The Funeral of a Good Girl

By – TempestRaces

Chapter Thirty Six – Of Last Straws and Second Place Substitutes

AN: There is a lot of swearing in this chapter. Also, after this chapter, I'm a little unsure if I'm going to leave what I've written alone, or rework it based on some comments I've recieved. If I rework it, it'll mean changing a great deal of the story, as the next hundred pages are already written. And I don't mind doing it, if I end up feeling it's what's right for the story. So I might need to do some rereading, some thinking, and perhaps some revamping. So the next update might not come as fast as this one did. And I can't really ask for opinions without giving away some major occurrances of the story, so I guess I'm on my own this time. Comments are gratefully accepted. Always, T

Tempest let herself in the back door of the house, glad to find that if nothing else, Mia had been smart enough not to lock her out in the back yard. She stood in the darkened kitchen trying to remember where the light switch was. She figured she could either turn the light on or try to stumble and feel her way down the basement stairs in the dark.

And some sane part of her was clamouring for her to sleep on the upstairs couch. She didn't know if it was to keep her out of Vince's room, or out of Leon's, or out of which ever one grabbed her first's room. She was very confused about who and what she wanted.

"What the fuck was that?" a low, angry voice growled from the dark corner beside the kitchen window before the light over the sink was snapped on.

She jumped into the air with a startled gasp. "Vince! What the hell are you doing hiding in the pitch black kitchen?" And when had he gotten back from where ever he'd been, and why hadn't she heard his car?

"Watching you and Leon. And again, what the fuck was that?"

"Me'n Leon fighting, sparring. He said I couldn't hold my own against him in a fight and I told him he was wrong. He told me to prove it so I did."

"You want me to believe that was fighting?"

"I don't care what you believe," she said and the expression on her face seemed to say that she really didn't care what he thought.

"But yet, when I ask you what that was, you tell me fighting. So you would have me believe that it was fighting?"

"It was Karate. Well, at least I assume Leon learned some form of Karate. That's what I was using. So yes, it was fighting."

"It was fuckin' foreplay!" Vince roared, finally at the end of his tether for hearing her deny there was more than she and Leon testing each other's knowledge of Martial Arts in what he'd seen.

"Lower your damn voice," she admonished with a growl.

"I will not be told to lower my voice. One of my best friends! And I come home to," he seemed to choke on his words, but forced himself to soldier on. "I come home to apologize to you, after feeling like shit for what I did all night to find you and Leon involved in some sort of bizarre prelude to fucking that you're trying to pass off as fighting. I've seen Leon fight in competitions for whatever the fuck it is he does, and not once have I seen him haul someone against his chest and whisper stuff in their ear. Never once seen him rub his hands over their hips and backs. I've never seen anyone practically rub his dick with their foot during this 'sport' he does." Vince was clearly incensed. "Sure didn't take you long to decide to move on. It was what, about four hours since we finished when you started with him?"

Tempest hated herself for feeling guilty he'd seen. So what if he'd seen? He didn't have the right to be jealous and he didn't have the right to be mad. What but foreplay was his staring at Mia so intently that he missed her leaving the room and leaving the house? "You don't get to imply I'm a whore. You, who've slept with so many different women you can't count them. You, who will sleep with me tonight if I'll let you—hate me or not, and then tell me all about how much you love someone else tomorrow morning. You, who fucked me in one minute and tried to mentally convince another girl to do the same with you in the next. You, who ripped my favourite shirt off my body this evening before having wild, crazy sex with me for an hour before enjoying letting me dress in your clothes only to come up stairs and get so wrapped up in another woman you didn't notice me walk out on you. No, when you are only the third guy I've ever taken to bed in my whole life, and you have no idea how many women you've fucked and kicked out of your room, you don't get to call me that, or imply that's what I am. Nothing gives you that right! You never promised me anything permanent, so don't act like you did and don't act like I'm breaking some sort of commitment I made to you either. We never made promises to each other and that was how you wanted it."

"I have to live with him long after you leave," Vince added in a much more calm tone of voice.

"Please," Tempest drawled sarcastically, unable to buy that line of logic for why he was so mad she had fooled around in the backyard with Leon. He was jealous! He felt like because he'd had sex with her, he had some right of ownership over her. It had nothing to do with Leon being his friend, and everything to do with how he just didn't want to share his 'toys'. She'd bet he was like that with every girl he slept with. But it was one more thing she wasn't going to allow him to just get away with. "You never have to live with Craig Everett, but I wasn't even allowed to talk to him without you pitchin' a fit. But I guess me'n him talkin' cars was foreplay too, was it? I mean, I'm clearly such a whore that I can't talk to a guy, or play fight with a guy, without it being a prelude to sex. I'm not the person in this room who's been ridden to victory more times than Dominic's car!" Her voice rose sarcastically as she quipped out her anger.

Any pretence of calm flew out the window then. "What did you say?"

"Now you're deaf and dumb for real? You heard me," she muttered angrily. "Don't try to make it my fault that you think you mark your territory when you fuck a girl and then you think no one else has the right to talk to her, touch her. You using me for sex didn't ever turn me into your property."

Vince took an angry step her direction. She held her ground defiantly, chin in the air, uncaring if the next few moments would find her and Vince in the backyard throwing punches without the overtone of sexual play. She was more than ready to take out her anger and frustration on something.

Leon fought down his need to laugh hysterically at her line. Ridden to victory more times than Dom's car! She had a quick wit. But a sharp tongue. And it was about to get her in serious shit. Leon couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Vince so very mad. He was very worried that Tempest had pushed the volatile Vince right over the edge of sanity with her insult. He watched Vince take a second step her way. He had to do something before one of them did something they couldn't take back.

"Temp?" he called softly as he moved into the room and stood near the top of the stairs. "Come on baby girl. Let it go, both of you."

"You!" Vince's head came around with a snap before he pointed at Leon. "I haven't even started with you yet."

Leon caught the hesitation on her face when Tempest turned her head to look at him. She wasn't sure if she should go to him, or stay and force Vince to fight her some more. He knew he couldn't let the latter happen. "Come on baby. Come with me. It's time to go to bed. Everyone can talk more rationally in the morning." He watched as she turned his way. "That's it Temp. Let's go." He held his hand out to her. She looked from him to Vince and back again.

"No," she answered Leon's request. "I'm not going to drag this up again tomorrow, so it ends tonight. I know you don't believe me, but I'm thinking quite clearly." She turned back to Vince. "Let's get one thing straight. I am done with you. Finished. From this moment onward if I want to have sex with Dom in the middle of the alley at the next night of races it is no business of yours. Letty may feel free to yell, scream, kick my ass, whatever she would want to do. But you? You will smile and like it because it will not concern you. I am through with being treated like a race skank. I will no longer let good sex be a reason for me to allow myself to be treated badly. To be treated like I don't count and I don't matter. Because I do, on both fronts, but clearly not to you. So now, you are not worth my time. If you wish to ruin what's left of your life wishing on stars for something you'll never have, be my guest. I will not allow myself to join you there."

"I messed-"

"Up, yes I've heard it before. Far too many times for a one week relationship that wasn't even supposed to be all that serious in the first place. I just refuse to be that girl. I will not be that girl who puts up with being ignored or worse just to say they have someone in their life. I didn't have anyone when I got here, I won't have anyone when I leave and if I don't have anyone in the mean time, that's just how it's gonna be."

"You can't expect me to change my whole life around for you when you're only gonna be in it for such a short amount of time. You're the one who says you won't move here. Not for years. You're the one who said all you were looking for was to have some fun while you were here. You can't expect me to rearrange my whole existence for something that won't be anything but temporary."

"Maybe not. And I never asked you to. Not that you gave me any indication you would even if I did ask, but I didn't ask you to make any big changes. All I asked for was a little respect, and you couldn't even give me that. But I'm a good person," she answered. Her voice took on a pained sound as she spoke. "I'm kind and loyal and smart and funny and brave. I, despite my attitude problem, generally care about the world around me and the people in it. I have awareness of how my actions effect others and try not to do anything myself that will hurt innocents. I am cognizant of the feelings of other people and, even if it is slightly inconvenient for me, will try to spare their feelings when I can avoid hurting them. I don't deserve to have my nose rubbed in the fact that you really want someone else not me every minute of every day. Not when you seem happy enough to pretend otherwise when it gets you the only thing you really care to have from me. In my pants." She looked at Leon instead of Vince when she paused. "I'm a good person." She fought down a hysterical laugh or sob, she wasn't quite sure which. "I'm a good person."

"I know you are Gorgeous." Leon spared a look at Vince, who, at this point, looked rather shell shocked instead of angry. Leave it to Tempest to start the fight, decimate her opponent, and walk away the victor, all with nothing more than some hastily chosen words and no knowledge of the battle. Against Vince, of all people! "Come on baby girl. You made your point." Leon extended his hand out to Tempest again. He was glad when this time; she crossed the room to his side and took it to let him lead her down the stairs. He shot Vince a dirty look before he dropped from sight.

"Are you crazy?" Leon growled as he pushed Tempest into his room.

"No, what?"

"Trying to get him to fight you? On purpose? Have you lost your mind? We covered this!"

"I was just standing up for myself! I thought it was what you wanted. When you were so upset with me every time I talked to him again, I thought you wanted me to tell him no. To tell him to leave me alone. To stop being with him."

"Stand up for yourself, sure." Leon paced as he attempted, and succeeded for the moment, to keep his temper in check. "Fuckin' taunt him to the edge on purpose? No, I never wanted you to do that. Damn it Temp. I know you're angry and hurt by the whole thing, but use some of the common sense I know you have."

"I didn't try to push him to the edge on purpose, Leon. Shit! Give me some credit," she practically roared back at him. "I can't help it if he pushed me first and I pushed back. I mean, when did you start hearing the conversation, anyway?"

"When you told him he didn't get to call you a whore."

"So you missed the part where he told me that," she sighed, scraping her hair back off her face. She didn't want to continue. "He saw everything, Leon. Everything."

Leon stopped pacing to run a hand through his hair. "Fuck. What'd he say?"

"That I had no right to fuck around with one of his best friends."

"That was all he had to say?"

"Yeah, that it didn't take me long to move on and that I didn't have the right to do it with one of his best friends that he'd have to live with long after I was gone."

"Ok, I still say you can't fight him. That doesn't go for me. You stay put right here and I'll be back when I'm done trying to kick some sense into his head." Leon turned on his heel for the door.

"Leon, no," she called after him.

"I know you think I can't take him. And god knows I went so easy on you I guess I gave you reason to think that way. But I can take him, I will take him, and when I'm done at least some order's gonna be resorted around here."

"I don't want you to fight him over this. It's not worth it. I knew for a long time I was messin' with fire. I got burned. No harm, no foul. Just go get my stuff outta his room before he comes down here."

"After what he said to you?"

"It's not that big a deal. I got mine in return. Besides, we all have to play at being one big happy family for the next week, and if we can't do a good enough job because you and he aren't speaking either, it'll just upset Jess. So let it go, go get my stuff, and let's just put it in the past, ok?"

"Gorgeous, you just basically told me he called you a slut. You want me to just put that in the past?" Leon's tone was incredulous.

"Yeah, I do. I think me pointing out he's way worse of a slut than I'll ever be probably worked good enough to drive the point home he was outta line there. 'Sides, he's right. I did tell him there was nothing anyone could say or do to convince me to stay here permanently right now. So he's got a point. No matter what he said or did I wasn't going to be a fixture of his life."

"So what? That didn't give him the right to treat you like shit just to make himself feel better about the fact you wouldn't chose him over whatever it is that you think has to drag you back home for two years. And don't kid yourself! This whole thing is way less about Mia and some stupid school kid crush he has on her and way more about the way it makes him feel that you keep saying that you won't stay here no matter what. Which means he's not enough of a draw, no matter how you feel about him, to make you change your mind. That, and he likes you, like I already told you, and he's scared of how much."

Why did Leon have to go and put it like that? She tried hard not to feel bad, but it was a struggle when Leon basically put it on her. Vince was use to coming in second. Second to Dom, second best. Second choice to Mia; there was always someone just a little bit better—in her opinion, in any event—than Vince for her affections. And even though she had felt something very strong for him, something she had mused might be the beginnings of love—for crying out loud—she hadn't even been willing to put him before her pride. Her pride dictated she had to finish her licence before she could call herself accomplished in her field. Her pride said she had to be as good as everyone else and prove it, not just know it. Her pride wouldn't let her admit she really liked him enough to think about changing her mind. Her pride wouldn't let her basically beg him to chose her. Pride, pride, pride. You would have had to make all the first steps Temp, and you know it! she told herself. You would have had to tell him you changed your mind, you would have had to move here without a commitment from him. He never would have told you he wanted you to. He never would have asked. You would have to get used to being the one coming second for a very long time before he would ever learn to put you first. Could you deal with that? she asked herself, playing her own devil's advocate. No, she answered her own question, but pride still cometh before the fall. "Thank you Leon! Just what I needed." She turned some of her self anger on Leon. "Thank you for putting how he treats me back on me."

"I didn't say that Temp."

"Oh, really? Than what was pointing out to me that I just put Vince as second best to my career, just like most people around here stick him behind something else in importance supposed to make me think?"

Leon ran a hand through his hair. "I didn't think you'd see it like that. And it's not like Vince doesn't go out of his way to make people see that the easiest way to deal with him is to let him slip out of focus. He likes it that way. He didn't treat you good, and nothing gave him an excuse for that."

"But he did treat me good." She caught the look Leon sent her way. "Ok, he didn't treat me good all the time. But a lot of the time he did. I mean, don't you have to cut him some slack, given that he's never really be required to treat a girl well. Does he really even know how?"

"The last thing I want you doing is starting to sympathise with him. He might not have a lot of experience with having girlfriends, not just girls around him, but he has the same inherent idea how to treat people that everyone else does. He knew enough to know he hated it when you talked to other guys, looked at other guys. Shouldn't he figure out you'd feel the same way?"

"But I don't!" Leon gave her a look, fully telling her he didn't buy her statement. "Seriously!" she continued. "I don't mind when a guy I'm with looks at other girls or talks to other girls. I'm not jealous of a guy enjoying the look of another girl. I mean, just because he's with me doesn't mean he's dead. I expect to be allowed to check out other guys too. As long as looking is all it is, and it doesn't turn into forgetting all about my existence over it, I don't care."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. I mean, would it bother you if we were out together and I watched a guy walk by before I went back to talking to you?"

"Not so much. Not if it was just a casual thing."

"Well, that's how I look at it. I wouldn't care if he wanted to check out girls. Hell, I'd join him half the time. I have nothing against pointing out pretty girls. But he doesn't stop at checking them out. And when I check a guy out, just because he's there, he goes crazy. The whole double standard thing drives me mad!" But you do kinda like it when he gets jealous, the little voice inside her head reminded. Will you shut up!

"You're starting to get off topic anyway," Leon said. Her rambling couldn't help but make him smile.

"And you still haven't gone to get my stuff."

"If you promise me, and I mean swear, that you'll still be here when I get back with it, then I'll go get your stuff."

"I'll still be here waiting when you come back. I promise. As long as you promise all you're gonna do is go get my things and come back here."

He agreed with a sigh. "I promise."

"Ok then."