"Look who's back." Roman told Brian, rather quietly. He was frowning and had his arms crossed as he watched a very happy Stacey get out of Storm's skyline.
"I know she's not gonna bring her in here." Letty grumbled, making the peacemaker Mia hit her to be nice. "This house has enough attitude." She complained with am impish, typical Letty grin. Even Dominic was grinning at that one.
"So, Storm, you really would stay here for me?" Stacey asked, almost on purpose as she entered the door. She was happy to give the boys and Brian a little bit more hell. Storm seemed to bring that out in her.
"Hell yeah, Kid. My mom practically packed my bags to make sure you were doin ok." Storm nodded, making Stacey's mind drift somewhat. The mention of Storm's mom made her remember the past, her old home, and most importantly, her mom, something she hadn't had any time to deal with. "Stacey, you ok?" Strom asked, watching her closely. She could still read her like a book. That gift hadn't left either.
"Peachy." Stacey smiled, though lying. She didn't really expect Storm to believe her, she knew her too well.
"Stacey, you got school tomorrow." Brian walked in the living room as party music could be heard in the other room.
"Yeah, I know. Can I stay at Storm's tonight?" Stacey asked, her eyes batting pleadingly. Brian shook his head.
"Go upstairs and get ready for bed. I need to get to know her if you're going to be hanging out. Go to bed, school tomorrow, and by then I'll be ok with you going to her hotel." Brian proposed.
"That'd be house, thanks." Storm corrected him, her chin held defiantly, interested in how he was 'in charge'. So, he was a big brother. Storm didn't trust him for as far as she could throw him. Stacey didn't seem at all happy; she knew how good Stacey could be at hiding her true feelings. She was that kind of kid. She would do whatever she had to make people happy and get along. She had always called Stacey the peacemaker princess.
"Ok, house, then. Stacey?" Brian asked, nudging his sister.
"Yeah. Promise you'll be here tomorrow, Storm?" She asked, disappointment written all over her face.
"Fo sho. Get some sleep and I'll see ya tomorrow." Storm nodded, saving her glare for Brian once Stacey's back had been turned as she headed upstairs. That was when she heard the loud music begin. "So, she can't sleep at my house on a school night, but yet she can sleep upstairs in this house with music blaring??" Storm asked in a tight voice, ready to punch blondie boy out.
"Hey, I'm doing the best I can." Brian shot back, now defensive.
"So you know she's not in the best of places she could be. What the hell she still living in this house then" Storm asked, not backing down. She was always ready for a fight when it came to her friends and family.
"You have no right to come in here and start this shit." Brian said, his tone not too angry. Anger was not his forte.
"I didn't start anything, pal. You're the one who has my girl livin with a rapist and in a party house, not me. You are the one who has to answer that. You know, she coulda stayed with my mom and sister, but you had to take her away. You didn't even look into any other options. Can't you tell what you did to her? She's not the Stacey I know." Strom growled as Roman walked in, then saw her and walked back out. He was too late, Storm addressed him as well. "You would be Blondie's friend." Storm growled in disgust.
"Yeah, well at least I don't hate the world. If she stayed around you, she'd end up like you." Roman shot back. Storm jumped up, ready to pounce.
"Whoa, Guys. Come on, we all care about Stacey. Storm, come have a beer with us. Brian's tryin his best." Tej walked in, not wanting to hear anyone fight. Storm looked at him with a grin. She hadn't noticed him until now. He was still on her good side.
"Wassup, Tej?" Storm asked as she made Brian and Roman look at her in shock. The looks were priceless, making it all the better.
"Not much, Girl." Tej nodded at her, then looked at the guys. "What?" He asked, not getting what their deal was.
"How do you know her?" Brian asked, wondering how it was this girl from Miami was so damned well known.
"She has a whole slew of cars me and Suki work on. You guys worked on some of em. So can we cut the drama and chill now?" Tej asked, tossing Storm a Corona. She opened it while staring at Brian and Roman and smiled sweetly.
"Small world, eh?" She grinned, making the two shake their heads. "So, now back to Stacey. Why you have her here? Are these guys trusty worthy?" She asked, sitting back on the chair in the dining room.
"Yeah, we're trustworthy. You got something to ask, you ask me." Dominic walked in; clearly not happy Storm was still there.
"Ok, How about you tell me why your boy tried to rape my girl? I mean, besides the whole revenge story. Can't he get any action without tryin to traumatize anyone?" Storm crossed her legs and asked, her eyes locking with Dominic's.
"It's over and it's settled." Dominic shook his head, his annoyance clear.
"Yeah, maybe for you, your house, Brian. Maybe even Stacey. Until she thinks about it and remembers she has no where else to go and she just has to deal. So, tell me, is it really over? I mean, you have a sister. And god forbid, someone do that to her, right? Well, to me, she is my sister and I don't see how you or any of you can sit there and say that it's over and settled." Storm drummed her fingers, trying not to fly off and hit this bald man who seemed to be so full of himself.
"You got a point." Dominic said quietly. Storm nodded.
"I know this. I know how Stacey used to be and I know how she is now." Storm looked at Brain as Mia stood in the doorway, arms folded and her hands on Brian's shoulders. "She isn't the same, Brian." Storm looked at him, saying his name almost bitterly.
"Storm, can I talk to you outside?" Roman coughed, knowing he was going to have to address his issues with her sooner or later.
"I'm pretty comfortable, but thanks." Storm declined, wanting to see scruffy boy walk in the door. She still wasn't sure she wanted to let it go so easily.
"Please?" He asked, sighing. She got up and headed for the door.
"I should be going, thanks for the Corona. If you want to talk about me, it's all good, I don't care. But I do care about that kid upstairs. Blood couldn't make us any closer. So, you can think I'm a bitch, you can think what you want. Just remember what is in her best interest." Storm said, mainly addressing Brian, and headed out the door. She figured with such a group they would convince him to keep her away from Stacey and that was the last damn thing that was going to happen. Hell or high water would not keep her from her friend, especially with the horrific news she had come to tell her in person.
"You don't quit, do you?" Roman asked, leaning on her skyline after she had came outside.
"Get off my car, Boy." She ordered. "And, no, I don't. Stacey doesn't need this shit, Roman. I got nothing to say to you about us." She shrugged.
"Well, I sure as hell do. Why the hell did you lie to me? You fucking lied to me about everything, You were a decent person and then all of a sudden you turn out to be some mob man's daughter and then before I know it, I got these ugly ass hench men on my back and I'm in jail. Why'd you do that to me?" Roman asked, all his hatred gone for a minute, showing his hurt.
"Oh, so you think I called them on you? Hello, Roman. My dad is very protective of his little girl, his right hand now. He did it without me knowing, thank you very much. I can't believe you think I would do that shit. You didn't know me as well as I thought." Storm growled in disgust.
"Well shit, one day you're there and the next you are all mad at me for fucking up and then I have these assholes on my ass. What would you think?" Roman asked, looking her into the eyes. She was quiet. "Why did you really come here?' He asked, his eyes searching her face for an answer.
"Not for you." She retorted.
"Come on, Storm. Drop the hard ass ... Never mind, you are a hard ass. Just cut it out for a bit." Roman tried to tease, it not working.
"Wanna know why I came here?" she asked, her face staring up at the house to make sure no one could overhear. He nodded with a grin, not wanting to admit he was happy to see her.
"I came back because my mom and sister are dead. Stacey's in some danger if they find her." Storm admitted, all in one breath. She hated to admit the real reason and she hadn't had the heart to break it to Stacey, seeing her so unhappy.
"WHAT?!" Roman yelled loudly, so loudly it made a neighborhood dog bark. Storm slapped him in irritation.
"You want to tell the whole world? Shit, use yo head." She chided as she leaned back on the car. "I came to make sure she was ok, stay a while to watch over her. She is like the only family I got left in my book other than my dad." Storm said as Roman tried to digest it all. Brian walked out on the porch.
"Just makin sure you're alive, Bro." He called with a grin.
"You gotta tell him." Roman whispered to Storm.
"No, I don't. He look like a damn cop." Storm furiously whispered back.
"Former one, yeah." Roman nodded, throwing a grin to Brian as he talked under his breath.
"Oh Hell no." Storm shook her head, now for sure she was gad she hadn't said anything. "You say a word and I will kick your ass right here, right now." Storm threatened as Brian walked down the steps, his hands in his pockets.
"Storm...." Roman tried to get her to change her mind. Then the rest of the crew walked out, all of them with keys in their hands. "Where you guys headin?" Roman asked, not really so curious but more nervous about what was going to happen to Vince and the crew if they kept up their attitude.
"WE got some race challenges so we called an early night of racing." Leon grinned, eyeing Storm's skyline closely.
"What you lookin at?" Storm asked, throwing a glance his way to let him know he had been caught.
"You race?" He asked, trying not to let her throw his confidence he usually had without problems. She was throwing it badly.
"Uh, yeah. I don't have a Skyline and not race, that'd be just dumb." She locked eyes with him. He grinned and nodded in agreement "You want a challenge? I hear you got a skyline too." She folded her arms.
"She tell you the details and all on it?' Leon asked, looking surprised.
"Yeah, right. Miss Cheerleader wouldn't know a thing about cars.' Vince grinned, scoffing. Little did he know that was the wrong move.
"Hey Scruffy. I got a score to settle wit you. I was gonna let you slip but you just ruined the only shot at life you had with that mouth of yours." Storm warned and lunged for him, Roman grabbing her.
"Brian, Tej!" Roman yelled, needing their help. There would be no way he could hold her on his own. He wasn't even sure if the three of them could hold her. She was a headstrong individual.
"No, let her have him." Dominic looked at Roman as he got into his car. This shocked everyone, even Storm. "Let's go, the rest of you. Storm, would you like to stay here with Vince? That way, if Stacey was to need you, you would be here." Dominic proposed, making Storm forgive him for his conceitedness. She rather liked his thinking.
"Oh, that would be my pleasure." She shrugged off Roman's grip, giving him a look of I'll deal with you later, and headed inside.
"Dom, how you gonna do that, Brotha?" Vince asked, holding out his arms in shock.
"How you gonna go to a party and let me fight the cops on my own? You answer me and I"ll get back to you on that. Have fun, V. Let's head out, guys." Dominic waved at the rest of the crew. They left, not wanting to piss him off and put them on the enemy list.
"It's not what it seemed." Vince gorwled, starting for the door.
"Really? I think it was. Your intentions were pretty clear." Storm blew on a nail she was messing with.
"Oh, Helll, you don't know what my intenitons were and you don't know me." Vicnce truned aroudn, staring at her as if it were her that had the audacity.
"I know enough and I know my girl woudn't lie so you need to come correct before I put you into check, boy. Get to steppin and just admit what the fuck you did." Storm yelled, her temepr beicoming heated.
"Ok, Fine! I got pissed and attempted to get back at Brian. I ain't roud of the shit. I was drunk and I ain't touched a drop of shit since then." Vince yelled back as Storm got in his face, her mucles in her face tense.
"Good, now that you can admit you're a teen rapist, get some damned help." Storm headed inside, seeing a light turned on in the upstairs window. "good goin, einstien, you woke her up." Storm sauntered in, Vince behind her. He followed her to the stair case and ran smack into her as she stopped in her tracks, smiling as she faced away from him. She knew she did it on purpose. "You want a go at me, cuz you pull that shit again and its' yo ass." She furiously promised, her face not even an inch away from his. Her whisper was a deadly one, one that was very controlled.
"You're the one who stopped in front of me." He threw his hands up in frustration.
"Shouldn't follow so close behind, Boy. Don't you know to never trust a storm? They can turn in a heartbeat and destruct whatever is in their past. Where do you think I got my name from?" She asked, and headed upstairs and left it at that for the moment. Vince was left dumbfounded as he answered his cell phone.
"Hello." He said, not very happy at all.
"It's Roman. I just want to make sure you are still livin and shit." Roman said, though he was lying through his teeth.
"Yeah, I might be slow and all but I doubt you'd be concerned. Why you callin?" Vince scratched his beard, starting to get tired mentally and physically.
"I just want you to stay away from her. No matter what she says, what she does. For your benefit and hers." Roman said, being upfront and right to the point.
"Sounds like you still like her." Vince laughed, joking to be mean, hoping to get the real reason and the past of their involvement out of him.
"Come again?" Roman asked, his body stiffening, not very happy with that remark.
"You heard me. What is your deal wit her? You afraid I am gonna try to steal your ex?" Vince asked, grinning at the thought. She wasn't bad looking, and he loved a challenge.
"Vince, you can have her. Good luck and more power to you. She is a hell of a girl and you better respect her or you'll have me and her to deal with. Gotta go." Roman hung up, more mad than he wanted to admit. He still loved her as a friend. He was concerned that Vince wouldn't take her seriously and he his love for her had made him warn Vince, though he didn't really think the calling him part through before he had done it. He watched her as she came back downstairs.
"She okay?" Vince asked, sitting down on the couch beside her, deciding to test her and be brave.
"None of your concern, Ass." She shook her head, and picking up a magazine. It was Cosmopolitan, she figured it to be that of the girl Brian so dearly loved. He musta loved her to put his own sister in a house full of guys. She didn't deserve this and her mind was reeling from what to tell Stacey about her mom and sister.
So here it is. My chapter. I turn it over to the next person, though no one has stepped up yet. If you decide to pick it up, please let me know so I can keep the others informed. How we are going is the order we will stay in form this point on. So, hop eyoua re all still aboard. We are adding element Racer and Princess Hermione to the mix, so its gonna get even better so stay tuned!