My sleek Ford thunderbird glided down the street, almost as if it was floating.
'Look who it is', Letty murmured as I pulled up across the street. I didn't know the events that had happened before I arrived; apparently they had already kicked Brian out. Letty's problems didn't stop as I stepped out.
'Long black hair, is that a little red fringe I see?' Leon laughed, 'Oh, Tom-boy', he sighed as he walked to the back of the café.
'Hey', I smiled at Letty as I walked passed and sat down on the stool.
'The Tuna?' asked Mia, behind the counter.
'I don't know, how is it?' I asked.
'Oh god, Jude, you and Brian are exactly alike', Mia smiled.
'We can't help it, we're twins, it runs in the blood or something', I laughed as Mia pulled a sandwich out of a plastic box.
'Your Brian's sister?' Letty asked, sitting a seat or two down from me.
'Yeah, I just moved here', I smiled as Letty sneered.
'I hate the white boy, so watch out', Letty scoffed getting up and heading into the back of the Café.
'What's my brother ever done to you?' I asked, getting up with a piece of her sandwich and following her into the back.
'Jude…' Mia started.
'He beat the fuck out of Vince, that's why I hate him', Letty spat.
'So you hate someone because of what they did to someone else?' I asked, taking another bight of my sandwich, 'You have twisted priorities'.
'Wha…' Letty gaped. No-one had ever spoken to her with such calm while actually insulting her.
'Thanks, Mia, keep the change', I smiled, chucking a twenty on the bench when it was only a three-dollar sandwich.
'Yo! Try Fat burger from now on. You can get yourself a Double Cheese with fries for two ninety five', Letty shouted, walking out of the Café and following me to my car.
'I like the tuna here', I answered, not turning around, already knowing who it was.
'Bullshit. No one likes the tuna here', Letty shouted, still following me to the car.
'Well, I do', I answered calmly as I was about the put the key into the door; before I found myself face against the door, a tingling sensation in the middle of my back. She had pushed me. Bitch. I swung around smacking Letty's cheek using a bloody awesome and well-placed left hook, Letty came back around to push me into the car with a shoulder to my stomach. I pushed us away from the truck trying to get on top of the situation as Letty continued to try and push me; I was rammed back into the car again. Finally I was able to bring up my knee up into Letty's stomach and elbowed her in the middle of her spine.
We tackled each other to the ground, Letty socking me a good twice in a row with a right hook. I tumbled us, getting back to my feet only to get pushed by Letty into one of the other cars. I got Letty on the ground and was about to sock her with a right hook when someone grabbed me up from behind. I was chucked back onto my car, a little surprised to see Dominic standing there.
'Hey, dude, she was in my face', I defended myself hands held up while trying to steady myself against my car.
'I'm in your face', Dom told me stepping towards me threateningly. Letty jumped at me again, but only hit Dominic who pushed her back into the others. 'Relax! Don't push it! You embarrass me!' Dom yelled, pointing a finger at her in warning. That caused me to a smile a little. Vince, who I had found had earlier beat my brother, was holding Letty, trying to pull her away.
'Jesse, give me the wallet', Dom told the younger looking kid. That was when I noticed that my brand new wallet had fallen from my pocket during the fight. Jesse picked it up off the asphalt and handed it over to Dom who opened it up. 'Jude Lee Spilner. Your brother was here earlier?' Dom asked me.
'I don't know, I don't keep him on a leash', I snapped back.
'Don't come around here again!' Dom sneered pointing a finger at me and throwing my wallet at me with the other.
'Fuck this shit, man, that's bullshit', I yelled at him, not really noticing the height and body difference till he had stepped closer to me. Dom stopped pointing at me with a fisted hand as he did, anger written all over his face.
'You work for Harry right?' asked Dominic, indicating to the load I had on my back seat.
'No, what do you think that place is, a "family reunion"?' I asked, picking my fallen key's up off the road, unlocking my car and jumping into it.
'Talk about Déjà vu', Dominic muttered as he pushed Letty and everybody inside as I sped off down the street before coming to an abrupt halt and spinning around. I revved my engine and everybody stepped back out, but not to far. I took my foot of the brake and sped up and flew passed them, on my way back home.
'What's…' I started as I had arrived at Racers Edge.
'Brian, I'm really sorry. I really hate doing this. Dom could ruin my business if he wanted. When Dominic drives he's golden. Kids pour in here, they want everything he has, every performance part, and they pay cash! You and your sister, your screwing up my business', Harry exclaimed as Brian was packing his stuff into a duffle bag, along with two other bags.
'Look, Harry, we're sorry', I jumped in, as Brian chucked me a bag.
'So am I, Jay', Harry muttered, scuffling my hair before heading back to the front of the store.
'I'm sorry, Brian', I started but he just smiled at me and got me in a headlock.
'Hey, I haven't lost my job, I just lost my place to say', he laughed, dragging me out of the store as I laughed. Since he wasn't staying at work anymore, he let me out of the headlock and walked round back to his car.
'I'll race you home', I laughed as he pulled out of the driveway and I had just started my car.
'Deal, if I win, you sleep on the couch', he shouted before racing off, me, not far behind.
I had fallen asleep on the couch in front of the TV. Brian had beaten me back so I was therefore forced to sleep on the couch. I awoke my peaceful slumber to find the TV turned off and the bedroom door opened.
'Brian?' I shouted out, leaning over the back of the couch, trying to see into the bedroom. No answer. I went to call again, but my phone rang, 'Yello?'
'Jay, you've got to get down here'. It was Brian.
'Where are you?' I asked, getting up off the couch and pulling my jacket off of the small kitchen table, along with my car keys.
'Street racing', he said rather happily, as I laughed at him.
'Oh shit', I laughed as I dropped my jacket and car-keys and ran into the bedroom.
'What?' Brian shouted as I heard some engines roaring in the background.
'I'm in my P.J's, that's what, I'll be there in five', I laughed, hanging up on him and picking out my tight black jeans, my taking back Sunday shirt, and my black converse with bright green shoelaces. Chucking them on, I jogged back out into the main room, picked up my keys, leaving the jacket be and left. Unlocking the car door, jumping in, starting the car, closing the door, not bothering with my seatbelt, I raced out of the driveway and down the freeway.
'She don't deserve that car, man', I heard people say as I arrived to where Brian had said he was.
'Jude', Brian shouted as I parked my car in the line in the middle and got out.
'Hey, what's up?' I asked him, as he walked over, I noticed his car across from mine.
'I'm gunna race', he muttered in my ear as he hugged me.
'No way', I exclaimed, pulling back from him, 'No, No, No'.
'Yes, way', Brian smiled, pulling away and heading over to his car. I walked back, locked up my car and followed him over.
'No, Brian', I stated acting like an older sister, when in all truthfulness he was older.
'Why no?' he asked me, smiling a knowing smile.
'Because you have nothing to give if they place money on it', I smiled, nudging him with my shoulder as I noticed a few people looking at my car. 'I'll talk to you later'.
'Hey, hold up, hold up. Look at this snow-man right here, man', a guy said as he moved towards Brian. 'Sweet ride. What you running under there, man?' He asked. Brian just gave him a smirk before stuffing his hands into his pockets. 'You gonna make me find out the hard way?' The guy asked him. I smiled and said later to the guys I was talking to and went and stood beside the guy Brian was talking to.
'Hell, yeah', he told him with a wicked smirk.
'Your brave, your brave. They call me Hector. I got a last name too, but I can't pronounce it, so…' He told Brian as I made a weird face.
'Brian Spilner', he replied holding out his hand, 'My sister, Jude'.
'Ah, typical white boy name. Know what I'm saying?' Hector told us shaking my hand, making me smile.
'You see that over there?' He asked us point out his car with the hood off so you could see just how much fucking money he had, or used to have. I noticed Hector's car was right next to mine. 'That's mine. It's my baby. But I ain't cuttin' her loose tonight', Hector told Brian leaning against the side of his car as I headed round Hector to stand beside Brian.
'Why not?' I asked him.
'Nah, its 'cause I'm going legit, chica. Trying to get on the NIRA circuit. You heard about that?' Hector asked me.
'Oh, hell, yeah', Brian told him nodding.
'So what? What's up with you, man?' Hector asked him.
'I'm just waiting for Torreto', Brian told him as I gaped at Brian. How could he be waiting for someone so…
'Shit, Better get in line', said a guy I recognized from the night I arrived her in LA, walking up to us a blue bandana tied around his forehead. 'This yours?' He asked indicating to the car.
'Yeah. I'm standing next to it', Brian replied smoothly as I snorted slightly.
'That's funny. You know, Edwin happens to know a few things. And one of the things Edwin knows is, it's not how you stand by your car. It's how you race your car. You better learn that', He warned him, and Brian nodded, not bad advice. I cracked up laughing. That was when we heard the motors, five cars arriving.
'Oh, shit. Here they come', Edwin said clapping his hands together once excitedly, 'It's on'.
They parked, Dom and his crew getting out girls throwing themselves towards them. Dom seemed to be enjoying the attention, but that was when Letty stepped up.
'Rowr', she meowed, 'I smell skanks, why don't you girls back it up before I leave tread marks on your face?' she said, stepping forward negatively.
'Letty, I was just talking', Dom smiled, as Letty scoffed and walked off.
Brian and I stayed close to Hector and Edwin as they moved in. I noticed Brian staying out of sight, I thought it odd since he came here to show Torreto up, didn't he? I watched as Dom called to Hector, greeting him and Edwin like family.
'Once race. Two-G buy-in. Winner takes all', Dom stated his order. 'Hector, you're going to hold the cash'.
'Why Hector?' One of the drivers racing asked, handing his money over.
''Cause he's too slow to make away with the money, man', Edwin replied handing his own money over. People just laughed and Hector just pretended not to hear it.
'Okay good luck guy's', Dom told them getting ready to take off.
'Hey, wait. Hold up', Brian called out, figuring it was now or never. I gaped at him as he ran into the circle. I followed him out and snatched his pink slip for his car out of his hand. 'I don't have any cash, but I do have the pink slip to my car', He told them stepping up and pulling it from my hand.
'Hey, you can't just climb in the ring with Ali 'cause you think you box', Jesse exclaimed.
'She knows I can box', I told him pointing over to Letty sitting on her car, as I pulled my own pink slip from my pocket. Everybody was looking around to someone, possibly trying to get an answer as to why I was stepping in. Brian was not going to lose what he had spent so much to build. 'So check it, it's like this. I lose; the winner takes my car, clean and clear. But if I win, I take the cash, and I take the respect', I told them.
People laughed and I just stayed stone clear. 'To some people, that's more important', I told them. I was pleased that the only two who shown a reaction about the idea was Dominic and Brian. For some reason, after the predicament with Letty, Dominic was all I could think about.
'That your car?' He asked me motioning to Brian's car.
'Nope', I smirked, 'That is', and I did a kind of grease move as I pointed over to my car.
'Sorry', I whispered to Brian as I walked passed; he nodded at me slightly, and of course like any big brother, he was a little worried for me. Jesse popped the hood and took the inventory while others in the crowed made funny noises at it, some even laughing because they didn't know what they were talking about.
'I see a cool-air intake. It's got a NOS-fogger system and a T-four turbo, Dominic. I see an A.I.C. controller. It has direct port nitrous injection', Jesse told him and everybody listening.
'Yeah, and a stand-alone fuel management system, not a bad way to spend $10,000', Dominic approved. Yeah it was a lot of money, none of it spent by me, Brian had bought it all for me as soon as I was old enough to drive. I nodded nervously.
'You see that shit?' Edwin asked Dominic after getting a close enough look under the hood. 'She's got enough NOS in there to blow herself up, period'.
'Yeah', Dominic replied glancing over at Brian who was beside me before actually looking at me.
'So, what do you say? Am I worthy?' I asked him.
'We don't know yet. But you're in', Dom told me. 'Let's go'.
We all pulled out, taking off to the location for tonight's race, frogs in my stomach. We lined up, I stopping a little too short of the start line, I was so nervous. Dom looked down the line, everybody following his lead till they came upon me. I didn't dare look for fear of chickening out.
I started my NOS and it's system before turning back to the street in front of me. I was craving a lecture from Brian, which was something I never really wanted before. I started psyching myself up for the win, trying to visualize it.
It was on, I pulling out a little behind all the other racers as the race started. I passed up Edwin and the Asian guy with my first hit of NOS when my program started to warn me of danger to my manifold. I didn't listen, because I knew I could win if I just bypass the problem and hit my last shot of NOS passing Dom up. I was nearly to the finish line when Dom's car shot passed mine, causing me to gape as he went passed.
I pulled up shortly after the others, thinking more of shooting passed so I didn't have to give my car up. I waited a second before stepping out. I watched Dom pick up Letty and say: "My trophy". For some reason, that made my almost win happiness diminish a little. I continued to smile however as I made my way over to the winner and his "Trophy".
'Was that fun?' Jesse asked me, scolding me, running up to pop the hood. Smoke billowed out and the crowd laughed..
'Yeah, was that fun?' Brian whispered in my ear.
'What are you smiling about?' Dom asked me curiously.
'Man, I almost had you', I said pointing over at him.
'You almost had me?' he repeated mockingly pointing over at me, then himself. 'You never had me. You never had your car!' Dom told me, the crowd listening closely around us, commenting whenever Dominic was close enough, trying desperately to be noticed and cool. 'Granny shifting, not double clutchin' like you should', Dom told me circling the car. 'You're lucky that hundred-shot of NOS didn't blow the welds on the intake. Almost had me?' He questioned a guy in the crowd laughingly, pointing at his chest.
'Now me and the mad scientist, gotta rip apart the block and replace the piston rings you fried', shutting the hood, he continued, 'Ask any racer, and real racer. It don't matter if you win by an inch or a mile. Winnings, winning', Dom told me the crowd cheering around him. That was when the cry went out, cops were on their way everyone racing for their cars. I wasn't too worried as I slid into my car and started it again pulling away. I watched Brian run for his car and pull away too. I picked up my phone and dialed one, his number popped up onto the screen.
'What?' he shouted into the phone.
'Call me when your safe, I'll meet up with you', I shouted before hanging up, hoping he was smart enough to at least put his phone into his pocket so he didn't lose it.
I raced off; kind of following Dom before I noticed he was kind of being tailed, and then I turned off and no one followed me. I took the back streets and followed the direction Dom was heading. I lost him until I spotted him on foot on the street trying to out run the cops. I went for it slipping past the cops and coming to a stop in front of him in an alleyway.
'Get in!' I told him. He slid in and I sped away, Dom clutching the handle in the seat beside me. I turned down a street, not really noticing the two oncoming cop cars. Dom shifted in his seat and held his hand out in front of him, obviously not used to the fact that somebody else was driving.
'Whoa, whoa!' Dom yelled from beside me. I laughed, the cars spinning around to block my way as I moved to slip past them. 'Whoa!' he exclaimed again, just proving to me he was always a driver. I slipped past the cars leaving them behind. 'You're the last person in the world I expected to show up', Dom told me as I turned a corner and slowed down.
'Yeah, well, I thought if I got in your good graces, you might let me keep my car', I smiled, looking at him from the corner of my eye.
'You are in my good graces, but you ain't keepin' your car', he answered with a smooth face. 'You drive like you've done this before. What're you a wheel man?'
'No', I told him.
'You boost cars?' he asked.
'No. Never', I lied. I had gotten into it when Brian came to stay back home for a little while.
'Ever done time?' he asked me.
'Couple of overnighters, no big deal', I replied, lying.
'What about the two years in Juvie for boostin' cars, with your brother?' Dom asked me. I looked at him completely forgetting to keep my eyes on the road, before turning back and tapping the steering wheel with my thumb. 'Hah. Tucson, right? Yeah, I had Jesse run a profile on you, Jude Lee Spilner. He'll find anything on the Web, anything about anybody. So why bullshit?' he asked me.
'So what about you?' I asked him, side-stepping his question.
'Two years in Lompoc, I'll die before I go back', He replied gravely. I nodded as I stared at the road, more worried about how much of my past history Jesse dug up on me for Dom.
'Oh, great', he muttered, sitting down lower in his seat.
'What?' I asked him before I looked in the rearview mirror and saw the bikes.
'It's gonna be a long-ass night, that's what', he muttered.
I counted six or seven bikes surrounding the car, one of the Asian bikers rode up beside me and tapped my door with a semi-automatic.
'Follow us', he shouted. Led into a parking lot with big Chinese architecture and statues, we pulled up and stepped out. The bikers pulled off their helmets and the leader – or who seemed to be the leader – stepped forward and addressed Dom as if they were old friends or enemies.
'I thought we had an agreement. You stay away. I stay away. Everybody stays happy', he said, walking further towards the car, more on Dom's side, which lead me to believe they were old…acquaintances.
'We got lost Johnny. What do you want me to tell you?' Dom answered him calmly.
'Whose we?' Johnny asked him, turning to look at me.
'Uh, my new mechanic, Jude, meet Johnny Tran. That guy in the snakeskin pants, that's his cousin, Lance', Dom said, causing me to tilt my head slightly and look at Dom, before looking back at "Johnny". 'So when are you going to give me a shot at that Honda 2000 of yours?' Dom asked him.
'This your ride?' Johnny asked walking towards me, obviously not hearing Dom's question. I started to feel slightly uncomfortable.
'It was. It's his now', I said, almost telling him it was till I remembered the stupid mistake I had made.
'No, it's not. I haven't taken delivery', Dom replied, looking at me sternly.
'Then it's nobody's car', Johnny stated, I feeling very, very uncomfortable that my was now classed as "unclaimed", though still, I had never been in a situation like this, so I just followed Dom. 'Somebody put in the wrench time', Johnny commented. I felt like screaming out my unvoiced answer, but decided upon it, not to, for the sake of my life at least. 'What do you think Lance?'
'It's an amazing machine', Lance replied, stepping forward slight, his semi automatic held high, aimed at Dom.
'Yes, indeed, it is', Johnny agreed. I started to shake slightly and glanced over at Dom who didn't look at me. 'Lets go', Johnny finally said patting Dom on the arm. 'I'll see you in the desert next month. Be ready to have your ass handed to you', He warned Dom.
'Yeah, you're gonna need more then that crotch rocket', Dom scoffed.
'I got something for you', Johnny told him before putting his helmet on. I watched them leave shaking more than necessary before looking over at Dom who I found to be already looking at me.
'What the hell was that all about?' I asked him, almost ready to shout
'Long story, I'll tell you later. Lets get outta here', Dom told me, opening the door and getting ready to sit down in the seat. Johnny and his cousin returned, both of them lifting their guns before firing at the car. Dom and I stepped backwards, shielding our eyes. I stepped forward as they rode off ready to run after them before I looked over at my car and almost started crying.
'NOS!' Dom shouted as I ran backwards. I landed on the pavement as the car blew up, the NOS finally totaling my car.
'So, what the hell was that all about?' I shouted at Dom again as we began to walk away.
'It's a long story', he repeated as if that would satisfy my curiosity and stop me from asking.
'Well, we got a twenty-mile hike. Humor me', I answered his statement angrily.
'A business deal that went sour', Dom replied. 'Plus I made the mistake of sleeping with his sister'.
'They all sleep with the sister', I scoffed before I pulled out my mobile.
'What's up?' Brian answered on the other end.
'Where are you?' I asked him; as Dom and I continued walking down the middle of the road, traffic going right passed us.
'Home. Where are you?' Brian asked, obviously sitting forward, as I heard the couch make a funny noise.
'Some main road, uh, you're not going to be to happy when you find out what happened, but, uh, we would appreciate the lift?' I asked hopefully.
'Uh, you gotta go, my sister needs some help', I heard him whisper in the background, he never was good at covering the mouth piece.
'Well, is he coming or what?' Dom asked, coming up right beside me. Even after all the stuff he did tonight, he still smelt strong of cologne and I was drowning in it.
'Brian man, don't worry about it, I'll walk home, it's not far', I muttered into the phone before I hung up on him. 'No', I answered stepping away from him, I swear, if I sniffed anymore of that cologne I was going to jump on him.