A/N: Time really drags during quarantine huh...that was a long week. I got no writing done this week so it's a good thing this chapter was pre-written.

Please stay inside and stay safe.

I do a bit of time jumping so don't be startled.

Music Inspo: Destiny Rogers-Euphoria

Haim- Little of your Love

Banks- Gimme

Updates every Saturday (Youtuber voice)

Disclaimer: I do not own this franchise nor these characters. This is strictly free fun.

*Read & Review so I know I'm not talking to myself.

Back Then: High School

Chapter Two- Free

Funny how one night could turn into two weeks. Dom laid upside down on his grey comforter listening to her low, raspy voice. His feet were against the wall and his pillows were thrown to the floor haphazardly. His external world fell second to her voice. Talking to Letty was the best part of his day. He would rush home after football practice, shower, get something to eat, pretend to do homework and then call her up at nine. They would usually talk till midnight on a school night but on the weekends, the sun often came up with them still talking.

She was an enigma he had yet to crack, cagey about most things but yet he knew details about her life; big and small. He knew she liked vanilla over chocolate, her first pet was a fish named Dexter and she had the same love for engines he was developing.

Dom: You go to Harrow Girls Prep? What's to stop me from pullin' up on you?"

Lexi: You wouldn't make it past the gate. They don't let folk like you in.

Dom: Folk like me? What's my kinda folk?

Lexi: I don't know. Rough around the edges? Bad boy types…

He dissolved into laughter.

Dom: Then what's a nice girl doing talking to a punk like me?

Lexi: I didn't say I was nice.

Dom: I still can't believe you go to HGP, the girls from that school always come off so snotty. Not like you. You don't fit in do you?

Lexi: Not usually, no.

He didn't know what was happening to him, not even Loren could have him over the phone divulging information about his childhood, his hopes and his dreams. They asked each other silly questions, serious questions.

Favorite food?

Favorite color?

How's your relationship with your mom?

What was your first kiss like?

Did you have a big sixteenth birthday party?

How did your mom die?

Are you okay?

The first night they met, that was attraction, physical and shallow. But what was growing between them had nothing to do with what she looked like. It was all the about the type of person she was.

He liked that she marched to the beat of her own drum. She was bold, a leader and a risk taker. Different because that's who she was and not because she purposely wanted to be contrary.

He liked that the tone of her voice gave him a feeling resembling euphoria.

Even in that moment, the smoky rasp of her voice put his mind at ease.

Lexi: I couldn't find it, I looked for it everywhere.

Dom: You need to keep better track of your things young lady.

Lexi: Don't call me young lady, I'm not in Catholic school.

Dom: That is a real travesty, you would look smoking hot in those short plaid skirts.

She laughed into the phone, melodic and sexy. Dom loved her laugh.

Lexi: Shut up, stupid.

Dom: You know I'm starting to forget what you look like. It's been too long.

Lexi: It's been two weeks.

Dom: That is too long. I'm being serious. When am I gonna see you again? Or do I really have to pull up on you?

There was a deep sigh over the phone followed by a long stint of silence. Dom had physically ached when she told him she wasn't going to be at last weekend's street race. It was shaping up to be the same thing this weekend too. If he ever saw her again, he was going to scoop her up in his arms and hold on for dear life.

Lexi: I have to go.

Dom: Wait I- CLICK

Dom growled and snapped the phone closed. Had he pushed too hard? Normally, if it were any other girl, she would be his already. But then again, Lexi wasn't just any girl.

What they had was so different to his and Loren's interaction. Did he feel guilty about talking to Lexi behind Loren's back? No. He wouldn't be surprised if she was entertaining other guys either. They had an unspoken understanding. Whatever they had, it wasn't serious.

Letty met Mia on the steps outside the freshman block, their ritual.

"How you livin' girl?" Letty said.

Mia smiled looking down from the sun. "Good I guess," Mia lifted her sun glasses and took in Letty's lace crop top.

"Wow," Mia said.

Letty blushed under the attention.

"How are you so brave?" Mia said.

Letty shrugged, "I'm not. I just don't care what people think,"

"That's the same thing," Mia said. She put her head on Letty's shoulder, linking their pinky fingers.

"Teach me your ways."

Letty laughed. "How to dress like a punk?"

"Nooo, how not to care. How to be free, how to have fun."

"Mia, there's nothing wrong with you. You are perfect and you have fun." Letty said.

Mia huffed and pushed off the steps. "You sound like my brother," Mia folded her arms. "Don't give me that, I wanna do something crazy and daring."

"Fine, I'll pick you up at ten." Letty said.

Mia frowned, "But ten is my curfew,"

Letty looked at her expectantly.

"Ohhh, right…right. Okay." Mia said. 'Rebels,"

Letty slapped her forehead. "Don't call us that." She pulled the girl back down to the steps. Letty looked down at their feet, her boots and Mia's ballet flats. She wondered if she should tell Mia that she was the mastermind of an elaborate scheme involving a junior. She had been running hoops around school as to not be seen by him.

When she realized they went to the same school she figured that's where she heard the name before, around the halls.

But what was her end game? She didn't even know. She just wanted some excitement. But the more she got to know Dom, the more she liked him.

He just seemed like he was larger than life, but he was a regular kid. Torn between wanting to have fun and make his father proud. Though he couldn't seem to do the latter. That she could relate too. She was hanging on a by a thread with her own mother's patience. Staying on the straight and narrow path was something hard to do in high school. She figured the ones who did, should get a little more credit.

She needed someone to talk her out of it. Or completely into it.

"Mia, I have to tell you something," Letty said.

"You can tell me later, I drank huge bubble gum chiller this morning." Mia got up from the steps. "We'll talk later," Mia said before rushing off.

"Yeah, talk later." Letty said to herself.

Dom sat in AP History trying to focus on the board and Mr. Lewinski's monotonous voice but every time he blinked, he saw dark curls and pouty lips. He even heard her laughter in his head as he took down his notes.

She was causing him so much trouble and she didn't even know it. Just at lunch he had been making out with Loren behind the bleachers and realized her soft kitten like purrs did not compare to the low raspy growl that erupted from Lexi when he said something fresh.

He couldn't even concentrate in class, he was taking AP History because it counted as a college credit, something he needed to take seriously. He didn't reach that conclusion by himself but he was beginning to heed the warnings of his father. He was also taking AP English and AP Biology. If he would survive them all, that was yet to be seen.

When the bell rang, he was the first person out of the class. He made a beeline for his locker, rummaging through the small space for his flip phone. He ignored the picture of him and Loren that she had tacked up after their first month of dating.

He found it, grabbed his gym bag and headed for the field.

Changed into his gear he sat at the bleachers and dialed her number. It rang without a pick up so he waited five minutes before trying again. He wanted to hear her voice. By then, Loren and her co-captain Suki, were on the field practicing. Dressed in the school's colours, burgundy and gold; they ran through chants and short dances in those delectable pleated skirts, Dom loved so much. Loren waved at him when she spotted him, beautiful as always. Even so, that was all she was. Whatever affection he had for her, it didn't run deep.

He rang Lexi again and she picked up on the first ring.

Lexi: Hey you.

Dom: Back atcha. You just got home?

Lexi: Uhuh, sorry I missed your first call. Did I keep you waiting?

Dom: It was a tough five might have to make it up to me this weekend. What you got going on tonight?

Lexi: Nothing really. This and that.

Dom: So much secrets.

Lexi: Some, not many. What are you up to?

Dom: About to start practice. We have the first game of the season next week so it's going to go on all evening. May not get to have our nightly chat.

Lexi: I'll find a way to entertain myself.

Dom chuckled.

Dom: Now I'm going to be distracted wondering exactly how.

Lexi: I'll be able to tell you all soon.

Coach blew his whistle as his teammates filed unto the field.

Dom: Look forward to it. Bye Lexi.

Lexi: Bye, Dom.

Some Senior was having a party at Oil Heights, an abandoned oil refinery. Mia was of course petrified when she found out where Letty was taking her.

"A senior party?" Mia reiterated.

Letty drummed her fingers against her mother's staring wheel.

"Yup,"

Letty needed the distraction and it was perfect for Mia to dip her foot in, though Letty didn't know why she would want to. Her nonchalance increased Mia's dread.

"I'm so dead," Mia said.

"You're gonna be back home before anyone even knows you're gone. I thought you wanted to do something rebellious?" Mia looked at Letty, swallowing hard. "Trust me will ya?"

Letty sped along, accepting Mia's silence as a yes. When they got to Oil Heights, Letty came alive. Kegs were lined up in the trunk of three cars, red solo cups were everywhere and masses of high school kids came out in masses. Letty barely found a place to park. She parked in front an unfinished retainer wall that had been abandoned. She jumped out the car smiling, it almost reminded her of the street races. She missed the energy since Mimi had stayed up late last Friday. She made it impossible for her to sneak out.

She supposed that was a blessing in disguise, if Dom ever laid eyes on her again, he would see through her façade.

She knew she wanted something more with Dom, she just didn't know how that was going to be possible if she had to reveal her true self.

"Lighten up will you," Letty said, Mia was still looking like a guilty criminal.

"We're not drinking, are we?" Letty was certainly planning to but now that she saw how petrified Mia was, she canned that idea.

"Nope, just hanging out." Letty said.

She knew it was a good as any time to tell Mia she was having a Lake House affair with an older guy.

"Mia," Letty said, Mia looked over from some guys break dancing.

Mia looked to be relaxing when she said, "You finally ready to talk about that guy?"

Letty felt her gut in her throat. "What guy?"

Mia rolled her eyes. "You telling me there isn't a guy?"

Letty shook her head. "No there is but -how did you know?"

Mia shrugged, "Just little things, you've been glued to your phone whenever I'm studying over at yours. So, who is he?"

Letty cleared her throat, "Right about that…he's-"

"Mia, Letty, over here." The two girls whipped around to see some guys from their homeroom, Lucas and Manuel. Letty knew for sure she wasn't going to get it out now that Mia had spotted her crush. The guys waved them over, Mia was so excited to see her crush, she completely forgot about Letty's almost confession.

Letty sighed, falling behind her on the way to the guys.

They spent the next hour talking to Lucas and Manuel (Mia's future husband according to her). Letty was reminded how much she didn't enjoy talking to boys her own age.

Letty was bored, but Mia seemed to be having a good time. That was until they heard sirens. Letty's adrenaline took over from all logic. There was no way she could be busted at a party with her mother's car and live to tell the tale. She grabbed Mia by the arm they dashed toward the car. That was a difficult task with all the other high schoolers trying to the same. Letty tripped over some kid's converse and fell on a broken bottle. She didn't feel it as she was only concerned with getting out. They were bombarded and trapped, weaving their way through the thick mass of panicked teens.

Finally, at the car, another challenge rose, how were they going to drive out? Cars were parked so closely, less space than sardines in a can. Letty was getting more alarmed, the closer the sirens sounded. She needed to get out.

Looking in her rearview mirror she realized she was parked in front of a retainer wall, she might be able to get out. She only hoped the car could take it. She took a chance.

"Hold on," she said to Mia, who had been having an anxiety attack of her own. She reversed straight through the wall but the blow back slammed her shoulder into the staring wheel. She realized there must have been an open wound from falling on the bottle and the whiplash was doing nothing to help her. She ignored the intense stab of pain and fled through the dirt road. She needed to put as much distance between them and the sirens.

"Shit…shit...shit." Letty chanted. She didn't want to know what the back of the car looked like. Worse than that, her shoulder was bleeding.

She was so screwed.

"I'm dead Mia," Letty said. They were in the clear, from the police but Letty was in a whole different type of mess.

"Letty you need a hospital," Mia said.

"Hospital? Are you insane?"

Mia was on the verge of tears.

"Give me your phone," Mia said.

"Mia we can't call an ambulance, I'll be busted."

"Trust me," Mia said.

Letty relinquished the phone. She assumed Mia had called her brother when she said, "I really screwed up. I need you."

Ten minutes later they were parked in a Mc Donald's parking lot as per instructions Mia had gotten, they both got out of the car.

"Don't worry, my brother is cool." Mia said, though Letty could barely hear what was being said.

Letty's body ached terribly and as the adrenaline died down, the pain grew. She realized how much pain she was in when she felt nauseous and her vision became blurry. As blackness closed in around her, she saw the Dodge Charger she had fallen in love with pull into the parking lot. Dom wasn't alone in the car, in the front seat was the prettiest girl she had ever seen. Before being able to react, her body went slack and she slipped into nothingness.

Letty felt terrible. Not terrible enough to stay home from school though. Which meant she had to play up her symptoms to convince her mom. A blow dryer induced fever and fake vomit later, she was snuggled into bed past eight, right when the first bell would be ringing. She snuggled deeper into her sheets wincing at the pull of her stitches. Then it all came back, the night before.

Letty came to with blinding white lights ahead of her. Panic fled through her, was she at the hospital? She flew up, gasping in pain at the ache in her shoulder. When she took in her surroundings, she realized it wasn't quite a hospital room, just a makeshift examination room. Dom was in the corner of the room, arms folded. He looked like a pissed off guardian angel. Emphasis on pissed off.

"Where am I?" she said.

"That's the first thing you want to know?" Dom said, angry, annoyed.

Letty sighed, she didn't have the energy to be self-righteous in her mess.

"I know I lied." she said.

"You're a freshman." Dom stated. "Do you know how much trouble I could have gotten into if-" he trailed off. "You're Mia's best friend? Your name isn't even Lexi" Dom crumpled under his own worked up emotion making Letty flinch.

"Was anything you said…true...real?"

Letty heard rustling outside the door and chose to be petty.

"As real as your girlfriend Dom," she said just as a young man came into the room. That shut Dom up.

Ivory was a med school drop out Dom had made friends with through the street race scene Letty was told. He ran a clinic for persons unable to go to a hospital. Letty wondered how many criminals had laid where she was.

Dom had stood beside her while she got her stitches, wincing and crying. She loathed how weak and young she must have come off to him.

When Ivory left the room again for some gauze, Dom started into her again.

"What were you two even doing there? You dragging my little sister around in your schemes?"

Schemes? Was she an evil villain? She had no response to that. She wasn't going to rat on Mia.

"Where are my mom's keys?" she said.

Dom didn't respond.

Around nine Letty tumbled downstairs to make herself some breakfast. Instead of making eggs and waffles she reheated last night's dinner of spiced rice and steak. She held the plate by the tips and situated in front of the television in her pink robe.

Playing with the rice on her plate while it cooled, she felt dread pile up in the pit of her stomach. She hoped food would bury it. Dom felt betrayed and the only bit of innocence she held on to was that he lied as well. A lie of omission was still a lie. He was dating the prettiest girl in school. How did she seriously think a guy like that was single, waiting to be scooped up by a rebellious freshman. Seriously, Loren fricken' Tran. According to Mia, she was the prettiest girl at school. Loren had long dark hair, cut just at the end of her back. She always wore it in luscious bouncy curls. Her pale skin was creamy and blemish less and she had one of those tight neat bodies, toned and firm from all her gymnastics. Letty didn't stand a chance.

She remembered the beauty from last night, how effortless she looked in her black leather pants and leopard print halter top.

"You're such a good brother," Letty heard Loren say to Dom.

"Thanks Lo,"

Letty tried not to roll her eyes in the dark. She was in the backseat with Mia, who was already asleep, head leaning against Letty's shoulder. They were on their way home from the clinic.

She tried to be nasty about the two of them but it was hard trying to be mad at Dom, he was getting her mom's bumper fixed at the moment.

"I'll drop the car off myself, everything will be fine," he had said. It was official, he was the best and the worst at the same time. He was so well connected, myth more than man in that moment.

Loren's hand gripped his thigh and Letty fought back nausea. Though she told herself the nausea was from the injury.

The car was pitch black, nothing but the radio and her own voice giving Dom directions but she knew his eyes were on her in the rearview mirror. She couldn't bring herself to meet them though. Too much betrayal, on both sides.

The only time she met his eyes was when he pulled unto her curb and she thanked him while leaving the car.

Letty screamed into the pillow on the couch. The first guy she had real feelings for, she blew it. But some part of her felt that she had to. There was no way he would be interested in talking to her if he knew she was a freshman in high school. She curled into a ball and stayed there all day watching a law and order marathon.

Dom had to pretend to take a nap during study hall. He had been staring blankly since the hour had started. So many things crowded his mind, none of which were pleasant.

He had been longing to see Letty again but not under those circumstances. It wasn't even the lie that bothered him most, it was how bad he wanted it to be true, He knew now, there was no way he could be with Letty. For her good and for her own.

He had told her as much.

Letty was waiting at her gap when Dom brought back her mother's car. It was after four in the morning. It was a rough job but it would not be noticeable to her mother if she wasn't looking for it.

Dom got out of the car, it was gonna be tough to let her down.

"Mia told me she was the on who pushed you, I'm sorry I implied-"

"Would you have given me the time of day if you knew I was a freshman?"

"Letty-"

"Exactly. I wasn't planning on deceiving you. I was just having fun. For one night…I didn't expect to fall for you Dom,"

"Fall for me?" Dom spun on his heels, trying to find the right the words. "I can't do this with you right now." Dom put the keys in her hand just as Vince pulled up in his own car.

Mia stopped by around three thirty. She carried Letty's homework and missed notes, which her mother was ecstatic about. Letty showed Mia her unfinished room and closed the door for some privacy.

"Last night was insane. I can't believe we pulled it off. I'm gonna owe Dom for the rest of my life."

Letty grimaced when she heard his name.

"What? Your shoulder?"

Letty shook her head. "It does hurt but that's not it. The guy I was trying to tell you about is your brother."

Mia's soft features were replaced with a scowl. "What?" she spoke again before Letty could continue. "I'm going to kill him,"

"It's not his fault, I told him I was seventeen. We met at a street race, I didn't know he was your brother when I met him."

Her brows furrowed together as she said, "You're the one he's been on the phone with every night?"

Letty nodded.

"That is-" Mia shook her head, going slack jawed. Letty braced herself for anger that never came.

"You're not mad?"

"I'm just wondering- I'm impressed that you had Dom so sprung. That is not easy. Seriously."

Letty grinned, "Sprung? Really."

Mia nodded. "Which brings me to my next question, why are you hiding? The Letty I know, doesn't care what anyone thinks. Or is my brother an exception?"

Letty thought about it.

Was he?

Dom couldn't believe his eyes when they fell on Letty at the Street Race. She was persistent if anything. She looked…wow. Dressed in skin tight, hipster jeans and a navel breaker. This was the first time he saw her without any make up. He could see now the youth in her face. The passion and the hunger. He saw it all past her eyeliner and eyeshadow. Though, even now his heart lurched in his chest in her presence.

He stepped away from his friends and closed the space between them. Her arms were folded and there was an unreadable look on her face.

"Isn't it past your bedtime?" he knew that was low blow. She rolled her eyes.

"You done now?" she said.

Dom shrugged. 'Am I?"

"I don't know Dom. You wouldn't return my phone calls so I decided to take matters into my own hands."

"I didn't take your calls because everything has changed Letty. Things can't be the way they were."

"Why not? I'm still me, just a few years younger. It's not that big of a deal."

"It is Letty, you really want to be that freshman girl who everyone talks about. Cuz I sure as hell don't want to be that guy known for preying on freshman girls."

"Preying? That's bullshit."

She had just started her high school journey but Dom had seen it before. Girls get called whores and sluts for messing with older guys and the guys get called players and studs. He didn't want Letty's identity to be chosen for her. But that was something she would have to see for herself.

"That's not how everyone else will see it."

She folded her arms, still defiant. It killed Dom but he was doing it for her own good. He cared about her enough to let her go.

He saw the moment she gave in. Her doe eyes were casted down and the tension in her face disappeared. "You're protecting my reputation?"

Dom couldn't help himself and reached out to cradle her face. She leaned into his touch tenderly and Dom hated that they would only have this one tender moment.

He dropped his hand after moments had passed.

"So what do we do now? Pretend we didn't pour our souls out to each other these past two weeks?"

"You'll see, it's for the best." he took a step back. Taking her in, trying to remember like this. "I'll see you around Letty,"

He turned his back on her in time to hear the first sob. As much as he wanted to turn back, he kept walking.

Letty was defeated. She didn't think that would ever happen. She had always gotten what she wanted. She supposed that mantra was why her relationship with her mother was so strained. Her mom would say no and Letty would make it happen anyway. She thought it would be the same with Dom.

This sucked. The disappointment, the humiliation.

She unlocked her front door and immediately regretted that she didn't check to see if her mother was sleeping first. Mimi sat on the staircase, face pinched with anger Letty was afraid to breathe.

"What am I doing wrong mija?" she said. There was no yelling and that scared Letty more.

"I try to give you everything you want what am I doing wrong? Am I working too much? Is that it?"

"Nooo, mami, you're a great mother."

"Then why can't you behave yourself? Suspended, sneaking out I- I can't deal with this Letty. Do you want to go live with your dad?"

Letty was crying now. She had pushed too much. She needed to stop, for her mother's sake. She rushed up the steps and laid her head in her mother's lap.

"I'll change, I promise."

She had too. All these months of rebellion and she had nothing to show for it.