Rewritten: 6/7/18

Douglas McClurg, AKA "Grease" Was born and raised southeast of the United States, specifically in the outskirts of Jacksonville Florida. As a young boy he was interested in cars, having parents that had no knowledge of automotive engineering whatsoever. He wouldn't live too long in Jacksonville however, as his family now moved down to Miami Florida living in the Wynwood district at age 7. It was an interesting town known for its artistic street art sub-district, but Grease however didn't seem to fit in. He had no problems with his old elementary school back at his last home, but here he stuck out, but not positively. Grease would get picked on at his new school, but surprisingly he was really forgiving and tolerant around his bullies, mostly just to avoid getting knocked around. Grease had a witty personality however by joking around with them and even getting them to laugh, but somehow he would still get his head dunked in a toilet bowl. Grease would continue not to mind the problems at his school up until high school.

Grease may had been witty despite making bad comebacks, but he mostly came across as being geeky when It came to cars. He started out liking cars by playing videogames having favorites in both arcade or sim racing games. Driving simulator racing games was where he was introduced to both car manufactures and tuning playing for many hours, sometimes missing doing homework assignments. By the time he became a teenager, Grease dreamed of having a career as a car engineer, but instead he got himself into car tuning, thinking it was easier.

By the time he entered high school, Grease immediately signed himself a class in an auto workshop. The class was second nature to him even reading more research in auto encyclopedias at his library. It also came to a surprise that some older students at the high school have got into parking lot car meets as well as local street races just a few blocks near a mini mall. Grease would sometimes meet the drivers at the school parking lot in afternoons but usually came across as being an annoyance there. When it came to cars that didn't look right to him or in other words "Rice", Grease would go into detail as to why the drivers' mods wouldn't work, as well as drivetrain, only for him to get dumped at a nearby trash container. Being a freshman was obvious that he wasn't favored at the meets, though going through the grades it didn't much change. Unlike the car guys there who were mostly jocks, Grease was still an unpopular type when paired with the car groups, though manages to make a friend since middle school who was also not the most popular type yet not a car guy either. Grease would get his name from the auto shop class due to his experience. However, his nickname was meant to be an insult by the car jocks calling him "Grease Monkey" though he actually liked the name and kept it, only calling himself "Grease". Grease may had known about cars but was mostly nerdy about the stuff rather than a show-off with money and the best JDM or sports cars. By his senior year however, things would get better for him socially.

Starting classes on the first day, Grease was paired with an attractive looking petite female student in a few elective classes. Her name was Alicia Santiago, who had just moved to this town and was starting as a junior. Grease thought she was just another pretty face at first like the rest of the girls in the campus, but as he talked to her a few times in class groups realizing she knew things about cars as well as driving a Nissan Fairlady, Grease eventually developed a secret crush on her, now wanting to hang out at her spots at lunch or after school like she was a friend. Around this time, Grease had already owned his first car, at least a cheap but modable car owning a white Honda Civic Type-R hatchback (2000). His Auto class was the only class to have a straight A while others range barely a C but Math with almost an A needing it for tuning. While visiting Alicia at her lunch table, her friends thought he was an embarrassment, including a jock/car guy putting moves on her already. However, she would reject the other car guys but oddly accepted Grease at times to sit around despite her group sitting elsewhere. Testing his knowledge, Alicia would show him her car after school and was impressed by what she had, including knowing some things she didn't know for her Fairlady. Alicia wanted to see his, but Grease was kind of nervous to show her after the reactions he had received from other students. Alicia quoted: "How bad could it be?"

Grease shows her his Type-R; even she was skeptic with his choice, but under the hood however was the determining part.

Grease opens the hood and tries to explain to her: "It's a work in progress, I just haven't yet scratched some money for more parts, you know."

Alicia asks: "How much horsepower are you running?"

Grease: "Just barely under 230hp. Look I know that's not an impressive number compared to the other guys around here but.."

Alicia: "So.. all you have is a new intake manifold."

Grease: "Oh, I just got that on there, took me a few weeks to get. Actually, I started with the needed stuff first like Suspension and limited slip differential, had to work overtime at that burger joint for those. It had a new clutch when I bought the car though, even did some handling tuning to get some control out of it at least."

Alicia looks in the wheel welds and notices the coilovers as well as ride height. She saw potential with handling over speed, even to his knowledge of tuning/modifying cars. He may not look it, but he was a genius under the hood seeing some work done on his civic.

"Other girls here would stay away from my Type-R thinking it's not fast" he said.

Alicia replies: "Well you're just starting out, right? Obviously you took consideration with handling first rather than power. You know first how your car drives before getting in the lines of engine work and spending less money. That's.. that's actually smart of you."

Grease: "Thanks, for once somebody understands me. You know I did do some weight reduction on the inside too."

Alicia: "Have you been getting street race money to afford these parts?"

Grease: "With what those other guys are packing, that's thousands of dollars being put on there. Why you think I'm working at a fast food joint part time?"

Alicia: "Then what's the point of modding cars when you don't race what you have? I think you can handle what you have here so far." (Closes hood)

Grease: "Well… I've did some test drives out in clear roads, some open lots and.. (Alicia raises eyebrow) ..What you mean actual street racing? I can't even sneak out of my own home let alone my parents checking on me in the middle of the night that I'm not going to these races, even on weekends. Least I could do is go to the Homestead track that's a few miles away from here. Hell, I can't even afford enough gas to drive over there and back. You must think I'm a loser friend now do you?"

Alicia: "heh, you just need a better excuse that's all."

Grease: "Like what, working nightshifts on a school night? Graduation isn't till 8 months from now."

Alicia: "You wanna earn new parts quicker at least, right?"

Grease: "Where are you going with this?"

Alicia: "My uncle owns a car garage, and he needs workers to start including myself. You quit that crappy part time job of yours and come work for him. With that tuning mindset, my uncle would love to have you on board, buy our best parts with a discount and be paid by the hour."

Grease: "Is that how you got your car?"

Alicia: "It was a birthday gift, but the parts came straight from my uncle's business."

Grease: "Heh, if it's that good, then sign me up."

Alicia: "Great. We can go right now."

Grease: "Wait, now?"

Alicia: "He has one spot left, better now than later. I'll race ya there."

Grease: "You're on."

The two drive their way to the shop not too far from where they started. Driving inside the garage was still a mess with the air dusty and kind of dark with some lights on. "The shop was like this when he bought it" Alicia says. Then she tells him about her past, what happened to her parents and how she wind up living here with her bedroom upstairs. Grease thought it was cool living at the shop until he realized the tragedy of her mother. The uncle came downstairs as Alicia called for him, being introduced to Grease and shook hands with him. The uncle thought he was a new boyfriend of Alicia's until Grease struggled to answer while she explains he was just a friend looking for work. Immediately they had an interview on the spot as Grease explained his knowledge of tuning, repairing, etc. The uncle was convinced, wanting to see Grease work first until he's officially hired. Coming in the next day, Grease proved himself with a customer vehicle being sent out in a couple days befire the deadline. He knew how to fine tune his work even testing them around the block or more until he felt satisfied. Once the customer was happy and took off, Grease got the job, and as a reward he chose a free part for his Type-R, a used street series turbocharger upgrade. The part had gunk and needed cleaning being told it was found at a junkyard. It was a compatible piece but it needed to be checked out and if a proper fit. It was still good, and sure enough it was installed in his car with some replaced bolts. Grease had some more Horsepower to use.

Grease continued to work at the garage after quitting his old job. For the last eight months up until graduation as well as surviving senior projects, Grease enjoyed working at the car shop other than seeing Alicia every time alongside. During free hours he would test out his Type-R as well as earning mods every once and awhile. The best part however was he could drive the customer's cars. Once he felt the ride was just right, the upgrades are sold fulfilling the customer's request. Soon the shop started to gain attention around parts of Miami, even more so the street racing scene was hitting the south. Many car guys and street racers were coming in for expensive parts finally being sold as well as Grease's fun time trying out the upgrades and improving his driving. Alicia also got in on the action, earning parts for her Fairlady and testing her car out with the rest, built by her but with parts chosen by Grease. Grease would also grow out his hair long and begins to wear a bun ponytail much like Alicia with her long hair during tuning. Eventually the shop was now getting revenue, booming their business. Soon they began advertising including showing off work at car meets as more customers meant more employees being hired and brought in. By 2015 3 years later, the shop finally got a renovation. While the place was cleaned up overtime, a new look to bring in customers was the next step. Even though construction was in progress, the shop was still doing business.

Before long the shop was now beginning to receive more powerful mods that would attract even the supercar owners. Eventually, Grease decided to sell his Type-R and changes to a Ford Focus RS transferring some of the parts to his new car but started from scratch as well as handling tuning. Alicia also began practicing her driving at the time until taking on actual street races, followed by Grease now moving out of his house and to a studio apartment. At some point at the garage before the renovation, Alicia would also find out Grease's real feelings towards her. Though he was out of high school, she was still going into senior year, only for Grease to find out she was already dating someone else including inviting him to the shop. As of course, most high school couples wouldn't last as she broke up with the boyfriend before graduation, giving Grease the opportunity but turned out to be a mistake. They were great friends, but unfortunately for him he became friend-zoned when confessing to her, even at times he would try again only to receive a friendly laugh or pat in the back. It also wouldn't help when a crew of customers came into the shop, only for Alicia to have an interest with their crew leader.

One day a crew of 4 drove into the garage. Their cars were expensive European sports cars with one driving a black supercar, a Novitec Ferrari 458 Speciale. Grease couldn't believe his eyes seeing a Novitec Rosso Ferrari drive in front of him. In no way anyone would get a one of a kind vehicle he thought, but somehow this driver managed to get one in America and wouldn't dare to change its performance. The drivers that came out didn't look high class as well as the driver in the 458 with each of them wearing a piece of black or leather. The driver in the 458 had a neck wrapped with tattoos including one specific tattoo that the crew had on their necks or upper chests. The crew were part of a nationwide motorclub calling themselves the 5-10s, and crews were in the region cleaning up territory. The crew leader, calling himself Logan, asks for high-end parts for his drivers as Alicia came up to him to confirm they had what they needed. Suddenly, Alicia started to sound flirty talking to the driver as Grease witnesses. As Logan came up to him to look for them, Grease just answered "Find them yourself, I'm busy with another customer." Automatically Grease didn't like this guy let alone trust, though mostly for a personal reason. Alicia and Grease didn't know it, but the 5-10 crew was part of a growing criminal organization smuggling cars, weapons, and narcotics around the United States. A few days from now, the crew was out for a big race against a territorial motorclub deep in Miami. Other 5-10 crews have cleared out north of the south region and were choke holding the motorclub in this one city. Logan began charming Alicia while looking around the shop, only now she was interested in wanting to ride with them out of state, wanting to leave even before meeting this crew. She needed to prove herself, asking Grease for upgrades only for him to talk sense to her, not trusting the crew. Alicia tried to play with his feelings in order to get the parts, and unfortunately it works as Grease installs the best possible parts and handling before the big race. Alicia had been growing her skills over the years and was now pretty much putting them to the test to impress the 5-10 crew. Logan and his team would come back for her as Alicia takes her newly modified Fairlady. She doesn't come back until 3:00am.

Grease was closing down the shop for the uncle as Alicia finally came back in the morning. She told Grease she was leaving for good with the crew and possibly never coming back. One last time Grease tells her it was a bad idea, only to realize this was his own personal choice and instead just let her go. Alicia gave him one last hug goodbye with Grease almost shedding a tear. They stay contacted however but would hardly call or message each other. Giving her sleeping uncle the message she was leaving, Alicia got back into her car and drove out of the garage into the night. Grease shuts off the lights, locks the garage doors and heads back home slightly depressed. Grease would still think of Alicia for the next couple of days even taking one last look at a digital picture of her until deleting it. He gets over her by the next week and moves on continuing to work at the shop. At one point he called his old high school friend to hang out or drive, though things didn't feel the same anymore with his only girl/friend not around. Grease would completely get over it by practicing more driving/racing in his Ford Focus for the next few months.

Months have passed and Grease had improved on his driving as well as upgrading his Focus. Not under the roof of his parents despite possibly disappointing them, Grease now got into more amateur street races. While not a top driver in the city, he managed to earn bank and avoid wrecking his car in certain races in parts of town. Grease however never got involved with police, though in certain races there were pursuits involved but he was never a target. Unfortunately, it meant cops were identifying his car, and during the day he only drove a pickup truck, even now picking up parts at shipment locations. It was now at a point that the shop was now selling barely legal parts, most of which were meant for professional drivers or formula drifters. Other 5-10 drivers would also find the shop, now ordering these parts for what their cars are labeled performance spec rather than street spec. Seeing more 5-10 drivers made him wonder how large this motorclub was; almost every customer now had the 5-10 ink, but also noticed they were slightly keeping themselves secret ordering online rather than bringing their rides. Grease was now thinking of Alicia again, hoping she was alright but had no idea what she was doing or where she was at. Suddenly he got a call on his phone, and by coincidence it turned out to be her, not talking to each other for those past months. She called that she was okay and heading into the west coast into Los Angeles. She then tells him who the 5-10s were and what trouble she was involved in, only for Grease to turn out to be right about those drivers and their leader. However, Alicia told him she possibly had a plan and possibly wanted him later on. Days later, she called him again, only now he wanted him to travel to the state of Michigan taking a plane along with his car. Grease had no idea what was going on, deciding to leave by having her uncle replace him saying it was important and involved his niece. The uncle lets Grease go but by doing so meant he was quitting his job. Grease headed for the airport with his Focus being transported by train heading for Michigan. While told to meet at an airfield outside of Detroit, Grease makes it to the location seeing her as well as two other guys alongside. He even noticed Alicia's new look and tattoos, realizing she had been "busy" with her crew, but now she was going against them and the 5-10 MC, explaining on the way to Detroit. Grease's adventure with a new crew begins here.