Thank you for beta'ing, A Star In My Universe!

Warning: kidnapping, sexual assault, physical abuse, negligence, physical violence, talks of hate crimes, pedophila, and child molestation.

There are also clues to who P is throughout this story and chapter. P is the anonymous stalker of the girls who were friends with Piper. The adults have a totally different stalker, but this person is really seeking revenge on or torturing a lot of characters besides the adults. They are not the same as P. This stalker, Juan, is also Franco-they're the same person.

"You sure you're okay staying overnight at this place, cariño?"

At Theresa's question, Lorna nods her head yes. "I haven't had a sleepover with my mother in years...I always thought I was too old, but not anymore!" She looks over at her mom and squeezes her hand gently. "Besides, you're in the hospital...it ain't like I get to see you twenty-four seven nowadays." She turns to Flaca's mother. "Thanks for taking me here! I really appreciated it."

"Alright, then. You're welcome! Adiós!" Theresa hugs Lorna, and then Stansie, to the best of her ability without making the other woman feel discomfort.

"Bye, say good night to Flaritza for me!"

Theresa gives Lorna an amused grin. "I will!"

Just after the older woman leaves, Lorna turns to Stansie. "Is there anything you need before we get some shut-eye?"

"No thank you, my sweet girl." Stansie cups Lorna's cheek, scoots over slightly, and pats the spot beside her. Lorna gets into the bed right away and curls up next to Stansie. Lorna is small enough, so they both fit. "Now...Flaritza? I thought the girl's name was Flaca?"

Lorna giggles. "No! That's Flaca and her girlfriend, Maritza's names, combined into one...like Brangelina...Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Flaritza makes YouTube videos all the time, I should show you some! The rest of us sometimes feature in 'em."

"Cool, I'd love to see those!" Stansie yawns. "Where was Flaca, anyway?"

Lorna knows that both she and Maritza smoke with Kubra sometimes whenever Theresa isn't around, but she'd never tell Stansie, of course. "They're in bed!"

"Oh, I see. Good night, baby, I love you."

"Love you too, Ma...but one last thing...I know you're tired, but I just gotta tell you this."

"What?"

"Thanks for not driving me outta my own house."

Stansie grins at her and strokes her hair while kissing her temple. "You're welcome, darling...but what makes you say that?"

"Well, some parents are so bad, they make their poor kid never wanna come back home. That's what Joe did...but I'm glad you're the polar opposite of him." Lorna is also thinking of Marka, but she doesn't want to out Nicky's terrible childhood before she ran away until her girlfriend is okay with her sharing the story. Stansie beams at what Lorna has just said.

It's not long after Lorna's eyes drift closed, that she feels herself being shaken awake. She makes a noise between a yawn and a groan, and she rubs the bleariness out of her eyes so she can see who interrupted her from her slumber. "Nonno?"

Her grandfather stands over them with a bouquet of flowers inside a vase, and he sets it down on the table besides Stansie. "Why didn't anyone notify me that my son is awaiting trial for an eighteen year old crime and his wife is in the goddamn hospital?!" he hisses loudly.

"Shh, you're gonna wake her up," Lorna whispers while putting her fingers to her lips. "We're tryin' to doze off here. I have school tomorrow, I can't stay up too late."

"Where in God's name are you living?" His voice raises with every word, and Lorna gets out of bed reluctantly, about to ease him away from her sleeping mother. "I know Francine is with a friend, well that's fine, since she's eighteen, but you and Michael are minors. Your brother is waiting for us in the car. Kiss your mother on the cheek and then let's go!" he instructs her while tugging on her arm. She shrugs his hand off gently. "Hurry it up."

"Frieda adopted him," Lorna says crossly. "She's his legal guardian!"

"Well, I'm gonna fix that soon. The law says you need to reside with a family member. You're couch surfing, right? That's what your father said."

"Yeah." Lorna folds her arms across her chest and sighs through her gritted teeth. She glances down at the floor. "Since when have you cared about that? You ain't contacted us since Nonna died."

He points at her and wags his finger. "Wrong. You're out of tune with this family...you have been for years, but that's okay. I regularly talk to Joe and I used to with Stansie before her illness...your siblings always called me, but never you, not after you turned eleven...around the time you met that dead girl. Teenagers are really the worst, so disrespectful to us older folks."

"I'm sorry about that," Lorna mumbles. "I guess I never knew what to say, really...and me and Franny were real busy takin' care of Ma. I'm not always in tune with reality, but I'm doin' medicine to take care of that little problem."

Joe Senior frowns at her and shakes his head. "Francine and Michael still found time, but not you. Your sister was fifteen! You were your brother's age that he is now. I don't understand."

She doesn't mention that it was hard to talk to him when she started puberty and made friends with Piper and the rest of her clique because whenever she'd tell him about what they did together at sleepovers, or boys she liked, he thought it was all boring and dumb. All he wanted to talk about is how she was doing in middle school and he'd hang up if she told him that she got anything below a B. Her brother and sister were different-Mikey was a boy and he and their grandfather had a lot of things in common, and Franny didn't have friends, really-she was, and still is, a bookworm, got perfect grades, and was seen as a prodigy child in the Morello home. Their Nonna would treat all three of them equally and say there was something special in each of them. The only compliment Lorna ever got from her grandfather-which probably shouldn't be one, but he considered it as such-was that he wanted to squeeze her so hard while hugging her, until she burst with cherry juice.

She was so confused and told him she wasn't a piece of fruit. He insisted that cherry juice ran through her veins and even proved it by making a tiny incision into her upper right abdomen, letting some blood spill out, causing her to get a gallbladder scar. She knew it was blood, not cherry juice, and it stung when the knife sliced her skin. She wasn't that stupid. Lorna's just lucky that the injury only left a small scar, not big enough for anyone to notice. It could even pass for a birthmark if someone were to look closely. If anyone asked, which no one had, she'd just say she burned herself slightly with a firecracker, since it happened in the summer around the Fourth of July.

Lorna places a kiss on her mother's cheek and gently nudges her awake. She feels extremely guilty for doing so, but this is her last hope. Stansie would never let this elderly bump on a log take Lorna away from her.

Stansie squints up at Joe Sr. "What's going on?"

"I'm really sorry, Ma...but you gotta tell him I can live with whoever I want." She leans in close to Stansie's ear. "I'm not close to him, like, at all. It's too awkward!" she says quietly.

"I know, honey," Stansie mutters tiredly while taking hold of Lorna's hand and massaging it. Lorna helps her sit up. "Joe...she wants to visit with me and spend the night here, and then she'll be with a friend. Why is that so bad?"

"She can't keep doing that for three years! Also, she's dating a dyke?! Is that okay with you, or did you not know of this? Your husband strongly disapproves."

"I'm adjusting, but it's a better option than her obsessing over useless assholes who won't see that she's a beautiful, intelligent young woman with a bright future ahead of her. As for your son, no longer my husband, he's just straight-up homophobic. Get with the times, man...and pass him the message. He's also nasty to Lorna, and he was... inappropriate around her when she was little...why else do you think he's in jail? I know that God hates evildoers...and He doesn't turn away homosexuals, since He loves everyone and He made no mistakes!"

"Also, Jesus was Middle-Eastern and Jewish, not a white Christian," Lorna chimes in while smirking.

Joe Sr. ignores them. "I'm her next of kin, and she'll be with me until she's a legal adult. Then, she can do what she feels like."

"No! No, don't you fucking dare-Lorna!" Stansie calls after her as he drags her away. "I'll tell Theresa everything when she comes back here tomorrow morning, she'll have Charles arrest him for kidnapping, don't worry, sweetie. It'll be okay, we can do it again next time!"

"Ma!" Lorna shrieks, trying to pull herself away from his grasp and looking over her shoulder at Stansie. "Noooo, I wanna stay with her," she begs, but she whimpers when his vice grip on her wrist grows painful as he rushes them out of the hospital doors. Her chest tightens and the lump in her throat gets bigger until she bursts into tears. "My friend's mom is dating a cop, and he's real nice, he likes us. Ain't you worried about being charged with-"

"Shut up! Behave yourself!" He just about throws her into the passenger seat of his car. "He'll never find us. I live just a few states away, in Ohio."

Lorna blinks and panic rises within her. "What?!"

"Yeah, I drove about seven hours to get you little brats. It cost me a lot of gas money. We'll take bathroom breaks along the way."

"No, we have school, Nonno!" She twists around to face Mikey. "What did Frieda say about this?"

"I got tired of that old lady bossing me around, but at the same time, I enjoyed the fact that she was gonna adopt me. She didn't wanna let me go, but she figured since she's already been at risk for being put in handcuffs, she doesn't feel like going through that again, and Nonno was nice enough." He shrugs. "It's not that bad, drama queen. We're gonna help him out at his farm! School's out, working for him is in! He's even got free cable!"

"Of course you don't give a shit, you don't have any friends because of the way you treat girls!" Lorna snaps.

"The hell are you talkin' about? He's a real ladies' man, I hear," their grandfather insists. He reaches his hand back and Mikey slaps his palm.

Lorna glares at her brother. "I didn't know a twelve-year-old girl wanted her bra strap snapped, I mean the way Tricia reacted was normal, or so I thought. Maybe it's because she's eleven and she'll be into that next year," she says sarcastically.

He raises his hands in surrender. "Whoa, everyone already lectured me about that, so I get it. The kids like me okay now."

"They're all gonna know we're missing," Lorna mutters as she turns in her seat to face the front window as they speed along past the city lights. "That'll be the talk of tomorrow. They're gonna be fucking frantic!"

"Not if you call them and say you've moved away with your kind grandfather to live in a stable home and a safe environment where cunts don't curse at you in unknown languages."

Lorna rolls her eyes and lets her head fall back against the seat with a soft groan. Her heart is beating so fast she can barely catch her breath, but there's a sliver of hope inside her that keeps her from having a panic attack, and that's the fact that P most likely will not let her leave the state, and Joe Sr. has taken her and Mikey without even proving to the courts that he is a fit guardian. He might be one, but he's never once made an effort to get to know her. Whenever she used to visit her grandparents, she baked cookies and read stories with her Nonna, but he'd just be there, not really engaging with her when the whole family was together. Him and her alone in a room was a recipe for awkwardness, and she had nothing else to say to Mikey. It's like how it was before, when she lived with her parents and siblings in that small apartment, only this time, it's a whole lot worse, since she doesn't have friends or her girlfriend anyplace except in New York.


After hours of watching the entertaining magic shows and admiring the colorful lights that shine upon her parents as they drink something seven-year-old Nicky isn't allowed to have for some reason, the little girl is sent to bed. They're all staying overnight at her Uncle Pete's mansion since they're snowed in. Nicky wishes Paloma or Pamela could be there to tuck her in bed and kiss her forehead while running her hand down the side of her face, but they're with their families for Christmas. Her uncle has proven to be of great help, anyway, since he's currently putting her to bed. He doesn't exactly have the motherly or fatherly touch, but it's good enough for her. He's always been the friendliest member of her family, besides her Uncle Ray. As he shuts off the light and then turns on her lamp, Nicky snuggles under her covers, feeling quite content.

"Okay, my sugar-bear...shut your eyes and catch some Z's." He snakes his long fingers through her curls while kissing her neck. "Mmm, you still smell so good, like strawberries!" he slurs.

Nicky squirms beneath him, as he's never sniffed at her like that before, and a gross scent wafts through her nostrils. "Why you stinky and sound weird, Uncle Petey?"

"It's whiskey, something you can't gulp down until you're twenty-one, sweet cheeks." He pushes himself off of her and just stares intensely, so much that Nicky turns away. He's acting very strange, and she wants to wait until he's back to normal. Then, she can spend time with him again. "Hey, what'd you do that for?" He roughly rolls her over to face him again and shoves the covers off of her. "I wanna show you a little surprise."

"Really?" she asks eagerly, and he nods while grinning. Pete raises Nicky's dress and yanks down her undies, despite her attempts to keep them in place. "What are you doing?! I don't wanna show a boy my privates!"

"I'm not a boy, I'm a man. I wanna prepare you for when he gives you a little treat as soon as your tits come in and your ass gets bigger. I bet that cunt of yours has some juice, eh? God, I can't wait to fuck you in ten years, you'll be completely sexy then! You're totally hot right now, though," he drawls.

"I'm cold!" she cries, shaking tremendously. She kicks her legs, but he sits on them with all his weight, and they soon feel numb. He creeps his icy fingers into her tender vagina, moving them around and making her whimper and choke on her sobs. "Stop it...please, nooooo, I don't like it! No, no, noooo...Mommy, Daddy, help me! Help!" She slaps him weakly and tries to push him off, but to no avail. She opens her mouth to scream, but he quickly shushes her. She shrieks again, but nobody comes in to save her. They probably just think she's having a nightmare. Her parents never comfort her. They just let her cry herself back to sleep.

"Yeah, sugar...yeah, oh, you're so good...so gorgeous..." he mutters as he grabs his crotch. Pete sits there, stroking and squeezing a tent in his pants over and over. The bad touching has finally stopped, but she can't stand looking at him and she can still feel him on her. She begins to redress herself, but then some urine slips out of her. Humiliated, she pulls her underpants up and runs to the bathroom to finish. "What the fuck?! You pissed the bed, you filthy bitch! I just made that nice and neat for you, and you made a mess of yourself! I wonder what Mommy and Daddy will think of their seven-year-old daughter wetting her bed!" Nicky locks the door in the middle of washing her hands and Pete bangs on it. "Get out here, you're in big trouble! You know how much that cost me? God damn it, I'll break this fucking door down!" He kicks it hard so it makes a loud, frightening noise.

"Calm down, Pete! Just use a coin!" Marka hollers. Not, 'She'll come out when she's ready, just leave her alone.' She's actually encouraging him to barge in on her daughter.

"You're an idiot when you're drunk," Les mutters. That's true, but Nicky knows that her father is more concerned with the object he's hurting, and not her. "Here."

Nicky watches through her quivering fingers as Pete unlocks the door and stands there, his face beet red. "Tell your parents what you just did," he commands her, but she's too scared to move.

"Nicole, listen to your uncle when he gives you an instruction!" Marka snaps. "Do I have to count to five like you're a baby?"

Tears pool in her eyes and she's shivering violently. "Mommy...Daddy...he...he..."

"Did you wet the bed?" Les demands with his hands on his hips.

Marka gestures toward him. "Answer your father. Now."

Pete forces Nicky to her feet and spanks her so hard that she yelps in both terror and pain. "You're a brat! Where's a whip or a belt when you need one?" He stomps down the stairs.

Nicky looks down at the tile floor somberly and then timidly glances up at her parents. "Yes I did, Daddy. It was an accident, I'm sorry..."

"How old are you?" Marka asks condescendingly. "Two?"

"No...I'm seven," Nicky responds quietly as a tear slides down her cheek.

"Did your nannies not potty train you, is that it?"

Nicky shakes her head at Les' question. "No. They did. I didn't mean to..."

"You're an embarrassment to us, you dirty girl!" Marka yells at her, and her heart aches so bad that she has trouble breathing. "You strip that bed, change it, and wash your sheets!"

"What are you waiting for? You heard your mother! Go!" Les shouts, and both of her parents drag her to her room and slam the door behind her. They then walk down the stairs, and Nicky collapses to the floor, hyperventilating and hugging herself.

Nicky wakes herself and Tricia up, screaming and crying. She squeezes her eyes shut and opens them, not quite sure where she is at the moment, but she's glad Tricia is beside her. "What happened?" Tricia wonders out loud.

"Nothing, Trish, go back to sleep," she mumbles, sniffling and stroking her little sister's hair. She realizes she's safe at Red's apartment since the nightlight glows on a sleeping Melanie and she recognizes the space around her. She gets out of bed and tiptoes to Red's room. She's feeling so vulnerable at this moment, and ever since Gloria had dropped her, Blanca, and Alex off and then her friends had to go home later, she hadn't left Red's side until she and Tricia went to bed. She thought she was okay, but she's still so traumatized.

She gently nudges Red until the older woman hums to herself and rubs her eyes open. "Nicky?" She squints up at her as she turns on a lamp. "I heard shrieking and I would've come running if it weren't for my stupid back! I can't even sit up right now, really...it hurts. I'm okay, though...I just waited for you since I knew you were coming. What's wrong, sweetheart?"

Marka and Les never had a good excuse for not being able to step foot in Nicky's bedroom if she was having a nightmare. Red was different-she just hadn't been physically able to get out of bed right away. "Mommy, I...I had a bad dream...can I stay here with you?"

"Of course, come here, get in." Red pats the spot beside her, and Nicky joins her. Red lays the covers over them both and Nicky snuggles into her. "Oh, you look so distraught, you poor girl...mind telling me what this nightmare was about? It's not real, I promise you're fine!" Red holds Nicky against her and kisses the top of her head. The warm feeling she had when she was nestled in Gloria's arms and Blanca and Alex were hugging her in a group embrace, is back.

"No...it was...it happened when I...I was little...like seven."

"What?"

Nicky buries her face into Red's shirt and Red massages the back of her head and then moves her hand down to rub soothing circles on her back. "I got molested by my uncle," she mumbles, her voice a blur through her sniveling. She doesn't know if Red had heard her correctly.

"Say that again?" Marka has a stern expression on her face, and Les appears to be displeased.

"Your brother...my Uncle Pete...he's a bad man...he touches me here with his fingers and his mouth, and I don't like it." Nicky points to her crotch and her heart hammers rapidly inside her chest. "He won't stop when I tell him to...and he makes me touch him, too...on something in his pants. He said not to tell or I'd be punished..."

"Stop making up lies about your uncle! He loves you very much!" Les points at Marka. "You apologize to your mother right now, you foolish brat!"

"No, I'm telling the truth!" Nicky protests, her eyes filling with tears. "Please...I don't wanna see him anymore! He has to go away!"

"Bad girl! Do not talk about my brother like that ever again, do you understand me?" Marka hisses and grabs a fistful of her hair and shaking her. "He is not attracted to this mop!"

"Ow!" Nicky is trembling like a leaf at this point.

"Shut up! Get the hell out, you get no dinner tonight!" Les hollers.

"That'll teach you to be dishonest!" Marka adds. "You're almost ten years old, you should know this by now!"

Tears roll down her cheeks as she leaves the room, weeping silently. She dives into her Beanie Baby collection on her bed and holds them close to her as her whole body convulses with hiccups and uncontrollable sobs.

"Oh, that vile monster," Red hisses. "I hope he got killed somehow or someone tore his balls off in prison and fed them to him!"

Nicky looks up at Red and blinks a few times. Red plucks some Kleenex out of a box and wipes it under Nicky's eyes and sops up the moisture coating her cheeks. "That would be the dream...and he stopped two years later, when I told Paloma. She called the police...and Marka tried to bail him out, because why wouldn't she, that was her brother-"

Red scoffs. "Oh, bullshit! I've grounded Vasily before because he came home drunk one night and worried his girlfriend half to death...and if any of my sons hurt someone else in my family, or a person they're supposed to respect and love, I would stop talking to them all together. I'd be too ashamed to even look at them."

"I know, she's still a cunt! Les...my dad...he was the fucker's lawyer, and that animal got off with a seven year sentence!"

"That's not long enough! He should've had the death penalty!" Red declares, hugging Nicky tightly and pecking her temple. Nicky clings onto her like she had when she was in preschool. Red skims the back of her hand down Nicky's jaw and then back up again. She repeats the soothing motion and alternates between doing that and combing through Nicky's hair with her fingers, keeping her calm.

"I know, that's what Gloria, Blanca, and Alex said, too." Nicky gulps. "I, uhhh...I was with the girls when we saw Les and his girlfriend, Pamela...she was also my other nanny. I basically told him off for abandoning me all those years ago...turns out he wasn't dead after all! I told Pamela he was a piece of shit, so she left him, and then he said...he said that, uh...Pete is out of prison and the asshole's back on the streets! We let Gloria know at her bodega, and then she called Charles, who's putting a restraining order out against him for me. What if I ever see him, like, walking around, though? He's legit searching for me!" She takes a few shaky breaths.

"If he ever comes anywhere near you, I'll protect you and murder him! You just point him out to me if you notice him, okay?"

Nicky gives Red a slight nod and squeezes her hands. "Alright. The first time, I was hiding in the bathroom, and there was banging on the door, like the Gestapo coming for Anne Frank and her family. Marka and Les and...him were demanding I open up, they wouldn't even listen when I started to report what he did. I finally got to tell them a couple years later, but it was no use."

Red shakes her head in disbelief. "Your mother and father knew, and they didn't pulverize him?!"

"They didn't take me seriously and made me go hungry the night I told 'em. I was so fucking starving that my stomach was growling."

Red sighs heavily and puts her hands on either side of Nicky's face. "Oh my goodness, eti glupyye ublyudki," she mutters angrily. "I certainly would have, malyshka."

those stupid motherfuckers

Nicky beams up at her. "I know, Ma...you really love me."

"I do love you, yes," Red assures her warmly and twirls strands of Nicky's hair around her fingers. "So much. Oh, my baby girl..." she murmurs sadly.

"I was sick and vomiting and sucking my thumb for two of the darkest years of my life...I regressed a bit. I wonder why he did it, besides the fact that he was always hammered like Marka on her martini," Nicky says in a squeaky voice that's unrecognizable to her. "Was my nightgown too short?"

"No, no...do not think like that. Please...don't even try to blame yourself, honey. He was a pedophile, a twisted, cruel pig fucker. He got off on making his little niece suffer." Red's blue eyes brim with tears and she lays her hand on her heart. "It hurts me that he did this to you...and that your parents just blew you off! For two years, this was going on...a huge burden to carry on your shoulders."

"It wasn't like every day...just whenever we visited. I sounded spoiled every time we were about to go. There was a million times when I tried to say something, but the words got stuck. I was sweating a lot when I told 'em everything. It was all for nothing...I should've just gone straight to Paloma." Nicky shrugs and wipes her wet eyes with her sleeve. "Oh well...at least I got you and the others now to look out for me!"

"Yeah, you do."

Nicky buries herself in Red's embrace, making herself as tiny as she can. "Could you sing me to sleep, Ma?"

The older woman holds her closer and kisses her cheek. "I sure will, my girl. What song?"

"Oh, anything."

It ends up being You Are My Sunshine, which is apparently what Red soothed Nicky with when she was three.

"Now, it's time to close those pretty eyes and dream of sparkles and rainbows. Do you think you can do that?" Red asks her.

She nods. "I hope so."


Four hours go by and Joe Sr. stops at a gas station because Mikey needs to use the restroom. Lorna considers it, just so she can tell a convenience store clerk that she and her brother have been kidnapped, but her Nonno decides to get out of the car with his cane and mill around the place with her. "I needed to stretch my legs out, I've been cramped lately," he explains.

"Shouldn't we get a hotel? I'm so tired, and the car isn't that comfortable." Lorna yawns loudly. "Also, you must be exhausted from driving all night. It's two in the morning!"

"I haven't seen one for miles!" He slowly walks her backwards into a pump and looks down at her. His posture is stooped. "You want me to massage out those kinks in your neck?"

"I don't have any, really...so no, thank you."

"Alright. Hey, I gotta tell ya, I think you looked really good asleep. The way your head was leaning on the window and your hair swept across your face like that...your shirt even showed some of your tummy!" He tickles her belly and she flinches as an uncomfortable feeling comes over her. He snickers and smirks. "Aw, don't shy away from me. You're a cutie, and I've missed you...damn, you're too smokin' to be a lezzie...I was just wondering if you ever had your cherry popped."

"What the fuck? That's personal! Could you back off?!"

His gaze turns lustful as his eyes travel to her chest, which she instinctively covers up. "I wanna see those tits and fuck the fag outta you," he drawls. His hands start to slither up under her shirt and grope her breasts. Behind him, Mikey appears, stunned.

"Not today, motherfucker!" Lorna bellows, and he clamps his hand over her mouth.

"Get off my sister!" Mikey puts in, but Joe Sr. ignores the boy. "I can tie you up with rope like Frieda taught me!"

Remembering her self-defense tactics, Lorna digs her French nails deep into his wrists, causing him to groan in pain and release her. She shoves her boot into his shin before he has the chance to slap her, and she grabs the cane from him when he drops it to rub the spot where he was injured. She's off her meds at this moment and anger fully takes over her fear. She whacks him over the head a few times like it's a piñata, and slams it onto his back as he staggers around dizzily. She bangs the cane right up into his deflating hard-on, making him fall flat on the ground. Like Alex had done with Humps, she stomps furiously on his throat a number of times until he's begging for his life. She only wishes her girls could see this moment and she cackles out loud.

"Fucking die, creep," Lorna growls and strikes him with the cane one last time, smashing in his bloody face. Her hands are trembling as she clutches her weapon, but she's proud of herself.

"Bravo!" an older man calls out as he slides off his motorcycle. He looks to be in his early sixties. "I was gonna step in, but you're tough." She notices a tattoo of a white bone with the word bone in black lettering inside of it.

"Thank you."

"You look a little young to be out here by yourself, though...are your parents in the store?" He sounds deeply concerned.

Lorna shakes her head no and kicks Joe Sr's head. "This dipshit actually kidnapped me and my brother. We need to go to the police and get back home. I'm only fifteen and he's just twelve."

"I've only got a motorcycle," he says, gesturing to it. "I can call you a cab and wait with you if you want. If I ring the cops, they'll think you beat him to death."

"Okay." Lorna isn't sure if she can trust him, but she thinks it's a possibility since he's not invading her space. Mikey comes out with a bundle of rope and he appears to be shocked that Lorna's fine now.

"What happened?"

"Just get your shit from his car. This dude has a plan." Lorna tilts her head toward the guy on the phone. "He's cool."

After hanging up, the man drags Joe Sr.'s barely alive body to the tire of his own car and twists his head around so his neck cracks and he's completely limp. "Hit and run. The driver literally got out and took off into a full sprint. Too damn bad." The kids chuckle together, but then stop as a yellow vehicle shows up in front of the gas station.

"Lincoln Medical Hospital in the Bronx, New York, please," Lorna tells the cabbie as she and Mikey get in.

"New York? I'm headed there right now, but my destination is Queens!" the man exclaims.

"Really? That's where my foster mom lives," Mikey tells him.

"Huh, small world. Maybe I'll run into you two."

Lorna grins cheerfully. "Yeah! Well, thank you, sir. We appreciate this!"

"You're very welcome!" He salutes them as the cabbie drives off.


"Oh my goodness, are you the birthday girl?" Gloria asks Farah in a silly voice as she kneels down to the little girl's level. Allison, Fahri, and his sister stand back, beaming. Farah nods happily. They're at Little Stars Three, about to celebrate Farah's second birthday in class.

"Hi," Julio greets Fahri cautiously while waving at him.

"Hello, Julio," Fahri replies cheerfully, and Gloria just has to smile. Her son scampers off with Emiliano.

"So, Miss Farah, are you...one?" Gloria teases her and holds up her index finger. She tickles Farah a little bit, and the small child shakes her head and giggles. "Nah! You gotta be two!" She taps Farah's nose twice. "Can I get a hug?"

Farah squeals adorably and twirls around in a circle. "Yeah!" She wraps her arms around Gloria, who squeezes her lightly and lets her go. She then hugs her grandmother's legs and glances over at Gloria, Fahri, and Allison while waving.

Ms. Basara and her daughter pass out chocolate cupcakes with yellow frosting and rainbow sprinkles. They offer the extras to the aides, Gloria, and Fahri, who gladly take them. "They're pretty big," Gloria notices aloud when Allison and her mother slice each cupcake in half for the kids. "There won't be enough for everyone...you wanna share?" She holds one out to Fahri.

"Sure!" he answers her eagerly.

She uses a plastic knife to cut theirs in two and then everyone sings Happy Birthday to Farah.


"You look like a zombie, L," Daya points out when Lorna and Flaca join her and Alex in an empty classroom at their school. Flaca knows all about Lorna's adventure last night and why she had barely gotten any sleep, but due to the brunette's request, she won't say anything about it. She'll let Lorna share her story.

"Thanks, D," Lorna mumbles sarcastically and then yawns. "I feel like one, too. I'm gonna crash as soon as the day's over. I didn't even have the energy to put on makeup!"

"Don't worry, you're still pretty without it," Alex assures her, and she smiles slightly. "I'm not."

Flaca nudges Alex. "Yeah you are, chica. Anyway...why you call this session for?"

Alex leans into a table while facing them and her palms press against the surface. "You remember P sending us a text about kidnapping Ratman and how the methheads were torturing him?" The girls nod. "Well, Maria, Ouija, and Pidge were discussing something in Spanish when that was mentioned yesterday, and as much as I hate that asshole and don't want to believe anything that falls out of his mouth, he said something weird...signifying that Maria trapped him in that room. What if there's a possibility-"

Daya's eyes widen in alarm. "No! It can't be her!"

"Yeah, maybe she did it, but she isn't P," Lorna agrees and then covers up her mouth to suppress a yawn.

"Yo, but why wasn't she anywhere in the video?" Flaca asks them, and Alex nods while gesturing towards her. "She could be the fuckin' Judas who caused me to be like this for six weeks and tried to get me in a fight with Gloria!" She pats her wheelchair while frowning. "She threatened not to invite me to her quinceañera, for Christ's sake!"

"Maybe she wasn't there, but she definitely wasn't behind the camera!" Daya argues.

Flaca points to Daya. "P ain't done nothin' creepy to you since Cesar broke that potted plant when he was drunk and the next time you went into the kitchen, it got arranged into a grave!"

"That could not have been Maria, my guess at the time was Cesar, but hello, too obvious!"

"Okay, well answer me this. Why is she sometimes so rude and inconsiderate? Like, whatever she said yesterday about Gloria caused Blanca to snap back at her, and she made that comment about me being strong in juvy...who the fuck says that, especially in front of my mother?" Alex demands.

"She probably has bad days...everyone does," Lorna points out. "That don't mean they're evil."

Flaca scowls. "P has always been nice to you, tonta. I'm booting that bitch outta the band 'til we got proof that she's innocent."

"It just doesn't make sense. P made fun of my weight and forced me to eat an overabundance of cupcakes. Maria was teased constantly for gaining pounds during her pregnancy...she wouldn't do that to someone else. Plus, she and I are tight." Daya crosses her middle finger over her index. "Like this."

"So were you and Holly Hobbie," Alex reminds her bitterly.

"Nah...I was cautiously optimistic with that cunt, but Maria...she seems genuine. She just says what she's thinking, but doesn't do it to be offensive."

"That'd be Blanca," Flaca corrects Daya.

Lorna crosses her arms over her chest. "We all do that! Look, we're all guilty of somethin'...but I know for a fact that none of us have actually hurt a human being on purpose who didn't deserve karma!"

"You did!" the girls tell her in unison.

"I know, but that was a mistake I'll regret for the rest of my life. In that moment, I wasn't in my head, but I am now." Lorna sighs. "Can we just move on from this? I don't wanna fight with you girls."

"Okay," Alex and Flaca say reluctantly, and Daya nods in agreement.

"Just be watchful and look for clues," Alex directs them.

When they get their breakfast cereals, though, Lorna's is P-shaped. She and Daya both receive a message right after starting to eat. Flaca and Alex exchange serious glances.

Don't fight with them about who I am. You're too smart for that. -P


"How you holdin' up?" Blanca asks Nicky as they walk into school together.

"Better, I think." The two exchange a smile. "I had a little nightmare, but Red comforted me."

"Aww, that's nice," Blanca comments.

"Where's Maria? She's like, your right-hand gal!"

Blanca shrugs. "Makin' out with Yadriel, I suppose."

"Diablo?"

"He hasn't come yet because of physical therapy, but he should be here soon."

"I always thought you lived together?"

"Girl, no. He's emancipated, he's got his own apartment...and even though we want to, my mom doesn't let us. She says I'm way too young. It's like, what?! We're only two years apart! He's your age! Carajo..."

Nicky chuckles. "Well, I think it's got more to do with the fact that you're still a minor."

"So is he! It's like she thinks I'm incapable of being on my own, but I totally am. I was for like, a year..."

"Oh yeah, the Greyhound bus," Nicky remembers instantly, and Blanca presses her lips together while beaming. "How'd you get away with that?"

"Easy. I was under my dad's care, or lack of it, so he probably just thought I ran off. I told my mom that I was visiting my abuela, and she was such a cool abuela, that she was in on my plan. She would always check in on me to make sure I was safe, though!"

"Nice!"

"Wait...you rode the Greyhound too?!" Blanca is clearly in shock.

Nicky smirks. "Yes, ma'am! How'd you recognize me?"

"I thought you looked familiar since I first saw you. That maddening hair and wide grin after you've told a dumb joke. Not hard to forget."

"Why didn't you say anything earlier?" Nicky demands lightly.

"I kinda expected you to since you seem to remember everything else! Also...I wanted you to bring it up first, since if I did, you'd know that the overly hairy Dominican girl you fingered in the dank abandoned library was...me." A feeling of shame sweeps over Blanca. "Sorry you saw the worst version of me...and that I lied about my name. I just didn't wanna be Blanca Flores for a while."

"From what I remember, we talked and cuddled and drank from your flask. I mean, I get it, I hate waxing, too. I felt like I made a friend that day and night."

Blanca gives Nicky a relieved smile and squeezes her hand. "I did, too."

"I can understand why you left me and my band of drug addicts hours later. Sorry about that."

"It's okay." They meet up with some of their other friends in the courtyard and hug them in greeting.

"Hey, what's with the no makeup look?" Maritza asks Lorna as she embraces her and then Flaca. "You even got black circles under your eyes."

"Rough night, babe?" Nicky wonders aloud in concern and hugs her from behind. Lorna gazes dreamily up at her and they kiss.

"Yeah, long story. I'll tell ya later. I'm just real exhausted."

Allison enters the space with tears in her eyes and an overall gloomy appearance. The girls share worried looks. Michelle turns around in Alex's arms to face her. "Ay dios mìo, what happened?"

"That Nazi who barged into Friendly's with his cousins, well he's on his deathbed, but whatever. They beat up Hassan real bad for punching Brent to defend my honor. My boyfriend suffered a hate crime yesterday." The girls gasp in horror and surround Allison in a supportive hug. "He was in and out of sleep before, but he's gonna be fine. It's just...scary to see him so...damaged physically."

"That's terrible!" Alana exclaims.

"I'm glad he'll be okay," Daya tells Allison and rubs her back soothingly.

"I hope those motherfuckers got arrested," Alex chimes in.

"Oh, they did!" Allison reports.

"Good," Blanca murmurs and the other girls nod in agreement.

"It's Farah's second birthday today, so we had a little party for her in his room and then I took her to school with the rest of the cupcakes I baked," Allison informs them, smiling a bit more now. She puts her backpack on a bench and opens it. "I saved a bunch for y'all!"

"Aw, thank you!" Lorna squeals excitedly. "Happy birthday to her!"

"Thanks!"

They each take one for themselves and start devouring their treats.

"It's super yummy," Maritza compliments Allison with her mouth full. She gives Allison a thumbs up.

"For sure," Nicky agrees.

"Mmmm..." everyone murmurs in unison and Allison looks quite proud of herself, as she should be.

"Did Gloria have one this morning when she dropped off Julio?" Michelle asks.

"Yeah, and she split it with Fahri," Allison responds. "They're seriously so cute together. You girls did a great job settin' 'em up."

Flaca, Maritza, and Lorna exchange hi-fives while smirking and then slap palms with Alex, Daya, Nicky, and Blanca. "Thanks!" they say in unison.

"You're welcome!"

"It's just like The Parent Trap!" Alana gushes.

"They're more like Chessy the housekeeper and Martin the butler from that movie, but it's reversed since your moms found people on their own," Flaca states, gesturing to Alex and Daya.

"Yeah, but we helped the woman who's like your tía, Daya, and your tìo figure, Alex," Maritza chimes in. "Of course, also your birth uncle, Allison!"

Allison grins. "Mm-hm!"

As she heads to third period history class linking arms with Blanca and Maria, though, with Alana on Blanca's other side, Allison's mood darkens. Blanca can tell by the way she's walking with her shoulders slouched and her head down. "Yo, chica, you wanna talk about it?" Maria asks.

"I'm really messed up right now," she confesses. "Like, about what happened to my boyfriend and our daughter...and me."

They look at her sympathetically. "How 'bout you come to group therapy with us tomorrow? Gloria's aunt is in charge and she's real motivational and helpful," Blanca informs Allison. She tilts her head in Alana's direction. "You, too."

"Sure. I talked to Taystee and her crew already, and I don't know this lady from Eve, but I'll give it a try. I've never done therapy before," Allison mumbles.

"I have," Alana says. "Well, grief counseling. It's nice. I'll go to your therapy session, too. Is this leader sympathetic?"

"Extremely, I mean her niece...she's got secondhand experience," Blanca says softly so only they can hear.

"She's free, too," Maria puts in. "You know, she cares about us."

"Awesome, I'm in!" Allison says.

"Same here," Alana pipes up.

"Yay!" Blanca and Maria cheer in unison.


"If I hear 'pew pew pew' again, you are all done!" Miss Stacy reprimands Benny, Michael, and Dylan, as they're miming shooting each other like they're in a video game.

"Why?" Benny wonders aloud.

"It's not real!" Michael insists, and the three boys pout.

"Yeah, we're zombies!" Dylan pipes up.

"No weapons at school, not even pretend ones!" their teacher says. "Do not say the P word!"

Christina gets a frightened expression on her face. "That's too scary for me! Don't do it!"

"You tell 'em, Christina," Miss Stacy praises her. "Boys, we don't allow guns here, period. It puts dangerous ideas in your precious little heads. Is that understood?"

"We hafta listen to her or she'll tell our mommies on us and I don't wanna make Christina sad. A bad man had a gun in his room and I wanted to play with it, but my mommy wouldn't let me, because it wasn't a toy," Benny mumbles, and Miss Stacy looks deeply concerned. She kneels to his level and his friends crowd around them, also seeming to be somber.

"You and your mommy are safe now, yes?"

Benny nods. "He got taken away from us and my little brother. We live in Chrissy and Emilio and Daya's house with their mommy and Leon."

She ruffles his hair. "I'm glad! Your mommy was smart to keep you away from that mean guy's gun. You could hurt your body with it, and nobody wants that."

"I know, Mommy said that already. She doesn't want me to fake shoot somebody 'cause it could make us think that a real school shooting is a game."

"That's right!"


"Welcome, everyone," Lourdes starts out on Thursday afternoon. "I see some new faces, and we have three stories today. It's nice to meet you officially, Allison and Hassan, the two of you make a lovely couple."

"Thanks," they say in unison as Allison cuddles into her boyfriend.

"Michelle, so sweet of you to support your girl," Lourdes murmurs, and Alex rests her head on the smaller girl's shoulder. "Last but certainly not least, Alana, glad you could join us!" They all shake hands with Lourdes and the whole group smiles.

Hassan takes Allison's hand and she inhales and exhales slowly. "Well, we've both had hate crimes committed against us," she begins solemnly. "These racist boys love to pull off my hijab...and Hassan punched one of them, so they retaliated against him. I wish they would've left us well enough alone, but they can't see past their own bigotry to know when they're going too far. It's depressing when I can say that I'm used to that. Just another fuckin' day in the life." Everyone looks at them sadly.

"You shouldn't have to be desensitized to such inhumane abuse," Lourdes declares. "Those snakes were cruel. You're both strong survivors, you know." The pair nods.

Hassan lets out a groan as he shifts closer to Allison, putting his arm around her. "While I was getting kicked around, I fought to stay alive...for my family and my friends."

"I know you did," Allison tells him softly. "The good thing is that they're locked up now and you're okay." He nods.

"Very true," Lourdes agrees.

"I...I have something else I wanted to share," Allison says. "This...this creep...I can't even speak his name, it'll make me sick to even think it. I'm too uncomfortable telling a lot of the story."

"Well, you don't have to, then," Lourdes informs her.

"I think I should. It'll get everything off my chest."

"Okay, would you like me to hold your other hand?" Lourdes offers.

"Sure, that'd be great, thank you." Allison puts her hand in the older woman's and they beam at each other. "So, um...a couple mornings ago, while I was taking Farah out in her stroller near some dingy apartment buildings, a strange person passed us, like angry about someone who hurt him in the cornfield. He started spouting weird shit...asking questions pertaining to our daughter." She gulps and shudders. Hassan gives her a curious and worried glance.

"What'd that freakazoid say about Farah?" Alana wonders aloud.

"He told me she was cute, he got all up in my space and was desperate to know her name, he was acting gross, like he...he had a...a crush on her." The girls and women gasp and shiver at Allison's reply. Hassan lets out a hiss from his gritted teeth.

"Eew!" they mutter in unison.

"That bastard," Lourdes says bitterly, and Gloria shakes her head in disgust.

"Jesus Christ," Hassan grumbles.

"I hate him already," Nicky adds.

"Same here," Alex chimes in.

"There's too many pedophiles in this world," Red states and pulls Nicky in close to her. Aleida does the same with Daya.

Flaca glances at Allison, puzzled. "Yo, for real?"

Allison nods in confirmation. "Honest to fuckin' God. He literally hit on our little girl."

"That's just straight up nasty," Maritza comments.

"I know..."

A low growl emits from Maria's throat. "If that twisted motherfucker came anywhere near Pepa...I would murder him."

"Me too, I'd kill someone for Alex," Diane says protectively, and she and her daughter exchange a smile and nod.

"I would as well, for my boys. I hope you punched him at least," Gloria chimes in.

"Yeah, got him good in the nuts, too," Blanca adds.

"I know, I would've killed him if I had something...but I didn't, and I was aware I had to do my best to protect us both. I'd do whatever it took for my baby to be safe. I was afraid to physically fight him, to be honest...he'd win."

"You got no way of knowing that, look what Alex did to you-know-who!" Michelle points out. "You're still badass, though."

"Thanks..."

"What the fuck is wrong with some people?" Daya asks rhetorically, and Allison just shrugs, defeated.

"I had a nightmare about Farah...actually being ripped away from me." Allison clutches her heart, appearing to be in pain.

"Oh, hon, I'm real sorry," Lorna murmurs sympathetically, and they all give Allison hugs.

Nicky lays her head in Lorna's lap and puts her legs across Red's thighs. She enjoys the feeling of Lorna stroking her hair. It's so comforting leaning into both her and Red. "Speaking of pedophiles, my uncle..." Like Allison, Nicky cannot say who he is. Chills race up and down her spine at the mere mention of the evil beast's name. "I was seven, eight, and nine when he, uh...violated me with his nauseating fingers and tongue. I felt so dirty every time it happened...and after...and whenever I tried to tell my parents, uhhh...I'd freeze up...not that they ended up believing me anyway." She scoffs, forces the tears back while blinking rapidly, and swallows a huge lump forming in her throat. Everyone's eyes are already glassy, like they were after hearing about that sleazebag's pursuit of Farah, but Lorna, Red, Blanca, Alex, Flaca, and Gloria are starting to choke up. "He's lurking around here...I'm feeling broken again and really scared he'll find me. I...I don't think I'll be able to handle it?" Nicky's voice squeaks and goes up as if she's posing a question. "If he, if he even talks to me...or if I gotta see his ugly face...oh god!" She crumbles and breaks off into whimpers as she buries her face into her hands. Lorna continues brushing through Nicky's curls and rubbing soothing circles on her back.

"Just terrible," Lourdes comments in distaste.

"I'll protect you, Nicky, I promise! We all will!" Lorna says strongly, but she also sounds extremely devastated. "I'm so sorry about this, baby! You didn't deserve the family you were cursed with, my poor sweetheart. It completely breaks my heart! How dare he do those vile things to you?! Also, fuck your parents for letting it happen and not even being concerned with any signs!"

Nicky sniffles. "Neither one of my nannies noticed either, until I told 'em. I always wanted my privacy and they gave me it. I wanted him to go to a far place so much and have him stay there forever."

"I felt the same way after my uncle raped me," Flaca murmurs and squeezes Nicky's hand in support. Maritza and Alana gaze on sadly. "It ain't never easy...especially when it's someone who's supposed to love you." She, Lorna, Alex, and Diane exchange knowing looks. Gloria nods and closes her eyes.

"Or at least give a shit about you because they're dating the person who gave you life," Aleida mumbles.

"Well, those who have wronged you are strangers now, we no longer see them as allies," Red points out.

"That's right!" Blanca concurs.

"I just wanna fuckin' kill anyone who looks at an innocent child the wrong way," Maria grumbles.

"I second that," Allison says, and they all murmur in agreement.

As they'd done with Allison, everyone gives Nicky hugs of solidarity. "Thank you both for sharing." Lourdes' gaze travels back and forth between Nicky and Allison. "It takes a lot of strength to talk about something like that!" The girls give her tight-lipped smiles and wipe their eyes with the backs of their hands. "Now, our third tale is going to be someone talking about her proudest moment. If anyone else wants to pitch in with theirs, they are most welcome to."

Lorna beams hugely. "I wish everyone could've seen me...but last night, okay...my younger brother and I were abducted by our grandfather for four hours, about to go to Ohio or somethin'-"

"How is this remotely awesome?" Nicky interrupts her weakly, not wanting to think about ever losing her girlfriend.

"Hold on, Nicky! I haven't gotten to the best part yet." Lorna pats her cheek lovingly. "Well, he was gonna be our caretaker, since our birth parents couldn't do the job, and he hated me being basically a nomad and Mikey living with Frieda. It was a straight up kidnapping, though, so, my mom, who I was gonna sleep over with, said she'd let Charles know in the morning. When we stopped for gas, Mikey went to a convenience store to use the restroom and that old man proved himself to be a gross snake...he was just...ew! He just about put his wrinkly hands on my chest, but I successfully fought him off me and hit him with his own cane over and over until he was almost dead! Then, this other dude, probably in his early sixties, congratulated me and helped end Joe Senior's miserable life for good!" At this, everyone laughs out loud and cheers while giving her hi-fives. It lifts Nicky's mood immensely, and she pulls herself up and wraps Lorna in her arms.

"Great job, my badass, beautiful girl!" Nicky praises her. "It's probably why you were so tired yesterday, you stayed up all night practically!"

Lorna giggles. "Thank you! Yeah, I did. I went to bed at nine last night. Ma was more than happy to have me back and make up our time together."

Nicky kisses her lips. "I'm glad."

They all give Alex the same treatment of cracking up, rooting for her, and slapping her palms when she discusses how she put Phyllis in a coma and Humps in the hospital and then her, Daya, Flaca, Blanca, and Maria, for when they whacked Piscatella with a crowbar, sending him to the emergency room. Everyone lets Lourdes know about the time they stood up on tables and got rid of a majority of the bad teachers once and for all. She beams.

"You are all amazing. I want you to repeat after me: I'm sincere and so full of love, and no one can ever take that away from me. Alright? Then memorize it, always."

They echo the mantra Lourdes had just recited, and even though there's darkness in all of their lives, they come away from the meeting feeling just a bit lighter. Just before they leave, Lourdes gives them each a massage voucher.


"I know you got a lady on the side." Kubra claps his hands in front of Fahri's face, making him jump. He was previously looking around anxiously for Alex, silently praying she won't get in trouble for being late. She must have lost track of time.

Aydin smirks. "You can't pump the stick for both our most valued adult employee and the bitch you work with at Martin Van Buren High."

"I'm not...and would you mind not calling her a bitch? I'm not dating her, we wanna start out slow."

Kubra shows Aydin something and they both snigger. "What a sexy body for a fifteen year old chick! Damn, we got ourselves a good one!"

"I wanna cum inside her and grab her tits while I slam into her!" Aydin puts in, and Fahri walks over to see what they're staring at. He's expecting some torn-out picture from a Playboy magazine, since that's normal for them to objectify women. "You should do those things to her, I bet she's naughty!" When Aydin shows Fahri a photo of Alex that he must have swiped from Facebook and printed out, Fahri grows stiff and his jaw tightens in anger, but he feels sick at the same time. He literally wants to murder them in a protective rage over the young girl, or knock them out, at least, but he knows he can't, unfortunately, or he'd be killed. He would tell Alex, but he decides not to, since he doesn't want to make her feel weird, especially if they aren't currently doing anything to her. He'll simply always watch out for her and make sure he's there during the meetings or if she has to sell.

Kubra sniggers. "Oh Fahri, I bet you wanna lick and touch her fucking tits and pussy and let her cum in your mouth! That's what I'd do to her!"

Fahri restrains himself and exhales loudly. "I'll never think of Alex that way," he says stoically. He's desperate to yell at them and treat them how he did Juan, but he isn't able to. "She's my friend's daughter, and she's only in high school. I'm more attracted to women my actual age, or like, over twenty-one."

"Party pooper," Aydin mutters.

"Yeah, you're no fun," Kubra adds. "Where is she anyway? Her dumb girl thing's over. I thought you usually come with her."

"Her mom probably wouldn't let her leave," Aydin grumbles, and Fahri nods. He hates that Kubra called therapy dumb.

"It seems to help her and the others a great deal," Fahri tells them, and they just shake their heads while chuckling.

"Here's a transcript of what Arturo is saying, since he only speaks Spanish in his videos. Have Alex check 'em out, too." Kubra hands Fahri a sheet of paper.

"Yes, sir."


"How was your...massage?" Flaca wants to know as Alex rushes out of the parlor, her face whiter than usual. "Holy shit, not well?"

"I'm nothing but relaxed! Nicky and Lorna had normal ones as they chatted away happily, then Blanca and Gloria, my mom and Aleida, Allison and Hassan, Alana and Maritza...and of course Michelle, when she was across from me...we both fell asleep waiting for our person. I woke up maybe an hour later, thinking I'd been massaged, but then this woman steps away from Michelle, like finished with her...and I totally freaked, especially when I saw a P written on one of their steamed-up glasses!" Flaca gasps. "We know who isn't here!" Alex all but hollers.

"Maria, yeah, but also, Daya! They're horseback riding! If not her, who the fuck else could it have been?"

Alex throws her hands up into the air. "She's pregnant! I doubt she's getting on any horse...how is that gonna be fun for her?"

"It just screams weird to me, but she could be taking photos, like she said she was gonna do. What'd the hands feel like?"

"Rough. Sandpaper. Um, and big, but not oversized. A boy's, maybe?" Alex guesses.

"It could be that she's got an accomplice." Flaca wrinkles her nose. "Ugh, I don't wanna think Maria and Yadriel are pullin' a Bonnie and Clyde on us..."

"I doubt it was Yadriel, because he was taking care of Pepa. Her cousin, perhaps...Alonso?"

Flaca shrugs. "That's a definite possibility. That idiot dated Maritza-"

"Blanca is talking to someone on the phone, frantically, in Spanish," Alex cuts in quietly. "Could you please translate? She's Maria's right-hand gal, this could be helpful."

Flaca listens in on the call as Blanca steps out into the carpeted hallway. She's not facing them, so she doesn't know they're listening in. She walks further down, and they secretly follow her, with Alex pushing Flaca in her wheelchair. They watch her from around the corner, Alex's back pressed against the wall.

"It's literally nothin' right now," Flaca whispers. "She's just talkin' about Diablo and how she wants to fuck him."

Alex rolls her eyes. "Tell me if it gets interesting."

A while later, Blanca whimpers and lets out a half scream. She covers her eyes, spins around, and the girls jump when she kicks a nearby door closed.

"¿Por qué la atropellarías? No puedo creerte! ¡Ella es mi amiga!" Flaca's eyes widen in shock and she struggles to catch her breath. "Dijiste que solo odiabas a Piper...sí, sé que lo hicieron, pero no merecen tu tortura, ¡oh Dios mío! ¡No me mientas! ¡Sé que hiciste esto porque querías! ¡No te arrepientes de nada! Sí, claro, quería venganza, pero fuiste demasiado lejos. No, solo apuntamos a Piper. Ese era el plan! Las chicas solo eran sus secuaces. Ellos fueron lavados del cerebro por ella. Mira, no importa que todavía estén vivos, no puedes simplemente tratarlos como tus muñecas. No, ¡lo hiciste por ti mismo! Nada de eso fue para mí. No luches en mis batallas. Se acabaron. Ya terminé contigo. Estoy...Estoy hecho."

Why would you run her over?! I can't believe you! She's my friend! You said you only hated Piper...yeah, I know they did, but they don't deserve your torture-oh my god! Don't you fuckin' lie to me! I know you did this because you wanted to! You regret nothing! Yeah, sure, I wanted some revenge, but you went too far. No, we only targeted Piper. That was the plan! The girls were just her minions. They were brainwashed by her. Look, it doesn't matter that they're still alive, you can't just treat them like your dolls. No, you just did it for yourself! None of that was for me. Do not fight my battles. They're over with. I'm just done with you. I'm...I'm done.

"What's she saying?" Alex wonders quietly.

"She's talkin' to P, who's a friend of hers. Shit!"

Alex claps her hand over her mouth. "Jesus fuck!"

Flaca's heart hammers in her chest as she tells Alex everything while they're bolting away from Blanca as fast as they can.

Thank you for reading and reviewing, MinervaSnape394, Victoria, Johanna-002, and A Star In My Universe!