The next two weeks practically flew by. Letty came back to school, walking down the hall as if all was normal. She noticed how people would look at her and then scurry up to their friends, whispering, staring, skirting her as if she were diseased or something. Only her closer friends knew what was going on. To everyone else she just kept a stony face.

The first day she was back, she remembered walking to her locker, where Nikki and Vince and Edwin and Torynn were already standing. They looked at her as if unsure of what to do, and then Vince walked up to her and wrapped her in a big bear hug. Letty almost melted. She loved Vince. Not like she loved anyone else. More like as a brother and a best friend. After he pulled away, everyone else followed suit. They were the only ones at school who knew the truth about Letty's injury, her father's death, and her mother's arrest. And they didn't tell anyone, which made Letty feel even closer to them all.

Dom wouldn't let her out of his sight. It was odd. Shop was the only class they had together, but he would show up in between her classes and walk her to whatever class she had next. He sat with her at lunch, despite the pleading of Mailin Tran. She had apparently transferred in while Letty was at home. She seemed a little taken aback when she was told Letty wasn't actually Dom's sister. 'What's she doing at your house then?' she would ask. She definitely didn't trust Letty after that, and would often throw her taunting looks when she was around Dom.

School was a blur. Letty knew she would scrape by though. It was almost summer and her guidance councilor told her that she didn't have to do school work for the summer. But she did have to complete a specialized reading list, which she would be tested on in the fall. Letty shrugged. No biggie.

About a week before summer break was the big formal at their high school. All the girls were looking forward to it, making big plans for their hair and their nails, and what they would wear, and who was going with who. Mia was going with Ray Hunt, who had ditched Shawn as a friend after Mia had told him about what he did to Letty. Ray was actually pretty chill. Nikki and Vince were going together and Torynn was going with Edwin (why, Letty wasn't sure of, but according to Tor, Edwin wasn't to hard on the eyes). Meanwhile Dom was going with Mailin. Letty grimaced. Figures.

It was a week before the big formal and Letty still didn't have a date. Not that she really cared. If it weren't for Mia and Nikki, she wouldn't have a dress, jewelry or a hair appointment either. She didn't really care. It was the social event of the season, but Letty wasn't really big into that kind of thing anyway.

Mia had decided on a creamy white colored gown with no straps. She picked out a silver necklace with a large black stone hanging from it. She was going to put Letty's hair up in a loose bun and let little pieces stream down.

Letty decided it sounded okay and just went back to not really caring.

Mia looked across the table, to Letty who was reading Hitler's Pope, and stood up. Letty loked up at her and put the book down with a sigh.

'Who is he?' letty said, rubbing her forehead. Mia smiled.

'I don't know what you're talking about?'

'Come on Mia, I know what you're thinking..'

'No you don't!' Mia laughed. Letty got up and walked over to Mia and merely stared her straight in the eye. Mia gasped and put her hand to her mouth. 'Oh my god, you do!'

'So what's his name, and what's his problem?' Letty said sitting back down with a sigh. Mia's eyebrow rose at this.

'Problem?' Mia smirked.

'You know, what's wrong with him?' Letty said waving her hand carelessly. 'Does he have a lisp? Does he sing country? Does he eat chalk?' Mia's eyebrow rose higher. 'Remember Danny Miller in the third grade! Had to go to the hospital to get his stomach pumped!'

'Okay, okay, but come on, just because he was misguided, doesn't mean he's such a bad guy!' Mia said raising her hands in the air, before placing her glass in the sink.

'Oh my god... You wanna set me up with Danny Miller...' Letty said looking at Mia as if she were crazy. Mia leaned against the counter and shrugged. 'Are you insane?'

'Letty, Torynn suggested him, says he's really hot now!' Mia said walking back over to her chair.

'Who's hot?' Dom asked as he walked into the kitchen carrying an empty beer bottle.

'Danny Miller, apparently.' Letty said shaking her head. Dom looked up from the cupboard.

'The chalk eater?' he said, astounded. Letty nodded and looked to Mia as if to say I-Told-You-So! Mia shook her head.

'Okay, well maybe that chalk did him some good!' she said as she got up. 'Come on Lett! You haven't got a date and it's only a few days away!' Mia said walking over to Letty's side. Letty crossed her arms and stared at the floor. She then sighed.

'What time can he pick me up?' she said rubbing her forehead. Mia smiled.

'I'll go call Tori, she'll talk to him.' Mia said as she ran up the stairs to her room. Letty let out another deep breath and walked over to the fridge, grabbing a beer. Dom was leaning against the counter, smirking at her.

'What?' she asked, highly irritated by his amusement. He shrugged.

'You. Going with chalk boy.' He said shaking slightly with laughter. Letty glared at him.

'Well not all of us can be as lucky as Tran.' She said wandering over to the couch. Then suddenly she stopped. Dom frowned.

'What now?' he asked sitting next to her.

'That's it!' Letty said jumping up and running upstairs. 'MIA! GET OFF THE PHONE!'

'What? Why?' Mia asked as she was dialing. Letty grabbed it from her and slammed it down. 'Have you gone crazy?! I was about to call Tor!'

'I'm not going with Miller!' Letty said running into Dom's room, shortly followed by Mia and Dom, both looking at her curiously. 'Dom, where's your address book?'

'In that drawer? Why? There aren't any guy names in there.' Dom said frowning as Letty rummaged around in his desk drawer. 'Unless there's something you haven't told us...' Letty pushed past him, throwing herself onto the bed and grabbing his phone. She flipped threw the pages and finally stopped at the T's. She began dialing and waited. Mia sat down on the edge of the bed, her mouth slightly open, while Dom leaned against the doorframe, both watching Letty closely. Finally she smiled.

'Hi, is Johnny there?' Letty said watching Dom. He frowned and stood up and waved his hands to get her attention. 'Hold on a second. What?'

'What the fuck are you doing?' he asked sitting next to her. She smiled.

'I'ma catching me a date! What does it look like?' she said keeping her ear to the receiver. He shook his head.

'I thought we agreed that Johnny is a wannabe egotistical poser!' Dom said as Mia nodded in agreement. Letty shrugged.

'Hey, he's better than chalk boy, and he's pretty cute. Besides at least I can talk to him about cars and shit...' Letty trailed off as she took her hand of the mouth piece. 'Oh, hey Johnny... It's Letty...I was wondering if you have a date to the dance at my high school?...oh...that's okay...really you don't have to... really?...okay then...pick me up at seven?...actually I'll see you at your house...okay, great! Bye!' Letty hung up, smiling. Dom and Mia just stared.

'Letty, how are you gonna get to his house?' Mia said, finally breaking the silence. Letty smiled and grabbed Dom's hand.

'You'll give me a ride, right?' she said giving him her best puppy dog look. He seemed to squirm and then...

'Alright, but you owe me, BIG TIME.' He said getting up. Letty smiled and launched herself at him.

'THANK YOU!' she said hugging him tightly. Dom went rigid, then relaxed and hugged her close, breathing in the smell of Herbal Essenses and Letty's own personal smell of Thyme and Jasmine. Letty suddenly pulled back, too soon for Dom's liking.

'Okay, let's see this dress of mine, huh Mi?' she said hopping down from Dom's bed. Mia giggled and led Letty out into the hall, leaving Dom to sit on his bed. Once they were out of earshot, Dom let out an audible sigh and fell back on his bed, staring up at his ceiling. Then he realized something. Something small, but noticeable. His room no longer just smelled of his wintry aftershave, but of Letty. He breathed deep, inhaling the smell of himself and Letty. He liked how they mingled together, and all he could think of was holding her, hugging her, kissing her. Dom's eyes snapped open. Kissing Letty. Something forbidden. Something he wanted. Something he needed. How he wanted to just grab her and push her up against the wall of his room, to hold her down on the surface of his desk and kiss her until there was nothing left in him.

Dom shook his head and sat up. He needed to get laid. This was something he, Dominic Torretto, shouldn't be thinking about.