Chapter 1: Dude, Where ya Been?
I pulled towards the old meeting place. I knew it hadn't changed. The building still stood alone in the lot. I could hear the different types of music blending with laughter.
When I pulled up, peopled turned and stared. Their "oohs", "awws" and "what the fuck?" could be heard over my radio.
I had the only Daewoo. Almost all the parts were custom built do to the fact that's it's hard to find part for one. I had an air brush design of heaven on one side. Not the heaven with the cheap angels with halos, but with the foggy figures that had sparkles and stars surrounding them. I had a road on there too. It was pale gold. The road traveled to the hood of the car were it became a paved street of a city. I just had basic city landscape. The road then moved to the other side and became ragged bricks that made up the floor of hell. I had a demon on the side spraying fire.
I got out and looked around. The same people were still there. I could hear Hector laughing with his girls, Edwin getting hit on. I wondered if he was still with Monica. But the people I was looking for had not arrived, and most of the time, they were the last to arrive.
With my shades on, as I always, I walked around, taking in the people, and the cars. It had been a long time since I had been among so many of them. They seemed so weak, so helpless. I felt as though it was my responsibility to take care of them.
The laughter turned to howls as five cars pulled up. A smile crossed my face as I crossed the crowd, knowing who had just pulled up.
I stood in the thick of the crowd as they stepped out of their vehicles
Dominic, with an engine for a brain, a body of a demigod, and a heart made of solid chocolate. (And not that hollow kind you get around Easter either)
Letty, his girl. Loving, sarcastic and violent when anyone messed with her friends or fucked her man.
Jesse. Jess seemed different somehow. He was distant and very jumpy. Yet he still had this innocent spirit about him that had most girls going nuts over him.
Vincent, the child trapped in a grown man's body. He would be an interesting father someday. The he would know how the rest of us feel.
And, lastly, there's Leon. An Italian boy with an urban edge. Quick witted and talented in certain areas that can prove most useful to women.
I pulled my gatsby hat down enough to cover the space between my face and the sunglasses and walked over as Dominic plaid his wade of cash in Hectors. I pulled out my own and held it up.
Changing my voice, I added, "I think you men can handle a woman being in this."
"I'm game." Dominic smirked.
"Hey, just no complaining about losing when you're nail breaks during the race." Some rookie said, taking my money and placing it in Hector's hand.
"If I lose, I'll make sure to at least bet you." I walked back my car, my hips swaying.
Everyone got in their cars and took off to Vermont and 25th street. And from what Leon said over the Nextels, the cops wouldn't be around for a while. They were at a gang shooting in Magic Park.
As we pulled up, the line was being sprayed. We all stopped right on it and did the whole engine revving thing.
I pushed a white button and my LSD screen came out of the dashboard. Then the green button to turn on my Sony surround sound system,* the sounds of Nelly's Midwest sounds filling my car.
I typed in my commands and was ready, my foot on the break and barely touching the clutch.
The rag came down and we were off. My foot was heavy on the gas pedal. I turned and faced the rookie who I said I would lose. I wished I had a camera to capture the dumbfounded look on his face.
I had beaten most of the pact, with Dom just a few inches in front of me. He had already used his NOS, and I knew he wasn't crazy enough to hit it again. So I just pressed my own and watched as his two g's became mine.
I stopped and got out, the crowd surrounding me. Hector gave me my $8000. I counted it and walked over to Dom.
"Good race." I extended my hand.
He shook it. "Yeah."
"It might have helped if you had known who you were racing." I smiled and turned to walk away when Letty grabbed my shoulder.
"What, I can't be a little cocky about the race? I did win. Besides Let, you would too if you had beaten him."
"How do you know my name?"
"I knew you once, three years ago really. I left for a while." I pulled off the hat.
"I know that…" Dom said to himself.
"Street!" Jesse shouted.
"Oh shit." Vincent chuckled. "It is her." He picked me up from behind and spun me around.
"Dude, put me down."
He let me go and I did the whole hugging thing with the Team, except with Leon. I had to get through the crowd to get to him.
"So, hi."
"Hey."
"I, uh, missed you." I told him quietly.
"You didn't write." He was checking the scanners.
"I couldn't."
"Bullshit." He shouted, turning a few heads.
"Can we discussed this in private?"
"Yeah," A call was put out on us. The sirens began to echo off the buildings. "Later."
I ran to my car and pulled off towards Blood territory. I knew the cops wouldn't follow me there. After thirty minutes, I went to Dominic's house.
The radio was on but not that loud. Jesse was playing PS2 with Letty, Mia was getting a Snapple, Dom and Vincent were yelling about something that I didn't want to hear. Leon sat near by them.
I stepped over Letty and stood near Leon, waiting for him to notice me. When he did, he grabbed my arm and tried to pull me up stairs. I yanked away and followed him.
He took me to an extra room. I let him go in first and slammed the door. I rested my head on the door and began.
"Okay, now you can go off."
"Where should I begin? The fact you stood me up or that you didn't write me? Maybe the letter you left me." He paced the room, obviously dealing with my sudden presence.
"I wanted to call you so much." I turned and watched him. "I wanted to write."
"At least tell me where you were?"
"At a boot camp."
"What?"
"Boot camp. My uncle sent me that night. I didn't get to argue or defend myself."
"Okay. But why didn't you write from the damn camp?" He had stopped pacing and stared at me.
"I wasn't allowed."
"Allowed my ass."
"Baby look," I started, moving closer to him. "They said any and all emotion had to be put on hold. And that meant you and the Team down stairs."
I wanted to hold him, kiss him, but I held myself at a safe distance.
"But I'm back now, and just want to get on with my life. And I want you in it."
Leon seemed to be fighting with himself. He looked down, thinking. When he looked up, a new clarity was in his eyes.
"I think." He began. "I think we should be friends first and see what happened from there."
"I think that's fair." I really felt hurt.
I moved to at least give him a hug when a blinding pain moved through me. I relieved I hadn't eaten for a week. I tried to hide it, with no prevail. Leon came to my side.
"You okay?"
When it passed, I stood up and opened the door.
"Oh yeah. I just need to eat is all. I'll see you tomorrow at the garage."
I didn't wait for his response. I ran out of there fast enough to be unseen. I got in my car and pulled off, almost running down a few of the guest.
* Sound system? -VCP
I pulled towards the old meeting place. I knew it hadn't changed. The building still stood alone in the lot. I could hear the different types of music blending with laughter.
When I pulled up, peopled turned and stared. Their "oohs", "awws" and "what the fuck?" could be heard over my radio.
I had the only Daewoo. Almost all the parts were custom built do to the fact that's it's hard to find part for one. I had an air brush design of heaven on one side. Not the heaven with the cheap angels with halos, but with the foggy figures that had sparkles and stars surrounding them. I had a road on there too. It was pale gold. The road traveled to the hood of the car were it became a paved street of a city. I just had basic city landscape. The road then moved to the other side and became ragged bricks that made up the floor of hell. I had a demon on the side spraying fire.
I got out and looked around. The same people were still there. I could hear Hector laughing with his girls, Edwin getting hit on. I wondered if he was still with Monica. But the people I was looking for had not arrived, and most of the time, they were the last to arrive.
With my shades on, as I always, I walked around, taking in the people, and the cars. It had been a long time since I had been among so many of them. They seemed so weak, so helpless. I felt as though it was my responsibility to take care of them.
The laughter turned to howls as five cars pulled up. A smile crossed my face as I crossed the crowd, knowing who had just pulled up.
I stood in the thick of the crowd as they stepped out of their vehicles
Dominic, with an engine for a brain, a body of a demigod, and a heart made of solid chocolate. (And not that hollow kind you get around Easter either)
Letty, his girl. Loving, sarcastic and violent when anyone messed with her friends or fucked her man.
Jesse. Jess seemed different somehow. He was distant and very jumpy. Yet he still had this innocent spirit about him that had most girls going nuts over him.
Vincent, the child trapped in a grown man's body. He would be an interesting father someday. The he would know how the rest of us feel.
And, lastly, there's Leon. An Italian boy with an urban edge. Quick witted and talented in certain areas that can prove most useful to women.
I pulled my gatsby hat down enough to cover the space between my face and the sunglasses and walked over as Dominic plaid his wade of cash in Hectors. I pulled out my own and held it up.
Changing my voice, I added, "I think you men can handle a woman being in this."
"I'm game." Dominic smirked.
"Hey, just no complaining about losing when you're nail breaks during the race." Some rookie said, taking my money and placing it in Hector's hand.
"If I lose, I'll make sure to at least bet you." I walked back my car, my hips swaying.
Everyone got in their cars and took off to Vermont and 25th street. And from what Leon said over the Nextels, the cops wouldn't be around for a while. They were at a gang shooting in Magic Park.
As we pulled up, the line was being sprayed. We all stopped right on it and did the whole engine revving thing.
I pushed a white button and my LSD screen came out of the dashboard. Then the green button to turn on my Sony surround sound system,* the sounds of Nelly's Midwest sounds filling my car.
I typed in my commands and was ready, my foot on the break and barely touching the clutch.
The rag came down and we were off. My foot was heavy on the gas pedal. I turned and faced the rookie who I said I would lose. I wished I had a camera to capture the dumbfounded look on his face.
I had beaten most of the pact, with Dom just a few inches in front of me. He had already used his NOS, and I knew he wasn't crazy enough to hit it again. So I just pressed my own and watched as his two g's became mine.
I stopped and got out, the crowd surrounding me. Hector gave me my $8000. I counted it and walked over to Dom.
"Good race." I extended my hand.
He shook it. "Yeah."
"It might have helped if you had known who you were racing." I smiled and turned to walk away when Letty grabbed my shoulder.
"What, I can't be a little cocky about the race? I did win. Besides Let, you would too if you had beaten him."
"How do you know my name?"
"I knew you once, three years ago really. I left for a while." I pulled off the hat.
"I know that…" Dom said to himself.
"Street!" Jesse shouted.
"Oh shit." Vincent chuckled. "It is her." He picked me up from behind and spun me around.
"Dude, put me down."
He let me go and I did the whole hugging thing with the Team, except with Leon. I had to get through the crowd to get to him.
"So, hi."
"Hey."
"I, uh, missed you." I told him quietly.
"You didn't write." He was checking the scanners.
"I couldn't."
"Bullshit." He shouted, turning a few heads.
"Can we discussed this in private?"
"Yeah," A call was put out on us. The sirens began to echo off the buildings. "Later."
I ran to my car and pulled off towards Blood territory. I knew the cops wouldn't follow me there. After thirty minutes, I went to Dominic's house.
The radio was on but not that loud. Jesse was playing PS2 with Letty, Mia was getting a Snapple, Dom and Vincent were yelling about something that I didn't want to hear. Leon sat near by them.
I stepped over Letty and stood near Leon, waiting for him to notice me. When he did, he grabbed my arm and tried to pull me up stairs. I yanked away and followed him.
He took me to an extra room. I let him go in first and slammed the door. I rested my head on the door and began.
"Okay, now you can go off."
"Where should I begin? The fact you stood me up or that you didn't write me? Maybe the letter you left me." He paced the room, obviously dealing with my sudden presence.
"I wanted to call you so much." I turned and watched him. "I wanted to write."
"At least tell me where you were?"
"At a boot camp."
"What?"
"Boot camp. My uncle sent me that night. I didn't get to argue or defend myself."
"Okay. But why didn't you write from the damn camp?" He had stopped pacing and stared at me.
"I wasn't allowed."
"Allowed my ass."
"Baby look," I started, moving closer to him. "They said any and all emotion had to be put on hold. And that meant you and the Team down stairs."
I wanted to hold him, kiss him, but I held myself at a safe distance.
"But I'm back now, and just want to get on with my life. And I want you in it."
Leon seemed to be fighting with himself. He looked down, thinking. When he looked up, a new clarity was in his eyes.
"I think." He began. "I think we should be friends first and see what happened from there."
"I think that's fair." I really felt hurt.
I moved to at least give him a hug when a blinding pain moved through me. I relieved I hadn't eaten for a week. I tried to hide it, with no prevail. Leon came to my side.
"You okay?"
When it passed, I stood up and opened the door.
"Oh yeah. I just need to eat is all. I'll see you tomorrow at the garage."
I didn't wait for his response. I ran out of there fast enough to be unseen. I got in my car and pulled off, almost running down a few of the guest.
* Sound system? -VCP