Thank you for beta'ing, MsSchneeheide!

"I just went to this restaurant where Alana Dwight's grandpa makes tater tot pie, it was delicious! We should make tater tots one day," Shani murmurs. "It's the best part of America, besides Nicky, of course!" She bumps her hip against Nicky's and they snicker together quietly.

Red beams as she turns off the tap. "I for sure will allow that!"

"I'm glad. Those things are delicious!" Blanca comments.

Still grinning, Aleida oils a pan and turns to the short blonde and the tall brunette. "Yo, welcome to the club, bitches!"

"Yeah! ¡Felicidades!" Blanca congratulates them.

Nicky and Shani laugh together. "Thanks!"

"How'd the interview go?" Blanca can't resist asking.

"I hiked up my skirt...I was seriously about to offer myself to the hot vice principal Ms. Figueroa, but Mr. Caputo gave me the position without a second thought," Nicky informs her. "First time I didn't bomb an interview...amazing! At first, I assumed I needed to do something extra like oral to work here, but apparently, all they required was our résumés, which Red helped us with. I, uh..." She lowers her voice. "I'm on my period, so I'm just powering through my first day with Advil. We clean up nice, huh?"

"Oh, sí," Blanca responds with a grin. "We're hella lucky he's so understanding! Shani, you must be getting paid with cash?"

"Yeah, since I didn't get my green card yet," she whispers. "I hope it comes soon."

"Me, too," Blanca murmurs.

"Me, three, baby," Nicky says, snuggling into Shani's side. The taller woman hugs her.

"I wish I ran my mother over with a lawn mower and shredded her, but it's too late now since she's dead!" Gina informs Norma. "I'm just glad that bossy Leanne isn't here anymore." Norma gives Gina a quizzical look. "Yeah, I know she gave you a good shoulder rub, but that grotesque bitch was just not nice. She was the leader of the group, basically, but not a good one. I have bad anxiety, even over pen-scratching, and she triggered it a lot. Thanks for calming me down by singing to me!"

Norma hugs Gina with a smile and cups her chin. She writes something on a piece of paper. "Aw, I love you, too!" Gina tells her.

"They're adoptive mother and daughter now," Red explains to the other cafeteria ladies in a hushed tone.

Gina scowls at them. "What are you all whispering about?"

"Just wondering about that scar on your neck? How did you get it?" Blanca wants to know.

"Ugh, it was a while ago, a few months to be exact, you weren't here…Red overreacted when it was rumored that Gloria would be the new head chef."

"One night, I tried to sabotage Gloria from ever being considered for the position of head chef. I unlocked the gate blocking off the kitchen. Sneaking inside, I went to a frying station and removed a grated basket from the oil vat. I poured in a grainy substance. Opening a rice container, I tipped in an entire can of salt and mixed it with my hand. I opened an oven and sloshed a bottle of cooking oil inside. I spread the cooking oil around with a rag, then closed the oven door and left," Red admits sheepishly.

"The next morning, while Flaca, Maritza, and Daya were practicing their dance for us nearby and Daya's boyfriend Adarsh, I turned on the ovens, but when I opened one of the oven doors, flames rushed out like a grease fire and I got burned. Flaca kicked the oven door closed. Adarsh grabbed Daya protectively and held her tightly. On fire, I flailed on the ground. Mr. Luschek examined the oven and Flaca said I was burned on my arm and clavicle."

"Your daughter sprayed Gina with a fire extinguisher. White foam smothered the flames," Gloria adds.

"She and Norma were so pissed at Red, they didn't talk to la jefa for days," Aleida chimes in. Norma nods with a frown.

"I had never seen such childish behavior from Red in my life," Claudette grumbles.

"Mi hija y Flaca, las heroínas," Blanca says proudly. She gives Gina a sympathetic look. "Well, lo siento you got hurt."

"Thanks. I'm happy it's over now. Except Luschek is so rude about it, he calls me scar-neck, and when I cut myself with a rusty wire cutter in class, he called me tetanus. Maybe he doesn't like that I was part of Piper's panty girls…"

"You survived, that's the most important thing, but I'm sorry it happened in the first place, and that Luschek is being mean and immature about it." Red tells Gina.

"I know."

"Yeah! What an asshole," Shani mutters.

"I'm ashamed I was ever friends with him," Nicky adds.

They give her sad smiles and everyone continues cooking breakfast.

Maritza is between Flaca and Daya as they practice their dance for Gloria's class. "Pop, turn, and shake!" Flaca shouts as they do it, then pat their hips in unison.

"Daya, just do the shimmy and shake your ass at the end," Maritza tells her.

"Isn't this weird on a chick my size?"

"Girl, no, it's a pop song, 'Christmas in Hollis', we gotta look sexy, and don't worry, because you do," Maritza assures her and then turns on the music.

"She sure does," Adarsh comments, planting a kiss on a now beaming Daya's cheek.

Maritza giggles at their cuteness. "Watch." She and Flaca dance provocatively, grinding against each other. Holding Maritza, Flaca spins and dips her. Maritza runs into Flaca's arms. They dance in place and their friends clap and cheer for them. Everyone is having strawberry yogurt except for Daya.

"We're doing that for the talent show!" Flaca exclaims.

"Cool! I'm singin' 'Go Tell It On The Mountain' and Miss Claudette says I do very well on it!" Taystee says.

"Yes, you do, baby," Clarence says as he kisses her temple. She smiles giddily.

"I'm doin' 'Amazing Grace'," Poussey chimes in.

"Neat!" Maritza takes a swig of her pineapple soda. She's been craving it lately for some reason. "You'll both do awesome, just like we will!" She gestures to herself, Flaca, and Daya.

"Thanks!" Poussey says with a grin, and Maritza smiles back at her.

"I ain't doin' nothin', just watchin' y'all!" Elena informs them.

"Same," Franziska, Ceci, and Katie say in unison.

"Except that I'm also gonna be cuddling with my boy here," Elena murmurs, grinning widely and scooting impossibly closer to Sergio, who puts his arm around her. Their lips touch and Elena giggles. Sergio looks just as happy.

"I'll give you snuggles anytime, princess," Sergio tells her.

"Oh, okay! You two are adorbs, by the way!" Flaca squeals. "Same with you guys." She gestures to Taystee, Clarence, Daya, and Adarsh.

"The honeymoon stage really is the best," Maritza tells her, and they exchange a lip-lock, trying their best not to really make out in front of the group.

"Yeah," all the other couples agree in unison.

"Anyway…I wish we could have tacos, burritos, and hot salsa on Tuesdays at school," Flaca states randomly.

"Pizza would be nice then, too! It rhymes with my name!" Maritza points out.

"I also enjoy the salsa and conga on Friday nights!" Flaca chimes in.

"Flaca, Flaca, she's our girl! If she can't do it, it'll all unfurl! Goooo, Flaca!" Maritza cheers and they echo her.

Flaca clasps her hands together. "¡Aw, gracias!"

"¡De nada!" Maritza responds.

"Oh, hell yeah!" Taystee whoops. "Waterbeds would be sweet as well!"

"We don't need 'em in escuela," Ceci says.

"I know, I meant for my new home. I'll have to ask Miss Claudette!"

Ceci nods in understanding.

"I bet you're all excited to go to prom with your novios," Maritza says, addressing Daya, Elena, and Taystee. "Sorry, I meant boyfriends."

"I know the Spanish word for it," Daya lets her know. "It's basic!"

"Oh, good."

"Things with my mom are way better than they were a year and a half ago. Even still, I sometimes have this dream where I'm in a yard and striding up to Aleida. She's walking between Gloria and you, Maritza. I slapped my mom's face and she grabbed my hair. Gloria told me to respect my mother and Maritza, you were concerned for my safety. Gloria pulled Aleida off me and I lied on the ground, watching you three depart."

"That's super strange!" Adarsh exclaims.

"I know I sometimes say Aleida is like another mom to me, but I wouldn't want her to do something bitchy to make you hit her!" Maritza chimes in.

Daya hums. "I know." She sips her blue Powerade.

"I had a weird dream, too…me, Flaca, Poussey, and Cindy were adult prisoners doing some scared straight thing and Tricia was supposed to do it too, but she didn't show up. We glared at these juvenile delinquents and tried to be scary, and most of 'em fell for our act except this wheelchair bound chick. Later, we dropped the facades and Flaca said she knew the kids were good deep down inside and they wouldn't make their same mistakes again. Janae and Nicky were there too, they were doin' electrical with Flaca, like woodshop in school, but they were in the slammer getting eleven cents an hour. Flaca and Taystee also fought over a King Cone and Gloria pulled Flaca away while Poussey got Taystee and Flaca pulled Taystee's hair out!"

"Wow, that's totally like what happened, that last part. I yanked Taystee's hair extension out," Flaca explains guiltily. She takes a drink of her cherry Gatorade.

"It's cool now," Taystee assures her. "I figured I gotta forgive you sometime, so I did."

"All right, thanks! Anyway, chicas, let's get our nails done by Aleida soon!"

"Yeah!" the girls chorus excitedly.

"So I got a family history of heart attacks," Cindy starts out in the background while drinking a vanilla latte with two sugars. "I ain't gonna be okay with food service except for if it's at White Castle because they serve mini burgers…and my Hebrew name is Tova. I converted to being Jewish and I had to do a mikvah 'cause I had an overly religious freak Christian father who yelled at me when he caught me eating potatoes during Grace when I was only ten. He's just like my aunt in Michigan who had gout. Anyway…Rabbi Tautlebaum wrote me a recommendation but I was in jail for four months but still got the job at the nursing home and earnin' tons of paparazzi pizza dough!"

"What?" Alison asks. "Just say money if you mean that."

"Paparazzi pizza dough is money, Scarfy!" Cindy insists. "It's just a cooler way of saying it."

"Whatever, I'm gonna juice up the box." Alison begins charging her phone. She rolls her eyes at Cindy. Maritza and Flaca turn around to give them their privacy.

"Word on the street is they're not getting along since they're working on some college project together, but Cindy's bein' lazy and Alison is stuck doing all the work and she can't stand Cindy's selfishness and greediness…but maybe them both havin' kids could bring them closer," Flaca whispers.

"Yeah…pero el drama es interesante, let's just keep listening," Maritza tells her in a quiet voice.

"Muslim girls get raped and then stoned to death, I want no part in that!" Cindy hisses.

"Shut up, you ignorant asshole!" Alison fires back. "No wonder your mom calls you 'Hurricane Cindy'!" she mutters.

"God, you're just as annoying as my father; you might as well call me Cynthia and say you hate dishonesty because it eats away at you. I had to go to Michigan just to have my baby and not be around his ass. Of course my sister Joy thought I should tell my parents who the baby daddy is, but I didn't want to since I really liked Curtis and didn't want them talking to his parents and getting him in trouble! Martin would agree with me. Even my mom would; she said my dad was overreacting and that I didn't have to say who the father is."

"Hold on…" Alison laughs. "Didn't you use to go to high school at Millford Mill Academy and wear a yellow hoodie with red lettering?"

"Yeah, I was sixteen and Curtis was fuckin' me on the side while he was datin' Jasmine. I was the other woman! They had a friend named Darnell and Curt had black gums and another friend of theirs looked like Nelly and a black Twizzler. They were on the basketball team run by Coach G and they walked into the boys' locker room and found me there changing…Curtis was made fun of for having a girlfriend. When they left, I felt my stomach and put on a large jacket."

"Ah, okay, now I remember you…I used to be Curtis' home tutor…saw you sneakin' outta his house!"

Cindy guffaws. "No way!"

"Oh, hell yeah!"

"Weird as fuck, man."

"I know, right?"

The girls just shake their heads in amusement at Cindy and Alison bantering.

"Mendez kept writing me letters that I didn't respond to, he wrote lists of names for the baby and short stories about the future of our non-existent relationship, told me about other star-crossed lovers like Romeo and Juliet, Lolita and the old guy, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins, but none of them worked out. He refused to believe he wasn't Armaria's father and I'm super glad he's six feet underground!" Daya tells the girls at their sleepover at Taystee's house. "Before, my mom, Leon, and me got him arrested for second degree rape. The penalty for that is one to seven years, but he only got one."

"That's so unfair! He was such a scumbag, gracias a dios he can't stalk or sexually assault you anymore," Maritza says.

"Yeah! What brought this up, though, if he's…" Ceci trails off while rolling her eyes in the back of her head and crossing her arms over her chest, as if dead.

"Delia Powell, Mendez's mother, apologized to me for his actions and offered to take my baby, but Aleida said that's not happening and she'd take care of her own grandchild and I said the baby isn't even Mendez's. Once someone adopts your baby, you can't get them back, only have scheduled visits."

"Holy shit, Mendez had a mama?"

"I guess she tried her best with him, Elena, but she didn't succeed. She was all like, 'I came all the way from Greenwich, Connecticut just to find out your mom doesn't even want me to have your daughter? You asked me here…' and I shot back with, 'yeah, well, now I don't wanna give up my baby! She's mine! You can't take her.' I stated that firmly."

Flaca laughs and high-fives Daya. "¡Muy bién! So, I recognize the last name Powell…Piper used to like a Mike Powell, he's a dentist and Delia's other son, I guess. I heard she had three, the animal, the dentist, and the art historian."

"I can't believe his brothers grew up to be normal and he turned into that. His poor family…at least they're relieved of him now," Katie mutters.

"Yeah! He'd say the creepiest things to me, like 'hey, fatass!' and slap my bottom…'you got a nice fat ass, get it? That jiggle gives me a boner!' and he was six feet five, so he'd tower over me and it was so…ugh!" Daya shudders. "Adarsh saved me from him once."

"That's good Adarsh came just in time, but I'm sorry he did that to you. I hope the Devil is givin' him a good punishment in Hell!" Poussey says.

"Same," the others chorus.

"If it wasn't for Adarsh, were you gonna go for that pimp again?" Taystee asks.

"I dunno, it was like looking into a mirror. I'm so glad I'm not with Daddy anymore. Dominga Duarte Suarte, that's her real name, she's bad news. She rapped on my bedroom window once while we were dating and I jumped about a foot in the air and she shushed me. It was a toxic relationship, my family and friends kept saying that, but I didn't listen like a dumbass. My mom said to dump toxic bitches. Daddy snuck into my room and offered me drugs for my pain and I took them. My family was disappointed in me again and they didn't know what to do with me. Aleida walked away, crying that she failed as a mother. She was like, 'I can't...I can't deal with this…' and for once, at that time, I agreed with her. Daddy was so cool at first, givin' me a Snickers since I love those. She said I was a hero. Her ex Annalisa tried to be a bitch and said Daddy preferred blondes and called her a he."

"What an idiot! Yeah, it's a good thing Aleida has improved, though. I remember going to Papi's house with you and Lorna was there too. So was her…co-worker, I guess, a former prostitute, Nicky, I think her name was," Flaca says.

Maritza tries to keep herself composed as she feels a shock run through her at Flaca mentioning the woman she's secretly friends with. "What did y'all do there?"

"Just partied, had a good time…got hella drunk, too. There were drugs, but Flaca and Lorna didn't take 'em. This lady Barb was like Daddy's mom and she was watchin' out for us, kind of."

"I don't think so, Daya…she was probably gettin' high with Vee, who took me to the place for a while. I ended up going home with Lorna and Flaca, because my ride was too stoned," Taystee mutters.

"Yeah, I found out later that Barb had escaped prison for a few days," Daya remembers aloud.

"Ay dios mío, and I bet your mami never knew?" Maritza gives Flaca a quizzical glance.

"Nah, I slept off my boozed state at Cat's house. Her ma didn't call mine, she wasn't even home!"

"Lucky!" Elena comments and fist-bumps Flaca.

"Yep…now let's watch Ella Enchanted!"

"Yay!" the girls cheer.

"Ew, they're playing Coldplay?" Maritza asks at the Indigo Club as she and Nicky move toward Boo and away from the stereo. "I can't even fuckin' hear over it."

"Yeah. Sorry! As I was saying, Lorna liked to make small talk with the lunch ladies because she's Lorna. They've all felt sympathetic toward Alex because she used to always get bullied and plus, they're besties with her mom," Nicky explains. She had invited Shani, Maritza, Flaca, Alex, Michelle, Ceci, Katie, Poussey, and Franziska out for a ladies' night. The teen girls have Daya and Elena watching out for them, ready to tell them if Aleida and Gloria are planning to come here, too. Maritza already knows Blanca and Diablo aren't. They're just spending a quiet evening at home with Karla, Ramón, Benji, Abel, Raiza, and Laronne. She'd told her school posse that she knows the slightly older women from the streets, they just happened to be prostitutes, and Nicky and Shani had protected her at times if they were in the right place at the right moment. She'll just say that if anyone else asks like Flaca had.

"First day I met Lorna…" Nicky continues. "She'd moved from New Jersey to New York and I was sitting with some friends. I told her 'sit with us, kid' and she did. The only thing we could agree on in our first convo is both liking baked potatoes. She thought meerkats were cute, but come on, they're rats! She also watched the evil Fox News channel…probably still does."

"Ugh!" Boo says disgustedly.

"Yeah, I know. I warned her that her crush Joey could cheat since he's an athlete and around cute cheerleaders, which made her wanna be one, too. I thought it was silly, but I supported her, just like she supported me when I came out as lesbian."

"She's probably one of those 'friendly Republicans'!" Maritza uses air quotes around the last two words. "Silently watching stupid shit but not outwardly trying to be mean or anything. My mom had to correct her once, Lorna said somethin' like she's not surprised Mami had a kid so young because of her race."

"Yeah, she doesn't really have a filter, but I don't either. I've said some dumb things myself that were probably offensive, way before I met Shani or you," Nicky admits, gesturing to Maritza. "It was fun to reconnect with her at the hospital, even if she was sorta disappointed in my life choices."

"Mm-hm, she's kinda weird," Flaca says, coming up to them with Shani, Ceci, and Katie behind her. Alex, Michelle, Poussey, and Franziska are still grooving to the loud music. Alex runs her hands through her hair as she gyrates. The two pairs dance in a drugged daze; Alex closes her eyes. They sit on the couch and sigh happily. Poussey and Michelle sit in their respective girlfriends' laps.

"I'mma give you the lowdown on Nurse Lorna," Flaca murmurs. "Adeola Chinede is eighteen and she told Daya that she had a sleepover with Lorna recently; don't ask me why because no sé. Adeola told me the chick's got something called erotomania…she starts coughing or breathing deeply when she stops having her episodes, like to get back into herself, and then she apologizes for how she was acting. She was graphic when describing her and Vinnie having sex, and she was banging a mop against the wall when she was jealous of Franny and Vinnie, just because Franny and Vinnie both liked caramels! Plus, she sucks her thumb, I've seen her do that from time to time."

"Yep, maybe to cope with stuff like someone dying in front of her. Kid's come in here for a mimosa before and wailed on and on about accidentally killing an engaged couple," Boo reports and the couples' eyes go wide. "Off her rocker, that one."

"Nah, it really did happen," Maritza says suddenly. "Here's the four-one-one. She must've been like fifteen miles from home, it was close to the New York and New Jersey border. I thought she was a sex worker or somethin'. I couldn't really recognize her in the dark or thought I was maybe seeing things, but nah…it was her."

Lorna totters down a dark street in a white and gray fur jacket, balancing on her silver glittery high heels. The jacket is open, showing her floral blouse underneath. The heel of one shoe breaks. She crouches to examine it. Headlights flash over her as a car horn honks. She grabs a rock, thinking it's her bad date Tony, as she curses his name and shouts angrily. She throws it at the windshield and the car swerves into the bucket of a backhoe. She staggers toward the car. Sobbing, she asks if the person is okay. Now, motionless on the hood, is a newly engaged woman, her ring glistening in the darkness. Gasping, Lorna pulls away from the bloodstained body. The man sits motionless behind the wheel, blood streaking his face. Sobbing, Lorna backs away, her clothes now stained with blood. She glances around tearfully, then pulls off her heels and starts running. She continues tottering along the dark street.

"Wow, that's crazy!" Flaca comments. "Also real sad."

"Yeah, I can't imagine," Ceci says somberly. "Seems as eerie as those posters that say someone's been missing for so many years. Where must they be now, ya know? Anywhere…"

"Mm-hm, they haunt me, too," Katie chimes in.

The others agree simultaneously. "Some of us were lucky and got found, though," Shani announces, hugging Nicky close to her. "Lorna, too."

"That's so true, baby!" Nicky beams up at Shani. "So we took the ones of us down."

"Yeah," Shani laughs and then she and Nicky kiss. "It was fun."

"I bet!" Maritza says, linking arms with Flaca. The two other couples come up to them. "Hey, we were just talking about Lorna!"

"Oh, that reminds me, she told me that in nursing school, she once raised people's self esteem by telling them they weren't crazy, but they really did have a mental illness and needed their medication. She got a strong lecture about it," Alex informs the women and girls.

"Yeah, but she ain't all that bad, though," Poussey says. "Kasey Sankey had a headache, but Ouija made it worse by killing the bitch."

Michelle cackles. "Yeah, I've heard about that racist piece of shit. Alex told me Kasey said Lorna was nice for a crazy person and Lorna refused to give her Advil just for that! Served the cunt right. Of course she called Lorna a psycho dago and flipped her off."

"What a bitch. I'm glad one more white nationalist is gone from this earth," Franziska says, and everyone cheers.

"I ran into Nicky and Shani at the doctor's…it was great to see them after so many years!" Lorna exclaims at Aleida's nail salon. She's getting a manicure with her sister and they're chatting away. "We caught up a ton, like I told 'em how me and Vinnie were doing. I said that I gradually put Christopher to the back of my mind, 'cause screw him! It's aaaaall about Vinnie…we don't care if the neighbors see us fuckin' from the livin' room, he says I'm his little macaroni…"

"He actually called you that?"

"Yes, Franny, I just said so! Anyway, he loves Foreigner, so we always listen to that band. We met and struck up a real friendship, and then became so happy and in love with each other!"

"Well, I hope it stays that way," Franny tells her sister. "I hardly see my man anymore, and our little Tommy says he doesn't ever want to get married since he doesn't want a golddigger."

Lorna frowns. "Of course we'll be together forever! Anyway, I went to Vinnie's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and his little brother Gino made friends with Laronne! I've shared everything with him, such as my old lab partner Joyce takin' four craps a day, and that time me and some friends shoplifted back in the day at Sephora and showed our breasts to the security guard to avoid getting arrested!"

"Finally, you stopped that nonsense about the man we never met!" Franny exclaims.

"Yeah, see, I'm getting better, Franny, I'm taking pills!"

"I just feel bad that I didn't notice your mental illness but Nicky did!"

"It's okay, because I've been secretive lately and Nicky just happened to figure it out. The good news is, that I ain't pregnant!"

"True!"

Lorna overhears Gloria and Aleida talking in Spanish to each other, and then Alison gets on the other side of her. "Hey, you're not a white person…so you might know this. Why do you folks need to speak both languages? English is the main one here! I hope a bomb isn't under your turban, by the way."

"Nothing's in my hijab." Alison smacks Lorna's shoulder with the back of her hand. "Why are you so rude?!? You've been talked to about this kinda shit so many times, you oughta learn!"

"Geez, I'm sorry, you didn't have to snap at me!" Lorna growls.

"Hey, just listen to what Alison says and never do it again," Franny reprimands her.

"Get outta my salon if you're gonna be disrespectful!" Aleida hollers from across the room, and everyone jumps. Lorna stares at her, alarmed. "Yeah, that's right, Nurse Ratched! I'm talkin' to you!" Aleida points at Lorna.

"Oooooh…" Gloria shakes her head and puts her hands on her hips. "You in trouble now."

"I'm sorry!" Lorna squeaks.

Alison purses her lips. "Good. I accept your apology."

Aleida smirks. "It'll take me time to."

"Why don't you get to know Alison first before judging her?" Franny encourages Lorna.

"Sure. Tell me some facts about you," Lorna mumbles.

"I was always the car in Monopoly. For a job, I put salaam salami in boxes. I'd have sleepovers at my place during the summer with bomb pops. My friends and I would set up a tent in the yard and Michelle would beg me to make my famous brownies. I'll do that for Farah and her friends too, when they get older, like ten or so!"

"Cool!" Lorna comments.

"One time, I was peering through a restaurant window when I saw my husband Hassan and sister-wife Sahar together with our kid, I'd just pierced my ears." Alison shows Lorna her diamond studs. "See that?" Lorna nods. "They were at the American Dream Diner, that was our place! Mine with him. I remember I had a red headband with silver beads peeking out of my orange hijab. In case you're wondering, my husband didn't cheat, I consented for him to get married to another woman while he was still wedded to me, so we'd have help with baby Farah. Now, I don't like it anymore."

"That's plenty understandable! Why do you roll out a black mat at yoga, take off your shoes, kneel, put your palms flat on the mat, bow your head to it, and say…what is it?"

Alison rolls her eyes. "Allahu Akbar, I'm praying to Mecca, like I do five times a day."

"You're Arab, ain't you? Have you ever dated a terrorist and then been abused by him, because if so, I'm sorry."

Alison scoffs. "Nah, I'm not into white guys."

Gloria and Aleida burst out laughing and Lorna appears to be embarrassed.

"Yeah, don't bring that up ever again," Franny hisses.

"Okay, I apologize…"

"I give up!" Alison says and then picks out some purple polish.

"Someone snuck drugs into my purse, but luckily, I found them there before a cop did and flushed 'em down the toilet," Karla says as the adults watch the children playing together on the floor. "I found out it was Ouija, Pidge, and Zirconia…unbelievable, after all that I did for them! I was lenient, forgave them for mistakes, I even told Ouija how to deal with her kid without hitting him when he gets older. Miguel is just three, and I hope he doesn't learn bad behavior from his mami."

"Same here. Some of those kids don't deserve your kindness, I hope they were severely punished!" Blanca comments.

"Sí," Diablo agrees. "Lo siento."

"It's fine."

"Not really, it was so rude, baby," Ramón insists.

"Ouija and Maria are teen moms and they should be learning from you!" Blanca exclaims. "Instead they date hoodlums way older than eighteen and Zirconia makes fun of Stephanie's bad knees and calls her a poi snorter. She hates when people cry, like feels uncomfortable around them or something." The men nod along in agreement.

"True that! About the last thing, though…maybe it reminds her of what her mami went through with her boyfriend before he killed the poor woman," Karla points out solemnly.

"Oh, I never knew about this." Blanca mumbles. "I'm just glad it never got to that stage with my ex."

Diablo puts a comforting hand over hers. "Yo también."

"Sí," the others murmur in agreement.

"Leanne's middle name is Lemmle, and she speaks Pennsylvania Dutch…ever since she got her index finger shot off, she's been more bitchy," Pennsatucky grumbles. "She and her friend Angie, Dumb and Dumber, wanted a man's finger to replace it…they were talkin' about choosin' either the skinheads, the forger, or a meth cooker, or Stratman." Maritza shudders at his name as Pennsatucky mentions it.

"I heard from Daya that Angie called her boyfriend Adarsh Doctor Samosa and looked so creepy while doing so. Leanne said he was Ghandi. Angie pointed a scalpel at Adarsh…Daya quickly pushed them away from him," Flaca mutters.

"Leanne said that Stratman was a little shit! He's a high jumper and too fast for those idiots; he's like a rabbit! Angie thought Stratman genuinely liked finger-fucking Leanne; she can tell if a guy really doesn't want it," Nicky says.

"Angie was teasing Leanne about her nine fingertips, but Leanne was offended and she's sensitive when she's sober. Angie was saying Leanne should get a wheelchair sticker in her car. She used the R word. Leanne can't drive, though, apparently, so they laughed about that she's 'a virgin who can't drive' like in Clueless. Angie thought she drove a buggy from 'Department of Horsey Vehicles' but that doesn't even exist, so clearly, she's dumb!" Shani adds.

"Leanne still sensed her finger was there, but it wasn't, and Angie's grandfather went through the same thing about half his right leg, but then he'd try to kick his wife and she pretended it hurt, so he wouldn't be offended," Michelle goes on.

"...And someone failed to realize he was being an abusive son of a bitch?" Maritza asks.

Nicky shrugs. "I guess that's why Angie's so fucked up. She thought they might be the bad guys like Ursula and not Ariel, but Leanne thought she was being silly. That bitch was surprised her mom still loved her, even after what she did."

"She should be ashamed!" Flaca exclaims.

"Yeah, Leanne and Angie think being good is too hard. My mom's told me before that Angie got detention nineteen times, Leanne yelled over and over that she was reborn, and they burned the student files. The only nice thing Angie has ever said about another person is that Leanne's mom has a nice bonnet," Alex reports.

"Aw, speak of the she-devils," Pennsatucky mutters as Leanne and Angie come their way.

"Humps isn't a person, he's just a nasty-ass pimp!" Leanne is telling Angie.

What do you care? He didn't do shit to you methheads, Maritza thinks.

"Hey, Yessica!" Angie shouts, waving at her, but she ignores the meth head. "Hi! How are you?"

"I ain't Yessica, you mistakin' me for someone else," Maritza says. Her eyes grow wide and she turns around.

"Yeah you are, don't lie to us," Leanne snaps.

"Hey! I don't know who the fuck you dumb putas think you are, but you better back off my girl!" Flaca yells. "Her name is Maritza."

"Leanne, just go back to your druggie friend Sam, he's your pimp, isn't he?" Nicky asks.

"Why y'all getting drinks from Pennsatucky? She's got chlamydia," Leanne grumbles.

"Nah, don't listen to her, that's just a rumor!" Pennsatucky protests. "She spreads that all the time…"

"She didn't get potty trained either," Angie puts in.

"Quit buggin' me!" Pennsatucky punches Angie in the nose, making it bloody.

"It's broken!" Leanne wails. "Stupid bitch!"

Everyone just stares in shock as Angie screams and both her and Leanne run away.

Flaca scoffs. "Losers! Seriously though, who's Yessica and why do people keep calling you that?"

Maritza is at a loss for words. She tries to make her brain speed up and think of something. "I've seen 'em while I was homeless. They asked my name, I gave 'em a fake one. That's all. They could be working for Dean for all I know, and look me up or whatever!"

Thankfully, her answer satisfies Flaca, who nods in understanding. "Oh! Thought you were leading a double life."

Maritza chuckles nervously. "I guess I was out there! My mom called herself several different names for safety reasons." It's not a total lie.

"That's the best thing to do in y'all's situations," Poussey points out, and the others nod in agreement.

"Yeah! My real name is Tiffany, but it's cool to have another one," Pennsatucky says.

"Sí, and mine is Marisol, but peeps refer to me as Flaca just for fun!"

"That's why I made up another name for myself, too," Maritza tells her girlfriend. "Pure enjoyment."

"Okay!" Flaca holds Maritza close and kisses her temple. "Good to know."

Thank you for reading and reviewing, Juliette45 and MsSchneeheide!