Chapter 25: Showing the Drawings

---------------------------

At the team's house, Jesse and Leon were eating cereal while they played video games in the living room while Dom, Vince, and Brian were sitting at the kitchen table talking. The girls came in the back door, the guys quieting instantly.

"Wow, we really know how to silence a room," July commented, looking at Letty and Mia.

"Makes you wonder what they were talking about," Mia side whispered to July and Letty as if the guys couldn't hear her.

"Think we should interrogate?" Letty asked looking at the guys.

"Maybe," Mia said going over and sitting next to Brian. "So…"

"Hi," said Brian.

"So what are you guys up to?"

"Just talking about cars and stuff," he said. Mia knew he was telling half the truth; he couldn't lie to her now, not after what happened with the trucks and the undercover stuff.

"I see," she said nodding and looking from Dom to Vince to see if their faces revealed anything, but as usual Dom's faces was unexpressive but she caught him looking at July out of the corner of his eye. Vince didn't seem to care much about being covert and had his eyes fully on July.

"Thanks for helping clean last night," Dom said to July.

"No problem. It wasn't that bad," she replied, sharing a smile with Vince.

"So, what are you ladies up to today?" Vince asked.

"We're hanging out 'til July has to leave," Letty said.

"Leave?" Dom asked.

"Yeah, I'm going over to a old friend's house for dinner."

"Oh, so what are you doing 'til then?"

"No clue. We haven't figure that out yet," July answered.

"Yeah, we just came over here to show you these," Letty said, leaning over Dom to put the drawings on the table in front of him. Her arm rubbed against his and she unconsciously pulled her arm back slower, prolonging the contact. She immediately felt guilty at feeling pleasure from touching Dom when Leon came into the kitchen. Once he spotted her, he came over to her, wrapping an arm around her waist, and gave her a light kiss on the cheek.

"These are good," Dom commented, passing the drawings to Vince.

"First one's too girly for me but I like the second one," he said passing them to Brian.

"But V, I made that one especially for you. I know how you love purple," July said teasingly and Vince just gave her a look like "you better watch yourself."

"Do you think you could ever really paint these?" Brian asked scrutinizing the papers.

"Of course. I'd have to buy a good airbrush but I could do it. I've done others back home. None like those but I've done a couple custom paint jobs. Why?"

"It's just they are really detailed. I don't know if I know anyone who would be able to do these."

"Well now you do," July replied, slightly offended that Brian didn't believe her, but then again, Brian didn't know her.

"Let me see those," Leon demanded, taking them from Brian. "Wish I could draw like that," he said looking at July with envy.

"You could if you really wanted to. How about we make a deal. You help me master how to drive stick left handed and I'll teach you how to draw," she offered, sticking out her hand.

"Deal," he agreed, shaking her hand. "Jesse should see these. He's going to be chewing your ear off afterwards talking about different styles and whatnot. Jesse!"

"What?" Jesse asked coming into the kitchen and putting his bowl in the sink.

"Check it," Leon said holding out July's drawings.

He eagerly snatched them up, his eyes scanning over them. "These are good. Who did them?"

"I did," July said, waving her hand.

"Where did you learn to draw like this?" he asked curiously.

"Practice and took a lot of art classes and programs, including one on car painting. Learned a lot from that one. There were a couple guys at the shop that taught me a thing or two too, but I've always been okay at drawing."

"Come on, I have to show you some of my stuff downstairs," Jesse said starting to go down to the basement. July looked at everyone to find them smiling. Mia told her to go on, that they could do something later that week. She shrugged her shoulders at them and started to walk downstairs.

"Do you think that was to greatest idea? She is going to be down there a long time," Letty asked Mia.

"Yeah, but don't you realize that's the first time since the accident that Jesse has immediately taken to someone? Ever since, he's always been distant with people and this is the first time in six months he hasn't. Maybe she'll help him be the Jesse he was before," Mia said and everyone nodded their head gravely, each feeling their own guilt about Jesse.

---------------------------

Downstairs, July followed Jesse to a room towards the end of the hall and into what appeared to be his room. The room was cool and held the lingering smell of cigarette smoke. There was a bed and a dresser and various magazines were scattered on the floor. In the corner of the room was a desk that was overloaded with computer stuff. Jesse sat an extra chair at the computer and told her to sit down. He turned on the computer and a few minutes later had a car up on the screen.

"This is your basic 1991 Toyota Soarer and this is what we are going to do to it," Jesse started. He spent the next hour explaining everything he had told her to buy and how it was going to help her out. Then he showed her all the different car designs he had, including the ones he had for the team. He blew her mind on how much he knew and it finally made sense why they called him their 'Mad Scientist'. By the time she checked her watch again she saw it was a half past two.

"Crap, Jesse, I've got to go."

"Oh," he said sounding disappointed.

"Thanks for showing me everything. I'll have to get myself a computer so you can show me how to do all that."

"Sure," Jesse immediately agreed.

"Well, I'll see you later," July said walking out of his room.

"Bye," Jesse called after her as she walked out the door. July made her way back upstairs and found Mia in the kitchen and they said hello to each other.

"Man, Jesse's a smart one. Even I learned a thing or two," July said with a smirk on her face.

"Yeah, Jesse's something," Mia agreed with a slightly maternal look on her face.

"Well, I better get going. I want to change before I go," July said opening the back door.

"Okay. Hey, why don't you stop down at the store tomorrow for lunch, we can hang out? It's usually pretty slow."

"Sure. I'll see ya tomorrow!" July closed the screen door behind her. She waved at Mia through the kitchen window and headed over to her house. She went up to her room and changed into a sky blue tank top that accented her eyes and a pair of black pants. She pulled back her hair into a high ponytail but she didn't put on any makeup.

She thought about dressing more fancy but decided against it. She wasn't going to present a false impression of herself. There had been enough lies in her life already and she wasn't about to start doing it herself. Soon enough the doorbell was ringing. She smoothed out her shirt and headed downstairs. She opened to door to find Arnold.

"Hello July. Are you ready to go?"

"Sure, do you want me to follow you, that way you don't have to drive me back tonight?" July asked trying to be courteous.

"Oh no, don't worry about that," Arnold said smiling.

"You sure?" July asked closing the front door and locking it.

"Positive, now let's go before Charlotte starts calling and asking why we're late."

---------------------------

tbc…