Chapter 18: Are You Crazy

Thank you for beta'ing, A Star in My Universe! Yay, the trailer looks amazing-I wouldn't expect anything less-I'm soooo excited! Warning-racial slur

cabrona-jerk

monstruos-monsters

puto culo-fuckin' asshole

mi-my

Once she knows her whole family is down for the night, Lorna turns on her lamp and begins reading the first page of Piper's diary. The entry is dated June seventh to ninth, '02.

Dear Diary,

My thirteenth birthday weekend...what a blast! The only part that sucked was Mom wouldn't let me invite Sara H. to my bash Friday, but maybe that's okay...it can just be us, the fab five. We snuck into a frat party, took shots of some funny tasting liquor, and dared each other to plant one on random boys. Alex was awkward about it, but she did like this one girl's melons, and I'm thinking they hooked up, judging by her crafty grin. Flaca wanted to be loyal to Ian...she's no fun! Lorna and Daya were all for it, though, but they acted way too eager, Lorna, especially. Then, I went on a double date with Larry, Polly, and Pete on Saturday night-we went to a fancy dinner. I felt so grown up, probably because I've been a teenager for just two days now. Sunday, I celebrated with my family at Pizza Hut. I got so many presents, it was really fun! I had three parties, but I wish I could throw one for MTV's cameras. My parents said not until I'm sixteen...ugh! I always get what I want, so maybe they'll cave...better late than never! I wanted to rub it into the beast's face so bad! I'll just tell it in the fall. Her slut bestie and the religious meth head deserve to know, too. They are the true banes of my existence.

Piper

Lorna scoffs while shaking her head. Piper ended up having her fourth and final thirteenth birthday party filmed, and she made sure to be front and center, even blocking her friends, and when she left for various reasons, probably sneaking off to kiss Larry or talk to Polly, she commanded the people in charge to turn off the cameras. Lorna, Flaca, Daya, and Alex never had a shot of being on television-their faces were barely or ever seen. If they were in the scene, Piper was with them.


In Benny and Christina's kindergarten class, they're told to draw their family members. The little boy and girl show the pictures they'd made of themselves, their mommies, and Christina's big sister during circle time, and one of her classmates wrinkles her nose and informs her, "Hey! That's not a family! You don't have a daddy!" Christina starts crying and beating the floor with her little fists and legs. It's the first temper tantrum she's had, ever.

Before the teacher can intervene, the child's twin brother laughs at Christina. Benny kicks him in the face and gives him a bloody nose. That seems to shut him up, and therefore, Benny decides to hurt anyone who tries to hurt her. He's now on a rampage, since he's hitting kids who are wearing their costumes on backwards or those who are simply in his way. He doesn't touch Michael, though, because he stays quiet and focuses on something else besides Benny. He feels someone restraining him, so he screams loudly at them to get off him. He can't be consoled by Stacy, so the desperate teacher calls the principal.


Gloria comes to the school immediately. She's shocked at what Benny has done and refuses to believe there isn't a good reason for his actions. She takes him outside while apologizing to Stacy.

"What happened in there? You've never behaved that way before, honey." Gloria kneels down to Benny's level and holds his hands to calm him.

"They said...they said...we weren't a real family without a daddy!" Benny sniffles and breaks off into sobs again.

"All of them said that?" Gloria's astonished.

"They made fun of me! Nobody told them to say sorry so I made them sorry! Then they were doing bad things like wearing their dresses and pants wrong..."

"Benny, you can't do that to people! There's a better way to express your anger. Wearing a costume the wrong way is never to be taken personally. You can't just hit because you feel like it! Arturo was wrong to do that to me. You need to use your words, not your fists," Gloria scolds him.

"I started crying and that meanie mo made fun of me!"

"What about a nice, loud, 'Stop it!'?"

"He doesn't listen, ever!"

"Then don't let it get to you. Kids who are nasty mean nothing to me. If you pretend you don't care, they'll get bored and bully someone else. They want a reaction, so don't give them that. Now, I don't want to hear about you hurting your classmates again, no matter how mean they are, do you understand me?"

Benny nods and looked at the ground. "Yeah..."

"Let's shake on it. Promise me you'll be a nice boy?"

Benny sighs and shakes Gloria's hand.

"Go on in there."

Gloria watches as the teacher makes the students apologize to Benny. Then, he's instructed to say he's sorry for harming the others who hadn't done anything wrong. The teacher lectures on the different kinds of families and makes a statement that a family is a group of people who love and care for each other.

Those kids hadn't hurt Gloria's feelings, since they're five and don't know anything else than what they'd experienced. They don't know other possibilities and that there can be all kinds of family structures. What she's really worried about is that Benny's bad behavior could escalate and he'd get expelled. She hopes the incident never happens again.


"Hey, you!" some guy shouts after Alex while she's walking to English with Nicky. She rolls her eyes when she sees that it's Joey.

"What? You don't know my name?"

"No, I do." He smirks and blocks them from going anyplace. "Oh, trust me...I'm well aware of who you are. So, Alex, you free tonight?"

"Huh?" Nicky snickers behind Alex. "Dude, in case you weren't aware, I'm a lesbian, and I have a girlfriend, who you've probably seen me kissing around school and shit...and even if I was hetero or bisexual, I wouldn't go out with you in a million years, on account of the fact that you crushed one of my best friends' hearts into smithereens." Alex is trying so hard not to break his balls with her foot. She grits her teeth and pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"Man, I was hoping you'd fuck anything that moved. Oh, well," he shifts his eyes to Nicky, "what about you, sweet thing? You've got me goin' with that baby face."

Alex face palms while Nicky cackles so hard that tears come to her eyes. "Jesus, where the fuck do you get these awful...okay, they're not even pick-up lines, they're words combined into a super corny sentence to make naive straight girls swoon and melt all over the floor into a puddle of nothing! Wow! I'd rather go out with your sister or girlfriend than you, pal! I've probably licked way more pussy than so much as flirted with a boy."

"You mean you're both...dykes?"

"Yeah," they say at the same time.

"That's cool, I'm into it...could you, like, send me a video of you two making out and having rough sex, because damn!"

"Fuck off!" Alex snaps.

"We're not here to fulfill your frat boy fantasies, asshole!" Nicky chimes in. They show him the bird on both their hands.

"What a waste, you're so hot!" He turns to Blanca and wolf-whistles at her while resting against the locker beside hers. She seems to be ignoring him as she puts on some lipstick in the mirror that's taped to her locker door. "How are you doin', sexy mama? I'd be flattered if you showed me some of your spicy moves tonight, since we're the most popular kids in school."

"Go to hell, dumbass! I won't fall for another prank as long as I live!" Blanca hollers at him, and a Spanish boy with short, curly, black hair to his chin and a full beard, punches him in the face.

The students around them murmur, "Ooooooh!" at the same time. Nicky and Alex giggle with their hands over their mouths, while Blanca laughs out loud hysterically. She hi-fives her boyfriend and then Maria, Ouija, and another member of their circle, Ramona Contreras, or rather, Pidge.

"They sure showed him," Alex mutters as she and Nicky continue onto their English class.

"Was he like, one of her exes?" Nicky wonders aloud.

"No, she was one of the many girls he's tricked. Sadly for her, though, he asked her out as a cruel joke last year."

"That's a shame, he missed out on a good-lookin' chick."

"Yeah, well..." Alex cuts herself off, not wanting to tell Nicky this whole story, as it's not hers. "She's got a nice boyfriend and her own group she hangs out with, so I'm glad."

"Ah...hold on, was she your best friend who's heart he broke?"

"No, that was Lorna. You can ask her about it later, if you want. I'm not sure if she'd be willing to give you details."

Nicky frowns and shakes her head. "Oh, okay. This is the reason I feel sorry for straight girls, they believe anything attractive guys tell them!"

"I know, right?"

They go into Frieda's classroom and Alex receives a text. The only reasons you turned him down were that you're a gold star lesbian and because of Lorna, it wasn't to defend Blanca. Don't try to make yourself sound like a hero. xo, P


"Someone should chop Joey's dick off and feed it to him! I'm proud of you and Nicky both for turning him down so sassily!" Lorna exclaims after the two girls tell her what happened. They're eating Red's famous Ratatouille in the backroom with their friends. "If Piper were here, though, she'd shit her pants. So...I've been wondering...why the cookies?" she asks Nicky. "I still haven't finished 'em...there's a lot, and I wanna savor the taste!"

"Just a peace offering," Nicky tells her with a smile. She tries not to think about the heroin that Luschek had sneakily given her at the end of Woodshop. There's only nine more hours until she can take it. "I'm happy you love my baking!"

"Me, too!" After a few minutes, Lorna says, "I used to cook with my mother and Franny. You know Ma named me after the athletic store, Lorna Jane? She actually knew the founder...she was very into working out, cheerleading, dance, and she was even a black belt in karate! She kicked ass when she was healthy."

"How'd she get sick?" Nicky wonders out loud.

"I have no idea...maybe smoke and smog in the city-that's why we moved from New Jersey to Brooklyn."

They all give Lorna sympathetic smiles. "Well, life wouldn't be the same without you. I'm sorry she's ill, though."

Nicky has to agree with Gloria's comment, one hundred percent.

"Okay, we're in," the guy who'd clobbered Joey, announces as he walks into the cafeteria with two other guys, Pennsatucky, and two Latinas-one being the girl Joey hit on. "I tried to rob Piscatella, but he chased me outta his big ass mansion."

"Yeah, we'll lead the dudes in the revolution against those sadistic creatures," the lanky light-skinned boy with longish hair, adds, putting his arm around Pennsatucky.

The guy standing beside them doesn't speak, but he nods his head in agreement while holding who Nicky assumes is his girlfriend.

"Thanks, it's always nice to have boys on our side," Flaca tells them.

The three pairs salute them and leave.

"So, two truths and a lie...I'm really good at history because I know all the state capitals, I have broken into some lady named Monica's house, and I made out with some guy while exploring my sexuality, but obviously, it didn't work out," Nicky says randomly. Everyone looks stumped, except Lorna and Red.

"That's hard, any of them could be right," Daya responds.

"The third one's not true," Lorna guesses correctly. "I've heard her rattle off all the capitals with their states before, and a bad girl like her would do breaking and entering."

"Yep! I've never kissed anyone-just sex!"

"Have ya done it with a boy before?" Maritza wonders aloud.

"Once, but he used a condom. I decided I didn't like it...and his cum tasted like sour milk when I blew him."

"Ew, gross!" Flaca exclaims, and they all burst out laughing.

"Plus, I've only had dreams about women."

"I see," Red comments, raising her eyebrows.


At playtime, Gloria witnesses Benny taking a Ken doll and making the doll hit the Barbie doll, like he and his brother had both seen Arturo hit her. She takes a deep breath and lets it out through gritted teeth. She's failed at protecting her little boy from the domestic violence.

"Why are they fighting?" Michael asks.

"Because he got mad at his wife," Benny responds matter of factly.

"Why?"

"She was out with friends and she came home but her husband was already there and waiting a really long time for her."

"Did she tell him that?"

"Yeah, but I guess he thought she lied. You can't lie to people who love you. It's not nice. At least she said sorry."

Gloria steps in. "No, Benny, it's not nice to lie to your loved one, but is it nice to hit someone you're supposed to love?"

The boys shake their heads. "No!" they say in unison.

"Good job! What should he have done instead?"

"Used his words," Benny mumbles.

"That's the appropriate answer I'm looking for." Stacy thanks Gloria with a smile.

"Just watching over my kid, teachin' him and his friend right from wrong, that's all!"

"It's not his friend who needs that lesson," is all Benny's kindergarten teacher says.


"It would be better to start a hunger strike!" Brook whines in her, Flaca, and Maritza's History class. "Just forget what Lorna said..."

"Yo, my blood pressure's low, so I can't go long without eating. It ain't gonna happen," Maritza informs her.

"Yeah," Flaca agrees while fanning herself and reading over her notes. "Why you talkin' about shit that's already been finished with? Damn it, you're making my anxiety worse!"

Brook scoffs. "It's just a test, relax!"

"Easy for you to say, Hello Kitty! Asians are like, hella smart!" Maritza defends Flaca.

"I don't even like her! Anyway...if you flunk, I can tutor you."

"I gotta study, shhh!" Flaca puts her finger to her lips. Her nerves get stronger when Ms. McCollough passes around the quizzes on the Civil War. After a few questions she really doesn't know, she starts having a panic attack. She pushes her bangs back from her clammy forehead and breathes in and out shakily. "I need to get the fuck outta here..."

"Shut the fuck up, you dirt taco!" Brandy Epps groans, and Flaca and Maritza flip the white pride member off.

"Excuse me, I will not tolerate racist slurs in my classroom!" the teacher reprimands her. "You've already gotten a detention, Miss Epps. One more comment like that, and you can kiss your test goodbye! In fact, call your parents to take you home-you're suspended for two weeks!" Flaca's relieved that the teacher is only Ms. McCollough and she'd given Brandy a proper punishment. The blonde woman comes over to her. "Miss Gonzales, you're also disrupting the class. Do you want to go to a private room and take it?"

"O-okay...I'm...I'm sorry, it's just hard to concentrate..." Flaca stutters through her panting.

"Alright, try to calm down. I'll send your test to Mr. Caputo. Good luck."

"Thanks."

Flaca warily goes to the principal's office. She checks her notes on her phone one last time, but before she can hand it over to Caputo, a new message appears on the screen. Someone's a little slow, if you don't want me to tell your girls, you'll have to come clean to your boyfriend at least-about everything! I may not let you finish high school, anyway. kisses, P

"Answer it later," the man says, and he exchanges her phone for her test.


"How was school? Did that punk kid Mikey bug you again?" Nicky asks Tricia over the phone.

"Nah, his sisters straightened him up, I guess!"

"Good, now listen, I'm going to this dance-a-thon that's being hosted at my high school...so I'll see you when it's over, at midnight! Then, tomorrow after community service, I'm going to Gloria's son's birthday party...that's where my friends will be! If you wanna come with, you can!"

"It's cool, I'll chill with Mercy and the other girls!"

"Okay, then! Bye!"

"Bye!"


"It's one thing to be brave, but you're being an idiot!" Daya yells at her mother. "I hope you thanked him!"

"I never wanted him to do this. It makes me look like a wimp! I can take care of my fuckin' self!" Aleida shouts back.

"Okay, but what happens when Duardo kicks in the door and kills us all?" Gloria asks. "Leon was nice to install that alarm system!"

"Yeah, Gloria and I both feel a lot safer, so majority rules!"

"You're bein' real dramatic!" Aleida snaps.

Daya chomps on her gum and blows a bubble until it pops. "Believe what you want, but you'll see how helpful it is...and it could scare away any intruders! We've already had Duardo trying to get in...we don't need more."

"I can deal with him-"

"What if you ain't home, Aleida?" Gloria asks. "I ain't talkin' to him by myself, and I won't have him come near Daya."

"Fine...when I'm here, though, it stays off."

"He could demand to know where Gloria is...you need to put a restraining order out on him," Daya lets Aleida know. "You can't keep repeating that Gloria's innocent."

"Okay, if he shows up at our apartment again, I will," Aleida gives in.

"Thank you," Gloria murmurs.

"Yeah, thanks," Daya echoes.

The school is so messed up that they mixed up the day of the dance-a-thon, which is tonight now instead of Saturday. "At least this gives me more time to prepare for Benny's birthday party," Gloria says as she, Aleida, and Daya go to Martin Van Buren High. They had to move the event to Saturday when they found out, which at first, Benny had been upset by, but he'd calmed down when they'd assured him he'll still have a fun celebration tomorrow. The cheerleaders had apparently stayed after school to help decorate the gym for the dance-a-thon.

Everyone is all dressed up with numbers taped to the backs of their outfits, and they start dancing when the announcer tells them to begin. The six friends groove together as a group, or they split into pairs-Nicky and Lorna; Flaca and Maritza; and Daya and Alex-and sometimes, they switch partners. They don't stop until they're dead tired. Aleida's brought Leon as her date, and Gloria is with Red since neither of them have a partner. Diane is off in the corner with some man Gloria doesn't know while the girls are distracted.


"I can't believe you brought a flask, Mari," Flaca whispers to her best friend.

"Hey, I don't mind sharing, but we're the only two whose moms aren't here chaperoning, Lorna can't have a hangover when she's gonna go on that road trip with Franny tomorrow, and Red probably has her eye on Nicky, like in the back of her head!"

"Yeah, you're right. Maybe it can just be for us two!" They both giggle while bouncing on their feet and spinning around in their black dresses. "We gotta watch out for those bad guys, though! Luckily, it was only Ms. Fischer checking the bags. She's cool."

"Mm-hm..."

"I may need the whole thing," Flaca admits. "Remember when I went into the separate private room for the test? I'm embarrassed...I don't want nobody to know, so keep it between us, okay?"

"It's nothin' to be ashamed of."

"It's just...I can't get below a C, otherwise, people will think I'm a dunce...and it's easier when I'm workin' on tests, quizzes, and exams, alone."

"Wow, really? You're worried about how well you do in this stupid shit? Freaking out about grades is dumb-you of all people should know that! I gotta tell ya, though, you won't need to know this after graduating college!" Maritza points out.

"Dude, I know, but I'm real bad in school...like, I'm lucky I never got an D or F or nothin'."

"A C is good enough, Flaca," Maritza assures her while twisting her hair around her fist. "You don't gotta go higher, unless you really can."

"Thanks."

"Still want my liquor?"

"Hell yes. Please."

"All yours!"


"Where's Sylvie?" Nicky asks Alex as she trades Daya for Lorna.

Alex sighs deeply and smooths down the fabric of her dark red dress. "We kinda got into a fight. She's jealous because I wanna switch between dancing with her and you girls...so she went home."

"Oh, well, I hope things work out!"

"Me, too."

"You look like Belle from Beauty and the Beast," Nicky compliments Lorna. She really does, from her brown hair tied in a half pony with the rest of it tumbling down her back in loose waves, to her sunshine-colored dress and matching heels.

"Huh...I never thought of it that way, since I'm not a big reader and my prince isn't here, but thank you. Hey, there's the dipshit!" she shouts over the loud music, gesturing to Joey. "Quick, pretend we're madly in love!" She jumps on Nicky, wrapping her legs around the blonde girl's waist and placing her hands on Nicky's shoulder, and the slightly taller girl starts carrying Lorna while shaking her hips to the beat. "Oh, baby, I adore you so much!" she cries dramatically, and the girls laugh hysterically.

"You're my number one girl!" Nicky answers, playing along with her. "Should we make out, just to give him a metamorphic kick in the nuts?"

"Nah, he's gone now. You can put me down if you want."

"Good, 'cause I think every single one of us has to have our feet on the floor," Nicky says while letting go of Lorna. "We could grind, though. Look, Flaca and Maritza are doing it."

"Sure!"

"What exactly did he do, if you don't mind me asking?" Nicky adjusts her blue skirt so the hem is at the middle of her thighs. "He seems to be quite a player...like, if I was into boys, I wouldn't waste my time with him, if I knew what kind of person he was."

Lorna's smile disappears. "You think I'm a moron?" she hisses.

"No, no! It's just...like I said earlier, he seemed horny today...making passes at me, Alex, and this poor girl who was the butt of a prank a year ago?" Nicky scoffs. "It was pathetic how he was acting, really."

"Yeah, I guess I didn't realize...I'll tell you everything later, alright? Let's just dance. I don't wanna remember sad stuff at a time like this."

Nicky twirls Lorna around a few times, making her yellow dress fan out. "Okay."


Alex takes Maritza's flask out of her bag and opens it. "She's gonna be mad that you're stealing her drink," Daya warns her.

"No, she'll understand if I explain the reason." Alex takes a swig and then winces at the taste. "Whoa, this is strong!"

"You're gonna wind up shit drunk."

"Who the fuck cares?" They sneak out of the area and walk around outside. "I can't function when Sylvie and I are at odds with each other."

"Just give her time to cool down."

Alex guzzles the liquid and slams the flask on a bench. "I hate this...Piper's underground while those fuckin' bastards get to make our lives hell in school!" she hollers.

Daya shushes her, relieved that Piscatella, Dixon, and Humps hadn't heard Alex. "I know."

"It all sucks! We have no idea who killed our friend, or who this P asshole is...I feel like it'll be a mystery forever! Both people will get away with tormenting us like this!"

Daya rubs Alex's back soothingly. "No, they won't. We'll solve it, all four of us!"

"How? We're not detectives." Alex picks up the flask again and pours her drink into her mouth.

"Well...we'll figure it out, okay?"

"I'm still unconvinced." Alex looks away from Daya and puts her head in her hands. "I wish she was here...or maybe I don't. She lead me on, fuckin' bitch!"

"You're not glad she's dead, though."

"No...I miss her...but like Mom said, she screwed over a lot of people...including me. It hurts to be aware of that. She made me feel like some kind of...predator slut!"

"None of us think of you that way, Al. I doubt Piper did either."

"You don't know what it's like, Daya! You have no fuckin' clue...how it feels...to be a lesbian...who's into her straight friend."

"Yeah, but I know rejection from a crush. We've all faced it at some point in our lives! Lorna's like, the poster child of it!"

"You look really hot in pink!" Alex is starting to slur her words and stagger, so Daya knows it's time for her to put down Maritza's flask. She holds Alex's arms tightly before Alex can trip over a crack in the pavement, and they both sit down on the bench.

"Hey, what are you two doin' out here?" Maritza asks.

"Sorry, Maritza," Alex mumbles guiltily. "I needed this."

"Oh, man, I was gonna enjoy that," Flaca groans. "Why?"

"She's not feeling the best," Daya tells them. "I mean, like, she wasn't before. She was drinking away the pain of both Piper and Sylvie being gone."

"I'm almost sober!" Alex protests, her eyes widening and rolling back into her head. "I'm going back in...I'm gonna have a few words with those sickos!"

The girls appear to be as horrified at the predicted outcome of this as Daya is. "No you're not, Specs. Where should we take you? I'll get a taxi," Nicky says.

"We should hurry and go now before anyone sees her!" Lorna urges them. "Get your stuff...I'll take Alex's and grab a water from in there."

"Uh...Maritza's, I suppose...I don't want Flaca's brothers to snitch...Theresa might tell my mom. I know she's cool, but she doesn't need to know about this. Can one of you please let her know, from my phone?" Alex asks as the girls gather up their belongings.

"Okay, sure, and I'll go, too, since I want some alcohol...come on." Flaca helps Alex up while Daya takes her other arm.

"I can do this by myself, thank you!" They help her put one foot in front of the other as Nicky flags down a cab. "The world is closing in on me," Alex grumbles. "I don't remember there being a street here...wait, why do vehicles move so fast, but we can't?"

It's a tight squeeze in the back, but since both Lorna and Maritza's butts are small, they can fit into one seatbelt. Nicky sits next to Lorna, with Alex on her other side. Flaca's in the passenger seat. Daya hugs her friends goodbye and waves at them until she can't see them anymore. She returns to where Gloria and Aleida are, at the gym.


By the end of the night, they're all tired and their feet hurt, but it was still fun. Flaca and Maritza both tuck Alex in bed and then snuggle up next to her after she pukes in the toilet. Normally, they'd stay up all night and gossip, but Alex can't deal with noise at this moment. She's sweating buckets, so Maritza opens her window wide, letting the cool air rush in.

"Hey, you mind if we leave you here and watch reality shows and get buzzed downstairs?" Flaca asks Alex gently while taking off her shoes and her glasses.

"Yeah, I wanna sleep," Alex murmurs. "Have...fun..."

"Don't forget to drink water and use the bowl if you gotta throw up!" Maritza reminds her.

"Okay..." Her eyes drift shut and she grins when they stroke her hair before exiting the room.


Here comes the sun (doo doo doo doo)

Here comes the sun, and I say
It's all right

Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's all right

Daya, her mother, and Gloria listen to the Beatles song in the kitchen while working on Benny's funfetti chocolate cake. The kids shake their little butts to it and giggle when the women and Daya twirl them around.

Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's all right

Gloria hums along to it while she and Aleida sway against each other. "This is what my parents used to dance to before they died in a car accident," she lets them know. "I love it."

"It's a good one!" Daya murmurs.

"Yeah, the Beatles were pretty hot back then," Aleida says.

Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes

"It puts me in a excellent mood!" Gloria tells them as Aleida frosts the cake. Gloria writes, Happy 5th Birthday, Benny! in red icing. "Every time I hear it, I think of how lucky I am to have gotten away from Arturo."

Daya gets out candles for later, when they're ready to put them in. "I can imagine! Well, we're happy, too."

Aleida hugs Gloria around her waist. "Same here!"

Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear
Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's all right

The song fades away, but Gloria's still smiling. "Happy birthday, little man!" she says excitedly as she lifts up Benny and squeezes him tight while kissing his cheek. "Wanna wear your favorite red shirt today?"

"Yeah!"

She sends Benny and Christina to their rooms while she gets dressed and puts Julio in his green plaid shirt and khakis. Aleida puts Emiliano's black shirt on over his head and helps him with his red shorts. Daya throws on her green sparkly shirt, black leather jacket and blue jeans. She slides a matching green studded belt through the loops in her jeans. She puts her hair up into a ponytail and sweeps her bangs to one side. She slips her personalized hoops that read Dayanara in cursive writing through her earlobes and applies her makeup.


"Where are you goin'?" Franny asks Lorna as she leaves the pool and dries off.

"I need to use the little girl's room." Lorna slides on her sunglasses, adjusts her black bikini straps, and slips her feet into her pink flip flops. She puts on her red lipstick and grabs her bag up off the ground. "I'll be right back."

She saunters off to the room where P had told her Christopher and Angela were in and knocks on the door, but there's no answer. "Christopher? Are you in there? It's me, baby!" She discovers the door is unlocked, thanks to P, and goes inside. It's quite a spectacular place. She wanders around and finds their bed, and she quickly figures out that Angela's side is the one with the small stuffed teddy bear lying on top of the pillow. She stuffs that into her bag and unzips Angela's suitcase. She throws everything out, all over the floor, not caring that something just broke when it had fallen out of its tissue paper. She hurls the suitcase at the window, creating a large dent in the glass, and smirks. "That's gonna cost you, bitch!"

She goes into their bathroom and sees a huge tub. After stripping and filling it with warm water, she steps into it and closes her eyes as she relaxes. She only wakes up when she hears loud voices.

"Who was in here?" Christopher demands.

"We're gonna call security!" Angela hollers. They come into the bathroom. "Get out!" she orders Lorna.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Lorna asks as she's draining the tub. "I just wanted to visit you, Christopher, and take a dip in this nice tub. Are you gonna make me pay for the mess? I won't, by the way, because I didn't make it." She glares daggers at Angela. "You, however, deserve your shit destroyed, slut!"

Angela raises her hand, as if to slap Lorna, but Christopher stops her. "She's willing to leave, so physical violence isn't necessary." He nods at Angela, and she grins in response.

"I'll strangle you, whore!" Lorna threatens Angela while putting her bikini, sunglasses, and flip flops back on. "You ruined mine and Christopher's vacation together!" she hisses through gritted teeth.

"Don't make me laugh!"

"I told you not to come near me again," Christopher growls, and Lorna finds it sexy.

"She's warping your mind or something! I'm your girlfriend, not Angela!" Lorna insists.

"Are you crazy?!" Angela yells. "Leave, now!"

Lorna snatches her bag off the floor and gives Angela a dark stare, with her eyes narrowed into slits, her nose flared, her mouth into a frown, and fury fills every part of her being. Her whole body shakes as her muscles tense up. She storms out of their room and breathes in and out to slow down her rapidly beating heart. She counts to ten like Red does when she's angry, and she doesn't stop trembling until she reaches the end of the hallway. She pulls her phone out of her bag.

Follow through on your promise to choke Angela in school, and I'll give you a guide on installing a bomb in her car-you'd only be doing it to scare her off, not kill her. She'll never touch Christopher again. When you get home, you'll see that I've stolen your vision board. You're getting pieces back right now, but not all of them...I'll give them to you when you do what I ask of you. love, P

"Hey, sorry, I was lost and I met a boy, but we didn't click," Lorna claims. "Let's go home now so we're not too late for Benny's party at Chuck-E-Cheese's!"

Her sister gives her a confused look. "Oh...okay, then."

She ends up arriving to the party all breathless and rushed. "You made it, just in time for greasy pizza!" Gloria exclaims, and Lorna hands her Benny's present.

"How could I miss your son's party, Gloria?" Lorna asks rhetorically. She kneels down to Benny's level and hugs him. "Hey, buddy, happy birthday!"

"Thank you, Lorna!" he says politely, and she ruffles his hair. She then spies her friends, along with Maria, Blanca, and their boyfriends, playing the arcade games, and Aleida and Red watching the rest of the children in the jumping house. She makes her way over to the girls and taps Nicky from behind. The blonde turns around and grins so wide that Lorna can see her dimples.

"Hey, kid, I thought you weren't gonna show!" Nicky throws her arms around Lorna, and Alex, Flaca, Daya, and Maritza do the same. "One more game of Skee Ball, and then we eat!"

"Sounds great!"


The next day is hot as Leon drives himself to Aleida's apartment. He wipes his sweaty forehead with his arm and is shocked he hasn't even started yet. Hopefully it's worth it in the end. Gloria had put him to work all day and Aleida gives him water every thirty minutes.

Aleida's sexy in short-shorts and a tank top that's exposing her belly and cleavage. She'd let her hair loose in flowing curls down her back. She shades her eyes with her hand and kneels down next to him shoveling dirt to plant some flowers. "How are you doing there, soldier?"

"I might need some water, miss." He winks at her and takes off his shirt. She blushes and looks away as he does so.

"Of course, sir." She rises and runs back inside the house, almost falling over the porch steps. Leon chuckles at her behavior. She's totally falling for him.

Aleida comes back a few seconds later with some water. Leon downs it instantly and hands her back the plastic cup.

"You need to stop working because I might just distract you," she says in a seductive voice. He just stares. "Leon, you know you want this, don't you?" She unfastens her shorts and unzips so she's down to her red lacy panties. "One step closer to heaven."

"Oh, god, yes, baby."

"All for you," she murmurs, licking her lips. "You can thank me later."

There she is, spreading her legs and showing all her wetness right in front of him. She puts one finger in her hole and starts panting heavily. He squeezes his straining cock and groans. "Fuck..."

"Leon! You there?" Aleida snaps her fingers in front of his face.

He blinks a few times. "Yeah, sorry, I spaced out."

"Hm, I'm sure you did. Here's what you wanted."

He takes the water from her and drinks it, enjoying the coolness as it slides down his throat. "Aaah, that hit the spot!"

"I bet. Gloria's making us lunch soon. How do you feel about a nice plate of pasta with ice cream for dessert?"

"I would love it. I planted a few flowers, by the way."

"Thank you. You did so much!"

He'd also carried a few heavy boxes from one side of the yard to the other and cleaned the windows. It was tough, but totally worth it. He got to look at her dancing around her room. That part was fun.

"Beautiful day, isn't it?" he asks a few seconds later.

"Yes, very. I love sunny days. I hope the work isn't too bad."

"It's not. I need the green."

"I know."

Leon accidentally streaks some dirt on Aleida's cheek while kissing her. "Ew!" she cries, and flicks it back at him. They start laughing and eventually roll around in the mud until they need to take a shower together.


The girls occasionally go to Piper's memorial site, and this afternoon, they see Carol sitting by it with a fond expression on her usually stoic face.

"They did a splendid job. That was a wonderful idea you had, Alex," she says as the four of them come closer.

Alex beams proudly. "Thanks, Mrs. Chapman."

"You all were great in honoring my daughter at her funeral. Let's have an impromptu lunch at my house, girls. Would you be okay with that?"

"Sure!" Lorna chirps.

Flaca stands up a bit straighter. "Okay!"

Daya shrugs. "That's fine."

"Yeah," Alex tells Piper's mother.

"Great! I'll have the cook make us pork. I'm betting you want hot sauce, Flaca?"

"Like always!"

When they start eating, Carol hands them each a box with a beautiful dress inside. They're all perplexed, except Lorna, who squeals, "Oooh, pretty! Oh my goodness...but weren't these Piper's?"

"Yes, but I'm throwing a charity fashion show in New York City tonight, and I wanted to ask you four if you could model these dresses. I know it's last minute, and you don't have to do it, but I would be pleased if you did."


Aleida and Leon go inside when her friend calls them in for lunch. The three of them eat their food silently. Gloria leads them outside with her straw hat on and sunglasses. She grins at Aleida and Aleida gives her a thumbs up.

Leon works diligently for six more hours. By the end of the day, his bones are aching and he can barely drive. Thankfully, Aleida offers him a ride home.

"My muscles are so sore," Leon moans.

"Aw, you poor baby, want me to make you feel all better?"

"Yes, please."

"Okay, lay down on your belly," she instructs, and he does so, on her white couch. Gloria's spying on them before Aleida notices and shoos her away.

"Aaah, that's it. oh yeah," Leon keeps saying as she continuously hits the right spots. She's releasing all the pain and it feels so good. Her soft hands are also doing wonders to his dick. He feels himself harden. "Better?"

"Yes, thank you so much...can I have a hug?"

"Of course," she allows, and he pulls her in close to his chest. He rocks her from side to side a few times and then they part.


"Why would she ask this of us?" Daya wants to know. "I mean, we never even knew about it! I feel kinda weird doing it if you ask me."

"Yeah, it's fuckin' creepy!" Flaca agrees.

"I wouldn't mind! It does sound fun to stroll down a catwalk in such lovely dresses!" Lorna exclaims.

"Maybe she's just trying to keep Piper's memory alive," Alex tells her friends.

"Girls, this is a nice way to remember her. Just think of it like that," Diane says.

Alex smiles at her mother's suggestion and shrugs and Flaca and Daya still look uncertain, but Lorna squeals excitedly. "Oh, come on! It's not like she'd worn them more than once! She only tried 'em on for us."

"Yeah, and she said I wouldn't fit into any of them," Daya grumbles, staring down at her lap. "What if I don't, even now?"

"We could always fix 'em, like we may have to make some of the skirts shorter for Lorna," Alex consoles her.

Eventually, the Hispanic girls agree to the idea since they respect Diane and also because Lorna and Alex want to do it. "We should invite Maritza and Nicky to come watch us, besides our moms, Gloria, and Red!" Flaca suggests.

"Of course!" Lorna agrees.


"Who's that guy you were with?" Gloria asks Diane as they, Aleida, Red, Franny, and Theresa are sitting around a circular table, waiting for the fashion show to start.

"Oh...you saw us together at the dance-a-thon, huh?" Diane wonders out loud.

Aleida smirks. "You gotta tell us! I can't believe I never noticed!"

"Yes, because you were busy with your boyfriend," Red tells her. "So, back to you, Diane..."

"He's...Alex's biological father...but it's a secret," Diane confesses.

The ladies' jaws pop open in surprise. "No way! Shit, really?" Franny asks.

"I want to know if it's serious first, otherwise, she'll be so fuckin' disappointed."

"Ain't that like lyin' to her?" Gloria wants to know.

"No...but I do feel bad. I just can't have her meet him, and then he ups and leaves the next day. It's wonderful to reconnect, though. He's been great so far."

"That's good," Theresa says. "So...I think someone found me on eHarmony-"

"Whoohoo!" Aleida cheers and then winks at her. "Get it, chica!"

"I just don't know what to wear...it's at the Sparrow Tavern next Saturday at five, I think...I'll have Marisol translate because he said more than just details. Maybe she could even give me some ideas for my outfit."

"I wish you lots of luck!" Diane says, giving Theresa's hand a squeeze. "So, Aleida, where's Leon?"

"I didn't bring him...it's just a ladies' thing, after all!"

"Hey, Red!" Nicky greets her. "We didn't miss anything, right? This girl, Blanca, I think her name is...she told us it was starting right now. She's in charge, apparently."

"Yes, sweetheart...you're just in time. Hello, Tricia, Maritza."

"Hi!" The short Mexican girl and the blonde in dreadlocks wave at Red and they find chairs beside the ladies. "I just know Flaca will love this! I mean, she found it strange at first, but she does like everyone's eyes on her! I don't blame her, so do I!"

"Well, Lorna was ecstatic!" Nicky informs them.

"That sounds like my sis," Franny tells her with a knowing grin.

"Their names should be like, in lights," Maritza says. "At least the spotlight's glowing on them!"

"Yeah!" Nicky and Tricia agree.

The women, Nicky, Tricia, and Maritza clap and cheer as the girls strut down the catwalk in various, colorful, cute, stylish dresses, heels, hats, and headpieces. They look so glamorous, and very grown up. Aleida and Diane both wolf whistle when Alex and Daya travel the stage, wearing white gowns, and smack each other's asses. Lorna and Flaca, adorned in gold-from their headbands to their Platform Pradas-do a little spin in synch, blow a kiss to the audience, and then curtsy when they're done. Red gives each of them a thumbs-up, and Nicky and Maritza wave at them, yelling their names.

"That's the way you do it!" Maritza squeals.

"I love you!" Nicky chimes in. "Whooo!"

"My baby, I'm so proud of you!" Diane gushes and waves at Alex.

"Dayanara!" both Gloria and Aleida shout happily.

"Go, little sister!" Franny calls out to Lorna.

"¡Hola, Marisol!" Theresa hollers.

Hi, Marisol

The girls seem to smile and blush more when attention is directed at them, and it's adorable. All of a sudden though, the event is sabotaged when a photo of Piper, with drawn devil horns and a beard, appears on the overhead projector. It bursts into angry orange flames and evil laughter and a demonic voice bursts out through the loudspeaker, "I'm a selfish cunt...stop wearing my clothes...they're mine, all mine!" The words bitch, monster, and evil flash across the screen, everyone gasps, and the four friends quickly run off the stage.

"What the fuck, man?" Nicky asks sharply as the Chapmans leave the room.


"Okay, what the hell was that?" Maritza asks Flaca.

"I have no idea...I just wanna go home."

"You girls alright?" Nicky asks in concern.

"Mm-hm," they lie in unison.

"Lorna, I could take you to your apartment, if you'd like. Red's gonna bring Tricia to Storky's."

"Sure, thanks, Nicky. Can you and Maritza tell our moms, my sister, Red, and Gloria, that we're fine?"

"I will!"

"Why would someone ruin this? Poor Mr. and Mrs. Chapman and Cal," Alex mutters, nearly in tears. "Oh, and her grandma, too..."

"We should try to make 'em feel better somehow," Daya says. "They're gone now, so we can't really give 'em hugs."

A message displays on the blank white canvas. She should never be worshipped, and shame on you for parading around in her shit! -P

They exit immediately after, and then Nicky walks Lorna home. "Mind telling me about that grand finale?"

"Yes, I do, actually...how'd you like the rest of the show?"

Nicky grins and she and Lorna's hands bump. "Oh, I enjoyed it, thoroughly! You were all amazing!"

Lorna's glad when Nicky drops the subject. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, kid."


There's a girl sobbing loudly in the bathroom on Monday morning and screaming like she's being tortured, so Nicky immediately opens the door and finds her kicking one of the stall doors in, letting it bang against the wall. She then sinks into a sitting position, hunched over, rocking back and forth, with her shoulders shaking. She looks awfully familiar, with her dark, wavy hair and that temper could belong to none other than the girl Nicky cherishes.

"Lorna?" When she doesn't respond, Nicky kneels down slightly behind her and softly touches her shoulder. "Hey..."

"Try again," she mumbles, turning to face Nicky while dabbing her black eye with a wet paper towel.

"I saw you on Friday and then a couple times this weekend...I'm so sorry, I thought you were Lorna," Nicky mutters awkwardly.

"Yup, except I'm not. Why do people always mistaken me for her? It's fuckin' annoying! I'm Latina, not white, cabrona!" The dark-skinned girl glares at Nicky and sniffles.

"It's the hair...I apologize, again. I'm new here, I don't know every student at this school! You should go to the nurse...that's an awful bruise you got there, and just cold water isn't gonna help it. Ice keeps the swelling down. I'm Nicky Nichols, by the way."

"Blanca Flores." She gets up to her feet, as does Nicky. "I guess they never told you, huh?" She puts her purse on over her shoulder.

"What?"

"Those girls I've seen you with-Daya, Lorna, Flaca, and Alex-their bitch friend who died...she was my bully last year. I used to have your type of disheveled hair, but also, a unibrow, so...but anyway, this is a new year, and we're all getting equally attacked by those monstruos."

"That's how you got the..."

Blanca nods and wipes a tear away with her sleeve. "You try to go skinny dipping with your boyfriend at night, and boom!" Nicky jumps. "All of a sudden, you're knocked out and he's in the hospital with his babymaker fucked up! I hate Piscatella...puto culo."

Nicky's eyes widen in horror and they link arms without realizing it. Even though Blanca is slightly taller than Nicky, she's clinging onto the blonde as they cautiously walk to the nurse's office. "Jesus Christ, man..."

"Yeah, we both tried to drown him, and mi Diablo was protectin' me, sayin' you ain't shit if you hit a girl, and then we had to play dead until that motherfucker left us alone."

"Oh my god! When was this?"

"Like, four this morning."

"Oh my god," Nicky repeats. "We need to tell Red and Gloria."

"What are they gonna do?"

"You guys almost got killed. They tried to have Piscatella, Dixon, and Humps arrested, but it fell through, but now they gotta take further action. A murder attempt requires death as revenge."

"Hey, did you see that blood in the pool? Holy shit!" Alex says as she comes up to them with her mother, Lorna, Flaca, Daya, and Maritza behind her.

"It was horrifying," Lorna murmurs.

"Yeah, at first, I thought someone had her period, but nah!" Flaca chimes in.

"That's what I assumed, too," Maritza agrees. "We were like, someone's gonna have to clean that up!"

"What the hell happened to you, Blanca?" Daya wonders out loud.

"Piscatella," both Nicky and Blanca whisper at the same time.

"That's a mix of mine and Diablo's," Blanca tells them and then gulps. "We're okay, but...well, alive, at least. We just can't have babies, not that I'd ever want 'em, but...he's really dangerous...if we wanna defeat him, we'd have to take him by surprise."

"Oh, no, you poor girl," Diane replies sympathetically.

"How'd you survive?" Lorna asks, the nervousness evident in her trembling voice. The girls clutch tightly onto each other and then Lorna, who's at the end, grabs Nicky's upper arm.

"We pretended not to breathe for like, two minutes," Blanca explains.

They make their way to the backroom of the cafeteria even faster, practically running. They're gasping for air as soon as they arrive.

"She needs ice," Alex informs the kitchen workers before they can say anything.

"What the fuck?!" Aleida bursts out.

"That shithead Piscatella did a number on her and her man," Flaca continues.

"Yeah, he was about to slaughter 'em, but they rescued themselves!" Maritza goes on.

"Quiero ver a Diablo..." Blanca cries as she practically falls into Gloria's arms. "I can't 'til after school, I wanna skip, but I'm afraid to...he's badly hurt..."

I wanna see Diablo

"I know," Gloria murmurs while stroking her hair soothingly. Red opens the freezer, gets a chunk of ice out, and puts it into a plastic bag. She hands it to the injured Latina, who holds it to her eye and then Gloria pulls a pair of sunglasses out of her purse. "You can wear these when you go to class...it's what I would do all the time, if I was going out and Arturo had just abused me."

"Thanks..." she mumbles as the women help her sit down on a chair. Nicky's heart breaks for her, and she sees that the others are just as solemn and empathetic, pressing their hands on the left side of their chests. "I need to tell Maria where I am...we always meet in the courtyard."

"I'll text her for you," Daya offers sweetly. "I have her number."

"Okay, that'd be great. Thank you!" Blanca manages a small smile. As the girls gaze on sadly, Red, Gloria, and Aleida share a devious smirk, probably conjuring up a plan to destroy Piscatella and his men, once and for all. Claudette sharpens a big knife and Norma points at it while grinning. Take out the top dog, then it's easy to overpower the minions, Nicky thinks to herself.

Thank you for reading and reviewing, HannahMiley1fan, cornedout, and A Star In My Universe!