Thank you for beta'ing, A Star In My Universe! Happy 4/20!
Warning: mentions of weapons, sexual harassment, murder, bullying, racist slurs, and body shaming.
suficiente-enough
jefa-boss
If Red had simply done Franny the favor of finding her a low-cost apartment, that would've been enough. Paying her college tuition and arranging for her to room with Lida, Red's son's girlfriend, was far beyond what she'd expected the Russian lady to do for her. Lida is more than accommodating and she seems so cheerful and fun-loving, qualities that Franny had buried deep inside herself since her mom got sick and she had to work so much. The blonde woman assists Franny with her suitcases and backpacks and then they sit on the couch. Franny has heard a lot about Lida from Lorna telling her Red's stories, but she's never met her in person until now.
"Do you drink?" Lida asks, offering Franny a bottle of wine and an empty glass.
"I'm not twenty-one yet...but sure, I need some alcohol!"
"So how do you know Galina?" the blonde wants to know as she pours out their beverages.
"I'm a friend of hers. My little sister goes to Martin Van Buren High, where Red...that's what we call her...is a cafeteria worker," Franny explains. "She's taken these two girls under her wing and my sister is dating one of them."
"Oh, that's cool!"
They continue talking and drinking the evening away as they cuddle together under blankets on the sofa, not in a romantic way, but more like they've been best friends for years. They're cracking up so hard that they're crying at Lida's tales of her boyfriend's adventures with his brothers and how Red named Yuri's on-off girlfriend Sparkle Tits and the time when Lida smacked Vasily in the face with a bag full of coins because he was drunk when he got home late. It's only after Franny has spilled all of her family's dirty laundry that she starts breathing heavily because of the stress she's been under lately. "I'm the only physically and mentally healthy Morello, which means I gotta work harder than the average human being, and nobody even knows I..." She trails off and lets out a long wail. Lida brings Franny into her arms and hands her a wad of tissues. "I lost my baby...and the father is nowhere to be found! I apologize for burdening you with this, but I don't wanna tell my sister or Ma since they got enough to deal with, our father is horrendous, and our brother is a brat and you and I are stuck with him! If he's too much, I'll give him up for adoption!" Franny blows her nose a few times.
"I'm so sorry for all that you're going through, Franny...you're not a burden. If anything, you're a fighter and selfless and you've forgotten yourself because you've been helping others. You kinda remind me of Galina in that way. People like you two need breaks! We live together now, so we can take care of each other. We can both look after him...I don't think it's good for siblings to be separated, you're still family, no matter how much he annoys you."
Franny sniffles and nods. "Okay."
Lida wipes moisture from her cheeks. "Now, I'll go out to the store and get some caramels for you, and you can pick a movie for us to watch, anything is fine!"
"Thank you! I'm thinkin' a chick flick with heavy romance!" Franny exclaims while starting to go through Lida's DVD collection. She likes this woman so much already.
"Sounds great!" Lida calls over her shoulder while walking out the door with her keys and purse.
"I just found out I'm lactose intolerant." Ouija sighs heavily as she, Pidge, Flaca, Daya, Maria, Blanca, and Zirconia walk into Friendly's, and they see Michelle already there with Alex. "At least I can have cheddar cheese on burgers, but what am I gonna do without ice cream in my life?"
"You could get the dairy-free kind," Pidge suggests.
Ouija groans. "It ain't nowhere near the same! I can have Parmesan cheese on pasta and some yogurt, but not real ice cream, milk, butter, candy, baked treats, cookies, drink mixes, breads, instant soups, pancake mixes, ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, deli meats, salad dressings, or margarine!"
"That sucks!" Maria comments, and everyone agrees.
"Oh well, I'll have to find lactose free versions of all this shit! Anyway, where's Maritza?" Ouija asks.
"Mari ain't gonna show...she's still traumatized from fuckin' Humps," Flaca grumbles.
"Ew, he better be six feet under right 'bout now," Blanca says.
"Yeah!" the rest of the girls mutter in unison. Flaca and Daya hug Alex, her mother, and Michelle as a greeting, and Blanca and Maria give Diane and Alex friendly smiles and wave at them, but they wrap their arms around Michelle. Ouija, Pidge, and Zirconia reluctantly do the same. They know they have to be civil, but it's hard to be nice to someone who's basically guilty by association. Piper was always the closest to Alex out of her group of followers.
"Can I get you girls anything?" Alex wonders aloud pleasantly.
"We'll have cheeseburgers and fries, please," Michelle requests and then plops down between Pidge and Zirconia.
"Alright, comin' on up!" Alex winks at her and she grins back at the taller white girl and gazes after Alex with her chin in her hands. Ouija rolls her eyes internally at how smitten her friend is.
"Hey, Ms. Vause!" Alana announces as she enters the restaurant.
"Alana, hi!" Diane responds.
"Maria, Flaca, just the people I wanted to talk to!" Alana begins to run over to them, but she crashes into a nearby table instead and stumbles over a chair leg. Zirconia and Pidge stifle their snickers behind their palms and Ouija bites her lip so she doesn't make a sound. The last thing she wants is to be scolded by their former English teacher.
"Land on your hands and knees!" Alex shouts just as Alana does so and this time, she doesn't break her nose. Everyone breathes sighs of relief. "Next time, just walk and watch where you're going, okay?"
"She is so adorably clumsy, and in serious need of a makeover," Flaca points out quietly.
"Yeah, like Tai in Clueless," Daya adds.
"I'm sorry," Alana mumbles while getting up. She readjusts the chair and continues towards Ouija's table. "So...I wanna join the band. I'm such a great singer...I could belt out something tonight."
"O...kay?" Maria says uncertainly. "We ain't doin' tryouts."
"I know...but I heard you needed another member...Pennsatucky's out?" Alana wonders aloud nervously.
"Nobody ever said that, like officially, but I wouldn't mind giving you a shot...Maria?" Flaca turns to Maria and gestures to Alana. "She's got the perfect hair for this." Alana beams and blushes at the compliment.
"Sure," Maria relents. "We gotta consult with the others if we're gonna add you for real, but for now, you show off your talent and learn to fall correctly and be more careful of your surroundings. We don't want you tumbling off the stage or nothin' because of a fuckin' wire."
"I know...I'm a klutz!" Alana glances at the floor. "I'll get better at my balance."
"Glad to hear that," Flaca tells her.
"Try looking up, not down!" Michelle recommends.
"Hold up!" Pidge cuts in. "Nah, are you serious?"
"We're an inclusive group. You got a problem with somebody, talk it out with 'em," Blanca tells her in a no-nonsense tone. "Exclusion is bullying."
"What?! I'm not..."
"You're mean, Pidge!" Alana declares as her eyes fill with tears. "Why did you punch me that one time, and you and Zirconia both poked fun at me when I hit myself with the door! What are you, Piper?"
Rage boils in the pit of Ouija's stomach. She can't stand anyone putting down her best friend, yet deep down, she knows Alana is right, and she hates it. "Don't you fucking dare compare my girl to that cunt!"
"I...I'm not trying to," Alana mumbles as tears roll down her cheeks. "I'm just saying-"
"Stop crying, you're not a baby!" Zirconia practically yells. She's about to get into Alana's face, but Maria and Blanca prevent her from getting any closer to the upset girl.
Pidge scoffs and rolls her eyes. "Please, I'm nothin' like that bitch..."
The girls stare at Pidge meaningfully and Alana sniffles. "At least Piper never slapped anyone." Her voice cracks at the end of her sentence.
"Oh, shit...well you did kick me first!" Pidge states. "Remember, we was building those forts in detention...Ouija and I were together, draping the blanket I knitted over the backs of two chairs. Michelle and Zirconia were playin' foosball...who the fuck else could it have been?"
"That was Humps, not me!" Alana protests. "I swear to God...I never touched you." Her eyes go round and she makes a praying motion, pressing her hands together. "Please...you have to believe what I'm saying. You know how he causes fights, or did you forget the Nichorello thing? I saw that...that monster...smirking when you finished socking me in the face. My nose wasn't even finished healing."
Pidge backs down a few moments later. "Well shit, then...I'm sorry. Why the fuck didn't you tell me he started our problems?!" She doesn't hold eye contact with Alana for more than a second. "I'll wait for you to quit blubbering like an idiot."
"I thought you knew, but you did it on purpose because I'm such an easy mark."
Silence falls between the two of them until Diane serves them their meal. "Enjoy, ladies!"
"Thanks, Diane!" Daya calls after her.
"You're welcome!"
Flaca claps her hands a few times. "Yaaaay, you'll probably be friends now, you got somethin' in common! We all do, like, all of us were united that day..."
"I don't think that's possible," Pidge mutters.
"Me neither," Alana chimes in.
"Well, look at me and Gloria, we're hella tight, but when I first met her, she called me a coconut once because I couldn't speak Spanish!" Daya informs them.
"She called you a-" Ouija breaks off cracking up, and Blanca and Pidge join in.
"Where's your partner in crime, the poi snorter?" Zirconia asks Alana, referring to Stephanie.
"Her people don't eat that," Alana replies blankly. "I don't know why you care..."
"I'm just making conversation!"
"It's not really your business, but she's with her mom."
Just then, the door opens and Aleida's hot boyfriend and the school janitor come inside. Alana isn't really paying attention since she's scribbling something, probably song lyrics. "Oh my-" Ouija begins to whisper.
"Don't," Daya cuts her off and kicks at her ankle under the table.
"What? Quiero que golpee su martillo neumático dentro de mí..." Zirconia trails off, waggling her eyebrows and smirking while fanning herself. Daya scoffs and shakes her head, but Pidge and Ouija giggle while trying not to stare at his handsomeness.
I want him to pound his jackhammer into me...
"Pensé que te gustaba Luschek," Flaca hisses.
I thought you liked Luschek.
"Está en tríos, me dijo," Zirconia murmurs.
He's into threesomes, he told me.
"¡Estoy seguro que no con los hombres!" Michelle says.
I'm sure not with men!
"Veo tu punto...el novio de Aleida es rudo y desgarrado," Pidge tells Zirconia while reaching over Michelle to pat Zirconia's shoulder.
I see your point...Aleida's boyfriend is rugged and ripped.
Michelle, Daya, Blanca, Maria, and Flaca exchange looks of displeasure. "Suficiente, dumbasses," Daya snaps, surprising all of them. She's never spoken a word of Spanish in their presence before.
"It ain't like he can understand us," Ouija says in a low voice.
"He's dating a Puerto Rican lady! He's learning our language for her!"
"Shit, well...he don't seem bothered," Zirconia murmurs.
"Good thing y'all were talkin' softly then!"
"Why?" Gloria asks when Aleida decides aloud that she isn't going to have an abortion.
Aleida frowns. "I ain't killin' babies, they didn't do nothin' wrong. I can't bear the thought of doin' that when it hasn't even had a chance to grow yet and flourish and I don't wanna punish my child just because he or she is part of my rapist!" She exhales. "I know that some women say it's a painful reminder, but this little human being in my womb is the only good thing that came out of it! I just...I hope it has none of that motherfucker's qualities or looks. I really want a girl, but I'll accept a boy, too...I just gotta raise him to respect girls and women."
"We should talk to Lourdes...her Santería works wonders."
"Nah, that's just...that ain't gonna do nothin', no offense."
Gloria raises an eyebrow. "Five years ago, I thought I was gonna have a girl...then Lourdes did her magic and it turned out that I had a little boy growing inside me!"
Aleida gasps. "That ain't possible, girl."
"Ask her yourself if you don't believe me."
"Fine! I will!"
"Would you like me to attack the bitch?" Suzanne asks.
Vee finishes off her Pink Lady apple and snickers. "Not yet, child. Just make the entrance we practiced when you return to school tomorrow."
"Hold up, who y'all talkin' 'bout?" Taystee wonders out loud and narrows her eyebrows. "You throw one more damn fit and hurt somebody, we gonna dog pile you, Suzanne!"
"No, you don't understand." Suzanne gets up from the sofa with widened eyes. "I'm defending Vee because Gloria, the Mexican lady who works with Red, is trying to steal Vee's fiancé!"
"He's gonna make us rich!" Vee adds.
"Yeah, bring on the monaaaay!" Cindy sings.
Janae guffaws. "It's about time we got cash legally!"
"Okay, but Suzanne, I don't think violence is necessary," Taystee points out. "She ain't much competition if she ain't even feelin' him, anyway!"
"I heard from Abdullah that them crackers and skinny beans was tryin' to hook her uncle up with Gloria. You should talk to them instead!" Cindy advises Suzanne.
Taystee pats Suzanne's back softly. "Emphasis on talk."
"Your little friend Poussey is dreaming about some television chef making her money to bring Brook to Amsterdam!" Vee declares. "She has better luck if I marry Fahri and she becomes one of my girls, but too bad she's so stubborn."
"Yeah," Suzanne agrees. "He could buy me a frog shaped bounce house!"
"I'm getting some rims from him!" Janae adds excitedly.
"Okay...that'd be nice of him to give us presents, but we don't gotta treat him like your sugar daddy, Vee," Taystee interjects.
"Taystee Girl, don't you want to meet D'Angelo in person?" Taystee chuckles at Vee's question while nodding eagerly. "Well, after four years of waiting, now's your chance! Fahri has a limo, too!"
"I know!" Taystee squeals loudly. "He's gonna take us in there for the homecoming dance!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Cindy hollers and hi-fives Janae.
"Yo, I got an idea...how about you think up a solo performance and sing it while Diane teaches Leon dance moves?" Maria suggests. "They need music!"
Alana's eyes gleam with excitement. "Aw, okay, I will! I've actually been writing some lyrics for fun, so...and if you want and Diane allows it, you can bang wooden spoons on pots and pans as a pretend drum set whenever you think parts of my tune need it."
"Oh, that sounds cool!" Maria exclaims and the other girls, even Ouija, Pidge, and Zirconia, seem to be enthusiastic about this. Diane is already getting out the materials needed and she sets them on a table. Maria sits at it and tests out the fake drums. The utensils hitting the surfaces make satisfying sounds that echo through the whole restaurant. She chuckles to herself. "I can see why children love doing this shit so much!"
Diane pulls Leon up. "Okay, first is the waltz, which I learned in many a ballroom dance class, then breakdancing," she lets him know.
Leon grins widely. "I will surprise you with my hip hop moves!"
"Don't step on my feet!" she instructs him, but in a teasing manner.
"I wouldn't dream of it!"
"Okay, here are the beginning steps of the waltz...six inches between us...relax your shoulders and look up at your partner." Leon does as Diane says and Alex begins playing waltz music. "Put your right hand on my lower back and my right hand will join with your left. We glide along to the gentle beat...I step back, you step forward, and we both step to the side." Diane explains further as she demonstrates. "Then you turn me." Leon spins her around. "Good job!" she praises him. Their faces are so close together, emanating lots of heat. Even though there is nothing romantic about this, Diane blushes. She can see why Aleida has completely fallen head over heels for him, and she feels like Aleida should dump Cesar like last week's garbage because Leon is a lot better, both looks and personality wise.
"You guys make such a cute couple!" Alana squeals.
"Actually, we're not dating," Leon corrects her, and he and Diane both chuckle awkwardly, along with Alex.
"Yeah, I'm just giving him waltz lessons so he can impress his lady with his smooth moves," Diane adds. "We're real good friends."
"Oh, I was gonna do a love song for you, but I'll do something else."
"Let's hear it!" Flaca says cheerfully.
Alana takes a deep breath before starting. "Okay, a five, six, seven, eight! She's got rings in her no-ohhs..."
Clang!
"Bells on her toe-ohhhs..."
Clang!
"And earrings where they shouldn't beeee..."
Clang!
"She also gets F's and Deeees..." Clang! Clang! Clang!
"Livin' large, ditchin' schoooool...doesn't listen to anybody's ruuuuules..."
Clang!
"Always in detention, in trouble with police..." Clang! "I think she wants attention..."
"Yeah, it's true, she dyes her hair..." Clang! "Different colors, she couldn't care. She sneaks out at night, she's in a gang, she beats people up, boom, pow, pow, bang!" Alana swings her hair all around. Clang!
"She smokes a lot, polluting the air..." Clang! "She does drugs and shoplifts in a lot of malls, she cheats on tests, she lies and swears." Clang! "I guess that's why she's in juvy hall. She wears too much makeup, ripped black clothes...she's got too many tattoos, she's way too expo-hosed..."
Alana sighs and bounces in place. "...but that's the way she is, and she's my girl..." Clang! "The one who makes my head whirl, she's bad but good, she's crazy but fun, she smiles like the summer su-un..." Clang! Clang! "That's why I love youuuu..." she croons and then trails off when she's out of breath. Her audience is quiet, but then they start clapping and cheering wildly. She curtsies a few times. "Thank you! Thank you!"
"You're so in!" Flaca screams over the noise.
"Yes!" Alana cheers and pumps her fist in the air.
Then, Diane and Leon have somewhat of a dance-off to hip hop music and he shocks her with his multiple leg spins. "Ohhh!" she shouts while giving him space to do his thing. "Go, Leon! Go, Leon! Damn, that's fancy! Aleida will be so awed!"
"Thank you."
"It's true!" Lourdes insists. "It was confirmed Gloria was gonna give birth to a baby girl, but after my magic, she was pregnant with a boy!"
Aleida twiddles her thumbs. "Okay. So...I just want it to take after me. I wanna forget I got that demon seed inside me."
"Lay back on the bed," Gloria instructs Aleida as Lourdes squeezes honey into a yellow bowl and lights a match. Gloria's aunt waves a small lit candle around Aleida's flat belly, blows it out, and shakes a tiny gold bell over her tummy. Then, the older woman kisses the gold necklace she's wearing.
"Now what?" Aleida wonders out loud.
"We just wait," Lourdes responds. She and Gloria are practically glowing with eagerness as all three women cross their fingers and toes.
"You don't gotta say nothin' like a prayer?"
Gloria shakes her head no. "We just think it in our heads and let the hokey pokey do the work."
"Okay..."
Once the girls go home after dinner, Taystee watches her favorite show, Toddlers and Tiaras while eating chicken wings, but she can't stop wondering why Arturo is no longer in the picture and is now being replaced by Fahri. Vee changes her mind way too much. During the commercials, Taystee heads into the kitchen where the older woman is eating curry soup with noodles. She stuffs her hands into her pockets. "Yo, Vee, just curious. How you move on from one boo to the next so fast?"
Vee chuckles slowly. "Oh, my dearest Taystee, you think I wanna be with someone just as poor as me? I had no interest in him...we were friends with benefits, that's all."
"Yeah, but before, you said we was gonna be a family..."
"I believe that was you."
"You didn't say it wasn't serious, so like, a sister's perplexed here!" Taystee fiddles with her dreadlocks and pushes them back from her face.
"I'm proud of you for using big girl words!" Vee grins. "Fahri doesn't cook in flip flops, so that's a good thing. You'll like him as a father figure. He's fine, too...and he's nothin' like your previous male guardian, who was so gross I had to rescue you from him. Ain't you excited to finally be able to get whatever you wish for, whenever you want it?"
"That's real nice and all, but I don't wanna become like a spoiled rich white lady because I let all the fortune get to my head!"
"First of all, you're still a girl, as long as you live in my house and under my roof. Your porky ass is in school again since you flunked out of English, all because you chose to use bad grammar, and you don't make enough money to move out and get yourself an apartment. Secondly, I don't think you're stupid enough to turn into a cunt just because you're wealthy. Fahri isn't that way, and I hope you won't be like that either. I didn't raise you to not have your own mind. You are not crazy like Suzanne. I expect a lot more from you!"
"I know." Taystee exhales heavily. "Why you always call me fat? Miss Claudette never does."
"She's obese, too, in what way would she notice how wide your butt is? Just work out more, and stop eating that trash you think is food! I'm not gonna let you buy that shit any longer!"
Taystee knits her brows. "Fine, whatever. I ain't gettin' into this with you. Marry who you feel like, and I hope y'all love each other." With that, Taystee exits the kitchen and continues her program. She plans to hang out with Poussey later tonight.
"Shit!" Charles yells, and Diane rushes to his side where he's wiping his hand down his face. "I can't believe that fucker..."
"What happened?" Diane asks him with deep concern seeping through her tone. She's still shaky from Piscatella forcing her to work faster than her normal speed by gunpoint, even if it only lasted for a second.
"Jack escaped prison, his lawyer just emailed me of the news. I called Lourdes, but no answer...she probably helped him out. I started tracking them...they're headed west."
Diane feels the color drain from her face and her heart clenches. "You mean...Aleida's attacker?"
"Yep," Charles says stiffly. "I've gotta deliver the horrible news to her. I'll have officers stationed at the next state they stop in-"
"You can't give up on catching this terrible excuse of a human being and giving Aleida a proper trial," Diane murmurs as she wraps her arms around him from behind and rests her chin on his shoulder. "She's one of my girls, not just one of your cases."
His hands massage hers. "I'm not, baby, I'd never do that, Aleida deserves to be free of him forever. It's just that when he's caught, they'll bring him back to me...or I'll go grab him myself if I have to...and I gotta inform her that her trial is gonna take longer because of this."
"Oh, okay." Diane sighs sadly. "Poor Aleida."
Charles appears to be just as upset. "I know. I'll tell her in person tomorrow."
"Good idea. Hey...do you mind checking to see if there's a camera in the shower again? I'm probably being paranoid since we already destroyed it, but I would feel a lot safer." Diane hugs herself and shivers at the very thought of taking her clothes off in the bathroom, stepping into the tub, and running the water. Last night, she had only tried to take a bath, but she ended up curling into a ball and squeezing herself into a corner. She was soon trembling and crying out for Alex's assistance, and her daughter quickly came to her aid.
"Certainly, my princess."
Diane beams. "Thank you."
"What the fuck is wrong with some people?" Nicky almost shouts. She's at Maritza's guesthouse for a huge sleepover, along with Lorna, Alex, Flaca, Daya, Ouija, Pidge, Maria, Blanca, Alana, Michelle, Allison, Poussey, and Pennsatucky. The African American girl is making them drinks because they need it.
"That's the same question we all ask ourselves every day," Alex says. "Who are you referring to?"
"Have you seen the news lately? Some lady threw her baby in the dryer and ran it...the kid was in there for forty fuckin' minutes!"
Lorna wrinkles her nose and shakes her head rapidly, and the other girls look just as disgusted. "Oh my goodness, that's awful! I can't imagine any mother doing that to her own helpless, innocent child!"
"That story makes me wanna barf and take Pepa with me everywhere I go, even school." Maria sighs. "I miss her. If somebody did that to my little girl, I'd kill 'em...seek revenge."
"Me too, about Farah," Allison agrees.
Daya and Ouija put their hands on their bellies instinctively. "Ugh, that sounds like somethin' Vee would do," Poussey mutters.
"Yeah, or those methhead potatoes with eyes we love to hate," Pennsatucky chimes in.
"It wasn't them, but my guess is drugs or a severe mental illness, like worse than yours, because I know you'd never do something that horrible! I wouldn't either, but when I was hooked on heroin, the shit was the only thing I thought about," Nicky admits. "I'm relieved I never got pregnant...no offense to the teen moms present."
"Well, I'm glad we're both better," Lorna tells the blonde while squeezing her hand and smiling up at her.
"Same here, kid."
Taystee arrives late and greets everyone with a cheerful hug. She and Poussey grin at each other. "Hey, P!"
"Wassup, T? Your ass is late!"
Taystee bats her eyes. "Sorry, Mackenzie, I was begging my daddy to take us on a cruise to Spain!"
Poussey gasps dramatically. "Cool, sounds like a nice vacation, Amanda!"
Taystee giggles excessively loud. "Yeah, he gives me whatever I want, unlike stupid Brad! I'm glad I'm with Mark now! He's vegan like me, and he runs this American bistro with tasty flavored soda with aromas like lavender and rose petal and peach."
"Yum! I should go there with Chad sometimes after our yoga class!"
"He does everything for you. Tell him to buy you a pony and we could both ride it!"
"Oh, girl, you know I will! Our sexy time is promptly nine at night, but we make sure to be silent."
Taystee pretends to cry. "You missed my point! Daddy didn't get me the pony I wanted!"
"Mine didn't give me the latest iPhone," Poussey whines in a feigned sad voice. They both pretend to wail but then burst into uproarious guffaws while doing a handshake, and the rest of the girls join in the laughter.
"How long you been doin' this?" Pennsatucky asks.
"Goin' on two years!" Taystee responds. She turns to Alana. "Yo, where's Steph? I never see you without her, Alana!"
"She had a family thing," Alana answers Taystee.
"Her mom probably had another episode," Maria says.
"We shouldn't talk about it," Alana states. "Let's move on to other topics!"
"I'm glad that kahuna ain't here anyway...she attacked me outta nowhere one time!" Ouija mutters as Daya is painting her nails in an alternating pattern of skulls and bunnies, beginning with a skull.
"Well, your bestie did that to me, so now we're even!" Alana replies.
Pidge throws her hands up in the air. "It was an accident!"
"Yeah, you're gonna make me mess up my nails," Ouija piles on.
"Okay, I can't do this when you're moving, and you two fighting is distracting me," Daya grumbles and stops her work. She sits back and waits for Ouija to calm down.
"It was all because I reported that jefa bullying Maria and Blanca to Ms. Vause, and Stephanie was stupid enough to actually do Chapped Lips' dirty work," Ouija says bluntly. "I figured she was a cool adult but didn't condone that behavior and could stop the big bad bitch. Obviously, she got in trouble with Ms. Vause, so therefore, Stephanie tackled me to the ground."
"Ouija was our hero," Blanca puts in.
"Stephanie regrets hurting you...she told me she never wanted to do it in the first place, but she felt obligated to," Alana informs Ouija while sitting down.
"That makes sense, actually...if you were friends with Chapman, you were afraid to disappoint or go against her," Nicky says, and the brewing fight between Ouija and Alana dissipates. Daya goes back to painting a bunny on Ouija's index fingernail of her right hand.
"Anyway...I also invited Zirconia, but she told me she don't do sleepovers," Maritza announces.
"That's too bad, she's missing out," Allison replies.
"Yeah, and Brook was supposed to come with me, but she doesn't do slumber parties or even spend a night at my house when it's just us two on school nights. She's such a nerd!" Poussey says jokingly. Nicky and Lorna chortle to themselves.
While Flaca, Maritza, and Lorna straighten Alana's hair and arrange it into a half pony with strands framing her face, paint her nails, and try different outfits on her like she's their little doll, Ouija, Pidge, Maria, Blanca, and Alex explain what went on the whole night at Friendly's. Like the past two nights, it started out fun, but turned into a nightmare. "At least he's been stabbed now!" Pidge mutters.
"Yeah, and Lexi totally clobbered him with that crowbar!" Maritza adds.
Alex scrunches up her face. "Lexi?"
"That sounds so wrong, no offense," Allison murmurs.
"What? It's cute!" Flaca defends Maritza.
"I adore that nickname for you!" Lorna agrees.
"I do as well," Alana puts in.
"People named Lexi don't beat up large men," Alex points out. "Sorry, girls, but Alex sounds more badass! It's stuck since kindergarten."
"You let your mom call you Allie!" Blanca protests.
"My mom has lots of pet names for me that none of you will ever hear of! Allie just so happens to be one of them."
"It could be lengthened to Allie the Alligator, that's probably why it's been revealed to us," Maria guesses. "Those are horrifying little shits like Pidge over here."
"Hey!" Pidge complains and lightly kicks Maria as both girls crack up.
"Alligators are tough, and so am I," Alex says proudly.
"What does Alex stand for anyway?" Michelle wants to know. "Alexa, Alexis...?"
"Alexandra! Like Alexander the Great, but the chick version."
"Aww...how about Zandra?" Michelle suggests. "It's pretty and unique!"
Alex's eyes light up and she beams. "Sure!"
"I still feel terrible for you girls and Diane," Lorna states sympathetically after they talk about how much they love the name Michelle had made up for Alex.
"Thank you...it was scary," Alana says from her chair in front of Maritza's vanity mirror.
"How about we just...talk about happier stuff?" Flaca suggests. "You know, like we were just doing with Alex's name."
"Mm-hm, of course, well, Alana, you're gonna look so hot and stylish when we walk you into school tomorrow!" Maritza squeals as she smooths her hand down Alana's now sleek hair. "You might even score yourself a date for homecoming."
"I wouldn't go that far," Alana says. "It's cool that I'm pretty for myself."
"Yes, obviously!" Lorna's eyes light up with excitement as Alana giggles shyly. "Oh, makeovers are one of the best things in the world! In the morning, we'll apply eyeliner, mascara, and eyeshadow on you...and obviously, red lipstick!"
"There's one thing you can't fix, though...I snore like a motorboat because of my stupid gigantic uvula. At camp, I kept my bunkmate up for six hours straight, she was sleeping on the bed under mine! That's why I tried to decline your invitation to this slumber party, Maritza. I'm sorry...I'll doze off in another room so you won't hear me!"
"We don't wanna leave you out," Blanca says.
"Maybe that girl was sleep deprived, and I'm just sayin' that because before, when Red was exhausted, noises in general annoyed her when she was trying to get some rest...like sirens going off outside or whatever," Taystee puts in.
Alana shrugs. "From what I remembered, nobody else was bothered by my snoring, so maybe she was a light sleeper."
Flaca and Maritza soon put the video of Alana singing on YouTube and then play it for them all. They're amazed by Alana's impressive voice and then, the whole group records themselves dancing to music that Maritza starts playing. Then, they watch one of Taystee's favorite movies called The Wiz, with Diana Ross.
"I would've picked Harry Potter, but it's a school night and we only have time for one movie. If I'm watching Harry Potter, I'm havin' myself a marathon of it, and that sadly can't happen tonight!" Taystee informs the group. "Oh, lord, I'm glad Sankey and her band of Hitler's bitches ain't here to ruin The Wiz like, not even halfway in!"
"Same here!" they concur in unison.
"How'd it go tonight?" Aleida questions Leon wearily. She's exhausted, but she can't sleep without him, so she'd been working on keeping herself up until one in the morning when he'd gotten back home at last. "You finally shoot him dead?"
"Not quite." The mattress sinks as he climbs under the sheets with her. "There were a number of people there, including Daya, Maria, Blanca, Ouija, Pidge, Zirconia, Michelle, Alex, this other white girl whose name I can't remember, and of course, Diane-"
"Why you know Pidge and Zirconia? They never been over here...and Ouija, just one time."
"They introduced themselves to me. I caught 'em staring at me a number of times, so I had to turn around."
"Jesus fuck, bitches need to keep their eyes off you," Aleida mutters to herself. "I would've been there if I hadn't been feeling so bad. So, what happened with that monster?" she asks anxiously.
"They were all prepared, Daya's friends...with weapons of their own, such as sharp knives and a police baton that Alex had borrowed from Charles. Piscatella took his gun out of his belt and aimed it at Diane, but Alex came out from behind the counter and whacked the back of his knees with the baton, which made him lose his footing...he then fell on about six knives that Daya, Blanca, Pidge, Michelle, Maria, Ouija, Zirconia had been gripping in their hands. Alana was hiding behind Diane."
Aleida gasps. "Daya cut that motherfucker?" She'd never known her daughter to be violent, but she's proud of Daya for protecting Diane. She'll ask Daya how she got the knife tomorrow.
"She took a part in it. Fahri then took the bastard's gun he'd dropped and I whipped out my own. We both pointed them at either side of that square he calls his head. He begged us not to kill him." At this, Aleida cackles. "It was a glorious moment, but Diane eventually got him taken away in an ambulance."
"She should've let him die there...and why didn't neither of you pull the trigger? It woulda been so damn easy to put bullets into his brain!"
"Maria said that walking tree isn't worth going to jail for. There was evidence everywhere, and even though Charles is on our side, Diane is afraid that those animals' lawyer could get rid of him for good if their captain is dead because of us." Leon scoffs and shakes his head. "I'm praying that he'll eventually bleed out."
"He won't," Aleida mumbles helplessly. "He's been thought to have croaked twice, and then he shows up again and again, bigger and badder than ever. Yeah, there's third time's the charm, but I don't wanna get my hopes up for nothin'. Then, he's gonna tattle on y'all when he gets better...and those racist, mysoginist officers, except Charles, will definitely believe a white man over an African American man and an Arabian man and several Latinas who ain't even adults yet, and even if Alex resembles Snow White, they ain't gonna take her serious because she's just a teenage girl. It's so fucking unfair! I'm even surprised my rapist got arrested. I'll probably lose the trial."
"Why do you say that, sweetie?"
"That's the way the world works!"
"I know, but...the trial. We have evidence and witnesses...he's going down!"
"I'm a working class Puerto Rican lady who hasn't even graduated college and I was a drug addict, treated my kids like shit...and he's a rich, upstanding American citizen who plays golf and is a loving husband and father in the eyes of the public..." Aleida tells him weakly as she muffles her voice with his shirt.
"Baby, how you were in the past doesn't matter, and neither does the color of your skin or your financial status. Did someone say something to you? Let me talk to 'em!"
"I...I'm pregnant...and it's his..." Aleida says quietly while glancing up to the ceiling. She squeezes her eyes shut and finds that they're flooded with tears. She had been fighting back the urge to sob all this time. Her lower lip trembles as she whimpers and he draws her into his gentle arms. Help me, she mouths, but she's not sure if she'd said it out loud.
"I'm so sorry, honey. If you want to get an abortion, I'll drive you to the hospital-"
"I ain't gettin' rid of my baby. It ain't their fault they came from that pig!"
"Of course not. Well, you know I'll support you and raise that kid with you as if they were my own."
"Yeah. You're a good one."
Once the girls are all in their sleeping bags side by side, squished together and spread out in the guesthouse's living room, they start giggling because they're so comfortably close and happy. It's also because most of them are a bit drunk. The warm feeling of friendship fills the entire space. They're all talking and laughing and having a wonderful time. They're exhausted after a night of dancing and makeovers. Lorna is cozy between Nicky and Alex, and the whole group bursts out snorting with laughter and hitting Nicky with their pillows when she comments that this looks like one huge orgy.
"You're fucked up, man!" Ouija answers and rolls her eyes. Lorna shakes her head while chuckling to herself. "Is that all you think about?"
"Says the chick who was drinking when she's pregnant!" Nicky retorts. "Seriously, not a good idea...my mom drank martinis on the regular when I was in her belly, and look how I turned out...addicted to heroin! You gotta stop that."
"Okay, fine! I was just teasing you, Nichols...and I'll quit the alcohol until Miguel is born. I will admit, though, that sex is a better thing to have your mind on than drugs."
"Yeah," the others agree.
"Uncle Fahri rented a stretch limo for us to take to homecoming!" Allison announces.
"So did my mom," Maritza adds. "I ain't sure who's all going, but I know my main crew...Alana, you can come with if you want."
"Sure!"
The girls gasp. "That would be my first time being in such a fancy vehicle!" Pidge says enthusiastically.
"Mine, too," Blanca agrees, and the others echo her.
"At one of the first high school parties I had ever been to, I played Spin the Bottle with Alex, Daya, Flaca, Piper, Vinnie, Larry, and some other guys Piper had managed to gather up to join our game," Lorna tells them out of the blue. She's a lightweight, so her head is buzzing after only one drink and her voice sounds like it doesn't belong to her. She cracks up as she remembers the moment. That was the night of her first kiss, and her cheeks are burning just thinking about it.
"Noooo, we both promised each other to take it to the grave!" Alex whines, just as hammered. "Lornaaaaa..."
"Oh, god," Daya murmurs through a grin and Flaca hoists herself up to a sitting position, appearing to be equally amused.
"What?!" Poussey asks eagerly.
"Nothing!" both Alex and Lorna exclaim.
"Okay, now you gotta tell us! Please..." Michelle begs.
"Piper got Larry, of course, and it was how Flaca met Ian...he was the older brother of the host...then it was Lorna's turn," Alex begins to explain reluctantly.
"I was praying hard for it to land on Vinnie..." Lorna continues.
The suspense builds as the bottle spins around faster and faster in the middle of the circle. Every time it passes Vinnie, Lorna is disappointed. She watches it carefully until it stops moving completely, and then she's surprised since it's directly in front of Alex. Piper guffaws. "Go dyke it up, Lorna!"
"Uh...it's okay, we don't have to," Alex mumbles, clearly humiliated.
"I...I could go again," Lorna offers. "You know, if you ain't comfortable smoochin' girls or whatever."
"Yeah, actually, the point of this is to make out with whoever the bottle points to," Larry says with a stupid smirk plastered on his features. He waggles his eyebrows. "What are you afraid of?"
"If they ain't cool with it, they don't gotta do it!" Flaca snaps, and Daya nods subtly.
"Okay, so I'll demonstrate the right way to kiss a girl, you dumb fuck!" Alex fires at Larry. She stands abruptly, pulls Lorna to her feet, puts her hands on either side of Lorna's face, strokes her cheeks gently with the pads of her thumbs, leans down, and their mouths connect ever so softly. A small moan slips through Lorna's lips and it's unfamiliar to her. Alex smells like marzipan. Everyone around them is cheering wildly. Lorna's eyes are closed because she's never been touched in such a way by another person, and it's such a wonderful feeling. She's always been attracted to boys, but her best friend is so good at this, that Lorna senses herself blushing and not thinking straight, both literally and figuratively. She grabs Alex's hair, stands on her tiptoes, and slips her tongue in between the taller girl's lips, causing more wolf-whistles. They don't stop until they need to breathe, and they're currently holding hands.
"That was amazing," Lorna murmurs and shares a smile with Alex. "Joke's on Larry!"
"Yeah...I enjoyed it, too," Alex whispers and winks at her.
Daya and Flaca stare at them in stunned silence and Piper scowls. "Just one peck was necessary, you're now disqualified for showing off!"
"Oh, can it, ya Debbie Downer!" Lorna groans.
"Yeah, Pipes, you're just jealous that Larry's not good like I am," Alex mutters.
"Ohhhh!" a group of kids chorus.
"She smoked you, bro!" Vinnie tells Larry.
"Shut the fuck up!" Piper growls, and Flaca and Daya fall into each other, giggling. Alex and Lorna join in, and Larry slobbers all over Piper because he's bad at this romance thing.
"Holy shit!" Nicky hollers through the girls' shrieking and cracking up behind their palms. "That was totally unexpected! I...I mean, Vause, I can understand, but like...wow! Lorna...I thought us having sex was your first experience with another girl!"
"Well, the fucking was new...but that's probably why I initiated the kiss between us." Lorna smirks and pats Nicky's cheek.
"Jesus, kid, you're full of surprises." Nicky presses her lips against Lorna's temple. "You burned Chapman pretty good that night, too, am I right?"
"Yeah, but it was mostly to get back at that shit-for-brains Larry!" Alex replies.
"I hope I didn't lead you on by going further into the makeout sesh," Lorna tells her guiltily. "It's just that you were so pretty, and I couldn't resist..."
"You didn't! I wasn't into you like that."
Lorna exhales loudly. "Well, um...back then, I...I kind of imagined what it would be like...if we really did date."
"Come to think of it, I did, too. I had always wanted to come out, but Piper kept making things awkward. I didn't wanna prove her right. As much as I loved her, she was hard to talk to about deep stuff, since she just saw it as juicy gossip."
Michelle plays with Alex's hair and hugs her from behind. "That sucks!"
"I'm glad I have you, baby," Alex tells her and wraps her up in a passionate hug.
"Me, too!"
"Any more juicy shit from back then, babe?" Nicky asks Lorna.
"I think Piper was her bitchiest self at the very end," Lorna slurs. She probably shouldn't have said this in a room full of people who disliked the former Queen Bee, but the words had fallen out of her mouth before she could stop them. She doesn't want to see Alex's reaction.
"That's mostly why I was so fucked up when she was murdered," Alex mumbles. "We were all super pissed at her. I saw her macking on Stella and I was so heartbroken. She told me she wasn't even into girls."
"I remember us having a slumber party and not inviting Piper, but she came anyway," Flaca mumbles.
"Stella Carlin, Miss Crocodile Dundee herself with the Ninja Turtle tattoo?" Maria asks.
"She was often seen with the white power group, otherwise known as the Nazi hos," Taystee adds.
Alex scoffs and then sniggers. "The very slut."
"Yeah, I hate her. She called me a drongo," Maria lets everyone know.
"She ruined the word lovey for me," Nicky says. "I mean, I never liked it to begin with, but she made it worse!"
"She inked Piper's side with Trust No Bitch in white lettering, but then Piper said it got infected after Stella robbed her. That's when we knew she was about to have a downfall from her throne," Daya reports.
"What, like her credit card she got from her rich, white parents?" Poussey wonders aloud.
"Not her money money...the cash she made from...selling used panties to perverts," Lorna explains sheepishly.
Pennsatucky chokes on her Mountain Dew laced with beer. "Excuse me?!"
"Yes, that's right. She recruited us...and others, like Stephanie, Gina, Stella, and Polly, to wear lingerie and ship them to gross buyers through a website she named Fresh Young Scents," Alex says, and Lorna wants to gag. She's glad they'd deleted the website right after Piper was declared missing. Alana appears as if she's about to puke and Michelle stares at Alex in disbelief with her mouth gaping.
There's a moment of silence before Nicky, Poussey, Taystee, Maria, Blanca, Ouija, Pidge, Allison, and Pennsatucky erupt into a few rounds of laughter. "It's true!" Flaca protests. "Why y'all think this is funny? It's one of mine and Lorna's biggest regrets! Fuck, man, we were thirteen years old!"
"Yeah, we refused to do it," Daya chimes in and gestures to herself and Alex. "Lorna, Flaca, Piper, Gina, Stella, and Polly on the other hand..." She trails off and shudders.
"Oh my god, really? Was it to like, cute guys?" Maritza asks, her eyes sparkling with interest. "I love that idea! Flaca, we should do it, just us, and be panty twinsies! We'll call our little club Panty Galore!"
"Nah, I don't wanna," Flaca responds stiffly and winces as she buries herself deeper into her sleeping bag. Lorna feels just as ashamed of herself and can't even meet Nicky's eyes.
"Why? We could make serious cash off simply wearing thongs, which I love, by the way! What's the big deal, horny teenage boys and girls are like, all over the internet these days."
"It does seem like a neat business, but panty twinsies is a dumb phrase," Maria says. "We could all wear slipper socks."
"Oooh, I want mine in pink!" Maritza exclaims.
"Sure! I bet you'd be such a boss undercover baller!" Maria compliments her.
"Don't you girls get it?" Lorna almost shrieks. "These were grown-ass men, not kids our age, who were giving Piper the dough. They were pedophiles, well over eighteen! Piper tried to make us think it was okay because they wouldn't know how old we were just by our smelly underwear, and I always imagined them not being too much older, so did Flaca."
"Eeeww!" Nicky makes a sour face. "Well, you know that's not either of your faults, right?" She gathers Lorna into her arms and Maritza does the same with Flaca.
"Piper was a master manipulator, and those assholes were like, stupid to buy shit from strangers online. They'd hopefully kill themselves if they discovered you were barely teenage girls," Maritza throws in.
Allison folds her arms across her chest. "Wow, that's sick...she pimped y'all out like prostitutes, basically."
"That's the true definition of a monster," Alana adds.
"Since we're all talkin' shit about her, I always had the urge to beat her up," Pidge mumbles.
"I got completely trashed and slapped her once," Alex confesses, and the girls gasp out loud. Lorna never thought Alex would do that. "I was so pissed at her since she was grossing me out!"
"Good job. She even had the nerve to put together all the Nazi girls at school and tattle on the Dominicans for every little thing we did," Blanca chimes in. "She was a dictating demon out for blood, and I'm sorry you were friends with her."
Alex frowns. "She was acting like she was in a prison gang. She kicked Flaca out since Flaca was asking for more money, and the rest of us thought that was completely unfair of Piper to do, but we didn't want to lose her respect, so none of us dared to speak up. We just let Flaca beg and then go to Gloria for advice after Piper accused her of stealing her moolah."
"What a conniving jerk!" Michelle comments.
"Gloria lectured Piper real good and I was let back in after all that, but Piper was like a complete fuckin' stranger to us by that point. That was the worst part," Flaca says, and Maritza presses her lips together while soothingly running her hand down the creases of Flaca's sleeping bag where her girlfriend is hiding. "Mari...how you not disgusted by me being so dirty?"
"You ain't! I promise, you're still my favorite girl in the whole wide world!" Maritza assures Flaca, who peeks her head out. Maritza bends down and they start to make out a bit.
"I'm sorry I laughed, my princess," Nicky apologizes and kisses Lorna's hand, then her cheek. "It just seemed weird."
"I get it...I would've had the same reaction. You're forgiven, hon." Lorna holds Nicky's face and pulls her in for a mouthwatering liplock. "You must think I'm such a whore, though!" she cries.
"I could never!"
Lorna smiles up at her girlfriend. "That's a relief!"
"Don't nobody say anything to your friends who aren't here, this was top secret," Daya announces. "All our parents and trusted adults such as Gloria, Red, Ms. Berlin, Anita, Ms. Black, and Ms. Jones know is that we was sellin' clothes."
"You knew Boo when she was Carrie Black and used to work at the school," Pennsatucky realizes aloud.
"Okay, no worries, we won't spread it around or nothin'," Ouija says, and the others nod in agreement.
"Yeah, it's just a night of bonding and hard truths. This conversation isn't gonna leave the room," Allison chimes in. "I promise."
"Hey...I got a question for you," Daya starts out while she and Nicky are working on the mural in school.
"Shoot."
"Did you ever refer to Red as Ma?"
Nicky pauses in her painting of the bee in the middle of a clear blue sky. "Yeah...why?"
"I was just wondering...and like, when did you officially start calling her that?" Daya twiddles her paintbrush between her index and middle fingers, splattering blue paint on her shirt and cheek. "Ah, shit, forgot this was wet."
"Last week, I believe." Nicky chuckles and points at Daya. "Someone's distracted."
"Oh, well, um...see, I'm real tempted to give Leon the Dad title, since he acts so much like one, but would that be weird?"
"Yeah, actually...he and your mom haven't been dating that long."
"Alright," Daya says glumly. "Thanks for the advice."
"Anytime."
Nicky and Daya step down from their ladders and stand back to admire their artwork. "It's beautiful!"
"We did great," Daya agrees proudly. They hug and then hi-five each other. "Teamwork! Our friends are gonna love this!"
"Yes, girl! Whoo!" Nicky pumps her fist in the air a few times, and then they meet up with the rest of their group. People around them are staring and clapping, and they quickly see that it's because Flaca and Maritza are linking arms with Alana, one on each side of her. She's completely transformed, with her hair silky and flowing behind her as she walks with careful steps, her makeup perfect, mascara making her lashes long, glittery navy eyeshadow, winged black eyeliner, blush coating the apples of her cheeks, and blood red lipstick, her outfit being a dark blue skirt, nude tights, black boots, and a matching black leather jacket over an extremely light pink V-neck cami, and a silver chain necklace accenting her entire look. Daya grins to herself since she remembers being the center of attention after a makeover. She'd never felt so good about her appearance, and it seems as if Alana is satisfied with her new look, too. Maritza and Flaca reach over her and high-five each other and then Alana.
"Whoa!" Stephanie exclaims. "Look at you, girl!" She takes Alana from Flaca and Maritza and twirls her around.
"Flaritza says it's like I went from drab to fab!" Alana gushes.
"I never thought you were drab..."
Alana shrugs nonchalantly. "Yeah, I know, but I got sick of hiding myself."
"What inspired the change?" Stephanie asks.
"I'm in the band now!" Alana responds cheerfully.
"That's amazing!" The two girls embrace and they continue strolling alongside Daya and the rest of her friends.
Daya and Adarsh are in the middle of the two straight couples of their crew, Blanca and Diablo and Maria and Yadriel, and Daya suddenly has the urge to ask if they want to go on a group hangout sometime, like her lesbian and bi friends had done.
"So, what'd you do last night?" Daya asks Adarsh. "I was having some girl time at Maritza's, she had a bunch of us over at her guesthouse!"
"That sounds fun! I had a boys' evening with Diablo," Adarsh replies as his hand brushes against Daya's, and they link pinky fingers while exchanging a smile. "Yadriel had to stay home with Pepa since he couldn't find a sitter."
"We played video games and then b-ball," Diablo chimes in while slinging his arm around Blanca. "It was awesome! We kicked each other's asses, so there was no real winner or loser."
"Oh, good!" Blanca comments. "I'm happy to hear that, babe."
Adarsh and Diablo grin at each other and bump fists. Yadriel is talking to Maria about how it went with their daughter, and it seems like things were fine.
"I am a garden rose!" Suzanne announces when she walks into school and slides up next to them, and Flaca, Maritza, Daya, and Alex exchange glances of displeasure. She points at the girls and glares at them meaningfully. "Y'all are just a bunch of weeds in a cornfield, blowing side to side on a windy day. That's what Vee said."
Ouija scoffs. "Okay? Fuckin' weirdo," she mumbles under her breath.
"Don't let her hear you, she can snap anytime," Pidge tells Ouija just as softly.
"My love, you have returned from the confines of that ugly hospital bed!" Maureen tells Suzanne dramatically and nearly barrels her over with a hug. "I hope the straps around your limbs weren't too tight!"
"Whatcha talkin' about? Vee made sure I didn't have to go to that horrible place, but I had to take a break from school for a while until Vee gave me the courage to come right back into these crowded halls!"
"Why didn't you ever call me, then?" Maureen places her hands firmly on her hips and gives Suzanne a stern look.
Suzanne winces. "Sorry...I wasn't in the right state of mind."
"Let's keep going," Allison advises them in a hushed tone. "She'll stop her creepy talk and leering if we don't pay her any attention."
Thank you for reading and reviewing, MinervaSnape394, Guest, Double99, CoffeeWritingAddiction, and A Star in My Universe!
