Chapter 17: Things Will Be Okay
Thank you for beta'ing, A Star In My Universe! Warning: Molestation
Holyyyy shit...so that hacker lol. I do feel bad for the actors who've worked so hard on season 5, so even if you guys watched the first episode (or even the first ten) be sure to watch it on Netflix as well! I watched all ten on mute because it was overnight and wow it's amazing! I won't be giving spoilers, though, don't worry ;)
"If you want to have a sleepover sometime, you can host one at my house," Red offers as she drives Tricia from the mall to Pizza Hut, where Taystee is working. "Something tells me that Vee would get you all into trouble. God knows I don't want five eleven-year-olds hooked on heroin."
"Nah, that's alright," Tricia declines, even though it does sound fun. "It'd be weird, yo."
"In what way?"
"Well, I don't live with you for one thing. It'd be like, why are we going to your nanny's house all the time? I'll just go to one of the girls' places or somethin'."
"Tricia, when you move in to even an apartment, people expect the clutter to be gone in a week. That means they'll wonder why you never invite them over if your home is squeaky clean. It's okay if you don't want to tell your friends that your foster mother is a drug addict yet, or ever...but they will suspect something is wrong, get curious, and probably even nosy. That's just how human beings are. However, if you say your parents are working and I'm taking care of you, they'll believe it and leave you alone. Then, when you're ready to spill the truth-"
"Hold up, Red! They bought the story that Nicky and I are orphans and we moved here together. They probably think she's at least eighteen, though..."
"Just explain that she's out with friends."
"Uh, sure...well, catch you on the flip side," Tricia says as Red stops in front of the restaurant.
"Goodbye! What time do you need me to pick you up?"
"Taystee's taking me home, so it's cool!" She leaves the car and walks through the door of Pizza Hut with her purse in hand. "Hey!" she calls out to Taystee, who's reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
The older girl shakes her head. "You interrupted my readin', that's gonna cost you, girl! This my Harry Potter time!"
"You're not supposed to be doin' that, on account of you got customers comin' in every five minutes or somethin'. It may be empty now, but who knows if it'll fill up soon." Tricia sets her purse down and grins at Taystee. "Also, haven't you read that shit like, ten thousand times already?"
"Don't call it that...this series is not trash!" Taystee waves her book at Tricia. "You know I'm obsessed!" Through her annoyance, Taystee grins. "You have dinner with your pals and gals?"
"Mercy and I split a burrito. It was humungous!" At the thought of Mercy, Tricia's cheeks heat up.
"You're blushin', girl!" Taystee throws Tricia a wink. "You got a boo already? What's his name?"
"Nah, I'm single as a pringle, but that's fine, you know, I'm only in the sixth grade!"
"Oh yeah, sometimes I forget you just a baby."
Tricia scowls. "I am not!" She sighs. "They ask me why I wear these every day," she mumbles, smoothing her hand down her tightly braided hair. "Mikey calls 'em cornhoes," she says, just as Lorna is coming into Pizza Hut with Nicky, Flaca, and Maritza. "I just said my sister did 'em, and I'm not trying to be racist, but he's still being an asshole."
"Don't listen to him or give him a reaction. That's what most bullies want," Taystee advises the blonde. "He's full of bullshit!"
"Oh, my brainless brother! I'm so sorry, Tricia!" Lorna exclaims. "Tell him to fuck off, you'll put your hair in whatever you want!"
"I'll do that! Are you gonna yell at him for it?"
Lorna grins while nodding. "Definitely. He do anything else?"
"If I wore a bra, he would've snapped it. I saw him goin' for it, but I stopped him."
"Good job. I'll make sure to let our big sister Franny know. He's really gonna be in for it! I'll grab him by his ear really hard and shit!"
Tricia sniggers. "Thanks."
"Okay, kid, here's what you need to do tomorrow. Give him a knee jam, none of that ignoring the problem business," Nicky advises Tricia. She rests her elbow on Tricia's shoulder. "No offense, Morello, but Trish is my baby sis, I want her to have awesome school days with nobody buggin' her!"
"I understand."
"Yo, you gotta ask him how he'd like a knuckle sandwich and break his teeth in," Flaca puts in while punching the palm of her hand a few times. "That would hurt for days, while the pain from a kick to the crotch only lasts for a few minutes, maybe even seconds."
"Make him wish he'd never touched you," Maritza continues with a darkness in her eyes. The four high schoolers pull out chairs for themselves rougher than necessary and sit at the table, Nicky and Lorna across from Flaca and Maritza.
"Whoa, no need to get violent, ladies, you'll get her thrown in detention, suspended, or expelled, depending on how badly she injures his skinny white ass!" Taystee interjects. She throws her hands up. "All you gotta do is demand respect. Okay? He's a middle school boy, probably around twelve, not some two hundred pound geezer you can't get to back off."
"They're in their thirties or forties," Flaca mutters.
"That ain't the point!" Taystee turns to Tricia. "I'm sayin' you can control this dude. You're equals."
"Alright." Tricia plops down into a seat.
"Now, what do y'all wanna eat?" Taystee asks.
"One large pepperoni pizza, stuffed crust, chicken alfredo with breadsticks, and meaty marinara with cheese sticks, burnin' hot buffalo wings, and four water bottles," Nicky orders. "We discussed it on our way over here!"
"You sure? Burnin' hot is spicy!"
"That's my fave," Flaca says.
"Yeah, mine too," Maritza agrees.
"I don't mind it," Lorna chimes in.
Nicky shrugs. "It's not like I'm gonna eat it."
"Who's they y'all were referencing?" Tricia wonders out loud as they get their food and pay for it.
"These three douchebag teachers that prowl around school...at least, they used to, before they were arrested," Lorna responds while they return to their table.
"As an alumna from Martin Van Buren High, I'm glad to hear those news!" Taystee says happily.
"Isn't it alumni?" Lorna wants to know.
Flaca shakes her head no. "Nah, that's the plural. Alumna is singular when a female is talkin' about herself."
"I'm sure it's alumni," Lorna insists.
"You were also positive that Mycroft was Microsoft and an olive was the same thing as an olive branch," Nicky mutters.
Lorna pouts while stomping her foot. "I'm right!"
Flaca pats Lorna's cheek. "That's why you're still in freshman English, tonta." She and Maritza open the pizza box while Lorna flips off the tall Latina. "You gotta get better at your grammar and wording of things, is all. Then you won't be held back."
Tricia bursts out laughing at this exchange and Lorna sticks her tongue out at the group. "Shut up, assholes!" She dives into her pasta, stabs a few noodles with a fork, and points it at her Mexican friends.
"Hey, I didn't do nothin'," Maritza points out innocently. She tears out a slice of steaming hot pizza, blows on it a few times, and takes a bite. "This is real good, by the way!"
"Yeah," Nicky concurs and twirls her fettachini around a fork. "Hey, Gonzales, I don't really speak much Spanish, but I'm sure that tonta is an insult, and you don't fuckin' use the proper tense when speaking, either! Plus, you get C's, so give it a rest!"
"Ha!" Lorna snaps.
"I don't write school papers or talk in front of professionals like that, and besides, I was teasin' her," Flaca informs Nicky. "Lorna, it's okay that you don't know and you grew up learnin' the wrong shit, but when we try to teach you, you should believe us."
"Diane is doing a pretty good job," Lorna mumbles. "I don't like bein' dumb..."
"I know, nobody does," Maritza replies after swallowing a bite of her breadstick that's dripping with marinara sauce.
"Is this revenge for all the racist shit I said about Spanish people before we met Piper?" Lorna asks. "I'm sorry for that, by the way."
"Not really, and if you were able to listen to her back then, you can certainly open your ears to what we have to correct you on," Flaca lets her know. She drinks some water. "I apologize, too. I may have been a little harsh."
"Okay. Thanks."
"No prob."
"Yo, Flaca, do you know a Marco or Pedro?" Tricia wonders out loud.
"Yeah, they're my brothers, why?"
"I go to school with them!"
Flaca chuckles. "They can be a handful, but they're easy to manage."
"I can tell!"
Beauty queen of only eighteen
She had some trouble with herself
He was always there to help her
She always belonged to someone else
"Oh, I love this song! It's so romantic!" Lorna squeals.
"It sure is," Nicky agrees. Normally, she'd think it's a bit too sappy for her tastes, but it reminds her of her situation with the brunette. Even though Lorna doesn't belong to anyone, she thinks she does, and she's straight, which makes her unavailable to Nicky. As the girls are conversing, Nicky pretends to go on her phone while really listening to the lyrics.
I drove for miles and miles and wound up at your door
I've had you so many times but somehow I want more
She thinks of how cute Lorna is. She could do any kind of dancing and still be adorable, whether it's moving her body sexily to the beat of the music-girl, work it, I'm drooling, when she does classical dancing-she's an absolute goddess, or if she's tapping her foot and kind of moving a little when she's listening to music with her earbuds.
I don't mind spending every day
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile
And she will be loved
And she will be loved
Right now, Lorna's playing with her hair as she talks, looking so pretty. She reaches over the table and twirls Flaca's long hair around her finger and then does a sassy hair flip. Her red lips curl up into a smile, and Nicky knows she has it bad. She's really in love with Lorna, and there's no going back now.
Tap on my window, knock on my door
I want to make you feel beautiful
I know I tend to get so insecure
It doesn't matter anymore
As Lorna concentrates on what Maritza's just said, she makes the most adorable face. Her brows are furrowed and she's leaning into the tiny Latina. She bites her lip as she rests her chin on her fist. "Oh, that's just what you think!" she says, and then sticks out her tongue.
"Shall We Dance looks great...it's coming out in October!" Flaca informs them. "It's so lovey-dovey!"
"Eee, oh my god, I can't wait!" Lorna's voice sounds so elated, and Nicky has no real idea of what they're talking about, some silly rom-com, but it makes Lorna happy.
It's not always rainbows and butterflies
It's compromise that moves us along, yeah
My heart is full and my door's always open
You come anytime you want, yeah.
Lorna's ethereal the way she walks like she owns the place and doesn't give a shit. Sometimes, though, she skips, and it's too cute. She's bouncy and full of dreams, and even though it's not always a good thing to be like that, Nicky admires her for her cheerfulness and confidence.
I don't mind spending every day
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile
And she will be loved
And she will be loved
And she will be loved
And she will be loved
Now, Lorna's talking about her favorite movies-all ones Nicky's never heard of or wouldn't watch, ever, unless Lorna made her for some weird reason-West Side Story, The Notebook, Notting Hill, and Breakfast at Tiffany's, to name a few. Her eyes light up as she chatters away, and she has this huge, brilliant smile. She keeps rambling, her mouth moving a mile a minute as her words come out faster and louder. She waves her hands around and she's so happy to be comparing herself to Audrey Hepburn-whoever that is, she must be beautiful.
I know where you hide alone in your car
Know all of the things that make you who you are
I know that goodbye means nothing at all
Comes back and begs me to catch her every time she falls
Yeah
Tap on my window knock on my door
I want to make you feel beautiful
Nicky remembers how Lorna was laying down at Maritza's sleepover, with a blanket tugged up to her chin. She'd been tired and sleeping, looking like the most precious thing on this earth. She was cold out on the streets, and Nicky was glad she was bundled up in the blonde's jacket. She was physically exhausted and needed a break, and even though Nicky wanted to poke fun at her for doing that to herself, Lorna was-and is- still completely valid, wonderful, and strong.
"This is how I wanna look when he sees me...with a real low cut dress and my boobs squished together...my hair swept to one side...and...sorry, Nichols, gotta put my feet up on your lap for a minute to show y'all...see, isn't this sexy?" Lorna asks. She rests her arms on the table as she lays on her side and curls up her right leg to put her right foot on her left knee. "I think Christopher's a bit of a prude..." She's definitely succeeding in seduction, but Nicky doesn't want to say this, or she'll sound flirty and it'll make Lorna stop liking her.
"Yeah," the girls murmur while grinning.
I don't mind spending every day
Out on your corner in the pouring rain, oh.
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile
And she will be loved
And she will be loved
And she will be loved
And she will be loved
So many girls are self conscious about smiling or laughing because society tells them that they're ugly, but society is often wrong, so who cares? Lorna's radiant when she laughs loudly and all her teeth show and she throws her head back, or when she giggles super softly and her mouth just tugs into a tiny smile and her shoulders shake a bit. She's gorgeous when she claps her hands and cries and holds her stomach because whatever she's laughing at is so funny. When she chuckles out of happiness, she looks so free, and her dimples show and her eyes crinkle. Lorna's grin is so pretty and bright that it blinds Nicky.
Please don't try so hard to say goodbye
Please don't try so hard to say goodbye
Yeah, yeah.
I don't mind spending every day
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Nicky's seen Lorna cry before, and it was heartbreaking. When she thinks of how Lorna wound up in the hospital, she wants to punch a wall. Lorna is so amazing-she shouldn't focus all her attention on people who don't deserve her. Everyone-even those close to her, sometimes-are weirded out by her, but Nicky's still at her side. Initially, Nicky only thought Lorna was hot, but now, she's really pining over the small Italian, for her personality. She doesn't get why Christopher and Vinnie don't love, or even like her, because Lorna is too damn perfect.
Please don't try so hard to say goodbye
"What are your favorite cookies, Morello?" Nicky asks suddenly, feeling a sudden urge to bake for her and bring her a special treat tomorrow, just because.
"I love Snickerdoodles and peanut butter M&M's."
"Cool, those are delicious!"
"Yeah, they are!"
Aleida's being annoying again. This time, she's mad at Daya for sexy-dancing with Lorna to make Christopher jealous at Ian's party.
"But she asked me to! She couldn't impress him by herself!"
"I don't care. You will not get into drama again, young lady!"
Daya scoffs. "It's not even drama!"
"Why is Lorna in deep shit with Angela and Christopher? Franny told me she grounded Lorna for that Facebook trick she pulled-"
"How did you even find out about that? Were you lurking on my phone texts?" Daya accuses Aleida.
"I gotta keep you safe from drama, right? Gloria did tell me to be more involved in your life!"
"You took it too far! I never said to snoop on her phone!" Gloria intervenes. "She's not gonna be grounded for that! You can talk to her about it if you want, though."
Daya smiles at Gloria. "Thank you!" She spins around to face Aleida. "You told Franny, didn't you?"
"Dayanara, I had to!"
"You tattled on my friend? Ugh, you gossip way too much about other people!" Daya shouts, stomping into her room. She's so mad at Aleida. She'd gotten her friend in trouble, and Lorna's grounded for this week.
Daya wants to call a friend and vent, but no. Aleida and Gloria had taken away her phone, just as Franny had done with Lorna. It's so unfair.
After letting the three kids loose in their kindergarten classroom, Gloria notices some other children play-scaring them by fake growling. Michael laughs and blows them a raspberry, but Christina runs away and hides behind Daya. Benny follows her and holds out his hands in front of him to block their classmates from coming any closer. "Don't hurt her! Go 'way!"
"They're just playin', sweetie," Daya attempts soothing her little sister. "It's okay, Benny, they're not bad people."
"I don't like the meanies," Christina says in a tiny voice.
"You gotta make some friends," Aleida murmurs. "They ain't gonna do nothin'."
"Does this happen a lot, Stacy?" Gloria asks. "I'm askin' 'cause this same thing went on in our preschoolers' classroom."
"Yeah, they're a bit shy. We're trying to get them to come out of their shells, but it seems like they want to keep to themselves. Michael is their only pal, which is fine, but I want all my students to get along with each other."
"I said it to the other teacher, and I'm gonna tell you this, too. Benny and Christina are traumatized because our ex-boyfriends didn't treat them, or us, good. They may not do well with people chasing them around, even if it is in fun. They're very sensitive, as you can see. Maybe it's a good idea to keep the more rambunctious kids away from 'em?"
"Oh, I'm so sorry...I didn't realize."
"It's okay. I probably should've told you the first day, but really, if they react differently when y'all do that, just leave 'em alone. Gentle and sweet is the way to go with 'em."
"Okay, got it. Thank you."
"Being grounded feels like shit," Lorna grumbles, "but being grounded because your friend's mom told on you is the most embarrassing and stupidest way to get grounded!" Aleida Diaz is such a big drama queen that she had to tell Franny that after looking through Daya's phone, she found out about what Lorna had done, or tried to do. "Franny had a huge conversation with me about it, and she said that Christopher would never forget what I did, and blah blah blah. It took the whole damn day, right through all my meals, and then, she took away everything I had to keep contact with my friends. Thank God for school!" She sips on her Fruity Pebbles drink from the Starbucks secret menu. Gloria had seen her at Christopher's house, but thankfully, she's just keeping an eye on her, rather than making it known to the public that Lorna was spying on the boy she's infatuated with and the girl who's ruining her life.
"Aleida even had the guts to tell Gloria, Red, Diane, Theresa, and Juliana," Daya mutters. "Sorry my mom is an embarrassing loser who gossips way too much," she adds, rolling her eyes.
"Great, now, I've made a fool out of myself in front of them, too! Franny hollers at me for it all the time now. Red just tsks and shakes her head in my direction, and Gloria, Diane, Juliana, and Theresa are too polite to say anything. Luckily, they seemed to understand and didn't scold me for it. You've apologized a thousand times," Lorna tells Daya. "It's okay, it's not your fault."
"What's up?" Maritza asks.
"I can't host my sleepover this weekend. Lorna and Daya are fuckin' grounded," Flaca responds. "I'll have it next weekend."
"Sorry both you guys are grounded now," Maritza says sympathetically.
"You, Flaca, and Alex are so lucky! You guys have the best moms in the world who would understand everything!" Nicky says.
"Even my mom, who is so sweet to all of us, is now checking my Facebook page sometimes!" Alex informs them.
Nicky rests her elbows on Alex and Lorna's shoulders. "She's just worried about you."
"I know, but she doesn't need to."
"I got us all into this mess," Lorna mumbles, with her head down in shame.
"Let's just not talk to Angela, Christopher, or any of those drama queens and kings until things get way settled down here, okay, guys?" Nicky suggests.
"Yeah, good idea. Things will be okay after we're free!" Daya agrees.
"I want to run away to your house!" Lorna cries to Flaca.
"My mom would gladly take you in, and so would Maritza's, but they'd say to go back to Franny before she gets worried sick," Flaca says, and they all giggle.
"Okay, I get this sister bashing, but enough! Be glad you got someone lookin' out for ya," Nicky mutters. "She's only trying to teach you a lesson. Imagine if she didn't care and let you get into shit with people...which ended in your death."
Lorna waves off the comment. "Come on, Nichols, it'll never get that bad. I just don't wanna sit on my ass doin' nothin' all weekend. Being grounded sucks!"
Nicky runs her hands through her hair. "I don't really know what that's like, to be honest...but whatever. So, anyway, I found out what all our names mean. I was bored and I Googled 'em. Lorna's honor or victory, and I'm people of victory, which is awesome! Alex is defender of mankind," she gestures to the girl wearing glasses, "which you are. Daya means compassion, well that's definitely you!"
"That's so amazing!" Lorna gushes.
"My full name is Dayanara, which is husband slayer."
"Wow, I'll tell your future hubby to watch out," Maritza teases her.
"Flaca's skinny in Spanish, which you already knew," Nicky goes on.
"My real name's Marisol, that's Maria of the Sun, lonely Maria, or sunny sea. I ain't sure what my mama was thinkin'."
"Maritza is the deep inner desire to inspire others in a higher cause, and to share their own strongly held views on spiritual matters, or of the sea," Nicky informs her.
"Uh, well, the second one seems more like me!" the petite Latina says.
"Tricia's noble, Gloria is glory, the male version of Galina is calm, and then that was the end of my research."
"Dayanara Diaz, please come to the principal's office," Caputo's voice blares over the loudspeaker.
"Oooh!" the girls murmur jokingly, and Daya does as Caputo instructs.
The person standing across from Daya with his arms crossed over his chest makes her want to dry heave and her insides become like ice. She feels clammy and shaky as she sits down. He locks the door behind them and turns to her with a creepy smirk.
"I've been texting and calling you for the past few days...why haven't I gotten an answer?" Mendez demands, leering right at her.
"I...I don't have my phone on me." She opens her purse to prove it to him. "Besides that, I hate you! You're a dirtbag!"
"You said you wanted me!" he growls.
"I don't, some bitch forced me to do it with you...it was so disgusting! I'm leaving." She heads for the door, but he traps her and pins her to the wall. "What the fuck...get outta my way!"
"Nope! I love you, Dayanara. Your body is the hottest thing I've ever had in my possession." He forces his dirty lips on hers and she spits at him.
"I don't feel the same!" she shrieks and then wipes her mouth.
"You're gonna pay for that, you little whore!" He claws at her breasts, no matter how much she struggles, and then he smacks her across the face. It stings so much and her cheek feels numb. "I can't fuck you here, because the principal could catch us making sweet love, but I can treat you like the bad girl I know you are!"
"I'm probably bleeding," she whispers. She chokes on her tears and whimpers, "Stop, please..."
She's soon saved by the bell, but she has to collect herself before joining Flaca for their English class. To her amazement, she isn't bleeding, but the area where she's injured, is red. She can just pass that off as being too hot. As she leaves the bathroom, though, she sees that Humps, Dixon, and Piscatella are back, so she escapes the area before they can spot her. She can hardly breathe when she reaches the other girls.
"They returned...we need to find Diane...or go to the kitchen...or both..." she cries before they can ask her what happened.
"Oh my god, no!" Maritza whispers, and everyone's faces grow panicked.
"Yo, what happened with your connection?" Flaca asks Red angrily as she, her friends, and Diane rush into the cafeteria's backroom, where the ladies are busily making omelets.
"I'm sorry, I was trying to find the right time to tell you, I didn't want to scare anyone. He was thrown off the case because he said, and I quote, 'you can't let them near that school again, I have a friend there and two parolees who I want to see do well and they may run into trouble with these guys around!' Even if he wasn't, those motherfuckers hired excellent lawyers-they've got connections with those wealthy Chapmans," Red explains, much to their dismay. The girls groan sadly.
"The only thing that's cheering me up right now is your cool tattoo!" Lorna compliments Gloria, and the Puerto Rican woman beams with pride. It's given her a lot of confidence lately, and she's decided today is a good time to start showing it off by leaving down the collar of her polo shirt.
"Yeah, it's awesome!" Nicky adds.
"I love it!" Maritza gushes.
"Me, too!" Flaca sounds less furious now-in fact, she's smiling.
"It's perfect for you," Alex says.
Diane peers closer at Gloria's tattoo. "It really is!"
"Aleida had a nice idea," Red agrees.
"Mm-hm, for once," Daya quips, and Aleida shoots her daughter a warning look.
"Well, thank you! I appreciate your compliments," Gloria lets them all know.
"How was it?" Lorna asks.
"I went to the girl who did Aleida's scorpion tattoo. I used a numbing cream, and that seemed to work, but it was still a bit painful. I cried a little and Daya and Aleida had to hold my hands," Gloria admits. "Tell anyone that, though, and I'll use these knives for more than cutting food. No, I'm kidding, but really, I don't want people outside this room to find out. I'm supposed to be strong, ya know?"
Flaca nods. "Got it, we'll keep it a secret."
"Yeah," everyone else says in unison.
"You kids better skedaddle before they find you anywhere but the classrooms y'all are supposed to be in, and same to you, Diane!" Red instructs them after looking at the clock on the wall.
"Right...uh, bye!" Nicky says quickly.
"So remember, we all skip school on Tuesday the twenty-eighth," Ouija tells Flaca as she finishes scribbling the date on the bathroom wall in black permanent marker.
"Okay, sounds cool!"
Flaca and Daya wave goodbye to her, Blanca, and Maria before going to Yearbook and Journalism. Flaca opens her locker to get her huge camera for class, but she notices a light pink object in between her History textbook and the binder she uses for her artwork. She pulls it out in curiosity and her jaw drops in shock.
"Why do you have Piper's diary?" Daya asks.
"I don't...I don't know...I got no clue! I didn't steal it or nothin'..." She flips through it, and the note attached reads, Thought you could use this! Kisses, P
"Of fuckin' course! We should all read it, though, and then we'll give it back, sneakily."
"This is what P wants us to do, give into our nosiness!"
"Well, maybe the joke can be on them...because if we snoop, we could find out more about her...I mean, she didn't tell us shit! This could be P's way of exposing her true thoughts to us. We could also get more clues about her killer, like if she mentioned someone acting threatening toward her. She wouldn't be afraid of them, but maybe she wrote that she'll call the cops on them or whatever."
Flaca smiles. "Ahh...okay, then yeah, I'mma share it with the other girls!" She sends a group text to Alex and Lorna about P giving her Piper's diary as they maneuver through the halls, watching for any sign of the cruel authority figures. Alex responds to her with, Whoa, really, how did P manage that?
"This is exciting!"
"I know, right? Alex may not wanna peek through it right away because she might think it's an invasion of privacy, but if we let her know that it's all about being a good detective, maybe she'll eventually be okay with it."
Daya presses her lips together. "Yeah, true."
They walk up to Lorna, just as she's reading her message from Flaca. "Lemme see, lemme see!" their short friend squeals, holding out her hands and bouncing up and down a few times. The Latinas giggle at her eagerness.
Flaca discreetly pulls it out of her bag and slips it to Lorna. "You can read it first...you'll need the entertainment. Hide it from Franny, though."
"Okay, I will! Thank you!"
"Anytime."
"Yo, about Ratman...somebody killed him!" Flaca reports at lunchtime, and everyone stares at her in shock.
"Whoa, are you serious?" Maritza asks, leaning into her.
Flaca nods. "Yeah, he's dead as a doornail."
"Wow, can they get rid of the other three next?" Daya wants to know as she munches on her cheesy French fries. Lorna takes a few and shoves them in. "Four, actually...Mendez should be gone, too."
"Yup, and Coates," Pennsatucky says behind them. They twist around in their seats and see Nicky standing beside the short wiry brunette.
"I hope so," Flaca murmurs. "Who's that?"
Nicky and Pennsatucky sit down next to Lorna, the blonde in the middle of them. "The fucker who did awful things to me in juvie," Pennsatucky answers bitterly. She shrugs while scooping up a bite of eggs. "It's all Piper's fault, anyway."
The taunts lurch and sasquatch from Pennsatucky's mouth aimed at Alex echo in her head. "You never liked us," Alex snaps. "You hated us, in fact...what changed? They're not supposed to be nice to you in juvie."
Pennsatucky leaps up out of her seat and lunges at Alex, but Nicky holds her back. "Fight me, you speccy bitch!" she screams and tries to wrestle out of Nicky's arms, but the blonde won't allow her to. "I was raped by Officer Coates, alright? I didn't deserve that!"
"I'm sorry," Lorna mumbles awkwardly. The other girls look at their food in shame. "I had issues with Piper, too...so I'll listen to your story."
"Okay, good." Pennsatucky begins to relax and then she returns to the end of the table where she'd been sitting. "Y'all go first."
"Sometimes, she'd call me a fat cow or a huge fuckin' slut when she got mad at me," Daya mutters.
"She was very judgmental on my goth style and said no boy would ever go out with me," Flaca continues.
"She'd always push my buttons, on purpose," Lorna goes on.
Alex sighs, feeling her heart throb as she thinks of how Piper hurt her. "She picked on me about my sexuality tons of times and led me on for a bit until she rubbed it into my face that she had a boyfriend and I shouldn't be hitting on her or trying to kiss her, even though she'd sexy-danced with me before. She told me straight besties do that all the time and it didn't mean she had a crush on me, and she called me a lesbo."
"She teased us all about being poor, or made little comments about her rich and spoiled life, or said stuff like, 'god, this house is tiny and dirty!'" Flaca says.
"Oh, I was so right about her! Y'all probably wanted to kick her ass, secretly!" Pennsatucky tells the girls, grinning.
"Flaca, Daya, and I did. She was an awful and manipulative friend, but there were times when she'd be really sweet and compliment us, give us presents, or try to help us get a boyfriend." Lorna's face darkens when she says that last word.
"She would even sneak us into college parties and babysit my siblings if I was sick," Daya finishes.
"That's what people like her do. She mentally tortured you and others at school with her bullying and 'I'm better than you!" tactics. Her being nice phases only came to fix her own conscience." Pennsatucky taps the side of her head with her finger. "Think about it. She was really the devil, because of that, not the fact that she was into you, Alex, or played around with girls."
"Why'd she have an in with the evil monsters and Fig?" Maritza wonders aloud.
"Her parents, obviously. Bill was good friends with the animals and Carol was Fig's bestie," Flaca replies. "Last year, even after Piper disappeared, we weren't affected by 'em because we didn't have as much interaction with 'em since they didn't teach freshmen."
"Well, I dunno who killed her, but a lot of people were tired of her shit, so it could be anyone!" Pennsatucky exclaims.
"How could we not know about Polly?" Lorna asks. "She was Piper's bestie!"
"She had all these secret friends or different groups of people she'd hang out with. Larry was her boyfriend who I was always jealous of," Alex responds. "I don't understand how they could move on without her...together. That's kind of a betrayal." Her phone moves a bit on the table, as well as Lorna and Flaca's, and they pick it up. Oh please, she went against everyone behind their backs...she deserves a little payback! -xo, P
"Maybe they're just using each other to cope?" Nicky throws in.
"Possibly."
As she's changing out of her cheerleading uniform into her regular shirt and jeans, Nicky stares at the vicious purple marks on her belly. Miraculously, she doesn't have broken ribs, but if she pokes at her injuries hard enough, they ache badly.
"You're gonna be late-oh my goodness, Nicky..." The blonde jumps when she hears Lorna's concerned tone. She quickly yanks her shirt on over her head.
"What are those from, sweetheart?" Red asks gently. She's standing behind Lorna.
"Nothin', okay, just don't worry about it. I'm fine."
"No, you're not. You're all bruised up!" Lorna points out. "Who the hell did that to you?"
"Nobody! Come on, we have to go."
"Do they hurt?" Red wants to know.
"Nah, I told you, I'm alright."
"I'll get you some ice, at least," Lorna murmurs.
"They're four days old, too late now. Let's just go to community service." She brushes past them quickly, not wanting to show that she's upset and actually does care about herself.
There's a rapping on the door of the Diaz apartment, and Daya wonders who it could be. "Sit tight, guys, go into our bedroom," she instructs the kids, and they do so.
She peeks through the tiny hole at Mendez and feels her stomach drop. She backs away, but he keeps knocking. "I know you're home, you little cunt! I see you!" The light tapping turns to loud thuds and the door hinges start shaking, as if he's trying to break the door down. "You're my bitch now!" he roars. The children begin screaming and clinging onto Daya's trembling legs as she runs into the kitchen, prepared to dial nine-one-one. She wants to puke first.
A car screeches to a stop and a few minutes later, the noise has stopped completely. "Why are you here? Hey! Hey, I'm talkin' to you, mothafucka! Moron!" Gloria hollers as a squeal of tires is heard. "Damn it! Estúpido..."
Asshole
Once Gloria lets herself inside the apartment, Daya comes out of the kitchen with the scared and crying kids. "Is he one of Aleida's exes, thinkin' she was around?" Gloria asks as she scoops up her little ones.
"No," Daya murmurs softly while stumbling back a step and hugging herself. "You gotta get a restraining order against him because...he, uh..." She had thought it would be easy to just blurt this out to Gloria, but she can't get the words out.
"He what, honey?"
"Um...let's put the children into their bedroom. I don't want them to hear."
"Okay." Gloria puts Benny and Julio down and sends them off to play with Christina and Emiliano. "Now tell me."
"You saw him on the news, right?"
"Yup, what a sleazebag, but what's that gotta do with you?"
"Not only did he sexually assault those two female prisoners, but he...came to school and, um...made some passes at me? I don't know." Daya doesn't take her eyes off the floor. "He raped me," she whispers.
"What the fuck?!"
"Yeah...the nightmare I had was actually a flashback."
"Ay dios mío," Gloria hisses and encloses Daya into a hug. "He ain't gonna be near you again if I can help it."
"He made me kiss him this morning at school and he touched my boobs...and when I tried to get away, he hit me. He was attempting to force himself in here and...have his way with me." Daya squeezes her eyes shut and tears leak out of them.
"You're shaking, you must have been so scared, baby," Gloria says quietly and then pecks the top of Daya's head. Moisture glistens in the older woman's eyes.
"I was...I'm really glad you're home."
"I am, too." Still holding Daya and rubbing calming circles on her back, Gloria calls the police.
Lorna's door flies open, and there stands her sister. "I hate you," Lorna mutters. She doesn't really, but she just can't stand being grounded.
"Since I work a lot and can't really enforce your grounding, I changed my mind-"
"Yes!" Lorna cheers.
"Don't get too excited, you're still punished. What I want you to do instead is stop staring out the window and get started on your essay about why you shouldn't make fake Facebook pages for people and cause drama. You should start now. It's gotta be one page, handwritten."
Lorna sticks her tongue out at Franny. "You're mean!"
"Just write the damn essay and come down for dinner when I call you."
"Fine," she grumbles. She gets out a piece of paper and pencil, looks down, and begins writing.
"I'm goin' out with Mercy tonight to Friendly's...I asked her, but I'm not sure if she considers it a date, so I didn't call it one. What does one wear on a first date?" Tricia asks Nicky.
"First of all, be cool, it's just two girls hanging out, right?" her big sister asks.
"Yeah, but you know I got feelings for her. I wanna look smokin', but I don't really have tits and everyone's got her period but me. That's humiliating, and Isla was nice enough to point that out," Tricia mutters.
"Wow, well, don't listen to that bitch. She's just being rude. So what if you're not developed yet? You're still a cutie." Nicky pats Tricia's cheek and smiles.
Tricia scowls. "I don't wanna be adorable. I'm aiming to be hot, god damn it!"
"Jesus, kid, you're eleven, slow it down a bit. You've got at least a few years for puberty to hit...some get it early, but some are late."
"Mercy likes older women, you catch my drift? I have the appearance of a child. There's no way she's into me, dude. I feel like I got a kid crush on her. She'd laugh if I tried to hit on her."
"You shouldn't change your appearance to get a girlfriend...if she got to know you, she'd love you for the sweet, sassy girl you are."
"Could I at least dress like you? Skirts, boots, tights, makeup, you know?"
"Oh, you love my style, huh? Sure, I'll help you."
"Thanks. How do I make myself not look flat? Mercy's are out to here." Tricia cups her imaginary breasts. "I think she's got A cups."
"Let's go shopping."
Tricia ends up choosing an army green tank top, flowy black skirt, black fishnet tights, and tall black boots with silver studs. She wears clip-on hoops and Nicky does her eye makeup, dabs blush on her cheeks, paints her lips with pink, shimmery gloss, and spritzes her wrists with flowery-smelling perfume, which Tricia rubs on her neck. She's satisfied with her appearance and Nicky takes a picture of her before she goes to meet Mercy.
"You look good, kid."
Tricia bumps fists with Nicky. "Thanks for making me pretty, yo."
"You got natural beauty, but you're welcome."
It makes her feel less shy when she sees that Grace, Brad, Neri, Cal, Allie, and her boyfriend are on a triple date there, too. Mercy greets her at the door of Friendly's and they hug.
"Wow, so this is you, all dolled up."
Tricia nods while grinning. "Uh-huh."
"I love your outfit, and awesome makeover!" Mercy compliments her.
"Thanks!"
The girls wolf-whistle at her playfully and she chuckles while she and Mercy go up to the counter to order what's apparently the usual, according to a waitress with a name tag that reads Diane. She says her daughter and her friends always get cheeseburger sliders, mini mozzarella sticks with sauce, and a small sundae.
As the minutes pass, Tricia and Mercy flirt a little. "You girls make a cute couple," Alex teases them.
"Shut up, stretch!" Tricia exclaims, and Alex snickers. "Sorry, that was my sister's friend."
Mercy nods in understanding. "We should get back at her," she whispers.
Tricia smirks. "I'll take any ideas you got."
"You protectin' that bitch, ain't ya?" Duardo growls through gritted teeth. They're standing in a dark parking lot outside a construction site near her school and she's waiting for Gloria to pick her up. He'd taken her there so he could yell at her in private, rather than the lit-up room she would've rather been sitting on a bench in.
"She didn't say nothin'! Just leave us alone, please!" Aleida despises sounding so desperate, but she doesn't want Gloria to have yet another target on her back for something that she hadn't done.
"Shut up," Duardo snarls. "I've had enough of your bullshit. I paid a visit to my cousin and he told me Gloria called the pigs on him! You know it was her...why are you protecting that cunt?" He gives her a menacing glare and curls his fingers around her forearms.
"Get your hands off me," Aleida snaps, ripping her arms out of his grasp. "Cesar's just as stupid as you. He don't know what happened, I do, okay? It wasn't Gloria. Random drug busts happen all the fuckin' time! You don't scare me!"
"That bitch is mine, and you're a traitor. You knew Cesar and me first, right? We family to you."
"Yeah, but so is she...we're like this." Aleida crosses her fingers. "Family respects each other. You and that mothafucka betta stay away from Gloria, or-"
"Or what, you'll turn me in, too? It won't change anything if she's beaten to death by my whole gang. I pimp a lot of girls out...they could mess her up just as bad."
The mental images of Gloria bloodied and bruised on the pavement of an abandoned alley make Aleida shudder. She won't show that she's frightened of him, though. "Back the fuck off!" she says strongly. "Mira, I'm sorry Cesar got arrested. I can't do nothin' about it...I don't got the money to pay bail. I thought you did..."
Look
"I ain't usin' money for something that should've never happened in the first place!" he roars at her.
"You're a coward. You won't admit that your cousin fucked up...y'all did!"
"Oh, you're blaming it on me now, huh?"
"No. Cesar's dumb for not listening to me when I advised him not to do it in our apartment where the police could come knocking anytime! That's why you do it on the street, you know?"
"Who the fuck do you think you are? Is this a game to you?" He gets into her personal space and pushes her, but she keeps herself steady on her feet. She won't dare let him win. A car's headlights shine on them and the front door opens and closes as Leon walks up to them.
"Hey, you got a problem, asshole?" he asks ferociously while stepping in front of Aleida protectively. "Don't touch her like that again!" He goes to punch Duardo, but Aleida stops him since she assumes the man has a gun.
"I'm fine, Leon, I gotta go home. I don't want Gloria to worry about me."
He sighs. "Okay, come on." He leads her to his car with his arm snugly around her waist. She glances over her shoulder and sees that Duardo is gone. "Hey, I've got you," he assures her while rubbing his calloused thumbs over the scratches Duardo's fingernails had made on the insides of her wrists, and it gives her a surge of pleasure. "Call me if he bothers you again, okay?"
"You don't gotta do that. I can handle him."
"I want you to be safe."
"I am!" she protests, and then rings Gloria to let her know that Leon's bringing her home from school.
"That guy who rudely woke us up last night...he's got it out for you because both he and Cesar believe that you called the cops on his ass. I'm watchin' his every move," Aleida informs Gloria as Daya's mother figure ices her black eye in the bathroom. Daya listens to their discussion and tries to calm herself down.
"You need to ask Leon to install an alarm system in our house, for safety reasons!" Daya senses real fear in Gloria's voice. "Only women and children live here and we're in a shitty neighborhood."
"Nah, we can defend ourselves!" Aleida insists stubbornly. "I thought you was a tough bitch, or is that just me?" Daya rolls her eyes at Aleida's stupidity.
"We can't do that physically if the opportunity arises...another man's after me, and he could actually kill me! Please, Aleida...don't make me beg here! He's fuckin' dangerous!"
"You don't think I can protect you? Gloria, you gotta have faith in me...you're my best friend! I promise I won't let him do shit!"
"Honest to God, do I gotta do everything around here?" Daya mutters. She goes to the refrigerator, plucks Leon's card out from under the magnet, and dials his number. She takes the cordless phone into the pantry and he picks up after two rings.
"Hello?"
"Hi...this is Daya, Aleida's daughter," she whispers, but loud enough for it to reach his ears. "Ma's not the type to admit she needs help...she ain't afraid of nothin'...but me and Gloria would appreciate it if you could come to the apartment, like, soon, and put in a security system. Don't tell her I asked, just pretend you're doing it out of the goodness of your heart."
"I was going to anyway, but while she was out, as a surprise. You two would have to be home, though."
"Yeah, I know." Daya bites her nails. "Thanks."
"Anytime."
"Can I make cookies at your house, Red?" Nicky wants to know.
"You've got quite the sweet tooth!" Red gestures to the package of peanut butter M&Ms that Nicky had bought from Gloria's bodega.
"It's not for me..."
"Oh, I should've known...I see the way you gaze longingly at her, as if she hung the moon, sun, and stars." Red pats Nicky's cheek fondly.
"Man, not you too!" Nicky groans. "Gloria already teased me about my thing for Lorna."
"Yes, you can bake, but I'll be monitoring you very closely so you don't burn anything or make too much of a mess!"
"That's fine!"
Nicky's smiling the whole time she does this, and the snickerdoodles come out to perfection, thanks to Red helping a few times. They're fresh and warm, and Nicky takes them in a box to Lorna's house. She knocks on the door and Franny opens it wide enough so Nicky can see how noisy and crowded their apartment is.
"I'm sorry, Nicky, but Lorna can't have visitors right now."
"I know, but I just wanted to give this to her, if it's okay?"
"Alright, I can take 'em."
"Oooh, I smell somethin' delicious!" Lorna shouts gleefully as she runs down the stairs in a pink nightgown and gray shorts, her breasts bouncing up and down under the cloth. Nicky has to keep her face stoic and she hopes she's not blushing and that the heat on her cheeks is from being near a hot oven for an hour. "Gimme that," she tells Franny sharply as she grabs the box and opens it despite the impatient expression on her sister's face.
"I made your favorite," Nicky informs her crush shyly. "There's also...peanut butter M&Ms in the Snickerdoodles."
"Ooooh, I love these! Thank you, Nichols!" Lorna stuffs one in her mouth and starts chewing. "Mmm, yummy!" Lorna mumbles with her mouth full. She gives Nicky a thumbs up and darts back to her room, and Nicky's pleased with herself.
Afterwards, Nicky and Poussey meet up outside of a club in New York City and smoke weed, just like people do in Lorna, Flaca, and Daya's yearbook class. They'd discussed their hangout just before their French lesson began. "You know I can also speak German?" Poussey asks. "Sie rocken. That was you rock."
Nicky grins. "Cool, thanks!"
"I learned that when my dad was stationed in Germany and I had a girlfriend there, briefly. Our family moves around, like, all the time."
"Oh, you're a military brat, eh?"
"Yup. What's on your mind?" Poussey asks.
"Ever fallen for a straight girl?"
"Oh, yeah...you know her, Taystee...but that was a long time ago. I used to like her...but not anymore, she's just a friend. Brook and I are getting pretty cozy...we're going out tomorrow!"
"Oh, nice..." Nicky sighs wistfully. "I'm not usually one to say this, but I need some advice...lesbian to lesbian. How'd you get over the chick of your dreams?"
"I just reminded myself that she was my heterosexual best friend, and she'd never love me the way I did her. Being pals was good enough...and my crush on her went away eventually."
"It feels like I'll be attracted to Lorna all my life," Nicky mutters and then blows out a puff of smoke. She watches it rise and then puts her pipe back into her mouth.
"You won't be, don't worry. You'll have to move on sometime and accept that you and Lorna will just be friends."
"Thanks, man."
Even with Poussey's tip, Nicky can't stop thinking about Lorna.
Thank you for reading and reviewing, HannahMileyfan1, cornedout, LindaAndrewsfan, Tiff, and A Star In My Universe!
