walks up to them. "Poussey, it's nice of you to show yourself here, but what brings you by?"

"My girlfriend, you know...Brook?" The women nod. "She called me the N word...not as a slur, but more like, she thought it was okay if she used it just because we're dating. She assumed my mom was dirt poor and uneducated just because of her skin color."

"Dump the bitch, she don't deserve you!" Gloria exclaims.

"I'm with Gloria on that one," Claudette says. "That foolish girl talks too much anyway."

"I never liked her," Aleida puts in as she, Red, and Norma come over. "You know she started helping me in trig as a volunteer high school tutor for my college and annoyed the fuck outta me? She's fifteen years old, where does she get off tellin' me trig and calculus is easy? I just wanted to be left alone while I studied. Who wants to be schooled by someone half their age, it's embarrassing! Imagine a seven-year-old tryin' to teach you math. It's like no...stop!" The ladies and Poussey chuckle at this. "She also grilled me on what made me decide to get on the right path and was like, 'good for you'! Like picture me, struggling to concentrate even in the quiet...Brook just butted in! It was so disrespectful. Leon's a much better tutor. He knows a lot about arithmetics, he's a construction worker after all! I called her a chink, if that makes you feel any better. It's like she faced karma!"

"We don't need to stoop to her level of ignorance, but yeah, she's super annoying these days," Poussey says. "Your experience didn't really surprise me. Sorry that happened."

"Thanks," Aleida responds.

"Should we put something in her food tomorrow?" Red asks, but Norma shakes her head no, a stern look crossing her features. "What? Norma, she's incredibly rude and inquisitive to the point that it's frustrating!"

"Nah, it's cool," Poussey says. "I'll just break up with her. Besides, uh, it might get awkward when my ex, Franziska, from Germany comes to live with us in a month! Brook might try to start something out of jealousy, like brag that she can read Rilke out loud in German and have a contest with Franzi or somethin'."

"Okay," Gloria murmurs. "Good luck. Tell us how it goes!"

"I will!" Poussey waves at them cheerfully and leaves.


"Check this out, Proof of Evolution!" Badison comes up behind Diablo in the auditorium before Gloria's dance practice and grabs his crotch while smirking right at Blanca. He moves away from Badison, but she just does it again, sniggering this time. "Hey, big man, she was really ugly before you knew her, I'll show you a picture sometime soon!"

"Stop, I don't like that!" Diablo tells Badison while shoving her hand off him. She doesn't quit. "Stop it, please! Jesus, why can't you leave me alone? I have a girlfriend, and I don't appreciate you talking about her that way or touching me inappropriately!"

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Blanca growls as she shoots up out of her seat, prepared to step in and defend her man. She'd also been drinking with Poussey earlier so she wouldn't have to face Badison in cooking class, so she's very amped up. Poussey was excellent at sneaking hooch into the school without getting busted. All Blanca had wanted was a light buzz so she could laugh off Badison's mean humor and forget about it, but she took a few too many gulps albeit Poussey warning her that consuming alcohol at a rapid pace would make her dizzy and walk weird. People would definitely notice then, Poussey had said, but so far, Blanca seems to be doing just fine. She watches herself and makes sure she doesn't trip or talk strangely in front of authorities.

Quickly, Diablo unwinds Badison's arms from around his waist and heads towards Blanca, but Badison just takes a few steps back and runs at him, jumping on his back. She reaches around his face and sticks her fingers into his mouth as he tries to shrug her off him. She's then hanging on him and he quickly removes her. He looks at Blanca, pleading for her help with his eyes.

"Don't give that bitch a reaction, she's just being a bully," Karla recommends, but Blanca's already powerwalking up to Badison with her hands curled into fists and her teeth bared.

Once she reaches Badison, she gives the blonde a firm shove. "Back off! What the fuck is wrong with you, cabrona?"

Badison snickers. "Whatcha gonna do about it, alkie? You're real drunk, slurring your words and shit. I can smell it."

"School's over anyway. Gloria doesn't give a damn what I do, she ain't my mom." Blanca grabs Diablo and they start making out fiercely with so much heat and passion between them, that it should stop Badison from her seduction attempts, but it doesn't. She just works her way in between them, rubbing her boobs across his chest as she squeezes by.

That's the last straw. Suddenly, Blanca sees red. Badison has pushed her way too far.

She yanks Badison's hair and slaps her hard. Then, she pounces on her again, sending the bitch down to the floor this time, and slams her fists into the blonde girl's face. Badison kicks at her, but to no avail. She gasps and widens her eyes as Blanca's blows keep coming at her. The high feeling from the whiskey empowers her and she can do anything now.

"Blanca, por favor, stop, I don't want you to get caught!" her boyfriend's voice rings out, but she ignores him.

"He's my boyfriend, you cunt! Mine! Don't you ever touch him again! Stupid fucking whore! How dare you treat someone like a sex toy!" A crowd gathers around them as her knuckles smash into Badison's eyes and nose and mouth. "You fucking grabbed his crotch, that's fucking assault, you're a piece of shit!" She continues screaming out curses as her fists fly. She doesn't even know what she's saying. It's like she's stepped outside of herself and has no control of her words or body. Years of putting up with being so badly bullied has just made her snap. Even if she barely knows the bitch, she feels like she's getting revenge, along with protecting her man. All Badison has done is torment her, and she's so done with it. Just then, Diablo and Karla pull her off Badison and she flexes her fingers, gasping in and out. Badison lays on the floor, whimpering, clutching her nose, blood gushing between her fingers, and dark bruises are already blooming under her skin.

Blanca's panting heavily, shaking and crying as her fists remain clenched. Others wear utter shock on their faces and her friends appear to be so proud of her, but also concerned-especially Diablo. He has his arms around her, keeping her steady.

"Basta," he tells her gently and kisses her cheek. "No mas."

Enough, no more.

"Let's just go back to the bleachers," Karla says and tucks a lock of hair behind Blanca's ear. "Come on..."

"Oh shit, you totally got her!" Maritza cheers.

"Couldn't you have just called her a chicken nugget?" Flaca asks as Badison's friends swarm around the injured girl.

"She didn't have a honey mustard scent, nor was she actually successful in taking Diablo from me, so she needed the beating," Blanca hisses. "She's worse than Janice."

"I didn't really think ya had it in ya..." Nicky rests her fists on her hips and exchanges a stunned glance with Shani. "Wow."

"Yeah, neither did I," Shani murmurs.

Suddenly, Blanca stumbles and sways back and forth. Her stomach hurts and then she throws up all over the C Block bitches. She just can't take them anymore. She probably had too much to drink as well.


Late that night, Fahri wakes up to Vee turning on his bedroom light with Suzanne at her side. They must have picked the lock. He rubs his eyes open and now he's fully alert. His pupils widen with fear as he hurriedly gets himself in an upright position. "What the hell? What are you doing here?"

Suzanne holds up a ring in one hand and Superglue in the other. "You're engaged to Vee, so you need to wear this. I'm her eyes, and I see you constantly flirting with Gloria at work! That's not cool!"

"I'm interested in her! I'm not at all wanting to be with you, Vee!" he protests, but she begins to suffocate him with her lips and tongue as Suzanne swipes his phone and takes a photo of Vee forcing herself on him. He tries to breathe and keep himself alive while attempting to push her off of him, but Vee presses her hand harder and harder into his face. He feels Suzanne grab his hand, squeeze the sticky substance out and around his ring finger, and then she slides the ring on, settling it into the Superglue. She blows on it a few times and slowly, Vee backs away from him. Suzanne takes another picture of him wearing it and types something on his phone.

"If you figure out a way to convince that Mexicunt of yours that this was staged, I'll kill her," Vee threatens him, and he knows he's trapped now since Suzanne would be watching him and reporting to Vee what she's found out. "God, she's so vulnerable and easy to win against!" Vee adds cruelly just before she and Suzanne depart.

He has to keep Gloria safe, but he could end up losing her for good at the same time. When they finally leave, he removes the ring and calls the cops. Even if Vee is in prison, though, Suzanne could always get a free pass for her mental instability and not have to go to juvy. He hopes they don't just let her off with a warning. Vee needs to be dead and Suzanne in a psychiatric hospital, since it's clear she's just a very loyal minion and not in her right mind.


"Too bad Arturo never got deported back to San Domingo, he must have a real loyal drug boss who can pull strings if necessary. I know that, since he always bragged about it to me. He'd say my boss didn't have my back as much as his did for him. This guy must've gotten fake papers so that monster could become legal," Gloria mutters as she and Aleida are washing potatoes on Friday.

"Yeah...I hope he's locked in fuckin' solitary confinement for the rest of his life," Aleida comments. Gloria can't agree more.

"If he gets out again, I'll really send the Russian mob after him!" Red states strongly.

"Oh, awesome, that was the plan in the beginning, after all!" Gloria tells her, and they high-five. She sees Poussey sitting with a white girl with short red hair while Brook is someplace else and Gloria takes this as a good sign. Poussey seems to have completely moved on from the annoying Asian chick.

Fahri walks into the backroom with his left hand stuffed in his pocket. He gives them each a one-armed hug. Just then, his phone rings at the same time Gloria's buzzes with a text. She dries her hands on a towel and upon opening it, she glances at the images, each one chipping away at her heart. Can't wait for our wedding, muffin!

"Hello?" Fahri answers. "Vee, I told you-"

Then another message sent to Gloria, this time from a blocked number. At least now you know for sure that he's taken.

Gloria stares at Fahri in disbelief and then back down at the incriminating photos. She switches between those and what the unknown person has just told her.

"What the fuck you standing there-oh." Aleida frowns. "Well, someone is certainly trying to start drama!"

"How can I ever compete with Vee? She ain't traumatized by abuse!" Gloria snarls under her breath.

"Come on, you can get that fuckin cunt! You're much more beautiful than her, and your ass is fab while hers is drab!" Aleida states convincingly.

Gloria doesn't respond to her. Instead she watches Fahri hurriedly putting his phone back into his pocket with an irritated look on his face. She knows Aleida is one of her very best friends and would obviously have a preference of who Fahri should be with, but being prettier than another woman doesn't make any difference, apparently. Fahri still has chosen Vee over her.

"These potatoes won't wash themselves, Gloria, and Aleida is doing most of the work, what are you-"

Gloria ignores Red, too. "Are you fucking engaged or married to her again?" she yells, pushing Fahri a bit so it surprises both of them. She's never been this aggressive with him. She even flinches, afraid he'll be a lot more violent to her in return, but he isn't. He just appears to be a little frightened.

"What-I was engaged to the wrong person, but I called it off a long time ago!" he protests.

"Me, too…but he's in jail at this moment. I repressed the fuzzy memory of him proposing, stuffed the ring into my pocket…it's been gone since September, but seeing one on your finger in this picture triggered it!" Her voice rises a few octaves. "The hell is this, Fahri?!" she nearly screams at him, getting the attention of their co-workers in the kitchen and some of the students nearby. She shakes her phone at him. "You're back with her?! I thought you dumped her ass!"

"I did! It's just a ring, not of any significance!" He quickly looks around.

"Who are you searching for?!" Gloria waves her trembling hand in front of his face.

"I'm seeing if there's any sign of Suzanne, Vee's wingwoman, but there is none, thank goodness," he whispers. "They both must have been arrested for breaking into my house. I swear to you, Gloria, these photos are one hundred percent fake, Vee started kissing me, I didn't do it back, and Suzanne took pictures of her doing that, I couldn't fight Vee off, I tried, though, damn it, I did! Then the ring…" He holds up his left hand, which is empty of any jewelry. "See, I no longer have it on! I didn't want to wear that, but Suzanne superglued it to my finger, I took it off right after they left and threw it in the trash, I washed my hands for about ten minutes, trying to scrub the damn glue off-"

"Yeah, right!" she shouts and then storms away from him, feeling so much hurt inside of her. She doesn't even care that she's leaving work with everyone staring at her-she just wants to curl up in her bed and sob until there aren't any tears left.

"Gloria, just wait-" Fahri's there again, appearing to be incredibly upset, near tears. Arturo had cried for her to take him back, too.

"No!" she snaps. "You're a liar, you pendejo! What you sayin' to me is bullshit!"

"It isn't, please-"

"Leave. Me. Alone," she growls and speedwalks to her car. He does as she's asked, which is great. He's not possessive and abusive, at least.


"What the fuck just happened?" Alison wonders aloud with dread settling at the pit of her stomach.

"I think they broke up," Taystee mutters. "We gotta tell the rest of our crew at lunch. You know, when I found out what Vee was about to pull, I started packing to live with Poussey. She asked me where I was goin' and I was all, 'Anywhere but here!'"

Janae scoffs and shakes her head. "Oh, please, they were never even together!"

"Yeah, and you're missing the point, T. It's good they done, because now we can have mon-aaaay!" Cindy sings.

Poussey smacks her shoulder. "Don't y'all get it? It's weird that Fahri has started wearing a ring and Vee is newly pregnant! I don't think she is at all…I think she said that to keep him from leaving her. So when he did, she thought up a new plan to get rid of Gloria. That bitch Vee is as fake as she comes and she definitely has an ugly motive! She's a classic gold-digger!"

"You're right, P. Why would Gloria fall for these phony texts? She don't even gotta worry about Vee no more, I heard Miss Rosa broke free from the hospital again and ran that dumb bitch right over!" Taystee's friends gasp and let out relieved chuckles in unison. "She still layin dead on the road, I seen her myself before I left for school. Suzanne's in the bathroom crying over that crazy ho and the fact that she's about to go to juvy for being an accomplice to home invasion, and Pennsatucky's taking care of her!"

"For real, T?" Alison asks hopefully, her eyes gleaming with delight, and Taystee nods.

"Why is Tucky doing it and not me?" Maureen explodes from behind them. "I handle Suzanne's eruptions! Nobody else!"

"Get outta here and throw a turtle at someone or somethin', you white trash corpse fucker!" Janae yells back at her.

"Yeah, don't be buttin' into our conversation!" Cindy adds and Maureen stomps off toward the bathroom.

"Why didn't you mention Vee's much-earned death before? Like before we started freakin' out and shit?" Poussey asks.

"I was about to, but y'all began talkin' and I couldn't tell ya the whole story!" Taystee responds.

"Damn, I know I wanted the green, but she almost hit me with a mop one time, so I tried to think of it as like a one-time thing because I sassed her, but now I think she was just flat-out wacko!" Cindy exclaims.

"I'm glad she's gone," Janae chimes in, and the others come to the conclusion that they're happy to have Vee's soul go to Hell, too. "No idea why Gloria was so angry about him possibly being engaged, though, if she ain't dating him…"

"She liked him, J, simple as that," Alison says. "He felt the same way about her…they both looked so down when she walked away from him! We gotta try to think of a way to hook 'em up again. I mean, yeah, we could tell Aleida the truth so she can let Gloria know, but there's no telling if she'll believe her."

"Let's talk to the mini Italian love expert and the two Latina vloggers as well," Poussey suggests. "They were the first three to matchmake Glo and Fahri, after all."

"Yeah, they'll know what to do," Taystee predicts. There's faint yelling from the kitchen in three different languages all mixed up, English, Spanish, and Russian. Taystee just sends a prayer up above that things will eventually work themselves out. She can sense that Aleida is in no mood to listen to anyone right now, and Gloria definitely isn't-she'd even left the school in a rage.


Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you please don't take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don't take him just because you can

Dolly Parton is singing the lyrics that Gloria is feeling right now as she lays in her bed, crying softly and sometimes singing along. She's been playing it over and over because she relates to it so well. Lourdes comes in just then and sits by her. She feels her aunt stroking her hair. "Oh, mi sobrina, ¿qué pasó?"

Oh, my niece, what happened?

Gloria sniffles and squeezes her eyes shut, wanting to pretend this is all just a nightmare and she'll wake up soon, but it isn't. "Fahri's engaged…I saw proof…" She breaks off sobbing as Lourdes rubs her back in soothing circles. "…on his phone…they were…making out, and…the-the ring…"

"I think you should give up on handing your heart to undeserving men," Lourdes advises her. "Lo siento mucho, Florecita." She bends down and kisses Gloria's cheek.

Your beauty is beyond compare
With flaming locks of auburn hair
With ivory skin and eyes of emerald green
Your smile is like a breath of spring
Your voice is soft like summer rain
And I cannot compete with you
Jolene

He talks about you in his sleep
And there's nothing I can do to keep
From crying when he calls your name
Jolene

"Gloria, you gotta stop moping and know that Vee is just some puta who enjoys stirring the pot," Daya insists as she, Aleida, Flaca, Maritza, Alison, Alex, Lorna, and Diane walk into the room. "It's like when Badison came on to Diablo in front of Blanca just to piss her off!"

"Yo, ain't that bitch muerta anyway?" Aleida wonders aloud. "At least, that's what Alison and Taystee and their crew said…and passed it on to the rest of y'all. The competition ain't no more. She got pummeled by some hospital van that one of the patients was driving, supposedly. Taystee saw her body, though."

"It doesn't matter," Gloria tells them sadly, though she's pleased about Vee finally meeting her end. "Fahri still doesn't like me back and he had me fooled, he was gonna marry her all along! Probably just havin' some fun with me until la boda!"

The wedding

And I can easily understand
How you could easily take my man
But you don't know what he means to me
Jolene

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you please don't take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don't take him just because you can

"Gloria, listen, Alex and I know for sure that Fahri wasn't at all into Vee! He wasn't when she was alive and he's relieved that she ain't here no more!" Diane assures her.

"I don't wanna be anyone's second choice."

"He's only expressed an interest in you! No one else, I promise! Go after him, don't give up!"

She wants to believe Diane, she really does. It's just that she saw all the rotten evidence that Vee is his fiancée-again. "Isn't it weird that even if I don't want a boyfriend, I regret missing my chance with Fahri?"

"No it isn't strange at all…and you didn't lose your opportunity, you still have him! He was hella depressed when you left," Aleida responds.

"Yeah, only 'cause he got greedy and doesn't have nobody now!"

"He'd have you if you gave him a chance to explain. You recall how loca Vee was, right? She would use Superglue and break into Fahri's mansion and plant a smooch on him…and Taystee was aware of the actual plot she had in mind! She lived with that motherfucking waste of space we called Vee! Trust us, yo!" Flaca pleads.

"This can't be finished between you and Fahri. You have so much in common…like you both enjoy smoking and talking about anything and nothing…and he was just an awesome guy in general while I was growing up and now, still!" Alex says with much persuasion seeping into her tone. "You've met each other's kids, they get along, he treats you and your sons right, and you know what else? When you and him were going on a date, he was so pumped! He really wanted to impress you and show you that he's terrific. He didn't tell you he was, he actually proved it, I thought! He always speaks positively about you, he talks to Mom and me about everything you've done together, and he thinks you're a better dancer than anyone he's ever seen before. He says you're beautiful behind your back and to your face, he can't wait for the next time he'll hang out with you again, he's basically smitten! He's like a teenager when he's with you."

"Even if the story of him and Vee being engaged is fabricated, I don't feel like being the choice he's stuck with, just because she's psycho."

"Wha…that was a great speech!" Alison practically yells. "You gotta believe us!"

You could have your choice of men
But I could never love again
He's the only one for me
Jolene

I had to have this talk with you
My happiness depends on you
And whatever you decide to do
Jolene…

Lourdes turns off the music and turns Gloria's chin up so she can look her tía in the eyes. "Florecita, I don't think your friends and Daya would lie to you. I can see it in his face, he cares for you so much."

Gloria sighs. "Sí, as a friend, maybe. Pero, I'm still allowed to be heartbroken because he's mi unrequited amor. I'll never feel his kisses...or the excitement when he touches me so tenderly..."

"Porque you've never told him how you feel, silly girl!" Lourdes exclaims, tapping her nose lovingly. "I thought that's how you wanted to do relationships in the future, make the first move?"

Gloria shrugs. "Too late now."

"No, it isn't!" Aleida hits Gloria's butt with the back of her hand lightly. "Move your dumb ass the fuck out of that bed and go get your man!" she says fiercely with her eyes narrowed. "Or so help me Diós!"

"Yeah, don't just lay there like a lump on a log," Maritza reprimands her. Gloria shoots her a glare. "What? That's what you're doing. Meanwhile, life is passing you by, precious seconds are being thrown en la basura. This is like when Flaca needed a push to tell me her true feelings."

In the trash

"Why hasn't he come to me and professed his love, if he got so much affection for me?" Gloria asks, slowly sitting up and wiping away a few stray tears trickling down her cheeks.

"He's waiting for you to take the next step, like any gentleman would," Lorna answers. "He's trying to respect you and not rush you into things like Arturo did."

"You do not know his thoughts. I'm so overwhelmed ahora mismo…"

right now

"Okay…" Daya rubs her forehead and closes her eyes. "I'm done. Come on, ladies, let her wallow in her unnecessary misery." With that, she walks out and the rest of them except Lourdes follow her.


Meanwhile, Aleida drives Daya to Fahri's house and they take Blanca and Nicky along with them. Their significant others and Karla had wanted to come for support, but since they don't know Gloria nor Fahri very well, it's not necessary. However, the girls who had gotten Fahri and Gloria to simply know each other in the first place, have put Shani, Karla, and Diablo in charge of the second part of their plan to get the pair back together, since they're neutral. So they go to Fahri's, too, probably to gather information. They're excellent writers and Karla's the oldest and probably wisest of them all. Aleida is technically, but she's getting impatient according to Daya. They all are. Blanca, Nicky, and Daya just need confirmation that Fahri really does like Gloria more than a friend. Diablo is also excellent at telling whether or not a photo has been tampered with.

"See, Gloria's like an aunt to us," Daya starts out as soon as they get inside his home. He looks so disheveled. Aleida is waiting outside, as she's been through it before with Gloria. "So, Alex told me, Flaritza, Alison, Lorna, Diane, and Gloria's tía how you treat Glo so well. Do you?"

"That'll determine if we wanna waste our time here or not," Blanca mutters. She relaxes somewhat when she feels Diablo's hands on her shoulders. His touch is like magic, but she's still pissed off that things have gone so wrong. Vee has disappeared for good, but she's still causing problems. On top of this, Badison tried to literally come between Blanca and Diablo. Why does romance have to come with so much drama?

"Yes…of course I do! I promise you guys, I show the utmost respect towards Gloria." He runs his hand through his messy hair. "If only she knew that I'm madly in love with her…I don't even know why she doesn't buy my tale, Vee and Suzanne really were intruders here last night! I thought she was aware of how they're…" He circles his finger around his temple.

Nicky folds her arms across her chest and purses her lips. "Well, you haven't exactly told her that, man. The key to get a relationship going, is one of you expresses or shows the attraction you're feeling toward the other."

"I'm always giving her compliments, I'm acting courteous, I make her and her sons comfortable…or at least, I thought I did! I want to protect them with every fiber of my being!"

"Can't you just like, ask her if she wants to be kissed and caressed?" Shani wonders aloud.

"We haven't even gotten past holding hands," he admits. "I asked her permission to do that…"

"You've gone on a lot of dates, right?" Karla wants to know. "That's what the girls and Diablo were telling me and Shani."

"Yes, and I thought we were getting somewhere…but then Vee pulls this crap!" He throws his hands up in the air and lets them plop back down onto his thighs.

"Alright, you should take her on an outing, just you two, more than once. So far, it's been with other people, mostly. You need to have a moment where you gaze into her eyes and tell her exactly how much she means to you."

Blanca smiles at her boyfriend's words of advice to Fahri. "Mm-hm, that's how Diablo and I got together. I kissed him right after he said he was real into me. Don't be wimpy!"

"If she'll even look at me ever again," Fahri mutters disappointedly. "This just feels hopeless…I didn't want to come on too strong."

"Well, just say it in a non-creepy way," Daya almost snaps. "Look, Gloria is really missing you right now. She's heartbroken, she thinks you played her, and now only picked her because Vee's six feet under."

"What?! I didn't at all…I broke it off with that evil person right after Gloria and I had our dancing date at the Monte Carlo Room! It was a mistake to ever agree to be with Vee, she fooled me into it by claiming to be pregnant right after I turned down her marriage proposal. Of course, I felt bad and thought I should help her with her baby…but then Alison said she wasn't ever with child in the first place!"

"Wait…she asked you? I thought it'd be the other way around," Karla murmurs.

"Nope!"

"You've got to be upfront and honest with Gloria about everything," Nicky states.

"How, if she's already told me to stay away from her, basically?"

"We have a solution," Shani assures him.

"Could we see the pics, ¿por favor?" Diablo asks, holding his hand out.

"Sure. Vee just stole it and wrote to Gloria, Suzanne messaged her the photos…" Fahri gives Diablo his phone.

Diablo peers at it closely and shows the photos to Blanca. "You see that, baby? He doesn't look too happy about Vee being on top of him like this." Gloria must have been way too mad to notice the disgruntled expression on Fahri's face. She knows angry makeout sessions and hate sex, but this isn't either of those things. His hands would be all over her. He just looks uncomfortable and grossed out.

"Sí." She nods and passes Fahri's phone around to the other girls. "Wow, this is really…see, that's obviously glue on his finger, kinda above the ring," she points out, showing them.

"Oh my god, you're right," Shani mutters.

"He looks almost…scared of her," Nicky comments, squinting.

"Mm, yeah…" Karla trails off. "Is it cool if we forward these to the rest of the girls?"

He gestures at them. "Be my guest."

"We'll get her back. It'll take some time, but we'll do it," Daya says, sure of herself.

"Thank you so much!" he tells them. "I thought of calling her and leaving a message, but then again, I don't want to bother her…"

"Yeah, we know," Blanca says.

Thank you for reading and reviewing, VeraRose19 and Juliette45!