Chapter 3
Two days later... Mia pulled her blue Integra up to the side of her old street. In front of her old house. A house that had been cleaned up a little... it had rose gardens, and even a lattice archway at the beginning of the pathway... Dom would have hated it.
Mia just sat in her car, wondering what the hell she was doing. Why was she approaching these people... these people she didn't even know... she wasn't even sure if they owned the house... how was she going to introduce herself, 'Hi... I want to take your house from you...?'
Taking another deep breathe... Mia pulled herself together. She was a Toretto. She had the same blood as Dom, running through her veins... she could do this... Dom would be able to do this. And if Dom could do it... so could she... she didn't have Dom to rely on... she had to get used to it.
Slipping out of the car, Mia locked it and started up the pathway to the front door. Dropping her car keys in her small purse... Mia physically checked herself over, hoping she looked considerably mature and legitmate... and then she rang the bell.
The music that had been playing at an average volume inside the house, was turned right down and Mia could hear the cheerful voice of a young girl as she called out that she would get it. That was right... there was probably a family living there... and she wanted to kick them out on their ear.
The door in front of Mia was pulled open, and there stood a girl... women, looking about... 20-ish... wearing a red flowered sundress, that managed to look overly sexy on her. "Hi... come in! Come in! I'll just go get Lani!" The girl said overly-enthauisticly for some women she just met.
Mia walked into her old home a strong sense of nostaglia washing over her. Of the parties after street racing... of barbeques with the team... of playing board games with the entire family... of Dom reading her bedtime stories after there father died although she was 14 and he was 18.
The girl in the sundress came back moments later with a sheepish grin on her dark face, as a light brown haired girl with an expressionless face followed close behind her. "You must think I'm really rude..." the girl in the sundress said bashfully. "I'm sorry... I was just so excited you were here... I'm India... India Arian... and this is Lani Leeson. We expected you here.. ages ago." India explained to a bewildered Mia.
Mia looked between both girls... her head swimming with why these girls where acting like she was expected... she hadn't met them before had she? She was pretty sure she hadn't. But they were both looking at her expectantly, well.. India was... Lani was just looking... like she wasn't thinking anything. They had to think she was someone else.
"I think you have me mistaken with someone else. I'm Mia Toretto... I used to live here..." Mia explained.
"Yes." India said blinking as if un-surprised.
"We know who you are..." Lani finally spoke.
"We have all the stuff you left here up in boxes in the attic. We got to looking at the photos and stuff while we were packing them away... have you come to collect your stuff? I'll go upstairs and start getting the boxes then..." India said and before Mia could collect any thought, any word... India had dashed off upstairs.
"I... I'm not here for the boxes... I thought... whoever moved in would throw all the stuff out actually... I came to talk about the house instead..." Mia started addressing Lani, as she turned and walked off at the sound of the phone ringing.
Suddenly India came running half way down the stairs again her eyes alight like she were a 3 year old with a secret. "OHH I have a question!! Is Dom your Brother or your Lover?" India asked curiously. There was something about the way India said lover that made it sound indecent, and quiet x-rated.
Mia, literally took a step back... Dom? They even knew about Dom? Mia felt like she was in the twilight zone. How did these girls know about her... and why were they acting like they knew her? If they didn't know Dom was her brother, they couldn't know her well.. "Brother!" Mia said quickly shuddering at even the idea that Dom could be the other option. Eww...
"I KNEW IT! I knew you looked more like brother and sister. LANI!! Lani you owe me the car!" India called with a grin, turning again to Mia, "We had a bet... Lani said you were like... friends... or you were dating or something... I said he was your brother... so now I get the car!" India said doing a little victory dance on the steps.
"Okay... India is it? I don't want the boxes... I'm here to talk about buying this house! I want to buy the house... do you understand?" Mia asked sharply... hoping that the girl could at least understand that. She seemed to be floating around without really paying any attention to anyone, she didn't need to talk to.
India stopped and frowned... "This house? Our house? You want to buy it back? Have... have you spoken to the owner?" India asked her face changing to an earnest, somewhat sad little picture as she came down the stairs and sat at the bottom... looking quiet... shell-shocked.
"Well... no... I... I was told that the owner lived here. That why I thought you may know who the owner is... that's why I came here... not for boxes of photo's... or anything else." Mia said firmly.
"Well.. yes... we do know who the owner is... if you like I'll get you her number..." India started only to be cut off as Lani came back into the room, cordless phone in her hands.
"Whiskey wants us at her place now. We have trouble." Lani said casually, looking at Mia and adding, "Sorry... you can come and get your boxes later... this is important."
It was all Mia could do not to scream. "I'm not here for the BOXES! I just want to know who to contact about this house!" Mia said clenching and un-clenching her hands.
Lani looked the 24 year old up and down and shrugged, and without a word, walked off, moments later the sound of the back door opening and shutting sounded.
"I'm really sorry... this is really important... look why don't you come here tonight and I'll tell you all you need to know..." India said scribbling an address down on a piece of paper.
"Look... if you could just give me a phone number..." Mia started as India physically pushed her towards the front door.
"Look just meet me there tonight... and I'll give you everything you need... I really have to go... sorry... thanks for coming to visit though. You should come back again. We could chat properly." India said, just increasing Mia's urge to smack her.
Before Mia could ask once more for the damn phone number... the door was shut on her face and Mia heard India lock it from inside. With a frustrated, bewildered shrug... Mia could not think of what to do. The girls in there were crazy. Wanting her to run all over L.A. for a phone number.
Walking back down the pathway... Mia relented to a grunt of frustration, stomping her foot a few times, before dropping the address into her purse, pulling out her keys and getting into the car. Starting her engine, Mia watched as a motorbike vroomed down the drive-way of her old home, and took off up the street.
Two days later... Mia pulled her blue Integra up to the side of her old street. In front of her old house. A house that had been cleaned up a little... it had rose gardens, and even a lattice archway at the beginning of the pathway... Dom would have hated it.
Mia just sat in her car, wondering what the hell she was doing. Why was she approaching these people... these people she didn't even know... she wasn't even sure if they owned the house... how was she going to introduce herself, 'Hi... I want to take your house from you...?'
Taking another deep breathe... Mia pulled herself together. She was a Toretto. She had the same blood as Dom, running through her veins... she could do this... Dom would be able to do this. And if Dom could do it... so could she... she didn't have Dom to rely on... she had to get used to it.
Slipping out of the car, Mia locked it and started up the pathway to the front door. Dropping her car keys in her small purse... Mia physically checked herself over, hoping she looked considerably mature and legitmate... and then she rang the bell.
The music that had been playing at an average volume inside the house, was turned right down and Mia could hear the cheerful voice of a young girl as she called out that she would get it. That was right... there was probably a family living there... and she wanted to kick them out on their ear.
The door in front of Mia was pulled open, and there stood a girl... women, looking about... 20-ish... wearing a red flowered sundress, that managed to look overly sexy on her. "Hi... come in! Come in! I'll just go get Lani!" The girl said overly-enthauisticly for some women she just met.
Mia walked into her old home a strong sense of nostaglia washing over her. Of the parties after street racing... of barbeques with the team... of playing board games with the entire family... of Dom reading her bedtime stories after there father died although she was 14 and he was 18.
The girl in the sundress came back moments later with a sheepish grin on her dark face, as a light brown haired girl with an expressionless face followed close behind her. "You must think I'm really rude..." the girl in the sundress said bashfully. "I'm sorry... I was just so excited you were here... I'm India... India Arian... and this is Lani Leeson. We expected you here.. ages ago." India explained to a bewildered Mia.
Mia looked between both girls... her head swimming with why these girls where acting like she was expected... she hadn't met them before had she? She was pretty sure she hadn't. But they were both looking at her expectantly, well.. India was... Lani was just looking... like she wasn't thinking anything. They had to think she was someone else.
"I think you have me mistaken with someone else. I'm Mia Toretto... I used to live here..." Mia explained.
"Yes." India said blinking as if un-surprised.
"We know who you are..." Lani finally spoke.
"We have all the stuff you left here up in boxes in the attic. We got to looking at the photos and stuff while we were packing them away... have you come to collect your stuff? I'll go upstairs and start getting the boxes then..." India said and before Mia could collect any thought, any word... India had dashed off upstairs.
"I... I'm not here for the boxes... I thought... whoever moved in would throw all the stuff out actually... I came to talk about the house instead..." Mia started addressing Lani, as she turned and walked off at the sound of the phone ringing.
Suddenly India came running half way down the stairs again her eyes alight like she were a 3 year old with a secret. "OHH I have a question!! Is Dom your Brother or your Lover?" India asked curiously. There was something about the way India said lover that made it sound indecent, and quiet x-rated.
Mia, literally took a step back... Dom? They even knew about Dom? Mia felt like she was in the twilight zone. How did these girls know about her... and why were they acting like they knew her? If they didn't know Dom was her brother, they couldn't know her well.. "Brother!" Mia said quickly shuddering at even the idea that Dom could be the other option. Eww...
"I KNEW IT! I knew you looked more like brother and sister. LANI!! Lani you owe me the car!" India called with a grin, turning again to Mia, "We had a bet... Lani said you were like... friends... or you were dating or something... I said he was your brother... so now I get the car!" India said doing a little victory dance on the steps.
"Okay... India is it? I don't want the boxes... I'm here to talk about buying this house! I want to buy the house... do you understand?" Mia asked sharply... hoping that the girl could at least understand that. She seemed to be floating around without really paying any attention to anyone, she didn't need to talk to.
India stopped and frowned... "This house? Our house? You want to buy it back? Have... have you spoken to the owner?" India asked her face changing to an earnest, somewhat sad little picture as she came down the stairs and sat at the bottom... looking quiet... shell-shocked.
"Well... no... I... I was told that the owner lived here. That why I thought you may know who the owner is... that's why I came here... not for boxes of photo's... or anything else." Mia said firmly.
"Well.. yes... we do know who the owner is... if you like I'll get you her number..." India started only to be cut off as Lani came back into the room, cordless phone in her hands.
"Whiskey wants us at her place now. We have trouble." Lani said casually, looking at Mia and adding, "Sorry... you can come and get your boxes later... this is important."
It was all Mia could do not to scream. "I'm not here for the BOXES! I just want to know who to contact about this house!" Mia said clenching and un-clenching her hands.
Lani looked the 24 year old up and down and shrugged, and without a word, walked off, moments later the sound of the back door opening and shutting sounded.
"I'm really sorry... this is really important... look why don't you come here tonight and I'll tell you all you need to know..." India said scribbling an address down on a piece of paper.
"Look... if you could just give me a phone number..." Mia started as India physically pushed her towards the front door.
"Look just meet me there tonight... and I'll give you everything you need... I really have to go... sorry... thanks for coming to visit though. You should come back again. We could chat properly." India said, just increasing Mia's urge to smack her.
Before Mia could ask once more for the damn phone number... the door was shut on her face and Mia heard India lock it from inside. With a frustrated, bewildered shrug... Mia could not think of what to do. The girls in there were crazy. Wanting her to run all over L.A. for a phone number.
Walking back down the pathway... Mia relented to a grunt of frustration, stomping her foot a few times, before dropping the address into her purse, pulling out her keys and getting into the car. Starting her engine, Mia watched as a motorbike vroomed down the drive-way of her old home, and took off up the street.