Sorry it's been a couple of months, but Happy Pride! Plus, the final season is coming out in twenty-seven days! Yaaaay!
The scam mentioned in this chapter really did happen to me a month ago, unfortunately. Only my mom found out, not my friends-until I told them.
Warning: Inferred pedophilia and racist slurs.
"¡Nooooo! ¿Dónde están mis buenos pendientes?" Theresa murmurs to herself franctically as she picks through her jewelry. "Esos eran mi par favorito!"
Nooooo! Where are my good earrings? Those were my favorite pair!
"¿Cuál es el problema, querida?" Kubra wonders aloud as he walks into the room they now share. He puts his hands on her shoulders and kisses her cheek.
What seems to be the problem, my dear?
"Yo ... no puedo encontrar mis mejores aretes," Theresa tells him sadly. "Los iba a usar para nuestra cita de esta noche."
I...I can't find my best earrings. I was gonna wear them for our date tonight.
"Oh, eso es muy malo," Kubra mutters. "Puedo ayudarte a buscar. ¿Cómo se ven?"
Oh, that's too bad. I can help you search. What do they look like?
"No, está bien...miré en todas partes. Son aros dorados con diamantes plateados."
No, it's okay...I looked everywhere. They're gold hoops with silver diamonds.
"Tal vez los perdiste en algún lugar. He oído que los aretes de mujeres simplemente se cayeron al azar porque eran viejos. ¿No los conseguiste hace mucho tiempo?"
Maybe you lost them someplace. I've heard of women's earrings just falling off randomly because they were old. Didn't you get those a long time ago?
Theresa nods. "Por lo general, uno sale por accidente, no dos...pero puede que tenga razón. Los tuve durante muchos años, mi madre y mi padre me los dieron para mi Quinceañera. Eran muy caros, unos novecientos treinta dólares. ¿No recuerdas que te dije?"
One usually comes out by accident, not two...but you could be right. I had them for many years, my mother and father gave them to me for my Quinceañera. They were so expensive, about nine hundred and thirty dollars. Don't you remember I told you?
Kubra scratches his head and then realization crosses his face. "Oh si. Posiblemente tu hija te las pidió prestadas sin preguntar?" He shrugs. "Ya sabes chicas adolescentes..."
Oh, yeah. Possibly your daughter borrowed them from you without asking? You know teenage girls...
Theresa frowns and shakes her head no. "Marisol no me robaría."
Marisol wouldn't steal from me.
"Lo sé, no la estoy acusando de nada, si ella se los quitó, los devolverá, estoy seguro, tal vez quería impresionar a su novia."
I know, I'm not accusing her of anything, if she took them from you, she'll return them, I'm sure, maybe she wanted to impress her girlfriend.
"Sí, eso tiene sentido. Le preguntaré si los ha visto...yo iba a, de todos modos." Theresa goes into her daughter's room where she's listening to music on her headphones and singing along to it. "Marisol." She puts her hand on the girl's knee while sitting beside her.
Yeah, that makes sense. I'll ask her if she's seen them...I was going to, anyway.
She looks up at Theresa and smiles. "¿Si, mamá?"
"Tienes una hermosa voz de canto."
You've got a beautiful singing voice.
"Gracias."
"Me preguntaba, um, ¿has visto mis pendientes favoritos? Ya sabes, ¿los que obtuve de tus abuelos cuando cumplí quince años?"
I was wondering, um, have you seen my favorite earrings? You know, the ones I got from your grandparents when I turned fifteen?
"No...¿por qué?" Marisol asks.
Why?
"¿Estás segura de que no me los prestaste?" Theresa wants to know. "No estás en problemas si lo hiciste, solo los quiero de vuelta."
Are you sure you didn't borrow them from me? You're not in trouble if you did, I just want them back.
"¡No, no los tomé! ¿De dónde viene esto?"
No, I didn't take them! Where is this coming from?
"Nada, olvídalo. Solo tenía curiosidad. Sabes, no necesitas cosas elegantes para impresionar a Maritza ni a nadie más...solo sé tú mismo. Recuerdas lo que te dije si dices algo con confianza, la gente no cuestionará su autenticidad."
Nothing, never mind. I was just curious. You know, you don't need fancy things to impress Maritza or anyone else...just be yourself. You remember what I told you about if you say something with confidence, people will not question its authenticity.
"¡Yo sé eso!"
I know that!
"Oh my god! Is that...?" Alex trails off as she and the girls peer out Flaca's living room window.
"Fuckin' Daya locking lips with Daddy!" Michelle hisses.
"We told her that chick was bad news..." Lorna scoffs. "How come she ain't listenin' to us?"
Daya and Daddy still don't notice them as they separate and Daddy drives away. Daya walks up to Flaca's place and the doorbell rings. Flaca opens the door right away and she and her friends' jaws drop in shock.
"Holy shit," Nicky mutters. "You're high as a kite, and don't try to deny it. I can spot that from a mile away."
"I feel like I'm way above the clouds," Daya tells her while smiling hugely. She walks into Flaca's apartment with a dreamy expression on her face. "Couldn't be happier..."
"We saw you kiss Daddy. Being high is like, the worst way to start a relationship, you ain't yourself or nothin'!" Flaca says sharply.
Daya giggles and rolls her eyes as they all help her sit down on the couch. "You girls were wrong about her, you know. She's the best...and she makes me laugh so hard, man. I know I'm pregnant and maybe as big as a house, but I feel weightless...light."
"She's a pimp!" Blanca snaps.
"A nice one," Daya retorts.
"There ain't no such thing as a nice pimp! All they do is use you and beat your ass if you don't wanna fuck some creepy dude!" Flaca informs her. "Bitch, don't you go for the hot dog and not the bun?"
Daya gives her an unfocused glare. "What if I like both?"
"Then your ass is bisexual," Maritza states while pursing her lips. "That ain't a problem with us. We just don't know why you got stoned when you got a baby in your belly and hooking up with such a shady character. What's her real name? I know it ain't Daddy."
"That's rich, coming from you!" Daya mumbles with a roll of her eyes. "You're the one always wanting to smoke pot...in fact, everyone here except Lorna does that...and you're thinking of using a fake name when you scam old wealthy men in the future! Her full name is Dominga Duarte."
"You don't want your baby becoming addicted to whatever the fuck you took," Allison says harshly. "Also, my advice is to google this girl's ass. You barely know her, and you hated her coming onto you all the time."
"Oh, don't worry...she's legit, and people do change. My little one will be just fine." Daya rubs her belly in a slow, circular motion. "He or she doesn't even know what OxyContin is."
"What?! OxyContin? You took Oxy, otherwise known as Angie's favorite drug?" Nicky almost shouts. "Seriously?!"
Daya chuckles. "It's not a big deal, calm down. It gave me the balls to kick Cesar off his high horse!"
"What the goddamn hell you talkin' about?" Michelle asks angrily, her eyes narrowed into slits.
"I told that motherfucker to stop going after my family because it was me who got him behind bars. I felt real powerful during that moment," Daya explains sluggishly, and the girls gasp in horror.
"You must want a death wish," Alex growls.
"Girls, quit bein' so dramatic," Daya tells them as she lays across their laps and closes her eyes. "I needa take a nap, I'm so tired..."
"This is unacceptable, we gotta tell somebody," Flaca murmurs.
"Mm-hm," the others agree.
Daya frowns. "I can hear you, okay? You ain't gonna say shit."
"Oh, we will, for your own protection," Maritza says.
"Y'all, don't be stupid bitches, you supposed to be my friends, yo. Secrets stay within our circle and we accept each other for who we are. Just say I'm sleepin' over at your place and we had takeout for dinner, Flaca."
"Cesar's real dangerous, even from in prison, he got pals everywhere," Lorna points out. "He could also escape."
"You're the actual danger here. You tried to blow up a fuckin' car, kill some girl because she liked your unrequited crush, and worst of all, you lost my sister! Get back on your meds. Jesus."
"I am on my..." Lorna trails off and gazes sadly at her lap. "Whatever."
"That's enough, Daya!" Nicky practically yells. "You wanna be an idiot, fine, but don't you dare insult my girlfriend!"
"Plus, she's your friend. You don't treat your friends like that," Blanca reprimands Daya. "You know what, though, it's pointless arguing with you when you're like this since nobody can win with a stupid person."
Flaca's phone buzzes and she pulls it out of her pocket while getting up. Her heart drops and she can't breathe for a second. Hi Flaca this is George Mabry and I'm in United state now need to see you and refund your money! Text me anytime you free ! I'm so sorry for what I caused you . I go through a lot but glad I make it home and happy with my kids
Attached are photos of him and his little children, one boy and one girl. Bullshit, she thinks. She had never imagined he'd text her again. Just half a year ago, she'd been a victim in an email scam, but she'd never told anyone, except for Piper.
"Oh my god. Who is this? Flaca's got a new beau?" Piper makes kissing noises as she holds Flaca's phone away from her. "He is sex-aaaayyyy! Talk about monster dicks! Nine inches, wow. Aw, he calls you bae...and he can't stop thinking about you! Some of these poems look like they're from the Internet, though. You're such a sucker."
"Give it back! Please!" Flaca begs as her heart beats wildly inside of her chest. "You can't read it!" Her whole body is shaking so hard that she can't just swipe it away from the leader of her group. Her eyes fill with tears as Piper scrolls a few times, her crafty grin widening with each second.
"You little tramp...whoa, didn't need to see that. Um, you do realize he's eighteen, right? A grown man shouldn't be saying he wants to suck your pussy. Doesn't he know how old you are?"
"Yes, and he's seventeen! You gotta understand, I'm not a slut! I'm just..."
"Pathetic? Yeah, you are. You're not a real slut like Maria, though, you're a virtual one. Like, wow, Flaca. What would your mother think?"
"Don't say a word!" Flaca growls, but her voice sounds too weak. "I'd be grounded forever."
Piper laughs. "I know. He probably found you through the underwear business."
"He did," Flaca admits. "He always says I'm beautiful. I swoon when he does. He also wants to meet, but when I told him we should meet at the movies with all my friends there, he didn't really respond to that."
"That's because he wants to meet alone and fuck you, duh," Piper states. "You're not going to, though, even if he brings his kids. That's dangerous. He's a stranger."
"I know...I won't..."
"Why the hell has he already lost his wife to childbirth and has a five-year-old daughter when he's seventeen, though? If he's older, what he's saying to you makes him a goddamn pedophile."
"He was born and raised in Jamaica and just moved to New York...in his homeland, he was involved in a child marriage. They were just eleven."
"That's kinda sick."
"I know."
"He wishes he was holding you, how sweet! Don't know why he's asking for all these gift cards though...don't give him a dime!"
"I won't," Flaca says, more annoyed now.
It's too embarrassing to even think about. He had talked to her on Facebook, claiming to be a young soldier fighting in Somalia, and he would call her cute pet names and ask her to marry him. She was so desperate for attention from boys, that she sent him nudes. He blackmailed her, so she had to send him money until she had enough of being stressed out. Also, she realized he was nothing but a con artist when he blocked her from MySpace and moved onto only texting and calling her. She had lost a total of nine hundred and thirty dollars, which was the real reason why she was working for Piper's mom and giving people makeovers with Maritza, so she could earn enough cash to get all that money back. He would contact her once a week after she stopped speaking to him for good, and finally, he had left her alone since May. Unfortunately, he decided to come crawling back again. She wants to tell Charles, but of course, she can't call him with her posse in her living room and Daya on drugs.
"Hey, what's wrong? You look...freaked out," Maritza says.
Flaca jumps at her favorite girl's voice. "Nothin', I'm okay. I promise." She gives Maritza what she hopes is a convincing smile. "Don't worry about me."
"I always do, I'm your other half," Maritza tells her.
"Are you sure?" Allison wants to know.
"Yes, positive," Flaca responds with a vigorous nod of her head. She shoves her phone back into her pocket while turning it completely off, just in case he tries to call her.
The landline rings and Gloria is almost afraid to answer it. She sighs with relief when Leon picks up the phone. "Hello? Yes, Gloria's here...Aleida is, too." Both she and Aleida glance up and walk over to the phone. "It's Michelle Carerras."
Aleida takes the phone from him and places it between herself and Gloria's heads so they can hear the girl on the other line. "Okay, Glo and I are listenin'. What's goin' on?"
"So, we ain't snitches, but we just had to say somethin' to y'all since it concerns Daya. I guess she got a pimp girlfriend named Daddy and it's fuckin' weird, yo!" Michelle announces.
"What?!" Gloria and Aleida ask at the same time. They look at each other curiously. "Alright, is this bitch a real live pimp?" Gloria wonders aloud.
"Mm-hm," Michelle answers.
"They're known to be dangerous, and she ain't into the daddy kink. She already got daddy issues!" Gloria stresses as her heart lurches inside of her chest. She loves the girl to pieces, but her niece figure can be so dumb at times.
"I don't approve of this, either. Where is my stupid daughter right now, 'cause we gonna pick her ass up and try talking some sense into her," Aleida mutters. "Or smackin', whatever does the trick."
"Trust us, Aleida, we've tried...nothing seems to be sinking in since she also decided to get high and tattle on herself to Cesar about throwin' him in the big house. We're worried sick about her, and mad...and she's acting like this is all a joke! Like his cronies won't try to find her and do somethin' bad," Allison says.
"Oh, shit!" Gloria hisses. She breathes in and out through her tightly gritted teeth. "Thank you for telling us, honey...and you too, Michelle. She needs to come home this instant!"
"Go ahead and get her, she's at Flaca's apartment." Gloria can tell that's Alex's voice.
"She must be driving y'all the hell crazy. Fuck!" Aleida shouts. She lifts her eyes to meet Gloria's gaze. "She's fuckin' grounded for putting her damn self in danger. He could also kill us for protecting her!"
"Good thing we got Leon's gun, then!"
"Doggett!" a male voice slurs. Allison glances up to see the ex-correctional officer from the news wielding a gun as he staggers into Friendly's later that night. His beard makes him look even more creepy. "Where are you..."
"Whoa, put that down, man!" Fahri hollers as Coates points his weapon at Allison, Taystee, Janae, and Cindy, and then he backs up as Coates stumbles closer to him. They put their hands up in surrender while anxiously getting down on the ground. Everyone else is screaming in terror and hiding under tables with their hands over their heads. Allison notices Alex and Michelle holding each other and she wishes Hassan were here with her right this second. She grips Cindy's hand and wonders why the four of them never shrieked. They're just shaking with nerves.
"It ain't the first time a white asshole's made us fear for our lives," Janae answers Allison's unspoken question.
"We used to this shit," Taystee adds.
"Yeah," Allison whispers.
"Good thing Suzanne ain't here, we'd have to pretend to play hide and seek with her."
Allison nods at Cindy's statement.
"You're drunk! Gimme the damn gun!" Pennsatucky exclaims while walking up to her ex with her hands out. "Don't be acting fucking crazy right now."
"I just want you back." Coates groans and aims the gun at his own head. "I'd rather be dead if you don't want me anymore."
"Stop it, you can't try to guilt me into seeing you again. You're not my type and you're way too old for me." Pennsatucky groans as she and Coates fight over the gun. Suddenly, it goes off. "Holy fuck!"
"Ow! You motherfucking asshole, you shot my finger off! It was my favorite one!" Leanne whines while holding her hand against her chest. "Pennsatucky, you're a dumbass for not just letting him kill himself!" She jumps up and down as blood spurts out of her injury. It makes Allison physically sick. As Diane finishes up her call with the police, presumably Charles, behind the counter, Angie is calling nine-one-one about Leanne's finger.
"It wasn't either of our faults, Leanne. He accidentally pulled the trigger!" Pennsatucky protests.
Coates then faints as Charles and Hopper arrest him. No one can really get up until Coates is officially gone from the premises and Leanne and Angie have left. "God, that was scary," Allison mumbles as she stands to her feet.
"I know," Diane agrees. "Is everyone okay, besides being shaken up?"
"Yes," the crowd answers her in unison.
Just then, Blanca and Diablo walk in with Hassan and Nathan behind them. Both Allison and Pennsatucky race into their boyfriends' arms and bury their faces into their respective guys' chests.
"What happened?" Blanca wants to know. "I musta missed somethin' big..."
"You did. Coates just came in here with a gun 'cause he wanted Penns to be his girlfriend again," Michelle informs her. Blanca's eyes grow wide and she gasps.
"Oh, shit. Did he get busted?" Diablo asks hopefully.
"Yeah, Charles and Hopper just hauled his ass to jail," Ouija responds. "Hope he goes to prison forever."
"Are you okay?" Hassan gently cups Allison's face and kisses her lovingly on the top of her head. She nods her head yes and he smiles, the worried look on his features morphing into relief. "Did anyone get hurt?"
"He shot that annoying methhead Leanne's finger clean off," Allison replies.
"The bitch deserved it, too," Brook mutters spitefully.
"You don't need to say that, but I'm sure she'll be fine," Diane tells her.
On Tuesday morning, Daya seems to be back to herself. She's just listening in horror as the other girls tell her about Coates flinging around his gun. "Thankfully, nobody was hurt," Alex concludes.
"Well, just Leanne, it seems like," Daya says.
"Exactly," Alex murmurs and she and her group cackle hysterically.
Michelle giggles and leans into Alex. "Ay dios, you're so mean!"
"Babe, she is one of the bitches who bullied me. I'm allowed to not feel bad."
"I know!" Michelle cracks up. "None of us care!"
"Yeah, it was just terrifying," Maritza says.
"I'm so glad y'all are okay," Flaca murmurs and pulls Maritza closer to her side while looking down at her with love.
"Thanks for ratting me out, girls," Daya tells her clique somberly after a while.
"Sorry, but it was for your own damn good," Allison insists. "How long are you in the doghouse for?"
Daya rolls her eyes. "One month I gotta stay home with the exception of school and doctor's appointments! No sleepovers, no movies, no parties, no nothin'. I can only go to Blanca's since Gloria and Aleida are helping Trina, her mother...and of course my own sweet sixteen wouldn't be canceled. They all yelled at me, even Leon...took turns, too. They said the grounding is for protection and punishment. I couldn't stop giggling, though, since I was high...but then I realized I was in serious trouble. I called 'em all homophobic bitches. They said it wasn't that I was out with a girl, it was that she's not to be trusted...and she isn't." Daya hangs her head in shame. "They're scared for me since I told Cesar...you know. I'm afraid, too...he knows where we live and everything."
"Just be careful, okay? Lay low for a while," Lorna suggests, and the others nod in agreement.
"I will."
"Yeah, and don't take anything from someone you barely know! She's practically a stranger," Nicky chimes in.
"I know...I won't." Flaca's phone starts ringing all of a sudden, but she shuts it off quickly and shoves it into her pocket. "Who was that?" Daya wonders aloud.
"Nobody," Flaca mutters, but she flinches when her phone vibrates four times and her cheeks flush red.
"Is Maria bothering you again?" Alex wants to know. "Remember, everyone here is aware of P, so you don't need to keep secrets from us."
"It's no one important. Just a spam call, I guess...I didn't recognize the number," Flaca tells Alex tiredly.
"How annoying," Maritza says. "Alright..."
Loud laughter echoes through the almost empty hallway after school. Alex spots the stupid metheads flanking Helen, their three backs to her. "You know, the rule still stands, even though Brandy's gone!" Helen shouts at someone who Alex can't see. "Three-hundred feet away from Leanne forever!"
"Yeah, Leanne's bad finger looks like a tampon 'cause a you," Angie mutters. "Doing number one in the hall, fucking a guard, and shooting fingers like the brainless hillbilly you are."
"Shut the fuck up!" Pennsatucky's angry voice rings out. She stands up and punches Angie hard in the nose, breaking it. Alex just stares at the scene, open-mouthed. "You don't even know the difference between probation and pronation!"
"Ow, you just hit me!" Angie wails.
"Yeah, and you give me ghost pains in my missing finger," Leanne adds bitterly.
"That was for laughing at Alana's busted nose! It's not that funny when it happens to you, is it, Angie?"
Helen puts her arms around Leanne and Angie. "Come on, girls, let's get away from her. She's a monster!"
"You're the fuckin' monster, you cunt! You all are!" Pennsatucky yells after them as they scamper away. Her hands are balled into fists at her sides and she's breathing in and out through clenched teeth. "You should've had Flaritza get that on video. Then you could watch me getting tormented by those whores day after goddamn day."
Alex sighs. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to just stand there and look at what was happening...but you were a badass for clocking Angie in her stupid face. I once almost killed an old Nazi bitch. It was great."
"Thanks." Pennsatucky relaxes a little as she strides over to Alex with her arms crossed over her chest. "Really, you just about murdered one of Hitler's floozies?"
"I did," Alex states proudly as they stride down the hallway and sit on a bench outside. "So, um...I was gonna step in and help you, but it seemed like you handled it well. Bullying totally sucks, I've been there. I wish I was brave enough to kick the Wedge sisters' asses. I guess I didn't wanna get in trouble."
"Your mom's a teacher! She'd be on your side, one hundred percent."
"I know, but this was back in the fifth grade. They don't do anything right now...I mean, Polly calls me some lame names, but that's about it. I get her back, though. I'm Supercunt, so she's Holly Hobbie. Jessica and her friends would holler pigsty at me in a loud voice as I was getting into my mom's car after school. She didn't hear them, she thought they were my friends." Alex chuckles humorlessly. "Not a chance in the fucking world, and I told her that. She then basically proceeded to teach me not to give a flying fuck about what people think or say about me. I soon didn't care that I was wearing fake Adidas sneakers and tattered clothes, because it was what I had. I couldn't help that I stunk like a bum...we lived in a trailer park and near a garbage dump. My mom worked at Friendly's and she still does, but the Wedge parents worked at the college. Their snotrag kids were fancy on the outside, but really rotten on the inside."
"I'm glad you gained confidence since then. I have it, but...I just hate my ex-friends being so mean to me! I recently had a birthday...on Sunday...but I didn't bother having a party, since people hate me or aren't close to me."
Alex frowns. "Penns...we had our differences in the past, and dumb arguments, I can't deny that, but the girls and I still would've come if you threw a party."
"Maybe Nichols, but not the rest of y'all. I really don't need your pity, Vause."
"You're a much nicer person now. We all like you."
"I had a sleepover with Suzanne and Boo made us cake and took us out for dinner, that was good enough for me. Nathan came too, but he didn't spend the night, of course. It was pretty fun."
"Well, that's awesome, I'm glad."
"I bet you know by now that Leanne spread a rumor that I have chlamydia and Angie's been tellin' everyone I never got potty trained, but none of those are true."
"I don't listen to gossip, really...I think they're just being immature babies."
"Yeah, they are. You remember my yellow drink from Maria's party?"
Alex nods. "It was delicious."
"Thanks. Well...Leanne took a tinkle in it one day, so I stopped makin' em."
"Oh, she's nasty," Alex mutters while wrinkling her nose.
"Mm-hm. You know what else?" Pennsatucky doesn't wait for Alex to answer. "Leanne, Angie, Helen, and Brandy, when she was alive, they all forced me to piss in a hallway and they watched me do it!"
"Gross, really?"
"Yep. It got on me, too, and I was shocked! They also locked me up in a porta potty! I love confined spaces and everything, but not that time."
"Maybe you should tell someone. They're being so unnecessarily cruel!"
"I tried to tell Boo, but Boo is too into Linda right now and thinks she's in love and that I can handle this on my own."
Alex scoffs. "That sucks."
"It does. So that's why I went to the first person I saw."
"Which turned out to be me."
"Yeah. Is this awkward for you at all?"
Alex shakes her head no. "Not really. I'm glad you came to me with this and opened up. I could go with you to Caputo to report the bullying if you want."
"Oh, hell, no! Linda is in his office, as she's the vice principal, and...eugh!" Pennsatucky wrinkles her nose and sticks out her tongue. "I wouldn't step foot in there unless I was called in."
"I understand."
"Besides that, they bully a lot of people, not just me. Brook almost killed herself popping too much Benadryl because of Leanne, and both of those methheads covered Suzanne's face in shampoo and baby powder, making her have whiteface! She hated it! She don't have a job as a clown and ghosts aren't real..."
"Oh yeah, Lorna found her like that. She took her to the bathroom."
"That was sweet of her. Suzanne looked extra weird and creepy when she lifted her cheeks to stretch her lips into a smile. I don't wanna see my best friend lookin' like that again! She loves herself and she says black is beautiful."
"Wow, what they did to her was terrible," Alex comments.
"Yeah, and while I was in a bathroom stall, I started singing Big Red: A Little Longer, the gum commercial song, and another woman sang it with me. We didn't know the other was in there...when I discovered it was Linda, I slapped her and stormed out! It was so humiliating...I spilled my guts to her, like how things are much worse at school now because of the bullying and they just wanna screw up my life because they have more power over me. Linda's such a backhoe bitch since she stole my foster mother from me! I'm glad I injured her nose and spit at her. Linda called me feral, but she totally deserved it." Pennsatucky tears up suddenly. "Why were we fighting anyway? You and me, I mean?" She sniffles.
"It was because I wrongfully liked the person you hated with damn good reason. You saw her for who she really was...an evil, vindictive, lying little cunt."
"Mm-hm, and I was being a homophobic jerk. I ain't like that anymore, though."
"I know."
"Should we call a truce?" Pennsatucky asks and wipes her eyes.
"Definitely."
They smile at each other and share a hug.
"Neither of your little ones ate their food," Miss Stacey reports as a concerned look crosses her features. "Benny's bread was moldy and Christina lost her appetite after she found a spider crawling around her macaroni."
Gloria and Aleida glance at each other in disgust and press their hands to their hearts while hugging their respective children to their legs. "Well, we sure as fuck didn't put it there!" Gloria insists.
"Mm-hm, I may have been a shitty motha in the past, but I never poisoned my kids' meals," Aleida puts in.
"It was our stalker! We got somebody tormenting us...you gotta believe that. You can ask any of the cops surrounding our place, and they'll tell you the same thing," Gloria says.
"Yeah, there's a really mean monster and it's making us sad and scared," Benny puts in and Christina nods silently in agreement.
"Oh my goodness, I'm sorry," Miss Stacey apologizes. "How on earth would they have gotten into the lunchboxes from the time you made their lunches to the time it was served, though?"
"Maybe everyone was outside and nobody noticed. He...or she, dressed as a werewolf to scare my daughter and I didn't even know the motherfucker was in our house until she and Gloria told me!" Aleida responds.
"We don't let random people into our school."
"Maybe you don't, but I guess he snuck in somehow...I bet he pretended to be their father or somethin' and one of your aides fell for it," Gloria mumbles. "I'm assuming it's a he..."
Miss Stacey claps a hand over her forehead. "Oh no, Lisa was cleaning tables, she was recently hired, so she doesn't really know all the parents' faces...she didn't even tell me about him being there! I wouldn't expect her to...I'll just have to hold onto your kids' lunches from now on instead of putting them into cubbies. Would that be okay?"
"Yeah, until this motherfucker's caught," Aleida mutters. "You didn't let 'em go hungry, right?"
"There's gotta be emergency food stored somewhere," Gloria states.
"Of course, we don't want any children in our care to starve. They had those cups of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese," Miss Stacey assures them.
"Okay, good," the women murmur in unison.
After four days of waiting for the maternity test results from Dr. Brooks, an envelope comes into the mail for Diane. She invites Frieda to the apartment that she and Alex now share with Charles. The four of them are just staring at the envelope while crossing their fingers behind their backs.
"Well, do you wanna do the honors, Diane? Or should I?" Frieda wonders out loud.
"Me!" Diane says much too quickly. Her heart is beating so fast. When Alex had first told her and Frieda, it didn't seem possible, but now she's hoping and praying that she's the little girl who Frieda had lost nearly four decades ago. She's also extremely nervous that she isn't. "I'll...I'll do it," she volunteers.
She rips open the envelope as they all smile at her in anticipation. Alex bounces on the balls of her feet as Diane pulls out the official document, which is folded in thirds. She closes her eyes and smooths the sheet out so it's eight-and-a-half inches wide and eleven inches long. Slowly, she dares a peek.
Only one thing stands out to her, something that makes the others start cheering. "Ninety-nine point nine nine nine eight percent probability of maternity," she reads aloud. Suddenly it's like a brick off Diane's chest. She starts shrieking in happiness, jumping up and down, and crying as she and Frieda share a long hug.
"Yay!" Alex says jovially.
"That's awesome!" Charles puts in ecstatically.
"Oh, my baby," Frieda murmurs and kisses Diane's cheek while brushing her tears away.
"Mama...Mama…" Diane mumbles. She had never given Frieda that title before since she wasn't sure if Frieda would be okay with it, but it's so good to say. "Is it okay...if I...if I call you Mama? Or...or just Mom?" She sniffles and squeezes Frieda's hands.
"Either one is fine. I'm grateful that I found you in the club! That was just pure luck!"
"Me, too!"
"Hold on," Charles says, taking his camera out of his jacket pocket. "Let me get a picture of the three generations, if that's cool with y'all?"
"Sure!" they chorus brightly.
Alex and Frieda stand on either side of Diane and she puts her arms around both her mother and her daughter. They grin as Charles snaps the photo. Alex, Diane, and Frieda then tell their friends about what had just occurred, and naturally, the women and girls are all so overjoyed for them.
"Okay, it's been twenty-four hours and nothing has happened!" Daya snaps while pacing back and forth. "I been thinking about it for a while and maybe y'all did overreact. Cesar has never taken me that seriously, to be quite honest."
"He's probably got somebody lying in wait. Of course they ain't gonna strike right away, since they want you to be distracted and not prepared for them to attack you," Gloria states strongly. "You ain't goin' nowhere for the next four weeks unless you're at school or with one of us." She sips her mint tea, and Aleida does the same.
"What if you ask me to take out the trash or recycling? It's five steps away from our place."
"Don't be smart with us, young lady," Aleida reprimands her. "You sit your ass down and think about what you done."
"I did," Daya grumbles.
"Go make dinner," Gloria instructs her in a bored tone of voice. "You need to show us you're responsible. We want our Daya back."
"Really, Gloria? I been doing it while Aleida was cooking heroin with Cesar in the kitchen."
"One more word outta you and I'll make it two months!" Aleida hollers. "We gonna watch our telenovela now."
Daya rolls her eyes and does as she's told. As she's putting the cheese enchilada into the oven, Leon comes into the kitchen and starts doing the dishes. "Do you think they're being too hard on me?" she asks him quietly.
"Not really. I screamed at you too, remember?"
She winces. "I guess I deserved that. Sorry for saying you're not my dad."
"Well, I'm not. It doesn't mean I don't care about you, though. I do, Daya...I'm dating your mother and I want to protect both her and her loved ones. You spilling your guts to Cesar gave him more ammo to actually do something very scary to you and our family. You made a huge mistake."
"Yeah, and I apologized..."
"It doesn't turn things back."
"I wish it did..."
"You are never allowed to see that girl or go near the men's prison alone again. Do you understand me?"
Daya nods. "Loud and clear. Gloria and Aleida told me that, too. I just wanted him to stop harassing us, so I thought if I was, um, high, then I'd be more courageous."
"Well, you stepped into the lion's den and kicked him while he was sleeping." Leon frowns and shakes his head in disapproval. "What in God's name were you thinking, kid?"
"I dunno..."
"He's not the stalker either, by the way."
"I'm well aware of that, but it could be someone working for him."
"Which is why you are staying right here, out of danger."
Daya sighs. "Okay..."
Hey
Wyd
I missed that your pussy
I love you Marisol
Flaca shudders in disgust as her eyes scan the text messages from the creepy scammer. She knows his first name isn't George, it's in fact Cameo, he's back, and he doesn't want her love, just her money. She wants to show Charles, but she doesn't want a family friend to know her deepest, darkest secret, that she sent nudes to a stranger online, all because she was feeling lonely and horny one night. She has no idea what to do. She could block him, but he may text her again from a different burner phone, and she isn't sure of how to change her number. She wishes someone, anyone, besides the ever so unhelpful Piper, of course, had mistakenly seen any of the texts 'George' had sent her, and then confronted her and coaxed the truth out of her.
She quickly hides her phone when her mother comes into her room. "¿Alguna vez has encontrado tus aretes?" Flaca asks.
Did you ever find your earrings?
Theresa shakes her head sadly. "No."
Flaca's heart sinks in disappointment for her and she squeezes her hand. "Oh, lo siento."
Oh, I'm sorry.
"He wouldn't even look at me," Gloria says and then sniffles. "He...he even asked for anyone but me to give him his meal! Why he gotta be such an immature baby?!" She's sitting up against the arm of the couch with a wad of Kleenex in her lap across from Leon, who's on the chair. She blows her nose loudly and tosses the used tissue into a brown trash can.
"Glo, quit bein' depressed about fuckin' Lushit," Aleida scolds her in passing. "He don't mean nothin' to any of us. He should be like garbage to you! He just a dumbass prick." She sits down at the kitchen across from Lourdes, ready to do the older woman's nails.
Lourdes tuts and spreads her fingers out as Aleida unscrews the cap of a red nail polish bottle. "I have to agree. What happened to my niece who needed no man to satisfy her?"
"I know...I know..." Gloria hiccups and covers her face in humiliation. She's well aware that Joel isn't worth sobbing over, but she never expected it to hurt like this. "I got no clue why I'm cyin'..." She chuckles through her tears. "I...I guess I just...I feel betrayed."
Leon frowns. "That guy sounds like an idiot. He was a close co-worker, then?" he wants to know.
Gloria nods in confirmation. "We used to, um...horse around and stuff...but then...I didn't think he was all that hilarious anymore, and now that I rejected him and basically put him in the friend zone...uh, he...he's ignoring me! Why the fuck can't he just be a normal guy friend to me?" She wipes at her eyes. "I feel like I lost a pal...even if we weren't all that tight, I guess I miss jokin' around with him, if only he wasn't such an asshole most of the time...he don't think I'm fun no more."
"It sounds like that's his problem. You know what, though, Gloria? You always got me, and I'll be the best male friend there ever was. Honest." Leon crosses his heart. "I promise!"
She manages a smile. "Thanks...you're real sweet to say that."
"You're welcome."
"I shouldn't be so sad, though...Aleida and my tía are right." Gloria takes a few deep breaths in and out. "Diane found out her birth mom is in fact, Frieda, and I'm real happy for her! My tiniest son's birthday went well, thanks to Fahri...and you and Charles are guarding the apartment so well. Lots of good things are happening."
"I don't think it's Luschek you're really upset about, Florecita. You've been under a lot of stress with the stalker...we have too, but Luschek avoiding you is just one more negative that was added to your day." Lourdes blows on her finished nails. "You know what, though? You have so many people who care about you, so don't worry about one loser who doesn't seem to."
"You're the best counselor I've ever had, Tía!" Gloria exclaims.
"Thank you, Florecita."
"I won't hug you now since I don't wanna mess up your nails."
"Good. Now clean yourself up, your face is blotchy!"
Gloria rolls her eyes. "I was about to wash it anyway before bed!" She gets up with a groan at the same time as Leon and wraps her arms around him. "You're an awesome buddy."
"So are you! Night, lil sis."
Gloria smiles brightly at this. "Night, big bro." She turns to Lourdes and kisses her cheek, and then goes to Aleida and plays with her hair a bit. "Night, you two!"
"Good night!" the women respond in unison.
"Why do you wanna talk to that asshole, babe?" Charles holds Diane protectively against him as they walk into the men's prison where Edward is. Diane is clutching onto his hand like it's a lifeline. He's giving her the courage to do this. Without him, she would be turning around and running for her life, even though there is no one after her.
"I need answers. Maybe he'll be truthful and brutally honest about the reason why they stole me from Frieda...my biological mother. Wow, that's still so hard to believe, but really amazing!"
"Yeah, I'm happy for ya," Charles tells her with a grin. "Edward is very cruel, though, Diane...so if he makes you upset and you wanna leave, just say the word and we'll go."
"Okay."
They meet the monster in the visitation room and sit across from him at a table. "Get outta here, you fucking nigger! You stay away from my child. She will not be infected with your germs!" Edward yells.
Before Diane and Charles can get a sentence in, a guard slams the table. "Vause! Keep it down! Racist slurs are not allowed in here."
"I'm not your kid, Edward. Your wife kidnapped me while wearing blackface. I mean, who the fuck does that? Even if I was born into your family, I...I still wouldn't respect you or give-give you the time of day because you made my life very unpleasant. You and Phyllis both did. It was a nightmare...living with you people!" Diane informs him while trembling inside. "Why...why did you...you didn't even want a girl! Why did you let her take me and not put me back with my birth mother?" The only reason she's able to talk, is because Charles is stroking her knuckles with his thumb underneath the table.
"You think if I didn't even want you in the first place, you would've been left at a church? That place is not for unloved people! You would've cursed it. Your mother brought your ass home, I took one look at you, and realized what a special gift she'd received. I'd be with her if she was in labor, and you wouldn't have been left out in the rain once we both saw your eyes."
Diane scoffs and blinks back unshed tears. "The thing is, though, that whole saga is a bullshit lie. There was no church or rain...Frieda told me the whole story about losing her daughter and just now, we took a DNA test. We are related for sure. She's my mom."
"She's a terrible one. You were a baby and she let Phyllis snatch you away."
"No, no, Frieda was in a lot of agony...you don't know how much labor hurts. She barely got a good look at me and she thought Phyllis was a legit nurse. I don't blame her for what happened to me...I blame you and Phyllis. I was miserable for eighteen years!" She covers her mouth while stifling a sob. "You ruined my childhood..."
"When brats don't do what the adult says, they're gonna be in trouble," Edward insists. He smirks at her and she looks down, suddenly feeling creeped out with his leering. "You were constantly being punished for your behavior."
Diane sniffles. "I don't think I did anything to earn my butterflies being killed in front of me when I was only ten and had gotten them as a Christmas present...from you and Phyllis! I-I don't think it's so bad that I really didn't want to be a model or anything else you were trying to make me do, except dance! I don't think it's awful of me to rebel."
"Oh, it is. You showed us that you were nothing like us, so you deserved us crushing your stupid butterflies. You were getting us serious money. You should understand that now since you're grown up. It's been, what, twenty-two years? Get the fuck over it."
Just listening to him talk is making Diane physically sick. She squeezes Charles' hand and leans into him while bringing his arm further around her waist. He must sense her discomfort, as he holds her closer. "I...I will never forget...what you put me through..."
"Quit with the dramatics, and get away from that ape!" Edward reaches across the table to slap her arm and she squeaks in fear. Shaking violently, she practically hides herself in Charles' arms.
"Don't you ever put you hands on her again, motherfucker!" Charles growls.
"Vause, no touching!" the guard yells.
"I gave Diane her very first orgasm because she closed the door while undressing. Her body was bangin' at eleven, wow! I was able to fit three fingers in her and wiggle 'em around a bit until she screamed."
"I wanna go, I wanna go!" she keeps repeating emotionally as Charles scoops her up and carries her out of the room. "I'm sorry for the names he called you, I'm sorry..." Diane hiccups and wails into his shoulder. "I'm so sorry!"
Charles sets her down on a bench outside and strokes her hair. He cups her face in his hands and wipes her falling tears away with his thumbs. "Baby, he's racist, you don't need to apologize!"
"Why did they get me butterflies at first?" Diane asks sadly.
"They were most likely grooming you."
"Oh yeah, like they got me all kinds of nice things after their various acts of abuse towards me when I was small. They celebrated Christmas superficially, decorated and had presents under the tree, but as I grew older, I'd get coal or skimpy outfits. It was so disappointing...I was real stupid to be full of hope every time I started to open a gift. They'd hit me with my own dolls..." She breaks off sobbing into his shoulder, and he just takes her into the backseat of his car and holds her. He occaisonally rubs her back in soothing circles and keeps whispering over and over that she's safe with him. She believes him wholeheartedly and feels warmer as she nestles into his embrace.
"I heard about what happened," Lourdes tells Daya while hugging her. She tsks. "You're too much like your mother. I hope this taught you an important lesson!"
"Don't you be talkin' to me like that," Daya answers roughly and pulls out of Lourdes' embrace.
"This is a new side of you," Lourdes mutters. "You can't speak to me this way. Respect your elders!"
"You're like my abuela, you gotta spoil me! Plus, I'm embracing my inner bitch, it's what I gotta do to survive."
"What on earth are you going on about?" Daya limps away from Lourdes and disappears into the bathroom. "Daya! Are you okay?"
"Takin' a shower, if it's cool with you! Do I need supervision to wash myself, too? Honest to Christ!"
As the water starts running, Lourdes sighs to herself and continues reading her book. She doesn't have a clue of what's going on with Daya, besides the mess she'd gotten herself into. She's obviously upset about that, but Lourdes feels like there's more to the story.
Fifteen minutes later, the shower turns off. "I'm going to bed...good night!" Daya announces as she walks past Lourdes, only in a pink bathrobe that Lourdes lets guests borrow.
"Night!" She wants to give the girl privacy and not kiss her goodnight until she's snuggled under the comforter in the guestroom. She waits twenty minutes and goes to where Daya is sleeping tonight and knocks on the door. To her surprise, there's no answer. She raps her knuckles against the wood again, but Daya still isn't responding. Afraid that she could've escaped through the window, Lourdes bursts inside.
That's when Daya shrieks in fright and almost falls off the chair in front of the vanity, trying to cover herself with a purple blanket that was draped over the end of the bed. She'd been staring at her reflection, Lourdes can tell. Only clad in a comfortable bra and underpants, Lourdes notices red bruises and gashes all over her back and shoulders and one on her right ankle. The injuries on her granddaughter figure stop Lourdes' blood cold.
"Why'd you barge in on me like that?!" Daya yells as she trembles and pulls on her yellow floral-patterned pajama top and matching shirt. "Ooowwww..."
"I'm sorry, querida, I knocked twice...I guess you didn't hear me, but I was worried. I have good reason to be, too...what are all those wounds from?"
Daya gets onto the bed and wraps her arms around her knees. She starts gasping in and out rapidly. "I can't say nothin'..." she mumbles shakily. "Can't do shit about it…except put ice and bandages on 'em later."
"Yes, you can tell me anything." Lourdes sits besides Daya and suddenly realizes the young girl reminds her of a teenage Gloria. She rubs Daya's back in soothing circles. "Deep, slow breaths, sweetie. Deep, slow breaths."
Daya chokes on a sob as she lays her head in Lourdes' lap. "You're probably gonna say I got punished by God."
"I still don't know what this is about...but you can open up to me. I promise you're safe with me and I won't judge you. Mi querida nieta…" Lourdes threads her fingers through Daya's wet hair.
My darling granddaughter
"Please don't tell Gloria, my mom, or even Leon...I didn't sneak out or anything...but I got jumped."
Lourdes' heart lurches in pain for the girl. "¡Dios mío! Where? By who?"
"No idea, long after school was over, I was getting tutored in Spanish in an almost empty classroom...and my teacher had to step out for a moment, but then, someone with a mask put a gun in my face and forced me into the utility closet...the next thing I knew, the lights shut off and it was dark and hard to see...I just heard a man's voice, along with a teenage girl's." Daya sniffles. "My baby's okay, though, I shielded them from the blows."
"I need to report this to Charles."
"I don't want anyone to know!" Daya weeps more into Lourdes' arms. "I've never even seen my assailants' faces!"
"If I keep this private, they could do it over and over again, Daya."
"I'm just not gonna be alone anymore, that's all. I don't wanna waste Charles' time with unknown suspects that he has no chance of catching...it's probably our same old stalker and a buddy of his."
"Whoever it was, Charles should be told. I highly recommend it."
"I'll talk to him tomorrow, then. Can you just sleep with me tonight?" Daya asks.
"Of course I will, bebe." After taking care of Daya's injuries, Lourdes climbs in bed with her and holds her close while kissing her temple and lovingly toying with her hair. "Anything to comfort you and make you feel better."
Daya just snuggles further into Lourdes and cries herself to sleep.
Thank you for reading and reviewing, VeraRose19, A Star In My Universe, and Johanna002!
