Chapter 2:
A/N: Here's chapter two, hope you like it, please read and review I love hearing what you guys think.
Disclaimer: I do not own Need For Speed or any of its characters. But I do own any original characters and the plot.
"His sister? Heh I am such an idiot, I should have known that, he told me you might show up today. Sorry when you said Marshall I thought you might be another one of Dino's spies." she says.
"Dino Brewster? Ugh I hate that guy. I wouldn't go near him with a fifty foot pole." I say. "So where is my brother anyway?" I ask.
"He's in the office doing inventory, writing bills and placing stock orders." Joe says.
"So he'll be in a good mood then." I say jokingly, knowing Tobey hates the paperwork side of his job, he'd much rather be tinkering with engines and building cars than inputting data and placing orders on a computer screen.
"Why do you think we're out here?" he asks with a grin.
"Speaking of 'we' where're the others? Don't tell me Finn and Benny have moved on to bigger and better things." I say.
"Finn's here somewhere, probably hiding out somewhere thinking up cheesy one liners for the race tonight or something." Joe says. "And Benny's out getting food."
"Sound's like their priorities haven't changed much the last few years." I say with a chuckle.
"Hey Joe can you remember how many hours we spent working on the Lambo this week? I can't remember the exact number and I have to email the bill to the customer." Tobey says walking out of the office with a slight frown on his face.
"You don't know how long you spend working on cars? Wow, I was gonna bring my car here but if the business owner can't even keep track of minor details like that then I don't know if I should entrust my car to you." I say stepping out from behind Joe with a grin on my face.
"Kat? What the fuck are you doing here! I thought you weren't gonna be here till later." Tobey says.
"Yeah well we had good tail winds so the flight got in earlier than expected and the drive didn't take as long as I thought it would so here I am." I say. "I'm so sorry I didn't come back before now. I-I should have been here for you when Pete…" I trail of unable to finish the sentence, I take a deep breath and turn away from the group while I fight to keep my emotions in check when I feel a pair of arms pull me into a hug. "I miss him so much." I choke out before finally letting the tears that I've been holding back for almost three years stream down my face.
"I know, I miss him too." Tobey says softly pulling me close. "I'll never forget what I saw that day, not as long as I live. It all happened so fast, one minute we were racing and the next Dino's rammed into him and the car's gone rolling and exploding into a fire ball off the bridge. He didn't even stop, he just drove off to hide the evidence and didn't look back." he says. "I should never have let him drive that car, it's my fault he was there. If I hadn't been so focused on beating Dino I wouldn't have agreed to that race and Pete would still be here."
"Don't you dare blame yourself for that Tobey Marshall." I say fiercely stepping out of his hug and looking him straight in the eyes. "Dino is the only one to blame. He's the one that rammed the car not you. It is NOT your fault, Pete loved you. You were there for him when no one else was after his sister ran off to Manhattan with Dino, you accepted him and gave him a job even though Anita broke your heart. A lot of guys would shun the kid brother of the girl who did what Anita did to you, but you didn't, you welcomed him with open arms and made him feel like he belonged. He always appreciated that." I say.
"How-how do you know?" he asks.
"Because he told me. " I say.
"So…how was Spain?" Joe asks in an obvious attempt to change the subject to something lighter.
"It was great." I say.
"Come on Kat, is that all you're gonna say? You were there for three years and all you can come up with is 'it was great' c'mon I know you can do better than that." Joe says.
"It was amazing, It's so beautiful over there. Beautiful beaches with perfect aqua blue water and pristine white sand. Rolling hills, and wide open fields so bright green that when the sun shines on them it's almost blinding. And there are some amazing roads that are just begging to be driven on." I say. "The people are great, they're so friendly and welcoming and they make you feel so at home."
"Do you think you'll go back?" Tobey asks.
"Maybe for a holiday, but not to live. As much as I loved living over there these last few years it's not home. This is my home, right here with all of you." I say. "And I don't plan on leaving it any time soon, so you guys are stuck with me for a while I'm afraid."
"I'm sure we'll find some way to deal with the horror." Joe says. "Copious amounts of alcohol, long term psychiatric help, medication that kind of thing."
"Haha you're funny, you should be a comedian." I say.
"So do you have a place to stay?" Joe asks,
"Not officially, but I do have part ownership of this place so I was thinking I'll just crash in the room out back until I can get a place." I say.
"I'm not letting you stay in the back room." Tobey says.
"What do you mean you're not gonna let me stay here? I kinda own the place, you can't stop me from staying here." I say.
"That's not what I meant. " he says. "I know I can't stop you from staying here, and I wouldn't. This place is as much yours as it is mine, dad left it to both of us. What I meant was that you can't stay here because you're gonna come stay with me. And I won't take no for an answer so don't bother trying to argue."
"You know how stubborn he is, arguing won't do you any good." Julia comments.
"Trust me Julia, that stubbornness runs in the family. Along with the tendency to appear somewhat hostile towards new-comers." Joe says.
"I'm not stubborn, I just know what I want and won't back down till I get it." I say.
"Oh no Katia, you're not stubborn at all. You'd never strap lock yourself in your car and park outside the school for days because the principal revoked students right to drive to school." he says.
"That rule was total crap! He only did it because some idiot on the football team got drunk one night and decided to have a drag race though campus. I wasn't just gonna sit back and let one idiots actions force us all to catch the bus every day. " I say. "and besides if I recall correctly YOU'RE the one that suggested I stage some kind of peaceful protest."
"Yeah but I meant something like a petition signed by the students, not parking in front of the faculty building and barricading yourself in your car till they gave in and re-instated students rights to drive to school." he says.
"Well it worked didn't it?" I say but before he can answer we are interrupted by the screeching of tires followed by rapid footsteps as my brothers friend Benny bursts inside a look of exhilaration on his face.
"Guys! You have to come see this car out on the street!" he says sounding like a kid in a candy store.
"Why? What is it the new Hyundai?" Joe asks.
"Yeah man, that's exactly what it is. You know if Hyundai are making Bugattis now." Benny replies.
"Bugatti? You really expect us to believe that liar one? You know as well as I do that no one in this town can afford a Bugatti." Joe says.
"Maybe it's someone who's here for the day." he says.
"Oh yeah because this place is a hot-spot for the kinds of people who can afford multi-million dollar cars." Joe says.
"Whatever man, don't come see it then." Benny says.
"Ok we're coming, but if there isn't really a Bugatti out there you're gonna have a very sore head." Joe says and he and the others follow Benny outside, all except Tobey who hangs back when he notices I'm not following the group.
"What's up? Don't you want to see a Bugatti?" he asks.
"I've already seen it plenty of times." I say reaching into my pocket and pulling out a set of keys and holding them up. "You see it's mine, got it while I was in Madrid."
"No way? It's yours? How the hell did you manage to afford a Bugatti?" he asks.
"Got it cheap from some cashed up bureaucrat who had no idea of the cars value. He crashed it, practically wrote it off and didn't wanna pay for the repairs." I say
"You do now that when the guys find out you're the owner of that car they're gonna flip out and then about three seconds later demand that you hand over the keys and let them take it for a spin."
"I am aware of that possibility." I say. "and I was thinking that I might just hold off on telling them it's mine until the opportune moment."
"And what would the opportune moment be?" he asks.
"After the race tonight, I was thinking I'll make some excuse to meet you guys there, arrive just before the race starts so no one knows it's me in the Bugatti. Then after i win I'll drive over to wherever you are and get out right in front of them." I say. "What do you think? Good plan?"
"I think that is quite possibly one of the best plans you have ever come up with." he says. "so can you
"I wouldn't expect anything less. Actually I think I'll be disappointed if they don't beg for the keys." I say.
"Are you gonna let em?" he ask.
"Only if they're nice to me." I say.
"What about me? Will you let me drive it?" he asks.
"Of course you can drive it, you really think I'd deprive you of driving it? You get dibs on driving it, the rest of them can figure out they drive after you've had your turn." I say.
"I knew there was a reason I liked you" he jokes.
A/N. Thanks for reading guys! Hope you liked it. Please let me know what you thought, I'd like three reviews before I update again. Also if you have any ideas of what you would like to happen in the story let me know and I will take them into consideration.