Thank you for beta'ing, MsSchneeheide!
"It ain't like I'm moving to Ohio or some shit," Maritza is telling Flaca at their first ever two-night sleepover. They're having a Salma Hayek movie marathon, yet again. Elena and Ceci are also there. "The streets of New York still look the same. This state is my forever home. It's just that we basically live in a mansion on the beach now."
"Lucky! Sí, thank fucking God!" Flaca pulls Maritza in for a hug and kisses her cheek. "I'm so happy my mom agreed to this."
"Me too! Okay, so no es realmente una mansión, pero es tan grande como el lugar en el que Mamá, Raiza y yo solíamos vivir con Dean. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a laundry room upstairs, and a family room, living room, dining room, and kitchen downstairs…plus another bathroom and den. Hardwood flooring everywhere, even the stairs. Also, the patio…the big grassy field…I can't wait for y'all to see it."
it's not really a mansion, but it's about as big as the place Mom, Raiza, and I used to live in with Dean.
"Oh, wow, look who's livin' like a queen!" Ceci says.
"Damn, you guys are rich now compared to us apartment dwellers!" Flaca points out.
"You deserve it, though!" Elena chimes in.
"Mm-hm! Hey, just so you know…Salma Hayek played a Dominican character like Mami in that last movie, but it was based on a true story about sisters in the Dominican Republic, who were killed there by the dictator's men. In nineteen-thirty to nineteen-sixty-one he ruled, in nineteen-sixty, though, the sisters died!"
"Wow, tragic!" Flaca exclaims.
"Yeah! He was like a Spanish Hitler! It was on November twenty-fifth they died and that's why in many Latin American countries, it's considered International Day Against Violence Towards Women. Dean was like Trujillo, the Dominican Republic dictator. Karla showed our class that movie, In the Time of the Butterflies one time, and I cried about it since it's where my mom was born and I watched it with her...Dean just laughed through it."
"Of course he fucking did." Elena mutters.
"I hate him," Ceci states bitterly.
"Girl, me too," Flaca says.
"Yeah…anyway, sabes que Diablo nos construyó una casa. He's also got a guard dog, Mojito…and posted a beware of dog-he bites sign on the door. Since el perro really does look dangerous and he's a Rottweiler, Diablo made sure he was well trained beforehand so he won't attack any of us. With evening training classes five nights a week, he got Mojito used to him already, then it'll be Mami, me, Raiza, and the people we love, like friends and family. So, if Dean ever comes around, Mojito can tear his ass to shreds."
you know Diablo built us a house.
"Oh, that's great!" Flaca exclaims and the others smile eagerly.
"By the way, it's weird nobody told jokes on April Fools Day last weekend…I couldn't think of anything," Maritza says.
"It's okay, me neither," Flaca informs her.
"Same," Elena and Ceci chorus.
"Like, our lives were okay a week ago and everything, before we started getting stalked again, but not one prank came to mind. I'm usually silly…so are you, Flaca. I probably would've pretended I was gonna meet Salma Hayek and be able to bring you with me."
Elena and Ceci stifle giggles.
"It's not funny! My hopes would've been up for nothin'."
"Yeah, see? I didn't wanna do that to you."
Flaca gazes at Martiza sympathetically. "It's okay, chiquita. A lotta shit's been goin' on."
"Yeah. I wanna be a vlogger in like, ten years," Maritza states. "Not even kidding."
"Nah…it ain't a real job," Flaca murmurs. "Besides, bein' famous ain't all cracked up as it seems to be. We'd just get stalked more, and that's probably why Dean keeps findin' y'all, no offense. I took down all the videos and the whole channel when I put it together in my head."
"I just wanted normalcy," Maritza grumbles. "We shouldn't have to live in fear or get harassed into leaving various homes. It's fucking depressing and annoying!"
"I'm not sure what to talk to the public about anymore anyway. I'd rather just have my privacy with you and our friends."
"I was thinkin' school or a day in the life."
"Sweetie, it's hopeless to be a YouTube star, other people make a billion dollars a year but not us, maybe when we're old, but then we won't be cute anymore," Flaca points out.
"Sure we will! My mom's still pretty, and she's fifteen years older than us. Your mom is like, forty and lookin' fabulous!"
"¡Gracias!" Theresa says in passing.
"¡De nada!"
"Why don't you girls just wait 'til you're thirty, and see what you wanna do then?" Elena suggests. "Maybe Dean will be dead by that time."
"One can only hope," Ceci mutters.
"Our videos were cool!"
"I know, Mari, totally awesome! I'm just thankful we met at school and started out as best friends!"
They share an emotional look. Flaca holds Maritza's gaze and they lock lips. Their friends cheer for them and they blush as they make out even more.
Maritza smirks afterwards. "Being y'all's favorite teen couple rules!"
"Yeah, we're pretty hot, hmm?" Flaca looks proud of herself and Maritza.
"Definitely, you're up there with Sergio and I," Elena tells them.
"Plus Katie and I!" Ceci puts in.
"Yeah!" Maritza and Flaca say in unison, giggling together, and the Mendoza sisters join in. "Hey, you know what's amazing?" Maritza asks rhetorically. "Elena and Ceci, you're sisters, but also super close friends. You share everything!"
"That's obvious! How much tequila was in your sunrise?" Flaca jokes and the other two girls laugh.
"Nah, really! I've always wanted to say that…I dunno why it never came out. I guess I've always wondered what it'd be like to have a sister around my own age. Raiza's cute and all, and I never mind caring for her, but seeing you two being so cliquey…it's nice that you don't have to deal with the responsibility…and that you can talk about similar things with each other."
"Oh, yeah," the others say in unison.
"Let's build our home together. It'll be a home of kindness, peace and gentleness. It'll be a safe place for the family we build. Violence will never find its way into our home; it'll be a place no one will have to heal from," Blanca reads off a framed plaque hanging on the wall, the final part of her and Diablo's new house. It's a remote, quiet location by the Atlantic Ocean. In fact, she can hear the waves lapping upon the shore from outside. It's the last place she'd ever thought she'd be. She'd lived in suburbia before, then the busy city, and now, it's just peaceful, quiet, and serene. They have a lovely view of the sea and she enjoys staring out the window at the moonlight shining upon the dark water. She can't imagine how long Diablo must have spent on this. Even with his friends, probably almost six months-the amount of time she's been back in New York as an adult.
"Whoa, those are vicious bruises…Dean must have gripped or bit you during sex." Blanca sees where her best friend is pointing, to the marks around her thighs. "Aggressive much?"
Blanca rolls her eyes. "Nosy much? Se supone que duele."
It's supposed to hurt
"I've heard it's uncomfortable, then you get used to it, but it's not supposed to leave you literal injuries!"
"It's just love bites…and he just got a little excited, that's all!"
Karla stares at her for a moment. "I understand that you love Dean, and that there are things about your relationship that are important to you. I also see that you are hurting, and that you don't deserve that hurt. If you ever want to talk about that more, or want help thinking through how you might change things, I'm here for you, always. But even if we never talk about this again, I'll be here for you. You matter to me and I'm not going anywhere. Just let me know if you need something from me and I'll be available anytime."
Blanca grins at her best friend. "You sound like Diablo, he's told me things like that before. I know you both mean well, and it's really sweet, pero no te preocupes. I think if Dean does counseling like I'm doing, maybe he'll change. I just have to see. He's not a bad person…he's just made a few mistakes."
"Still, you need someone who can treat you like a princess. Getting angry at you in the middle of a crowded lunchroom isn't okay. He lunged at you and you jumped back like he was gonna murder you."
"I know, he was just….he forgot where he was for a second."
"What was he so upset about?"
"I was sore and he was used to us screwing in the janitor's closet for most of lunch like we usually do. Yesterday, I told him I didn't feel like it. We were spending so much time together and sometimes, I didn't know what I would do to make him mad. My therapist says when he yells and is in a bad mood 'cause he's got a temper, just to stay quiet."
"Well, it's not that you did anything to make him mad, it's that no guys are allowed to hurt their girlfriend, no matter what the reason!"
"He never did, it was just rough sex in the janitor's closet, I promise! We didn't have a fight like last time."
"Did you…like it?"
"I'm getting used to it." Blanca shrugs. "It's not terrible."
"Sex with the right person is supposed to be amazing…they're supposed to make you feel comfortable and loved…but anyway, I wish you the best!"
"Thanks so much!" Blanca smiles and hugs Karla, who embraces her back.
As she continues admiring the fact that the framed quote is the perfect finishing touch to their beautiful home, Blanca yelps when she feels someone resting their hands on her shoulders.
"Soy sólo yo," Diablo's gentle voice assures her.
It's only me.
"Lo siento," she says softly as she relaxes into Diablo's chest. "I know I do that a lot…talk at a low volume, flinch at sudden movements, apologize, have nightmares…"
"Well, you're traumatized by past abuse, it's understandable, mi paloma hermosa."
my beautiful dove
Blanca wraps her arms around Diablo's waist and squeezes him tight and he holds her. "I'm so glad I have you," she murmurs.
"I am too! l love you so much, honey." He tips her face up with one finger under her chin and leans down to kiss her.
She beams. "I love you too, babe. I can't wait 'til Mojito can start living here!"
"Same here, he just needs to really warm up to us first and then the kids."
"Mm-hm."
Their lips mold together instantly, over and over, and then they continue making out on the red L-shaped couch.
"Buenos días, guess whose birthday it is?" Blanca asks on April ninth as she comes into Raiza's room with Diablo at her side. She gently wakes up her littlest girl.
"Mine!" Raiza squeals, rubbing her eyes open as she kicks her comforters off and sits up in bed. "Yaaaay! I'm this many." She holds up five fingers proudly while beaming from ear to ear and bouncing up and down excitedly.
"¡Felíz Cumpleaños!" Blanca, Diablo, Maritza, and Laronne chorus.
"¡Gracias!" Raiza says cheerfully. Everyone gathers her up in a group hug and then they go downstairs to have a delicious breakfast of waffles, strawberries, whipped cream, and syrup. What she doesn't know, is that Blanca and Diablo had invited all their friends for her surprise birthday party. It's also a good chance for them to see the new house.
Once the family gets dressed, their guests start to arrive. Maritza is upstairs distracting Raiza with her favorite song, "If You're Happy and You Know It" so she won't hear people coming in. Everyone gazes around the house in wonder, commenting about how much they like it. They're dressed casually, jeans and nice tops.
Blanca goes upstairs and into her children and Laronne's room. "¿Está lista la invitada de honor?" she asks Maritza.
Is the guest of honor ready?
"Sí." Maritza spins Raiza, who squeals with laughter in her new pink party dress. The birthday girl runs to Blanca and they hold hands going down the stairs. Maritza follows them.
"Surprise!" the rest of the party shouts.
Raiza's eyes go wide with excitement and she exchanges hugs with everyone who's come.
Alex is talking about taking up gardening with Diane; they grow snapdragons. Red has dressed up as a Soviet clown named Ryzhevolosyy and she's performing magic tricks for the children; it's quite entertaining and they love it. Her boys and Pavel are getting a real kick out of it, too. Ilya and his mom Luda are neighbors of Red's and conversing with Diablo's bandmate Sonya and her sister Lida. Maritza and her friends are taking pictures by the ocean. Nicky and Shani strip down to their bathing suits and run into the water. They start playing chicken with Pennsatucky and Boo, who they call Boosatucky. Then, Flaca, Maritza, Ceci, Katie, Taystee, Poussey, Franziska, Daya, Adarsh, Gloria, and Maria have a splash fight after taking off their shoes and socks, getting their street clothes a little wet and laughing loudly. The youngest kids-Lucy, Armaria, Benji, and Raiza-are racing each other on the sand and playing on the mini playground Diablo had built. Blanca, Diablo, Karla, Ramón, Charles, Diane, Alex, Michelle, Alison, Fahri, Aleida, Leon, Theresa, Yuri, Margarita, RJ, and Cindy watch them all from the patio. Margarita is holding her sleeping newborn daughter, Kayla. Elena and Sergio are laying in the hammock, making out heavily. Monica and her friend Jamilla are eating Sugar Bombs cereal and sharing it with the other children.
"I tied a pink balloon to Raiza's backpack today," Blanca informs the other parents. "She loved it!"
"Sí, it was so cute!" Diablo says.
"All our kids five and older do that too for their birthdays! They love the attention," Diane comments. "Who wouldn't?"
"Imma pimp my daughter's whole backpack out when she gets to be five!" Cindy decides aloud.
"Me too," Margarita agrees.
The others just smile.
Eva drives a toy car. "Where are you goin'?" Aleida asks.
"The movies, then the mall, then Disneyland!"
"Have fun!"
Eva grins.
Christina comes up to them. "My tooth is loose!" She taps it.
"I guess someone is getting a visit from the Tooth Fairy soon!" Leon tells her, and she beams.
"How you gonna get it out so you can put it under your pillow?" Aleida wants to know.
"I'll wait til it's about to fall out!"
Benny, Julio, and Laronne are playing with Nerf Guns. They pretend to shoot the adults.
"Boom, boom!" Julio points at them with a Nerf Gun.
"Pow, pow!" Benny adds.
"Y'all are done for!" Laronne shouts.
They all pretend to fall to the ground while groaning loudly and dramatically. "Aaaah, you shot us!" Fahri exclaims, feigning that he's dying.
"My own son, I can't believe it!" Diablo puts in, and everyone laughs together when the kids run away.
Blanca and Diablo then head to the playground and take turns pushing Raiza on the swing while Benji runs back to his parents.
"Whoosh!" Blanca and Diablo chorus and Raiza giggles while kicking her legs.
"Wheeeee! I'm flying!" she cheers, and Blanca and Diablo exchange a smile.
It's a fun day had by all.
"Flaca, I'm chaperoning the school dance," Yuri informs her.
"What?! Why?"
"I volunteered! But don't worry, I won't bother you. I'm bringing a date!"
"Who?"
Theresa comes downstairs in a beautiful blue dress. "Let's roll, guys!"
"Mom!" Flaca exclaims.
"Flaca, why is your mom dolled up?" Maritza asks, grinning.
"She and Yuri are dating…and they're gonna be at the prom."
Maritza points at Elena and Ceci. "Ha! I called it, girls! Pay up!"
"You girls made a bet? Holy shit, Maritza!"
Maritza smirks. "Come on baby, we all saw it coming! But you kept denying it."
"Only because I don't want my mom to get hurt."
"It's Yuri, not Kubra or my deadbeat papi! So I think he's a good guy."
Flaca cracks a smile. "Yeah, he is."
The girls, dressed to the nines in brightly colored ballgowns with their hair done and faces made up, head out the door for their prom. Sergio and Katie escort their dates down the steps and to Fahri's limo while Maritza and Flaca follow them, their arms linked.
"Ian didn't take me to the homecoming dance, but going to prom with you will more than make up for that bullshit!" Flaca winds her arm around Maritza's waist and kisses the top of her head. "I hit Ian and dumped him for good. I told him to go die on his moped and enjoy the trip to Hell and called him an asshole!" Flaca pouts."He'd make excuses like it's too far to ride his Vespa because it's so cold, but whenever he did, I curled my hand into a C shape and he was like, 'so you're a crip now?' and I told him, 'nah, stupid, means you got a tiny penis.'"
Maritza, Elena, Sergio, Ceci, and Katie crack up. "Yo, that was baller!" Maritza shouts and high-fives Flaca.
"¡Gracias!"
"De nada."
"Wow, you guys look great!" Maritza reads off her phone on the way to Fahri's limo. "That's what my mom said after I sent her the pic."
"Aw, she's too sweet!" Ceci says.
"Totally!" Elena agrees, still smiling at her date.
"She's right, too…no one can beat you in a pink dress, nor me in yellow…or Elena in red and Ceci in purple!" Flaca points out.
"I love you in your dress," Sergio compliments Elena.
"Gracias, I made sure it matched my manicure perfectly! You look handsome, too, honey!"
"Thank you, princesita."
"You look pretty in yours, babe!" Ceci tells Katie, who smiles.
"So do you, sweetie!"
"Thanks," they say at the same time and giggle.
"Pink and yellow go great together!" Maritza exclaims.
"Yes, they do," Flaca agrees and then all the teen couples kiss at the same time before getting into the limo.
"I wanna ride you like a train," Elena whispers as she and Sergio dance slowly to the tune of 'Always Be My Baby' by Mariah Carey. She tries to undo some buttons on his shirt, but he stops her gently. "Oh yeah, I should wait to take off your top in the hotel room!"
"Not 'til you're eighteen, baby, but at least we're dating and at the prom together! I'll be your partner at your quinces, I promise." He twirls her under his arm a few times.
"Can I sleep over at yours at least?" she asks as he brings her back to his chest.
"You shouldn't lie to your family or make anyone worry, I don't want to take advantage of you."
"You won't! We'll just be half naked and you'll spoon me…"
"You don't need to take off your clothes, you're just fourteen," he insists.
Elena sighs disappointedly and leans her head against him and they wrap their arms around each other's waists. "Am I too young for you or somethin'?"
"No, of course not, Ellie, it's just…once I get started, I can't stop."
"Oh yeah, me neither, probably, I've heard it's glamorous. We'd forget condoms like Daya and that loser teacher did."
"That was on Mr. Bennett, not Daya! I'd make sure I have protection for us…but still, you never know."
"Mm-hm, and I'm not sure how I could be on the pill without my mami or abuela knowing."
He cups her face and kisses her lips. "I'm just happy being with you, honey."
She swoons, like always. "I am too, querido."
Of course, Taystee ends up being the senior prom queen and Maritza the junior princess. Everyone knew they would win the positions, and they clap and cheer. Taystee's boyfriend is luckily the prom king, so they start doing the waltz together. Maritza shares a platonic dance with Darius, the junior prince. Only a few seconds in, though, she invites Flaca and Daisy to join them, and the three couples spin around the dance floor.
Pretty soon, everyone else joins in until prom is over.
"You need to go."
"Why?" Shani's green eyes are glistening and she nervously draws in a sharp breath of air.
"ICE raid, hide in the backroom and sneak out, don't let 'em see you," Gloria whispers.
"Okay…that was a close call. Thanks for the warning!" Shani disappears and several ICE agents barge in through the bodega doors, demanding to see ID.
"Whatcha gonna do?" Gloria gives Jack Pearson a challenging look. "Deport me?" She scoffs and shows him her proof of identification. "We're from Puerto Rico."
"Huey Strath said Elizabeth, Robert, and I had to check this place out; it's crawling with Mexicans. If you don't want to be deported, then don't come here without a green card," Jack says snidely as he stares at Aleida. Gloria notices her best friend's hands shaking and goes up to her, prepared to let him have it.
"If you hate getting a sunburned face, wear fucking sunblock instead of doing this creepy shit!" Aleida snaps, sounding stronger than Gloria had expected. "Like my girl Glo says, we entered the United States from Puerto Rico." She shrugs her hands.
"I guess we're done here," Elizabeth says disappointedly.
"That wasn't much fun," Robert grumbles.
"Yeah, and I feel like tellin' his boss Huey that he was the WASP principal who raped me," Aleida says. "He made jokes about screwing over everyone he knew being a rule in business school. His friend's beagle Blanche had butt cancer. He showed concern for this white man's dog, but not a Puerto Rican woman at all, he just decided to rape her! Four years in prison just wasn't enough for his ass. He was also my mom's boyfriend and I was pretty much creeped out by him as a child. His lawyer Howard ripped into me at the trial and tried to break me! It was hella emotional! He said shit like, 'you're just a little egg donor, huh?', and 'wild chick like that, you know she begged for it. Three kids from three different fathers, why not a fourth?'
"Just stop, I'm not that guy anymore," Jack tells her sternly. He turns to Gloria. "Hey, you're not like most lazy Mexicans and you're smarter and a lot more hardworking than you look."
Gloria purses her lips and shakes her head. "Nah, I ain't always that smart, I mean you completely fooled me when you played nice one minute and then raped my best friend the next! I wanna fuckin' slap you! Hey, now get the hell outta my shop before I make you!"
Much to their relief, the idiots leave. No one utters a word until Jack's car drives away.
"Holy shit, that was-" Aleida starts to say, but she's interrupted by a gun going off and then a few loud shrieks. Quickly grabbing a revolver of her own from the door below the counter, Gloria runs outside the bodega's doors. Aleida follows her.
"Mami, Brent Moxley did it!"
Elena is sobbing over Sergio's motionless body on the ground and pressing her hands tightly over his chest wound. Brent points his weapon at Gloria. Before he can shoot her, she puts a bullet through his brain as her heart pounds rapidly. He drops dead and then she calls nine-one-one. The person on the other line says an ambulance is on its way.
"Shit, you a badass!" Aleida exclaims.
"Yeah, I know, I've stored a gun in my bodega ever since Arturo," Gloria mutters. She rushes to her daughter's side and hugs her.
"Brent was Brandy's ex, he was part of Los Señores, like the Aryan Brotherhood, basically, the Gentle Kings' rivals. Serge is in that gang…and Brent tried to touch me inappropriately, but Sergio punched him in the face to defend me and whipped out his gun. As retaliation, Brent almost killed him…but he still has a pulse, somehow," Elena explains in a shaky voice. "He's unconscious…" She glances up at Gloria, tears streaming down her face. "'My Heart Will Go On' by Celine Dion is playing inside my head over and over right now! If he dies, I…I won't function anymore!" She strokes her boyfriend's cheek and kisses his forehead. "Mi amor…te amo mucho, por favor, don't…don't leave me…"
"Dios mio, mija…you're lucky we was just inside."
"I'mma make sure those motherfucker friends of that piece of shit don't come around here lookin' for him," Aleida informs them.
"Good, you do that!" Gloria purses her lips and shakes her head. "He's part of a gang…it just blows my mind!"
"Mami, don't start. He tried to protect me. He'd rescue me from anything!"
"Dean saved Blanca from drowning, that means nothin'," Gloria counters her. "You could've been killed!"
"I wasn't though…Natoli, who's Officer Herrman's foster son, Anders, who dated both Kasey and Corinne, and Brent, were only after my dude. We met 'em on the street walking home after a date in Manhattan. I know you used to have friends from Washington Heights, they were part of the Gentle Kings. Los Señores' original plan was to stop at the bodega and rob it. They didn't threaten me to tell 'em the address or nothin', they just knew it, and they were gonna use me as a shield from you in case you pulled a gun to defend yourself, but Sergio said it wasn't gonna happen, then Brent made a sad attempt to touch my ass, and Serge gave him a black eye."
Gloria sighs. "I'm just glad you're safe, nena."
The wails of the ambulance siren get closer and louder; then first responders and EMTs get out of the vehicle. They put Sergio on a stretcher after checking his pulse and bandaging the gaping bloody wound on his chest. They let Elena, Gloria, and Aleida sit with him inside the ambulance. Elena starts sobbing loudly again in Gloria's arms.
"Please let him live!" she cries.
"We'll try our very best, sweetheart," an Indian woman in an EMT uniform says.
It turns out that by the time they get to the hospital, Brent is dead on arrival, but Sergio still has a good chance of survival. Gloria keeps him in her prayers; he must love Elena dearly if he was willing to literally just about die for her. Elena sits at her boyfriend's bedside and holds his hand as machines beep steadily. Gloria and Aleida wait with her.
"Gloria, can I talk to you?" Daya swallows hard for what she is about to say. She shoves her hands into her pockets as she shuffles into the backroom. Ceci is sitting cross-legged on the floor, reading Divas Don't Yield by Sofia Quintero. She glances up at Daya with interest.
The older Latina turns in her swivel chair. "Of course, nena."
"Um...the thing is...I...I think Maritza's in some bad shit. I killed her pimp." Daya's trembling as she delivers this news.
"Ay mierda." Ceci narrows her eyes into slits as she stammers. "¿Qué carajo?"
Oh shit. What the fuck?
Gloria is dead silent until now. Her smile disappears and she sets her mouth in a straight line. "You what her what?"
"I had to protect her...I just needed to tell an adult, it's been eating at me...it was self-defense, though, I swear, he was-"
Ceci claps a few times and puts her hands up. "Hold the fuck up, what you talkin' about, Maritza's sixteen, she can't be a-"
"She is," Daya insists. "You gotta believe me! She must've worked behind the Indigo Club in Bushwick."
"How did you make this insane connection?" Gloria asks, her eyes growing wide.
"That's where Red and her crew sent all those evil pimps that Nicky and Shani worked for, to their deaths. Look, Gloria, don't you remember when Aleida was complaining about Cesar hiring a girl...a sex worker...named Lolita to fuck his nasty ass? Then, this animal was about to hurt Maritza when we rescued her, and he called her Lolita."
"Oh, fuck, he did," Ceci mutters, staring down at her purple manicure. "Well that was once…maybe he was just being a sexist asshole."
"No, remember she kept being called Yessica by several women who were prostitutes before? She'd want to call herself a pretend name for safety reasons…protecting herself against awful pimps, especially her own. That Humps dude was…creepy and volatile!"
"Oh, right…what should we do?" Ceci asks. "I'd vote tell her mom, but I dunno, 'cause she's no longer in the business…"
"Some other sleazy pigs could hire her, though, we don't know her life in Long Island," Daya points out. "Her own mother wasn't even aware of what she was doing before!"
Gloria puts her head in her hands and lets out a muffled scream. "¡Cállaos, las dos!"
Shut up, both of you!
The door slams shut behind them. No one even noticed it was open in the first place. Daya bends down to pick up whatever the person has dropped in their hasty exit.
"Hey...she overheard us just now. Flaca. She left her bracelet...it must've snapped right off when she caught it on the knob."
Thank you for reading and reviewing, MsSchneeheide and Juliette45!