Hey, I'm back! My excuse this time is I'm catching up on reading other people's fics and also working on another story, Keep Me Safe! I can't abandon it again lol. So a note, I just found out what Gloria's daughter's names are, so they're not Soleia and Naia anymore. I'll use those names for other OCs.
Warning: violence, stalking, homophobia, and mentions of pedophilia.
Bright and early on Sunday morning, choir music blasts from speakers that are apparently hidden in the apartment, and Gloria bolts up in bed and groans while rubbing her eyes with her fists and breathing in and out shakily. Then a deep male voice begins to sing as the youngest two children cry from being woken up.
Beata Maria
You know I am a righteous man
Of my virtue I am justly proud
"Mommy, what is that?" Benny wonders aloud. "It's too loud!"
"I don't know, baby-"
"Turn it off!" Christina whines and covers her ears while smashing her face into her pillow. "I can't sleep!"
"I'm sorry, honey, I'll try to find out where it's coming from..."
Beata Maria
You know I'm so much purer than
The common, vulgar, weak, licentious crowd
Then tell me, Maria
Why I see her dancing there
Why her smoldering eyes still scorch my soul
Gloria stumbles out of bed and goes to where Julio and Emiliano are. She hugs them and kisses the tops of their heads while shushing them. "Oh no, that scared you, huh?"
They both nod silently.
"Me too. Kids...come with me, please."
I feel her, I see her
The sun caught in her raven hair
Is blazing in me out of all control
"It's from my favorite movie with Esmeralda! The bad man sings it, I remember!" Christina realizes out loud.
"Yeah, you're right...I just need it to stop so we can all get back to bed," Gloria murmurs.
Like fire
Hellfire
This fire in my skin
This burning desire
Is turning me to sin
As soon as the children trail after Gloria out of their room, they meet up with the rest of their grumpy family members, who are folding their arms firmly across their chests. They're all in their pajamas with their hair a rumpled mess.
"Why the fuck is this stalker playing a song in a Disney film and interrupting our rest?!" Aleida wants to know.
"It's not just any song, it's the creepiest and spookiest," Gloria tells her as an involuntary shiver comes over her.
"I want it off...where the hell did the piece of shit hide it?" Daya hisses.
"God only knows, but we'll search," Leon says. He glances at Gloria. "It's the loudest in yours and the kids' room."
It's not my fault
I'm not to blame
It is the gypsy girl
The witch who sent this flame
Benny reaches up to grab his hand and pulls him and Gloria along. Julio hides his face in Gloria's shoulder as she holds him close. Christina and Emiliano latch on to each of Daya's legs, so she picks up her baby brother and wraps her free hand around Christina's. Aleida takes Christina's other hand. They look high and low, messing up all the rooms, but they still can't find the source. The song seems to increase in volume as the minutes pass and it plays again and again.
It's not my fault
If in God's plan
He made the devil so much
Stronger than a man
"That's it, I'm getting Charles to investigate!" Aleida mutters, and Leon follows her out the door. Benny and Christina scamper after them.
"We're lucky we ain't the types to pass out when we don't eat first thing in the morning," Daya says while jiggling Emiliano in her arms and swaying a bit from side to side. She and Gloria make their way to the front steps so the music isn't so deafening. They watch Aleida, Leon, and the oldest two kids approach Charles' police car. The cops take turns and Gloria feels so bad that he has the first shift of the day.
"It's dawn, much too..." Gloria yawns, and so does Daya. "Much too early for breakfast. The sun's just gotten up. It sure is beautiful, though..."
"Yeah...Lorna and Nicky have seen the sunrise once, but under much better circumstances," Daya grumbles. "I still fuckin' hear it."
Protect me, Maria
Don't let this siren cast her spell
Don't let her fire sear my flesh and bone
Destroy Esmeralda
And let her taste the fires of Hell
Or else let her be mine and mine alone
"I bet you won't gripe about getting up at six-thirty for school anymore."
"It's not bad compared to this," Daya admits. "It's just that it's Sunday. We were supposed to be snug and warm under our covers with our eyes closed for at least five and a half more hours! Instead, we got this fucking rude awakening!"
Gloria looks at her sadly and puts an arm around her. She pecks Daya's cheek. "Yeah, I know. I hate this."
Hellfire
Dark fire
Now gypsy, it's your turn
Choose me or
Your pyre
Be mine or you will burn
"Good ol' 'Hellfire' from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, huh?" a bald white police officer asks as he jogs ahead of Charles. He stares at Gloria and Daya with such a malicious look in his eyes that they gaze at their sock-covered feet. "Here's a coincidence, my last name is Hellman." He chuckles, but no one else does. "It's a joke. Look on the bright side, at least this guy...or chick...didn't actually set your apartment on fire! That would've been a lot worse, and a huge mess to clean up." Hellman whistles slowly and goes behind Gloria. She jumps when she can feel his breath on the back of her neck. "Hooboy! This guy who's going after you has a boner for Esmeralda. It happens...since I was thirteen, I had hard ones for Jasmine and Mulan, only because my younger sister watched those movies over and over."
"Hey, rookie, just do as the chief said and investigate with me, you're my replacement partner for Donna and supposed to be helping," Charles reprimands him. He wedges himself in between Gloria and Hellman.
"Don't be so tense, Ford, it's my first day on the job. I was a correctional officer before, just like you. The training's different."
God have mercy on her
God have mercy on me
But she will be mine
Or she will burn!
"You could be under the order of one at a men's prison if you get too close to them again," Leon threatens him. "You okay?" he asks, glancing in Gloria's direction.
She nods silently, but Leon appears to be unconvinced.
"Oh, is a black citizen-" Hellman starts, but Charles pushes him further towards the apartment.
"Shut the fuck up," Charles growls at him.
"Alright, so this song is about an obsession. Frollo in the movie has a deep desire for Esmeralda." Gloria watches Hellman carefully as his gaze flickers to Christina for a split second. She may have just been seeing things, but she isn't sure. "Whoever's playing the tune might not want anyone to try hunting for it, because they want someone in this house, I don't know who, to be aware that this person is obsessed with them," Hellman reports.
"We know it's someone obsessed with one of us!" Aleida snaps.
"We need to find and destroy both the person and whatever device the song's comin' out of," Daya chimes in.
"Yeah," Charles agrees.
After some detective work, the officers discover a tiny music player inside of a baby doll head that was duct taped on the underside of Christina's bottom bunk bed. Everyone appears to be horrified and Christina weeps into Daya's shirt about her ruined dolly. Charles shakes the small object out and into his hand and then turns it off. The adults and Daya sigh in relief. Only Hellman looks unfazed.
"Mommy, can you get me a new dolly? Pleeeeease?" Christina begs through her tears.
"We'll search for the body so I can screw the head back on, alright?" Aleida responds.
Christina sniffles. "Okay..."
"So, this is the famous Kubra Balik who Alex has told me so much about?" Carol asks as soon as Alex leads her into the room. Fahri gives Alex a questioning glance, but Alex just shrugs.
"Yeah!" Kubra exclaims and shakes Carol's outstretched hand. "It's nice to meet you, ma'am."
"None of that, you call me Carol, is that clear?"
"As crystal. Now tell me, are you Alex's aunt? She looks a lot like you, but, fresher."
"Uh, no." Carol wrinkles her nose and shakes her head. "I do, however, know her mother from a long time ago, but that's a story for another day." A shudder comes over Alex as Carol says this. "I would love to join your business."
"Very well!" Kubra introduces Carol to Aydin, Haluk, Vee, and Fahri. Only Haluk and Aydin take a shine to her, but Vee must sense Carol's power and think of her as competition, since Taystee's foster mom barely says a word to Carol except for a strained hello. Fahri waves at Carol politely.
"Sit here!" Carol pats the spot between herself and Kubra on the couch while grinning up at Alex.
"Are you sure there's enough room?" Alex eyes the area warily. She doesn't particularly want to be that close to a wannabe child killer, but she sits there anyway when Carol nods her head yes since Kubra won't let anything happen to Alex. She trusts him, especially since he's dating Flaca's mother.
The meeting is filled with business plans and then Fahri and Alex get into his car. He starts driving them to Friendly's. "Who is that woman, Alex?"
She freezes at his question. "Um...she's an old acquaintance of Mom's, but I never heard about her until recently. I met her at Dairy Queen, like, randomly. I was with a lot of my friends, when some other girl our age started being rude to Blanca, so Nicky stood up for her, and Carol, the girl's mom figure, I guess, yelled at the biatch. She looks after several other girls, and one of them threatened Flaca and Maritza, so to get her to back off, I told Carol on her. Carol said she'd tell her to leave Flaritza alone if I helped her to become friendly with Kubra."
"I see." Worry crosses over his features. "You seemed a little quiet around her, nervous even. If she makes you the slightest bit uncomfortable at work, stay by me, okay?"
"Alright," Alex agrees. "At least she got Charlene to stop bugging my girls."
"Only because you did her a favor," Fahri points out.
"Yeah, but we're not like, super close, so it's okay. She and I are even now."
"I just hope she doesn't ask for anything else from you."
"She won't," Alex states, but she isn't so sure of this.
"Oh my god!" Daya shrieks happily while running into the kitchen five hours later, much brighter than she was this morning. "Adarsh and his parents just invited me to a Knicks game against the Golden State Warriors today at one! On Friday at school, he asked me to clear my schedule for Sunday, and now I know why!" She's practically shaking from excitement and bouncing on the balls of her feet. "His dad has a hella rich boss who gave out free tickets to the employees and their families! We're in the middle section, but who cares? It's live basketball! Whoohoo!"
"I ain't never seen you so overjoyed about sports, nena," Aleida murmurs and then grins. She too, is in a better mood. "I think it's more the boy you're going with that makes it special. Plus, y'all goin' for free."
Daya nods her head yes. "Mm-hm," she admits. "I still wanna see all those dudes up close and personal, makin' baskets, ya know? It's way different than television."
"I wanna go, Mommy!" Benny jumps up and down and hugs Gloria around her waist.
"Me, too!" Julio agrees. "Can we?"
Gloria sighs. "It's so expensive, I dunno...maybe I'll ask your tía if she wants to come with us, and we can get cheap seats! Not near you, of course, Daya."
"Yaaaaay!" the boys cheer and clap their hands with glee.
Leon puts his arm around Aleida and pulls her close while kissing the top of her head. "Why don't we go with 'em, baby? Tickets are a good deal..."
"Sure!" Aleida says cheerfully.
"Lourdes told me the basketball game seems like a great way to finish off the weekend! We can use the money I got in my savings account. Well...if my boys are going, you wanna come with us, Christina?" Gloria asks.
"No," Christina mumbles. "It's too noisy."
"Right, she's traumatized by yelling," Daya mutters. "Okay, wait, then I'll need to find a babysitter to stay home with Christina. I'll text the girls."
"Aw man, that lucky bitch!" Maritza groans. She shows Flaca the message from Daya as they walk to Friendly's.
"Yo, chiquita, for real?"
"Yeah. They're all going, apparently."
Flaca sighs. "Well, Barb ain't gonna be happy about Daya not bein' here."
Maritza rolls her eyes. "Girl, please. Daddy is all over Daya, and she's Barb's number one chick. If Daddy tells her to let Daya miss a session, Barb will let her. They both got mad respect for Daya."
"Back up, I wouldn't use the word respect when it comes to Daddy," Flaca mutters. "That fuckin' pimp chats up whoever she wants, whether they like her or not. Daya barely knows her, and Daddy is already itching to get in her pants. It's fucking gross, dude."
"Yeah, I know, but...I was tryin' to say, like, Daddy is obsessed with Daya so that ho will spoil her."
"I'm sure she'd rather be taking our gal to a b-ball game instead of Adarsh!"
Maritza shrugs. "What's she gonna do about it? Nada. Besides, Daya can handle herself, and Diane and the rest of us are right there."
"I know. It's just...Daddy and her little posse give me the creeps."
"Me, too," Maritza agrees.
They stride through the restaurant's double doors and greet their friends with hugs. "Barb didn't show up again, I guess?" Flaca asks while enveloped in Alex and Michelle's arms.
Alex shakes her head no as the girls pull away from each other. "Carol said she wants to see me, Blanca, and Alana later, but Barb is head over heels for her new boyfriend and doesn't want to spend much time away from him."
"Aww that's so sweet!" Lorna squeals. "I'm gonna miss her, though."
"We'll see her tomorrow, kid, she told me," Nicky assures her. "Hey, maybe you should babysit Daya's little siblings. You're the only one out of all of us who doesn't make money and isn't busy!"
"Yeah, I will!" Lorna says excitedly. "Bye, everyone!" She waves at the group and leaves.
What Nicky had said made Flaca remember her own job that she had before the accident, working as a maid for Carol, so she bids the group goodbye and takes the bus to her deceased friend's large house.
"Hello, Marisol, it's nice to have you back," Mrs. Chapman greets her after she had rung the doorbell. "There are cleaning supplies in the closet." She gestures to one under the grand, winding staircase. "It's been all kinds of maids these past six weeks...I feel like Emily Gilmore!" She chuckles to herself. "None of them have been very good."
Or maybe you're just picky, Flaca thinks. "I'm sorry to hear that, but at least you got me now, right?"
"Yep."
"I'm feeling better, by the way, thank you," Flaca tells her awkwardly. "I'm glad to be no longer in pain and wheelchair-free!"
"That's good for you, dear." A slight smile crosses her pointed face. "You may start now, or would you like lunch first? I can have Trina cook you something." She waves at a woman who Flaca recognizes as Blanca's mother, even though she's only seen Trina a few times in her life.
Flaca shakes her head no. "That's okay, ma'am. I just ate." She's confused as to why Blanca never mentioned her mother working as a personal chef. It isn't anything to be ashamed about. "Hola, Señorita Flores. ¿Comó estás?"
Hello, Ms. Flores. How are you?
"Estoy bien, ¿y tú?"
I'm good, and you?
Bien.
Good.
"It's quite interesting that you're bilingual," Carol tells Flaca. "Finally, I have a translator! This woman doesn't understand over half of what I tell her," she whispers.
"Well, she'll never miss another word from you again," Flaca says softly. She glances over her shoulder to smile at Trina, who returns the gesture, and then starts her chores.
Lorna is the only one available. She arrives when most of the family is all decked out in white, black, blue, orange, and silver. She and Daya hug while squealing. "I cannot believe Adarsh asked you to come with him and his family! That means he's husband material!" Lorna shrieks.
Daya giggles. "Okay, if you say so."
"Only because it's true!"
"Lorna, we gonna be back by around four. Emiliano should be waking up from his nap, put him down again at three. The kids can have a snack in the fridge or the pantry at two, all right?"
Lorna nods at Aleida's instructions. "Okay, that sounds good!"
"If you need help, like they ain't doin' what you say, let us know," Daya chimes in.
"I will!"
"Oh, and Emiliano threw up this morning, so he can't eat much today. He's got a bit of a cold coming on, so being outside would make it worse," Aleida lets her know. "He should be okay, though. Give him a lot of liquids like water and chicken broth and get him to take a nap if you notice him getting tired."
"Poor baby. Alright, thanks!" Lorna says.
After the goodbyes and hugs, the door closes. Christina scampers to a toybox and pulls out a few Barbies. "Play with me!"
Before Lorna can respond, Emiliano starts wailing as his face turns red and tears stream down his chubby cheeks. "Mama! Daya! I want Mommy! I want my big sissy!"
"It's okay, buddy, you'll see them soon," Lorna tries to soothe him as she kneels down to his level, but he won't stop crying. Christina runs over to him to give him a hug. "Do you wanna play with some blocks?" Lorna stands up and brings some over to him. "Hey, let's make a tower." She begins stacking the plush cubes.
Emiliano begins coughing, so Lorna runs to the kitchen to give him water. She pulls a cup out of one of the cabinets and fills it. She hands it to him when she returns to the nursery room. "Here, drink this, you'll feel better." He does, and then he sneezes a few times. She wipes the snot off his nose with a tissue, throws it away, and washes her hands.
She doesn't discover he has a fever until she feels his forehead, which is warm and sweaty, even though he's shivering. "Oh no, you're real sick." She has no idea what to do, since she needs to focus her attention on both children. She wraps him in a blanket, lays him in his bed, and goes to the kitchen to grab an ice pack for him.
"Lorna, look at me! I'm flying!" Christina announces when she comes back into the children's bedroom. The little girl is jumping up and down on Gloria's bed, each ascent ending in a snapshot pose of childhood happiness. "Yay! I can go way up high!"
"Christina, get down now! That's not safe, you could hurt yourself!" Lorna warns her while putting the cold compress on Emiliano's forehead.
"I'm just showing you and I'm having fun!"
"I know, and that's nice, but you have to stop."
"Watch me stick the landing! I can do a pi-ette like Debbie!"
Lorna folds her arms across her chest and smiles. "Okie dokie, but be careful."
The child jumps and spins around, but then slips off the bed and falls onto the ground with a loud thump. Lorna had tried to catch her, but her reflexes weren't fast enough. She gasps in horror and runs over to Christina when the girl begins sobbing. "Oh, no, honey, this is why I told you to be careful! Now, where does it hurt?"
"Everywhere!" Christina sniffles. "Ow, ow..."
"Here, let me see."
Christina looks up at her and she sees a bruise forming on the girl's cheek. "I...I can't move, Lorna. I think I'm gonna throw up. You gotta carry me to the bathroom."
"I'll try." Lorna gathers Daya's little sister in her arms and pulls her up while grunting. Christina is just a foot and a half shorter than her and heavier than her tiny younger brother.
"I can't walk..."
Lorna waddles to the bathroom as she holds Christina awkwardly and up as high off the ground as she can. She's panting quickly as she sets Christina down beside the toilet. Once Christina sits back down after puking, Lorna flushes it. Christina's knees and palms are bleeding, so Lorna quickly puts pressure on the wounds and then covers them with Band-Aids. She then gets ice for the bruise, along with a glass of water. "Take a few sips, sweetie. You almost fainted. Do you think you can walk now?"
"Maybe a little." Christina gulps it down.
All of a sudden, Emiliano comes in whimpering and pointing to his nose. "Oh no, what's wrong?" Lorna wants to know. "You were supposed to be napping, buddy."
He shakes his head and continues bawling. "It won't come out! Owie, nose!"
"Oh my God," Lorna mutters under her breath. She doesn't want to call anyone for help out of embarrassment, not even an ambulance. She just texts Aleida about Christina's nasty fall and hopes the woman won't respond until the game is over. She also messages Franny. Is Red home?
No, why?
I'm babysitting Daya's kid siblings and I wasn't watching Emiliano closely since his big sister just fell off Gloria's bed and I had to take care of her, and Emiliano stuck some foreign object in his nose and I don't know how to get it out, help!
Okay, come on over, I'll take care of it.
Lorna smiles. Thanks so much!
Stop texting me and just go, Lorn.
They board the train for Red's apartment, with Emiliano resting in the stroller and Christina next to Lorna, who takes the now crying Emiliano out of his stroller. "You're gonna feel better soon, little man," she assures him.
When they come to their destination, she knocks on the door and Franny opens it right away. "You're lucky I was here! Give me the poor thing." Christina scampers inside and Lorna follows her while handing Emiliano to her older sister. Franny leads them to the couch and Lorna has Christina sit right next to her while Franny lays Emiliano in her lap. She places her mouth over his, presses down on his unbothered nostril, blows into his mouth, and a tiny blue bead pops out and rolls into her hand.
"You're a lifesaver! Thank you so much!" Lorna cries and hugs her sister. "You could've just told me to do CPR. I was kinda trained in that."
"Lida and I are actually taking a nursing class and we're each other's partners. We do it daily. You've never actually done it before, just been told about it, and I didn't want you to accidentally blow it into his lungs or something like that. You're welcome."
"I guess you're right."
"Hey, Christina, I don't wanna have to tell your mommy about your brother...so I can get you a treat on the way back home if you keep a secret!" Lorna tells the little girl as they're walking down the apartment steps.
"Okay!" she agrees happily.
They get on the train again. A few stops later, Juan steps on and walks towards them with a grin on his face. "Hey, Lorna!"
"Juan, how are you?" she asks. "Sorry I can't stand up and hug you, because..." She points to Emiliano. "This little one can't move around much on account of that he's sick."
"I'm good, just returning from work."
Lorna notices Barb behind him and the two both sit down next to Christina. "Hi, Barb!" Lorna greets her excitedly while slowly rocking Emiliano in her arms. "I wasn't aware that you two knew each other."
"Yeah, we just met and clicked instantly."
"Really? How?"
"Artie's my sponsor. He's a really motivational person that I look up to, admire, and love to pieces." Barb grins, showing off her teeth that are stained yellow from doing so many drugs. "He's kinda like you in that way, how you are with Nicky. You encourage her not to do H, right?"
Lorna nods. "Ar-um, Juan, he and I seem to have a lot in common."
"So you do!" Barb chuckles. "Almost as if you were father and daughter."
"How come you called him Artie? Is that his middle name?" Lorna glances at Juan quizzically.
"Yeah. Arthur, actually. Juan Arthur Burns," Juan answers for Barb. He switches his gaze from Lorna to Christina. "Hello, there," he tells her in a silly voice. "I've never seen a little girl with such long, pretty hair before." He raises his hand and begins to stroke her hair, from the crown of her head to her chin. "Wow..." She flinches away. "Sorry, that was an accident." Barb rolls her eyes.
Christina cuddles up against Lorna and puts her thumb in her mouth. "He smells really bad," the younger girl whispers. Lorna holds her close and moves Christina to her other side. "My mommy and sissy said me and my brother can't talk to strangers, and we have to run far, far away."
"Good to know. They seem quite smart." He grins at Christina.
Once they reach their stop, Lorna waves goodbye to Barb and Juan and gives them one-armed hugs. She puts Emiliano back into his stroller and makes sure he's comfortable. She and Christina get off the train with the little boy and then she gets Christina and herself some ice cream. When they're almost to Daya's home, Emiliano starts wailing again. Lorna lets go of Christina's hand and watches her carefully as she lifts the toddler out of his stroller and rubs his back in soothing circles. "It's gonna be okay, honey, you're all right now! Franny got that out for ya!"
Suddenly, Lorna sees Christina run towards something far off in the distance. "Christina, come back here, sweetie! Shit..." She races to the girl and tries to grab her when she's within reach, but ends up almost dropping Emiliano because of the awkward way she's holding him. Lorna is petite and he's so heavy in her arms. He's clinging onto her shirt and she has her arms wrapped around his waist. She's straining to keep him from squirming away and get to Christina at the same time. Panic rises in her chest and she begins to hyperventilate and dial Charles' number with shaky fingers.
In just two hours, Flaca has washed the mirrors and countertops, vacuumed and mopped the floors, dusted the surfaces and baseboards, cleaned the showers and sinks, and made the overall look of the house tidy. She hasn't yet gone into Cal's room, though, because she was always warned it was a stinky, messy place. Quickly, she goes in and sprays air freshener all around the space and opens a window. It really wasn't much worse than her brothers' room.
She jumps at the sound of squeaking and then screams when she sees a small rodent scuttling out from underneath Cal's bed. His door is ajar and he runs in. "Antonio!" Cal exclaims while picking up the rat and kissing it. He glances up at Flaca with a grateful smile. "You found him!"
Tremors flow through Flaca and she's sweating with anxiety. "I didn't want to..."
"It must be the many chip bags I've hidden under my bed."
"Ew, I hate rats!" Flaca hiccups and a lump grows in her throat. "Get that terrifying thing outta here!"
"Hey, he won't hurt you!" Cal scoffs and lets out a short chuckle while stroking Antonio's fur with one finger. "My sister was a lot braver than you about him."
She wipes at her eyes as they tear up. "Yo, it ain't funny. Piper was never tormented by Humps, the rat fanatic! I'm traumatized, you gotta understand."
"You don't need to freak out. Antonio is friendly, wants to play, and is smart...maybe he was just saying hi. If he wanted to bite you, he would have already. I wouldn't have him as a pet if he was dangerous."
"Okay," Flaca mumbles.
"What a terrible day," Daya grumbles after receiving a text from yet another anonymous sender. Her heart beats so fast and she feels clammy. Her sister can't be missing. Another friend has just betrayed her and she starts quivering with anger and fear as both emotions bubble up inside her.
"I know the Knicks lost, but at least we had fun!" Adarsh tells her and gives her a tentative smile as he walks her up to her door.
"Yeah," she agrees with a nod. "It's just..." She groans loudly when she unlocks the door to her apartment. As soon as she sees Lorna, she grows even more livid than she already is. She takes a deep breath and lets it out as she hugs Adarsh. "Sorry about that, I'll see you tomorrow. Have fun celebrating Diwali! I enjoyed taking pictures with you in front of your house...it was so nicely decorated with all the lights!"
"Thank you! I had fun doing that, too. Bye, see ya!"
Once he leaves, Daya slams the door shut and storms up to Lorna. "You fuckin' lost my sister and put her life in danger?!"
"I'm sorry, Daya! I'm so sorry, I'm a terrible babysitter!" Lorna gets down on her knees and puts her hands together like she's praying. "She's back, safe and sound, though, so please forgive me! Please!"
"You also let her fall off Gloria's bed and skin her hands and knees!" Daya glares at her and shakes her head. "The hell is wrong with you? I trusted you!"
"I know, I told her to quit jumping, but she didn't listen to me." Lorna stands up with a fierce look in her eyes, which shine with tears. "What should I have done, just gotten up there and grabbed her, making us both tumble off?"
"At least you would've broken her fall," Daya growls.
"I worked real hard to search for her, okay? I even called Charles for help. I couldn't really report her as missing until it got to be twenty-four hours, but luckily, I found her within five minutes. I had your sick brother to take care of, too!"
"My family is being stalked and terrorized, in case you weren't aware. Something could've happened to her! It would've been your fault. We'd sue you!"
"She was fine, Daya! There was a sale on Barbies at the toy store and she ran for them. She was inside with a whole bunch of families with their children."
"Do you know how many kids have gotten abducted at amusement parks?"
Lorna folds her arms across her chest. "Yeah, and the situation could've been worse, but it wasn't. I did my best! I'm not perfect, okay? You've done stupid things too, you're fuckin' pregnant at fifteen years old!"
Daya rolls her eyes. "It wasn't just me, you know. Look, I forgive you since you didn't lose her completely...but I can't trust you to sit for my baby brother and sister again."
"Okay, I understand."
"Can you just like, get the fuck outta here, before I lose my shit again? I need to see that they're both all right."
"Your ma kinda needs to pay me, don't she?"
Daya scoffs and leaves the room. "Wait until she gets here, and then go!" she yells over her shoulder.
"Sounds good to me!"
"I ain't gonna lecture you since Daya did enough of that already," Aleida decides aloud as she hands Lorna forty dollars. "Don't feel bad...you did your best. Takin' care of kids ain't easy."
"They're your children! You should be the angriest at me," Lorna protests as she shoves the cash into her purse.
"Honestly, I'm just surprised you managed to find her so fast. How'd you lose her anyway?"
"Emiliano was crying, I had to take him out and hold him, which made me let go of Christina. I really thought she'd stay put. She got distracted by Barbies..."
Aleida sighs. "So I heard. I suppose it's my fault...I should've taught her about not running off, no matter what, and also that it's not safe to jump on the bed."
"Thank you for understanding," Lorna murmurs with a smile.
"No problem. We appreciate you comin' on such short notice."
"Anytime! See you later!" Lorna calls out as she heads for the front door.
"Bye!" They wave at each other and then Lorna goes home.
Aleida walks into the kids' and Gloria's room to find Daya cuddling her brother and Gloria playing Barbies with Christina. Leon has his arms around both Gloria's sons and bounces them on his knees as they giggle together. "Yo, Christina!"
Christina stands up and runs to Aleida. "Hi, Mommy!" She wraps her little arms around Aleida's legs.
Aleida kneels down and gives Christina a proper hug. "Hey, nena. You know...you can't run away because that's dangerous."
"Ma, she's a child, it's what they do. Lorna should've had someone help her if she couldn't do the job by herself," Daya insists. "Right, Gloria and Leon?"
"Well, yes...but Christina is usually well behaved. No one would expect her to leave on her own like that," Gloria points out.
"Mm-hm," Leon agrees.
"Whaaaat? There was a big picture of Barbie!" Christina protests.
"No matter what, though, you gotta stay with the person who is watching you," Gloria tells her. "We don't want you to go missing forever."
"I got kinda scared when Lorna didn't follow me," Christina admits. "I told a nice lady with a baby and a girl my age that I was lost, and she and her girls stayed with me until Lorna found me. Daya told me to do that if I get lost."
"That's good," Daya mumbles. "I'm glad you're okay!"
"Yeah..."
While doing paperwork for Charles, Diane notices a cop whose nametag reads Garza. He comes up to Charles and slaps him hard on the back. "Hey, Charlie horse, who's the pair of tits pretending to be your secretary?" He grins and stares at Diane. She looks away from his hungry gaze and she has trouble getting back to her task.
"She was my girlfriend first, but now she's also my secretary. Don't ever talk about her like that again. I mean it."
Garza chuckles. "Yeah, sure."
"Hey, maybe she likes it. Why are you speaking for her? I love Officer Garza's dirty talk," a girl about Alex's age says as she comes up to them. She has a horrible accent that sounds Bostonian, but it could be from New Jersey, too. Her blonde hair is in two pigtails and she has ugly green highlights. Her eyes trail to Diane and she walks up to her slowly and puts her hands on the desk as she leans against it. "I know something you don't know," she whispers tauntingly.
"I'm sorry, miss, I'm trying to do some stuff here for Officer Ford." Diane doesn't use his first name since she wants to be professional.
"I just thought you should be aware that your daughter and my mentor are becoming like this now." The blonde crosses her fingers on her right hand as she smirks. "I wouldn't be surprised if she accidentally called Carol mommy."
"She knows that I'm her mother," Diane says harshly.
"What's with the attitude?"
"Miss, please leave her alone," Charles instructs her. "Did you have something to report to us?"
The girl holds up her left arm which is in a cast. "Some bitch came at me."
"I'm sure you got what was coming to you, Badison," Garza mutters.
"Well, she was defending herself, yeah," Badison admits. "I only decked her in the face, though. I didn't break her bones!" She looks up at Garza and bats her eyes. "I want you to manhandle me with those strong lookin' hands!" She blows him a kiss as he leaves while shaking his head. She follows him and then runs past him while laughing maniacally.
"I apologize for both of 'em, actually," Charles says. "I got no idea who Badison is...but Garza just started here and he told me she's one of the worst students at Litchfield High School. Of course, he's just as awful as her. She got expelled for smashing a large beaker on the floor in chemistry."
"Oh, wow. If she was my student, she wouldn't be caught dead doing that."
"Yeah, since you're such a great teacher," he compliments Diane, and she grins.
On Monday morning, Daya and Lorna aren't speaking or even looking at each other. "What's with you two, by the way?" Nicky asks as she puts her arm across Lorna's shoulders. She gives Daya a questioning glance.
Daya scowls as Lorna gazes at the ground in shame. "My brother and sister both got hurt on your girlfriend's watch, and Christina almost ended up on a milk carton, if you catch my drift. We ain't talkin' for a while, I told her I needed a break from her."
"I suck at babysitting...Polly was right!" Lorna snaps. "Allison, please don't ask me to watch Farah for you and Hassan, I cannot be around children alone, just like Suzanne. I was on my meds, and I still managed to fuck up. Aleida wasn't too mad, but she did use to choose packing heroin and bad boyfriends over her kids, but I'm sure Gloria and Leon are angry at me, too."
"Yeah, we won't ask you again," Daya quips.
"Polly's a piece of shit, she said your mental illness would make you a lousy sitter, and that wasn't true. These kinda things happen with kids, though, so maybe it's best that you don't look for a career in early childhood education. I don't love children all that much, so I just look after them if other people are with me," Nicky tells Lorna.
"I wanted to be a mother someday," Lorna mumbles. "It's okay, though, I guess it's not for everyone..."
"Yeah, but you could improve over the years. Who knows?" Allison gives her an encouraging smile.
"Mm-hm, I never saw myself in even a big sister role until Michaela came along," Blanca tells them. "Now we're like Tibby and her little friend in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, except that she's seven and doesn't have cancer."
"Aw, cute," Maritza comments. "That's good. I so can't wait for the movie to come out!"
Flaca squeals. "Me neither!"
"We should do a girls' night for that," Alana suggests.
"Yeah, good idea," Lorna murmurs.
"Even though it's a white girl movie?" Taystee asks.
"Sure! It's about female bonding, after all," Alex points out. "I heard Alexis Bledel from Gilmore Girls is gonna be Lena."
"Oh, cool. Bridget's scenes are in Baja California and Carmen is Latina, anyway. Some women of color representation right there," Michelle adds.
"Cindy gonna laugh at us, yo...but sounds fun!" Poussey agrees, and everyone beams.
"Hey, Alex, you really gonna study geometry for hours after school with Mr. Young?" Allison wonders aloud.
Alex groans. "I'm failing the class! I have to learn this material or I'll be required to take it again next year, and I don't want to! It's the worst subject ever. Brook is actually tutoring me, though, not my teacher." Alex tries not to sound annoyed since Brook's girlfriend is with them.
"I bet she knows more than him," Poussey says with a beam, and Alex nods in feigned agreement.
As Diane writes the day's lesson plan on the board, her seventh-period senior students file in. Someone wolf-whistles. "Wow, you look nice today. You know you're a total milf, right?" She recognizes the voice as Joey's and she cringes.
"Sit down, please. That kind of inappropriate language is not permitted in my class."
He snickers. "Then don't wear such tight skirts and high heels!"
"I really thought you were mature enough to take a compliment," Pete tells her as he and Joey take their seats and slouch down. She doesn't understand why they have to wear their jeans so low and hit on some of the female staff members. It's disgusting teen boy behavior.
"Hey, Ms. V!" Taystee greets her cheerfully, and Diane beams at her. "I finally caught up on the reading."
"Good job!" After Taystee and the others plop into their chairs, Diane asks everyone to hand in their assignments. Only Joey has nothing to give her. He's furiously scribbling down something on a sheet of paper that looks suspiciously like something he should've done over the weekend. She walks up to him and holds her hand out. "Are you doing your homework in class, Joey? It's actually due right now."
"I'm doing you and your daughter in my head. Threesome." He winks at her and licks his lips. "Two pairs of large tits, fuck yes." Diane's insides freeze, but she stiffly grabs his paper from him and speeds away to her desk.
"Shut the fuck up, fool!" Taystee hollers while the boys are laughing, but they don't listen to her.
"I wonder what you two are into!" Pete shouts over the noise. "Joey over here stuck a loafer up his crazy girlfriend's vagina last year! That bitch stretched so wide!"
Joey hits Pete's upper arm. "Dude, don't give away my secrets! That's embarrassing to have people know I was even associated with Lorna Morello!"
"Okay, that's enough! I'm sending both of you to the principal right now!" Diane growls. She calls the office.
"What the fuck is a milf?" Diane wants to know as she goes to the girls' bathroom to accompany Aleida, since the women's restroom nearest to them was having plumbing issues and Aleida really needed to go. "I hear that a lot from the gross male students."
"Me too. Motha I'd like to f-"
"Ugh, I've heard enough!" Diane shakes her head in disgust. Aleida opens the heavy door, rushes into a stall, and the stall door slams shut as she locks it. All of a sudden, Diane notices something strange. The exit door is slightly ajar, so she goes to close it so no intruders can come in.
"This is so good after a sexy novella," she hears Flaca saying from outside as she gets closer to the exit. She pushes the door open and starts coughing at the smell of cigarette smoke floating up into the air as Blanca follows it with her eyes while smiling dreamily. Flaca is also unaware of Diane's prescence, wiggling her cigarette between her two fingers and then blowing out a puff of gray smoke. When she finally sees Diane, though, she jumps and taps Blanca frantically. "Oh my god! Please don't tell Gloria...or our mamas!" Flaca begs. Both girls quickly drop their cigarettes and smash them with their steel-toed boots.
Diane fans her nose and steps back from them in order not to catch the secondhand smoke. Luckily, the wind carries it away from her and the girls. "Why are you smoking?!" she demands softly while knitting her brows in disappointment. "It's against school rules and the law...and besides that, it's terrible for your health. You could get cancer from that shit and die young!"
"We only do it once in a while, and we know that you smoke, too," Blanca protests.
"I'm an adult," Diane contradicts her. "You'll wish you never started, like me. It's really bad...you could become hooked to it. Wait until you're adults so you can make better choices. There will be plenty of opportunities to try a bong or whatever at some college party. I know getting high is fun, but don't let this become a habit. I see it again, and I'll have to report this to your mothers, at the very least!"
"Okay, we're sorry," Flaca mumbles.
"Yeah," Blanca chimes in sheepishly. "It's just that Taystee gave us these."
Diane puts her hands on her hips and raises an eyebrow. "Why?" The girl is her favorite senior student and she feels a little betrayed after learning this information. There has to be more to the story.
"She said Vee is having her do it," Flaca mutters.
"I knew that bitch was bad news," Diane grumbles. "I'll speak to Charles about her-"
"No, she'll know we ratted her ass out!" Blanca says worriedly. "It's like you with the twisted hermanas. We'll just throw the smokes away next time or decline."
"Yeah, we don't wanna get busted again or mess up our lungs," Flaca murmurs.
"Vee is currently doing something illegal, whereas Barb and Carol aren't. Charles can put a stop to her," Diane insists.
"Okay, but then where would Taystee stay?" Blanca asks. "She got no place else, and she's eighteen, so she's aged out of the foster system already. She could end up homeless, or if white cops find drugs in her possession, arrested."
Diane sighs. "Shit...well I know how that is...being homeless. I can talk to Miss Claudette and see if she can help. She's always liked that girl. I do too, but they have a tighter bond."
"Oh, okay! Good luck!" Flaca tells her.
"Thank you!"
After an hour of excruciatingly hard work, Alex takes a bathroom break with her head pounding. She had told Brook she needed to go in the middle of all her chit-chat, and Brook hadn't been listening, so Alex just got up and left. She's on her way back to the library when someone taps her from behind. She gasps, jumps sharply, whirls around, and presses her hand to her heart. "Aydin, you scared the shit outta me," she hisses. "What are you doing here? No offense..."
"Sorry about that," he says casually. "Boss wants a word with you."
"Now? I'm not in trouble, I hope..."
"I don't believe you are, but he'd like to see you immediately in the Sparrow Tavern's backroom. Tell whoever you were with that you're very sick. You're pale enough for her to believe you."
"How would I get there? I don't drive, it's too far to walk or take a bus..."
"I'm not just here to deliver a message. Meet me in my car in five minutes in the parking lot behind the track, and we'll go meet him together," Aydin instructs her. "It shouldn't take too long, you'll be back by a quarter to six. The driving is what takes the most time. Twenty-one minutes each way."
"Yes, sir."
After convincing Brook that she has unbelievably painful menstrual cramps, she's able to leave the school with Aydin. She wants to sit in the back, but he insists she be in the passenger's seat. He drives her to Kubra's legal workplace and lets her lead the way inside. Then, he takes her to where Kubra is waiting.
"Here she is, Mr. Balik," he announces.
"Hello," Alex greets Kubra politely. "Thanks for pulling me outta tutoring. Geometry is boring as shit! The lessons are not as bad as they were when Dixon taught it, that's the good thing. How are you?"
"I'm very good, Alex. I just wanted to congratulate you on a job well done after one month!" Kubra hugs her and Alex pats his back awkwardly. She feels like she has to return the gesture, so she does. "We should all go out for drinks to celebrate!"
"Sure, thank you!" She moves away from him slightly since his arms had been around her long enough and something was poking her belly. "Er, your wallet's digging into me, sorry," she mumbles.
"Oh, no need to apologize! Listen to me...you will be part of a transnational criminal organization in a few short years. Instead of only being a mule, you could be my top trafficker! Carol and I are gonna make sure that happens, okay? Think of us as your job parents."
"Yeah, um, that's awesome. Okay...I will." She fakes a grin, hating the fact that he's partnering up with someone as lousy as Carol. She wants to warn him about her, but she doesn't want to cause drama either.
"Good girl. Now, let me ask you something. Sit down, please." She does as he has requested. "A former worker of mine, Arturo Cazador, has a YouTube channel." Alex shivers at his name. "Search through his videos to see if he has spoken about this drug cartel. He's in prison for an unrelated crime, but if he's said any of our names, especially mine, he is in a huge amount of trouble. Fahri has seen the videos, but they're in Spanish, so Aydin will give you both transcripts of what he's saying in English. He wears a mask."
"Yes, sir," Alex says quietly. She really doesn't want to do this, because the sight of Arturo sickens her. She knows what he looks like under that mask. Anything to get that son of a bitch killed, though, she thinks to herself.
"Thank you."
"You're very welcome!" They shake hands, and then Aydin takes her back to school.
Later that night while Diane and Charles are working, Alex spends a few hours watching the videos on Arturo's channel and taking notes. When she gets to one of Gloria and her sons, she doesn't want to watch it, for she thinks it could show Arturo being violent to one of her role models. She does anyway, since it's part of her assignment and she can't get in trouble. She feels ill the whole time it plays until she has to look away when it gets to Benny picking up the gun. She covers her mouth and whimpers as tears seep out of her eyes. She knows Benny didn't get hurt since Gloria would've mentioned an accident with the assault rifle, but it's too heartbreaking.
She hears a knock on her door and jolts in her seat as she quickly closes the window and stuffs the papers into her backpack. "Who is it?"
"It's your mother."
Alex sniffles. "Come in."
Diane walks into their room. "What were you watching?"
"Oh, nothing." Alex smiles while breathing shakily.
"Really? You seem upset."
Sometimes, she hates how well her mom can read her. "Just some emotional news story...really, I'll be fine, Mom. I promise."
Diane folds her arms across her chest and tilts her head. "What was it about?"
"Uh..." Alex stares up at the ceiling and tries to think. "So many civilians getting killed in the Iraq war." She sniffles. "It's so sad."
"Yeah, I know." Diane sits on their bed and Alex turns around in her swivel chair to face her mother. "Honey, I caught Blanca and Flaca smoking-"
"Where?" Alex wonders aloud.
"It doesn't matter. The point is, I told them what they were doing was wrong, even though they were just trying to help Taystee..but I'll make sure Charles gets Vee locked up for good and I can speak to Miss Claudette and try to arrange for Taystee to live with her. I hope you haven't bought anything from her, please tell me you're not trying to score."
"I'm not, I haven't gotten high since you found those drugs the first time," Alex lies.
Diane grins at her. "Good, I'm glad." She gets off their bed and hugs Alex while kissing the top of her head. "I'm proud of you, sweetie."
"Thanks..." Alex wishes her mom would just demand the truth out of her instead of being so trusting. The guilt is eating her alive, but she doesn't want to cause Diane any pain by confessing to being part of Kubra's drug cartel or smoking occasionally with her friends. A little high isn't going to kill her, but if Diane ever finds out, it could damage their relationship permanently. The thought makes Alex's heart ache. "I heart you, Mom."
"I heart you too, baby girl." Diane squeezes Alex's hands and leaves the room.
It's so painful, and she wraps her arms around her folded-up legs and squeezes them tight to her chest as she sits there and cries softly into her knees. Secrets could be fun and juicy, but this one is turning out to be unpleasant and sour. It would be easier if Diane wasn't so damn loving to her.
"Jesus, she's so hot. I want her to smash her tits in my face and rub herself on my dick and then dance for me!"
Arturo guffaws at Kubra's statement. "Alex is smokin', that's for sure...but I prefer Barb!" He grins at his girlfriend as she and Carol walk into their apartment. Both men snicker.
"I always fantasize Alex being naked and under me as I ram myself into her! I'm an animal around her...I'm surprised I keep calm when I'm with her," Kubra murmurs.
"Well, that's pedophilia...not cool!" Barb cuts in.
"One more comment like that about my future killing partner, and your faces are gonna meet my hatchet," Carol threatens them.
Barb just rolls her eyes. "Care, shut up."
"You know how violent and sneaky I can be!" Carol shoots back.
"Oh, I'm aware," Kubra tells her as Barb settles herself into Arturo's lap. "I'm just like you in that way."
"Yeah, but you need to cut it out with the pedophilia talk!"
"Carol, I can't help what I feel. That girl is wicked sexy...of course I wouldn't act on it until she's of age, but I can't stop looking at her or thinking about her. She's always got a smile for me, it puts me in such a good mood."
"Well, I would be beaming too if I was getting paid lotsa cash to sell drugs!" Barb says.
"The problem is, the cunt only has eyes for bitches, not men. It's impossible to be with her," Arturo grumbles.
"Come on, man, of course it's not. I'll ask her out in a few years when she's out of the dyke phase, and then if she doesn't say yes, I'll keep her with me forever so she can't escape," Kubra informs him. "You can live with us too, Carol. She can always go on murder expeditions with you."
"Okay, but don't fuck her if she says no, and keep your thoughts to yourself!" Carol reprimands him.
Kubra nods in understanding. "Alright."
"So, your real first name is Dominga, huh?" Daya grins at Daddy as they walk to the older girl's car. Daya had planned to go with her to the prison where Cesar is being held, since nobody in her family or friend group would approve. "Dom Daddy, you really went there!" She chuckles awkwardly.
Daddy nods her head yes and then smirks. "My street name's really just Daddy. I'm glad you're finally going out with me."
"Yeah, but this isn't a date," Daya reminds her. "I need to show my mom's ex what I'm made of! I wanna put him in his place."
"Damn, you got guts. You actually called the pigs on him?"
"Mm-hm," Daya says proudly. "I think he could be stalking our family now, but through members of his gang that haven't been arrested yet for some stupid reason. I'm gonna put an end to it."
"You think you can get through to him?" Daddy asks as she starts up the car.
"I hope so. I'm high enough right now, so nothin' he threatens me with will faze me."
"You go, girl!" Daddy says happily, and Daya giggles. Once they get there, they go in and a guard with the last name of Herrmann, leads them to where Cesar is sitting with a tough look on his face.
They sit down across from him and Daya frowns. "Hello, Cesar," she greets him with malice in her tone.
"Why you talkin' to me like that? Where's your ma?"
"She's in school." Daya sets her mouth in a thin line and narrows her eyes at him. "Listen up, you need to stop tormenting Gloria and the rest of us. She wasn't the one who called the cops on you. I was," she confesses while glaring at him coldly. "You goddamn motherfucker, don't you dare bother us again."
Cesar gives her an icy stare back and points at her with disbelief clear on his features. "You're stoned."
"You're damn right I am. I'm a lot more honest when I'm this alert."
"The kids are not okay with you at all, apparently," Daddy jumps in. "They all hate you with good reason. Listen to my girl here."
Slowly, his face grows red with fury and he grits his teeth. It doesn't scare Daya at all. "I got in jail ten years because of you?" he snarls, but Daya still doesn't flinch. She simply laughs out loud. "You know how long that is?!"
"It ain't near enough time, asshole," she snaps. "I had to protect my family from the menace that's you."
He bangs the table. "You wrecked my life! I provided for you, I cooked you all dinner! You just made a big mistake! You're gonna fuckin' regret that, you little puta!" he yells, but Daya and Daddy are already halfway out the door, cackling hysterically together and tripping over each other.
Thank you for reading and reviewing, Johanna002, VeraRose19, and A Star In My Universe!
