Chapter 12



I wake up and walk out onto the porch. The streets are still glistening from last night, and the air still smells of fresh rain. I look over to the Toretto's and see that Dom's car is gone. I begin to walk over in hopes to talk to Mia. I get to the door and place my hand on the knob. I retract it suddenly remembering that I don't live here anymore, and knock instead. I hear something stir behind the solid oak door and then a voice sounds.

"Who is it?" she yells, trying to make her voice sound threatening. Mia's voice couldn't scare a fly, no matter how hard she tried.

"It's me Mia," I tell her smiling and rolling my eyes. She unlocks all 5 of the locks on the door and finally opens it.

"Why didn't you just come in?" she asks smiling. I shrug.

"I don't know....I guess cause I don't live here," I half smile back, feeling sad, cause I wish I did still live here. I walk into the living room, plop down on the couch, and turn on the TV, like I never left. Mia scurries back to the kitchen and sits down at the table, dressed in a pink and purple robe.

"You want some breakfast?" she yells to me.

"Naw, I'm good," I yell back flipping through channels. I land on 'A Wedding Story' on TLC. The couple looks so happy, so content. They're in that moment, and in that moment nothing matters to them but being together. They look into each other's eyes for the last seconds of the show. You can almost feel how happy they are. Despite the 200 guests around them, they're alone, together, happy, only seeing each other. I hear footsteps coming from the kitchen, and I quickly flip to the next channel. Mia walks into the living room and then right back out on her way upstairs. A half an hour later she comes back down and sits next to me on the couch. She's dressed in a white baby-tee and jeans. Her hair up in a towel. I look at her and shake my head.

"What?" she asks confused.

"All that, just to sit and talk with me?" I say sarcastically, gesturing to her transformation. She playfully pinches me on the arm and I laugh at her attempt to inflict pain upon me. We sit for a moment laughing then go back to watching T.V.

"So are you feeling better?" she asks hopefully.

"I am now," I nod sincerely, smiling at her, and then looking back at the T.V.

"Good enough to..........go to the races tonight?" she draws out the first part, then quickly spits out the latter. I can feel her pretty little scrunched up face pleading for a yes, as I stare at the TV I drop my head.

"I don't know, Mia," I sigh.

"Oh come on, Let.......It'll be fun......hang out with the team?..........check out some new rides?" she hops up onto her knees and gets closer to me as I flip the TV., trying not to listen to her. It would be nice to see some new cars, check out some competition.

"Now that you're on the market.......we can check out some hot guys," her voice goes up at the end of the sentence. I can't help but smile at her persuasion techniques. She smiles in return, and starts hopping a little on her knees. I try my damndest to suppress my smile.

"Mia, I still don't think this is a good idea," I struggle through a clenched jaw that's trying to conceal my laughter. I can feel her face drop as she rises to her feet and stands. I know she's pouting and waiting for me to say yes, but I hold out a little longer. I'm definitely gonna go, but not for any of the reasons Mia listed. I'm gonna go because I miss hanging out with her. I miss sitting on the hood of one of the team cars, and whispering mean things about all the girls trying to damn hard to be seen. We would always just talk about them and laugh at their horribly tacky, trashy outfits. We seemed to be the only chicks, night after night, with any taste or respect for ourselves. I miss hugging her after a race that I've won, or even in some cases, lost. She would always hug me and whisper in my ear how proud she was of me. That meant a lot to me, because this is not a woman's sport. Street racing doesn't really have rules and regulations, henceforth the illegal nature. Guys don't like being beat, especially being beat by a girl. Some accept me, most just look over me. When I win, I don't get the cheering crowd gathering around me like Dom. I get my hug from Mia, and it's all I need. My Mia, my sister.

"You know......I did hear that one of Hector's buddies is gonna try and unload his RXS-S tonight........not to the highest bidder, but to the best racer....." she trails off nonchalantly. She knew that would sell me. I've been trying to get at that Acura since I saw it roll into the garage months ago. It's black with a Wings West custom paint job, Mugen side skirts, front bumper, molded rear valence panel, and a wing. Just the thought causes me to salivate. The only thing standing in my way was money, but now I can just kick his ass and have it for free. She walks off into the kitchen, innocently, as I finally give in.

"What time?" I sigh. With those two words, Mia, dashes out of the kitchen in a fit of giggles mixed with high-pitched squealing. She smacks into me and grabs me in a hug. My head is buried in her hair, and I can't breathe, due to the tight hold she's got on me. She laughs loudly while hugging me, and I laugh back at the situation. She sighs happily and leans back from me.

"This is gonna be so much fun!" she tells me, with a huge grin plastered on her face. I nod, reluctantly, smiling. I love to see her happy. It reminds me of when we were young. I would come over and see her in the back yard, alone, playing alone with a butterfly or a bottle of bubbles, perfectly content, happy. She looks so beautiful, so innocent when she's truly happy.

"Probably gonna start around 2 or 3, so........until then we can..........ohh...." she hops up and down with her mouth in an "O" shape.

"We can spend the whole day together!...........Shop.......and for you, we go to the beach," she laughs. She knows that I'm not really a big shopper. I mean, I see something I like, I get it, but shopping with Mia is a whole new ballgame. It's like a 5K-endurance marathon or something. I wince at her and suck air in through closed teeth.

"Or we can just go to the beach," she says cheerfully.

"Now you're talking," I smile quickly and nod as I walk into the kitchen. I reach into the fridge and search for anything cold, wet, and non-diet.

"But..." she yells and trails off as I walk back into the living room.

"But?...." I ask her slowly popping the top of my coke.

"But....we have to go by the garage first to pick up my rose tinted shades," she says wincing, for some reason.

"Okay," I say slowly, laughing.

"No big deal, Mia, I don't mind going to the shop," I try to reassure her and get that look off her face. Then, it hits me. Of course he's at the shop. Where else would he be? Although, I'm not completely over him, I do still want to be close. I guess it'll be nice to see him under decent circumstances.

"Oh.......Dom's there.......It's okay Mia, I kinda actually wouldn't mind seeing him, I miss him," I sit down on the couch slurping my coke.

"You do?" she asks bewildered.

"Well, duh.............he's been like my right arm for the past 5 years. We have to learn to be around each other, so why not start today.......I mean he is gonna be at the races tonight, isn't he?" She nods. "Well there ya go," I smile at her, trying to conceal my nervousness at the idea of seeing Dom today.

"Well I'm gonna go get my suit.......you need one?" she asks from the bottom step.

"Uh, yeah......I don't even think I have one at home."

"K." She disappears upstairs and comes down a few minutes later with one bikini on and one in hand. She throws it in my lap and I slowly raise my eyes to meet hers. I give that "hell no" look.

"Oh come on Let......live a little," she smiles.

"Mia, I'm all for living, but I'm not about to but this eye patch on and have all my 'assets' on display.......no offense."

"None taken..........Letty you have great 'assets'........." she laughs, causing me to laugh also.

"Mia...............no way..........Not everyone can pull these damn things off like you can," I tell her eyeing the small pieces of fabric as I hold them up in front of me.

"Letty, you have an amazing body........besides I can't find the one- piece," she pleads. I look at the swimwear in question one more time. I'm gonna have to be really careful coming in and out of the water. I sigh long and hard.

"I swear Mia, if this thing falls off......" I play threaten her. She smiles.

"You're gonna look so hot!" she exclaims as I walk past her to the downstairs bathroom. I slip on the bikini and look in the mirror. I don't look half bad. I try to position the 2 triangle patches of cloth in a manner that will get the most coverage. I double knot all the ties and try to pull the bottom down over as much of my ass as possible. No one has ever seen this much of my skin besides Dom. It feels weird. Like, I'm betraying him or something. I shake the thoughts from my head and try to remind myself how fun it's gonna be at the beach. I come out and Mia gives me a look over before breaking into a ridiculous grin. I walk out sulking.

"Not a word," I tell her, pointing my index finger in her direction.

"I wasn't gonna say anything," she says innocently, grinning from ear to ear. She hands me a beach towel and I wrap it around my waist. I slip into some flip-flops sitting in the hall and Mia wraps a towel around herself also. We walk out to the car in the mid-day heat. The beach is gonna be packed, I just know it. I hate when it's crowded and overflowing with screaming kids, obese people in small swimsuits, and old hairy Speedo-clad men. I guess I'll deal though. I mean, at least I'll be at the beach. We hop in that car and ride over to DTA. My stomach turns a little in anticipation. I look over at Mia as we park.

"You sure this is okay?..........You can stay in the car if you want...........I'll only be a...." she begins.



"I'm sure, Mia," I stop her. She smiles at me and gets out. I linger in the car for a moment after she leaves with my hand on the door handle.

"I'm sure," I whisper to myself, trying to convince my heart, that I was ready to see Dom again, under better circumstances.