Happy St. Patrick's Day! Five chapters left, I'm pretty sure! Hope you're all staying healthy with this coronavirus!

"Ma, watch out for that-"

"¡Ay dios mío!" Aleida cries as she runs over a hard object outside their apartment. "Was that a human being?"

"I don't know..." Daya groans as she and Aleida get out of the car to inspect. "Holy fuck!" She jumps in fright upon seeing the rotting corpse with rats crawling all over it. The person looks like they've been dead for a while now. "Ew..."

Aleida goes to touch a part of bare flesh, but Daya slaps her hand away. "I'm trying to see if it's real! You never know, it could just be a fake dummy."

"Either way, we gotta report it to Charles. Ya know...I think Gloria being so stubbornly mad at Fahri is a sign. We need to take this stalking shit seriously and not concentrate on her love life. Did she forget she has kids or somethin'?"

"Daya, the children are fine. They're all at Alison's house, being cared for by her motha. Sometimes, we need a break. You'll understand that when you become one in siete meses."

seven months

"It's not that! Gloria is being pretty ridiculous...I mean, worrying about Vee? At a time like this? The bitch kicked the bucket! I get that Glo's sad about Fahri, but it's not the end of the world...he even told us he likes her back. If only she would just listen to us and then concentrate on hers and her sons' safety!"

"She got some low self-esteem issues," Aleida mutters.

"Yeah, that much is obvious." Daya scoffs. "Being jealous of that loca puta Vee..."

"I'm her mejor amiga, y I feel so selfish saying this, pero maybe she should just take her sons somewhere else, where nobody can find them, 'cause we can't go on like this..."

"Ma, no! We ain't gonna kick 'em out, how rude!" Daya shakes her head as they let themselves in. "Look, she just needs to get tough so she can kill that motherfucker once and for all, like JLo in Enough."

"Yo, that badass chick en la película also didn't stay with her mejor amiga the whole time. She moved around America like a fucking nomad and dragged her niña with her. When she had to become strong to beat her ex, she left her daughter with her best friend. That's what Gloria gotta do."

in the film

"So, should we take her to a gun range? 'Cause she's still not confident after Frieda's fight club lessons. Her brain is stuffed with Fahri! She doesn't even wanna say Arturo's name! She wants to move on and live her life, not that I blame her, but...that asshole needs to be taken care of first and foremost. Her children ain't even on her mind."

"Ay nena, por favor...of course they are. Why else you think she sent 'em to play with Farah and your brother and sister while she's in her personal relationship mess?"

"Maybe they all should live there until Arturo's gone. I myself feel like staying with one of the girls...and you, her tía, and Leon can protect her."

Aleida appears to be offended. "Our lives would be at risk, too..."

"I know, but try to think of us. The kids. Just try. A good parent puts themselves in the face of danger for their babies. Gloria said that a long time ago, how ironic is that? I can't believe she let him around her hijos all that time...it took Benny getting hit for her to wanna leave!"

"¡Ahora, basta sobre Gloria!" Aleida reprimands her. "She's doing her best! This is a lousy situation, you gotta put yourself in her shoes, too. You've never been a battered woman. You don't know what it's like. Neither do I, but if a man was about to lay his cruel hands on me, I'd get the fuck out the second he made the attempt. Gloria's different, I guess."

Now, enough about Gloria!

"I know, but she can at least not just stand there and take it. She gotta kick his ass right back! Now's not the time to be afraid."

"Glad we're on the same page about that!" Aleida sets her backpack down on the couch and opens it. She lets out a shriek when she takes out her textbook, causing Leon to run in. Daya quickly sees what's wrong. Something black is oozing out of some of the pages.

"Baby, what is it?"

"Gross," Daya mumbles.

"Ugh! Look at this shit!" Aleida complains as she shows Leon the squashed scorpion's sludge on two pages of her textbook. She throws it down on the coffee table. "Fucking disgusting!"

"Where the hell is Gloria, anyway?" Daya wants to know. "This is happening because of her..."

"Lourdes took her out for dinner and they're bringing the boys with them. She wanted to just get away from all of the stress she's going through," Leon answers.

"When they come back, we're havin' a family meeting!" Daya exclaims.


They could've just recommended that Fahri write Gloria a passionate letter himself and deliver it to her mailbox, but Lorna's concerned he won't get all of his thoughts down or remember them. Blanca, Alex, and Daya strongly believe that Gloria may not even read it, since she's so furious and would rather concentrate on her sons' safety, and then the others agree. Besides that, they want him to know how Gloria truly feels, in her own words, based on what she'd told half of them. He needs to know so he's not so cautious of seeming like a weirdo when he confesses that he's crushing on her hard, as she is on him. "Also, it'll resemble what the girls did in It Takes Two!" Flaca exclaims at their Saturday meeting in the public library. They're all sitting at a huge circular table. "Only we'll make it more super romantic!"

"Oh, yes, for sure!" Maritza squeals. "Okay, team, let's get to work!"

"I thought Shani and Diablo were our authors, and Karla would be the critic?" Alison wonders aloud.

"Are we forgetting I gave love advice in Journalism a few times?" Lorna asks, seeming just a tiny bit offended.

"Yeah, but Shani wrote me something that brought me to tears one time, and we all know how Diablo makes his chick swoon. We're all gonna collaborate on ideas, though. You can edit their work too, if you want," Nicky says.

"Oh, I certainly will, then! Hey, one problem…you kinda need a straight girl to write Gloria's to Fahri, because wouldn't it feel strange to say something so sweet to a guy if you're not into them?"

"Yes, Lorna, you and Blanca take turns writing hers," Nicky says.

"Cursive or just neat, please," Shani tells her fellow writers. "The fancier the penmanship, the more romantic it is."

"Yes, ma'am." Blanca salutes her, beaming. "Cheesy does it."

"Just make it legible, and no spelling or grammar errors, or we'll have to type it out," Karla instructs them as Michelle hands out sheets of paper for their thoughts. Karla takes Blanca's Coke bottle away from her and sniffs it. "Ay diós mío, this is actually beer...that's enough for you, young lady. Your eyes are bloodshot."

"Hey! I don't even have a hangover, that's my third I've guzzled," Blanca protests, her voice quiet. "My head is clear, don't panic. I barely feel it," she adds through a giggle. "I like acting silly..."

"That means you're getting used to it, which isn't good. How many have you had lately?" Diablo asks her, probably worried for her well-being.

"Todavía no puedo creer que estés bebiendo cervezas en la biblioteca pública," Maritza comments.

I still can't believe you're guzzling beers at the public library.

Blanca shrugs. "Takes the edge off." She glances at Poussey. "Right, P?"

"Fo' sho! Shall we carry on with this?" Poussey gestures to the table filled with writing materials and blank pages.

"Why don't y'all just use a computer?" Daya asks. "Mircosoft Word and cursive font do exist."

"Those cost money to print here, Fahri sometimes makes surprise appearances at my mom and Charles' place, so does Gloria, and the rest of our printers are either out of ink or they don't work," Alex informs her. "Let's just focus for now."

"Okay…and remember, no sending these letters until things mellow out and Arturo is beaten, once and for all. Gloria has to protect her babies more than she needs a boyfriend. Benny and Julio were asking her about Fahri last night, and she told us she'll accept him as a friend, but nothing more for right now. She's aware that her kids know him and see him as a safe stable adult in their lives, even if he's not a father figure at all yet, and she admitted to my family and Lourdes that Fahri suddenly disappearing could really destabilize the boys emotionally," Daya reminds her friends. "She needs to put them first."

"So, she won't push him away for the sake of her kids, that's smart of her," Alison murmurs.

"Yeah," they all agree.


"Okay, so my kids were wondering if you'd ever be in their lives again if I was kicking you out of mine. So, I won't." Gloria starts out as she walks up to Fahri in the kitchen's backroom. She wrings her hands as he turns around to face her with a gentle smile. Gloria can't help but return it. She's going to make an attempt at shoving any romantic feelings she'd had for him away, since she won't stand for being his second choice, like a replacement of Vee. She's relieved that their co-workers are letting them have their privacy.

"Really? Are you positive?" Fahri wants to know.

Gloria nods while pressing her lips together tightly. "Maaaaybe I overreacted, since Vee is loca y muerta and we ain't a couple. We can be friends, just so the kids have stability. You're not nearly as awful as my ex, so I trust you around us."

"I'm incredibly sorry for what happened between us-" Fahri starts, but Gloria waves off his apology.

"I don't wanna hear it...I just wanna move past our fight. It ain't good for Benny and Julio. Just forget all these issues, alright? We have a great relationship as pals, and I don't wanna ruin it."

"Okay. I understand," he tells her sincerely.

"Fahri?"

"Mmhm?"

They move closer to each other, their hands almost touching. "Can you teach me to shoot? Or at least bring me to a gun range? I need to know how to save myself and my little ones if that monster ever rears his feo head again. I gotta have a plan ahead of time. He could show up anywhere, and I have to be ready."

"Of course, I'll do anything to help."

Gloria beams up at him. "Gracias. So much."

"De nada."

She doesn't mention that she's moved out of the Diaz home to stop them from being harassed for good. Gloria, Lourdes, and her boys are going to escape to an apartment in New York City that Celeste Chapman had given Lourdes money for. She had almost left her children with Aleida, but decided not to since they're so small and they'd miss her too much. She'd only do this when she got up the courage to actually permanently remove Arturo from this earth. He would have to escape from prison a third time in order for her to finish him.


"My beautiful girl, ¿dónde estás? ¿Por qué no estás en la escuela?" Diablo asks over the phone that same Monday morning. Besides that day when most of the students didn't attend school to rebel against the horrible teachers, it's the first time ever that Blanca has skipped class. She seemed better this weekend after repeatedly hitting Badison and helping write Gloria's letter to Fahri, so Diablo had assumed she'd come to school.

Where are you? Why aren't you in school?

"Oh...hola, mi amor, I just woke up," Blanca mumbles tiredly. "¿Cómo estás?"

How are you?

"Wondering why no estás aquí."

you're not here

"I'm dropping out of school...pero puedo verte en el almuerzo, okay?"

but I can see you at lunch

Diablo's heart drops. "Pero...¿por qué?"

"No tiene sentido ir a la escuela, except to see you y mis amigas. I'm feeling so depressed, lo siento..." Her voice cracks. "My mom believed me when I said I was sick."

There's no point in going to school.

"Blanca, por favor, no abandones la escuela. Do you want me to come home and take care of you? I'll be there soon, sweetheart."

Don't drop out of school.

"No, no, it's okay...I just needed to take the rest of the year off...at least until she's gone." Blanca sniffles.

"Who?"

"Badison, of course! She won't stop..."

"Well...what's going on?" Shani asks, folding her arms across her chest.

"Yeah, is Blanquita okay?" Karla wants to know.

"I swear, she's never done this...except that one time when everyone did!" Nicky chimes in. "She seemed okay this weekend...I mean, yeah, she was drinking, but she was able to concentrate on the task at hand."

"Porque she was distracted with the Gloria and Fahri saga. She's not feeling well right now. Badison has really got her down!" Diablo informs them sadly.

"Did you say my name, hottie?" Badison asks, coming from out of nowhere, and he gets startled. Blanca hangs up instantly. Badison tries to squeeze his shoulders, but his friends roughly block her from doing so.

"That's enough!" Diablo tells her strongly.

"Oh, you know you want me more than that primal creature. Joey was so clever when he tricked her into coming to a yellow cottage in the woods that belonged to Piscatella and co. She howled like an animal when she realized that there was nothing for her! Nobody even liked her! You must have really bad taste if you're going for her instead of me. God, she's so worthless!"

"No, bitch, you are!" Maritza snaps at her.

"Mm-hm, and guess what? I already know that my girl was repeatedly taunted in school before, so there is absolutely nothing you can say or do that would embarrass her or turn me off from her. I love her and I'm lucky to have her! Blanca is mi amor, forever."

Flaca pulls out her video camera and films herself and Maritza, with the others in the background. "We found out some dirt on you too, Madison Murphy. For instance, you were bullied at a boot camp called Changing Winds when you told Jessie Duray and Laura Patterson that your name was Badison, in some stupid attempt to pretend you were tough!" Flaca states loudly, and they snicker in unison. She holds it high over Badison's head so the idiot can't grab for it. Diablo smirks at how they're giving Badison a taste of her own medicine.

"Shh!" Badison hisses, glowering at the camera and then turning so her face won't show in the video. "How do you know that?"

"You had it all over your stupid blog," Alison says as Flaca runs around Badison and forces the camera into her face. The rest of the girls hold her steady. "Go ahead, tell the entire school everything about yourself, or we will, dumbass!"

"You so violent that you broke a beaker in chemistry class and got expelled from Litchfield High, so you had to get yourself into boot camp for a while and then come here. You smashed windows and hurt your mom, you ugly moron!" Taystee chimes in.

"We felt sorry for Roach, but not you! It was so funny when you were Sandison and got it in your mouth!" Poussey goes on, as she, Nicky, Shani, Karla, Flaca, Maritza, Diablo, Taystee, and Alison cackle together. "You actually thought that shit was water! Like they'd really give you anything to drink! You're a stupid, pathetic loser!"

"Stop it!" Badison whines, covering her face, but Maritza fiercely knocks her hand away.

"Oh, nah, you think you're gonna get away with mockin' our bestie? Are you for real? You're playing the victim, but you shouldn't be, Fatison!" Flaca hollers at her. They're all backing Badison into a corner now, literally.

"Yeah, we warned you, if you come for Blanca or any of our crowd, we'll squash you harder!" Karla adds. "Carol's best minion will have bigger problems than being named Fartison since the fourth grade." Badison stares at her, slack-jawed. "Yeah, I know about that! We all do."

"Aw, look who's Sadison," Red says in passing. "I guess you shouldn't have messed with them!"

Nicky laughs and high-fives her. "Good one, Ma!"

"Yeah, you're just battling your demons!" Gina points out as she walks by them.

They cheer in unison and Flaca turns the camera off. "I've already sent your backstory to the whole school, so everyone can be aware of how pitiful and weak you are," Maritza informs the terrible blonde girl and sneers at her while balling up some of Badison's green hair and then letting it go. "That's an awful dye job, by the way."

Badison pushes through them and exits, finally. It was all well and good that they'd gotten back at her, but Diablo is still worried about Blanca. He doesn't know if he can get her to come back to school eventually.

He knows about her self-esteem issues and how she could be spiraling down her own dark path because of Badison. So, he'll go to his beautiful dove right now instead. He'll take a day off from school, too; he's needed one for a while now anyway. His parents had been killed by some gang in Honduras on Saturday night and all he's been doing lately is drink. He didn't really want to come to school, as he was feeling a bit hungover, but he thought Blanca would be there.

After saying goodbye to the girls, he drives away from Martin Van Buren High and to his girlfriend's home. He knocks on her door and she answers it, wearing his red T-shirt and nothing else. It's long on her and she's so adorable. A half-empty bottle of what he knows is her mom's wine, is in her hand.

"Hola...so you came to see me?" A loopy smile grows on her face and she stumbles back to let him in. She laughs hysterically and her eyes aren't focused. "I didn't-didn't even have to deal with that-that cunt today!" She sways and just about trips over her feet again, but he catches her in his arms and carries her to the couch. "You skipped escuela for me!"

"I know, baby. I'm actually feeling pretty lousy myself...mind if I have some of this?"

"Yeah, but whyyyy?" she slurs, handing him the bottle.

He takes a swig of the bittersweet liquid. "My parents died in Honduras, and this is how I'm coping."

"Lo siento, Diablo...I know how much you all loved each other. Now I'm sad." Blanca pouts, twirls her hair around her finger, and rests her head on his shoulder as she hugs him. He gathers her in his arms and pecks her temple softly. "Alcohol soothes ya, don't it?'

He nods. "Oh yeah, it does!"

She groans. "Aw, I'll have to find more wine in her liquor cabinet...or a sweet can of beer in her fridge. When's the funeral?"

"Probably in a few weeks from now."

"I'll go with you," she tells him gently.

"¡Gracias, mi amor!"

"¡De nada!"

They beam at each other and then Blanca skips to the refrigerator. She pulls out a bottle of rum and a can of Sprite. "Perfect." Diablo grins at her as she drops some ice cubes into a glass, adds about five splashes of vodka, and then fills the rest of it with the Sprite. She puts a straw in and mixes it. "You want one?"

"Sure! Gracias, sweetie pie."

"Anytime, my main dude." Blanca cracks up randomly. "We should make some nachos after this!"

"Yes, for sure!" Diablo agrees.

So they drink and eat their snack while watching a movie and then have wild sex since it's how Blanca deals with stress and he wants to make her feel as terrific as possible. He'd checked to make sure she'd be okay with it after her vaginal bleeding catastrophe from before, but she'd insisted she was.


"Hey, Lorna."

She looks up at the Italian boy and there's suddenly butterflies in her stomach. He actually has a content expression on his face as they both lean against the lockers. "Oh, Vincent, hello! How are you?" She doesn't want to use his nickname she called him before, not yet. She has no clue if he'll ever date her again.

He gives her a sheepish smile. "I'm doing okay. I'm having fun doing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Ya know, wrestling."

Lorna nods, grinning. "Yeah, that's your hobby. I, um, I remember. How are your parents and your little brother?"

"They're great! Gino just got his first A in Math thanks to me, so we're celebrating the achievement this weekend. How's your family? Is your mom doing better?"

"That's awesome! Well...turns out my dad is homophobic and did a bunch of creepy shit, so he's in prison. My mom's still so sick...it doesn't look good, but Red got her into a hospital so they can take care of her better there. My sister moved out to live with her best friend and I'm staying with her for the moment."

"Mm, I'm sorry. Also...I apologize you and Nicky ended things as well."

"Thanks. Did you see her and her new girlfriend smooching or somethin'?"

"No, never. Uh...so I've been talking to Nicky lately."

"Yeah, and?"

"She says you feel bad about how things went downhill so fast between you and I. Is that true?"

Lorna nods fervently. "Yes. Extremely. I wasn't thinking and I just overreacted...I can better control my jealous rages now. I promise you that I'm taking medication, so you don't gotta worry about me going berserk. I mean, assuming you were cheating on me with Franny? You ain't Diego Rivera!"

Vinnie laughs. "Yeah, that guy was a crazy player! I mean, he had so many wives that we might as well call him polyamorous. He had sex with her sister, even! So stupid!"

Lorna giggles along with him. "Exactly! If a man's gonna sneak around, he shouldn't do it with one of her female family members. Poor Frida, though! Along with being disabled pretty much all her life, she had to deal with his adulterous ways. It's good that she dated other people as well, to get revenge!"

"I agree!"

Pretty soon, they're chatting, flirting, and chuckling together and even planning a Black Friday shopping date at the mall. She's going to thank Nicky for this chance to start over with him. Lorna can't be more blessed than she is right now.


"What do you mean you're quitting, Fahri?"

"Exactly what I said. I'm not doing this anymore. I'm going to make sure Kubra doesn't walk this time."

"So does this mean you're gonna tell my mom?" Alex worries aloud. She's riding with him to her house.

"If I don't, you'll have to. Look, Al, it's not good for you to be involved in this. I'm not going to be part of the business any longer...I promised Gloria. I love her more than the cartel."

"Well, that's...romantic." Alex huffs. "You do realize my mom will ground me for life, right? Why don't I just quit with you? That way, she'll never know."

"It's too dangerous, Kubra will want revenge on whoever put the hit out on him...and so far, he doesn't suspect I did it anonymously. He's all the way in Spain with Theresa."

"Yeah, she doesn't even know her boyfriend is a drug dealer...I feel bad for never telling Flaca, but then again, they seem happy with him around. Maybe love has softened him some."

"Perhaps...which is a good thing."

"Mm-hm, so I'll stay in Kubra's business, just to see what he says about you not coming anymore. Hopefully, he'll blame Vee and Carol, who are gone as well, but for a different reason. I doubt he knows they're no longer alive."

"He's still scary, and I can't go into witness protection since Gloria and those boys need me around. I could get him busted for some unrelated crime, like fraud or tax evasion, so it'd be more difficult for him to think anyone in the drug cartel is the mole."

"Kubra seems fine to me!" Alex insists. "He's got a pretty clean record, as far as I know."

"This is a pretty dirty organization that I'm happy to leave," Fahri counters her. "I hope you do too, soon after me. We can't go at the same time, otherwise he will be suspicious-"

"I wanna continue working for him. My mom needs the money. He's a perfectly nice man!"

"I hope you'll see him for who he really is before it's too late."


"Why did we have to leave?" Benny whines. "I'm gonna miss Leon and Christina..."

Julio pouts. "Me too, and Emilio..."

"It's for our safety, hijos," Gloria informs them as she sits with them on the couch. Celeste is helping Lourdes and Gloria set up their new place, but Gloria's taking a break to talk to her boys. "It's also so that the bad guy doesn't hurt Daya, Aleida, Leon, Christina, or Emilio. You can still see them all the time, but we can't hide there anymore." She can't fault them for being sad-she was, too, and she'd hugged the Diazes and Leon goodbye with tears clouding her vision. She'd gotten so used to seeing Leon and the mini Diazes every day. Living there for the past couple of months had been so fun and peaceful, at least until Arturo wouldn't leave them alone. She'll see Aleida and Daya in school, though, which is great.

"Is Mr. Fahri going to help us, too?" Benny asks shyly. Julio cuddles into her side and sucks his thumb. Gloria ruffles his hair and then Benny's.

"Yes, he will! He and our other friends will check up on us all the time! I know this is a big change, but it'll be way less scary. The mean man won't know where we are now. It'll take him longer to find us, but if he does, your mamí will do everything in her power to keep you two safe. She will always defend you. Always," Gloria assures them. She kisses both of their cheeks and they grin happily, seeming a little more at ease now.

She hopes she won't break her promise, since she's worried about her finger slipping on the trigger because her hands are so sweaty and she'll have terrible aim because she's so nervous. Arturo is a lot bigger and stronger than her, too, and he could easily wrestle her weapon away and use it on her. She has faith in her loved ones-including Fahri-to educate her on how to handle a firearm. One thing she'd learned from watching Enough last night, was that she will have to get him when he's not expecting it. Believing in herself will take some time, but she'll try. She'll also try to work up her physical strength.

She'll just have to do her very best.


"Hello, girls, we would like to introduce ourselves. I'm Mark Burley, you might know my brother Lee, the Death Maiden drummer-he's not here, but anyway, these are my fellow customers who bought your sexy underwear. Matthew Salsberg, Robert Wilson, Jason Casanova, Christopher Johnson, and David Randot," a blonde man says as he points to each guy. "We were wondering why you stopped your website."

They're all a little spooked now. "Wait, what?!" Lorna snaps.

"How do you know what we look like?" Daya wants to know.

"Or our exact location?" Alex wonders aloud.

A sour expression crosses Flaca's face. "That's fucking creepy...Piper wanted to make loads of cash and recruited people! She used me to help sew thongs! Lorna and I were cool with it at first, but Alex and Daya had the right idea, that it was disgusting. We all stopped when Piper was murdered."

"Well, we got some tips from our pals Humps and Dixon," Jason starts out. Of course they took advantage of the situation once Piper was gone, bringing all these perverts to Piper's friends. Of course they did. "First, we thought you four would be in the graveyard mourning your friend and our fifth panty seller, so we started there. Then, we searched the cornfield and finally found you here at this dump." Robert chuckles lowly. "Or outside Friendly's, if you wanna call it that. We've all seen your pictures from our lovely chats with...Flaca, is it?" He steps toward her and she backs away, her heart pounding with terror. "My precious, don't be afraid of me or my buddies. I asked you to help me with the rest of my money, but you didn't, so we had to have our boss come into your mom's bedroom and sell her earrings so we could get cash." Flaca's stomach twists in knots at this. She's so sure that all five of them took a part in scamming her.

"Who's that?" Lorna demands.

"He goes by all different names, so I really can't tell you," Matthew says tauntingly.

"It doesn't matter, my mom's boyfriend is a cop and he'll get all of you assholes for buying and smelling dirty underwear from minors!" Alex growls.

"Wasn't there a Stephanie too?" Christopher asks. "We're getting them from so many sluts now that it's hard to keep track! Right now, prison bitches are the hype. Felonious Spunk, they call themselves."

Daya shakes her head and lowers her voice. "Nah, she doesn't like thongs. However, Angie thinks they're pretty and Stella was part of it, too. Those last two might still be doing it, but we're not! Piper thought the slutty panties seemed harmless, but I disagree."

"See, we gave you eighty bucks for a pair of dirty Japanese schoolgirl panties in Tokyo. Another time, you got seventy...Jesus, and seven hundred dollars for China's men! You made good money...you sold out overnight, twenty for each sometimes! You eventually came to a grand total of three thousand, six hundred dollars a week!" David proclaims.

"Flaca, you could've told us that you were crippled...you're kinda limping there," Robert points out. "Christopher here's got a disability fetish." Flaca shivers with repulsion coursing through her veins as the pedophiles lick their lips at her.

"Ew," the girls mutter softly.

Jason turns to Lorna. "We're not attracted to you, though, since you're more cute than hot. You look more like a high schooler instead of a grown woman like the rest of your friends!"

"Uh, probably because she is one? The rest of us are a bit...younger than we appear to be, which isn't always a great thing," Daya insists.

"Can you sniff your underwear for us and see if it smells different?" Christopher questions Daya. "Piper always said pregnant ladies have an interesting and lustrous scent." She scoffs and stands closer to Lorna than she had been before.

"Oh, gross!" Flaca exclaims and the rest of her friends nod in agreement.

"Are you still selling?" Mark asks as he moves directly in front of Alex. She crosses her arms in front of her chest and Flaca knows very well that it's what she does if she wants to keep people at a distance. "My brother was right about you, your tits are spectacular." The girls quickly head into the restaurant where it's much safer. The panty buyers follow them. It's good, because then Diane and Kubra can stop them from doing anything and Alex's mother can call Charles on them. "Wow, you are such a gorgeous specimen of the earth, I've never seen anyone with such a good body and face...I miss your panties. I bet you smell so good!" Mark continues.

"Did you need something?" Diane bursts out. "If you're just gonna make lewd remarks towards my daughter, I'll have you removed!"

"Gentlemen, this is a private matter, and if they don't wish to talk about it, they don't need to!" Kubra tells the intruders and escorts them out.

"What was that all about?" Diane wants to know.

So they tell her how they got stuck cleaning Piper's mess. They explain that she came up with the idea when they were just her followers and didn't know what the hell they were doing and had no clue how big of a deal it would turn out to be because they were careful not to show their faces or give out addresses. A mix of shock and concern fills Diane's face.

"They should be in prison!" Diane nearly hollers.

"It's all my fault they came, not Piper's, really," Flaca mumbles shamefully. "They pretended they were some young guy from Somalia and in the war and they must've used someone else's photo to lure me into an online relationship, and that's how they found all my social media profiles and...that's the only way they could've known y'all's names. I'm incredibly sorry...I wasn't the brightest crayon in the box back then."

"They tricked you, they're also to blame...but you were thirteen...lots of people make mistakes, sweetie," Diane assures her. "Kids and adults alike. I've gotta ring my boyfriend, y'all just sit tight. We'll take care of it. Their names, please?"

Alex recites them, one by one, and her mother thanks her as she dials Charles' number. It's only then that Flaca notices Maritza, Blanca, Karla, Shani, and Nicky in the background. They're stunned.

"Holy fuckin' shit, Flaca, you know for sure that they're the ones who scammed you?" Maritza asks.

"Yeah, it's so obvious. Before, I thought it wasn't important to tell nobody," Flaca mutters as she and the rest of Piper's friends sit down with the other members of their group. "I was embarrassed...it took me a lot of courage to let Gloria and Charles know about him...er, them."

"At least they won't be able to bother you anymore," Karla states positively and Flaca nods.

"Hope they stay in the clink for the rest of their lives," Blanca adds.

"Mm-hm, and they get a spoonful of their own medicine!" Shani puts in.

"You mean a taste, but yeah," Nicky says. "Me, too."

"My mom and Kubra are engaged!" Flaca announces suddenly. "She asked me to be her maid of honor and of course, I said yes! I love planning wedding parties!"

"Me too!" Maritza says excitedly.

"So much fun!" Lorna agrees.

"Whoa, that quickly?" Daya wants to know and Flaca nods while grinning broadly.

"Wouldn't it be funny if Theresa tossed the bouquet and I caught it?" Blanca asks loudly and then breaks off into a girlish giggle.

"Oh yeah, then you and Diablo would get married next!" Karla squeals in excitement.

"Yay!" everyone cheers in unison.

"Your ma and Kubra came back hella early, though, Flaca," Shani points out.

"Oh yeah, why is that?" Nicky asks.

Flaca shrugs. "No lo sé, pero...maybe they wanted to start preparations sooner rather than later!"

"Makes sense," Alex murmurs.

"Hey, Nicky, speaking of romance...thank you so much for getting things started up again between Vinnie and I! I won't rush into this, though, I swear! We're only going on one date to see if we're still compatible, I guess!" Lorna says cheerfully.

"That's wonderful! No problem, kid." Nicky grins at her and pats her hand. Lorna beams back at her.

"Aww, so sweet!" Flaca squeals.

"Yeah, we're all excited for you!" Maritza joins in.

Lorna crosses her fingers and giggles. "I can't wait!"


"Wheeeee!" Benny and Julio shout together as Fahri pushes them both on the swings at Central Park. Gloria stands back with a smile, as they seem so comfortable with him around. "Higher!" Benny yells. "I gotta reach the clouds!"

"Alright, little man!" Fahri pulls his swing back more off the ground and lets go. "Whooosh!"

"Yaaaay!"

Julio kicks his legs and laughs. "I wanna go to the sky!"

"Okay, buddy!" Fahri retreats a few steps with Julio's swing in his hands and then he releases it.

"I'm a superhero! I can fly like SpiderMan!" Benny exclaims.

"I'm Zorro!" Julio chimes in and all four of them chuckle in unison.

"I thought you were Batman!" Gloria tells her youngest.

"Yeah, you dressed like him for Halloween!" Fahri adds.

"No, I like Zorro now."

"He's cool, too!" Gloria comments.

"He sure is," Fahri agrees. The two adults exchange a grin and Gloria is relieved that they're good again.


"I wanna go for a long-ass drive...somewhere further than Nueva York."

Diablo turns to Blanca with a loving smile. "¿Sí? ¿Dónde?"

"¿Tal vez California? Cross country."

He nods and drums his fingers on the steering wheel. "¡Oh, sí!"

"Luego Honduras, para el funeral y mira alrededor del área donde creciste...si tú quieres."

Then Honduras, for the funeral and look around the area where you grew up...if you want.

"Sounds great!" Diablo beams at her and she returns it. He parks at The Sparrow Tavern and Blanca gets out.

"¿Estás seguro no quieres nada?" she asks.

You sure you don't want anything?

He shakes his head no. "Estoy bien."

I'm good.

As Blanca ambles to the bar, she presses her face to the glass. It's still open and while she walks in, the aromas of liquor, sandwiches, and cheese snacks float through the air. She's in sort of a stupor as she gazes around the area. The place is decorated like her quinces was. She can't believe Theresa and Kubra are actually having their engagement party in a bar, of all places.

"Hola, Blanca, what's up?" Kubra asks as he places a Closed sign on the window. "It's kinda late for you to be out here alone...Diane's left already, so I don't think she'd approve of you clubbing with her not around. You're what, fifteen?"

"Sí. I'm fucking starving," Blanca mumbles, but realizes quickly who she's talking to. "Oops, lo siento. Can I get Hot Cheetos and Takis?"

"It's no problem, you can cuss all you want around me," he tells her as he walks toward her. "Good thing I'm closed for tonight. So you won't be tempted to have even more alcohol. You really like your beer, huh?"

Blanca nods. "It's the best, but getting that high feeling has its downsides. It's like I got the munchies."

"I won't tell anybody, señorita." He winks at her. "Your secret's safe with me. Flaca and I smoke together once a week and her mother doesn't even know."

"Gracias. I've smoked with her, Nicky, and Alex before...great fun!" Blanca glances away from his weird lingering stare. "Looks beautiful here. Did Flaca help out?"

"She sure did." Kubra takes out the packages of Hot Cheetos and Takis and gives them to Blanca. She lays them on the counter and starts to dig her wallet out of her purse, but he gives her shoulder a fond squeeze and grins at her. "Free."

"Um...gracias."

He then creeps his hand down her back and rests it there. A few seconds later, he still hasn't moved away from her and she's very uncomfortable, so she grabs her food and leaves at once.

"You think I'm dressed like a puta or somethin'?" Blanca asks later as she twirls around in her green plaid skirt and black tank top. She trips over her black boots and falls into Diablo's lap. They're back at his place and relaxing together on his couch.

"No!" He catches her easily and beams down at her. "Eres hermosa. Your clothes are spectacular! Te amo. Why, is something the matter?"

You're beautiful

Blanca shakes her head no. "Es nada." They're both tipsy while exchanging sloppy, dizzying kisses with their faces red and eyes bright, no awkwardness left between them. He carries her to his bed and they continue making out.

It's nothing

She's so happy to be in his protective, strong embrace. She always is, but she'd needed him more than ever this week. Life has kept throwing her one terrible thing after another and even if being drunk takes away the pain and humiliation of being bullied and harassed, it doesn't get rid of the problem people completely. It's just a miracle that Carol has finally gone away forever. Now, Blanca needs Kubra to vanish, too. She'll tell her girls that he basically violated her first thing tomorrow morning. They'll understand. She wants to inform Diablo of this too, but she can't get the words out and it isn't important-he's not the one who's mom is about to marry this creep.

She's looking forward to Flaca making good on her threat and smashing a beer bottle of his over his head, the glass shards cutting into his face, causing blood to spill. She just feels terrible for her friend and Theresa, that she'll have to deliver the bad news right before Thanksgiving.

Thank you for reading and reviewing, Juliette and VeraRose19!