Chapter 5 –
AN: Here we go. Hope I don't let ya'll down with this. Aiight. On with the show.
The black RX-7 was off like a shot down the boulevard the school was situated on. Stacey laughed a bit nervously and grabbed the door handle. She wasn't used to someone driving as fast and crazy as her new friend Tess was. Not only did Brian not think she should be driving fast he didn't drive in any way other then sedate when she was in the car with him.
"You want me to slow off?" Tess asked with a glance at the blonde in her passenger seat.
"Naw, I'm fine." Stacey said, and in truth she was growing accustomed to the other girl's extremes of speed and movement.
"So, you need to go right to Toretto's or you wanna go for a little cruise down to the beach for an ice-cream?"
"Well, other then not being dressed for the beach at all I'd say that sounded awesome." Stacey replied with a glance at herself.
She was wearing a black singlet and a pair of faded blue jeans with her sneakers from tryouts. She didn't think she was very beach ready.
"Girl, we're only gonna walk on the boardwalk, not go swimming." Tess giggled at Stacey in a friendly way. "You'll be fine. You down?"
"For sure. Let's go." Stacey decided in a heartbeat it sounded like fun. Surely her bother wouldn't be mad at her. She had just arrived and hadn't even wanted to live in L.A. Surely the fact that she'd made friends and gotten on the squad on her first day would make Brian happy for her.
It did vaguely occur to her to call him on his cell and let him know where she was off to, but she pushed the thought to the back of her mind and concentrated on the scenery speeding by as she watched Tess drive. Brian had uprooted her without much concern for how she felt about it to come stay with people who he hadn't seen in a long time, who she didn't know from Adam, and who he'd screwed over added to the mix.
Stacey herself didn't drive. It had never been a big priority in her life. She'd been able to get around Miami just fine with no car, and cheering had been her only ambition. She'd planned on getting a cheer scholarship to a school with a solid cheer squad and taking something like business or literature while she was in college.
The only thing L.A. had going for it in her mind was that it was home of the Lakers. She could always audition to be a Laker girl after high school.
Tess brought her out of her internal reflection with a giggle and a poke to the shoulder.
"Earth to Stacey. Chick, we're here."
"Sorry girl, I was in my own world."
"No kidden. What was you thinking about so deep?"
"I was thinking that I'd like to be a Laker girl after High School."
"NO WAY!" Tess exclaimed.
"Yeah. I think it would be cool." Stacey answered, thinking that Tess was making fun of her.
"Me'n Jade think the same thing! Wouldn't it be the shit if we all got on? We could get an apartment in the city together and go to all the stuff together like tanning and the gym and practise and the games. It'd be so cool."
"Wow, that's just what I was thinking." Stacey admitted with a happy laugh. She was glad to have found a kindred spirit on her first day of school.
The girls got out of the car and Tess linked her arm through Stacey's affectionately.
"Girl, we are gonna have one hell of a year." Tess said and walked Stacey toward the trendy ice-cream stand of that particular stretch of beach.
*~*
"Yo dawg. What was your sister wearing?"
"I don't know Leon. She changes like a hundred times a day dude. After this class and that practise. Why?"
"Cause I ain't seen her yet. I been sitting outside this school for the last half hour and she ain't here. I seen a girl that looked a bit like her get in a black RX-7 though."
"If she took off on us she is so dead!" Brian exclaimed than wiped sweat off his forehead with a shop rag, leaving dirty smudges all across his face. "Thanks for going for her Leon, but you may as well come home. If she isn't there by now she isn't gonna be."
"Aiight Dawg. Damn it's hot out." With that Leon shut his cell phone and fired up his car. He couldn't find it in himself to like Stacey very much in that moment. It had to be 100 out and he'd been sitting in his car waiting for the little snot for half an hour in the heat. His car had no A/C, weighed too damned much, according to Jesse, and he'd refused to roll the windows down and sit there being stared at by little punks. That and being asked inane questions like 'wow, you drive on the wrong side of the road?' and 'where'd that come from?' So he'd left his highly tinted windows up and suffered the heat. With a muttered oath he put the car in gear and headed back to DT, sweat running down his face and back.
*~*
After an hour at the beach talking to cute guys and eating ice-cream Tess checked the time.
"Wow, girl, it's like 5 o'clock. We should head out. I gotta get home for dinner or it's my ass."
"Shit. Me too! My brother's liable to have kittens as it is."
"Yeah. I guess you shoulda called him since it's your first day loose on L.A. and all." Tess said gently, not wanting to sound like she was chastising her new friend, but thinking the girl should be reminded L.A. wasn't the friendliest place on earth and her brother would likely know that.
"Yeah, and Brian's overprotective enough."
"Hold up! Brian who?" Tess had just put two and two together and come up with 5. The girl's brother was named Brian and they were staying with the Toretto's.
"Brian O'Connor, of course. You know me, Stacey O'Connor." Stacey giggled.
"Shit girl, you better watch out at school for Sukura Tran."
"Why?" Stacey looked confused.
"Your brother Brian killed her brother Johnny in some police chase gone wrong and the whole lot of the remaining Trans have been out for revenge ever since."
"Shit. My brother is always fucking shit up for me. Well, let's just keep who my bro is and where I stay between you and me for now then. Ok?" Stacey asked, almost desperately. She didn't want to have her life at school messed up on the second day she was there.
"Damn girl, no sweat. There's other O'Connor's at our school. Not like she's gonna know unless it gets out you have a brother named Brian. But having Torreto come to get you at school isn't a great idea."
"What'dya mean?"
"You missed seeing the yellow Skyline at the school curb I take it?"
"What's a Skyline, and why is a yellow one important?" Stacey felt momentarily like the dumb cheerleading blonde stereotype so many people held her to.
"A skyline is only the best street racing car on earth, and a yellow one is important because one of Dom's racer/mechanic boys drives it. Leon, owner of the car god."
"Oh shit!"
"What now girlie?"
"Mia was supposed to pick me up from school. I bet Brian sent Leon instead and I blew him off!"
"Yeah, I thought you knew. I could tell you were pissed at your bro so I figured you'd like the ride with me instead of his racer friends. I mean, worse things coulda happened to you then a ride with a totally hot guy in a totally hot car but still, since you didn't seem keen on going home I thought I'd intervene."
"Yeah, it's cool, but the fight with Brian over not calling just turned into a brawl with Brian over not calling and blowing off his friend, even though I didn't really know I was doing it."
"It'll be ok girl. Just tell him I kidnapped you.
"Yeah. I'll tell him the truth. I forgot about the ride he was sending me and I forgot to call."
Tess gave Stacey a look.
"Ok, that I forgot about the ride and I just didn't want to call."
Tess laughed. With a quick turn of the wheel Tess pulled her RX-7 to a shuddering halt in front of the Toretto house.
"How'd you know where to take me?" Stacey asked.
"My brother knows Toretto. My brother races sometimes and he always gets invited to Dom's parties so I been here a few times."
"Ok, cool. I hope we have a party someday so that you can come and we can hang out." Stacey said as she opened the door of the car to get out.
"Shit girl, Toretto parties every time he wins, so he parties every Saturday. My bro lets me come every time I want to."
"No doubt Brian'll have me on house arrest for the next few years anyways. It's not likely he'll let me go to any party. Even if it is in the same house."
"We'll see. Plus my bro has lots of parties himself so you'll just have to tell him we're having a sleep over at my place to plan new routines and it'd be cheer suicide if you didn't go." Tess giggled.
"That'd work. No matter how mad he got at me he'd never take away cheering. It's all I got left."
"Yeah, well good. We are gonna run that squad girl. I mean with Jade as the captain we're all set. Just tell your bro we took you out to celebrate and in the excitement of it all you forgot about your arranged ride."
"Hey, that's good!" Stacey smiled and slammed the car door. "Thanks for everything. See you tomorrow!" Stacey walked up to the front walk and started to the house.
"Girlie!" Tess called.
"Yeah?"
"You wanna ride tomorrow morning? I come by this place every day anyways. I don't mind picken you up on the way."
"That would be so cool!" Stacey answered and waved till the black car disappeared around a corner. Then she trudged up the walk and opened the front door quietly. She could hear people in the kitchen at the rear of the house but there was no one to be seen.
She set her book bag down and walked slowly toward the rear of the house. She schooled herself not to look guilty. If she'd really just forgotten she wouldn't be guilty about it. She entered the kitchen and found the whole team sitting around the table.
"Hi guys." Stacey said, not too enthusiastically but not meanly either. She had no idea who most of the people in front of her were, she hadn't been around long enough to memorize names. She caught one guy giving her dirty looks and supposed he was the guy who she'd blown off at her school. What had Tess called him? Ian? Leo? Something like that...
Leon! It came to her in that second. So she knew Leon and her brother. And Mia. She could tell her brother had a thing for the dark girl. She hoped they got together so that Brian would have something to keep him occupied other then making her life a living hell.
Stacey caught Mia giving her a pitying look and wondered what it was about for a split second before Brian came into the room.
"Where the hell were you? You never called! You were supposed to come home after school with the ride I sent for you!" Brian yelled from somewhere over Stacey's left shoulder.
Stacey knew she was wrong not to call. But she wasn't a little kid. She didn't need Brian to send rides for her. She'd gotten around Miami just fine on her own. And maybe Miami wasn't L.A. But it was still big and she wasn't a child.
"I'm sorry I never called but I got a ride with a girl I met today."
"You coulda called me so I'd know not to send someone after you! You have no business going anywhere with strangers!"
"She's not a stranger! She's the assistant captain of the squad at my school! I got the open spot on the squad and I made friends with the captain and Tess, the girl who drove me home. Tess took me out for ice- cream to celebrate. I don't need you to arrange my rides like I was 2 and out on a play date!"
"Leon went for you and waited half an hour for you to find his car."
"Damn, I'm sorry I forgot about the ride you were sending me."
"I can't believe you went off with someone you don't know." Brian yelled. He was irate with his sister and it was showing.
"I can't believe you're gonna treat me like this when I made some friends. I mean, you tore me away from every last one of my friends from home to come out here just because you fucked up and wanted to try and place nice with these people. Damn, you coulda left me with Karen and her mom but no, you had to drag me across the country with you."
"Watch your language! I'm your brother. You belong with me! Not with some girl you know and her mom."
"Yeah, well we belong in Miami with my friends and Uncle Rome, not here with people I don't know that pretty much hate your guts. Not to mention that if anyone at school finds out you're my brother I'll get beat up because you killed some girl's older brother when you were here before. You always fuck stuff up for me!" Stacey shrieked.
The team looked on, mostly in horror, Dom in anger that the girl was so unappreciative of a place to stay.
"I'm sorry if doin my job is fuckin stuff up for you! Johnny Tran tried to kill Jesse! You don't know the whole story so don't come down on me for that."
"Don't expect me to be happy to be here with you getting treated like I was 5 and that I should just be happy about it. Screw this, I'm outta here!" Stacey made a break for the open back door and throwing open the screen door she bounded out into the humid evening air and down the driveway.
"Where you goin in such a hurry?" A tall, shaggy man she vaguely remembered as a friend of Torreto's asked her as she ran down the driveway, past his car he'd just pulled up in.
"Anywhere my brother isn't!" Stacey exclaimed as she walked past the man, who was still seated in his car and headed for the sidewalk.
"Yeah, that sounds good. You wanna ride somewhere?" Vince saw his chance to get back at Brian by helping his sister get away when it was clear they'd fought.
"Hell yeah!" Stacey said and slid into the front seat of the brilliant blue Nissan.
Vince backed out of the driveway and squealed off down the street. He glanced into his rearview in time to see Brian at the end of the driveway shaking his fist. He knew that if Brian complained to Dominic they could end up having a fight over it but in that moment it was worth it to Vince to stick it to Brian.
Stacey thought about which one of the Toretto gang would want to help her screw her brother.
"You must be Vince right?"
"Yeah, how'd you guess? Rep precedes me?" Vince asked with a laugh.
"You're the only one who hates Brian as much as I do in this moment." Stacey frowned.
"I'm entitled. Why do you hate him?"
"How 'bout I hardly know him, he dragged me across the country, and then when I came home a bit late after a great day he had to ruin it by fighting with me in front of all those people I don't even know. I don't want to go back there."
"How bout we go get something to eat then?" Vince asked, hungry and knowing it would piss Brian off.
"You sound just like my uncle Ro. Always hungry." Stacey laughed for the first time since she'd gotten out of Tess' car.
"If you have uncles why are you living with your brother?"
"Oh, Ro's not my real uncle, he's Brian's best friend really. But he's much nicer then Brian."
"Ok." Vince pulled up to a restaurant and parked the car.
They had dinner and Vince found Stacey interesting to talk to. She reminded him a bit of Mia. She was into girlie things like makeup and clothes and, oh god, cheerleading. But she was smart and funny and perky too.
After their meal Vince drove them home. They were sitting in the car in the driveway about to get out when Stacey turned to Vince.
"I know you just did this to piss Brian off, but thanks anyway. If I had to fight with him more right then it would have been really bad. I had a good time at dinner."
"Me too." Vince answered. He didn't know what he was thinking but he leaned over and kissed Stacey softly on the lips. She was clearly shocked at first but then she kissed him back, a bit unsure of her self. They both sat back. Vince didn't know what had possessed him.
"Wow." Stacey said, and giggled. They both looked at the front door at the same time to see Brian and Dom staring at them.
"Oh shit." They said in unison.
AN: Ok, Cheer, darling, I think you're up next aint ya? Did you like the fight? I think I gave Cheer some thing to work with here, so I can't wait to see where this goes...
AN: Here we go. Hope I don't let ya'll down with this. Aiight. On with the show.
The black RX-7 was off like a shot down the boulevard the school was situated on. Stacey laughed a bit nervously and grabbed the door handle. She wasn't used to someone driving as fast and crazy as her new friend Tess was. Not only did Brian not think she should be driving fast he didn't drive in any way other then sedate when she was in the car with him.
"You want me to slow off?" Tess asked with a glance at the blonde in her passenger seat.
"Naw, I'm fine." Stacey said, and in truth she was growing accustomed to the other girl's extremes of speed and movement.
"So, you need to go right to Toretto's or you wanna go for a little cruise down to the beach for an ice-cream?"
"Well, other then not being dressed for the beach at all I'd say that sounded awesome." Stacey replied with a glance at herself.
She was wearing a black singlet and a pair of faded blue jeans with her sneakers from tryouts. She didn't think she was very beach ready.
"Girl, we're only gonna walk on the boardwalk, not go swimming." Tess giggled at Stacey in a friendly way. "You'll be fine. You down?"
"For sure. Let's go." Stacey decided in a heartbeat it sounded like fun. Surely her bother wouldn't be mad at her. She had just arrived and hadn't even wanted to live in L.A. Surely the fact that she'd made friends and gotten on the squad on her first day would make Brian happy for her.
It did vaguely occur to her to call him on his cell and let him know where she was off to, but she pushed the thought to the back of her mind and concentrated on the scenery speeding by as she watched Tess drive. Brian had uprooted her without much concern for how she felt about it to come stay with people who he hadn't seen in a long time, who she didn't know from Adam, and who he'd screwed over added to the mix.
Stacey herself didn't drive. It had never been a big priority in her life. She'd been able to get around Miami just fine with no car, and cheering had been her only ambition. She'd planned on getting a cheer scholarship to a school with a solid cheer squad and taking something like business or literature while she was in college.
The only thing L.A. had going for it in her mind was that it was home of the Lakers. She could always audition to be a Laker girl after high school.
Tess brought her out of her internal reflection with a giggle and a poke to the shoulder.
"Earth to Stacey. Chick, we're here."
"Sorry girl, I was in my own world."
"No kidden. What was you thinking about so deep?"
"I was thinking that I'd like to be a Laker girl after High School."
"NO WAY!" Tess exclaimed.
"Yeah. I think it would be cool." Stacey answered, thinking that Tess was making fun of her.
"Me'n Jade think the same thing! Wouldn't it be the shit if we all got on? We could get an apartment in the city together and go to all the stuff together like tanning and the gym and practise and the games. It'd be so cool."
"Wow, that's just what I was thinking." Stacey admitted with a happy laugh. She was glad to have found a kindred spirit on her first day of school.
The girls got out of the car and Tess linked her arm through Stacey's affectionately.
"Girl, we are gonna have one hell of a year." Tess said and walked Stacey toward the trendy ice-cream stand of that particular stretch of beach.
*~*
"Yo dawg. What was your sister wearing?"
"I don't know Leon. She changes like a hundred times a day dude. After this class and that practise. Why?"
"Cause I ain't seen her yet. I been sitting outside this school for the last half hour and she ain't here. I seen a girl that looked a bit like her get in a black RX-7 though."
"If she took off on us she is so dead!" Brian exclaimed than wiped sweat off his forehead with a shop rag, leaving dirty smudges all across his face. "Thanks for going for her Leon, but you may as well come home. If she isn't there by now she isn't gonna be."
"Aiight Dawg. Damn it's hot out." With that Leon shut his cell phone and fired up his car. He couldn't find it in himself to like Stacey very much in that moment. It had to be 100 out and he'd been sitting in his car waiting for the little snot for half an hour in the heat. His car had no A/C, weighed too damned much, according to Jesse, and he'd refused to roll the windows down and sit there being stared at by little punks. That and being asked inane questions like 'wow, you drive on the wrong side of the road?' and 'where'd that come from?' So he'd left his highly tinted windows up and suffered the heat. With a muttered oath he put the car in gear and headed back to DT, sweat running down his face and back.
*~*
After an hour at the beach talking to cute guys and eating ice-cream Tess checked the time.
"Wow, girl, it's like 5 o'clock. We should head out. I gotta get home for dinner or it's my ass."
"Shit. Me too! My brother's liable to have kittens as it is."
"Yeah. I guess you shoulda called him since it's your first day loose on L.A. and all." Tess said gently, not wanting to sound like she was chastising her new friend, but thinking the girl should be reminded L.A. wasn't the friendliest place on earth and her brother would likely know that.
"Yeah, and Brian's overprotective enough."
"Hold up! Brian who?" Tess had just put two and two together and come up with 5. The girl's brother was named Brian and they were staying with the Toretto's.
"Brian O'Connor, of course. You know me, Stacey O'Connor." Stacey giggled.
"Shit girl, you better watch out at school for Sukura Tran."
"Why?" Stacey looked confused.
"Your brother Brian killed her brother Johnny in some police chase gone wrong and the whole lot of the remaining Trans have been out for revenge ever since."
"Shit. My brother is always fucking shit up for me. Well, let's just keep who my bro is and where I stay between you and me for now then. Ok?" Stacey asked, almost desperately. She didn't want to have her life at school messed up on the second day she was there.
"Damn girl, no sweat. There's other O'Connor's at our school. Not like she's gonna know unless it gets out you have a brother named Brian. But having Torreto come to get you at school isn't a great idea."
"What'dya mean?"
"You missed seeing the yellow Skyline at the school curb I take it?"
"What's a Skyline, and why is a yellow one important?" Stacey felt momentarily like the dumb cheerleading blonde stereotype so many people held her to.
"A skyline is only the best street racing car on earth, and a yellow one is important because one of Dom's racer/mechanic boys drives it. Leon, owner of the car god."
"Oh shit!"
"What now girlie?"
"Mia was supposed to pick me up from school. I bet Brian sent Leon instead and I blew him off!"
"Yeah, I thought you knew. I could tell you were pissed at your bro so I figured you'd like the ride with me instead of his racer friends. I mean, worse things coulda happened to you then a ride with a totally hot guy in a totally hot car but still, since you didn't seem keen on going home I thought I'd intervene."
"Yeah, it's cool, but the fight with Brian over not calling just turned into a brawl with Brian over not calling and blowing off his friend, even though I didn't really know I was doing it."
"It'll be ok girl. Just tell him I kidnapped you.
"Yeah. I'll tell him the truth. I forgot about the ride he was sending me and I forgot to call."
Tess gave Stacey a look.
"Ok, that I forgot about the ride and I just didn't want to call."
Tess laughed. With a quick turn of the wheel Tess pulled her RX-7 to a shuddering halt in front of the Toretto house.
"How'd you know where to take me?" Stacey asked.
"My brother knows Toretto. My brother races sometimes and he always gets invited to Dom's parties so I been here a few times."
"Ok, cool. I hope we have a party someday so that you can come and we can hang out." Stacey said as she opened the door of the car to get out.
"Shit girl, Toretto parties every time he wins, so he parties every Saturday. My bro lets me come every time I want to."
"No doubt Brian'll have me on house arrest for the next few years anyways. It's not likely he'll let me go to any party. Even if it is in the same house."
"We'll see. Plus my bro has lots of parties himself so you'll just have to tell him we're having a sleep over at my place to plan new routines and it'd be cheer suicide if you didn't go." Tess giggled.
"That'd work. No matter how mad he got at me he'd never take away cheering. It's all I got left."
"Yeah, well good. We are gonna run that squad girl. I mean with Jade as the captain we're all set. Just tell your bro we took you out to celebrate and in the excitement of it all you forgot about your arranged ride."
"Hey, that's good!" Stacey smiled and slammed the car door. "Thanks for everything. See you tomorrow!" Stacey walked up to the front walk and started to the house.
"Girlie!" Tess called.
"Yeah?"
"You wanna ride tomorrow morning? I come by this place every day anyways. I don't mind picken you up on the way."
"That would be so cool!" Stacey answered and waved till the black car disappeared around a corner. Then she trudged up the walk and opened the front door quietly. She could hear people in the kitchen at the rear of the house but there was no one to be seen.
She set her book bag down and walked slowly toward the rear of the house. She schooled herself not to look guilty. If she'd really just forgotten she wouldn't be guilty about it. She entered the kitchen and found the whole team sitting around the table.
"Hi guys." Stacey said, not too enthusiastically but not meanly either. She had no idea who most of the people in front of her were, she hadn't been around long enough to memorize names. She caught one guy giving her dirty looks and supposed he was the guy who she'd blown off at her school. What had Tess called him? Ian? Leo? Something like that...
Leon! It came to her in that second. So she knew Leon and her brother. And Mia. She could tell her brother had a thing for the dark girl. She hoped they got together so that Brian would have something to keep him occupied other then making her life a living hell.
Stacey caught Mia giving her a pitying look and wondered what it was about for a split second before Brian came into the room.
"Where the hell were you? You never called! You were supposed to come home after school with the ride I sent for you!" Brian yelled from somewhere over Stacey's left shoulder.
Stacey knew she was wrong not to call. But she wasn't a little kid. She didn't need Brian to send rides for her. She'd gotten around Miami just fine on her own. And maybe Miami wasn't L.A. But it was still big and she wasn't a child.
"I'm sorry I never called but I got a ride with a girl I met today."
"You coulda called me so I'd know not to send someone after you! You have no business going anywhere with strangers!"
"She's not a stranger! She's the assistant captain of the squad at my school! I got the open spot on the squad and I made friends with the captain and Tess, the girl who drove me home. Tess took me out for ice- cream to celebrate. I don't need you to arrange my rides like I was 2 and out on a play date!"
"Leon went for you and waited half an hour for you to find his car."
"Damn, I'm sorry I forgot about the ride you were sending me."
"I can't believe you went off with someone you don't know." Brian yelled. He was irate with his sister and it was showing.
"I can't believe you're gonna treat me like this when I made some friends. I mean, you tore me away from every last one of my friends from home to come out here just because you fucked up and wanted to try and place nice with these people. Damn, you coulda left me with Karen and her mom but no, you had to drag me across the country with you."
"Watch your language! I'm your brother. You belong with me! Not with some girl you know and her mom."
"Yeah, well we belong in Miami with my friends and Uncle Rome, not here with people I don't know that pretty much hate your guts. Not to mention that if anyone at school finds out you're my brother I'll get beat up because you killed some girl's older brother when you were here before. You always fuck stuff up for me!" Stacey shrieked.
The team looked on, mostly in horror, Dom in anger that the girl was so unappreciative of a place to stay.
"I'm sorry if doin my job is fuckin stuff up for you! Johnny Tran tried to kill Jesse! You don't know the whole story so don't come down on me for that."
"Don't expect me to be happy to be here with you getting treated like I was 5 and that I should just be happy about it. Screw this, I'm outta here!" Stacey made a break for the open back door and throwing open the screen door she bounded out into the humid evening air and down the driveway.
"Where you goin in such a hurry?" A tall, shaggy man she vaguely remembered as a friend of Torreto's asked her as she ran down the driveway, past his car he'd just pulled up in.
"Anywhere my brother isn't!" Stacey exclaimed as she walked past the man, who was still seated in his car and headed for the sidewalk.
"Yeah, that sounds good. You wanna ride somewhere?" Vince saw his chance to get back at Brian by helping his sister get away when it was clear they'd fought.
"Hell yeah!" Stacey said and slid into the front seat of the brilliant blue Nissan.
Vince backed out of the driveway and squealed off down the street. He glanced into his rearview in time to see Brian at the end of the driveway shaking his fist. He knew that if Brian complained to Dominic they could end up having a fight over it but in that moment it was worth it to Vince to stick it to Brian.
Stacey thought about which one of the Toretto gang would want to help her screw her brother.
"You must be Vince right?"
"Yeah, how'd you guess? Rep precedes me?" Vince asked with a laugh.
"You're the only one who hates Brian as much as I do in this moment." Stacey frowned.
"I'm entitled. Why do you hate him?"
"How 'bout I hardly know him, he dragged me across the country, and then when I came home a bit late after a great day he had to ruin it by fighting with me in front of all those people I don't even know. I don't want to go back there."
"How bout we go get something to eat then?" Vince asked, hungry and knowing it would piss Brian off.
"You sound just like my uncle Ro. Always hungry." Stacey laughed for the first time since she'd gotten out of Tess' car.
"If you have uncles why are you living with your brother?"
"Oh, Ro's not my real uncle, he's Brian's best friend really. But he's much nicer then Brian."
"Ok." Vince pulled up to a restaurant and parked the car.
They had dinner and Vince found Stacey interesting to talk to. She reminded him a bit of Mia. She was into girlie things like makeup and clothes and, oh god, cheerleading. But she was smart and funny and perky too.
After their meal Vince drove them home. They were sitting in the car in the driveway about to get out when Stacey turned to Vince.
"I know you just did this to piss Brian off, but thanks anyway. If I had to fight with him more right then it would have been really bad. I had a good time at dinner."
"Me too." Vince answered. He didn't know what he was thinking but he leaned over and kissed Stacey softly on the lips. She was clearly shocked at first but then she kissed him back, a bit unsure of her self. They both sat back. Vince didn't know what had possessed him.
"Wow." Stacey said, and giggled. They both looked at the front door at the same time to see Brian and Dom staring at them.
"Oh shit." They said in unison.
AN: Ok, Cheer, darling, I think you're up next aint ya? Did you like the fight? I think I gave Cheer some thing to work with here, so I can't wait to see where this goes...