Kaya was like the group mom. If there was an exact way to describe her, it was gonna be that. It turned out she had a planning streak, as she had scheduled her day down to the last minute.
"It keeps me grounded." She nudged Lenora towards a Honda coupe. "My ADHD brain needs a little rigidity sometimes." Kaya gestured to the car excitedly.
Sometimes, Lenora wanted to ask herself just how the fuck she could get herself into the most cringeworthy shit. Here she was, standing by a vehicle, driven by the very man that broke her peace of life, going to lunch with his buddy.
She hoped to have a knuckle punch her awake, so that all this would just be a really, really bad dream. To make matters worse, the car was a coupe...Like was she supposed to fold herself in half like a piece of paper and shove herself in? For a moment, she wondered how bad it would be if she pretended to have a stomach bug and bail.
Not looking at Johnny, she slid into the backseat, and was followed by Kaya. Marie had taken shotgun, and the driver was obviously the VIP himself. Kaya began to chatter about all the places she'd been to, and about how she was really excited to be by herself for the first time. Lenora stared at her right in the eye, nodding and trying to come up with equally interesting questions to make it look like she wasn't about to poop herself.
Who was she kidding? Being inside that car scared her shitless, and if it weren't for the constant distraction from Kaya, she would've become a screeching harpy. Throughout the talk, she learned that Kaya was a born and raised Californian, specifically in Orange County. The city sounded familiar, but in her frantic state, the only connection she could make was…
"Disneyland," Lenora stated. "You live by Disneyland."
Marie snorted with laughter while Kaya slapped a hand to her face. "Everyone says that! But yeah, I practically lived there as a kid."
As much as she wanted to get to know her on a more personal level, Lenora was not about to get into a deep conversation under that atmosphere. Johnny had done her a favor by putting on sunglasses; she wasn't in the mood to see his dark eyes boring holes into her face. She glanced at Marie on the side, who was casually conversing with him in their own language.
"So, are you guys all classmates?" Lenora was sure that he was young, but he didn't come across as a college boy. With that temper of his, he wouldn't last a week in any setting with an authority.
Kaya shook her head. "Oops! I didn't really introduce you to them, sorry!" She nodded towards Marie, smiling. "Marie's my childhood friend, we've known eachother since middle school. Johnny's her brother, he used to watch over us when our parents weren't home."
Whatever that came after the second information went through Lenora's right ear and out the other. She fought to keep her composure at what Kaya had revealed. All this time, she'd been interacting with the very person that caused the rift between Toretto and Johnny's gang. The details were enunciated by the features the duo shared.
On second glance, she began to see the resemblance. Both had curly hair, both had fine cheekbones, and the way the cupid's bow arched on both of them was a clear sign. Oh god, she could be another sister! Yeah, that's right! People can have more than one sister...Holy fuckity fuck!
She looked to him for a split second, trying to gauge his reaction. But Johnny's gaze was still hidden by the shades, and his mouth in a hard line. Lenora could only guess how he was feeling.
But then she was reminded that he couldn't do anything to hurt her because of the audience, and with that, renewed confidence inched back into her body. She breathed and unclenched her fists; Kaya was her roommate, and she was going to have a blast with her for the rest of her school days even if it meant shoving his pompous ego up his ass.
The car came to an abrupt stop, causing the women to lurch forward. Lenora shrieked and braced herself against the driver's seat.
"The hell, Johnny!" Marie snapped. She wacked him across the arms with a newspaper. He only laughed.
"My bad, didn't see the bumpers." Johnny didn't sound the least contrite. "I just replaced the front." Seething, Lenora glared daggers at him from the back. The fucker was doing this purpose.
Marie rolled her eyes. "I swear one day you'll kill us all."
No shit! The guy probably wants to destroy the whole city… Lenora had to bite the insides of her cheek from spitting out another insult. Eyeing him, she breathed in to control her budding annoyance. At least she could flaunt a free meal in his face; she still couldn't believe that the great Johnny Tran had personally escorted her back into his territory. Just thinking about it brought a smug look to her face.
Happy Huong was filled to the brim, which wasn't a surprise as it was the weekends. People chattered in all languages, but she could make out a few conversations in Mandarin. The smell of stir fry and steamed dishes wafted into her nose as they made their way to a corner table. The waitress took one glance at them and led them to the best place inside the building.
It was remarkably quieter in the back, and Lenora was grateful for the space to hear her own thoughts. There was no chance of her sitting near him, so she volunteered to settle herself in the corner of the booth next to Marie. They shared an awkward shuffle as she tried to press herself to the walls away from Johnny, who had decided to situate himself by the aisle across from her.
"You have to try the Pho Bo and the Nem Ran! They even have a special sauce for it." Kaya was explaining the menu, albeit so fast Lenora could barely hear anything over the clatterings of plates.
She thought about the spice tolerance of hers, and made a note to ask the waitress about it. Alcohol was one thing, but peppers took her to a whole new level of crying, and not the emotional one. Agreeing to the selection of food, she wrote in her choice and set the pamphlet down. Marie was showing Lenora pictures of her homemade spring rolls, opening up immensely on the topic of culinary arts.
"Wanted to quit GrubHub for a bit and make my own, but that didn't go well with Johnny." Marie giggled and her eyes glazed over at the memory. Lenora stared at her with a raised brow, taking a sudden interest.
"What happened?" This story was going to get juicy…
Marie snorted. "Oh y'know, ended up not leaving the toilet for the rest of the day."
She knew it was rude to laugh at something like this, but it was the town greaser for christ's sake! Lenora forgot all pretences and fell into a fit of sniggers. It was a genuine rumble from the insides of her being, and she felt tears pricking on the corners. Looking up at him, she could see that he was practically trying to control himself from flipping the table.
Kaya almost choked on her water. "God you tell that to everyone!" She made an attempt to be serious, but her bubbling laughter overtook that idea.
Marie sighed and feigned an innocent look at Johnny, who was currently trying to fry her with his gaze. "It's not my fault Karma decided to bite his ass that day."
"I said I was sorry!" he snapped from across. "It wasn't my fault your boyfriend fainted in front of me."
"You threatened his life over me crying, asshat!" Marie reminded. She crossed her arms and gave him a smug look. "And that's what happens when you piss off Buddha."
Lenora smirked at him behind her. So he was still the same asshole to everyone else even in his private life. Surprise, surprise.
Johnny sighed in exasperation as he checked his watch. Kaya noticed and quirked her lips.
"You have somewhere to be?"
"I have a gig to run after this. Just makin' sure." He shoved his phone back into his pockets and pinched the bridge of his nose.
Marie glowered at him, nose wrinkling in disgust. "You better stay long enough to drop us off."
"You really think I'd just dump you in the middle of nowhere?" Johnny rolled his eyes and sighed.
Yeah, I think you would. Lenora peered at him through the tip of her cup, not breaking away once he met her gaze. He smirked, making her sneer slightly.
Kaya groaned. "Guys, chill out! Everyone's staring!" She turned her head side to side, blushing as a few customers shifted their attention to them. "Marie, I wanna pick the cot for the dish. Let's cool down a bit."
Marie pouted as she nodded, throwing Johnny a dirty look as she stuck out her tongue. Kaya grabbed her by the arms and whispered something to her, while dragging her away from the table. At the sight, Lenora's stomach churned. Now she was all alone with him, with no one else to distract her from ripping the smile off his face.
Am I his personal entertainer now?! She seethed as she leaned away, not bothering to hide the frown growing on her lips. "So how's Karma for a change?"
Johnny's gaze flickered to hers from the side. His face hardened, and she knew she was playing with fire. But her pride was equally high.
"Y'know, for the last few times I've seen you, you're either wasted, hungry, or hungry. I'm surprised you aren't the reincarnation of a pig." He grinned at her, flashing a row of pearly whites, giving him the appearance of a predatory shark. The tone was flippantly casual, but the insult itself was laced with venom.
Lenora huffed. "It's better than having to chauffeur your arch nemesis to your home." She watched with glee as he snapped his head to the side with a violent jerk. "I didn't appreciate you almost killing me back in the car."
His brows furrowed, adding more fine lines to his already contorted face. If she was honest, he looked much better being focused on putting together furniture. Now he was just a brewing e-boy with a tantrum threatening to spill. She felt stupid for egging him on like this, but the payback for everything he'd done so far sounded prettier in her head.
"Do not push your limits," he warned, eyes twitching again. She began to pick up the go to sign when he was royally pissed. "Or else-"
"You're still the same punk in your personal life," Lenora interrupted. "I must agree with Marie when she said you were an asshat."
The fragile truce, busting against the seams between them, stood on the basis of her and Kaya's relationship. She knew that much. Johnny was holding back ninety-nine percent of his impulses now that her roommate was in the picture, not to mention his sister. And Lenora knew that this could all go to shit once a little tear appeared in the delicately crafted situation.
"Don't put yourself up so high, Lennie." He leered with a saccharine smile. "You might fall flat on your face if you ain't careful."
She flinched at the nickname and sneered. "I told you to not call me that, Appleseed."
Johnny almost gagged on the soda he was sipping. His eyes bulged at the name and he whipped to face her with a bewildered expression. Lenora momentarily forgot about why she was angry and choked with laughter, causing more heads to turn in their direction. Her tormentor, however, did not find the incident the least bit amusing.
"How the fuck?!" Johnny hissed so vehemently that she thought she saw lava boiling underneath his nostrils. Putting both hands onto the table, he leaned into her direction, form shaking as he stared her down. "Don't ever, call me that again."
His rigid posture did more than enough to scare her right back into her shell. It didn't help that the guy was breathing like a chained dragon fighting to release its frustration on its nearest inhabitants. Lenora matched his glare with her own despite the simmering fear reigning her body.
"You called me 'Lennie' first, so now we're even." She made no attempt to apologize. Her gut screamed at her to do otherwise, but she shoved it down. A noob punk like him wasn't going to get to her, no matter how many, most probably, empty threats he tossed. "I ain't gonna sit here and be your outlet for whatever reason."
"I think I might've let you off a bit too easy the first time." Johnny sat back, fingers drumming with a heavy rhythm. "Lance made a great suggestion when he said I should blow something up."
Lenora scoffed. "Threatening people's life again, I see. What would Marie say?"
"I could make it look like an accident," Johnny offered, sounding almost nonchalant. "The cops here have the IQ of a dropout. So I doubt you could sue me."
"Even if I could, what would I get from suing a streetrat?" she countered. "I bet you live in the trailers after your little scour of the city. I'm fucking surprised that you could even do business with that head of yours!"
Oh fuck. Her mouth had bulldozed the land before she could even register where she was headed. Lenora might as well slam herself on the nearest train tracks and wait for the next ride to come. Mia's previous warning about him seared through her mind as she watched him unclench and clench his fists like he needed a stress ball. He can't hurt me...I have Kaya. He's not gonna actually kill me, right?!
Johnny laughed. It sounded horrifically genuine, and from the belly at that. If it weren't for the context of their relationship, she might've mistaken it for a hearty chuckle at a friend's terrible joke. It was a breathy sound, and she noticed that it was a lot deeper than his talking voice. She didn't feel comforted by that in the slightest.
"Damn," Johnny sneered. "Trailers, huh? Never heard of anything more out of line than this in my life."
She gripped the cup in her hands, trembling with fearful anticipation. "What? Are you saying you live under a bridge like a troll?" Her life was over anyways, so she might as well just end it with dignity.
He pressed an index finger to the corners of his lips, as if trying to hold in his rage. "Well, I have to say that you got the part about me being territorial. And you're also correct that I'm not a nice person." Giving her a sly grin, he took another aggressive gulp of his drink.
"I simply stated the obvious." Lenora shifted in her seat, taking a sip of her own.
"Though I don't appreciate you calling me ugly," Johnny said. "'Cuz I don't think I'm like a troll at all." He gestured to his bust, face smug with pride.
Lenora felt her face flush bright red at the action, and she turned her face to the side. They were arguing about blowing up shit to this? Why did he have to show off like that?! Granted, he did have nice biceps back there fixing the bed and all, but how the fuck…She snapped her head back him, burying the thought into the trash folder of her deepest depths.
"I meant your personality," she stated flatly. He smirked at her fidgeting form in the corner. She felt like a prey holding onto its last vestiges of sanity as the predator toyed with its emotions. The battle of tongues between them was only the surface of a much more volatile construct waiting to burst.
"Now I don't know the context of that, but I second the statement."
Johnny's lips didn't move. What came next was not from him. Lenora's brows knitted together as she elevated her head up to the voice, meeting the gaze of another man peering at her behind Johnny.
Bleached platinum blonde hair in an undercut with side swept bangs caught her attention. The newcomer looked at her with a bemused smile, hands hanging languidly at his sides. He wore a white t-shirt, which outlined all the right places on his physique despite being baggy. His dark eyes shone with good humor, and a few people behind him laughed. The men following him were all dressed in simple black tees and ripped jeans, and she thought he was practically glowing amongst them with the contrast.
"Hi?" Her voice box failed her as she tried to muster the simple greeting. He grinned in response.
Johnny followed her attention to the man behind him, and his lips settled into a grim line. Narrowing his eyes, he stood up and met the man face to face. She watched on, confused at the sudden change in dynamics as Johnny's focus was now zeroed onto the blonde before them.
"Samson," he greeted. "What brings you here?" The way his fists stayed clenched served as a hint for her. Whoever this Samson was, he wasn't on Johnny's good side either.
"Chillax, man." Samson wasted no time in putting a hand on his shoulder. "You're scaring your date. I just thought I heard someone familiar here and decided to check it out. Turns out you need a lot of help getting this one to like you." He looked at Lenora again, winking at her.
She gaped at the way she was referred to and sputtered like a whale. "I'm not his date! I'm here with a friend." Holding up her hands, she waved frantically. What she was embarrassed about, she wasn't sure. But the problem before her never involved her, and she could sense another fight breaking out if Johnny decided to release his frustrations.
"My apologies, miss," Samson replied. He side-stepped Johnny and was over to her in a flash. Reaching out a hand to her, he continued to smile. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Samson Wang, and I work with Johnny. So I hope I didn't frighten you."
Lenora stared at him in awe as she shook his hand, and felt the way he squeezed hers firmly before letting go. It was almost hypnotizing, and she could feel herself being pulled into his gaze. Spindles of arms pushed her to accept his greeting, and she didn't know if it was because of his voice or the way he looked at her, Her stomach jumbled as she tried to process the whole interaction.
She couldn't wait to see how she was going to fuck up this one, too.