Much to Lenora's delight, at least some things turned out to be a positive interaction following the days after the racing competition. Mia was eternally grateful for her 'help', and the former couldn't stop thanking her until it got to the point where it bordered on annoying. As much as Lenora took pride in her badge of honor, she really didn't want to hover over the Tran incident any longer than she had to.

Once they had gotten back to the house, Dom had stared at her long and hard before simply patting her on the back, with Letty beaming almost proudly like her child had won first place in a math competition.

Vince and Jesse hooted, while Leon shook his head with a sly grin plastered on. It was like a milestone for them, apparently.

Lenora figured that whoever this Johnny person was, he was really the bane of this family's existence. It felt like she had completed some sort of initiation to be fully embraced by the group, not that she cared. But otherwise, her life carried on as usual, as if the horrific experience from before was just another distant memory. To be frank, she would rather keep it that way, as she still had other things to worry about in her new life.

For example, she ran out of Yakult...In just a week. Again. She had been drinking the beverage nonstop from morning to night and she had only noticed the empty cardboard box until now. Huffing, she closed the fridge a little too loudly and went to fetch her purse and keys. Fortunately for her, online classes didn't require her to show up, so she could slack off as much as she wanted.

She thanked the gods for getting a bike the other day, else she would've been stuck asking for another ride to the bus stop. It was extra sunny that day, and she had decided on a cute sundress to wear out. In the process, her mind then came to the idea that she could just eat out for lunch after her grocery trip. Her hands grabbed the jewelry case from the drawers, and she opened it up with excitement. She couldn't wait to mix and match some of her newest additions.

Lenora paused as she lifted the covers of the box; she had grabbed the wrong jewelry set. Her eyes settled on a dainty necklace with a moonstone hanging from it. The dull colors of the chain hinted at the age of the piece, despite it looking as classic as it was. On top of the moonstone was an engraving, and if one had the patience to look closer, they would see the name 'Theresa' embossed onto the gold nugget.

Without thinking, she clasped it around her neck. In the mirror, it complimented her outfit like it belonged to it. The moderate sheen of the jewel gave off a nice, soft vibe, helping the elongation of the neck.

It was a beautiful piece. But it gave Lenora the most unsettling churn in her stomach. She couldn't wear it. Her mind shut down as a face appeared in her head; the smell of chlorine and hospital sheets saturated her senses. It wasn't right wearing her mother's jewelry.

Yanking it off, she placed the necklace back into its box. She proceeded to insert it back onto the highest shelf she could find. Muttering something incoherent to herself, she settled for one of her older pieces she had gotten for her birthday a few years back. Turning up the radio, she prepared her outfit, and the other necklace was quickly forgotten.

The bus ride to the downtown market was uneventful, and it got on Lenora's nerves that she had to pretend to read the newspaper for half an hour to avoid being hit on by random highschoolers trying to shoot their shot at any breathing female.

She thanked the driver mindlessly as she stepped out of the transport, breathing in the crisp fall air. It turned out to be a great idea for shopping today. The weather wasn't overbearingly hot, and a few clouds shielded her from the sun. Lenora had asked around for a good Asian market recommendation, and all fingers pointed to either Chinatown, or a place called Little Saigon.

It then dawned on her that she had strayed a bit too far from Chinatown. Her current location placed her in a position where it would be easier to just keep going straight to the second option. She'd never heard of that name before, so she took that chance as an excuse to talk herself into going. Peking duck was always accessible the next time.

Lenora wasn't prepared for the massive crowd of people on a weekday at the plaza. Her heart did a little flip at the sight of the building. It was humongous, and to her, that only spelled good news. She didn't mind the main language being Vietnamese or Korean there, as long as she got to sample the delicious cuisines.

She found a food stand selling what seemed to be cold brew coffee. The strong scent of sweet caramel filled her nose as she reached the front line. She was reminded of her recent insomnia, and the lack of sleep she had the previous night. Having a bit of caffeine in the middle of the day shouldn't hurt.

The elderly woman was quick to realize that she wasn't able to speak the language, causing Lenora's cheek to flush with embarrassment as she pointed at the prettiest looking drink on the menu. Mary (or at least her name tag said she was) laughed heartily at her blushing form and pointed to another one of the pictures.

"See one here," she explained, "taste very yummy, like sweet vanilla caramel. You want?"

It took Lenora a minute to register that the woman was trying to give her a recommendation. At the thought, she smiled gratuitously and nodded.

"Yes, please."

Mary's eyes twinkled with delight. "You will like it! Promise."

A few minutes passed, and Lenora found herself eyeing the cold drink like it was the best coffee she's ever had. It was the perfect balance between a buttery flavor mixed with dark cocoa and creamy milk. The sweetness was just right for her cravings and she moaned as she took her first sip.

She left a generous tip for Mary, vowing to come back at a later date for more. Looking at her list, she decided to move lunch below the criteria, seeing that she had a drink in hand. Next was the supermarket.

Fortunately for her, there was an English translation to its respective label everywhere she went for the most part. Lenora wasn't sure if she would've been able to move around had she not understood a single sign.

The market had an assortment of exotic fruits and vegetables, with its very own bakery set to the side. She spotted some fresh dragon fruit and lychees, and thought of the ways she could mash them into smoothies. Her long awaited beverage was finally found in a small corner, tucked away from the mass.

With her daily food conquest checked off from her list, she made her way out of the store with the goodies in hand. She caught wind of a nice lunch spot by a couple nearby and made up her mind to spend the rest of her afternoon there. The bags in her hands were a little heavy, but she didn't mind. What she didn't notice, however, was that the route that led to the cafe had to go through a rather narrow street that was shielded away from the public.

Lenora hummed her favorite tune by Cher, strutting alongside the road. The events of the day had put her with a lighthearted demeanor as she strolled around. She was so engrossed with the prospect of a yummy meal that she failed to notice the group of men she passed on the way. They were congregated near a backdoor, murmuring amongst themselves when her footsteps alerted them of her presence.

She had barely made it to the other side of the building when a harsh voice stopped her in midstep.

"Hey! You! Lady!" A whistle was blown at her, an obvious attempt to catcall. Lenora rolled her eyes and turned around, giving them a dirty look. The men were dressed in either black shirts or wife beaters, smokes coming out of their mouths like they were a train engine. She resisted the urge to grimace in discontent. It wasn't her problem.

One of them, a grungy looking youngster in black sweats, beckoned at her to come over. Putting two fingers to his lips, he stuck out his tongue. It made her gag, not caring who she insulted anymore. Glaring at him, she moved to give him the finger.

"Hey cutie, you look lost," the man drawled, "c'mere and I'll show ya 'round hmm?"

"I don't speak the language," Lenora grated. "Now if you'll excuse me-" Her words caught in her throat when she heard the backdoor creak open. Two men came out of the raggedy hole, with one of them wearing atrociously patterned trousers. On close inspection, it looked to be of red python. She couldn't make out the faces of the two amongst the gathered group; not that it mattered.

Lenora caught herself reading way too much into the interaction and turned to leave. Nothing good ever came out of dealing with these types.

"Stop right there!" Someone yelled. She ignored it and trudged faster. It was broad daylight, and she doubted they could do much to anyone. Footsteps sped up behind her, and she whirled around in alarm. The bags were brought up into a makeshift shield, putting as much distance as possible between her and the man.

Meeting her gaze was a large chest mere inches from her. She yelped and jumped back, shaking at the surprise attack.

"You," the man hissed. Lenora froze at the sound, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She could recognize that nasally hum anywhere.

Standing over her, with his hands shoved in his pockets, was a very angry Johnny Tran. The memory from last week flashed across her vision, and she almost forgot how to breath. Out of everywhere in that fucking town, how the hell did she catch him at this time?! Under the debris of her own thoughts, it was then she remembered the last words spoken to her that day.

Don't ever set foot near here again.

Rage and indignation flooded her, making her see red. The incident that night had been on its way out from her memory cache, and it wasn't like she took the noob gangster seriously. Her shoulders tensed as she stared straight up to meet his glowering form. She couldn't let him see through her scrambled mind; apprehension clouded her, but in that moment, all she could do was look right at him.

"Yes," she snapped, "it's your friendly neighborhood wallhopper."

His nostrils flared slightly, adding more lines onto his youthful face.

"Any friend of Toretto's is not welcomed here," he stated. "I meant you too when I warned the wench."

Lenora felt her temper spike up to new levels. Here she was, minding her own business, just like last time, and in comes the local jock demanding this and that, disrupting her perfect flow. If it weren't for his meddling underlings, she'd already be enjoying her bowl of jjajangmyeon down the streets.

"Watch what you call people," she retorted. "She did nothing to you."

Johnny smiled cruelly. "Oh, but she did."

"By being related to your sister's ex?" Lenora wasted no time in biting back. "What the hell's wrong with you?!"

His face stilled in unspoken rage as she saw his brows twitch just like before. He leaned in, eyes on her face like he was going to pierce through it. She could see him shooting lasers out of them had he been a character in a sci-fi movie. Johnny grinded his teeth, and she was sure if it weren't for daylight, she would've been pointed at with a gun.

"Watch what you're saying," he growled. "Don't fuck around with my personal life. You're lucky you were drunk last time."

Lenora snorted, not believing the things she was hearing. The guy seriously thought the world revolved around him. "No one's fucking with your personal life. And believe me, I've got more colorful things to say to you after the little stunt you pulled."

He actually laughed at that, but his smile didn't quite light his eyes.

"I'd like to see you try when I blow up your lil friend's ride."

Her face fell at the threat. "You wouldn't dare!" She swore if she had her pan in her hands, it would've already made its mark on his smug face.

"I did it to her brother," Johnny countered, "what makes you think I wouldn't do it to her since her buddy here can't follow directions just like the others?"

"We should do it," came Lance's voice. Lenora snapped her head to the side just in time to see the man with horrendous fashion stalking towards them. Her heart began to speed up as she found herself facing the very people that Mia warned her about. The equally smug look on the shorter male pushed at her buttons. A thought popped into her head; Lance had a really punchable face.

She held her ground. "I'll call the cops."

Lance and the other men actually burst out with howling laughter. Taken aback at the response, Lenora felt her frustration rising with her anxiety. They were a bunch of disgusting hogs. Johnny smirked at her attempt.

"Cops won't do shit for you here."

The worst case scenario appeared in her head as she thought of the ways this could end. Johnny was not the kind of guy to just let her off with a hard squeeze on the arm. Bile threatened to spill as she clenched the shopping bags. She was alone in this, there was no way she could overpower seven grown ass men.

"Are you going to rape me?" she whispered. Her usual combative stance waned as she slowly began to see more and more people filing out the backdoor. She could hear music coming from wherever it was, and contemplated screaming for help.

Johnny looked at her like somebody had died. "Did you think I'd stoop as low as some village scum?"

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. But you are the village scum...

"You threatened to kill my friend," she hissed.

"Blow up her car," he corrected, "not kill her."

Lenora let out a bitter chuckle. "Is that much of a difference, Mr. Pyromaniac?"

"My turf, my rules." Johnny didn't seem like he was letting this one go. She threw her head up in exasperation; it really did feel like she was bantering with a small, petulant child.

"Y'know what? Maybe you should build a wall," she offered. "Then you can do everyone a favor and isolate your little tantrums from the good of mankind."

His frown deepened. "I don't appreciate your-"

Gruuuuuuuuuuuugruuuuuuuuuuuugruuuuuuug!

The entire gang fell silent at the loud rumble coming from the young woman. Lenora wished for the ground to come undone below and just swallow her whole. She wanted to scream at the rest of the onlookers for disrupting her lunch time, and for every little shit that happened to her. Her mood waved back and forth like a pendulum gone on steroids.

Johnny was dead quiet for a moment, before his lips curled into a lopsided grin.

"Someone's hangry."

She swore he was pushing her buttons on purpose at this point. "Yes, I'm fucking hangry. Can't you see the groceries?! Now would you be so kind as to let me go, again?"

Johnny appeared to be thinking of a snide retort, and she puffed out her chest in preparation of her own. But the conversation was disrupted yet again when Lance handed him a buzzing phone. Johnny's lips turned to a slight frown at the sudden interruption, but his eyes widened from their narrowed frame once he read the caller ID.

A woman's voice came from the other side, chattering relentlessly in Vienamese. Meanwhile, Lenora prayed that this was going to be the end of their little run-in. She was already beginning to backpedal as Johnny became preoccupied with a new matter in hand.

"...Alright, alright Marie," he spoke, "I'll be there." Lenora blinked at the confusing change of mood; was this a girlfriend of his or what? He sounded...apologetic?

As quick as the call came, it was swiftly ended. Clicking the phone shut, he ran a hand through his hair, messing up the curls even further. Lenora peered at him, noting that the fine lines in his face had smoothed out. She was almost to the edge of the other side of the alley when his eyes shot back to her.

Lenora quickly averted her gaze, trying to salvage whatever dignity she had left. She didn't want to come across as creepy. The less of a threat she looked like, the higher chance of her escape. It was evident that he saw right through her. Johnny smirked at her retreating form.

"You got lucky again." However, he didn't storm up to her this time. "But it's gonna run out someday. Don't let me see you here again, or something will blow up."

"Wait, are we really letting-" Lance tried to cut in, but Johnny shook his head. Lenora didn't need him to finish his thoughts to know what he wanted. She shivered against the chilling stare of the shorter male, but failed to back down.

"Let's go." Johnny patted Lance on the back good naturedly, turning him around with him. "She's not worth the effort."

The offhanded dismissal ticked something in her as she watched his back become smaller and smaller as he went away. Relief washed over her, and she loosened the grip she had on her groceries. Thank god whoever called him, she didn't know how else to escape the situation otherwise.

Her body shook with indignation at the fact of being so easily stepped on. One of these days, she was going to get her license, and then she wouldn't have to deal with his shit any more.

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A/N: A shoutout to all my supporters out there! Y'all are the best 3 I hope this chapter served as a bit more insight to certain characters now that most of the main cast has been introduced. See you next time ;)