Thank you for beta'ing, A Star In My Universe! Warning: abusive situations, implied violence, sexism, and hate speech.

bebé-baby

qué mierda-what the fuck

"Hey, Lorelai!" Alex calls out as she walks into Friendly's.

"Rory, how's it hangin'?" Diane asks. They're making references to the show, Gilmore Girls, which causes the Latinas to chuckle. Everyone knows that Daya isn't jealous of their extremely healthy fun mother-daughter relationship or the one on television because she lives vicariously through them. "How was going to the movies with Sylvie?"

"We shared popcorn, but then we dropped it when we started making out! It felt unbelievably hot!"

Diane smiles at Alex and hi-fives her. "That's my girl!"

"Oooh, sounds like things are gettin' real!" Daya comments.

"Yeah, we're so happy for you!" Flaca adds.

"You should have her over for dinner on Sunday, Allie," Diane tells Alex.

Alex beams. "Oh, okay. I will!"

"Do you girls need rides home?" Diane wonders out loud. "I finally don't have to work late! Alex and I are gonna have a girls night in with pop and wine while watching Gilmore Girls!"

"Popcorn," Alex quickly clarifies. "I'm only gonna have a few sips of her drink. My mom may be cool, but I'm not twenty-one yet."

"Still, that sounds like a great time! I don't want to take it up, Ms. V, but thank you anyway," Daya says.

"We're actually gonna stay here until Maritza returns because I'm sleeping over at her house," Flaca informs Diane. "It's okay, we'll take the bus."

"I really don't mind!" Diane insists. "It's dark and starts to get dangerous around this time of night."

"Alright, then," Daya mutters. "I appreciate it."

"Yeah, so do I," Flaca agrees.

"I'm texting Gloria to ask her if she can get us from Pizza Hut," Daya tells them.

As soon as the last customer finishes eating, another waitress leaves the fast food joint, and Diane groans. "Fuckin' lazy bitch, that Brenda is! I hate closin' up and bein' alone out there! I have to do that, like ninety-nine percent of the time. Somethin' happens to her, I'm the one who calls the cops...but if it's just me, then...I don't know!"

"You two should leave together," Alex points out.

"Yeah, I know, right? Jesus..."

"Why don't you talk to her about it?" Daya suggests.

Diane sighs in annoyance and begins mopping the floor. She hands cleaners and rags to the girls, who start wiping up the sticky tables and chairs. "It's no use. I've tried so hard. She's just eager to get out of work. I mean, so am I, but it's a job, and we have to do it. She shouldn't skip out like that! I'm talking to our boss next time! I don't want her to get fired because that would leave me by myself again, but I'd like her to be threatened into working longer hours like I do!"

"I wish you luck on that!" Flaca exclaims.

"Thanks."

When they finish, Diane brings Flaca and Daya to Pizza Hut, and as soon as Maritza's date is over with, Gloria takes Flaca and Maritza to the small Latina's mansion. During the ride, Flaca is in the middle of her two besties, the back row is filled with four car seats, and she sees that Aleida is in the passenger seat.

"Is your mother home, Maritza?" Gloria asks while she and Daya walk them up to the gate. Maritza opens it with her personal key.

"Yeah, but she's very busy at the moment...so we're alone, but not really. That's totally okay with us!"

"Great! Have fun!" Daya says.

"Thanks, bye!" Flaca calls out after she and Maritza hug Gloria and Daya.


"So here's the thing," Gloria starts out as Daya gets settled into the backseat. "I will be living with you for a while, just to support you financially and get your mother off heroin and back on her feet. I plan to cook and have Aleida help, get her closer to you kids, and I'm also gonna watch your baby sister and brother for you because you're a teenager and you deserve to live like one." She glances in the rearview mirror to check what Daya thinks of this. The girl looks slightly confused, but a small smile is growing on her face.

"Isn't this Aleida's car?"

"Yeah, but I don't own one...I take the bus to save money." Gloria remembers that she can stop using excuses now that Arturo is in prison. "Um, that, and I recently got out of an abusive relationship. My old apartment is too expensive for me to live in now that he's been arrested." Daya appears shocked and she puts her hand on Gloria's shoulder. The gesture is sweet of her to do.

"Wow...I'm really sorry for everything he put you through."

"Nothin' we can do about it now, right?" Gloria asks. "I've done my best."

"Yep," Aleida agrees and then changes the radio station to a pop song.

"I'm glad you're safe, at least." Daya murmurs.

Gloria shakes her head and laughs humorlessly. "He has friends who know where I used to live, so there's another reason I had to escape. I don't want to take any chances."

"I get it," Daya responds. "We'll be more than happy to have you."

"Thank you."

"She didn't really give me a choice," Aleida mutters, and Gloria smirks.

"I promise, you will love me being around," Gloria assures the other woman. "Your daughter sure seems to enjoy the idea."

"Just lemme warm up to it," Aleida says.

Gloria drives to Red's house. She and Aleida walk up to Red's front door and knock while ringing the doorbell. Red's husband, Dmitri, opens it. She isn't surprised, since Red had told her there was an emergency with Lorna and Nicky. As soon as the kids see their respective mothers, they run to them and hug their legs.

"Okay, okay, that's enough," Aleida grumbles, while Gloria scoops both of her boys up into her arms. Daya's younger siblings toddle after them while grabbing onto Aleida's hands and then they put the children in the very back.

Once Gloria finishes explaining what's going on to her sons and makes sure they understand, they're at the Diaz home. "Follow us and hold each other's hands," Gloria instructs the kids. She takes Benito's and lets him lead the rest of the little ones. Daya and Aleida walk on either side of her. "It's dark and we don't want them getting lost," she explains to Aleida, who unlocks the door. "Welcome to Mothering 101."

"Good point."

The kids run off into another room and the only reason why Gloria doesn't go after them to take Daya's place as their caretaker, is that she has to deal with removing Cesar and his drug ring from the house. She can hear them chattering away from the kitchen and bragging about their biggest deals. She storms into the room, just when a few people are cutting up bags of heroin and others are mixing the white powder in bowls.

"Cesar, my friend Gloria wants to talk to you," Aleida says and then kisses him.

"Oh, the cunt who told me to move!" he hollers. He makes his way over to Gloria in long strides. "What are you telling me now?"

"You need to work on this little operation somewhere else. Aleida is an addict, so she can't be around this crap, and she's got two little children and a young girl who definitely shouldn't be exposed to it. Y'all being here...it's an extremely bad influence."

Cesar folds his arms across his chest and smirks. Gloria copies his actions, trying to appear stronger than him. "Excuse me? This is my house!"

"It's mine, actually!" Aleida retorts.

"She still can't boss me around!"

"Yeah, well, Aleida is my friend and Daya is like my daughter, and I don't let my friends or children be around trouble. So, unless you can act like normal guests, I suggest you get out of this apartment immediately before I call nine-one-one on all of you!" Gloria snaps ferociously, and his buddies start chortling. "I'm not fuckin' around!"

"Oh, you've done it now!" Cesar exclaims. He rushes to a drawer and yanks out a handgun. He aims it at her and she backs up on wobbly legs while raising her hands. Her heart is beating wildly inside her rib cage and she can almost feel the coldness of the metal against her skin. Unlike her co-workers earlier today, it's her who's facing the barrel of a gun. "No one talks to me like that!"

What's up, Hot Pants?" Dixon asks condescendingly and he, Piscatella, and Humps storm towards an alarmed Gloria. The other women stand in front of her protectively, but Dixon shoves them out of his way. "I'm talking to her...not you old cunts! Get outta here! I need to be alone with this bitch!" His weight crushes her against the counter and tears prick at her eyes. Last night, she'd told her sons that they're going to be okay now that Arturo is put away, but with Dixon on the loose and being one of Arturo's friends, she isn't so sure of this.

"We have to be here to make sure you don't hurt Gloria," Red insists, and she, Norma, and Claudette stare him down. Piscatella and Humps direct them to the stove.

"Why? What are you gonna do about it? I'll wrestle the phone out of your hands as you're calling the police, and I'll yell if you try to kill me."

"I hope she gets you first," Claudette says murderously, even in Piscatella and Humps' threatening presences.

Humps gets his gun out from his pocket and aims it at the other ladies. "Start working!"

"Hot Pants? She's a twig!" Dixon chuckles. He grips her upper arms tightly and whispers in her ear, "Arturo wants to see you in a pile of your own blood." Chills run through Gloria's body and she nods. "He asked me to beat you to death, but I won't. I want to fuck you instead, and the only person who I know that's a necrophile is Humps...he literally keeps his dead wife as a table centerpiece, but anyway...you wouldn't be as much fun if you were a corpse since you'd decay eventually." By now Gloria's shaking and trying not to cry. "See you at home, sweet cheeks." He grips her chin tightly and forces his tongue in her mouth and his hand down the front of her jeans and digitally rapes her while masking her body. She tries to twist away from his sexual harassment, but he doesn't let her move. "Just checking if you had something up there...but there's nothing but pussy. You're so good!"

"That's enough!" Red shouts, and he gives up, only because he and the other men have a work emergency. When he exits the kitchen's backroom with his co-workers, Gloria bursts out into full sobs as she sinks to the floor. The rest of the ladies take their spots around her and gather her into a group embrace.

"It's just a threat. Leave them alone," Aleida recommends to Gloria, who's still panting and forcing herself out of her horrifying flashback.

Out of the corner of her eye, Gloria can see Daya racing towards the front door and escaping the apartment. She quits staring down Cesar and follows Daya. "Get the children, Aleida," she directs her friend. "Daya needs us, and I don't want them near here," she adds in a whisper. "Say you need fresh air."

"He don't scare me. He's too much of a pussy to actually do anything."

"I know, but just follow my advice."

"Okay..." She relents.

Once Gloria and Aleida take the kids outside, they hear Daya on the phone and speaking while crying. "Thank you, Officer..."

Aleida's eyes widen and she whips the phone out of Daya's hands, but Gloria quickly takes it back and puts her arms around Daya warmly. "She was doing the right thing, Aleida!"

"I didn't want nothin' bad happening to you, Gloria," Daya blubbers into her shirt. "When I saw him doin' that to you...that was it for me. He's pulled a gun on me before...it's supposed to be, like a warning, but...I got so scared...especially when I learned about what some man did to you..."

"Oh, bebé, I'm sorry..." Gloria murmurs and kisses the top of her head. "I'm alright...you did good, though, calling the cops." Aleida's about to go back inside the house, but Gloria pulls her back into a sitting position on the stairs.

"You won't be taking the rap for them. You're gonna pretend you were never involved," Gloria says in a no-nonsense tone while letting Daya rest her head on her lap. "Watch me. This is what we do for our kids when they're terrified! We just hold them and rock them back and forth or stroke their hair, no matter how old they are!" Gloria runs her fingers through Daya's straight black locks and swipes her tears off her cheeks. "We protect our babies from bad people. Once I found out Arturo hit Benito, I was ready to take the boys and run."

"It shows that I love him."

"Your kid needs you more. He wouldn't do this for you...I went out with a guy like him! It was two months of pure torture. While Cesar never physically abused you, he made you believe that it was okay for him to screw Daya and hold someone at gunpoint when they don't agree with him!"

"He's never pulled the trigger-"

"It's still petrifying. Now...when the police come, you don't say a single goddamn word, you understand me? Daya and I will do the talking."

Aleida scoffs while rolling her eyes. "Fine...but you can't stop me from visiting him. I won't be able to bail him out, because you won't let me."

"That's right! You learn fast! Trust me...it's for the best. You'll thank me later."


"Sacramento, California...ugh, you messed me up!" Nicky grumbles. She glances up at her new fellow prisoner through her temporarily hooded eyes due to having to blow CO Enders for drugs. Nicky checks Lorna out, from her soft, wavy brunette locks that are tied into a half pony, to her skimpy red dress and silver high heels. "Oh my god, what the fuck are you in here for, prostitution?" She sniggers and Lorna glowers at her. "You got a decent guard. Congrats."

"Mail fraud," she admits as CO Ford unlocks her handcuffs. "Scammin' online stores and all that." She bends and flexes her wrists, and Nicky notices that one of them has a red handprint mark around it.

"Oh, and what, you just happened to be dressing for your boyfriend when you got arrested? That's fuckin' lingerie, Morello, and damn, I must say, you look good! You into sadomasochism, because that's one nasty bruise!" Nicky wolf-whistles, knowing Lorna's temper's going to flare. She's so cute when she gets mad, she really is.

"Yeah, I was, and he couldn't resist me!" Lorna stomps her foot on the ground while rubbing her hands up and down her goosebump-covered arms. "Shut up with the sexual shit!"

"Ladies, that's enough!" CO Ford reprimands them. He turns to Lorna. "Do you have anyone to call?"

"Yes," she answers.

CO Ford directs his attention to Nicky as Lorna's dialing a number. "Are you sure there's no one who can get you? You two seem to know each other pretty well."

"I'm positive. We just met briefly at school."

"Okay, well, I have to monitor her phone call."

"Hi, Red, sorry to call you this late...yes, I know you're watching four children...you can scold me and kick my ass all you want because I'm in jail. No, I ain't fuckin' around...I just...I really need your help. I was caught for stealing company cash...sayin' I never got something through postage when I really did and asking for a refund. They were expensive items!"

CO Ford raises his eyebrows and Nicky can tell by his reaction that she was in because of something much more interesting, but she apparently doesn't want to say it. Nicky can hear Red's voice through the phone since she's now yelling at Lorna. "I don't care! You don't do that! You be grateful for what Franny gives you!"

I know, Red," Lorna mumbles shamefully. "It was just a way to escape reality...but can you just come get me...bail me out? I...I hope Gloria and Aleida are back already to pick their kids up so you don't gotta bring 'em."

"Of course I will, and luckily, Norma is available to babysit, but you know the Russian rule."

"Yes, baseball isn't one of your sports. I won't screw up again, got it. I promise. Please don't tell Franny! Pretty please, with a cherry and whipped cream and sprinkles on top!" Nicky chuckles at this and has to press her fist to her mouth from being too loud.

"Thank you, and I won't, this can be just between us. Now...is Nicky with you?"

The girl in question makes wild hand gestures and mouths, don't tell her I'm here! but Lorna does anyway. "Yes," she says while looking right at Nicky.

"Good. Does she need anything?"

Nicky rolls her eyes to the ceiling as Lorna tells Red to bring them both a full bottle of water because being in this stuffy place is making her thirsty, and she's so sure Nicky must be, too. "That's all," Lorna finishes.

"I'll see you soon. Goodbye, my girl."

"Bye, Red! Thank you!"

"Yeah, yeah. You're welcome."

Lorna hangs up and then CO Ford walks away from them. "What the fuck did you do that for?" Nicky asks Lorna irritably. "Do you not understand that I don't want help?" She's having a hard time figuring out why she likes Lorna so much if Lorna does the exact opposite of what Nicky has asked of her.

"I just need you get out of the shady business and stop all the drugs stuff! Besides, Red's already paid to bail both of our asses out, so...get over it and be thankful you got her watchin' out for ya."

Nicky doesn't believe that for one second. She sits down on the hard bench and drums her fingers on the concrete. "Why? What business is it of hers, or yours, for that matter?"

Lorna takes her seat on the opposite side of the room and does the butterfly stretch. "We're nice people, that's all...and Red does shit out of the goodness of her heart!"

"Well, she wasted her money because I'm not leaving here," Nicky says stubbornly. "It's no different than my mom giving money to people in extreme poverty and Vee bringing me into her home. I'm just a charity case. Cool." She laughs humorlessly and sniffs.

"You aren't. Red doesn't do this for just anyone," Lorna insists and then breathes into her hands. "She let Taystee and Tricia know where you were and it took her two days to collect the money to get just you out. She's gotta get more in the bank for me. It was gonna be a long process, but me being arrested tonight was pure luck!"

Nicky peels off her sweatshirt with a sigh and walks over to Lorna. "You look freezing. Here." She holds the article of clothing out to the short Italian. "I take care of my women, even when they've been stupid. Ripping off straight rich people...who even gets busted for that? At least drugs are common."

"I'm not your woman," Lorna responds, a little angrier now. "You're the last human being I wanna be alone with! You're so dumb...you should've accepted Red's help, then you wouldn't have wound up in here!"

Nicky snorts. "Oh yeah?"

"Uh huh!"

"I don't need her!"

Lorna rolls her eyes and starts doing different yoga poses while holding onto the bars for balance. "Your voice is raspy...when's the last time you had water? A few drops of rain that landed in your mouth during the storm a week ago don't count!"

"Vee gave me some," she lies, involuntarily trying to wet her parched lips with her equally dry tongue. She's only able to produce a tiny amount of saliva every few hours.

"You're fuckin' dehydrated! Look at you, can't even swallow!"

"Aw, you got arrested on purpose to be my prison mommy!" Nicky realizes out loud while smirking.

"I did not!"

"Sure, and I'm the fuckin' queen of England! Just confess the truth, you were hoping to find me in here!"

"No, I wasn't," Lorna murmurs, sounding a little less sure of herself. Nicky knows she's trapped Lorna in a lie.

Nicky steps closer to Lorna and the brunette backs away to the wall. "Yes. You. Were." Her gaze travels into both of Lorna's chocolate brown eyes, searching for an honest answer. One more move, and their bodies would be touching. Lorna's bright red lips look so chewy at this moment and her dress that's showing off her cute little figure isn't helping, either.

"What the hell are you doing?" Lorna hisses while ducking under Nicky's right arm. "Are you a crack baby or something, did your mother do crack when she was pregnant with you?"

"You don't know what it's like to be me!" Nicky explodes. "Just try sleeping on the street or at the bus station for one night! I bet you couldn't last a minute!"

"Fine, I will. You're on!"

Nicky's surprised that Lorna's actually taking her up on this. "Really? You're not afraid you'll get dirt all over your pretty dress or even worse, robbed or raped?"

Lorna puts her hand in Nicky's face. "I've stayed out late with friends and my boyfriend before and survived to tell the tale!"

Nicky pushes Lorna's hand away. She hates how naive Lorna is. The younger girl sees the world through rose-colored glasses and probably has never been in a scary situation. Lorna may be in jail, but she's sure not acting like she even knows she is. "That's nothing, kid. You'll be alone, all businesses are closed at dark, so you can't seek shelter, except for maybe under tiny overhangs or creepy, empty parking garages, and it might rain!"

"I'm just as streetwise as you! I'll be fine! I can't help it that you've had a shitty home life!"

"Try to understand my situation, alright? I'm always desperate for the money, so I actually have an excuse for being an asshole. You don't."

"Why don't you spend the night at my house, kill the bugs that come through the cracks on the walls, get my grumpy father into his wheelchair and clean up my mother's messes, she's bedridden! Oh, and my brother makes dirty jokes, and I think you'd probably just get along with my sister! I don't know much about you...I've been raised to believe that drug addicts are awful people who just wanna get others high...and I know that my life has been considerably better than yours because even if I have to help take care of my parents and I grew up poor, I've had a roof over my head and my sister is always there to provide meals and love. I've just been having negative responses to your bitchiness!"

"Okay, you two, you're out!" CO Ford interrupts them. Red is behind him. "I better not see you in here again, am I clear?"

"Yes, sir!" Lorna says brightly. "When's my trial?"

"You'll have to discuss that with your lawyer."

Red's face is stern, but she also looks relieved. "Let's go, girls." The lady gives Lorna a one-armed hug. "That means you too!" She waves Nicky over, but she doesn't budge.

"Nichols, you comin' or not?" Lorna asks.

"No," Nicky mutters flatly.

CO Ford sighs. "Just go home, kid. You've been released. Don't let yourself rot away in this depressing place."

"Please. It hurts me to see you or any child behind bars," Red adds.

"Then get outta here!" Nicky snaps. "I don't need anything from either of you, comprende?"

Lorna shakes her head in disappointment and Red throws her hands up in the air. "You are being moronic, Nicky! Drop the arrogant attitude right now!" She sounds near tears, and Nicky has no idea why.

"What, you wanna be in here your whole life or somethin'?" Lorna asks sharply. "Fine, you idiot! Have fun!"

Nicky chuckles and flips both of them off. "Stop faking that you give a fuck about me, 'kay?"

CO Ford speaks into his walkie-talkie. "Yeah, bring her in." He turns to Nicky. "I'm bringing in someone to replace Morello."

All of a sudden, a muscular, tattooed girl who's much taller than Nicky saunters up to her cell. She's cracking her neck and has a threatening appearance, with furrowed brows, narrowed black slits for eyes, and gritted teeth. She reminds Nicky of Vee when she gets angry. The girl, who looks more like a female bodybuilder around thirty, punches her fist into her palm and clenches her jaw while glaring at Nicky like a vicious animal focused on its prey.

"You mean she'll be with me?" Nicky wonders aloud, attempting to keep the nervousness out of her tone. She also feels her withdrawal symptoms coming on, so if this dangerous-looking criminal wants to beat her up, it'll be her last night on this Earth. CO Ford doesn't answer. He starts to open her cell door.

"Hey, you did drugs at sixteen?" the harsh voice asks. Nicky nods silently while closing her eyes. "So what? I've killed wimps with my own two fists! I can smell a junkie from a mile away! You guys are the most fun. My last victim was a drug mule...he was found with his member sliced open and his girlfriend had her boobs chopped off and her hair was tied around his neck. I stuck a knife in them both. He was my boyfriend, and he cheated on me with her. Even the guards are scared of me...and what I really don't like, are chicks being bailed out by their rich white mommies or lawyers or whoever the hell she is!"

"I'm not going with her!" Nicky exclaims. She wants to test Red. "You wanna clobber the shit outta me, I won't stop you."

"There will be no fighting!" CO Ford shouts as the girl steps forward with her fists raised.

"You better sleep with one eye open, bitch!" she yells. She brushes Nicky's shoulder roughly as she marches into their cell and lays down on a bench.

"You're outta here," Red decides while sliding past CO Ford. She quickly leads Nicky out of the small space with her hand on Nicky's back. Lorna snickers as she and Nicky walk with Red to the car. Nicky mentally sighs with relief.

"Okay, you win...this time. Take me to Vee's, but don't tell her I got arrested...just that I was in a dangerous area. She's my foster mom."

"Okay." Red gives them their bottles of water. "Drink up."

"Why are you doing this if you sold me out in the first place?" Nicky asks. "Tryin' to get brownie points or something, or absolve yourselves of guilt?"

"We didn't say shit to that Nazi soldier!" Lorna exclaims.

Nicky huffs and fidgets in her seat. "Yeah, right!"

"Didn't you see him shove me down roughly?"

"Hmm, maybe you didn't, then."

"Neither did Red."

"Lorna is correct. If I had, I wouldn't have warned you girls he was coming. I can see why you'd accuse us, but even though you're rude, everyone hates Piscatella; he's an asshole. I can see that there's a good girl behind that tough facade of yours. Don't argue with me about this anymore. I'm on your side!" Red tells Nicky. "Now, put your seatbelt on. I'm not gonna have you flying through the windshield if there's an accident."

"Nah, man, I'm badass," Nicky mutters. "I've seen the white light a couple of times...and I'm still here!"

"Just do it, kid," Red says sternly. She turns around and faces Nicky with a look that means she's actually serious. "I will not start this car until I hear that click."

"What the fuck? Drive!" Nicky yells while kicking the back of Red's seat. The Russian woman bops her upside her head. "Jesus, tough crowd," she grumbles while rubbing the back of her head. She has to admit that what Vee and that man had done to her was much more painful. "Why does everyone wanna hurt me?"

"Mouthing off to people is what gets you into trouble, Nicky," Red scolds her. "I asked you to do something reasonable and for your own safety."

"You gotta respect Red," Lorna adds, and Nicky flicks her middle finger at the shorter girl's cheek. "Hey! What was that for?"

"Shut the fuck up," Nicky growls while reluctantly buckling herself in. "Okay, done."

Red finally steps on the gas and begins to drive them home. "I'm going to tell you a story. One time-"

"We won the Cold War over you guys. Yes, we know," Nicky mumbles under her breath while rolling her eyes.

"Lorna, would you smack her for me?" A small, balled up fist rams into Nicky's shoulder.

"There's so much more where that came from," Lorna says.

Nicky scoffs and falls back on the headrest. "Please, that was nothing!"

Red continues. "Do not speak out of turn. There was a spoiled little girl who used to go to our school, named Piper Chapman. She was just like you. She would insult people, even her own friends, and she acted like she was the most important person in the entire world. Her posse would always agree with everything she said and one day, she talked down to the lunch ladies, who consist of me and three others. The rest of the girls were quiet. We took them behind the counter and made them cook with us. We barked orders at them, just like Piscatella and his people. We rushed them in their work, physically pushed them around-the leader, especially-not enough to leave bruises, of course, but they were soon extremely afraid to mess up. They wanted to listen to us...but their yuppie Queen Bee was still not getting it." Red adjusts her rearview mirror so that Nicky can see cold blue eyes glaring back at her own brown ones. "One of my co-workers, Claudette, told her, 'We are grown women who cook your food,' and I said, 'You will not disrespect us-otherwise we won't give you shit!' Gloria, my other right-hand woman ended with, 'You got that?' I slapped a spatula on the stove that was very close to where Piper's idle hands were, and she yelped like a frightened puppy." Lorna nods in affirmation while smirking. "Her friends jumped back, and they learned that the lunch ladies are not to be messed with." Red's voice grows a bit more terrifying. "I let them know about the same thing I'm about to inform you of. I'm part of the mafia and we do organized crimes. I have chopped-up bodies in my freezer. Claudette murdered a man in cold blood and Norma, who doesn't speak, pushed her husband off a cliff. We got away with it, too. Those sons of bitches never stood a chance."

Nicky bursts out into anxious laughter and tries to see if Red is really being honest about this. "Come on, that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! I get teaching this Piper a lesson thing, but killers cannot work with knives and fire without...slaughtering people! That's...that's...fucking crazy, okay? Why would you...how..." Lorna cackles maniacally beside her, but Red keeps a straight face. "Stop trying to be evil! You can't pull the wool over these eyes."

"You don't believe me? I'll show you the proof," Red states. Her red lips turn up into a creepy smile.

"She really will, too," Lorna says as her facial expression darkens. "Personally, I wouldn't look, because it's disgusting, but you can see for yourself."

"I can still hear their screams to this day. Claudette stabbed her victim multiple times with a kitchen knife and cleaned up the evidence. Norma caught that mushroom completely off guard."

"Gross, no thank you. What happened then?" Nicky asks, making sure to push away all the shakiness out of her voice. The effects of not having heroin coursing through her veins are already sinking in, and she doesn't need her nerves to make things worse. She yanks off the cap of her water bottle and takes a long swig since no one is really paying attention to what she's doing. The liquid running down her throat is like heaven. She can sense the stickiness in her mouth vanishing.

"We threatened them not to tell anyone. They know the rules. Piper narrowed her eyes at us and said we didn't want to fuck with her, but I could see that she was embarrassed to show her weakness. She stormed out of the kitchen with the very scared girls following her." Red chuckles and her smile seems nicer now.

"Do you actually, like...do that...to women or children?" Nicky wonders aloud quietly while trying to calm her frantically thumping heart. "How are we still...alive? Just tell me if I need to escape, alright?"

"Of course we don't. You and Lorna are fine with us because we will never cause harm to either one of you. I told you that story simply as a warning to not be a snotrag. The doors are locked, anyway."

"Holy shit!" Nicky guffaws. "Wow! You're criminals..."

"Yeah, so are we, the heroin junkie and the mail scammer," Lorna points out while gesturing to herself and Nicky. "Oh, and in case you couldn't guess, I was one of Piper's friends before she disappeared. Once you get to know Red, Gloria, Claudette, and Norma, you'll find out they're the sweetest and most protective group of women around, just like second moms or aunts to us."

"I just need to wrap my brain around this whole thing," Nicky says. "So...you're kind, but you've done awful things...wait, were they justified?"

"Stick around, and you'll find out." Red answers her.

"Oh, I'm getting out now!" Lorna announces, and she and Red leave the car. "Are you gonna stay there, Nichols?"

"Yeah...I'm not in the best mood right now." Nicky watches from the car's window as they walk up a flight of stairs to a worn-down apartment building. Lorna rings her doorbell and a girl a bit older than Lorna steps out, and Nicky assumes that this is Franny. She wants to run away, but at the same time, she'd like to know what they're saying to each other. Franny appears to be concerned as she adjusts the twisted strap of her little sister's dress and Red tousles Lorna's hair while they both laugh. After Red hugs Lorna, she returns to the car and gets into the driver's seat. Nicky pretends that she'd been staring down at her lap and twiddling her thumbs for the past five minutes.

"Nicky, I'm going to treat you to some dinner. You must be starving!"

"It's okay. Vee will give me it."

"You'll have to give me directions to your house."

"I know, seeing as you've never been there. Go straight up here, then take a left turn, stay on 125th Street, and my place is on your right side." Nicky makes hand motions as she describes which way to go.

"Thank you. Did Vee enroll you into school? Lorna, Alex, and I went to see your sisters at Shake Shack to tell them you were in jail, and they told me that Vee just lets you all run amok and fend for yourselves, basically."

Nicky groans as her eyes flutter rapidly. "Could you just play some music or whatever? This is already too weird. Who even owns a car in New York?"

"I do, but you may have to check the trunk."

"No way! You wouldn't drive around with corpses. I'm aware you're not that dumb. It's just funny, I guess, because...I mean, you barely know me, yet you had money ready to bail me out."

"I have three sons and four girls I consider to be my daughters or nieces. When my children or any members of my family are in trouble, I help them. You remind me of the little girl I wish I had, Nicky."

Nicky feels confused. "Well...I thought I was a mouthy brat."

"You are, but you're also strong-willed and stubborn."

"That I am," Nicky agrees.

"I can see so much potential in you, if you would just stay away from drugs!"

"Sorry," Nicky says sarcastically. "Dope's my thing. Okay, this is me." She exits the car and Red does as well.

"Wait!" Red goes into her car and scribbles something on a piece of paper. She comes back out and hands it to Nicky. "This is my info. I want you to call this number or go to this address if you run into more trouble! That's an order!"

Nicky takes it from Red. "You're very demanding."

"It will be good for you in the long run."

"Oh, you can just drop me off..." She slips her bottle and the paper in the front pocket of her gray sweatshirt.

"Nonsense. This is not a pleasant area to live, especially this late at night. Anything could happen. Did you finish all of your water?"

"It's just half gone. I don't want to have so much that I have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night." It's not like she'll have more at Vee's.

"Good thinking."

She almost loses her balance caused by the combination of the uneven ground, the growing sickness in her stomach, and the clenching of her heart. Red catches her just before her knees can buckle under her. "See? It's not safe here. Are you alright? I don't know if it's the streetlights, but you look very pale...and you just stumbled."

"Yeah, I'm fine...it's this concrete. I forgot to watch my step, I guess," Nicky replies softly while shrugging Red's hands off her forearms, even though she enjoyed the contact and the warmth of the older red-haired Russian woman beside her. Everyone who she gets close to never stays-and they leave when she needs them most. "You know that moment when you're gonna fall, but then you don't?"

"You lose your breath for a moment."

"Exactly. That's what happened to me." Stop talking and being friendly! Nicky commands herself. It'll only lead to crying and missing someone who doesn't give two shits about her. "Anyway, uh, we're wasting time." She briskly walks to where she lives and knocks on the door rapidly while repeatedly ringing the doorbell.

Red giggles next to her. "You are a pest!"

Nicky pauses for a second. "Why?"

"You're making quite a racket!"

"Believe me, this needs to be done."

"You need a house key."

Vee opens the door and stares down at them with scorn while shaking her head. "Nicky, what have you done this time...and who's your friend?"

"I'm one of the workers from the school that Nicky was selling at. You don't need to know my name, just my face." Red points to herself. "Pay attention to me, not her." Nicky sees that there's a scary glint in Red's eyes and her mouth is set in a thin line. "If she gets caught with drugs ever again, I will have you arrested for involving a minor in your heroin dealing business."

Vee sniggers. "Shit. I thought you were just selling all night long and avoiding cops. That's what Taystee said."

"No, I wasn't put in handcuffs or anything," Nicky lies. "There was a school official there yesterday morning who let me off with a warning. They took my stash."

"It was a close call!" Red puts in. "I found Nicky in some alleyway and there was this gang harassing her...so I brought her back here."

"I appreciate that, but you cannot threaten me."

"Oh, yes, I can." Red takes two steps forward so their chests are touching. "You need to keep a better eye on your foster children, otherwise, you'll get CPS banging on your door and the police right behind them with a warrant."

Vee scoffs. "Believe me, commie, you don't want to be fighting with this bitch. Leave my property before I slock you to death!"

Red raises her eyebrow as if to challenge Vee. "So, when you're motionless, would you want to be cut everywhere, or just straight down the middle? It's your choice."

Nicky steps in between them, knowing how frightening both of them can get. "Okay, this is pointless. You hate each other. So what? It doesn't mean you have to use violence." She turns to Red. "Go home and take a nap. It looks like you need one." She swivels around to look at Vee. "I'm hungry, so we should make something together."

Red waves goodbye at Nicky before she takes off in her car. A sharp sting shoots through her face and she topples over from the impact. She hisses in pain and tries to get herself back up, but Vee shoves her foot into Nicky's already aching side. Vee bends down and grabs Nicky's throat. "I told you to make sure you were never busted!"

"I'm sorry!" Nicky chokes out, her eyes welling up with tears. "I-I didn't mean to..." She curls up on the floor while shuddering, but Vee yanks her to her feet. "Please don't hit me anymore..."

She was planning to go out to see if Lorna's really going to take herself on a detour around the dark streets of Brooklyn and discreetly make sure the tiny girl will be okay, but she has no idea how she's going to leave the house now. She can't call Red since Vee will hear, and she's sure that Vee will throw out the water as soon as she notices Nicky drinking it.

It's really back to the old grindstone for her.


"How was your date?" Flaca asks Maritza.

"We didn't mesh well-he's a hoodlum and wants to hide drugs inside chickens so we could get doped up during school hours. I wanna smoke pot, but not anywhere near Martin Van Buren High!"

"Girl, me too. It's a good thing you're not gonna be around him no more."

Maritza nods. "Yeah, he can't be nothin' useful to me." She puts her hand on Flaca's cheek, and leans forward so their foreheads are touching and they're staring into each other's eyes. Maritza presses her lips to Flaca's quickly while giggling. Flaca jumps back at the sudden contact.

"What was that for? I'm with Ian..."

"I'm sorry, I was kissing you jokingly...I thought you'd laugh, too," Maritza says awkwardly while joining Flaca on her bed. "I know you have a boyfriend...there were no feelings behind it or nothin'. It's no different than the time we got drunk at camp and made out 'cause you were sad that he wasn't writing to you."

"Maybe he thought I was cheating on him...and that's why he was distant."

"I doubt that! I understand why you pulled away...I didn't mean to surprise you like that."

"It's okay."

"I never told you what it was really like for me, ditching Geometry," Maritza says suddenly.

"I thought you did at lunch?" Flaca asks her.

"No...I just kinda need to warn you. I know that I always need to hold someone's hand while going to my classes because I'm really scared to even run into that monster, and Alex is with me until I get into my Geometry class...but this time, she just dropped me off in the backroom of the cafeteria's kitchen. So, I go there, right, and I hide inside a big cabinet. I fit perfectly. I close it, and then someone opens it. Gloria kneels down in front of me and she's got the most panicked look on her face...she says in the quietest whisper, that them protecting me in there is the equivalent of when people used to hide Jews from the Nazis. If the bad men were to ever come in, which they do at random, they'd get suspicious once the lunch ladies started guarding their cabinets. She told me to hurry and take the bus to Starbucks where she'd hoped Franny was working today, so I did. I had to watch out for the enemy...and the cafeteria workers were always on the lookout for those assholes leaving campus. They're gonna keep in contact with whoever does it on each day because this is a dangerous thing they're doing! I was probably shaking the whole time until I made it to the bus." Maritza doesn't think she's taken a breath until now.

"I'm sorry you were the guinea pig," Flaca murmurs guiltily.

Maritza shrugs. "It's okay...it was my choice, after all."

"Thanks for preparing the rest of us, though...so we gotta be stealthy and just go right out of the building."

"Yep!"

Maritza scoots into Flaca's lap, but when she leans on her friend's thighs, Flaca lets out a shriek of excruciating agony and then whimpers, "Ow, ow..."

"Shit, did I gain super strength overnight?" Maritza gets off of her immediately. She knows Flaca is skinny, but Maritza's certainly not strong enough to hurt her. Flaca's still wincing and gasping in and out deeply.

"No...I-I'm fine..." she stammers.

"You've been extra sensitive lately, and I know you're not on your period because I always get it at the same time as you. I'm also aware that you don't cut yourself."

"We've only been in each other's lives for two months!"

"I have used your thighs as drums before and it's never bothered you. You flinched when we stopped kissing. You went on a tyrant about men when you've never even been made fun of! In fact, you love when you get attention from dudes!" Maritza had noticed Flaca's red and black chunky necklace, along with elastic bangles of all different colors decorating her wrists. She never really thought there might be bruises under the pieces of jewelry, but when she takes a closer look, she can see them, and she gasps sharply. "Oh my god..."

"Please, don't..." Flaca murmurs while turning away from her.

The signs are right there, and Maritza feels dumb for not being very observant while Flaca is slowly breaking inside. Flaca never wants to go home for some reason-which Maritza had chalked up to teen angst, her reaction about every shitty thing that guys had done to her friends was a full-blown panic attack, and she had a nightmare, which she'd passed off to Maritza as being about seeing Piper's dead body and someone making her touch it. Someone at her house must be hurting her, but Maritza doesn't know who it could be since Flaca just lives with her mom and her two lazy, television-watching brothers. "What happened to you?"

"Fuck off, Maritza," Flaca says weakly and covers herself with one of Maritza's purple blankets as she lays down.

"No...I won't. I'm not gonna just ignore...can you please just show me where it hurts?" Maritza strokes Flaca's hair gently. Tears leak out of the other girl's eyes, and Maritza does her best to hold her own back.

Flaca shakes her head no and her breath trembles. "I-I can't..."

"It's not that I don't enjoy having you here...I do...but why are you staying anywhere but your home? Are your brothers...abusing you?"

"No!" Flaca shouts. "I just need a break from my family..."

"How come?" Something clicks inside Maritza's head. "Your mom...she's dating Humps, isn't she? That's why you wanted to make-"

"No, no, stop guessing!"

"I wouldn't have to play twenty questions if you'd just tell me. There's a difference between respecting your privacy and letting some horrible person get away with their crimes. Besides, you can't just live out of your house for the rest of your life...it really looks like you're trying to run away."

"I'm not," Flaca mumbles, "and it won't be forever...just for a month, and then he leaves."

"That's a long time. Who are you talking about?"

Flaca slides her pants down to her knees while her eyes are closed. "The animal who calls himself my uncle...he did this to me on Wednesday night..."

Huge, reddish-purple marks in the shapes of handprints wrap around Flaca's thighs where his grip must have been as he held her down and raped her. Maritza's heart breaks for her and her blood boils. "¿Qué mierda? You should tell your mom," she encourages Flaca while laying down next to her and putting her arm around Flaca's waist. "Am I the first person you've talked to about this?"

"Yes...and I really don't want to mention it to her. He was my favorite uncle. I had to lie and say I wasn't really tight with him anymore and it was weird being around him..."

"Well, that's true," Maritza murmurs. "He's a scumbag creep!"

"The reason for it is false! It wasn't because we no longer had the same values or whatever. My mom's just always been grateful to him...he's her step-brother and he always helps her out...he even got her the sewing job." Flaca conceals her face with her hands and wails, "Why would he do this to her only daughter? We didn't do nothin' to deserve it! All I did...all I did was treat him with respect! I loved him!" Her voice cracks at the end of her sentence.

"I know you did," Maritza says gently.

"I'm ruined!"

"No, you aren't! You're still the prettiest and most badass chick I know! He's just a fuckin' bastard! He don't mean nothin' to you no more."

"Yeah, but he-he bought me treats, taught me how to fish, introduced me to cool music...I think it was all for show...he said I was a grown-up now, so that made it okay...but it wasn't...it wasn't!" Flaca shrieks. "Don't make me call my mom...please, Mari, ain't nobody gonna force me ever, ever again! I'll sleep over at Ian's tomorrow after the party...and-and um, I'll give her a ring on Sunday. I need you to be with me, though, okay? I want you holding my hand and shit."

"I will. I promise." Maritza attempts to swallow the huge lump expanding inside her throat, but it's too late now. She starts sobbing along with Flaca.

Thank you for reading and reviewing, HannahMileyfan1, cornedout, charmedwerewolf, A Star In My Universe, and sxpphic!