Thank you for beta'ing, A Star In My Universe! Warning, racial slurs.
When they're done throwing plates at a wall and smashing breakables with a baseball bat inside a New York City anger room to relieve their stress, Alex and Diane walk out of the place, linking arms and giggling. Diane's co-worker, Cheryl, had recommended they go here, and it was a great suggestion. They had fun. As soon as they get back into their trailer park, they have some ice cream while watching reruns of Gilmore Girls, until there's a knock at the door. Diane gets up to answer it. She peers through the window first before opening it.
"Fahri...hi, long time, no see. Come in!" The man of Arabian descent steps inside and he and Diane exchange a hug. "Alex, do you remember Fahri Basara? He babysat you until you started sleeping over at friends' houses when I worked late at night."
"Barely...I was twelve, so...hey." Alex waves at him with a shy grin.
"You've gotten taller!" Fahri notices aloud. "You and your mom share a resemblance."
"Since then, yeah, I know."
"I regret that we drifted apart...I just wanted to apologize on Lee's behalf. Uh, I tracked him down and encouraged him to reconnect with you two. He couldn't even remember your last name, or your first, Diane. I had to remind him...and then I pointed you out in the paper, Alex. I found him on purpose to help you, thinking he was a good guy, the way your mother spoke of him, but he is a real jerk. I was unsuccessful in getting the family back together, and for that, I'm sorry."
"Thank you for trying, though," Diane tells him. "Don't put that on you. It's the disgusting snake's fault."
"He's got problems...I'm not making excuses for him, but I got him to admit that he's unable to take care of either of you. He asked me to do it instead. At the time, I was Lee's dealer...now, I'm not into hard drugs or anything, just a bump or two every few weeks...and I was only focusing on the business aspect of it, so I didn't really dive into his personal life too much. I heard about a one night stand, but I had no idea at the time that it was you, and I just didn't connect the dots about him right away. If I was aware that he was a fucked-up moron, I would've never let him get close to either of you in the first place."
"I know."
"I have an apartment nearby, if you ever wanna visit."
"Sure!" Alex says excitedly. "Mom, can we hang out with him there?"
"Of course, baby."
It's late at night and Diane notices some idiots harassing this poor teenager outside the strip club she's working at as soon as she's finished. She senses a fight, so she walks right up to them, and immediately gets in the middle of it. She may be twenty-four and one month pregnant, but she still has the spunk and the guts to get these douchebags to quit picking on this drunk kid. She can tell the guy's had too much booze by the way he's tripping over himself when the losers push him around. After suffering a blow to the head from their violent fists, he crashes to the ground with a shout, and then, they take turns kicking him.
"What a dork!"
"Where's all your American hostages?"
"Come on, tell us, diaper head!"
"Hey, you motherfuckin' shitheads, stop that!" she yells, and they freeze in their tracks. "Jesus fuckin' Christ, what's wrong with you? Leave him alone. What's he done to you?" She shoves them away from him.
"Whoa, check out those Juicy sweats, those words go perfectly across your ass!" one of them says and then wolf-whistles. The rest, except for the injured high-schooler, do the same. "We're just playing around with him, sweet cheeks! He doesn't even belong here...he can build truck bombs with his mommy and daddy in Iran!"
She gets up in their faces. "Go home before I call the cops, you racist assholes!"
"He's the one who oughta go home. You're a white lady, you should understand this!"
"I'm not prejudiced. Now move it!"
"You're a traitor!" Once Diane feels a hand tighten around her wrist and another try to tear down her bottoms, she spritzes her can of mace into their eyes. "Oh, you bitch!"
While they're squirming on the ground in agony, she helps up the wounded boy. "Hey...I'll take you home, or at least to a hospital, because you're bleeding badly."
"Who...who are you?" he mumbles while blinking rapidly. "You gotta be a Victoria's Secret angel or somethin'. Some hot girl just saved my life, I'm so grateful...my name's Fahri."
"I'm Diane, I'm a stripper at this joint...come on, we need to hurry," she says urgently. She supports him as he limps along to her car. "Do you need to throw up before we go?"
"Yeah...thanks..."
She holds him steady as he pukes on the cement and then he wipes his mouth with his sleeve before she has a chance to get him Kleenex. She opens her passenger door and he stumbles into his seat. Diane phones the police and then speeds to the emergency room.
When Fahri's patched up, he starts drinking water. "How can I ever repay you?" he asks Diane.
"You don't have to, seriously."
"You're such a kind woman...I owe you. I could be of assistance at your job...like make sure perverts don't touch you when you don't want 'em to or whatever."
"I would really appreciate it, but I'm sorry, bud, you gotta be eighteen...you look younger than that."
"Fifteen," he admits sheepishly. "Oh well, you probably got a boyfriend for that anyway..."
Her heart throbs in pain. "I'm single, so...I don't want you to think it's my only career...I'm also a maid and a Friendly's waitress. I can't remember if you've come into the restaurant before."
"I dunno...I wish I could make it up to you. Uh...do you have any kids I could babysit? I have experience..."
Diane smiles. "I'm actually with my first child at this moment."
"Alright, congratulations! I'll watch him or her for you so you don't have to struggle so much. I'll be there when you're home at first, to prove myself trustworthy."
"You are the first responsible and mature fifteen-year-old I've come across. I'm amazed, really." She wishes there had been guys like him when she'd gone to school. Maybe then, she wouldn't have had to settle for unattainable men like Lee.
He beams. "You won't regret having me around to watch your little one. I promise."
"Thank you so much."
Over the years as Alex is growing up, she and Fahri develop a close bond, like brother and sister and sometimes, he's a father figure for her. He loses touch with her and Diane when she doesn't need a babysitter anymore, as she now has her own clique to spend time with when her mom is busy making money for their family. Still, though, Diane doesn't think there would've been anyone better to take care of Alex.
Sometimes, Alex has to help her mom out at Friendly's by taking people's orders, wiping down sticky tables, and scrubbing toilets. She wouldn't mind doing those things if the customers weren't so dumb, slow, or messy, but the plus side of it is that Diane gives her a free meal after her work is complete. "Did you ask fuckin' Brenda to stay home today so I could do her job?"
"No, she's always lazy!"
"Okay, you know I love you, but I've gotta get ready for the party! I cannot smell like shit!"
"Chill out, kid, I'm only asking for one hour of your time, and on my break, I'll take you girls, how does that sound to you?"
Alex sighs and rolls her eyes. "Fine."
"I just want you up and moving around instead of moping around the house. I'm not the only one going through this."
"Alright...I get it."
The first fifteen minutes aren't too bad, but then she hears a girl say, "Told ya she still worked here! Hey, diner girl!" Alex's head snaps up and then she recognizes the blonde smug bitch who bullied her when they were ten. Her clique trails after her and sits in a booth.
"Yeah? What do you want?"
"Oh...you're actually hip. Sorry. I adore your outfit and those blue streaks are to die for!" Jessica Wedge squeals, and Alex cringes at her annoying, chipper voice. "So, we all want crispy chicken wraps with fries and ketchup on the side."
"My grandfather went to a bachelor party and he and the other men took turns fucking your mom!" Jessica taunts Alex and her friends snicker. "Wow, she's a slut!"
Alex doesn't let herself cry, even if she wants to. "It's not like she wanted to! She does what she has to do to keep us from being homeless."
"I bet you already live on the streets, but you're too embarrassed to tell anyone. That's okay, I'd be humiliated as well. Make sure you don't get STDs from having a prostitute for a mom. When she's hugging and kissing you, she's passing on pervert germs! You're both gross!"
"Ew!" Jessica's posse shout in unison.
"My dad's a rock star," Alex tries to defend herself.
Jessica scoffs. "Yeah, probably in some smelly basement! You're a pigsty!"
After that experience, Alex had begged Diane to quit those self-degrading jobs, not just for herself, but because Jessica and the others torment her so much and she can't handle it anymore. She encouraged Diane to be a teacher-it would make her a lot more money, and it's a nobler profession. It gets her as much money as two prostitute jobs and Diane can do so much better than selling her body. The girls would then take her and Diane seriously and respect them. She switched schools and Diane finally got a career in education at Martin Van Buren High when Alex was in freshman year. She only kept her position at Friendly's, and Alex was satisfied.
"I'm surprised you wanna dine here," Alex mutters.
Jessica shrugs. "It's grimy, but it's got good food when you wanna grab a quick bite."
"All American burgers and fries comin' right up!"
"Wait, that wasn't-"
"Pickles and onions, right?"
"Hey, are you deaf? I didn't order that! I said-"
"The ketchup would be drizzled all over the fries, so I hope that's not too much of a pigsty for you." Alex is enjoying every bit of this, and out of the corner of her eye, she can see that Diane's smiling.
"Why are you doing this? I could sue you!"
"I can't believe you don't remember me, Jessica Wedge."
Her eyes widen. "You're not-"
Alex smirks. "The one and only."
"That was years ago! You're still holding a grudge, how pathetic!"
"Oh, honey, if I was, you'd be getting creepy anonymous messages and having your life threatened every fucking day!"
"Come on, girls, let's go!" Jessica instructs her group, and they leave quickly.
"That was awesome!" Diane exclaims, lightly punching Alex's shoulder playfully.
"Thanks!"
Later, Alex takes an African American man's order. She thinks she may have seen him before, but she can't put her finger on exactly where or when it was. "Hey, uh, could I have some cheeseburger sliders?" he asks.
"Yeah, but I advise you to get it with mozzarella sticks, sauce, and a small sundae," Alex responds with a polite grin. "For here, or to go?"
"I'll eat here," he tells her while giving her cash.
"Okay."
"I'm going to make it right now," Diane says and goes to the back. The guy sits at a table and a crowd of teenagers, a woman with a little boy and girl, and an elderly couple stand in line. They'd mostly like ice cream or fries. Some are just coming in to use the bathroom. Diane returns with his meal and sets it in front of him. "Sir, it's ready," she announces while looking at the man.
"Thank you...Diane." He salutes her.
Alex is as confused as Diane seems to be, until she glances down at her name tag that's attached to her navy blue polo shirt. "Oh...you're welcome. You're not as creepy as I thought."
He chuckles. "To make things fair, I'm Charles...Charlie, for short. Now we both know each other's names."
"Hi, Charles."
Business is slow at the moment, so Alex gets her phone out while her mother is distracted. She answers a few texts from her friends who are checking up on her.
"Is that your daughter?"
"Yeah."
"She takes orders like a pro."
Diane laughs while folding down the collar of her outfit. "She did. She was doing a pretty good job..."
"Hey, there's almost nobody here!" Alex protests. "Aren't you supposed to be cooking burgers or something? Cheryl had to take over."
"Let her!"
"You look hungry," Charles notes. He pulls a slider out of the bag and holds it out to Diane. "You can have it."
"Thank you for the offer, you're so kind." Diane tucks a flyaway curl behind her ear and takes the mini cheeseburger.
"No problem!"
The eye contact they're sharing is so intense that Alex has to face the opposite direction, and instead, busy herself by going around, asking patrons what they want to eat or drink. As they flirt back and forth, Alex isn't sure whether to eavesdrop or feel awkward and try to block them out with rock songs she's made up in her head. If she listens in, she'll chuckle, because the shit they're saying is so cheesy that it sounds like Lorna's favorite movies. He causes her to giggle, and then she makes him laugh out loud.
"How long is your shift?" he asks.
"Nine hours...but I get a break at six."
"Wow...you end at midnight, that's late."
"Yeah, it's...whatever."
"I get off at four, which is perfect because I've got a date at five."
"Oh? Have fun!"
He checks his watch. "Thanks. Well, I've gotta go back to work because my break is over," he informs Diane. "It was nice meeting you," he says while touching her arm gently.
"You, too. Bye!" She smiles and waves at him.
"He's trying way too hard to impress you, Mom!" Alex points out after he's left.
"He is not! He has plans with someone else, so there!"
"If you say so..."
"First, we gotta pick your outfit! What do you think of a black V-neck dress? It would totally show off your bod," Maritza says while holding up the garment.
"I dunno..." Nicky examines it. "It doesn't look bad."
"You can totally rock that!" Lorna assures Nicky.
"Oh, and for the hairstyle, I'm thinkin' a bun atop your head and bangs right across your forehead," Flaca continues, "like the chick Lorna idolizes. You can even wear a pearl necklace and have your hair straightened like me and Maritza did."
"Audrey Hepburn! Yes, please!" Lorna squeals. "Oh my gosh, you're gonna be so pretty, Nicky! I can just see your makeover now...you're not ugly or nothin', but you'd look different, in a nice way."
"Okay, let's not get ahead of ourselves here. You can't tame a head of hair that's weathered through the snow, rain, and general outside air for three years...this shit isn't even neat after a shower."
"Well, did you wash it real good before you came?" Maritza asks as she puts in her silver hoops.
"Yeah..."
"Perfect! Now, what you wanna do with frizzy hair, is to brush it, getting all the tangles out, and then twist it around your finger a lotta times while it's still wet, that is, if you don't want it straightened. That way, it's curly and glam when it dries," Flaca advises Nicky. "It's too late for that now, but just remember for next time!"
"Alright...have at it." Nicky gestures to her hair.
Lorna and Flaca sit back and watch Maritza work on Nicky's hair and give her some more eye makeup, blush, and a brighter shade of pink lipstick. "Normally, I'd take part in this, but I can't really reach her in my wheelchair," Flaca gripes.
After a few minutes, Maritza turns Nicky around to face the wall mirror and the rest of the girls. Lorna shrieks at the job well done. "You look perfect!" Flaca smiles widely while clapping, and she gives Maritza a thumbs up.
Nicky just gawks at herself. "Holy shit. Amazing. I won't stop checking myself out, you know that, right?" Lorna couldn't agree with her more-she can't quit staring at the blonde.
"Yeah," everyone says at the same time.
They each get into their respective dresses, or skirts, in Flaca's case, and then get a ride with Alex to the party. "Whoa, Nichols, what did they do to you? Jesus, girl, you're smokin'!" Alex murmurs as she walks them to her mother's car.
Nicky winks at her. "I'm more in love with myself now. Why, you down to fuck later?" she whispers.
Alex smirks while throwing her arm around Nicky. She's about to open her mouth, but Lorna wedges herself between them before Alex can say anything. "It's called a makeover, and I know she's hot. Move on," Lorna mutters stiffly. She doesn't know why she's so envious of Alex and Nicky flirting, but she is. "Audrey Hepburn is classy, not trashy, remember that, Nichols."
"Someone's jealous," Maritza teases her and Nicky chuckles while shaking her head.
"Shut it!" Lorna hisses.
Since Lorna and Maritza's butts are tiny, they can both fit into one seat in the back. Flaca props her broken leg up across the girls' laps. She looks disappointed as she smooths down the purple stripe in her hair. "What's wrong?" Maritza asks.
"I can't dance tonight..."
"Yeah, but you still look rockin'! You could groove in your seat to the music...that's what Diablo would do, I bet."
"I know...it just sucks."
"Hey, our nails look great together." Maritza slides her fingers through Flaca's. "See, I painted mine red and yours are black, like your favorite plaid dress, and we got winged eyeliner. Love the lacy black top you got on!"
"You're right, we're so stylish! That periwinkle blue dress looks great on you! The rest of y'all are fabulous, too, thanks to contour, highlight, the MAC Pro Palette, and a number nineteen fan brush, courtesy of Maritza."
Maritza puts her hand on her heart and blows the girls kisses. "Y'all are so welcome!" she exclaims dramatically.
"I did my own nails, see?" Alex wiggles her fingers in Flaca's direction. "Black, my fave color."
"Nice, and your makeup is so on point!" Flaca compliments her. "So's that blue dress."
"Thanks!"
"Are you sure my pearls don't clash with my St. Joseph medallion?" Nicky wonders out loud while toying with the black bangles around her wrists.
"I'm positive," Lorna replies. "You like this color pink on my nails?"
"Definitely! Anything's nice on you."
"I appreciate you saying that." Lorna smiles while squeezing Nicky's hand. "Do you think Christopher will be there?"
Nicky shrugs. "I have no idea, kid, I don't follow his life."
"Well...I hope so. If he's not, can you be my dance partner?"
"Sure."
"You can all be part of our YouTube makeup videos when we invite special guests," Maritza announces. "Daya, Maria, and Blanca, too, and we'll tell 'em at the party."
"That sounds fantastic!" Lorna exclaims.
After dropping Flaca off at Maritza's and promising her daughter that she'll check up on her once every hour, Theresa drives to the Sparrow Tavern, parks her car, and walks inside. She wants to check her reflection again, even though Flaca had already said she looked fantastic. A hair could be out of place, or she may need to retouch her lipstick, but it's too late to think about that now, since Charles could be here any second now. She feels a bit awkward just standing here alone while everyone else around her is chattering away, eating, drinking, and dancing. Theresa hops up onto the bar stool and sets her purse on her lap. When she glances up, she notices an Arabian bartender staring at her.
"Um-" she starts, and he looks away, realizing he'd been caught. "Que..." He lets out a string of words she can't understand, since she's never heard his voice before and she can only speak fluent English with people she knows extremely well. "I...no entiendo mucho ingles..."
What...don't understand much English.
"Lo siento, uh...¿hablas español?"
Sorry, do you speak Spanish?
"¡Si!"
Yes!
"Soy muy fluido en el idioma. Hablaré en español de ahora en adelante si con eso es lo que usted se siente cómoda."
I'm very fluent in the language. I will speak in Spanish from now on if that's what you're comfortable with.
"¡Oh, gracias!" Theresa beams at how respectful he is.
Oh, thank you!
"Sí, aprendí mucho cuando estudiaba en el extranjero en México durante toda la universidad, hasta conseguí una novia que traje conmigo después de la graduación, pero luego fue deportada, así que nunca la volví a ver."
Yeah, I learned a lot when I studied abroad in Mexico all through college. I even got myself a girlfriend who I brought back with me after graduation, but then, she was deported, so I never saw her again.
She frowns in sympathy. "Ohh...lo siento."
I'm sorry
"Gracias. Te mucho a ella, y maldita sea, era hermosa. ¿Qué haces para divertirte?"
Thank you. You look a lot like her, and damn, was she beautiful. What do you do for fun?
Theresa's cheeks heat up at the compliment he'd just given her. "Salir con mis amigos o mis hijos, en su mayoría...pero yo trabajo como costurera. ¿Has oído hablar de Theresa Gonzales, diseñadora de vestuario?" She's surprised when he nods while grinning. "¡Ese soy yo! Realmente hice este vestido yo mismo."
"Hanging out with my friends or my kids, mostly...but I work as a seamstress. Have you heard of Theresa Gonzales, dress designer? That's me! I actually made this dress myself."
"Wow! Estoy muy impresionado con su trabajo. Soy Kubra Balik, y definitivamente no tengo un trabajo tan genial como tú." They shake hands, and then he looks over his shoulder. "One for the young lady!" He turns back to her and tosses her a wink. "Te estoy comprando una copa."
I'm highly impressed with your work. I'm Kubra Balik, and I definitely don't have as cool of a job as you. I'm buying you a drink.
"Oh, lo siento, en realidad, estoy esperando una cita...um, Diane y Franny no están trabajando aquí pronto, ¿verdad?"
Oh, sorry, actually, I'm waiting for a date...um, Diane and Franny aren't working here soon, are they?
"Esta bien. Todavía puedes beberlo cuando entre. Está en la casa. No, por eso estoy sirviendo bebidas esta noche. De hecho, soy el dueño de este bar."
That's okay. You can still drink it when he comes in. It's on the house. No, which is why I'm serving drinks tonight. I actually own this bar.
"Bueno, eso es un alivio, porque están relacionados con las amigas de mi hija y sabes cómo los chismes atraviesan la vid. Oh, genial, de verdad?"
Well, that's a relief, because they're related to my daughter's friends and you know how gossip goes through the grapevine. Oh, cool, really?
"Sí..." He holds up a finger and someone in the back hands him a glass of red wine, which he gives to Theresa.
Yeah...
"Gracias," she murmurs and then takes a sip while smiling at him. "¡Muy bien!"
Thanks, very good!
"Theresa?"
She swivels around and sees Charles. "Oh...hi." After setting her drink down, they exchange a handshake. It's nice and firm, just like Kubra's had been, and both men are extremely handsome. She'll have to see how she likes Charles.
"Sorry to keep you. It's just the combination of work, traffic, and the whole preparing for the date."
"Hey...can you, uh, slow down? I don't...understand. I apologize."
"No, no, I'm the one who's in the wrong here. I'll enunciate my words a bit more, okay?"
"Mm-hm."
"Tenía trabajo, estaba en el tráfico, y tuvo que prepararse para esta noche especial," Kubra translates.
He had work, was in traffic, and had to prepare for this special night.
"Gracias." Theresa turns to Charles. "You want a drink too?"
"Yeah. Maybe we can go over there, though," he says, gesturing to an empty booth.
"Oh, privacy, yes."
Charles is attractive and kind, but he's a bit hard to converse with, so far. When he gets his beer, they take their beverages to the quieter location of the place.
"Yo, I should break my leg more often," Flaca murmurs as Diane parks in the handicapped spot.
"Flaca, don't make jokes, we were so worried!" Maritza scolds her lightly.
"Okay, too early, I guess...you'd normally get a chuckle outta this, but..."
"When you get hurt, it's bad for me, too."
"I know, sorry..."
They all get out of the car except Flaca. The girls assist Diane in taking her wheelchair out of the trunk and opening it. They bring it behind Flaca, help her into it, and after Alex hugs Diane goodbye and the five friends thank her, they wheel Flaca into the building.
"I'm rollin' in, literally!" Flaca comments, and they giggle as they put their presents for Maria down on a table full of gifts. "Oooh, they got hot cheetos and takis for appetizers, totally cool!"
"Yummy! Hey, there's the birthday girl!" Maritza says as Maria and Blanca come up to them, both with their hair down and curly. "¡Feliz cumpleaños, Maria!" she squeals while wrapping her arms around the slightly taller girl, who's wearing a puffy red dress. Blanca has on a pink evening gown. "Awesome music and snacks, by the way."
"Gracias!"
"Hola, Blanca!"
"Hey..."
"Where are your boyfriends?" Flaca asks.
"They're chatting over there and playing with my baby girl," Maria tells her.
"Hey!" Daya greets them. "Maria, you got lotsa Drake, right?"
"Yeah, I know how big of a fan you are of him."
"Thank you so much! His voice makes me wet. Plus, he's hella fine. What I would give to get my hands on his ass...sorry, I'm horny right now for some reason."
The girls, except Nicky and Alex, chuckle. "It's too bad you'll never meet him," Alex says.
Daya scowls. "Girl, don't ruin the mood!"
Nicky shoves Daya to the side lightly. "Does it really bother you that much? He's a famous person, it's rare to meet one..."
"No, it's nothin', don't worry about it." Daya stuffs a handful of Hot Cheetos into her mouth. "These are delicious!"
"Really, what's got your panties in a twist?" Lorna wonders aloud.
"Yeah, you can't just act weird and not explain yourself." Blanca puts in while chomping on Takis.
"Gloria's here, watching my every move. She may be drinking champagne with my mom and Red and the adults in Maria's family, but her eyes are on me."
"Why?" Maritza asks.
"I dunno, she wanted to come...I hope that's okay with you, Maria."
"Yeah, she told me that she, Aleida, and Red would help out with the chilaqueles."
"Oh, good, then she won't humiliate me tonight if she's occupied enough."
Flaca licks her fingers free of red Hot Cheeto dust and wipes the rest of it off with a napkin. "I thought you were cool with her."
"Okay, fine, but I don't want more people to know...they'll see it eventually. I'm pregnant with John's baby, and we told her and Aleida tonight...she blew up!"
"Who's John?" Blanca wants to know.
"Mr. Bennett."
"Oh my god!" Maria shouts and Blanca gasps while clapping her hands over her mouth.
Daya puts her finger to her lips. "Shh! Not so loud!"
"Well, I can help you with your pregnancy..."
"Thanks."
"I dunno why Gloria's being so anal about this...last year, I fucked my real sexy art teacher to get back at Ian when we were in a fight." Flaca lifts her shoulders up and down. "It happens."
"Whoa, you never told me that before," Maritza states, dumbfounded.
"Yeah, you didn't ever share that with us, either," Lorna chimes in.
"Did your mom or Ian find out?" Daya wonders aloud.
"Nah, it was like a one time thing. It wasn't worth mentioning...but he couldn't face me after, so he quit and left the state. Piper caught us together, so...and I pleaded with her to keep it a secret, and she called me a tramp. I had to threaten her not to open her mouth about it or else I'd let the world know about her little prank that damaged Leanne's skin. The next day, Piper was gone."
"By the way, how old was she when she pulled that shit on fire stunt, twelve?" Nicky wants to know. "My sister and her friends wanna do that to this little snot rag who's been pickin' on her!"
"Well, advise them not to!" Alex replies. "We had to learn the hard way."
"I will, after the bash. Hey, y'all gotta try Pennsatucky's yellow drink...it's delicious!"
"Sure," Blanca says, and the others nod in agreement. "Let's take pictures before Maria has to show herself!"
After the toast, Maria stands in front of the microphone and announces, "Hola, everyone, thanks for comin'...we gonna do a song for y'all, so enjoy! This is for people who have been through hard times, but rose from the ashes...and a five, six, seven, eight!" She throws the microphone to Flaca.
The lights shine on Boo playing a twenty-four second tune on a clarinet, which is the introduction to the song Survivor, by Destiny's Child. Then, they switch to the rest of the performers. Flaca begins to sing while clutching her heart, and Maria plays the drums softly behind her. "Now that you're out of my life, I'm so much better...you thought that I'd be weak without you, but I'm stronger...you thought that I'd be broke without you, but I'm richer...you thought that I'd be sad without you, I laugh harder...thought I wouldn't grow without you, now I'm wiser...thought that I'd be helpless without you, but I'm smarter...you thought that I'd be stressed without you, but I'm chillin'...you thought I wouldn't sell without you, sold nine million..."
Gloria finds herself mouthing the lyrics as Flaca belts them out, and she starts to murmur them. This really speaks to her, so much that she tears up.
Flaca holds up the microphone and Maritza takes it. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "I'm a survivor, what? I'm not gon' give up, what? I'm not gon' stop, what? I'm gon' work harder, what? I'm a survivor, what? I'm a survivor, what? I'm not gon' give up, what? I'm not gon' stop, what? I'm gon' work harder, what? I'm a survivor, what? I'm gonna make it, what? I will survive, what? Keep on survivin', what?" Maritza passes the microphone to Nicky.
"Girl's got it down," Aleida comments as many of the women in the huge room start waving their arms from side to side and singing along.
"I know, I love this." Gloria sniffles and wipes her eyes, careful not to smear her makeup. "Fuckin' powerful."
"Oh, there's Nicky!" Red exclaims as she and Aleida scoot closer to Gloria and take each of her hands. "I can't say it enough how proud I am of her."
"Thought I couldn't breathe without you, I'm inhaling...you thought I couldn't see without you, perfect vision...you thought I couldn't last without you, but I'm lastin'...you thought that I would die without you, but I'm livin'...thought that I would fail without you, but I'm on top...thought it would be over by now, but it won't stop...thought that I would self destruct, but I'm still here...even in my years to come, I'm still gon be here," Nicky belts out.
"That's my girl," Red tells them.
"I'm a survivor, what? I'm not gon' give up, what? I'm not gon' stop, what? I'm gon' work harder, what? I'm a survivor, what? I'm a survivor, what? I'm not gon' give up, what? I'm not gon' stop, what? I'm gon' work harder, what? I'm a survivor, what? I'm gonna make it, what? I will survive, what? Keep on survivin', what?" Maria croons.
"I'm wishin' you the best, pray that you are blessed, bring much success, no stress, and lots of happiness, I'm better than that...I'm not gon blast you on the radio, I'm better than that...I'm not gon lie on you and your family, I'm better than that...I'm not gon hate on you in the magazines, I'm better than that...I'm not gon compromise my Christianity, I'm better than that, you know I'm not gon diss you on the internet... 'cause my mama taught me better than that," Pennsatucky sings. She nods to Flaca, signifying that it's her turn.
"I'm a survivor, what? I'm not gon' give up, what? I'm not gon' stop, what? I'm gon' work harder, what? I'm a survivor, what? I'm a survivor, what? I'm not gon' give up, what? I'm not gon' stop, what? I'm gon' work harder, what? I'm a survivor, what? I'm gonna make it, what? I will survive, what? Keep on survivin', what?"
"Oh, oh, oh, oh..." they belt out all together.
"After of all of the darkness and sadness...soon comes happiness...if I surround myself with positive things...I'll gain prosperity..." Maritza croons.
"I'm a survivor, what? I'm not gon' give up, what? I'm not gon' stop, what? I'm gon' work harder, what? I'm a survivor, what? I'm a survivor, what? I'm not gon' give up, what? I'm not gon' stop, what? I'm gon' work harder, what? I'm a survivor, what? I'm gonna make it, what? I will survive, what? Keep on survivin', what?" Nicky finishes, and then drops her microphone on the floor.
The audience breaks out into loud cheers, whistles and screams of "We love you!" Boo takes a bow while the girls curtsy around her. It was a wonderful performance, hands down.
"Where did you get such an enchanting talent?" Red asks Nicky as the blonde girl comes to their table. She cups the teenager's dimpled cheeks in her hands and kisses her temple.
"I dunno, Red. You really thought I have a good voice?"
"Your singing is amazing, honey."
Nicky's eyes light up and she grins shyly. "Thanks."
When dinner ends, it's party time, and of course, Maria and Yadriel are on the floor first, doing the waltz. They make such a lovely couple. The rest of the guests join them a few minutes later, and Diablo just wheels himself around with Blanca on his lap while they make out, and Maritza grinds on Flaca. Nicky and Lorna spin each other around happily and keep giggling. Leon twirls Aleida and then brings her back to his chest for a long, slow, and heated kiss. Daya looks so pure, swaying with Alex in her dark purple dress and black heels, and Gloria wishes she could freeze this moment in time. Daya isn't showing yet, so Gloria can pretend she isn't pregnant.
"Alright, that's enough of my police adventures. I feel bad for rattling on like that."
"That's okay. I think it's good work you do, keeping criminals off the streets." Charles' cop talk is, in fact, boring Theresa. She needs someone who isn't so basic-and her mind keeps going back to Kubra. She's drawn to him, and plus, he can speak her first language.
"What about you?" Charles asks her.
"I make clothes for fancy occasions, like weddings, proms, quinceañeras, you know," she responds awkwardly. "The dress I'm wearing right now is my own creation."
"Cool! You did a great job."
"Thanks."
After a while of weird silence, they stand up at the same time. "I'm sorry-" Theresa begins as Charles starts out with, "I don't-"
"Okay, you go first."
"You're the lady."
"Alright...this isn't working out. I just wanna...explore."
"So do I."
"We can be friends, if you want. There's no issue with you, it's just...no compatibility."
"Sure."
As Charles leaves, Theresa goes up to the bar. "La cita falló , ¿eh?" Kubra wonders out loud.
The date failed, huh?
Theresa nods. "Él era agradable, pero no había mucho de un partido entre nosotros."
He was nice, but there wasn't much of a match between us.
"Dile ya...¿por qué no te quedas hasta después de la medianoche?"
Tell ya what...why don't you stay until after midnight?
"Me encantaría."
I would love to.
"I cannot believe he bailed! My Christopher loves a good party," Lorna tells Nicky as they're dancing together.
"Maria probably didn't invite him."
"I wish he could see me in my white dress, but...it'll be on Facebook."
"Yeah, that's right. Man...I'm exhausted! You've kept me going all night, baby, but I'm ready to crash!"
"Come on, Nicky, one more dance!" Lorna begs her.
"My feet hurt," Nicky complains, "and you keep talkin' about fuckin' Christopher."
"I've only mentioned him a few times! He's my boyfriend...I'm allowed to miss him."
Nicky rolls her eyes. "Yes, of course you are, but he's...okay, I'm not doing this." She starts to pull away, but Lorna keeps a tighter hold on her hands.
"What?"
"Tonight's been magical. I'm having a fun time, I feel and look great, and I'm confident in my singing ability...but do you know how much it hurts...when you're with me and...you're not?" Lorna's heart breaks when Nicky's voice cracks. Her eyes start to glisten. "Focus on the people who are here, alright? I've had enough of being ignored. That's the exact reason I bolted. My mom chose Paolo over me, my nanny had her own kids to love, and you're all gung ho for this piece of fuck instead of chillin' with your best friend."
"I'm sorry, hon...I care about you both equally."
"He's more important to you."
"Why don't you and Tricia stay with me?" Lorna asks suddenly. "I'm sure Franny would say it's fine, my mom is sick so she probably won't notice, and my dad and my brother wouldn't give a damn who I bring home."
"What? I can't just do that..."
"Yeah, you can."
"No, I...we still have our shit at the school. Your house is full enough...you can't feed two more mouths."
"Franny and I would cook a little more, that's all...and we'd share her bed while you and Tricia share mine. I really don't mind. I love your company. It'll just be until you can get back on your feet."
"Lorna-"
"It's either me or Red. I can go tell her right fuckin' now that you two are risking your lives-"
"Hey, don't threaten me! I'm not asking her for anything."
"It's your choice, really. You can try it out tonight...sleep over. I'll go with you to get your things."
Nicky sighs. "Fine, if you're not just doing this 'cause you feel bad for me."
"No, I wanna help. I like you a real lot...you're important. I can't let you and your sister be in huge trouble...I couldn't live with myself if you got murdered, or even slightly hurt."
"Thanks, kid," Nicky murmurs while smiling. "Hey, time for cake!"
"Yay! Oh my goodness, I'm starving!"
"You just ate!"
"That doesn't matter...I love cake!"
"You came here again," Diane notices aloud when Charles arrives around nine.
"Dinner and dessert...my eating schedule's been off today."
"Ah! What'll it be?" She hands him a menu and he takes a seat.
He stares upwards, supposedly in thought. "All-American burger and fries, please, Coca Cola, and a fudge brownie sundae. Thank you." He grins at her, which makes her smile in return.
"You're so welcome."
"Why did he return, of all the places he could've gone, including his own house?" Cheryl asks Diane as they work on his order. "I think he's got a crush on you."
Diane scoffs and shakes her head no. "I smell like garbage and my hair is a mess...so he doesn't. Besides...it's too early to get back into dating again after Lee." She spreads mayonnaise on the Brioche roll, puts slices of tomato and onion, a lettuce leaf, and the burger on the bottom and then covers it with the top. "I am so not having him to my fuckin' trailer park."
"I didn't say you had to have a fully committed relationship with the guy, but if he likes you and you're interested in him, at least a little, you should just...try him out," the older woman recommends as Diane plops a handful of fries beside the hamburger on the tray. She brings it out to Charles, who's standing at the counter with a wad of cash.
"Keep the change," he tells her.
"Okay, then. Enjoy!"
More customers stroll in and mill around before ordering their late night snacks and then Charles gets his treat. Even when he finishes, he doesn't leave. "This place is neat, Diane. If there were tips, I'd give you a big one. You do your job well."
Diane stops drying the dishes and comes out from behind the counter. "Do you hit on all women, or is it just waitresses? What happened with your date?"
"We didn't connect. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you think I always do this. I'm not that big of a flirt, to be honest."
Diane raises an eyebrow at him while taking a seat across from him. "So...you're truly interested in me?"
"I am, but it's fine if you're not-it's just your eyes, they're mesmerizing, I dunno, they just kinda drew me in."
She blushes and hurriedly covers her cheeks with her hands while resting her elbows on the table. "No...thank you, really...it's just that I'm not used to polite compliments or men liking me for something besides my body. You should see these two assholes at Martin Van Buren High, where I work as a freshman English teacher. They're always trying to get into ladies' and girls'...yes, girls's pants...and the others, well, they're either uptight or unavailable. Don't even get me started on my bastard of an ex."
"Well, I won't treat you like shit. We can be friends, if you're more comfortable with that."
"Sure."
All of a sudden, a customer barges in. "What the fuck are you doing sitting down? You need to serve people, not chitchat with 'em!" Diane jumps at his loud voice. "We're all in the car, waiting! They sent me. Get your ass ready to make us chicken wraps! I want it in three minutes."
"Alright, you don't have to yell at me! Jesus Christ!"
"That's no way to speak to a human being!" Charles moves in front of him so he can't go near Diane. "You need to apologize to her."
"Buzz off, fucker!"
"I'm sorry, there was no one here for a while," Diane apologizes as she hurriedly goes to retrieve the plates from the sink. "How many?"
"Ten."
"Okay..." She's going so fast that she doesn't notice she's holding too many, and after they go crashing to the floor, she sees her mistake. "Oh, shit! Um...I need to clean this up..."
"Thanks a lot, you cunt! We'll just go someplace else!"
Diane would normally go to the backroom to get a broom and a dustpan, but she has no energy to get up. She lets out a shriek of frustration and then gasps heavily as tears run down her cheeks and drip off her chin and onto the ground. "It's only been a day..."
"Hey, you want me to take care of this?" Charles wants to know. "You can relax."
Wordlessly, she opens the short door to let him in and then, she scoots away from the mess. "It's okay, I'll do it later." She continues sobbing while hugging her knees to her chest.
"Are you hurt anywhere?" he asks while kneeling down beside her, and she shakes her head no. "You can talk to me if you'd like to."
Diane hiccups and chokes on her saliva. "No. I'm having a meltdown...god, I'm so fuckin' stressed out!" She tries to breathe, but it's difficult. "It's nothing you should concern yourself with..."
"Could I at least give you a back rub?"
Her breath hitches and she makes a squeaky sound in her throat. "Yeah..."
He kneads his palms against her tense muscles in a soothing, circular pattern and she focuses on inhaling and exhaling slowly. "Am I making it better?"
"Mm-hm..."
"He was just one jerk...do people continuously bother you like that?"
"No...I'm just having a bad day. Can we sit here and not talk for like, ten or fifteen minutes?" Diane sniffles a few times, and Charles hands her some Kleenex. She honks her nose into it.
"Okay."
After a while, she calms down. She lets him give her a warm hug and help her up. "Thank you."
"Anytime."
As soon as they sweep up the shattered dishes and vacuum the tiny shards, they spend the next two and a half hours chattering away and laughing about their childhoods, favorite things to do when they're not occupied, and books they enjoy. "Alex is a bigger reader than I am, though. When she first got her glasses, she was so happy to sit in the library, flipping through book after book. I couldn't understand how anyone could have that much pleasure in it...I wasn't the best student, so that obviously didn't rub off on her. However, I wouldn't be surprised if she got herself a tat or rode a motorcycle in the near future. She takes after her father in that way. Strangely enough, the only thing we have in common is watching television together, but we're each other's best friend. I can tell she's not that interested in yoga, but she does it to spend time with me, and I would do anything for her."
"Well, I can already tell that kid has a bright future ahead of her with you as her mother."
"Thank you, but sometimes, I completely fuck up."
"That's the way it rolls with everyone, right? Nobody's perfect. You're doing the best you can."
"I suppose I am." Diane starts to clean the place, and Charles helps her. "Dude, I still can't believe you like to knit like somebody's grandma."
"Hey, that's my hobby!"
"It's better than drugs, is what I always say." She looks up when Alex slips in through the door. "Hi, sweetie, how was it?"
"Best night ever!" Alex gives Diane two thumbs up while sitting down. "Oh...hello, sir."
"Just Charles, please."
"Sorry, Charlie." Diane lightly swats Alex with a rag and tries not to laugh. "I just had to do that because I'm hilarious. I really do apologize."
Charles grins at her. "It's alright. You're clever."
"Yep, Mom totally loves my random puns, even if she pretends she doesn't."
Diane rolls her eyes. "See what I gotta live with?" she asks jokingly, and Alex smirks. "Horrible child."
"You don't mean that," Alex says while playfully sticking out her tongue at Diane.
"You're right, I guess I love you after all." She bends down to kiss the top of her daughter's head and then looks over at Charles. "I'm about to close, so..."
"I could take you both to your car," he offers. "It's dark and I want to make sure you get home okay."
"Of course, thank you," Diane allows. She's tired of constantly feeling unsafe while being alone and running to her car with Alex every night.
"Yeah, thanks," Alex murmurs.
After Diane turns off the lights, she, Alex, and Charles step outside. He guides them to their vehicle with a careful hand behind her back. She's less shaky with him there. Alex still clings to her, but not as tightly. This time, Diane isn't afraid she'll drop the keys since she isn't in such a rush as she unlocks the car. He opens her door and she gets behind the wheel, and then he walks with Alex around the front of the car and lets her into the passenger seat. They shut their doors at the same time and Diane smiles gratefully at him through the window. He motions for her to roll it down.
"I forgot to ask...would you like to hang out sometime soon, as pals? We could watch my old boss's band, Sideboob, play on Tuesday night. His singing isn't that good, but we'll have fun, and after, dinner at the Williamsburg Waterfront."
"Okay. That sounds cool! Let's meet there."
"Awesome, see you then! Here's my number...I wrote it on my receipt." Charles hands Diane the piece of paper.
"I'll call you so you can have mine, but if I forget, you're welcome to come to the school or the restaurant and get it. Bye!" She steps on the gas pedal, blares her music, and drives off. Alex is quiet next to her, but she seems pleased as she's sniggering under her breath while staring out the window.
"I fuckin' told you so, Mom!" Alex pipes up a few seconds later.
"You did."
"You look so weird without eyeliner," Lorna tells Nicky when they're done washing their faces in her bathroom.
"So do you, with no lipstick!" Nicky shoots back.
"Touché! When we don't have makeup on, we appear to be very sad."
"Yeah, I dunno why that is. Hey, what if we both wanna stay up, but our sisters would prefer to hit the hay? Where would we go? Your dad and brother hog the couch, so it's not like watching television downstairs is an option."
"Franny's often out at the bar until five in the morning, so my room until we get tired, or yours when Tricia's at a friend's house. I'm so glad this worked out well!"
"Me, too." They peer into what is now Nicky and Tricia's room to see the younger girl reading Charlotte's Web. "Ah...I was supposed to do that for her. We do a chapter per night, just to keep ourselves sane. It got really fuckin' lonely at that place, the school, I mean."
"I can understand. Well, that's sweet of you."
"I found it laying on the curb one day and picked it up. Paloma, my childhood nanny, would read that book to me, so it brought back fond memories. That's legit the only reason I stayed at home back then."
"I'm sorry she left."
"Eh, I'm over it." Nicky lowers her voice and goes into her sister's room, with Lorna following her. "I'm kind of a pothead, so this kind of shit doesn't matter when I'm high."
"About that, I'm real worried about you getting caught. Also, smoking and heroin causes so many health issues. I remember when you got arrested...you were in so much pain and grabbing at your chest."
"I've got heart problems from a dirty needle, I'm assuming, but I don't give a shit."
"I do!" Lorna grabs Nicky's hands. "You need to stop damaging yourself like this, please!"
"Come on, you're not concerned about Alex! She did drugs for a while there."
"Well, she never used a dirty needle, nor does she have a bad heart! Also, it was once. You're an addict!"
"Stop, okay? I'm beat...time for bed."
Lorna crosses her arms across her chest. "I don't want a junkie in my house, nor do I want you dead."
The old Nicky would've stood up, yanked Tricia off Lorna's bed, and left the house without a word, but the new version of herself actually wants to make Lorna respect her. "Fine. You win. I'll quit cold turkey...it won't be easy, but I'll certainly try."
"Thank you."
Thank you for reading and reviewing, BonnieSveenFan, LindaAndrewsfan, HannahMiley1fan, thecharmedwerewolf, and A Star in My Universe!
