Lyric sat there, blank minded. She replayed everything over and over again. It brought back memories she wanted to forget.

She wanted to be perfect.

She wanted to be smart, strong, confident.

Like Ember.

But when you've been all these things your whole life....it becomes an expectation.

This is your fault you stupid whore.

You do realize that there's no way out.

You can't do anything right.

Spineless.

Do you think that you're safe?

Whore! Slut!

Ember is only using you!

That little girl is afraid of you!

I hope your terrible personality isn't genetic.

You're a terrible person, inside and out.

Dirty stripper!

You dumb bitch! Can't do anything right!

You're forgotten, why haven't you killed yourself yet?

Remember when Chantelle pushed you down the stairs at school? That long fall should've killed you.

Lyric closes her eyes. Those thoughts had tortured her ever since her miscarriage.

"Are you okay?" Gabe asks her.

"Y-yeah, do you have any Newports?"

"I gotchu fam." Gabe says, making Lyric smile weakly, he hading her a cigarette, she gets up.

"Hey...why did you become a stripper?" Gabe asks.

Lyric stops. "We have no where else to go."

"Who's we?" Gabe asks.

"Me and my friend, but she didn't come tonight."

"Lyric, you're to pretty to be dancing around a pole."

Lyric blushes. "Thanks Gabe."

"I speak the truth...I don't do it often."

"Well that's good." Lyric says.

"Even though people think I'm lying when I call myself a sexy peice of ass." Gabe says, laughing to himself.

Lyric cracks up. The door behind her opens, she turns around to see Kage coming in with bags of chips.

"You didn't have to get all of that."

"I did...I'm pretty sure that you'll need to change out of that."

Lyric looks at her attire. She nods.

"Thanks." Lyric says.

"I have to call someone, Gabe, can you check out what is going on next door? They're way too loud."

Gabe nods. "Yes daddy."

"Gabe stop with that." Kage says.

Gabe chuckles and winks at Lyric before walking out.

"I have some clothes I out grew in my room." Kage says before dialing some number in his phone.

Lyric nods, walking into the bedroom to grab a white t-shirt and some jeans.

She changes out of her clothes and takes a quick shower, turning off the water.

You do realize that showering doesn't make you cleaner?

You're still a dirty whore.

You should've died in that car accident.

That little girl is obviously terrified of you, who could blame her?

Leo has been lying to you, you're a terrible sister.

That guy probably wants a hookup.

Why bother? You will never be perfect.

No wonder your mom hates you.

Lyric takes a deep breath. The thoughts hadn't stopped in a while. She looks down as water gathered at her toes.

She stared back at herself in the mirror.

Her bloodshot brown eyes had bags under them, she gotten skinnier, she slides on a t-shirt and some regular jeans.

Lyric dries her hair off, letting it lay loosely over her back. She opens the door.

Her heart nearly stops.

A tall man had his back towards her, his shoulder length blonde hair was straighter than usual, he had on a white t-shirt. His fair skin had small cuts.

She froze, her hand was still on the door.

"Could you be more reckless?" Kage asks.

"He pissed me off." The man shrugs.

"You should've left when they were shooting up the place."

"I wanted to leave a clear message." The man says.

"Oh, Lyric...I didn't see you there." Kage says.

Lyric waited for the man to turn around, but be didn't.

"Do you need to call someone?"

Lyric facepalms.

Ember!

"I left the guy there." The man says, making Kage pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Apparently he was packing heat." Ace says.

"Let's not get into this now." Kage says.

"Can I borrow your phone?" Lyric asks.

"Yeah, go ahead."

The man turns around to come face to face with Lyric.

Oh.

My.

God.

It was her old love, Ace Williams. He never changed, still had those narrow smoldering blue eyes, except he had a small scar over his eye.

He didn't show any reaction at all.

As if he didn't recognize her.

"I'll be in the room." Ace says, walking past Lyric.

"Everything okay Lyric? You look flushed."

"I'm alright." Lyric says.

"Okay, I gotta go make sure my brother doesn't do anything stupid." Kage says before leaving.

Lyric takes a deeo breath.

Ace Williams.

He didn't realize who she was. And for some reason....Lyric was a bit irked from that.

The stuff that she had been through...that they have been through.

Lyric takes a deep breath and she picks up the phone, dialing Ember's number.

"Hey Ember...here's what happened." She begun.

--

Omar walks into the cafeteria, several men were sitting on the tables. They begun to face Omar as he walks towards an empty table with his tray in his hands.

"Look who it is!" A man says, sitting at the table.

"What do you want Diablo?" Omar asks.

"What do I want? Some respect on my gang, an alliance perhaps?"

"I don't fuck with you Rosewoods." Omar says.

"Since when? You know you're about that thug life Omar."

"And I know you're no snitch."

"Hell no, snitches belong in ditches."

"Who knows, you might get your ass turned inside out by Mickey."

"You know he likes little black men."

Omar stands up. "I've killed more people than you ever have."

"What are we in the dog house for?"

"I'm a serial killer, you're a gang leader...what are the odds...you know you need me."

"That's why you didn't smother me in my sleep the other night right?"

"That's because I don't wanna deal with the fallout."

"That ego of yours can miss your chance of having the Bloodhounds terminated."

"Keep talking." Omar says, reaching into his prison suit to grab a pair of keys.