Chapter Eight

May 1996

" Damn it! " I yell at my car.

She's been stalling when I make complete stops since yesterday. Now I need to get Dom to take a look at her. I thank God that I make it home without getting into a wreck. Car troubles aside, I'm so glad to get out of school so I can enjoy the perfect weather.

When I get out of my car I check the mailbox. The number of bills always amazes me. At the bottom of the stack is a large white envelope with the Stanford seal. Feeling my heart speed up I rip it open, skim the first paragraph, and scream.

" I got in! Oh my God! " My dad is gonna freak!

He's at work at the moment so I get back in my car and head over to Dom's newly reopened garage. How I don't get a ticket on the way is beyond me. I barely get the car in park before jumping out and running in the shop.

No one's around. Hmm.

I look in the office and nothing. What the hell? Then I hear Dom's voice.

" Yeah bro it's good to have you back. I've been making a killing street racing. " Comes his voice from the back.

I walk out the back door and see the last person I was expecting. " Vince! " I yell forgetting all about Stanford.

I give him a tight hug. Then I punch him right after. See, after getting out of juvi Vince had to go live with his mom upstate. We got to see him after he got out, but not for long. That was six months ago.

He doubles over. " Damn Beaut what was that for? " He gasps.

" I talked to you the other day and you never once mentioned coming to town. I thought you were never coming back. " I say glaring at him.

He puts his hands up defensively. " I'm sorry! I wanted it to be a surprise. "

Dom chuckles at both of us. " Vince here is back for good and will be working here at the shop. "

" Yeah! " I say excitedly.

Vince takes a good look at me before noticing the papers in my hand. " What's that Beaut? " He asks taking them from me.

That makes me remember why I came in the first place. " I got in! "

He reads the first few lines and grins. " Stanford wow! A full-ride too. " He says picking me up in a hug. " Good going Beaut! "

" What are we celebrating? " Comes my dad's voice from the front of the store.

He must be here for some poison, I mean food. Sorry, Mia, it's true.

We all head inside and Dom says, " Stanford wants Beaut. "

In my whole almost seventeen years, I have never seen my dad cry, and he doesn't but there are tears in his eyes. " Congrats munchkin! It doesn't surprise me though. You've always gotten good grades without trying. "

I nod. They even bumped me up a grade in elementary. " Oh Dom before I forget, will you look at my car? She has been stalling out on me. "

" That's odd I gave her a tune-up last month. Pull her in. " He says heading back into the garage.

Following him back in I have Vince lift the huge door up so I can back the Camaro in. Dom lifts the hood as I'm getting out.

" Well, whatever it is isn't visible. I'd need to keep it for a few days. " He says in confusion.

Great. " Fine. I'll just have to ride to school with Letty. " My poor baby.

" A toast. To Beaut, give Stanford hell! " Vince says raising his glass.

My dad looks at him in disapproval but clinks his glass anyways.

" Yeah girl, I'm gonna miss you, but I'm also happy for you. " Letty says from across the picnic table.

I smile at my best friend. " Thanks Let. "

I can feel the heat radiating off of Dom. " Stanford is a five-hour drive from here. "

" Yeah, but with how you drive it's more like two and a half. " I joke to break the tension.

I look over at Mia, who had been unusually quiet. " Are you okay Mia? "

She looks back at me and fakes a smile. " Yeah, I'm okay Beaut. "

Yeah right. I don't believe her, but let it go. I'll talk to her later.

After dinner, everyone clears their plates and me and Mia wash them. Finally, I'm getting a real answer. " So how about you tell me what's really wrong. And I really don't want to hear your lame " I'm fine " line okay? "

Stopping what she's doing she looks at me with tears in her eyes. " Just leave it be Beaut! " She yells running past me and up to her old room.

I run after her. Everyone is looking confused but that isn't my concern right now.

I knock on the door. " Mia? Please open the door. I just want to talk. "

" Just go away! " She cries.

That's it screw privacy. I walk into her room and see her curled up on her bed bawling. Crawling beside her I wrap my arms around her shoulder. " What's wrong? You know you can tell me anything. " I say softly.

" You- You're leaving. " She says between sobs.

Oh no. " Well, I'm not leaving tomorrow. We still have the whole summer. "

" Yeah bu- but you'll be five hours away. I don't want you to go. "

Sometimes I forget that Mia is still a young girl who has lost a lot. Now she thinks she's losing me too. " Oh, sweetie I have to get an education. And so do you. It doesn't mean I love you any less. You're like my sister.

" Hey, remember when we were younger and we couldn't stand each other? Then you moved in and we became so close. That doesn't just disappear because I'm going off to college. And I'll be back on holiday's and summer vacation. "

Mia sits up a little and wipes her eyes. " You promise? " I nod. " And you won't go and replace me and Letty? "

I have to laugh. " How could I replace you two? " I ask hugging her. " Do you feel better now? "

She nods. " I kind of made a scene out there. What are we gonna tell them? "

" Just say it was woman's problems and they'll leave it alone. " I say winking at her.

Dom meets me in the hallway as I'm walking out of her old room.

" Is she okay? " He asks.

I nod before smooshing my face into his chest. " She will be. It's just, I've been here her whole life and when I leave I guess she thinks she'll never see me again... but I meant what I said, you drive like a bat out of hell. There's no reason why you all can't come up on the weekends. And I'll be here for holidays and breaks. "

" It's not like you're going to find someone like me up there. I'm not worried. " He says dipping down to kiss me.

Such a cocky ass.