When Vince and Alyssa arrived back at the 'fort'; Jesse's Jetta was already in the drive. Letty's 240sx was parked behind the Jetta, with Dom's Mazda RX-8 behind it. Leon's Skyline was parked on the sidewalk and Vince pulled in behind it.

Random racers' cars were sprawled over the sidewalks and around the house, as there was a party going on inside.

"Jesse's here sweetie. That make you feel better?" Vince turned to Alyssa with concern in his voice.

She nodded in reply as she climbed out of Vince's Maxima and headed to the door. She bounced lightly up the steps to the porch and softly opened the front door.

Her whole body was assaulted by the heat, sounds and smells of the party. Violet eyes scrutinized every grinding couple on the dance floor and every person sitting down.

She finally found what she was looking for. Her man Jesse.

Only, he didn't seem to think of himself as taken or even in a relationship at that time.

"Yo, Leon!" She yelled over the music. Leon looked over at her and pulled himself to his feet, gliding in and out of the tightly packed bodies on the dance floor to get to her.

"Yeah?" He asked, handing her his Corona. She gulped at it, then handed it back.

After swallowing, she replied. "Why has Jesse got a skank in his lap? And why is he kissing her like he used to kiss me?"

Leon looked at her oddly. "Baby, it's hardly fair of you to ask that, when you broke it off. You can either have him or not, he's not yours to just pick up and play with and then put away on a shelf when you find something more interesting ya know."

"Leon, that was real deep. Moving on, who told you I had dumped him?" Alyssa began to feel very confused.

Leon raised an eyebrow at her. "Jess told us. Just said that you moved on and didn't think it would work. Why?"

"Cause I would never say that bullshit. I think I loved Jesse, and I still do! I love the way he makes me feel safe when he's near, the way he woke me up with a kiss if I napped, the way he kissed me when I was awake and a willing participant. I would never break up with him. Not now, not ever." She pushed past Leon roughly and entered the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, she found a Snapple and flicked off the cap.

She gulped half of it down at once and slammed it on the counter top near her, collapsing on the floor sobbing. Her body shook violently with every breath she took, filling the kitchen with a heart-rending sound.

That was how Letty found her, half an hour later. Carefully, she lowered herself to the ground and wrapped her arms around the sobbing woman in an effort to calm her down. She buried her head in Letty's shoulder and sighed softly.

Her tears had finally stopped, leaving black rivers of mascara to run down her golden skin.

"He… t…t…told everyone that I had br…broken up with him." Alyssa gulped in cool air as she tried to tell Letty.

Letty didn't understand. Hadn't Jesse come home and told them all it was off between them cause 'Lys said she had moved on?

"Did you?" She asked gently.

Alyssa shook her head furiously. "No. I would never." She replied, a steel certainty in her voice.

Letty pulled her close for a hug and then pulled her to her feet. "If he wants it that way, you play around. Go have fun. Hell, I'll come have fun wit'cha!" She grinned.

Alyssa smiled a watery smile and grabbed the rest of her Snapple, finishing it in one mouthful. "I can hold my liquor better than anyone and I don't get hangovers." She said in response to the look of surprise Letty gave her.

"What's say we get shit-faced?" Letty grinned wickedly.

Alyssa surveyed her friend.

"Dom playin' around again?" She asked suddenly.

Letty sighed and nodded.

"I'll kill him tomorrow. But now is girl time. Let's get drunk!" Alyssa giggled, grabbing a bottle of vodka from the cabinet and setting out 12 shot glasses.

"Six shots each, fastest drinker wins." Letty made the rules clear and they each picked up their first shot.

"One…"

They raised their glasses.

"Two…" They let the glass rim rest on their bottom lips.

"Three!" Both were downed.

Almost at the same time, their reached for their third, fourth, fifth, but Alyssa's fingers closed around her sixth shot first.

"I win!" She grinned, setting down her last glass as Letty drained hers.

They did this five more times, each winning three rounds. Strangely enough, neither felt drunk.

"Shall we dance?" Letty asked, holding out her hand to Alyssa.

Alyssa took it and pulled herself to her feet. "Why not? Let's show them how it's done."

Usher's 'Yeah!' blasted over the speakers as the women reached the middle of the room.

"Let's dance!"