Thank you for beta'ing, A Star In My Universe! Warning: mentions of child abuse and someone gets killed.

"Gotcha something," Leon says, pulling out a bouquet of gorgeous flowers from behind his back. They're a nice mix of roses, violets, and lilies. Aleida takes them from his hand and smiles widely.

"Thank you, they're so beautiful!" she murmurs, beaming.

"You're very welcome. You look so nice in your dress. Purple's a good color on you," Leon praises her.

"I spent a while getting ready," Aleida confesses while smirking proudly. "I wanted to look sexy."

"Well, you succeeded."

"You're really handsome in your tux!" she says, gesturing to Leon's outfit.

"I appreciate the compliment."

"This is my girl, Gloria Mendoza, my oldest daughter, Dayanara, and the rest of our kids are scattered around the apartment. Let's see, that's Christina, and these are Emiliano, Benito, and Julio," Aleida introduces everyone who has now gathered around the foyer. "You don't have to remember all that."

He waves at them with a grin. "That's okay, I was happy to put names to faces."

"I'll take these and put 'em in a vase," Gloria tells them. "Don't keep her out too late...she has to get up at six tomorrow morning!" At this, Aleida groans. What is Gloria, her mother? "Have fun!"

"Oh, don't worry, I'll bring her back home by ten. I've got an early work day, too." Leon taps his silver watch. "I always wear this so I'm on time."

"We're goin' out for oysters! Toodeloo, kids! Adiós, Mama," Aleida says teasingly to Gloria while pushing Leon out the door. "Oh my god, how can someone your own age be so bossy?"

"It's one of the annoying parts of life!"

"I know...anyway, Upstate Craft Beer and Oyster Bar in New York City we go!"

He opens his passenger door for her. "Your chariot awaits, milady."

"Are you serious?" Aleida rolls her eyes, even though she's swooning inside at his chivalry. "That is so nineteen hundreds!"

"I don't joke around when it comes to a gorgeous woman I like." At his response, she hides her blushing cheeks with her hair and can't help but giggle. He waits until she enters his car, shuts the door, goes to the other side, gets behind the wheel, presses his foot onto the gas pedal, and then begins to drive.

All of her negative thoughts about African Americans had gone out the window when she'd first seen Leon. He'd worn Wrangler jeans when he'd gone to her house, and she wishes he'd taken his shirt off.


"I'm not a cutter!" Lorna insists as she and the girls sit in a circle on Flaca's bedroom floor. "I just bleed for the men I love! I was gonna write Christopher's whole name on my arm, but it got too painful after the first letter, and then, I realized it wouldn't fit, so that's why I just drew our initials and made a heart around them. On my other arm, I did the same thing, but I put V. M. instead of C.M.!"

"We get that you're heartbroken, Lorna, but there's alternatives without harming yourself," Flaca begins. "Like, I know I'm emo...but I wouldn't resort to cutting."

Before Lorna can get a word in, the girls are all throwing in ideas of what she could do if she's feeling depressed enough to injure herself.

"You could hold or squeeze ice," Nicky adds.

"Splash your face with water," Maritza puts in.

"Get a rubber band and snap it against your skin," Daya suggests. "It could hurt, though it's better than other ways that people usually choose to self-harm."

"Take a hot shower or bath," Alex chimes in.

"Eat somethin' sour like a lemon or sour lollipop . It'll take your mind off the urge," Flaca tells Lorna.

"Massage where you wanna self-harm," Nicky advises.

"Get a red pen or red paint and draw or paint over where you usually self-harm," Daya recommends.

"Remind yourself as to why you shouldn't do it...you'll have scars, it harms organs, leaves memories, and all that," Maritza informs.

"Describe what you're feeling. Is the urge or pain in your chest, fists, legs, arms, head, what?" Alex wonders out loud. "Think about it."

"I'm not down or anything. I'm not hurting myself either, I promise. I'm fine, girls! You don't gotta worry about me! Why don't we tell each other secrets? Me first...I regularly buy expensive clothes and shoes online, claim that I never received them, and then demand a full refund. It saves money and gets me cute stuff to wear!"

"That's mail fraud! You could go to jail!" Nicky exclaims, faking that she has no idea what Lorna did.

"Oh, and what do you call smokin' crack and takin' hits of heroin?" Lorna snaps back. "Don't judge me!"

"Yeah, I mean, that seems cool...it's not like you know the people personally," Flaca agrees. "I'm thinkin' of vandalizing Humps' property!"

"I'mma steal his car," Maritza joins in. "If you wanna smoke somethin', though, Nicky, it's gotta be pot!"

"Don't encourage her!" Lorna hisses. "Anyway...who's next?"

"Uh, well, something I've never told anyone except Piper, is that I was in foster care for a year until the caseworker croaked and the temp got drunk," Daya confesses.

"How'd she squeeze that one outta you?" Lorna inquires.

"Yeah...she snuck into the school late at night to read the school records with everyone's files so she could find out some juicy information about the poor kids she bullied, and she discovered that little fact about me. Of course, she wanted to know what happened and how I was able to return home, so I told her."

"Wow, so nosy of her!" Maritza states.

"She was," Flaca mutters. "She never shared any of her secrets with us, but she knew all of ours."

"That's a bit unfair," Nicky tells them. "Did you ask, but she just refused to spill?"

"Mm-hm," Alex says.

"I had crabs, like two weeks ago, but I was treated for 'em," Flaca joins in, and Nicky wrinkles her nose in disgust.

"Oh, gross," Lorna mutters. "You poor thing!"

"You mean like, the STD?" Maritza asks.

"Yeah, my partner didn't get tested," Flaca answers sourly.

"Ew, that sucks...I hope they're gone!" Daya exclaims.

Flaca leans back on her hands. "Same here."

"My first kiss was with Piper when we were fourteen and reading a book together in the library, but then she told me that she was into guys!" Alex says. "I don't know why she'd do that...I was into her, but she was cold to me the next time I flirted with her. She led me on and told me she was just practicing."

"That was mean," Lorna points out. "She could've used a dummy or her hand, but instead, knowing that you had feelings for her, she chose to lock lips with ya, and it wasn't even real."

"How manipulative of her!" Nicky comments.

"Typical Piper," Daya and Flaca mutter at the same time.

"While I was homeless, I had sex at thirteen with an older girl who was a prostitute...and we did heroin. I wanted to see what the fuss was about...and I needed to have some fun," Nicky informs the girls.

"So that's how it all started," Lorna realizes out loud. "Well, ya know, if she was eighteen or over, that woulda been rape, consensual or not...and how dare she give those icky drugs to a child!"

"I begged for both her pussy and her smack, kid," Nicky assures Lorna. "She kept making sure I was okay with all that. Well, she was a hooker anyway, so she'd get arrested for that...and she was hot, so of course, I wanted her. She never told me her age, but she looked about twenty. She could've been seventeen, though, I dunno...her parents kicked her out for being a lesbian."

"Was it a one night stand, or did you date for a while?" Alex wants to know.

"We fucked a few times, and she helped me move to my next destination, Massachusetts...see, I planned to travel all over the world for the rest of my life. I would never spend longer than maybe a week in the same place. I'd get bored."

"So, you were like a wandering nomad?" Maritza wonders out loud.

"Pretty much, yeah."

"That's really cool, it's like, you get to see and experience everything!" Flaca exclaims, her eyes growing wide.

A huge grin spreads across Nicky's face. "Exactly! I had no one tellin' me what to do...I was my own boss!"

"Didn't it get hard at times?" Daya asks.

"Of course, I mean, you got your awful weather, the occasional fuckwad, not enough money for a train ticket or bus fare, no food for a while, dirty clothes that smelled so bad it made you sick, and dope almost killing you, but overall, it wasn't that horrible. I'd usually find ways to keep myself strong and healthy out there. Yep, runnin' away from home was the best thing I've ever done. My parents were divorced, we lost touch with my dad, and I've got mommy issues like you wouldn't believe. It would take me like, years to explain."

"Why is your name Nicky Nichols?" Lorna wants to know.

"Yeah, I've always wondered about that!" Alex adds.

"That makes you sound like a cartoon character," Flaca murmurs, and she and Maritza snicker while hitting each other lightly.

"Don't laugh! Marka, my birth mom, was so lazy in naming me...it's actually Nicole, but I prefer Nicky."

"Oh, well, that makes sense. She sounds worse than mine, and that's saying somethin'," Daya responds.

"So, uh...your turn, Sofia Vergara," Nicky says, gesturing to Maritza, and the girls chuckle. "There's a resemblance."

"Thanks...uh, well, I'm bisexual. I've been, I dunno...having feelings about chicks as well as dudes...like I don't just think they're aesthetically pleasing or hot in general...I've had fantasies of girls going down on me...or massaging my breasts. I used to think I was straight, but now...I'm not so sure," Maritza admits shyly.

"I called it!" Nicky shouts. Off the girls' confused stares, she adds, "There was just a vibe I felt at the party...I could tell you weren't one hundred percent hetero!"

"Yeah, she knew I was a lesbian before I even told her!" Alex backs up Nicky's statement.

"That's neat!" Flaca remarks. She turns to Maritza. "You know we'll support you, Mari!"

"I appreciate it."

"Have you come out to your mom yet?" Lorna asks.

"No, I'm worried she'll think I'm confused, and since I'm single, she might say I just don't know what I am. I should wait until I get a boyfriend or girlfriend."

"Your mom isn't judgmental like that, Mari," Flaca murmurs.

"She'll be fine with it, but I'm not gonna tell her until I'm ready. I should say something before my quinceañera, though..."

"You can wait as long as you want. I didn't have a special someone at mine," Daya lets Maritza know.

"That blows!"

"No, it was fine, actually!"

"Okay, we've all kinda gotten off track here...Lorna, please tell me you didn't go through with your plan," Nicky begs while pressing her hands together.

"It's gonna work...and it's too late to stop me now! If this was some kind of intervention, I'm going home! I can't have y'all up in my grill."

"Christopher's a jerk! I got no clue why you adore him so much!" Flaca protests.

"Don't call him that!" Lorna retaliates. "You know, I came here to have fun, but you've just made it dramatic, and I hate drama! I'm going to be prom queen to Christopher's prom king come senior year!"

"He was laughing at the fact that you wiped out on the floor!" Daya retorts. "We all wanted to beat the shit out of him!"

"Yeah, right! Nice story you fabricated for yourselves!" is Lorna's sarcastic remark.

"I can't believe you! We wouldn't make something like this up!" Maritza cries.

"I am hopelessly devoted to him! I'm in love with him!" Lorna stresses while clutching her heart.

"You are strange, Lorna...he's clearly in love with Angela," Alex points out.

Lorna makes a face. "Like I even care. He'll come around, maybe next week. He'll realize that I am the girl for him. None of you know shit about love! Christopher and I are together forever! If you wanna take her side, fine! I don't care what you say, I'm going out with him anyway!" she chants. She shoots the girls a dirty look, jumps to her feet and walks out of Flaca's bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her.

"Jesus Christ," Nicky grumbles, wanting to bash her head into a wall because of Lorna's actions. The others look just as annoyed. "She's fuckin' delusional. We were all having a great time until I unleashed her Christopher-obsessed side...I'm sorry, guys...I obviously didn't know she'd react like that..."

"Neither did we. You were just trying to help," Alex murmurs, patting Nicky's arm supportively.

"She doesn't get over dudes that easily," Flaca mutters.

"We should've warned you, but it never got this bad before," Daya adds. "I can't say anything else...that's her story to tell."

"It's her depression," Maritza states sadly. "I don't know what else to do..."

"We can't just go on pretending that she doesn't need help! I wonder if she has a therapist," Nicky muses.

"She's probably gonna talk to Healy at school, but he'll be as useful as a bikini in the snow," Alex replies.

"In the meantime, while her idea unravels, how do we deal with Christopher and Angela's backlash, let 'em know that Lorna's battling depression?" Daya questions them.

"I don't think they'll let her off the hook...they don't seem all that understanding, which is quite ableist!" Maritza answers.

"Yeah...maybe we'll stop pushing her...see if she gets a wake-up call when they're rude to her face or somethin'," Flaca suggests.

"Okay, but some, or one of us, should be with her since I don't want her to get beat up!" Nicky proclaims.

The girls agree on that, and then Alex has to leave for dinner with her mother and Sylvie. Nicky goes to an empty part of Queens with the Latinas to smoke pot because they all really need to get high, even Daya, who apparently had sworn never to even touch a cigarette.


"How are you liking it here, Sylvie?" Diane asks Alex's girlfriend as she serves the seafood.

"Oh, just awesome, Ms. Vause. It's so nice to finally formally meet the woman who's raised such a wonderful girl!" Sylvie squeezes Alex's hand and smiles.

"Well, it's a pleasure meeting you, too." Diane sits down and they all start eating. "Call me Diane, please. I'm only Ms. Vause to the students at Martin Van Buren High."

"You're a super rockin' mom, how could I forget?" Sylvie claps her hand over her forehead. "Alex says you work at Friendly's, and I've probably seen you around school."

"That's correct. I'm a waitress and I also teach English to freshmen. I assume you're a sophomore, like Alex?"

"Yeah, I am."

"Tell her about wanting to rebel against your conservative parents," Alex mutters to Sylvie as they play footsie under the table.

"Oh, right, uh, well, my mom and dad voted Republican, and I'm a secret Democrat, but I don't wanna mention that to them, or the fact that I'm a lesbian, otherwise, they'd send me to some stupid place where idiots would try to turn me straight. I feel like dyeing my hair or starting or joining a rock band to send them a message! I hate church...I don't feel accepted there, like, at all. I need to get emancipated from my parents, pronto!"

"You should explain that to them," Diane recommends. "If they love you, they will listen and understand."

"What if I get thrown out?" Sylvie asks, concerned.

"You can live with us," Alex says kindly, and Diane nods in agreement.


"Can you roll down the side windows? It's hot!" Aleida fans herself for effect and shrugs out of her white sweater.

"Yeah, no prob." He does as she asks, and she laughs out loud as the wind whips through her hair. "So, Aleida..." He draws out her name as if he's testing it out, and she thinks it's sexy. "That's a pretty name. Anyone ever call you Lei, like the flower necklaces they wear in Hawaii?" She had expected him to say because you're an easy lay, but to her surprise, he hadn't.

"Thanks...and no, I just like Aleida. Leon means lion in Spanish...it fits you. You're strong and brave like one." She winks at him.

"That's cool, well, I guess our parents called us the right names!"

"Yeah!"

"What do you do for work, by the way?"

She's caught off guard at his question. It had never occurred to her that he'd care to ask, but it probably should've. "I'm gonna start my job at the kitchen cafeteria tomorrow...my life has been quite a mess lately...you don't need to hear it. Let's just enjoy whatever we got goin' for us here."

"I've got all night to listen, that is, if you want to tell me."

She wraps her arms around her middle. "Maybe at the restaurant."

He glances at her in concern. "I'm sorry if I said anything-"

"No, it's just...a lot of shit's gone down." She reaches out to grab his hand and place her fingers through his, letting her silver bracelet clink against his watch. "Let's listen to music."

"Okay," he agrees.

"I didn't mean to ruin the mood," Aleida mumbles bitterly.

"It's not your fault." Leon gives her hand a comforting squeeze.

When they get to the place, he helps her get into her sweater and they link arms while walking there. Then, Leon opens the door to let Aleida in first. She gazes around in wonder. "I don't think I've been here before..."

"I'm a first-timer, too." Leon gets the maitre d's attention and tells him, "Table for two in the back, please."

It's a secluded area with a table decorated with candles and roses. She'd be on one end and he'd take his spot on the other. Leon pulls out Aleida's chair for her and she smiles as she sits down. "Thank you, sir."

"You're very welcome, ma'am," he answers, and they both chuckle. They order their drinks and then when his beer and her red wine arrive, she takes a few sips as he guzzles his beverage. The alcohol isn't doing much to settle her nerves, as she still has butterflies dancing around her belly.

"I used to pack heroin," she blurts out. Her knees jiggle with anticipation at what he'll say about this.

He explodes into booming laughter. "You've gotta be kidding me!"

"It's not a joke!" Aleida snaps. "If that turns you off-"

"I apologize...I've never been on the wrong side of the law before, nor have I been with anyone who's committed a crime, so this is kinda new for me," he says silently. "I'm interested to know more." Leon starts to trace invisible patterns on her open palm, and she's so relieved that he isn't running for the hills or even asking if she's an ex-con, although, he may be thinking it.

"I've never had a job because I'm good at shit nothin'."

"That can't be true."

"No, it is." Aleida stares at the table and switches between toying with her bracelet and a strand of her hair. "All my boyfriends have been drug dealers and Dayanara called the police on one of 'em...I guess she was scared of him or somethin'...he threatened Gloria with a gun, but whenever he does that, he never shoots. He don't call me from prison, and when Daya and I visited him, we saw some bitch with him...I wanted to slap her face off! The worst part is, this still would've happened if I got arrested to save his ass!" She balls her hands up into fists and resists the urge to bang the table since she doesn't want to knock their drinks over. Instead, she lets out a muffled whimper through her clenched teeth and wills herself not to cry. She doesn't want to make Leon think he's the rebound guy-because he isn't. He's just a friend with benefits. After all, dating isn't marriage.

"I'm glad you're here instead."

"Where are you going?" she asks as he gets up out of his chair.

"Want a massage?"

"That would be great...thank you." She watches him stride up behind her and she breathes in and out shakily as he kneads her tense shoulder bones with his large hands. She leans into him and sighs deeply in content.

"Maybe it's better that he's not around anymore if he's gonna make your loved ones' lives miserable and cheat on you. I understand how much you wanna blame the other chick, but really, he's the asshole for treating both of you like side whores."

"Cesar's always been a player...it's just the way he is...all men are." She swallows hard, and the lump going down her throat is painful. "I gotta deal with it...he says I got no reason to be a green eyed monster 'cause I'm his woman. Besides that, I'm with you, so who cares if he's fuckin' sluts?"

Once Leon returns to his seat, his body heat disappears, and she longs for him to touch her again. Her need is fulfilled when he skims his thumbs along her fingers, which are splayed out on the table, and Aleida can't stop smiling. "Real men don't make you doubt them or yourself. What he's doing hurts you, I can see that. If you were my steady girlfriend, Aleida, you'd be the only one in my bed. I would never give you a reason not to trust me. I'm not violent, especially towards women and children. I'm not asking you to be mine, because it's way too soon and you have someone, but I want you to be aware that you deserve so much better."

He's gazing into her eyes as he says this. Her heart squeezes and then expands twice its size. There's a tightening in her stomach, but she also feels like she's floating. She giggles, and it's not from the wine, since she's only had a little bit. "Thank you! I am gonna have a few words with that motherfucker...demand he talks to me over the phone and not just when I visit him. As for the other shit, he's not dangerous with a gun...he uses it as a warning, and last time I got upset that he was with yet another cunt, he called me a jealous bitch. They all mean nothing to him anyway."

"Tell him you're just being normal...it's natural to want a loyal boyfriend. See, I don't get that...you got a girl, you're supposed to treasure her, not betray her! That's what my parents always said!"

"It does seem real nice...but he's just not ready for commitment, and that's whatever, I ain't pushing him!" She picks up her glass, lets the wine spill into her mouth, and swallows hard as it burns her throat. It's starting to sink in that Cesar is kind of a douchebag because not only did Gloria, who's traumatized by men, tell her, Leon, a guy, had said the same thing.

"Threatening to shoot someone...I'm sorry, but that sounds like he's got serious problems! You know what, if I'd been there, I'd punch that gun out of his fuckin' hands and kick his ass!"

Aleida had thought before that Daya was making a big deal about it and that Gloria was afraid because she'd been abused before and she had no idea what he was going to do, but maybe Leon is right. Even when she'd told him Cesar wouldn't do anything, Leon still thinks her on-and-off boyfriend is scary. Still, she loves him. "You just don't know him. He doesn't take being challenged well."

He takes a few drinks of his beer and exhales slowly. "You gotta tell me the story behind your scorpion tattoo."

She touches it lightly. "Why does there have to be one?"

Leon shrugs. "I was just curious."

"You got any tattoos?"

"Nope."

"Anything weird happen at your job?" she wonders out loud.

"Well, we did find a hand under a pile of dirt," he says uncomfortably. "It made me gag afterwards."

Aleida scrunches up her face, wishing she hadn't asked. "I'm sure! A hand...a human hand, just by itself? Like, chopped off the..." She drags her fingernail across her wrist.

"I don't need to make you lose your appetite."

"Thanks, that's probably a good idea..."

They both sigh with exhilaration as their food is brought to them. They wolf it down and can hardly wait for the brownie sundae.

"Ooooh! It came with fudge!" she squeals excitedly as the bored waitress sets it down in between them. She grabs her spoon and clinks it against his. "Gobble up before I eat it all!"

"I'll probably be eating more than you. We construction workers need all the muscle we can get!"

"You got plenty of muscle, trust me," she says with a smile playing along her lips.

It turns out they'd eaten the same amount and were both satisfied. They leave the restaurant with a different kind of hunger.

As they hold hands while walking, they bump into each other a few times. She's feeling horny, and she can see that he is, too. Right when they get to the car, Aleida rests against it and pulls his hips to hers. Leon seems surprised at her bold move, so he stumbles toward her and places his hands on either side of her. His eyes travel from her eyes to her mouth.

"Hey there, Mr. Sexy, whatcha thinkin'?"

"I'm starting to like you as more than just a friend," he murmurs huskily.

"Get your face down here so we can kiss!"

"You have a boyfriend..."

Aleida scoffs. "Fuck, I'm so mad at him...we're unofficially broken up as of now!"

He doesn't answer her, but instead, lifts her high in the air so their lips can meet and mold together passionately. It's better than she'd ever imagined. Her eyes flutter closed and a warmth quickly spreads through her entire being. She hooks her arms around his neck and her legs straddle his waist. She's able to tell that his cock is straining beneath his pants as he rocks them back and forth.

"We need to...get to someplace private..." he whispers against her jawline.

"Yes..." she answers breathlessly. "I want you to fuck my brains out...deep dick...please, just do me so good we break the bed or somethin' and walkin' is hard after..."

"I can't wait for a bed," he mutters. "I don't want to really injure you, so let me know if I'm being too rough." He gets the backseat door open while they continue to make out. He crashes onto the seat, and she lands on top of him. He helps her free out of her sweater and dress. They cover the windows with her clothes. She nearly falls apart as he runs his hands up and down her body while kissing every part of her, sucking hard on a few areas, causing her to squeak, and then caressing the distressed skin with his tongue. She gasps softly as he rubs his thumb along the fabric of her panties, hurriedly soaking it. He also masturbates with his free hand, and it's hot.

"Oh my god...mmm..." she moans while arching her back. His hand disappears completely inside her panties and his fingers crawl up into her wet pussy. Her legs clamp together tightly against his large wrist, and she feels like she's soaring out of herself. "Leon...yes, yes...aaaaah! I'm coming!" she shrieks as her juices gush out of her. "Fuck, that was...ohhh..."

"Your screams of pleasure sound like heaven," he says while licking his fingers.

"Please don't ever stop touching me," she begs while nuzzling her cheek into his shoulder.

"I won't. Aleida, you're too beautiful not to be adored."

She melts at his words, but doesn't dare show it. They both take off his shirt and jacket in one swift move, and she instantly starts licking his delicious abs and squeezing his biceps. "Damn, you've got nice muscles...it turns me on how you're so burly!" Aleida mumbles into his chest. Then, she undoes his button and zipper on his pants. He pulls out a condom from his pocket. "I guess I gotta put that on..." She opens it and Leon kneels over her while wiggling down his pants and boxers so his penis is dangling above her. It's so big that it makes Cesar's look like a pencil. She slides the condom over his shaft and after slipping her panties down her legs, he carefully glides himself into her. He starts thrusting, but he protects her head from hitting the side of the door.

Wave after wave of her orgasm crashes over her, and her legs shake with how fast he's going. She trembles with excitement and grips his firm ass cheeks while pleading for more. When she can barely talk through her squeals, he pauses his actions. "Do you want me to stop? I can't make you sore...I care way too much about your well being."

"Pfft, no!"

As they continue to bang, he reaches around her and unclasps her lacy black strapless bra. It slides off her and she tosses it aside.

"You like my tits?" She's always been ashamed of her small breasts. "Should I get enhancements?"

"They're perfect," Leon tells her. "You can get them enlarged if you want, but they're perky and sexy enough." He kneads her nipple on one boob between his index finger and thumb and then massages it with his whole hand while sucking on the other one.

"Yeah, keep going..."

He flips them over so she's riding him this time. "Oh, baby, that feels good...all sweaty on top of me..."

She firmly holds on to his shoulders as she grinds on his rock hard erection. Her breasts jiggle every which way and he tries to catch them in his mouth while grabbing her butt. "Spank me and make hickeys on my boobies!" she commands him enthusiastically. "I've been a very naughty girl!"

"Mm-hm, you're real bad!" He fulfills her desires, and then, she gives him a hand job.

"You want a blowie?"

"God, yes!"

Aleida scoots down his body and starts treating his sausage like a lollipop. He massages the back of her head and lets out sighs of pleasure every once in a while. When she stops because the position she's in is uncomfortable, he brings her up so they can cuddle and kiss. She loves the heat emanating from both of them, she's enjoying him trailing his fingers from her vagina to her ass crack, and she's amazed that his lips haven't left hers once. They're literally attached at the hip, and she doesn't feel at all guilty for cheating on Cesar. In fact, sex and this special moment with Leon have made things a little less hectic for her.


"Clean up, clean up, everybody do your share!" Gloria instructs the children in a singsong voice as she plays music to make the process more fun. There are toys and books littering the pink carpet in the living room, and she wants it neat before they go to sleep. She turns off the television and gets up from the tan chair with black zig-zag lines. The kids bounce up and down on the yellow and brown couch a few times and land on their feet in front of the low wooden table.

"Can I still be a princess and wear my piggy-tails?" Christina asks.

"Of course, sweetie, but you gotta take off your tiara when your head hits your pillow."

"Then I won't be one," she mumbles sadly.

"You're always a princess, with or without it!" Gloria hands Christina her Barbie doll. "Now pick up the rest of your stuff and put it away, please. It's time for beddy-bye."

"Daya lets us stay up til nine."

"Well, it's a school night, and I'm not your big sissy. We got different rules. I want you to get a full ten hours of shuteye. Let's go, nena, y'all got a big day tomorrow!"

"We wanna play dinosaurs!" Benny shouts, and his brother and Emiliano let out fake roars. "Julio keeps hogging the green one, Mama! Emilio took my orange! I want another turn!"

"You can play with Christina in kindergarten, little man. Right now, though, I'd like it if you could toss one in the box. Two points if you make the shot!"

"Emilio, Julio, she wants us to throw our things in there," Benny says, pointing to a toybox. "Watch me!" He plucks the plastic orange dinosaur out of Julio's tiny hands and hurls it into the toybox. "Yay, I scored!" Gloria smiles while giving her oldest son a hi-five.

"Great job, buddy!"

"Thanks, Mommy." He takes it out and hands it back to Julio. "Now you try!"

The boys toddle over to it and drop the items inside. "All done, Mama's friend!" Christina announces.

Gloria claps for them and beams. "You guys did really good!" She ushers Christina and Benny to their bunk bed and changes the two-year-olds before putting them in their respective cribs and kissing them good night. She tucks the older children into their bottom bunks and makes sure the comforters are snug around them both so they're wrapped up in them like burritos. "Brand new beds with fresh, clean sheets...what do you think?" she asks while sitting on Benny's bed.

"I love it!" Benny exclaims.

"Love it!" Christina echoes.

"Fantastic! ¡Buenas noches, niños!" She pecks Benny's forehead and cheeks while ruffling his hair, and gives him a raspberry kiss on his belly, making him giggle. He presses a light kiss on her cheek. "All set for kindergarten?"

Good night, kids!

"¡Noche, mamá, te amo! Yes, I am!"

Night, Mama, I love you!

"Wonderful! ¡Yo también te quiero, cariño!"

I love you too, sweetie!

She goes over to Christina, perches herself next to her, and plays with her hair a little as she gives her the same affection that Benny got. Christina squeaks adorably when Gloria tickles her belly gently. She'd been careful not to startle the little girl too much. She taps Christina's nose playfully, and Christina imitates her, placing her teeny finger on Gloria's nose. Gloria brushes her knuckles against the side of Christina's face.

"Buenas noches, sweet girl. I'll see you in the morning!"

"Bye-bye," Christina mumbles.

Gloria stands up and tiptoes out of the room while turning off the lamp, leaving only the purple nightlight on to shine in the room and display a pattern of circulating stars and moons on the ceiling. She gets herself ready for bed and is about to go to sleep, when she hears bawling and a short figure appears at her door. Quickly, she flips the switch so it's easier to see. Aleida's youngest daughter has tear-streaked cheeks as she stands there and wails for a few seconds. Gloria kneels down in front of her and places her hands on the girl's shoulders. "Christina...what's wrong, baby?"

"I had a bad dream and went potty in my pants," Christina mutters so quietly that Gloria has to strain her ears.

Shit. She wipes the tears off Christina's cheeks with her fingers. "Alright, you had an accident...it's okay, nothing to be ashamed of. You know nightmares ain't real, right?"

"Yes."

Gloria takes Christina by the hand and leads her back to her room. She opens the dresser drawers and finds another pajama set and underwear. "Go to the bathroom and change, and then I'll cuddle with you until you go back to sleep."

"I tried to give her a hug, but she kept crying," Benny says tiredly as Gloria strips Christina's bed and gives her new light pink sheets and a Barbie comforter.

"That was very nice of you, kiddo. She's real sad, though, but I'll take care of her. Sweet dreams!"

Benny flops down into a sleeping position again, and Gloria walks to the bathroom where Christina has just come out, mutely holding her soiled undies. Gloria puts them in the laundry room and helps Christina wash her hands. The child reaches her arms out and Gloria picks her up and carries her to her own bed.

"I scared..."

"You're nervous to start kindergarten?" Gloria questions her.

"No..." Christina gazes up at Gloria in wonder as she snuggles into her side. "I was afraid of a monster coming in our room."

"They don't exist, honey. You don't gotta worry about that!"

"When are Daya and Mommy gonna be home?"

"Pretty soon!"

"Is the mean guy coming back?"

"No, we're all safe, small one." Gloria sighs deeply while holding Christina close to her chest. "I know what you're going through. A bad man hurt me and Benny, too. I know we'll be okay, though, because those who have tormented us are now far away in prison. They can't do nothin' to us."

"Okay..."

Gloria sniffles as Christina nestles into her, and her heart cracks at the thought of Christina possibly having been sexually or physically abused by Cesar. Suddenly, a vehicle stops near the apartment's driveway, and Christina gasps excitedly.

"Can we see who it is?"

"Sure!" Gloria brings her to the living room window, which faces their curb. They pull apart the lacy white curtains and peek out at Daya slowly exiting a cab. A minute later, the door opens and she walks down the hall. Her eyes are red, as if she's been crying.

Christina runs to her big sister and hugs her, but Daya doesn't seem aware of what's going on. "Oh, hey...I'm gonna get some rest..."

"Are you fuckin' kidding me?" Gloria whispers, forcing Daya to look at her. She's so disappointed and shocked to discover that the teenager is actually high."You smell like you been smokin', and on a school night, too! You're fifteen years old! What the hell were you thinkin'?"

"Yeah, well, a joint won't kill me," Daya hisses, trudging to her room. "Got a lotta shit happenin' right now...I was stressed out to the max."

"Then you talk to me or your friends...or even your motha, but takin' hits of weed...not acceptable! You need to apologize to Christina for ignoring her!"

"Sorry..."

"No, you listen to me, little girl," Gloria says strictly while turning Daya around and keeping her hands wrapped around Daya's forearms. "That ain't sincere, but I know it's because you're stoned...you gotta do that in the morning. Get your fuckin' head on straight. You're already grounded for a week, but try that again, and you'll be in deeper shit, comprende? You're supposed to be helping me fix your mama, not turning into her mini-me! Don't you be endin' up like Aleida...I taught you better. You're lucky I didn't whoop your ass!"

Daya groans. "Okay." She crawls into bed and buries herself beneath her comforter and sheets. "Leave me alone...you're not even my mom...can't tell me what to do..." she mumbles when Gloria rubs her back and kisses the top of her head.

Gloria steps back and exits the room with a sleepy Christina in tow. They snuggle under a multicolored blanket on the orange couch in the family room near the foyer.

"Is Daya mad at me?" Christina asks worriedly.

"No, princess, she's not, her head hurts, so she's in a bit of a bad mood."

"Ohh..."

Aleida comes into the house at ten on the nose, and she has a few hickeys on her neck. Her giddy smile turns into a frown when she sees Gloria and Christina together. "You tryin' to snatch my babies away from me or somethin'?"

"'Course not! She needed somebody to hold her after her nightmare, and she pissed herself, so she's understandably upset. Why don't you put her to bed and I'll get into my own?" Gloria kisses Christina's temple. "Nighty-night, Chrissy!"

"Night, Tía Gloria," Christina replies while hugging her.

"Luckily, cloth can be washed, so the damage isn't irreparable." Gloria watches Aleida take Christina to the kids' bedroom, and then, she too, gets into bed. She goes to sleep until Aleida wakes her up. She joins Gloria in the bed and they face each other while propping themselves up on their elbows like a couple of high school girls at a sleepover.

"How was your date?" Gloria asks eagerly.

A loopy grin crosses Aleida's features and she sighs dreamily while giggling. "I had the time of my life! He's smokin' hot and I think I'm fallin' madly in love with him. We fucked, and oh my, was he good! I'm still feeling him...down south and everywhere else..." She trails off as she rolls over onto her back.

Gloria nudges her and smiles. "Wow, I'm so happy for you that it went well! When's your next one?"

"Maybe on Friday or Saturday so we can stay out later...and now I don't know who I really want between Leon and Cesar...I'm unsure of my feelings!"

"I recommend that you pick Leon, but you should wait maybe a few months to see how things go. Careful, though, you gonna have so many kids you won't remember all their names!"

"He had a condom, I guess his friend snuck it in his pocket as a joke, that's what he told me!"

"Oh, well, that's responsible, safe sex!"

"Yeah..."

"Hey...I just wanted to let you know that Daya came home...absolutely baked. I think she was on marijuana."

Aleida growls under her breath and punches her fist into her hand. "Great...I fucked her up!"

"She did it to blow off steam, but still, I had to ground her for a week. We gotta agree on that, though."

"That punishment sounds fine. She'd best not do anything worse, like harder drugs that could get her into serious trouble or kill her stupid ass."

"I know. You'll be able to keep a better eye on her while you're working in the kitchen cafeteria," Gloria assures Aleida.


"My cousin's real sneaky," Maria assures Maritza. "Alonso pretends he's their gardener during the day, makes friends with 'em, and all it took was one time for him to whip those keys right off the counter! He's not gonna return after tonight, and he's gonna follow us in Yads' car." The Dominican girl rapidly unlocks Humps' car while Yadriel and Alonso keep a lookout. "You gotta stop quivering! Jump in and put your hands on ten and two!" Maria waves at her boyfriend and he gets out. "Go!" She practically pushes Maritza inside. Yadriel rushes to the car and gets into the front seat. "He'll help you if you make a mistake."

"I'm sorry, I've just never done this before and I really don't wanna get caught," Maritza says nervously while they buckle themselves in. "Also, I'm sitting where his gross butt was, and it's so disgusting! Ew, ew, ew!"

"Don't think about that! Just drop this fuckin' brick and move! You wanna drive it into the lake...it ain't far from here." Maria gives her the heavy object and she gulps. Closing her eyes, she throws it onto the gas pedal while letting out a startled yelp.

"Open your eyes, turn left, all the way, then just keep going straight!" Maria instructs her.

The ground is bumpy and Maritza focuses on the path between the row of trees in front of her. Yadriel barely touches the wheel. As she gets closer to her destination, her confidence grows. "I totally got this!"

"I knew you could do it! Okay, now, here's the exact spot. Do kind of a nosedive...keep moving, but slowly, so you don't get injured." Maritza follows Maria's directions and breathes shakily as the car submerges into the water. "We gotta get out before it goes completely in, otherwise we'll drown."

Yadriel grabs the brick, they unlock their doors, and exit the car. They push it the rest of the way, off the dirty ledge, and then it sinks. Maritza gives the vehicle a good whack with a log and then races with the others into Yadriel's car. Alonso resumes driving until they've dropped Maritza off at Flaca's. Their work is now done, and Maritza couldn't be prouder of herself.

Even when doing that, though, she knows that it'll never change what Humps did to her.


"Excuse me...I need to use the bathroom..." Nicky announces at the dinner table while forcing down yet another gasping hiccup that sounds like a wheeze. They're having a healthy meal-butternut squash soup, salad, and bread with flaxseed. She wants to laugh at how she's being so well fed but extremely physically mistreated.

"Lily, take her!" Vee demands, and the girl rises from her chair. "Remember what to do if she misbehaves." Lily, or Suzanne, gently pushes her towards the restroom and once Nicky gets to the toilet, she starts puking.

"Eew, gross!" Lily exclaims in the background.

"You try being punched in the stomach! I'll probably have bruised ribs or some shit."

"Vee only hurts people when they don't do as she says!"

"It's unreasonable, and if you had even the slightest sense of right versus wrong, you'd see what I'm sayin'!" Nicky pulls herself up to her feet, using the counter. She washes her hands and rinses out her mouth. After finishing her meal, the girls go straight to bed.

As Nicky, Taystee, and Tricia are putting their pajamas on, Vee warns them, "Don't leave your little sister out of our drug business, otherwise I can't take her in."

"Yeah, I mean, I really don't mind!" Tricia adds.

"Okay," Nicky and Taystee agree in unison, and Vee finally goes away.

During their slumber, Nicky can hear Tricia tossing and turning. "No...no...help!" she begs.

"Shut that bitch up!" Cindy yells from another room.

"We're trying to sleep here!" Janae complains.

"If there's another goddamn word comin' from that girl's ugly mouth, I'm disposing of her!"

"I can knock her out if you want, Vee," Lily offers.

"Calm down, Tricia's just havin' a nightmare!" Taystee says, and Nicky goes to Tricia's side immediately. She awakens the younger blonde who won't stop sobbing.

"Hey, kid," she murmurs while smoothing back her damp dreadlocks. "What is it?"

Tricia clings onto Nicky and whimpers. "I had a flashback...he wouldn't get off me...and then a panic attack came on..." she says through snivels.

"You can be here with me, it's okay," Nicky allows and kisses Tricia's forehead. She winds her arms around her little sister and soothes her back to sleep by humming a gentle, made-up tune and combing her fingers through Tricia's cornrows. "I'll protect you, always. Shhh...I don't want anyone getting mad at you..."

"There's gotta be a better mom for us," Tricia mumbles. "That lady who got you outta jail..."

"Yeah...I've hung out with Red a few times. She's always helping me out because get this-she was an aide when I went to preschool! Marka, my dumbass of a bio mom, wouldn't let her be in contact with me after forcing me out of that classroom."

"Wow, that's amazing."

They both drift off to sleep, but around three in the morning, Nicky, Tricia, and Taystee wake up to the sound of two gunshots, one seconds after the other. The girls gasp and bolt right out of their beds. They crowd together and look out the window to see who was hurt. There's police sirens and a body on the ground. Nicky's heart slows down when she sees it.

"Is he...dead?" Tricia asks quietly.

"Yeah," Taystee says gravely. "That's RJ. I guess the Statue of Liberty is out of the future for us..."

"How do you know for sure that's-"

"Nicky, I've lived with him for seven years! I know his shape, alright?" Taystee's voice cracks and she sits on the bed.

"We don't need to live here anymore. Pack your shit, girls!" Nicky starts throwing her clothes and toiletries into a bag. "She isn't grateful, no matter what we do! Our brother just got murdered. I don't know if Vee had anything to do with that, but when is something bad gonna happen to one of us? What's next, she beats me to death for only getting twenty bucks once a day? I'm so done with her! Also, this is an unsafe area to live in! I'm going to turn these poor girls into addicts! I just made friends with them and...this isn't how I want to live! I want to smoke and do heroin, yes, but I want to live in a home where that's not really allowed but I can sneak sometimes! I wanna chill with a clique, not have to worry about getting money from girls my age!"

"Where are we gonna go?" Tricia asks.

"I've got the perfect spot. We just need a cab."

"I have to stay here for R.J.'s funeral. You girls go on ahead without me. I know you were never really close with him."

"You should come with us. We'll find out details about his funeral. He was a nice guy. I'm really sorry for your loss."

"I need to just grieve in peace. Come by the Shake Shack once you've found your place," Taystee says while giving Nicky money for their ride.

"Okay, we will," Tricia says. They hug Taystee and hitch their bags over their shoulders. Nicky glances behind her one last time and sighs as they walk out of their room. They leave the shack and shut the door quietly.

It's just in the pitch black darkness, that tears crawl out of Nicky's eyes and down her cheeks.

"So, you were right."

"About what?"

"I, uh...I took some heroin that you had when you were arguing with Lorna," Tricia admits.

"What!? Dude, you pick pocketed me?"

"I'm a master at stealing. Well...it got me going. I wasn't sick from my period...it was...that."

Nicky runs her hand through her hair. "Jesus, Tricia! You're so lucky I'm focused on finding us a place to stay and stressed about getting caught, because if you told me that at Vee's place, I would've..."

"I'm sorry!"

"What you went through was punishment enough. Man, how can I trust you?"

"I wanted to get you more money!"

"Bullshit!"

"I hope you're not going to Red's house. I don't like being a burden on anyone, even if they offer. I just followed you because I didn't want the cops after me anymore and they'd call my parents."

"I don't know where she lives, but I feel the same way as you...I'm not barging in on anyone's life. You'll see when we get there." She waves her hand in the air. "Taxi!"

A cab stops by them. "Where to, girls?"

"Take us to Martin Van Buren High School, please." They go into the backseat and the driver starts out on the road. Nicky holds up an imaginary cup. "To our next adventure, kid."

Thank you for reading and reviewing, HannahMileyfan1, LindaAndrewsfan, Tiff, and A Star In My Universe!