Season 5, Episode 5: Decisions

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Fast and Furious Franchise. Only my ideas and original characters. Also, please excuse any minor grammar/punctuation errors.

Wednesday, November 18th, 2015

O'Conner Household

9:15 a.m.

Brian's POV

The good news is that I'm not dead. The bad news is that my hospital bill is roughly $15,000. As a result of being shot in the shoulder, I had to have the entire thing replaced, which was $12,000 on its own. Then having to stay a minimum of 3 days for observation cost $3,000. Even though I don't know who shot me, Darryl mentioned seeing a middle-aged man fleeing the beach scene, and based on that description alone, I have a good idea as to who's responsible for it...my landlord shark from Indiana. But from the looks of it, he still lost. Not only did he unsuccessfully try to kill me, but now I'm drowning in medical debt and won't be getting a single penny out of me for a while. He only has himself to blame for causing this injury. Things wouldn't be so bad if Mia didn't bring to my attention that our funds are dwindling at a rapid rate. On the morning of November 18th, I joined her at the dining room table to discuss bills.

"How is our money almost gone? Last time I checked, we still had half a million dollars?" I asked in astonishment.

Mia sighs stressfully as her eyes glance over a bank statement. "That's what I thought too. But then I remembered where most of it went; renovations on the house, starting Darryl's college fund, Paying Dom back for when Darryl totaled his charger, Jack's birth expenses, mortgage payments, and other miscellaneous debt."

"Remind me again why the renovations were necessary?"

"Because Brian, during our temporary stay in Florida, our California house hadn't been used for months. When that happens, things begin to break and need replacing. It was unavoidable."

"And I thought we had already paid Dom back?"

Mia shakes her in disagreement. "Nope. He insisted that paying him back wasn't necessary. But Darryl is our kid; we have to take responsibility for his actions."

"Well, if that's the case, we should be having Darryl pay us back," I stated simply.

Mia's brows rise with suspicion. "You aren't suggesting we dip into his college fund, are you?"

"No, that's what I meant. I think it's time Darryl got another job. Yes, it's unfortunate what happened with The Watermelon Falls Cafe job, but he's 17 now. Sooner or later, he's gonna need to know how to balance work and school."

"I suppose. But Darryl was only 14 when that happened. He couldn't have known any better."

I roll my eyes slightly at Mia's statement. "Mia, if I recall correctly, you told him to just go outside and be active that day. That shouldn't have equated to taking Dom's charger for a spin around LA. That's just common sense."

"You're right. But there's no point arguing over it. What's done is done. More importantly, how in the hell are we gonna pay off your medical debt?"

"I don't know, unless-"

I snap my fingers at the thought of a possible solution. "That's it! I remember applying to be a car salesman at a dealership here in LA! I'll just resubmit my application and hope I get called back for an interview."

Mia's lip forms into a cheeky smile. "That could work. I also think it's time I considered going back to school."

"Are you sure? Won't that put us further in debt?"

"Depends on the school and whether or not they'll help finance tuition. Even if I have to pay out of pocket, in the long run, it'll help us become financially stable."

"Yeah, having both of us employed would be better than just one. I just hope things can work out. This is my payback for not switching my health insurance from Florida back to California." I grunted sadly.

"Unfortunately, yes. You see? Making mistakes runs in the family. Maybe you should cut Darryl some slack."

Mia was right. I can be harsh on my little brother at times, but I mean it out of love. Whenever he makes careless mistakes, I see my teenage self in him; and I know for a fact that Darryl can be better than younger me. He just needs that extra brotherly push.

~Fast & Furious Family Chronicles~

Friday, November 20th, 2015

Keller & Son's Dealership

Los Angeles, CA

1:45 p.m.

Third Person POV

Brian did indeed get a callback for an interview at his desired dealership. Everything seemed to be going well from the older blond's perspective, that was until the manager had to give Brian some unfortunate news.

"Mr. O'Conner, with your level of experience on car knowledge, I'd hire you right now. However, there's just one issue that would need to be resolved first."

"And what would that be?"

The manager opens up a Manila envelope with Brian's application printed out and then proceeds to point out the section titled "Education."

"Usually for a position in car sales, we'd usually require an associate's degree of some sort. However, like I said, with your expertise, we can make an exception. All you would need to do is take three classes at our partnered community college; Marketing, Intro to Business Concepts, and Sales. Once you've completed these courses, the position is all yours.''

Brian rubs his chin in thought. "Three college classes, that's not too bad. That shouldn't be a problem. What school would I be attending in LA?"

The manager winces sadly. "I hate to tell you this, Brian, but the school isn't in LA...but rather Phoenix, Arizona."

Brian's eyes go bugged. "Phoenix?! But sir, my family is here in LA. I can't just move to another state when they need me. Isn't there any other way?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. O'Conner, but there's not much l can do. These classes, however, will be paid for by the company. That is as long as you agree to work for us afterward."

"It's that easy? I mean, maybe I can work something out? Does this school offer decent financial aid as well? My wife wants to study to be a medical assistant."

"Absolutely! This school has a great program for that profession as well. For what it's worth, I'd consider temporarily moving to Phoenix for a semester so that you and your wife can get the credits you need."

"I'll talk it over with her and let you know asap."

The manager and Brian rise from their seats to shake each other's hands.

"We hope to see you join our team soon."

~The Fast & Furious Family Chronicles~

Monday, November 23rd, 2015

The Grove Shopping Mall

4:45 p.m.

Darryl's POV

After school today, Brian and Mia took me clothes shopping for our family photo scheduled for tomorrow morning. Even though there was only 1 day left till Thanksgiving Break, I was hopeful that they wouldn't make me go tomorrow. Whelp, that was short-lived when Mia disclaimed before entering the mall that I would still be required to attend classes tomorrow. Which led to me pouting like a toddler for 5 minutes. But for my brother and sister-in-law, they just simply laughed at my misfortune.

As we browsed through the Sear's, I noticed some outfits that were promising enough while also stylish for my age. I approach Mia and Brian with my favorite out of the bunch; a denim blue jean jacket, white undershirt, black pants, and a silver chain.

"Oo, Darryl, this is totally you!" Mia observed in detail.

"Sure is, buddy. Why don't you go try it on?" Brian ushered, pointing in the direction of a nearby fitting room.

I nod in agreement and head inside a booth.

"So, Darryl. Since all of us are together, there's something Brian and I wanted to run by you" Mia's voice rang from outside.

"Ok, what's going on?" I asked hesitantly.

"Well, as you know, my shoulder replacement surgery was quite expensive," Brian began.

"Yeah?"

"And as a result, our funds have become extremely scarce. Which got Mia and I thinking…" Brian trailed off.

"It was time for both of us to get a steady, reliable job," Mia answered.

"Oh, alright. Anything in particular?" I questioned curiously while putting the final touches on changing into my desired outfit.

"Yes, exactly. I'm going to be a Car Salesman at Keller and Sons, while Mia is planning to be a medical assistant. However, both of us would need to enroll in school to achieve these goals. The dealership is paying for me to take my three needed classes and offering Mia's program at a reduced price," Brian explained.

"That's great! What school?" I asked

There was a brief silence that suspected me to believe that I wasn't gonna like their answer.

"The school is in Phoenix, Arizona," Mia said.

At the exact moment, I stepped out of the fitting room to showcase my outfit.

"Phoenix? That would mean we would be moving?" I realized putting the pieces together.

"Yes and no. How would you feel about living at home by yourself for the next six months?" Brian asked me.

I blinked in confusion. "Wait, really? You would trust me to be alone for that long?"

"Of course. You're 17 now unless you think we shouldn't trust you?" Mia prompted with narrowed eyes.

"You can trust me! I'm just surprised by it all. I don't mind staying in LA for the meantime."

"We'd figured you'd agree. It's bad enough we already pulled you away from your friends once. If it can be avoided again, then that's what we'll aim for. However, Dom, Letty, and the others will check up on you periodically. Mia and I will still call as well to ensure you're doing okay and haven't burned down the house...or the kitchen" Brian chuckled.

I threw my hands up in frustration. "Hey! That was one time, and Caleb, Jared, Marcus, and I tried our best to fix things."

"I know. While I appreciated the effort, just try not to do it again?"

"Yes, sir," I said with a lopsided grin.

Brian's nose crinkles in disgust. "You know I hate being called sir. It makes me feel old."

"I know. Which gives me ammunition to make jokes," I laughed.

"Well, mission accomplished. That was such a good one," Brian remarked dryly.

"Love you too, bro. Can I get this outfit, though?" I asked, gesturing to my body.

Mia and Brian exchange positive-looking glances at each other.

"I don't see why not. Let's just hope everyone else will be ready for tomorrow," Mia said.

~The Fast & Furious Family Chronicles~

Tuesday, November 24th, 2015

O'Conner Household

8:30 a.m.

Darryl's POV

Remember how I wanted to skip school so severely? Well, I may have unintentionally forgotten to set my alarm last night. I remember Brian and Mia told me to do it, but it completely slipped my mind. As a result, I got woken to Alyssa, storming into my room and shaking the dear life out of me.

"DARRYL! GET UP!" She screeched

I groggily open my eyes to meet her burning glance. "Alyssa, what the hell?! It's not even 7 yet!"

"Hate to disappoint, but it's 8:30!"

My face turns pale in horror. "Shit! I'm so late!"

I unleash myself from Alyssa's grip and quickly grab my outfit, and zoom into my bathroom.

"You seem so tense, Parker. I thought you wanted to skip school too?" I prompted.

"I still do! However, Tej and the others were pissed to find you, Brian, Mia, and Jack still asleep upon our arrival, despite Mia demanding that all of us be here at 8:15 sharp. And since they needed to get Jack ready, I figured it would be easier if I woke you up," Alyssa said

"Well, that sure was an effective alarm," I chuckled.

"That was the goal. Now, chop, chop! The photo is scheduled for 9:30!"

"Alright, geez."

A few minutes later, I emerged from the bathroom and instantly noticed Alyssa's outfit, consisting of a charcoal black crop top, ripped blue jeans, and a bronze heart-shaped locket. If I remember correctly, inside said locket is a picture of her and Tej's late grandmother.

"Wow! You look amazing!" I complimented.

"Thanks!" She blushed before regaining her composure. "But you can drool over my outfit later."

Alyssa grabs hold of my hand and drags me downstairs. Upon reaching the lower level, the site we witnessed wasn't a good one. Baby Brian and Jack were crying from what I can only assume were from soiling their outfits. Tej and Roman were drenched from head to toe, probably from them getting into an argument near the pool and falling in.

"What in the world is going on?" I asked, trying to get the attention of everyone.

"So the family photo is canceled today and will be rescheduled for another day," Mia answered as she cradled Jack.

I groan in irritation. "So I missed the 1st and 2nd Period for nothing?"

Brian turns to me and gives me a perplexed expression. "I thought you didn't want to go to school today anyway?"

"I didn't. But I had known the photo was gonna get canceled, I would have studied for my 3rd-hour math test that I knew for sure I was gonna miss."

"Trust us, Darryl. We all expected to be taking this photo today," Dom uttered stressfully.

"But the babies starting crying from popping all over themselves-" Letty began.

"Then, Tej and Roman decided to get into a physical fight near the pool and ruin their outfits," Ramsey finished sending the two guys an annoyed dagger.

"Well, to be fair, if Roman had just agreed to let me stand next to you in the photo, our fight could have been avoided," Tej explained.

Roman let out a scoff. "Oh please, Tej. You know it's tall people in the back, short people in the front. You're just jealous cause you know I'm actually right on this"

Before Tej could rebuttal, Ramsey stated, "Yeah, well, it looks neither of you is gonna stand next to me. You ruined that for yourself!"

"Don't blame us! If the O'Conner clan didn't sleep in till the last minute, we'd already been on our way to the studio," Roman commented.

"We can't predict when our child is gonna poop, Roman!" Mia argued back

That comment causes the adults to partake in a heated argument amongst each other. Alyssa and I sigh in annoyance.

"Wanna go get coffee before heading to school?" Alyssa asked me.

"I thought you'd never asked. But I'm not changing. There's no way I'm letting this outfit go to the waste," I said.

"Agreed"

We retreated back upstairs to grab my bookbag. Afterward, we snuck out of my house en route to Alyssa's to grab her bag, then to Starbucks. All before heading to school for our final day of classes before Thanksgiving break would commence.