She could hear the yelling all the way upstairs in her bedroom as she turned the volume up on her Walkman. Her legs hung in the air as she flipped through the teen magazine. She could feel the cool air blowing on her legs every few seconds the fan would move back into her view. It was the summer and what was she doing? She was stuck in the house because her chores weren't completed last night. She sighed as she rolled on to her back bringing the magazine back into her view. A loud bang on the door caught her attention but she chose to ignore it. She lived in a house full of people…mostly boys. It was all she could do not to run away and forget they even existed. Her mom died when she was just a little baby after giving birth to her little sister. Her dad was a mechanic at the garaged they owned. Being thirteen years old, it was hard to get away with anything. She had one brother with the exception of her brother's best friend who basically lived there as well. Pushing the hair from her face, she finally looked up at the door as it swung open. "I've been banging on the door for like five minutes now!" Her older brother, Dom, shouted. Mia rolled her eyes as she rolled back onto her stomach. It was his fault she was in trouble. He decided to stop by the shop on the way home from school. She wasn't allowed to walk home alone only if Dom or Vince was with her. "Hello!"
"What do you want, Dom?" Mia finally shouted. There was never a silent moment in that house. Someone was always yelling at someone else.
"Where is Stella at?"
"How should I know? I've been in here all day."
"You two are attached at the hip." Mia shrugged her shoulders. Dom sighed slamming her door. Dom was three years older than she was as Stella was just a year younger. She was the middle child and she hated it. They say that the oldest gets away with anything as does the youngest, but she was always in trouble for something Dom always did. She threw her legs over the bed and walked to her bedroom window and looked out. Vince, Dom's best friend, was sitting the porch drinking a coke. Stella was nowhere around. Dom spoke of Stella being attached to Mia's hip but it was Vince that she loved. Where ever he was…she was surely there with him. Mia laughed as saw the bushes beside him begin to move. "AH!" Stella jumped from the bushes nailing Vince in the head with a water balloon. Vince immediately dropped the soda, glass going everywhere. Stella's eyes widened as she took off running in the opposite direction of the house. "STELLA!" Vince screamed after her. He was right on her tail as she darted through the bushes of the next house disappearing. That's what she did. She wasn't fast but she was good at hiding.
"And what are you laughing at?" Mia jumped as she turned around to her father standing at the door. "Dinner is ready."
"You might want to go pull Stella out of the bushes at the neighbors before they shoot her because they think she is a rabid animal." Mia walked past him. "Also Vince might murder her as well." She could hear Tony chuckle as she made her way down the stairs. Vince opened the front door just as she stepped down on the last step. "I would learn to duck next time." Mia replied with a smirk. She hopped off the last step towards the kitchen. "I'm going to kill her!" Vince shouted.
"Yeah, yeah." Mia tossed her hand up. She knew he was kidding. He could never hurt her. He would never hurt her.
Stella sat across the table from Mia with papers in her hand staring at the back door. "You have these five problems to do then we can go outside." Tony stated tapping his finger down on the paper. She had five math problems in front of her and not one mark was on the paper.
"It's summer!" Stella groaned. "Why are we doing homework when I wasn't even given homework?" She leaned her head into her hand and sighed. "Can I please just go outside?"
"Finished!" Mia slammed her pencil down on the table. "Can I go back up to my prison cell now?"
Stella bit her bottom lip trying to keep herself from laughing. "You can lose the attitude?" Tony replied. "Stella…two problems and then you can go. I better not see that butt of yours outside until two problems are done. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes." Stella mumbled under her breath. She sighed picking up the pencil in her hand as she looked down at the word problems sitting on the page in front of her. She could hear Mia's feet shuffling upstairs as Tony followed her. Mia was never the one to get in trouble so when she did she made sure the whole house knew she was upset. She could hear the chuckles behind her as she looked up at the open window. "Your ass is mine when I see you again." Vince whispered.
"I so got you!" Stella shouted. "You didn't have a clue what was happening until that water balloon smacked you right in the face."
"You just remember Stella Bella, I know where you sleep at night."
"Can you come on?" Dom appeared next to him. "You better clean up those water balloons before Pops finds them. You'll be grounded like Mia."
"It's your fault she is grounded in the first place. Don't be surprised when you don't wake up tomorrow morning."
Dom shook his head. "That doesn't even make sense, Stel." Stella rolled her eyes mocking him. "HEY!" Tony slammed his hand down on the table causing her to jump and throw her pencil in the air. "What did I just tell you?"
"I'm not outside." Stella replied. "Besides, Dom…" She pointed behind her but the boys were already gone. "I'm going to get your Dominic Toretto! You just wait and see!" She shouted hoping they heard her. "Math! Now!" Tony pointed down at the sheet of blank paper.
Vince and Dom have known since they were little kids. Vince had always lived down the road. He didn't grow up with a family like the Toretto's. His mom was never home and when she was, she was with a different guy. That's why he spent most of his time at their house. Tony never had a problem with him. Vince and Dom kept each other out of trouble. They were both Juniors in high school with Mia being in 8th and Stella being in 7th grade. Tony definitely had his work cut out for him but he never complained. Stella looked up at Mia's bedroom window and saw her staring out it. It was getting boring not having her sister hanging out with her. She laid back down on the towel and looked up at the sun. She had begged her dad for a pool but of course begging was all that happened. Tony said there was beach all around them. If she wanted to go all she had to do was ask. She sighed as she heard her brother shouting. A smirk formed on her face as she ran into the house grabbing the water balloons that were on top of the refrigerator. "Now when he comes and hunts you down, don't you dare say a word to me." Tony didn't even look up from the newspaper that was in his hands. "I know!" Stella squealed as she filled the balloons up with water. She grabbed as many as she could in her hand before running out the back door. She would sneak around to the front and bombard them. She crouched down on the ground and hurried towards the fence before popping up. "Vince!" Dom shouted. "We need to call someone!" Dom was in front of her Vince blocking Stella's view as she slowly sneaked up behind them.
"AH!" She ran towards them just as Dom moved to the side. Vince's face was bloodied as a huge, blue bruise began to form around his eye. "VINCE!" Stella screamed dropping all the balloons on the ground.
"Stella, go get Pops!" Dom shouted to her. She couldn't move as she grabbed Vince's arm and tugged. He refused to look at her. "STELLA!" Dom screamed. The tears formed in her eyes as she nodded her head before taking off into the house. "DADDY! DADDY!" She screamed running into the kitchen. "Vin-ce." She sobbed. Her father pushed past her and out the front door. Stella heard the shuffling of feet coming down the stairs as Mia met her at the door. "What is it?" Mia asked.
"Vince…he's hurt." Stella covered her mouth her hands as the front door opened and Tony came walking in with Vince in his arms. "Vince, what happened?" Stella asked.
"Stel, go get me a wet wash cloth and some alcohol wipes out of the kitchen… go ahead sweetheart." Stella nodded her head. "Okay, Vince. Tell me what happened?" Stella rushed into the kitchen as she listened to Vince tell the story of his mom's new boyfriend coming in. Stella moved slowly into the living room as she handed her dad the wash cloth and alcohol wipes. "He's been there for a few weeks. I guess he thought it was his house and he ran it…" Vince looked up at Stella who had backed away against the wall. "He told me to make him something to eat and I said something smart…next thing I know I had a beer bottle to the head and his fist in my face. I tried to fight him off but he caught me off guard. I wasn't ready for him."
"Where is your mom?" Tony asked.
Vince didn't answer as he shook his head. "Okay…" Tony looked up at his two daughters were still backed against the wall as Mia had her arms wrapped around Stella's arms. "Let's give Vince some space. You two go upstairs and I will come get you for dinner." Stella didn't move as stared at Vince. He finally made eye contact with her.
"I'm okay." He whispered. "I'll come find you." Stella didn't say a word as she moved to the stairs where Mia was waiting on her. They walked up the stairs and into Mia's room.
"He's going to be alright, Stel." Mia rubbed her back as they both sat down on her bed. Stella sighed as she looked up at her big sister.
"I've seen it before, Mia." Stella replied softly. "They hit him all the time."
"Yeah…" Mia looked up at the door. They both waited there in silence wondering what was going to happen to Vince.
The day slowly turned into night as Stella made her way downstairs to see where everyone was. Her and Mia had been upstairs for over two hours. She was bored. She had to see what was going on. She moved into the kitchen and looked at the bloodied towel that laid in the sink before moving to the back door. "Stella!" Mia whispered loudly causing Stella to jump. She turned around glaring at her sister. "What are you doing?"
"You don't have to whisper, Mia. There isn't anyone here." Mia stood up straight and looked around. "They either took Vince to the hospital or Pops went to beat the crap out of that man that hurt Vince. I'm hoping the second one."
"Come on, I will start dinner and we can wait together." Mia ushered her over to the table. "Don't worry about Vince. I'm sure he is going to be just fine."
"Pops might as well just let him live with us. He already is over here eighty percent of the day anyways."
"Then you two couldn't get married if he lived here." Mia smirked.
"Shut up, Mia!" Stella glared again. "I don't want to marry, Vince!"
"I'm sure he would marry you back, Stel."
"I said shut up!" Stella yelled standing up. Yeah, she had the biggest crush on Vince, but she didn't need her sister announcing it to everyone. She stormed out of the room and out the front door. The swing was already swinging by itself as she looked out into the front yard. The wind was blowing hard. A storm was coming. She wrapped her arms around her body as she sat down in the swing letting her mind wonder. Vince had always been there for her. He was always the big, big brother. Him and Dom had met when Dom was in the third grade. They both beat up a little boy who was pulling on this girls dress and the rest was history. There were inseparable since. She remembered him coming over one day. He sat down at the table with her and helped her with her math. He was so patient. He was so kind. She looked up as a noise caught attention. "Get inside!" Tony shouted. The wind was worse as the rain came down hard onto the pavement instantly soaking it. She nodded her head as she hurried inside waiting for him to follow. "Why are you outside?"
"You said you would come and get us and you didn't. So I came down here." She looked behind him as Dom came waddling in. "Where is Vince?" Dom didn't speak as he moved to the stairs. "Is he back home?"
"Stella..." Tony sighed rubbing his hands over his face. "Vince is not my child. He is not in my custody therefore I cannot take care of him."
"Then who is?" She shouted. "You let him go back to that? He had glass in his face. He was bleeding..." She grabbed a hold of the staircase. "He could have killed him."
"I don't know what I am supposed to do!" Tony shouted back. He reached for her but she backed away. "Stella..."
"I'm going to bed." She replied walking up the stairs. She couldn't understand why Vince was back home. He basically lived there at the Toretto house. She stormed into her room slamming the door behind her. It didn't make any sense.
Family had always been the root of everything the Toretto's ever did. They looked out for their own. They made sure everyone was safe and everyone was taken care of. Stella stared up at her ceiling that night not being able to sleep knowing that Vince was probably doing the same. There was a soft knock on the door as Mia walked in and got under the covers. Stella moved over without taking her eyes off the ceiling fan that was slowly moving. "You can't be mad at him."
"Why not?" Stella asked.
"Because his hands are tied. He doesn't know what to do."
"He can kick that mans ass that's what he can do." Stella felt Mia's hand in hers. "I feel bad for him, Mi. He doesnt deserve this."
"I'm sorry I upset you earlier." Stella finally turned towards her sister. The light from the street shone into the room as Stella smiled. Mia was not only her sister but her best friend. They always had each others back.
"I think Vince likes someone else." Stella replied softly. "He's like my brother. I love having him around." Mia was silent. "Let's go to sleep, Mi. I will see you in the morning." Stella closed her eyes as she moved the blanket up to her face. She prayed sleep would take over but it didn't. She laid in that position for what seemed like hours when she heard a noise outside. She slowly lifted herself off the bed and moved towards her bedroom window. Vince was slowly walking up the steps to the house. She moved closer to look out. Tony was standing on the top of the steps with a pillow and blanket in his hand. Tears filled up her eyes as she watched Tony reach for Vince putting his arm around his shoulder and ushered her into the house. A feeling of relief came over her as she moved back to the bed. Tony Toretto was the definition of a family man. In the back of her mind she knew he could never have turned Vince away. She just wondered why he lied to her?
AN: NEW STORY! Let me know what you guys think! It's basically, i'm going to say about 8 or 9 years before Tony dies in the crash. Let me know if i should go into the movies or not. REVIEW