hey, here's the next chp. sorry it's been a while. R and R to let me know what you think.

Macie Tran

I woke up the next morning and was still tired since I didn't sleep that well the day before. Jon was already in the kitchen when I went downstairs, and we didn't really talk much. After we ate, showered and changed, we left for school.

School was boring and slow as hell the next couple days. It usually was, but the days always dragged by slowly whenever my dad was home. It was his presence but a damper on everything. Even time itself knew that he was horrible.

Friday couldn't have been any more welcome. Not only did it mean that we didn't have school the next day, but coach gave us the day off from practice. That didn't happen often, so I loved it when it did.

During out morning classes together, Alexa seemed pretty happy. Jesse told me that she mentioned the 4th of July thing to Krista and she hadn't had a problem since then. So I guess she'd been settling in pretty well. She didn't really have any friends yet, that I saw, but I stopped and talked to her whenever I could and had her sit at out table at lunch. She was still, quiet though, and just had to get used to things.

Once 5th hour rolled around, Alexa walked into class and looked like she was ready to start bawling.

"Yo...Lex, what's up?" I asked quietly, leaning over towards her a little.

She just shook her head and refused to talk to me. The teacher glared at me as I tried to get her to talk, so I shut up and just sent periodic glances her way.

She made a beeline for the door at the end of class and I had to job to catch back up to her. "Seriously Alex, what's the matter?"

"Nothing. I have to get to class," She brushed past me and headed in the opposite direction.

I sighed in temporary defeat and went the other way to Psychology, trying to think of what could be wrong but I kept coming up with nothing

Finally, school was over and I quickly threw everything in my bag, waved by to Courtney over my shoulder saying we should do something over the weekend, and hurried out to the parking lot. I saw Alex and was about to go up to he when Vince's car pulled up. She didn't hesitate and got right into his car before I could say anything. I wasn't sure if it was deliberate but I had the feeling it was.

"Jairyn!"

I turned around when someone yelled by name and Jon was running towards me.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Nothing, but can you wait a few minutes and let me get my stuff? I need a ride home"

"Sure, make it quick"

"Aiight"

He ran back inside and was back in about 7 minutes. He threw his bag in the back and got in.

"So, how was your day?"

"Good, you?"

"Good...guess what?" Jon asked excitedly.

"What?"

"We weighed in this morning with coach and ya know how I used to weight like 195 last year?"

"Yea"

"Guess how much I weight now"

"I give up, how much?"

"220! Take that bitches! I can't wait to totally kill someone tonight. First conference game of the year...heck yes! You're coming right?"

"Course I am"

"Good...wanna wear my away jersey?"

"Of course"

"Ok. I washed it so it should be downstairs when you get ready. Thane's picking me up in a couple hours... dude, I'm so excited"

I glanced over and he had a smile on his face that he couldn't seem to wipe off. "Yea, I can tell"

The rest of the car ride was filled with his ceaseless chatter about how he couldn't wait to sack someone that night and all that kind of stuff. He was always so pumped for games that I could help but be excited for him.

"Ok, I'll be back later. If you're already gone, then good luck. Do good, make me proud, sack some Knights and all that good stuff," I said, dropping him off.

"Where you goin?"

"Gonna go try and talk to Alex"

"Oh, aiight. Have fun with that. Tell her to come to the game"

"Well I'll ASK her...see you"

"Later"

He grabbed his bag and went into the house while I turned around and headed back to the store. No one was home across the street so I just assumed they'd be at the café. I was right... man I'm good.

I pocketed my keys and walked in. Brian was behind the counter so that meant Mia had class. She'd recently started med school and she already had a knack for it. Probably fro taking care of all the guys' bumps and bruises and what not.

"Hey," He said with his always-there good-natured attitude. Seriously, it takes a lot to throw him off.

"Hey" I greeted back.

I looked around and Alex was in the back with Dom and the other guys. I couldn't see her face but Dom looked kind of worried and sort of mad. Mad?...at her? I sort of doubted it, but I didn't know what was going on.

"Bri, what's going on?" I asked quietly, nodding to the others.

"Dunno. Alex came in all upset and they went back there," he shrugged and looked worried for a minute before slipping on his casual smile again.

I nodded and sat down, not wanting to barge in or something. As long as she was talking to someone, it didn't have to be me. I just know it's not good to bottle stuff up and dwell on it. I learned that in Psychology, as well as from personal experience.

"Yo, J, wanna come back here?" Vince called out.

"Me?"

"Well I ain't talking to Blondie there"

I cast a glance at Brian, who shrugged, and slipped off the stool and headed back.

"Sup?"

"Not straight on all the facts," Vince jumped right in, not sounding at all happy. "But seems like someone gave Lex a serious hard time today."

"Ok...and?"

"And we thought you might now about it," he said, sounding increasingly agitated.

"How the hell would I know about it?" I asked with a frown. I certainly wasn't out to get her.

"Because you go to school with her," Vince said, like it was totally obvious.

"Well I'm not her keeper. The only time I saw her outside of class was when she was talking to — oooohhh," I cut myself off as comprehension dawned on me. How had I NOT seen this coming?

"What?" Dom asked, his head snapping up to look directly at me.

"Umm, dunno cuz I didn't hear the conversation but I'm sure it entailed physical threats and shit, yea?"

"Yea," Alex said quietly. It looked like she was trying to sink into her seat and wanted nothing more than to disappear. I felt bad for her.

"What? I'll seriously kill whoever the hell it was," Dom growled.

"Actually...Brian sortta already did that...kind of..."

"What?"

"Yea...and it's sort of your fault too..." That kind of slipped out but it was completely true, even it if wasn't tactful.

"Excuse me?"

"Sorry, that was wrong," I said sarcastically. "The girl's just bitter, and that's because said girl is none other than Macie Tran."

"Macie Tr–shit!" Dom ran a hand over his face as he realized what I was getting at.

"Yea, cousin of Johnny and sister of Lance. I think it goes without saying that she doesn't like a Toretto or someone that hangs out with Brian. She's both."

"Son of a bitch! The whole family is a bunch of psycho fuckers," Vince snapped and the others nodded in agreement.

"Hey now," I said. That wasn't exactly right. "That ain't fair, dude. Johnny and Lance, yea, they were messed up but Macie's just a...uh...victim of circumstances...? She used to be cool. Johnny and Lance got into bad shit, which brought her down, and then her cousin dies and her brothers lands himself in jail. Their family is disgraced and loose their sense of honor, or whatever, and they all hate you. The only thing she knows is revenge and that ain't exaclty her fault,"

Vince started to say something but I cut him off.

"–I ain't saying what she did it right but you writing her off to be like Lance and Johnny is just shit."

Macie had been my friend for a long time but we drifted apart the end of our freshmen year. That's when Lance and Johnny started getting into it big, and then that summer the shit with the Torettos went down and we didn't talk much anymore. I had to say I sympathized with her. If someone killed Jon or got him thrown in jail I'd hate them too.

I glanced down at Alex and she looked confused beyond belief. Everyone else was quiet and Dom looked deep in thought.

"Lex, wanna get outta here for a minute?" I asked, nodding to the door.

She nodded and quickly stood up.

"Whoa, where you two going?" Dom asked, stopping us.

"Wherever. She should have some 'girl time' and I don't see any other girls"

He nodded and we went outside. We just sat on the curb and were quiet for a while. She really wasn't one to start off a conversation.

"Wanna know what that was all about?"

"Yea"

"Aiight. Dom's had a longstanding beef with the Trans. Something about a bad business deal, plus he slept with Johnny's sister. A few years ago, a bunch of shit went down at Racewars out in the desert. Johnny wasted Jesse for slips..."

"Wasted him for slips?"

"Jesse bet the pink slips to his Jetta and lost," I explained quickly. "So anyway, he just kind of took off and Tran was pissed cuz he wanted his car. The next day him and Johnny drove past and ended up shooting Jesse. You can still see the bullet marks on the sidewalk if you look. Anyway, Brian and Dom chased after them. Brian ended up shooting Johnny, who died, and Lance just ended up in prison. That's the short version of it, pretty much. But their family's all about their honor and dignity and, needless to say, that fiasco was disgraceful."

"So...Macie hates me for something Dom and Brian did?"

"Basically...yea. But don't worry about her"

"Don't worry about her! She threatened to beat the shit out of me. She had a knife!"

"Oh...well then that's bad...look, I'll talk to her. I dunno how much good it'll do but we used to be pretty tight. Just don't worry, ok? If you freak out then she'll just have more power"

Alex nodded but I knew she wasn't convinced.

"So, other than this shit, how's everything going?"

"Ok"

"Meeting lots of new people?"

"...Not really. I don't really just go up to people and start talking, so it's gonna take a while."

"Well just speak up and lunch. Those girls like you but they just don't know you that well yet. You gotta let them in"

"Yea I know, it's just not easy"

"Why not?" I'd been dying to ask her that forever but never saw a good time.

"Well...mostly cuz of my dad. I mean, I've always been pretty shy, but my dad made it worse. He drank a lot once my mom died and he was always yelling things at me and stuff... it just really got to me."

"Oh" That made perfect sense. "I can understand that then. You just gotta know that people aren't all gonna be like that. Give em a chance"

"I know, it's just gonna take some time, ya know?"

"Yea, I know. Oh, what're you doing tonight?"

"I don't think anything"

"Good. Wanna come to the football game with me?"

"Oh...uh...I dunno"

"Oh come on. Tell you what, since it's your first game, we don't have to mingle around and talk to everyone. We'll just take a seat and watch the game. You'll meet a few people, but won't have to talk to tons of people you don't know. How bout that?"

"You don't have to..."

"Nonsense. Jon's on the team so I gotta watch him anyway"

"Really, he's on the team?"

"Yea, my brother plays with the big boys. So... you in?"

"Sure, I guess"

"Sweet! The game starts at 7:00...I'll come over early and help you get ready if you want. I have some school shirts that you can use"

"Yea?"

"Yes ma'am...but I gotta get home and clean, ugh, before I can go to the game or Joyce will get mad."

"Ok"

"K, see you at... 5:00?"

"Sure"

"Sweet. And you're ok now?"

"Yea I'm fine...thanks"

"No problem-o. See you later"

"Bye"

I went back to my car and drove away, looking forward to the game.

R and R