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

Warning: harassment, pedophilia, gun threats, violence, stalking, victim blaming, racist slurs, hints of abuse

It's nearing seven in the evening, and Blanca is cooking herself and Diablo dinner while her boyfriend picks through horror movies to watch in his DVD collection. Blanca has brought some films as well, and spooky music is playing. She's in a much better mood since a few hours ago. She's making Locrio and stirring together rice and chicken in a pot so the flavors blend.

"Mmm...algo huele bien," Diablo murmurs as he comes up behind her and wraps his arms around her waist. Blanca giggles as he pecks her cheek and then moves her hair to kiss her neck.

Something smells good

"Gracias," she responds. "¿Ya has encontrado algo?"

Have you found anything yet?

"Todavía no, ¡hay muchos buenos!"

Not yet, there are too many good ones!

"Entonces sigue buscando, chico!" Blanca points to the living room and he swats her ass. She kicks his butt in return and they're both laughing as Diablo goes back to his task.

Then keep looking, boy!

She hums as she stirs the food around and around the pot while occasionally glancing out the window at the still, moonlit shrubbery in Diablo's front yard. A jolt goes through her suddenly when she notices a dark shadow in the shape of a person moving through the white curtains. It appears as if it's passing by, and then it stops. An uneasy feeling grows inside the pit of Blanca's stomach as it comes toward her. It's a child, she realizes.

The little girl can't be more than ten. She has a pink nightgown on and her black hair is in two braids over her shoulders. Dark circles under her eyes and scratches on her neck become prominent when she leans her forehead against the glass, staring right at Blanca with a worried gleam in her eyes. She looks exactly how Blanca did at that age. She even has a hint of a unibrow. Her pale pink lips are moving, but Blanca can't figure out what the kid could be saying. She presses her copper-colored hands flat against the window, making the spiderweb-shaped scars on her palms fully visible, and Blanca gives her a questioning stare while trying to inhale and exhale calmly through her frantically beating heart. The girl coughs up blood and some splatters on the glass outside.

"Oh, shit!" Blanca mutters under her breath. She hurriedly turns off the burner, throws Diablo's coat on, grabs a rag to clean up the blood, rushes out the door, closes it softly behind her, and goes around Diablo's apartment. She walks toward the child cautiously. "Hey, um...I'm not gonna hurt you. What were you trying to tell me?" Crimson stains are on her sleeves, and Blanca assumes she'd wiped it off her mouth. "Should I call nine-one-one?" She shakes her head no and just stands there with a frightened expression on her small face. "Your mama must be searching for you. You want me to help you back home?"

"I'm not lost. I can go by myself. It's not safe out here."

"I agree. What's wrong?" Blanca scrubs the window free of blood and hugs Diablo's black coat tighter around herself.

"It's scary for you, I meant. He's watching you." She points at something behind Blanca, and Blanca sneaks a peek over her shoulder. She finds nobody there.

"Who?" Blanca asks worriedly. "Where is...he?"

"I dunno. He hides in the darkness, lurking...he tried to kill me, but I escaped just in time."

Blanca gasps and she rubs her forehead. "Ay dios mío...what's your name, sweetie?"

The girl's eyes widen in terror and Blanca knits her brows in confusion. "I can't tell you. Go back inside, lock the doors, and cover up the windows."

"Araceli, there you are!" an older Spanish woman cries in relief and yanks the child to her side. "I'm sorry, my daughter has a dangerous habit of sleepwalking."

"It's okay, she warned me of a bad man-" Blanca starts, but Araceli furiously puts a finger to her lips.

"That's enough fantasizing, cariño," the lady gently chastises her and then they walk off. Blanca sprints back toward Diablo's apartment. He's not too far from her, as he's come outside. She melts into his arms and pulls him inside.

"¿Los conoces?" Blanca wants to know.

Do you know them?

Diablo frowns and locks the door. "No. Es extraño...nunca los había visto por aquí antes. Tal vez son nuevos en el área."

It's weird...I've never seen them around here before. Maybe they're new to the area.

"Si, probablemente."

Yeah, probably.

Diablo slides his arm around Blanca's waist and pulls her to him while smiling down at her. They make out passionately, and then Blanca continues with the food. A thunderstorm starts outside and a spark of blue lights up the sky. Diablo closes all of his blinds so nobody can see inside, and then he eventually chooses a movie they both love, and they serve themselves before sitting down to eat and watch the film. Rain patters on the windows, and Blanca feels cozy in the warm apartment with her man. It's the perfect night for a good bone-chilling movie.


At the hospital, Diane and Charles visit with Michelle for a while and they had brought dinner for the girls and themselves. Alex hugs them good night, as she's going to sleep over in the room where Michelle is staying. "Yum! Thanks, Mom and Charles!" Alex calls out as she and Michelle continue to share a big container of pasta.

"Yeah, thank you," Michelle echoes. "This is delicious."

"You're welcome, girls," Diane tells them pleasantly.

"It was our pleasure!" Charles adds.

"Feel better soon, honey," Diane says and nods in Michelle's direction.

"Okay, thanks," Michelle replies with a slight grin, and the adults leave.

The doctor arrives when they finish their meal. "You're lucky to have such a sexy girl by your side." Alex shifts away from Dr. Chapman and doesn't even look at him.

"I could punch you with my good fist!" Michelle threatens him and Alex stifles a giggle.

"Relax, it's just a statement."

"You make one more inappropriate comment like that, and I'll request a different doctor," Michelle snaps. "You know we're both fifteen, right? How old are you, early twenties?" she demands, and Alex smirks.

"Yeah, I mean...I was pals with your sister." Alex rolls her eyes. "Duuuhhh!"

Piper's older brother ducks his head. "Twenty-eight. I'm sorry, I must admit that you looked over eighteen, and I just thought...I've never seen either of you before! I'm incredibly embarrassed. My sister never wanted me to meet her friends."

"I can see why," Alex quips.

"I was always busy, too! How would I have an idea of your age?"

"You can't be a pervert with any girl or woman unless you're trying to date her or are going out with her already, idiot!" Michelle fires at him. "If she's visibly uncomfortable or moves away from you, then you stop! Besides that, she's a lesbian and a minor, she'll never be your girlfriend!"

"Michelle, it's okay, he was just clueless..." Alex trails off and giggles. She's blushing because Michelle is being so sweet to defend her honor, even though it isn't needed since Danny has backed off completely and apologized.

"It's rude of people to flirt with you in my presence. We're a couple!"

"I know." Alex gives Danny a withering stare. "So don't do it again."

"I won't."

"Good!" both girls say in unison.


"I just gotta check in with my tía," Gloria informs Fahri after she swallows her last bite of half her plate. She'll save the rest for another day. She takes her phone out of her purse and opens it. Immediately, she's bomboarded with texts from one of her worst enemies, the monster who's number she'd blocked. He'd come back with a different one, much to her horror and dismay. He'd been contacting her this whole time, and an aftertaste of bile forms in the back of her throat. She quickly goes to Lourdes' number and sends a message.

¡La cita va bien, me estoy divirtiendo!

The date is going fine, I'm having fun!

¡Estupendo!

Great!

More disturbing texts from Dixon come through Gloria's phone and she gasps while placing a hand over her mouth. I know you're a spic, but you're also half a nigger, so I want you as my slave.

Butts are hotter than vaginas now, and I want yours.

Why are you not answering me, cunt? You're gonna be punished for fooling me into being arrested!

"Hey, what is it?" Fahri's in the middle of wiping his mouth with a napkin. She must look very distressed for him to be this worried about her.

"Yo...I just wanted to let you know, that the last time I was at Friendly's, before you met me there with my sons, I was almost raped," Gloria mumbles. She shows him her phone and it almost falls from her shaking hands. "This is the culprit. He keeps bothering me...and he won't stop!"

A deeply concerned look crosses his handsome features. "Oh my god, that's awful! I'm so sorry, Gloria. I'll deal with this motherfucker."

"The boys had been there before Lorna took them home. I was okay with us going back finally, because you were there, and I feel safe around you and Leon. I just needed a little more time to heal before I returned."

"I understand that!"

Gloria is giving Fahri her phone when it vibrates. I know where you are, bitch. I see you in that sexy little outfit. You look like a whore, but that makes complete sense, since you are one. She yelps. "Oh, no..."

"God damn it," Fahri hisses. "He's ruining our night and harassing you...I'll make him pay for it!" He starts to get up, but Gloria stops him with her quivering hand over his firm one.

"I...I can't be alone. I'm scared of him."

Fahri gazes into her eyes sympathetically and covers her hand with his. "I know."

Gloria senses a presence behind her and flinches sharply. It's only a random person, so she instantly relaxes. "Ay dios mío, I'm so paranoid...it's embarrassing."

"You got every right to be. This asshole's stalking you!"

"Yeah...so what do we gotta do? He won't believe it if you act as me and get him arrested again...I tried that, and he got away...how the fuck did he do that?!"

"I have no idea. I'll just text Charles."

"The beast could be watching us! Something awful could happen to you..." Gloria's heart twists painfully inside her chest at the very thought.

"I won't let anything go wrong to either of us," Fahri assures her gently. "I promise." His thumbs skim over the keypad on his phone as he returns Gloria's back to her.

Gloria fiddles with her gold bracelet. "I feel silly that my plan didn't work...and I didn't even think of it in the first place. I only came up with it when Tiffany Doggett's foster mother asked me why I hadn't called the cops on him yet when he walked into the store with that unassuming girl."

"You were sickened by the texts, it's okay. You tried your hardest. They make me ill too, but he's not bothering me directly, so I just feel pure anger towards him."

"I do, too, but it's fear as well."

"I get it. All taken care of. Charles is coming in ten."

Gloria breathes a sigh of relief. "Thank you. If I'm ever turning into a burden for you, then you got the choice to disappear from my life forever." A shiver comes over her as she says this.

"I wouldn't...I'm glad to help you!" Fahri insists, and his warm hands wrap around her chilly ones.

"Okay..."

As Gloria trudges up the dark steps to the second floor of her apartment complex, she gets her key out of her purse. It's been a long night at the bodega, and she's tired. She had asked Lourdes to take the boys home since it was past their bedtime. It's eleven and extremely quiet until a strange man wolf whistles at her while just standing there at her door.

Everything inside of her freezes. She tightens her hold on her keys, preparing to use them as a weapon in case he tries anything. As she approaches him, she recognizes him as Arturo's best friend, Lee Dixon. "Can you please move? I'm...I'm gonna go inside."

"I've been waiting for you, sugar." He licks his lips and her heart thuds wildly in her chest. She would not possibly be able to fight him off. He's humongous, twice her size. He would crush her in a second and grab her keys from her. She wishes she'd just asked Arturo to pick her up and drive her home, but she didn't want to bother him. It's so late.

"How...how'd you get my a-address?" she wonders aloud shakily.

"Arturo gave it to me, but I forgot to get your number, sweet cheeks, so give it to me." Lee hits her butt with the back of his hand. She yelps and stumbles a few inches forward. She's dropped her keys and is now kneeling down to pick them back up, but her hands are trembling so badly that she can't get a good grip on them. His large shadow looms over her even after she gets up and he's still blocking her way to getting into her own place. Her heart keeps stopping and starting. She wants to scream, but nobody is awake to hear her.

"I barely know you," she tells him quietly. "I don't feel comfortable-"

"I'll ask Arturo. I want a blow job for making sure you get inside without trouble. In fact, be my little slut next time we see each other. Go all the way with me. If you enjoy it, you won't cry rape." Lee traps Gloria against her door and she squeaks when he pushes himself into her. She'd never felt so dirty since she found out exactly how she got pregnant with her daughters. Lee yanks her keys out of her hands, unlocks her door, returns her keys, and pushes her over the threshold. She trips on her pink and blue flower printed rug, but then catches herself and flips on a light while closing and locking her door. Gloria is breathing heavily and struggling to stand upright, so she uses the wall to support herself while she toes her shoes off. She's not sure if Lee is still out there, and she doesn't want to find out if he's still lurking around.

After placing kisses on her sons' and Lourdes' cheeks as they're sleeping, Gloria changes into her pajamas, does her nightly routine, and gets under the covers. She lays in the fetal position and closes her eyes, but she can't fall into a deep slumber. She has to figure out what to tell Arturo. She wants him to be more protective of her now and blame himself for giving Dixon her address in the first place.

Gloria swallows the lump in her throat at the eerie memory. Telling Fahri about it was like taking a few bricks off her chest, but she still feels constricted. He doesn't know the whole truth yet. Fahri exhales through gritted teeth, but his eyes are kind and caring. His hands squeeze hers gently, reminding her who she's with. "God damn it, Gloria...I'm so sorry that creep scared you before, and he's still harassing you now! What makes it even worse is that asshole ex of yours let him know where you lived in the first place!"

Gloria shakes her head. "No, he didn't...Dixon just followed me home."

"¡No doy tu dirección a cualquiera!" Arturo jabs a crooked finger in between Gloria's shirt-covered breasts. "Le dijiste-"

I don't give out your address to just anyone! You told him-

"No, no lo hice!" she protests honestly.

No, I didn't!

"Sí, lo hiciste! ¡Me estás engañando, mentirita perra!" Arturo yells, and she flinches as his spittle flies in her face. "¡Querías que él te visitara y te jodara!"

Yeah, you did! You're cheating on me, you lying little bitch! You wanted him to visit you and fuck you sore!

"No, tienes que creerme, ¡no soy infiel!" Gloria whimpers when he grips her forearm and jostles her. She chokes up and decides to hold in her tears until he leaves to cool off. His face is red with fury, and it's the first time she's terrified of him. She doesn't know why he's accusing her of cheating. All she'd wanted was for him to banish Lee from coming near her again and cutting off their friendship for good. She wishes he'd given her one of those long, comforting hugs and assured her that she was safe with him and he'd take her home from now on. She regrets ever telling him about this incident.

No, you gotta believe me, I'm not unfaithful!

"¿Cómo diablos sabría él dónde vivías?"

How the fuck would he know where you lived?

Gloria avoids his angry glare. "¡No lo sé, entonces! ¡No lo sé! Deja de interrogarme, por favor! Él es repugnante, no haría una mierda con él ... nunca sería desleal-"

I don't know, then! I don't know! Stop interrogating me, please! He is disgusting, I wouldn't do shit with him...I would never be disloyal-

He bangs the wall behind her and she nearly jumps out of her skin."Te estoy vigilando," he growls before stomping out of her house, leaving her just as alone as she feels.

I'm watching you.

She doesn't break down sobbing uncontrollably until after he's gone. She collapses to the floor and weeps into her hands while rocking back and forth. She shrieks until her throat feels raw, and her heart is torn to pieces. She's wailing so hard that she starts coughing and then she scrambles to the sink to throw up.

"Unbelievable," Fahri mutters. "What a fucking emotionally abusive douchebag, victim blaming you like that and making you literally sick. If you'd told me, I would've punched Dixon out and called the police for stalking and pursuing."

"Yeah, I know...he was complete toxic trash. They both were...still are," Gloria mumbles.

"Did you tell Lourdes?"

Gloria shakes her head no. "I didn't wanna burden her with more guy problems...and I never called the cops neither. I'm actually glad the police weren't involved since at the time, I wasn't friends with any fair ones, and they usually don't want people to waste their precious time with something so minor, even if it was a big deal to me. Most importantly, it wasn't continuous. My ex drove me everywhere and never took his eyes off me, and Dixon didn't lust after me in his presence, of course, and since I didn't reciprocate it, my ex no longer cared. He apologized after our first fight and admitted he overreacted. I have a present from him for each time he said he was sorry."

"Tendré una conversación firme con mi amigo," Arturo says as he snakes his arms around Gloria's waist and nibbles on her neck, making her giggle. "No puedo culparlo, sin embargo, ¡tu trasero está muy caliente!"

I'll have a firm talk with my buddy. I can't blame him, though, your ass is pretty hot!

Gloria just chuckles and agrees and it doesn't seem like a big deal anymore. She's still skeeved out by Lee, but she's confident Arturo will now make sure it doesn't happen again.

"God, you must've felt so alone," Fahri tells her sympathetically.

"I was like...empty," Gloria lets him know. "Being single, I would've been less lonely."

"I'm really sorry to hear that," Fahri murmurs sincerely and she gives him a halfhearted smile. "I hope he doesn't suck you back in his trap again, he's just plain manipulative," he points out bitterly.

"Don't worry...I know his games like the back of my hand. I ain't lettin' him have power over me no more," Gloria states.

"Good, I'm glad. I just want you to be okay."

A warm feeling spreads through her. "I am. Thanks for your concern."

"You're welcome."

When they finish their delectable churros, ice cream, and drinks, they each pay for their own meal. "Mmm, so good," Gloria comments while closing her eyes and smiling.

"I know, yum!" Fahri agrees. He stands up and holds his hand out. "Shall we take a stroll around the park, madame?"

She giggles. "Why of course, monsieur."

"Oh, but first..." Fahri shrugs off his coat and hands it to her. "Why don't you take my jacket? It's cold outside."

"Sure!" Gloria says pleasantly and slips it on. She nearly melts when she bundles into it and buttons it up to her chest. It's warm and smells so nice, just like his personality.

"Is it cool if I put my arm around you?" he asks, and she nods. She's completely lost in his eyes.

"Yes. I don't mind."

He pulls her closer to his side and she revels in the feeling. As they walk together, she hums in approval and rests her head on his shoulder. "I'm feelin' dazed," she cautions him. "I had a lot of alcohol."

"I'll catch you."

Gloria sighs. She really has it bad for him. "A guy this good can't be straight..."

"Well, I admit that I've had some experiences with guys, but I'm not gay," Fahri tells her, and she laughs out loud.

"I kissed Aleida as part of a dare, but I ain't a lesbian!" Gloria admits. "It was kinda fun. Which dudes?"

"Oh...nobody you know."

Gloria shrugs. "It don't matter, I guess."

"You excited for tomorrow? I know Farah can't wait to jump up and down with her friends for hours on end and then have cake!"

"I am...I just wish I could have a bounce house for Julio, but there's no room in our backyard...plus, it's hella expensive. He's wanted one since he turned two. Kids deserve to have their dreams come true...so I feel bad."

"How about if I blow one up at my house?" Fahri volunteers. "I've got plenty of space."

"Oh, I could never ask you for that kinda thing," Gloria mumbles.

"You didn't, I honestly don't mind doing favors for people I care about."

Gloria's heart warms and she feels moisture building up behind her eyes. "Alright...thank you." She blinks back her happy tears and sniffles.

"Anytime!"

They end up sitting on a bench and staring up at the stars and the moon. "Just beautiful out here, huh?" Fahri asks.

"Yeah..."

It's probably the best date she's ever been on with another person and no one else was with them, and when she gets home, she tells her family, including Lourdes, all about it. They're so happy that she had an excellent time with Fahri.


"How was it? Tell us everything!" Michelle exclaims as she sits up in her cot with Alex's help. Seeing Gloria makes Michelle remember the fact that the older woman had gone out with Fahri the previous night, and she wants to immerse herself in the juicy details rather than think about her own suffering.

Gloria laughs. "I haven't even sat down yet, and you're already asking me how my date went? I'm more concerned about you, honey. I'm sorry I couldn't visit sooner." She plops into a chair on the other side of where Alex is seated. "Thank dios you're okay." Gloria squeezes Michelle's unscathed hand.

"Mm-hmm...my left arm is broken after falling off the dumbass ladder...I collapsed and immediately thought it was the end, but..." Michelle cocks her head to one side and purses her lips. "I'm still alive. I'm taking pain meds that make me sleepy, and even though spending the night with Alex was super nice, I can't wait to get back home and sleep in my own bed! It's more comfortable for the both of us. So...back to yesterday evening."

"Yeah, spill it, Glo!" Alex presses further. She looks as eager as Michelle feels.

"We went out to dinner at La Rica Salsa, held hands, took a walk in the park, stargazed, chatted...just your basic first date stuff. It was real pleasant. He's such a good man." Happiness twinkles in Gloria's eyes as she beams. Alex and Michelle squeal at the same time.

"Yay, that's awesome!" Michelle comments.

"It is!" Alex agrees. "We told you so that he was great for you!"

"Yes, you did!" Gloria responds. "Y'all can let the other girls know. I informed Daya, Aleida, and my tía about it when I got back to my place."

"Okay, we will!" Michelle says, beaming.


While Allison, her mother, Hassan, Gloria, Fahri, and Sahar stand and watch the kids jump in the bounce house, the pink streamers and balloons tied to the porch's stair rail wave around in the wind, which isn't too strong at all. There's loud giggling and the sun is shining high over the green grass. Allison is happy that it hasn't rained yet today. Once the wind picks up, though, she knows she'll have to move the party inside. She just hopes it won't be until the very end, when they have to go back into her house for cake, ice cream, and presents anyway. The other teenagers are busy, but they'd still brought over gifts for Farah, which was incredibly sweet.

"So...I heard Farah will be Jasmine for Halloween?" Gloria asks with a grin. "That'll be adorable!"

Allison sighs heavily. "Oh, god, don't remind me. She likes what she likes, but princesses...really?"

"What's the matter with that?" Sahar wants to know.

"You know my thing about princesses. I don't want her to grow up thinking she has to always look pretty and be in frilly dresses and her happy ending just has to be with a husband and children. There's much more to life than looking beautiful. She's tough and intelligent, too."

"We know, Masha-Allah," Hassan says. "It's only a costume for a little kid."

"It's not like it'll make her a brainless trophy wife when she gets to be a woman," Allison's mother comments, and Gloria nods in agreement.

"Yeah, and it's not offensive to anyone's culture or anything," Fahri puts in.

"Ain't nothin' wrong with little girls wanting to be princesses either," Gloria adds, and Allison rolls her eyes internally at everyone's opinions being different than hers about her daughter. "Besides...don't Jasmine wear pants? She don't got a tiara either, from what I recall. You gotta let her choose her own interests if they don't hurt her or others. That's what a mama does for her baby. It's okay if she's a princess...she can be girly and badass at the same time!"

"Well, it's fine...it's her choice. I don't have to love it, but I'm sure she'll be adorable. She won't look completely like a princess, and she doesn't mind that, I suppose," Allison murmurs, and they all appear to be pleased with her words.

Gloria and Allison exchange a grin as Farah, Julio, Emiliano, and Benny join hands and jump up and down happily. They suddenly stop when Benny practically rolls out onto the cushy stairs so he's laying flat on his back and then he gets up and runs over to Gloria. The adults and Allison beam when Gloria picks him up and spins him around. "Oh, I'm so glad you're still small. You'll probably be too big to carry when you're ten or somethin'."

Benny giggles. "Yeah. I'm having a lot of fun!"

"That's great, buddy!"

He looks around at the group with widened eyes. "We had a bouncy house for my birthday party, too! It was at my favorite place, Chuck-E-Cheese! The big girls played loud games and me and Christina and our little brothers jumped in the house and then played in a ball pit! I got cool presents like a SpiderMan toy from Mommy and Julio, Aleida gave me tiny cars and trucks, Leon got me a basketball, and Daya bought me a SpiderMan shirt! There was pizza and chocolate cake! Yummy in my tummy! Everyone sang happy birthday to me and I felt reeeeally special!"

"Sounds fun, sport!" Fahri says.

"It was! I wanna do it again and again, but Mommy said she doesn't like it there, so we don't go that much."

"I wasn't too fond of the mouse, it was eerie." Gloria explains.

"Sorry, kid, but I have to side with your mama on that one," Allison tells him.

"Yeah," Allison's mother, Sahar, and Hassan agree.

"Aww..." Benny pouts and then turns to Fahri. "What about you, mister?"

"Well...it's a little weird. I apologize."

"Man, y'all are haters! I like the bouncy house, ball pit, and pizza!"

Everyone chuckles at Benny's cuteness. "Don't worry, baby...I'll take you someplace else that has those things," Gloria assures him and kisses the top of his head.

"Okay...thanks, Mommy!"

"You're welcome."


"This idiot is terrible and a waste of money, he's not hilarious at all," Allison mutters as the hired clown has just sneezed his rubber red nose off and blown snot out of each of his nostrils. The jerk makes sure it drips all over the kids and then snickers about it, but nobody else does. He'd also been telling dirty jokes and using inappropriate language for the tiny humans present. Gloria wants to slap the makeup off of him, and Allison is seething beside her. Fahri, Hassan, Allison's mother, and Sahar appear to be just as pissed off. He resembles the Joker, with his white face paint, red lips curved into a creepy grin, black eyeshadow giving him a raccoon look, a curly green wig, and a yellow pantsuit with red polka dots.

"Eeeewwww!" the children scream, and Farah, Julio, and Benny start to cry. Allison grabs her daughter from the front and center seat and Gloria scoops up Julio in her arms, takes Benny's hand, and leads him away from the terrible supposed funnyman. "Come on inside to scrub those germs off, guys!" Allison instructs them, and Gloria and Benny follow her.

"Yeah, you'll be clean again soon enough," Gloria assures them.

"Oh, give me a break, girlie! Kids' Choice Awards on Nickelodeon does shit with green slime all the time! Besides that, I got a cold! I tried to cancel!" The clown honks his huge red nose, but not one person gives him a second glance. "Whatever, guess I'm out. See you never!" The rest of the adults help the little ones wash up and change their clothes. Once Julio and Benny are finished, they scamper away with Fahri and Hassan and the other little boys that the men had been assisting.

"God, what a moron," Allison grumbles as she picks Farah up and jiggles her in her arms. "At least I didn't give him any of my money."

"I know. Yeah, that's a good thing," Gloria comments.

Allison glances down at her daughter and brushes the curls back from her small face. "You okay, sweetie?"

Farah nods her head yes and Allison pokes her nose. It makes Gloria chuckle, and Farah giggles while clapping her hands. A second later, though, the tiny girl scrunches up her face in displeasure and she turns red as she begins wailing hysterically and burying her face in Allison's shoulder. Allison tries to bounce her and rub soothing circles on her back, but it doesn't stop her crying.

"Oh, poor baby," Gloria murmurs as she joins Allison in rubbing Farah's back. "I wonder what's..." Allison and Gloria turn around and then jump when they see who's standing just a few inches away from them. "Wrong."

"I thought you got outta here, Bozo!" Allison hisses, and he just guffaws maniacally.

"More like the Joker," Gloria mutters.

"These big white shoes give nothing away." His accent changes to a creepy Southern one that Gloria has heard way too much of. The familiar voice sends tremors through her whole body. Her suspicions prove to be correct when he wipes away his disguise and rips off his wig, revealing Dixon. Allison cradles Farah to her chest securely and Gloria moves in front of the teenage mother and her child. As afraid that she is of Dixon, she wants to protect Allison and Farah. He tears off his outfit and is only in a pair of disgusting red satin shorts. He has many versions of Gloria's name tattooed on his back in different fonts and sizes, and Allison gasps in horror behind her. A shiver crawls up Gloria's spine and she almost stumbles backward into Allison, but the girl keeps her steady. "Arturo, my buddy in prison, had this, too. He gave me an idea, because I'm mad about you, Hot Pants."

"You're so gross," Allison snaps. "Come on, Gloria, we'll call the cops outside." She links arms with Gloria and they try to run away from Dixon, but he halts them in their tracks by shoving them both against the wall, making them hit their backs hard. Allison keeps her hand on Farah's head, cupping it so it won't touch the wall.

"You cunts aren't going anywhere!" he yells, causing Farah to shriek even louder. "Shut the fuck up, you brat!" He wrestles Farah out of Allison's grasp, and the helpless toddler bawls while reaching for her mommy. Gloria's heart breaks for Allison and Farah, and she and Allison try to get Farah back, but Dixon points a gun towards them while pressing Farah to his chest with his arm covering her whole torso and his hand muffling her sobs, turning them to whimpers. She's kicking and trying to squirm out of his grasp, but she can't escape. Allison and Gloria put their hands up in surrender.

"That's a dangerous way to hold a child, you cruel monster!" Gloria points out. "You could drop her."

"I won't...but I could strangle her easily with my bare hands. She'll be dangling a good six and a half feet off the ground as her short life slips away. I'm able to do that to all of you. I did it to numerous sluts in Afghanistan who look just like you...brown as the shit I flush down the toilet after a hearty meal."

Allison pales and she clutches Gloria's wrist with a clammy hand. Gloria is extremely close to throwing up at Dixon's eerie words.

"Before I ended 'em, though, I fucked 'em. They claimed rape, but you know they wanted me. They couldn't resist a nice officer like me. The way I see it...at least their families won't punish 'em now. I came here today to tell y'all that. Your first clown...well, he may have been silly and all, but he got into an accident." Dixon smirks evilly. "It was fun to take down a terrorist ape and change my voice for a minute there."

"Just give me back my baby," Allison begs him and presses her hands together in a prayer motion. "Please."

"You're gonna suffocate her!" Gloria puts in urgently.

"What's your costume tomorrow? If it's my next girlfriend, you're doing a great job!" Dixon's twisted gaze goes to Farah. "She's sexy in that dress," he drawls as he removes his hand from her mouth. Her cries grow louder and Dixon slaps the toddler's butt, which make Gloria and Allison yelp in horror and Farah choke on her sobs. "I wonder what her pussy's like."

"Hell no, not my baby!" Allison shouts defensively and both she and Gloria race for the gun at the same time. He quickly puts Farah down and he's about to knock the gun off the table and away from them, when Fahri storms into the room.

"Leave my family alone!" Fahri bellows and Allison yanks her little one up off the floor. She holds her close while kissing her head a few times and humming to her. Gloria stands in front of the girls in case Dixon attempts to do more harm. Before the big buffoon can retrieve the gun, Fahri whacks Dixon over the head rapidly with a plastic bat and then gets him in the face and the crotch when he turns around. Gloria sighs with relief and presses her hand to her heart. Behind her, Allison looks on, stunned.

"I'll call Charles on that son of a bitch," she whispers and then runs off with Farah.

"Thanks!" Gloria replies. She gasps sharply when Dixon cracks the bat over his knee and punches Fahri down. Without a second to waste, she grabs the gun and points it at the large asshole. It feels so heavy in her trembling hands and she really doesn't want to use it at all, let alone at a child's birthday party, but if it's to keep herself and Fahri from getting killed, she'll have to. The fear that Dixon could take it from her in a heartbeat consumes her. She does her best to turn that into rage. "Hey, you really gonna make me use this?" she asks Dixon angrily. "Touch him again, and I will!"

Fahri groans and gets up as he wipes blood off his nose and cheek. "Gloria, I'm okay, just need some ice. Please don't shoot...I don't want you in prison..."

"Charles won't send me there. It's for everyone who's lives that creep took. He was gonna molest your great-niece! You know what he did to me." She glowers at Dixon while panting heavily and on the verge of tears. "I hate you! Motherfucker!" Gloria continues to aim it at his head, right between his eyes, and walks backward on wobbly legs as he stalks toward her. Fahri picks up the two pieces of the broken bat and stabs Dixon in the back as Gloria strikes him as hard as she can in his neck. She drops the gun and then Fahri takes her hand so they can dash off together. Thankfully, police sirens are heard and Charles arrests Dixon at the front door.

After Fahri has cleaned up his injury and put ice on it, Gloria breaks down sobbing and hyperventilating while clinging onto his shirt with trembling fingers. "I'm so sorry..."

"You don't have to apologize for him," he soothes her. "Can I give you a hug?"

"Y-yes, definitely," she blubbers and they wrap their arms around each other. She burrows her face into his chest and cries softly in his arms, creating a wet patch on his shirt. After a few minutes, she glances up at him. "I just want some happiness..."

Fahri keeps holding her and rubbing gentle circles on her back. "I know...I know...I'm glad to give you a lot of that. I hope that evil pedophile never gets outta the big house again."

Gloria sniffles. "Would you hate me if I really killed him?"

"No, of course not! Self-defense...your life is the number one priority...and we despise him, so...and he's rotten."

"Mm-hmm...you know, you're the calm in my storm." She brushes her tears away so she can see him clearly.

"I feel that way about you, too," Fahri tells her, and his expression turns earnest. They share a genuine smile and everything is okay again.

The rest of Farah's birthday party consists of white cake and presents. She gets a tricycle from her parents, Fahri gives her a fairytale coloring book and crayons, her grandmother helps her unwrap an assortment of multicolored hairbows and a light blue shirt that reads World's Best Granddaughter in sparkly purple lettering with small pink hearts around it, she receives Legos, courtesy of Sahar, and Gloria hands her a yellow gift bag decorated with orange jack o' lanterns, black bats, and brown leaves. "What is it?" Farah asks eagerly.

"I dunno," Gloria answers, all traces of stress gone from her voice. "Open it up and see, pumpkin." She ruffles the toddler's hair.

Farah bunches up the red tissue paper in her small fist and tosses it aside. She takes out a pink dress that has a white flower pattern and a tulle skirt. "Oooh, pretty!" she comments while examining it. "Love it!"

"Oh, wow!" Gloria says exaggeratedly, as if she had no clue what Farah's new present was. "You gonna look so cute in that!"

"It's from me and Julio, too!" Benny pipes up, and Julio hugs the birthday girl.

Like Farah had done for the others, she hugs Gloria and the boys while smiling hugely. "What do you say, sweetie?" Allison asks her.

"Thank you," Farah tells everyone shyly.

"You're welcome!" they all reply in unison.


"Holy shit, check out Blanca and Diablo," Nicky says. She's at Eddy's party with Lorna, Alex, Michelle, Daya, Flaca, Maritza, and a bunch of other guests from their school. "I can't believe they roleplay as a unicorn and a sprite and then decided to dress up as those!"

"Why do they tell you about their sex life?" Flaca asks and wrinkles her nose. "Too much information, dude..."

Lorna pats her girlfriend's cheek. "They're Nicky and Blanca. They discuss dirty details like that!" she reminds Flaca, and Nicky just grins proudly. "At least they look real cute together."

"Oh, god!" Alex groans as Diablo and Blanca sink into a sofa and start making out heavily. "I really wish we didn't know...or have to see their PDA."

"Well, let's talk about somethin' else, then," Michelle says. She pats Daya's knee. "You and Adarsh did couple's costumes too. Where's your Diego, Frida Kahlo?"

"Okay, we're not even official," Daya mumbles and her cheeks turn pink. "He's coming soon!"

"Hey...I assume y'all have heard about Glo and Fahri?" Maritza wonders out loud.

"Yes!" the girls squeal in unison.

"Wow, Snow White...I should've known you'd be her, Lorna," a voice interrupts them, and they glance up from their seated positions to see Maria and Yadriel standing in front of them. She's dressed as Catwoman while Yadriel is Batman.

"Oh, but of course! Lotsa people say I got her look. My, you two certainly are adorable!" Lorna praises them.

"Thanks," Maria says. She and Yadriel beam at the compliment. Her gaze travels to Alex and she grins. "I always pegged you for Elvira!"

Alex smirks. "Ever since you called me that, I owned it. You know, if you've got it, flaunt it!"

"Yes! Yo, Michelle, what are you?"

"I'm a sugar plum fairy...like the opposite of Alex's character. We're like yin and yang...a perfect couple." Michelle gets up and twirls in her pink dress and her blonde wig that's made into pigtails.

"Nice!" Maria grins approvingly. "Daya, you're awesome as Frida K. You're the OG artist here, after all."

Daya beams. "Yeah...thank you."

"You're like...what you supposed to be?" Maria asks and jerks her chin in Nicky's direction.

"Lorna's Princess Charming." Nicky points to her tiara and then her red and black Renaissance style gown. "Is it good?"

"Very! Clever indeed." Maria taps Flaca's shoulder. "Cindy called it, you are Morticia this year!"

"Yeah...I thought it was kind of an insult at first, but Alex advised me to just take it as a compliment, so I told her later, in fact, that I'mma be Morticia for Halloween!" Flaca gestures to her black dress and dark red lips. "Heeeeyyyy!"

"Mm-hm, and I'm a gothic queen, so I can match my girl." Maritza touches her gold crown pleasantly.

Blanca passes Maria and bumps into her. "Puta," Maria grumbles. "Well...I'll see y'all later, I guess! Hope y'all got your masks."

"We sure do! Everyone loves a good masquerade ball," Lorna says eagerly.

Adarsh comes over to them and hands Daya a drink. "Halloween? More like Hallo-we're getting fucked up!"

"Yay!" Daya cheers and stands up. He leads her away by the hand. "What's in this?"

"Just alcohol, don't worry, I wouldn't drug you!"

"That's good!"

"It's not Halloween yet, Morticia. You can only be a freak one day of the year!" Polly shouts over the loud music that's starting. They all start dancing to Monster Mash.

Flaca scowls at Polly and flips her the bird, but still lets Polly's taunt roll off her. "We're celebrating it today, but whatever, puta."

"Flaca can be whoever she wants," Maritza puts in and gives the bitch a death glare. "She can curse you, too, Palalalalalala-Polly!"

"I'll go find Larry," Polly says nervously, and the girls burst out cackling.

I was working in the lab late one night
When my eyes beheld an eerie sight
For my monster from his slab began to rise
And suddenly to my surprise

He did the mash
He did the monster mash
The monster mash
It was a graveyard smash
He did the mash
It caught on in a flash
He did the mash
He did the monster mash

Allison and Hassan stroll through the front door, donned in witch and wizard costumes. "You guys are so cute in those!" Lorna says cheerfully.

"Thanks!" they answer in unison.

Taystee and Poussey come in next and everyone hugs them and gives them fist bumps. They're dressed as Serena and Venus Williams. "That's so clever and hella adorable!" Flaca compliments them.

"Thank you!" the pair of best friends answer her.

From my laboratory in the castle east
To the master bedroom where the vampires feast
The ghouls all came from their humble abodes
To get a jolt from my electrodes

They did the mash
They did the monster mash
The monster mash
It was a graveyard smash
They did the mash
It caught on in a flash
They did the mash
They did the monster mash

"Y'all should've seen Boo's costume!" Pennsatucky announces. "She dressed as her mother and I was like, 'Now, that's a good, scary costume!' She said old Mrs. Black would love it, though. She always wanted Boo to be girly. She's on her deathbed now and still doesn't appreciate her daughter. It's quite unfortunate...she missed out."

"Yeah," everyone agrees.

The zombies were having fun
The party had just begun
The guests included Wolf Man
Dracula and his son

The scene was rockin', all were digging the sounds
Igor on chains, backed by his baying hounds
The coffin-bangers were about to arrive
With their vocal group, "The Crypt-Kicker Five"

"How does Boo look like her mom?" Alana wants to know.

"Uhh...well, she's wearing a brown wig that's cropped to her chin, in like a bob style, and makeup, and a dress!"

"Yep, that's terrifying. It's basically Marka as a brunette," Nicky comments, and the girls and guys around her and Pennsatucky laugh.

They played the mash
They played the monster mash
The monster mash
It was a graveyard smash
They played the mash
It caught on in a flash
They played the mash
They played the monster mash

Out from his coffin, Drac's voice did ring
Seems he was troubled by just one thing
He opened the lid and shook his fist
And said, "Whatever happened to my Transylvania twist"

"Mm-hm. I just came as myself." Pennsatucky shrugs. "I actually dislike Halloween, but I enjoy going to a good party and having treats instead of tricks. It's become a night where chicks put on the trashiest outfits they can find instead of getting some delicious candy."

"Not all of us do that, you know!" Maritza protests.

"I don't mean any of you!" Pennsatucky jerks her head toward Polly, Kristy, Tammy, and Jody, who are in skimpy costumes. "I was talkin' about those idiots over there."

The girls laugh out loud. Flaca notices Baxter, who's dressed as Rambo, dancing provocatively with his girlfriend, supposedly Jessica. She's only wearing a leopard print bikini bottom and top. "Wow, her, too," Flaca points out and giggles.

"Oh, god, Jessica Wedge," Alex grumbles. "Why does he have to date her and bring her to this shit?"

"Don't pay her any attention, she doesn't deserve it," Michelle recommends sweetly and cups Alex's cheeks. "I'll distract you." She leans up on her tiptoes and kisses Alex. Flaca and Maritza exchange a smile at their cuteness.

It's now the mash
It's now the monster mash
The monster mash
And it's a graveyard smash
It's now the mash
It's caught on in a flash
It's now the mash
It's now the monster mash

Now everything's cool, Drac's a part of the band
And my monster mash is the hit of the land
For you, the living, this mash was meant too
When you get to my door, tell them Boris sent you

The group rolls their eyes when they see Leanne as Sebastian and Angie as Flounder. The methheads are already strung out and talking about how Angie was a newsstand last year since her mom stuck her face in bleach and buying Angie a Halloween costume had slipped her mind. The woman had taped old newspapers all over Angie. "No one really cares!" Blanca hollers and everyone laughs.

"Ah, good one, babe!" Diablo tells her and she smirks proudly.

Then you can mash
Then you can monster mash
The monster mash
And do my graveyard smash
Then you can mash
You'll catch on in a flash
Then you can mash
Then you can monster mash

As the song fades away, another one begins, Love Potion Number Nine, and everyone puts their different colored eye masks on. Daya's is red with feathers, Flaca has a black and sparkly one, Lorna chose white, and Alex picked dark purple. She puts her glasses on over it. Flaca helps Maritza adjust her gold eye mask. They kiss just before Maritza hits the dance floor with Nicky, Lorna, and Alex. Michelle sighs and shows Flaca her casted arm. "This thing's fucking heavy," she complains.

"I totally sympathize with you," Flaca murmurs. "You got tired of swaying with your girl?"

"Yeah...I didn't wanna put all my weight on her neither."

"Mmm." Flaca nods in understanding. Someone turns on Getting to Know You by Julie Andrews.

It's a very ancient saying
But a true and honest thought
That if you become a teacher
By your pupils you'll be taught...

"Yo, chicas...you see Adarsh over there spinning Daya? It's so cute, right?" Maria beams and scratches at a spot beneath her black eye mask.

"Yes!" they gush in unison. "Yo, where's your Batman?" Flaca wants to know.

"He's playing beer pong with the dudes. I would do it, but I can't hold my liquor like he can."

Not a second later, Michelle goes back to Alex. She leans up and whispers something into her girlfriend's ear. "Oh, shit, that sucks."

"Yeah, but you know what doesn't?" Maria doesn't wait for Flaca's response. "I'm like, totally responsible for Adarsh showing up tonight, so Daya told me I'm pretty much her best friend in the entire world."

Flaca gives her a quizzical look as she sits down. "Really?"

As a teacher I've been learning
You'll forgive me if I boast
And I've now become an expert
On the subject I like most

Getting to know you...

"Of course. We're sisters in teenage motherhood already, so I'm not all that surprised."

"He didn't decide to come on his own? I thought he liked her," Flaca mumbles.

"Nah, girl. He wanted to, but his parents made him stay home 'cause of homework...he had a lot, but I got a costume for him that would go nicely with Daya's, and I helped him convince his parents that he could take a few hours off from that shit. He barely goes to anything fun, you know? Plus, Daya hasn't seen him in forever, so...they deserved time together."

"He was doing so much during lunch and after school," Flaca remembers aloud. "I bet they really missed each other. Aww, that was a hella sweet thing you did for her!"

Maria shrugs with a smile and drums her fingers on the arm of the couch. "That's what friends are for. You know...I didn't have one before Blanca, 'cause of Chapman."

"I apologize for that white bitch makin' fun of you both," Flaca murmurs guiltily.

Getting to know you
Getting to know all about you
Getting to like you
Getting to hope you like me...

"You don't gotta do that...I shouldn't dredge up the sad memories. It'd be pathetic."

"At least you're part of a band now, right?"

"Yep. It's just like, right before Chapman died, I saw her and Blanca talking at a restaurant, Thunder Thais. Did she ever tell you that she and Polly dined there all the time? She worked there as a waitress, too."

Flaca shakes her head and narrows her brows in confusion. "We didn't even know they were friends, but I've gone to that place before. She did have a job, but she didn't tell us what it was. Thunder Thais shut down when she disappeared. Why was she talking to Blanca? She was horrible to her."

"Yeah, not a shocker. She was stuffed with facts about herself that she didn't want nobody to know. Um, well, Blanca went up to her...apparently, she was searching for somebody and she asked Blanca to keep that a secret. In return, Blanca wanted to be popular. I stopped their conversation then, not wanting mi amiga to be roped into Chapman's trap of lies and betrayals."

Getting to know you
Putting it my way
But nicely
You are precisely
My cup of tea...

"Who was Piper looking for?"

"Probably Mike Powell. You know it was a victory for us when he rejected her?" Maria cackles.

"Yeah, but I'm thinkin'...P must have been prowling around and Piper was tryin' to find him or her." Flaca gauges Maria's reaction when she mentions the anonymous cyber harasser, but Maria's face remains stoic and then morphs into a confused expression.

"I got no idea who that is."

"Someone who's bothering us by text...and they've hurt us physically, too."

Maria closes her eyes and then opens them. "Oh, right. P's threatened me countless times...I dunno why, I wasn't ever friends with Chapman. Maybe 'cause me and Daya are tight. So, you think P was after Chapman, too?"

Getting to know you
Getting to know all about you
Getting to like you
Getting to hope you like me...

Flaca nods her head yes silently. "Have they ever harmed you or your family?"

"No, but they tried to make Daya's mom go down for drugs again unless I did them a dangerous favor. I almost got killed."

Flaca gasps. "Let's go find this bitch, then."

Alex stops them when Maria is about to wheel Flaca out the door with a ramp. "Wait...I couldn't help but overhear your conversation, and if you're trying to capture P, I should come with."

"Me, too," Blanca cuts in and glares at Maria.

"Fine," Maria grumbles.

Flaca beams at Alex gratefully. She doesn't completely trust Maria, and she's aware that Alex feels the same way.

Getting to know you
Putting it my way
But nicely
You are precisely

My cup of tea...

Maria drives them to the abandoned restaurant, and she's an expert at only fifteen. She stops at a place so dirty and dusty that Flaca can hardly believe it had once been a sunny location to enjoy a meal at. It's even more gray and desolate as they all get out of the car and go towards it. Maria opens the door and it creaks loudly.

"Okay, now that's just a little bit creepy," Flaca comments.

"It needs some tidying up, I suppose," Maria says as she, Blanca, and Alex step inside with Alex pushing Flaca in her wheelchair. "Oh, wow..."

There's photos of Piper's friends plastered all over the walls doing different things, individual pictures of Piper, and newspaper clippings about the mystery surrounding her disappearance and death. "Okay, this is clearly P's lair," Alex points out and nearly trips over an upside-down chair since it's so cluttered with tables pushed together and chairs and menus stacked on top of them in a messy fashion.

"Ay dios mío, you okay?" Flaca wonders aloud in concern.

"Yeah," Alex responds. A record spins and Getting to Know You continues. Flaca, Alex, Blanca, and Maria jump when they hear it. "What a creepy song...and how weird is it that the tune was just playing at the party?"

Getting to know you
Getting to feel free and easy
When I am with you
Getting to know what to say...

"Very. There's nobody here, should we just go?" Maria asks.

"Nuh-uh. We'll wait for P to arrive, and then we attack," Blanca mutters.

"Hey...I got some wine stashed in my trunk. I'll go get some," Maria tells them as she's halfway out the door. "You girls stay here."

"I thought you ain't gonna get hammered tonight," Flaca says.

"It's for you three only. Hello?"

The girls except Maria, wander around the space and Flaca rifles through some papers. There's a sketch of a wood nymph on a few of them. It matches Blanca's costume exactly, down to the bright blue eyemask and matching shoes. "P was a sprite, too, huh, Blanca?" Flaca asks her accusingly. "What's Diablo gonna say? He held a few rich white people hostage in a store, he never did nothin' bad to human beings who didn't deserve it!"

Haven't you noticed
Suddenly I'm bright and breezy?
Because of all the beautiful and new
Things I'm learning about you
Day by day...

"That shady whore is tryin' to pin it on me!" Blanca hisses and opens a closet door to reveal Maria's drum set. "I fucking hate her...she goes too far with shit."

"Did you kill Piper?" Alex demands.

"Bitch, I'm talking!" Blanca snaps. "I'm not P. I could tell you who it probably is if you all would just listen to me!"

Flaca dumps out a bunch of baby clothes from a bag. "Maria told me earlier that she'd just bought a bunch of cute little outfits for Pepa that look just like these. She's...she's P."

Blanca gestures toward her. "Thank you! That's exactly right!"

Alex and Flaca gasp. "Holy shit!" they exclaim at the same time.

Getting to know you
Getting to feel free and easy
When I am with you
Getting to know what to say...

Standing across from them in a black hoodie and pants and smirking as she swirls wine in a glass, is Maria Ruiz. "Good job, girls. I wasn't planning on y'all comin' with me and Flaca, but, uh...I guess this means I gotta knock out twice as many bitches." She hurls her full wine glass at Alex, but Alex ducks and gets Maria in a headlock. "Get off me, Four Eyes!"

"Shut up," Alex growls through gritted teeth. "Why the fuck are you P? You immobilized Flaca and got Daya raped!"

"I swear I didn't mean for any of that to happen! I really thought Daya would choose not having Gloria live with them...I wanted to back out when she made the decision to let her stay, but I don't call all the shots here. As for Flaca...that can be blamed on my terrible driving...I just wanted to scare her. That's all...I promise."

"Don't lie to them!" Blanca reprimands Maria. "You're P because they stood by and watched Piper bullying us without doing shit. That's what you said on the phone after we got massages."

"Yeah, that too." Maria reaches up and swiftly punches Alex in the jaw, causing Alex to release the shorter girl as she groans in pain and rubs where she'd been hit. A fire grows in her eyes that Flaca has never seen before and it creeps her out. "You ever seen Mean Girls? There's a quote that I love...about there being two kinds of evil people in this world...people who do evil stuff, and people who see evil stuff being done and don't try to stop it. You idiots didn't stop her."

Haven't you noticed
Suddenly I'm bright and breezy?
Because of all the beautiful and new
Things I'm learning about you
Day by day...

The melody suddenly stops and repeats all over again by itself, and Maria shuts it off.

"Jesus, I need ice," Alex says glumly. "Maria, Blanca...we're deeply sorry that she was so mean to you both and we looked the other way. That was wrong. We've considered you two as our friends pretty much since the school year started."

"Well, I got over that and only focused my rage on Piper...I hated her, but you four grew on me," Blanca says. "I knew nothing about P, just that Maria tried to make you roadkill, Flaca...and I only found out two days ago."

"I'mma run your ass over with my wheelchair!" Flaca shouts and Alex pushes her so she can chase Maria outside with her mobility device. "Too bad everything's on video thanks to what Mari installed in my necklace so the other girls can see what a backstabber you are!"

Lorna and Daya come up to them in tears with Daya sobbing the most. Streaks of mascara coat their wet cheeks. "What the fuck did you do to us, you bitch?!" Lorna hollers.

"Daya...join me or die!"

"I won't go against my friends!" Daya shrieks back at Maria.

Flaca continues going after Maria and then to everyone's shock, Daya shoves Maria off a nearby cliff and sends her tumbling to her possible death. There's so much screaming and crying and the girls, including Blanca, hold each other for emotional support. Flaca is filled with anger, sadness, and hurt that Maria had turned on them like this, but she also feels a sense of relief, since Maria would never torture them again from behind bars or six feet under. She's also upset for Yadriel and Pepa, who were completely blind to the terrible things Maria had done.


"Mommy, I have an imaginary friend," Christina announces before bed as Aleida brushes her hair. "I call her Sara."

"Ain't you too old for that?" Aleida wonders out loud.

"Yeah, mine went away two years ago, but Julio has one named Bubba," Benny adds.

Christina sticks her tongue out at them. "Well, she's still here. She looks like me...she's little, too. Her big sissy, Araceli, saw someone in the bushes around here and at Blanca's boyfriend's house. She has wild black hair and her face is dirty with icky blood...like a zombie."

Aleida stares at her daughter incredulously and fear rises within her. She stands and drops the hairbrush. "The fuck you tryin' to tell me? Don't make scary shit like that up."

"I'm not. Sara got attacked by him. She was bleeding and crying at the end of my bed after she came in last night. You wanna see?"

"It's true, tía," Benny adds. He points at the window with a terrified expression. "Look."

Small bloody handprints are displayed on the glass and it appears to have also been scratched. Aleida gasps and runs over to inspect where Christina is lifting a blanket off her bed, revealing a mess of crimson on her pink Barbie comforter. It reminds her of when Daya had first gotten her period while sleeping and her stomach churns at the fact that it's actual blood. "That's where she was sitting," Christina explains in a serious voice. "She had to go when I gave her a hug and helped her clean up. I thought it was a nightmare, but it was still there this morning, so I covered it up...and she tried to get inside again before you came in here, but then she died. She was really sad and scared, Mommy...and the mean monster killed her."

Aleida presses her hand to her chest as her heart lurches. She tries to make sense of what Christina is saying, but she can't. "Yo, if this is a stupid prank, I'm takin' away your dolls for a week 'cause you damn near gave me a heart attack."

"No, it's real. I don't want us to be next."

"Fuck!" Aleida wraps her arms tight around her baby girl and Benny joins them. "We ain't gonna let nobody hurt you kids, okay?"

"Hey...what's goin' on?" Gloria wants to know as she and Leon come in with Julio and Emiliano, who are freshly bathed. She has a hand on each of their shoulders.

"Your faces are drained of color," Leon points out as he sits next to Aleida and massages the tense knots in her back. "Oh, baby..."

Benny runs up to Gloria and hugs her legs while snuggling into them. Christina sucks her thumb and buries her tiny face in Aleida's shirt. Gloria kneels down and gathers the children in her gentle embrace. Aleida clutches Leon's wrist and kisses the top of Christina's head. "We got a stalker in our midst," she responds somberly.

Thank you for reading and reviewing, MinervaSnape394, A Star in my Universe, and Johanna002!