Chapter 20 – Big Kid
Nyssa got to Manda's on time, though just barely and she had to exceed the speed limit severely to manage it. Manda came out of her house at Nyssa's beep and went around to the 'wrong' side to enter the vehicle. Once her cousin was safely buckled in, Nyssa put the car in drive and they headed off.
Manda glanced over at her cousin. One glance wasn't enough. She did a double take and looked some more. Nyssa's outfit, never mind the choice of car she had made, were all likely to start trouble.
"You looking to give my folks a heart attack or something? What were you thinking dressing like that and taking this car around my mother?"
"I woke up late and was in a rush right from the get go. I'm wearing what Vince picked out for me and where he comes from I'm well covered up, as you well know. This was the only car I'm allowed to drive not blocked into the driveway. Vince was in front of me and the Mustang was in front of the Maxima."
"Well, I'm just saying. You know better than to dress like that around my mom, even if Vince doesn't know better than to let you. There's gonna be some fireworks when she gets a load of you."
"Nothing we can do about it now," Nyssa shrugged. "It's too late to go home and change now."
As if to prove her point, she signalled her turn and pulled into the parking lot of the park where the party was being held. Nyssa was looking forward to seeing her uncle John. He was always good to her. In that respect he reminded her a lot of her father. As Manda had suspected, the car made it impossible to make a quiet entry. From the shininess of the paint, to the brilliant purple colour, to the loudness of the aftermarket exhaust it wasn't a car designed for going incognito.
Once John realized who was getting out of the car he rushed over to his niece and daughter. The first thing he did was grab Nyssa in a tight hug. It had been some time since he had seen her or spoken to her. After he had satisfied himself she was in one piece and seemingly healthy the lecture started.
"I just don't know what you were thinking! If you had it so bad with your stepfather you should have left at the first sign of trouble and ran to me. You didn't have to wait until you had nowhere to go and run away with some stranger."
"I know that, but things weren't that bad with Ed, if I was careful to stay out of his way. It was just that one night that I didn't come home that set him off. If I had known what he was going to do that night before he did it I never would have went near the place again."
They started walking toward the party area, Nyssa under her uncle's arm. "Besides, I went to see daddy and everything's going to be ok now. He made sure I had money so I wouldn't need to get a job and so I could finish school."
"I was talking to your father the other day. He mentioned this Vince character you're staying with. Who is he exactly?"
That was a good question, Nyssa mused. She didn't know that much about him in actual fact. She only knew the limited amount he'd told her about his past and role in Dom's team. The rest of what she thought she knew about him she had only surmised in her own heart, it wasn't fact at all. So how did she sum up Vince in a PG-13 manner for her uncle? "Well, he's a bit older than me. He's a mechanic and works in his buddy Dominic's shop. They've been best friends since third grade and Vince was brought up by Dom's dad after he turned twelve or so."
"How'd you meet him?"
"We ran into each other at a car show after I got separated from my friends I went there with," Nyssa said.
John gave her a look that clearly told her he wasn't buying her story for a minute. "You sure you don't mean you met him at the street races after your cousin talked you into going?" Catching her guilty look, John continued. "Yeah, I know you girls think I don't know what you get up to when you leave the house dressed like you do to go with those guys with the flashy cars, but I do. So, I'll ask you again. Did you meet this Vince at a street race?"
"Yes, but please don't tell daddy! He'd just worry for no reason."
"I won't tell him, for now. But I really don't want to find out you're racing Nys. It's not safe."
"Ok uncle John, I'll be careful I promise." Nyssa was careful not to say she wouldn't race. She didn't like to lie, especially not to family. John nodded to her and released her. They had reached the head table of family. Seated at the foot of the table sat Nyssa's aunt Karen.
Karen took in the clothes her niece was wearing and sneered. Nyssa didn't miss the look. Her aunt had never cared for her. It wasn't something Nyssa had ever understood. She hadn't ever been what anyone would consider a bad girl until she had met Vince and through him Letty. She hadn't really ever given her aunt a reason to dislike her. Other than the fact her father made better money than her uncle John. But John was still loaded, so if the small difference between the two brother's financial situations made a big difference to her, she was crazy. Of course, Nyssa was fairly sure she might just be crazy anyway. Karen finally ended their staring match.
"Well Nyssandre, that's quite the outfit you have on."
"Thanks Karen," Nyssa chose to ignore the sarcastic, rude overtone of the comment. "Happy birthday, by the way."
"Thank you dear," said the ice queen.
Man that woman got on Nyssa's nerves. Of course since she was now truly flustered and slightly upset, her uncle picked that moment to bring up the vehicle she had arrived in. "I thought that Manda was picking you up Nys. Mark didn't tell me you got a car again. I thought ever since you sold Danny's you were taking the bus or riding with your cousin. So where did the purple beast come from?"
"It was Danny's race car uncle John. I never really sold it. You like it?"
"Well it sure is different. I didn't think it was allowed to drive on the roads."
"Really? I didn't know that. Vince seems to think its fine and one of the guys, Leon, has one too, but I will look into that. I have my mustang at home but it was blocked in the driveway by all four of the guy's cars so I couldn't take it."
"That is not a car for a young lady to drive Nyssandre! And what do you mean all four of the guy's cars?" Karen didn't want her daughter to get any ideas.
Nyssa hated it when her snotty aunt insisted on using her full name. "Really Karen? But it matches my outfit so perfectly. I would have thought you would appreciate that. And I mean that Dom, Leon, Jesse and Vince were all parked in the driveway behind my Mustang," Nyssa clarified.
Karen huffed and Manda drug her cousin off to mingle with other people closer to their own age before her cousin and mother got into a real fight.
As soon as the girls were out of earshot Karen showed she wasn't ready to let the subject drop as easily as Nyssa was willing to write it off. "Well John, really! I don't know if I approve of Manda being around Nyssandre at this point. The girl is nothing but a bad influence. And we both know what that car is for. It looks just like the ones you see racing all over the city at night. And those people she lives with must be criminals. She's living with thugs and racing in the streets in a souped up car like white trash. This Vince character sounds shady."
"Now Karen, Nyssa is not a bad influence on anyone. She goes to school and does well even after all she has been through. She sure came into a new style of dress, but that's not so bad. She didn't have much of her teenage years to just be a kid. We can't judge the people she lives with 'til we meet them and besides that there are two other young ladies that live there and one of them is in UCLA. She helps Nyssa study. As far as the car goes I know that Danny raced it on the track so you are likely right about the street racing. I will have a talk about that with her and Mark. Have some patience with her Karen; her dad will be out of jail in 2 years or less."
"Well I don't want Manda to get any ideas about going to street races. They are nothing but gatherings of hooligans who do drugs and race cars on the street for crying out loud John. You better deal with your niece. You're the only person around who can deal with her with her dad in jail. I mean imagine how this would affect us around the club if people found out your niece lived in some slum with a houseful of slackers. Think of our position in the community and your daughter, who will need a good reputation to get into a good college in a few months."
"Karen," John sighed angrily, annoyed at his wife for her inability to drop the topic. "For the last time, her roommates are likely very nice, the man who owns the house also owns a garage and a convenience store and he has given Nyssa a summer job with him. I think she looks happier now than she has in years and I am not taking that from her. We'll keep an eye on her. And I will speak to my brother about the street racing issue. Manda and her cousin are best friends and if anything I think Manda has been the only influence on Nyssa. Nyssa certainly has come out of her shell since her and Manda became close again."
"You better talk to her John," Karen warned.
John gave his wife one of the looks that clearly said time to be quiet. She took the hint.
Manda and Nyssa were talking on the way over to a group of family their own age. Nyssa filled Manda in on the new developments in her relationship with Vince on the way over to the group of teenagers.
Manda couldn't believe her strait laced, 'butter wouldn't melt in my mouth' cousin was sleeping and living with a gun toting thug. But Nyssa was happy which was nice, nice to see her happy for the first time since her brother died. And nice to see she could fall for a guy after what that jerk Doug had done to her. But Manda still felt her cousin could do better than Vince. She could not get the thought that he was just a stupid thug out of her mind. Of course Nyssa had never even introduced them. Which when she thought about it made sense considering that they all thought she had been trying to pick up the involved owner of the house. Manda shook her head. She could be so stupid by times. She just chocked it up to her blonde hair, but it was more than slightly embarrassing to know the whole team knew she had a crush on Dom. A crush he would never return, despite the fact that she knew she was a very pretty girl and many other guys would have been proud to know she wanted them.
But her crush on Dominic Toretto was in the past. She had to let Nyssa know she was past it and get introduced to Nyssa's new friends so that she could make sure that they were good to her cousin. Nyssa didn't deserve any more heartache in her life. She had already dealt with the share of ten people. Plus when Nyssa was on top of the racing world she didn't want her to forget her cousin. When Nyssa hit the top of this ride there were going to be hot, rich, single guys everywhere and Manda wanted to be her cousin's pretty, sexy sidekick. More so than some grease monkey thug.
They reached the pack of girls their own age and started talking to their assorted relatives. Most of them were cousins and related only to Manda through her mother, but a few were related to both girls. For the first time in her life, Nyssa didn't have a feeling of being out of place and not belonging. Normally being surrounded by a group of pretty blonde Mandas would have shattered her self confidence and she would have been the shy, quiet wallflower standing by herself. But today she joined in the conversation right at Manda's side.
She knew she owed a lot of her new confidence and outlook on life to Vince. She had only found it after being accepted by him and his friends just based on who she was. Not how rich her dad was or what their social standing was, and not because she was seen as some unobtainable goal by some idiot jerk. They liked her for being herself and because if a group of people like them liked her for who she was, she figured she must be an alright, cool person in her own right.
Both girls talked to their cousins for about an hour, just catching up. Manda and Nyssa made up the youngest pair in the group at almost twenty for Nyssa and almost nineteen for Manda. There was some talk amongst the girls of going out to a night club for a girls night on the town. It became evident that Manda and Nyssa weren't going to get to go because they weren't legal and knew they would get carded and embarrassed if they tried to get in.
"Fun as it sounds to head out together, I don't have any ID to get into a club," Nyssa admitted reluctantly. Manda nodded her agreement with a pained look on her face.
"That's no problem. This is Los Angeles. Do you know how easy it is to get fake ID around this city? It's convincing too. I'll hook the two of you up and we'll hit a hot spot soon."
Nyssa was strangely comfortable with the idea of getting a fake ID made for her. She also knew that Manda would have no moral qualms on the subject. Especially if it meant getting into a bar where there would be hot drunk guys.
That was around the time a call went up that dinner was ready. All the girls went to eat, Nyssa fixing her skirt to decently hide her under-things as she went. She put on her best behaviour over dinner. All her relatives and those of her hated aunt would never have known she wasn't raised going to 'the club' and finishing school if they hadn't already known better. Most proved open-minded and no one but Karen held her father's present circumstances or her own against her.
She was witty and funny. Sparkling. Everyone seemed to warm up to her. Only Karen continued to give her the cold shoulder, and even she toned it back some. She knew she would look mean and harsh if she didn't, and Nyssa knew that was the only reason she started to pull some of her barbs. She managed to enjoy herself far more than she had ever figured she would have in the present company. After dinner and desert Nyssa checked her watch and saw it was six pm. When she realized how long she had been at the party, she also realized that she had had quite enough.
"Manda, I'm gonna head for home. You want a ride now, or are you going to hang out and catch a ride with your dad?"
Manda thought for a moment. "I think I'll wait on mom and dad. I'll catch you later."
"Ok, later."
Nyssa found her uncle and said good-bye to him with a hug and kiss for her cheek. She walked up to the Skyline and got in. The spirit of the forgotten bad girl inside her woke up with a growl that wanted to be heard. With a laugh she spun the rear tires on the gravel parking lot before tearing off with a squeal. She knew she had likely just stirred up some shit for herself, but she just didn't care. It felt too good to break free of the whole oppressive scene and go back to being the person that had managed to make Vince and Letty like her as a friend. That girl was the real her now and she had no problems with this fact.
She still arrived home with a splitting headache from trying so hard to be nice. She decided to believe it was because Letty had rubbed off on her more then she realized. She wanted nothing more than to go back and tell the whole lot of them to go to hell, just like Letty would have, she figured. She didn't like to stand back a bit from the situation and realize she had tried to change her stripes for them, even if it was just for one afternoon. She walked in the front door and threw her bag down on the floor with a harsh thump. Letty was in the living room playing on the PS2. Nyssa threw herself down on the couch beside her with a sigh and tipped her head back, closing her eyes in fatique.
"Vince told us where you went. It went that well, huh?"
"You don't know the half of it. You know in the short amount of time I've lived here I've changed into a totally different person. My whole family short of my dad and uncle are so full of crap I just spent the last 4 hours wanting to tell every last one of them to go to hell and I wouldn't let myself. The new me wanted to so bad though. The old me wouldn't even have thought that way. So that's progress I guess."
"What are they like that made you so mad?"
"Well, my aunt Karen started as soon as I got out of the car about the car, my outfit, my life, where I live, who I live with, who I chose to date. You name it she bitched about it Lett. My god, when I start to race, if they find out, you know they might just tell Manda she can't see me anymore at this rate. Karen is just the bitch to do it too. I like my cousin. I know you guys don't really but she is a nice girl, if a bit materialistic and self centered."
"It would suck if you couldn't see her anymore. She's your friend too not just your cousin but you know I don't like any girls who try to get with Dom even though they know I exist."
"I know. And we had a talk about that, Manda and I. I told her it wasn't well done of her to go after a guy with a girl already, and that everyone knew, it wasn't a secret. She thought it was. I guess she told the wrong person that she liked him. She never meant for it to get out and back to you. I mean that's nothing new anyway. Half the girls at races have a thing for Dom, you already knew that Letty. And when I told her that other people knew she was embarrassed. She said she knew that nothing would ever come of it and she didn't want to mess with you." Both girls laughed at that.
"Well I am glad to hear there is one less girl I have to worry about Dom cheating on me with."
"How many times did you really catch him at it though Lett?"
"Enough," Letty answered wearily.
"Well once is enough, but I thought maybe it was mostly just he went missing and then you assumed he was cheating again."
"No I've caught him at it enough. More than enough, trust me."
"Ok, that doesn't change the fact that the Manda issue is settled. Have you caught him lately?
"No, not lately."
"Well maybe he's making an effort not to. I've seen how he looks at you. He loves you. Man, I have a splitting headache."
Vince walked into the living room from the kitchen and heard the last part only, that the Manda issue was over, thank god, and that his poor Nyssa had a splitting headache. Poor thing. Well he knew just what was good for headaches didn't he?
She was sitting on the couch, head thrown back and eyes closed. He put a finger to his lips to warn Letty to stay quiet and then he leaned over and kissed her. She felt the soft brush of lips against hers and the tickle of his beard on her forehead because of the position they were in. She gave into his kiss with a happy sigh. Finally, she was home where she belonged.
When she gave herself over to his touch so thouroghly, he picked her up over the back of the couch and carried her downstairs, leaving Letty to her own devices in the living room.
Letty thought about what Nyssa had said. Maybe she would do her pat and not accuse Dom of anything anymore and try to make it easy for him not to stray. She knew she started shit sometimes. It was just hard to know what he had done and then see him talking to other girls with that smile on his face. That bad boy, flirting smile she thought he should reserve only for her. She knew he thought he had ot put on a tough guy act at races just to show he was the crowd leader. But he didn't have to take the act as far as he did. But if she tried not to hold what he had done in the past against him, tried to be more aware of his feelings, perhaps he would return the favour and try to be more aware of hers.
Nyssa was nibbling on Vince's neck as he carried her down the stairs and he was growling at her for it. Until he finished the trip to his room he was helpless to stop her and they both knew it. They spent the next hour in his room, helping her get over her headache.
That night Mia and Brian went to see a movie and Nyssa and Letty played video games with Leon and Jesse because Vince was off doing god knows what again and Dom was in the garage fixing some car for some guy who had to have it done by the next morning and was willing to pay. Dom was in one of his moods again and none of the other guys had been willing to risk their lives or eardrums to go and assist him.
Vince had done as he had promised and told Nyssa he would be gone awhile and had no idea when he would return this time at lease and since she wasn't trying to run his life she didn't say anything. She was more than a little curious about what he was up to but she didn't say anything or pose the questions. She didn't want to ask him in case it seemed to him like she was trying to get further into his life than he wanted to let her. She figured he would tell her when he was good and ready. Until then she would just worry at home like a good little girl. It galled her, but with a man like Vince she knew there was a limit to how far she could push before he would push back. Unless she was ready and willing to have a knock down, drag out fight with him, that wasn't something she could just do. All she knew was his gun was gone with him.
Nyssa and Letty both left the guys around 1am and headed to bed. Neither Vince nor Dom had gotten home by that time. Nyssa was glad she and Letty, and Mia were friends. It was nice having good girlfriends close by. It made the worry a lot easier to bear, knowing that Letty and Mia had the same fears when the guys did things without them. Things they didn't understand and knew were dangerous.
Vince came home at 2am and dragged his tired ass right downstairs, took a shower and then went to bed. If he had thought Nyssa would wait up for him he was sadly mistaken. She was out like a light in the middle of his bed on her back. Her hair was fanned out around her head for a change, instead of caught up in a ball at the back. He changed then tried to figure how to make room for himself in the bed with her right smack dab in the middle in a sprawl worthy of any man. Well he figured there was no way around it, he was going to have to pick her up and move her off to one side. He slid his arm under her knees and back and lifted her up.
"Um, V is that you?" she asked in that sleepy voice he loved so much as she came to.
"Who else were you expecting?" he asked with a laugh as he kissed her forehead, cradling her against his chest.
"Vin Diesel," she giggled after naming one of the movie stars that her girlfriends at school went crazy over, "but I wasn't expecting you to wake me up in the middle of the night either."
"You were asleep in the center of the bed with your arms and legs and hair everywhere. It was move you or sleep on the couch. That ain't happenin," he said when she gave him a look that said she thought that's what he should have done rather than wake her. He set her down and slid in with her. "So how was your evening?"
"Fine," she yawned. "Letty and I beat the shit out of Jesse and Leon on the play station and went for a drive around in the Skyline." Well, really she and Letty had done more practise runs. She beat Letty one time out of 5 but she didn't know if that was because Letty let her or if she really was getting better.
"You letting Letty teach you to drive? I guess I need to make more time for you girl, I don't want anyone else to teach you to drive." It was an activity he enjoyed too much. It also gave him the perfect excuse to spend time with her without looking needy, clingy or less manly.
"No, I just wanted the company while I went for a drive. Oh, and Vince I have no school tomorrow, so don't bother waking me ok? It is some sort of parent teacher thing and since I have no parent I just get the day off."
"I could go as the only adult in your life at this time."
Nyssa laughed at that one. "You're not much of an adult, you big kid. You spend your days working on and driving in race cars. You're about as much an adult as rock stars and pro athletes."
"I'll show you how adult I am," he said just before he leaned down and kissed her. It was much later before she fell asleep again. She didn't much care since she wasn't getting up early the next day. Not that she would have anyway. She would gladly go without sleep to feel the way Vince made her feel. With a contented sigh and Vince's arm around her waist from where he was lying behind her she drifted off. She got up around 10 and decided to hang out at DT with Letty and the guys for awhile since she was going to be working there soon enough anyway. So on that thought she drove to DT, leaving Vince snoring on his back.
