Gabriella walked into the living room where her family was already sitting. It had been two weeks since the incident with Johnny at the race. She looked around the room as she sat down next to Jesse who was smiling at her. "What's going on?" She asked looking at him oddly.
"We have a question we wanted to ask you before we make our final decision." Vince replied walking to the center of the room. "I know that you have met Leon already and we were wondering if it would be okay if he lived with us for a little while."
Gabriella raised her eyebrow. "So you brought me here to a family meeting to ask if one of your friends could move in?"
"Yes."
"Okay."
"Okay what? Let's be more specific."
"I don't care. No one ever asked me if you could move in, no one asked if Jesse could. Letty…well I don't mind her so it's okay that she lives here."
"Hey!" Jesse yelled.
"He can live here, I am not giving up my room though."
"No one said you had to."
"And no one is staying in Dom's or my fathers."
The room was silent. "We would never do that Gab." Mia chimed in. "He is taking the room downstairs across from Jesse."
Gabriella nodded her head at them. "Can I go now?"
"We have one more thing." Vince held is hand in the air stopping her. "Sit down please."
"What is it?" she asked sitting back down next to Jesse who still had a smile on his face. "You are really weird."
He began to laugh as he turned away from her. "So, Friday…"
"You guys don't have to do anything." She cut in.
"Will you shut up!?" Vince yelled with a groan. "Jesus we are trying to talk to you about it."
Jesse began to laugh. "I am taking you tomorrow to get your license and Gabriella you better pass it. All those lessons have got to pay off."
"Okay…" She looked around the room at everyone.
"And on Friday, you aren't going to school since its senior skip day, and we are taking you to pick out a car."
"WHAT?" She screamed shooting up from the couch.
"And you will no longer be grounded that day." Vince smirked at her. She jumped up in the air running towards him wrapping her arms and legs around his body.
"Are you serious?" She asked pulling away from him.
"Yes." He laughed hugging her back.
"One thing!" Mia yelled over the excitement. "No racing, no getting tickets, you are not driving after ten pm…"
"What about Johnny?" Gabriella asked as Vince set her back down on the ground.
Vince sighed as he walked away from her. "You are allowed to date Johnny, but all the rules we just stated still apply to that too. You aren't going out late with him, there will be no racing. So help me god Gabriella, I will kill you if you pull any of that shit you pulled with him again."
"It won't happen!" She squealed wrapping her arms around Mia's neck. "Thank you!"
"I got some sick decals waiting for you, so all we have to do is go pick out the car and you will be good to go." Letty walked over to her putting her arms around her neck.
"Okay, so we have some work we need to do today. Everyone we are leaving in five minutes." Vince walked away. Everyone groaned as they got off the couch except for Jesse. He waited for everyone to leave.
"So you finally going to talk to me?" Gabriella asked.
"I haven't really known what to say…"
"You don't know what to say but two times that I saw you you were able to throw me up against something and kiss me? That seems a little bit odd."
"You mean so much to me…"
"And you to me."
"But?"
"I am dating Johnny. I have always been dating Johnny. You can't just come in here or in my room and kiss me and expect me to fall head over heels for you."
He nodded his head but remained silent. "You are one of my best friends, please don't do this."
"I am going to walk away." Jesse told her.
"Jesse, don't do this!" She begged but he was already in the kitchen. She sighed as she fell back on the couch putting her face in her hands.
"So, was I supposed to hear that?" Letty walked into the room.
Gabriella walked outside where Vince was waiting by his car. "You alright? I heard a scream." He smirked.
"You better be glad I can hardly move my finger but I would be hitting you right now." She threatened. He began to laugh.
"Get in the car Gabriella." He pointed to the driver's side. "We are going to learn to drive today."
"You sure you want to do this?"
"No, I'm not." He climbed into the passenger's side. "Okay, so basics."
"Can I tell you what I know first?"
He nodded his head. "So this right here is the clutch…" She pushed it in. "This is the break, and this is the gas. I use my left foot just for the clutch and my right for the gas and break. To start the car I need my foot on the break and the clutch. To move, I release the clutch with my foot still on the break." She smiled at him. "And right about this time was when you jerked Johnny out of the car and punched him in his face."
Vince began laughing as he leaned his head back against the seat. "Well that was pretty good. I guess we can move on then."
Gabriella climbed back into the car the next day and started it waiting on Vince to climb in. "You ready to drive today?" He asked immediately putting his seatbelt on.
"I guess so."
"You guess so? Really?"
"Yes Vince, I am ready."
"Ok, that's what I want to hear. Now put the car in first gear and let off the break." Gabriella nodded her head. "Easy…"
Gabriella took a deep breath as she let off the break. The car began to go forward. "Gently press the gas down…"
She put her foot down on the gas as the car shot forward. "GENTLY!" Vince yelled grabbing a hold of the handle above his head. Gabriella bowed her head looking up at him. She was trying not to laugh as she looked over at him. He looked scared to death. She muffled a laugh.
"Sorry." She shrugged her shoulders.
"Let's try again." He breathed.
"It's been a week Gabby, it's time to take this on the road. Are you ready?" Vince asked.
"Maybe you should grab a helmet." Gabriella teased.
He stopped in his steps and glared at her. "Get in the car!"
She smirked as she climbed into the car with him following. He put his seatbelt on pulling it tight before turning to her. "Cut the car on and ease out on the street."
"Are you sure about this?"
"No! Now start the car." Gabriella laughed as she started the car and eased out on to the street. She pressed the gas down gently as she put the car in gear. "Okay good, now ease out on the street. Look both ways before doing so and then press the gas a little harder."
She nodded her head as she moved to the end of the driveway looking both ways before pulling out. She took a deep breath in. "Ok put it in second gear. You feel it change in your feet. That's how you know you need to change gears."
"Got it." She put both hands on the wheel and waited for the feeling before changing gears again.
"There is a stop sign up here."
She nodded her head as she put her foot on the break, they jolted forward. She pressed the gas to move forward as the car jolted forward again. "Okay stop!" He yelled. "Easy…Gab…" She kept hitting the break then the gas. "Gab…stop…press…STOP!" She slammed on the breaks causing the car to stop.
"You are literally going to be the death of me." He breathed.
"Me?" She yelled. "You are the one yelling at me."
"We have been going at this for a week now!"
"SO?"
"Start the car!"
"You start it!" She opened the door and climbed out.
"Get back in, are you crazy?"
"You stop yelling at me!"
"You are yelling at me!"
"Because you are yelling at me first!"
They stood there in the middle of the street glaring at each other. "Please get back in the car." He replied calmly. "I'm sorry I yelled at you."
"Fine." She replied walking back over to the driver's side and climbing.
"God please help me!" He begged up to the sky.
Gabriella just stood there staring up at Letty.
"I mean I didn't hear the whole thing but enough I guess."
"Letty…" Gabriella started. "Jesse kissed me a couple of weeks ago in the kitchen. It caught me off guard and it happened one more time in my bedroom. But that was it. He wouldn't talk to me about it."
"I wonder why all of the sudden?"
Gabriella shrugged. "I think I really hurt his feelings but I don't know what to do. I love that boy I really do, but I love Johnny too."
"Do you?"
Gabriella didn't respond. "Do you think maybe your mind is clouded right now?"
"We cant be together Let, Dom wouldn't allow it."
"Dom isn't here Gab."
"I don't know what to do."
"Let's just let him cool off, you think about getting your license. Was that what you were thinking about?"
"Yeah, I am just trying to remember what Vince taught me."
"You are going to be fine. Everything is going to be fine. It's not like Jess is going anywhere, he lives here."
Gabriella began to laugh. "You're right, I'm okay. Just a lot to take in right now."
Senior skip day, the only day a year it's okay for anyone to skip school. It was also Gabriella's seventeenth birthday. She woke up to the sound of whispering in her room. She squinted as the sun hit her in the face. "What the…."
"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Gabby, happy birthday to you!" Everyone sang off key. Very off key.
"What time is it?" She groaned turning over.
"It's eight." Mia squealed. "Get up!"
"Why? Let me sleep!" Gabriella grabbed the pillow and threw it on top of her head.
"No!" Vince yelled. "There are presents and cake."
"At eight in the morning? You really want me to eat cake?"
"Get up!" Vince kicked her bed. "Or we won't go car shopping today."
"That's not fair." She groaned leaning up. "I actually get to sleep in and you won't let me."
"Nope." Mia smiled. "You have ten minutes. Get up and get ready. We will be downstairs."
"Mia!" Gabriella yelled throwing her body backwards. She heard laughter as everyone shuffled out of her room, she heard the door shut as she opened her eyes. Jesse was remaining. "Hey…" she whispered sitting up.
"Happy birthday."
"You talking to me?"
He nodded his head walking over to her bed and sitting down. "I got you this." He pulled out a box and handed it to her.
"Should I be scared?"
He smiled at her shaking his head. She took the box from him and opened it. "Jesse…"
"I found it the other day at the garage. I know he would have wanted you to have it."
"It was my moms, he had lost it about three months ago. Where was it?" She pulled the silver chain out and out fell a heart charm. She wiped her face from the tears that fell down.
"That place really needs to be cleaned I'm sure there is a lot of stuff in there that we don't know about. It was in the office."
"Thank you." She whispered. She smiled at him as she leaned up wrapping her arms around his neck. "Thank you so much."
"You're welcome."
"Gabby!" Vince yelled. She jumped before groaning. "I am going to kill him."
"You better get up before he comes back in here. Besides, you get to get a car today."
"I know!" She smiled. "I just really wish Dom was here."
"I do too." A loud bang came on her door as she closed her eyes throwing her head back.
"Okay, okay!" She yelled. "I'll see you downstairs, thank you for my necklace." She waited for him to leave before throwing her legs over the side of the bed and putting the necklace on. She smiled down at it as she remembered her father. She shook her head of the thought before walking to her closet and grabbing some clothes. Today was the day. She gets to go pick out her very first car. She had gotten her license on the first try thanks to Vince. She remembered everything he had taught her and aced it. It was taken away from her that very same day. She was still grounded so immediately when she came running out of the DMV with it in her hands it was snatched just like that. She made her way downstairs where everyone was waiting for her. She loved birthdays she really did but something about today didn't feel right, her father wasn't there and Dom wasn't there. She felt sad as she looked around the room at her family who were all smiling at her.
"You ready to go?" Mia asked approaching the stairs. Gabriella nodded her head.
"I feel like we are going to be the first and only people at the dealership today." She mumbled walking to the door.
"Good, more time for us." Vince replied. He held the door open as everyone walked.
"What car are we taking?"
"Mine." Letty held her hand up in the air. Gabriella smiled before moving down the steps. She moved around the corner and stopped when she noticed no one was behind her.
"What exactly are you doing?" She asked. She was getting annoyed.
"How about we take this one?" Vince pointed to the car beside her. She looked beside her at the Nissan, navy blue sitting there. There was a big bow on it, how she missed it was beyond her.
"What?" She gasped. "What is this?"
"This is your car." Mia smiled.
"But how—when?"
"Dom told us." Vince told her. "Climb on, let's take her for a spin."
"Wait!" Mia held up her finger. "You might need this!" She pulled out Gabriella's license and handed it to her.
"Thank you." Gabriella whispered.
"You and Vince go, we can all take turns later."
Gabriella nodded her head before moving over to the driver's side. She took a deep breath as she climbed in. 'You ready for this?" Vince slapped his hands on his legs.
"You are a brave man." She replied with a smile. He looked over at her with a worried look on his face.
"Really? You are going to say that now?"
"I'm just saying." She started the car. "Hang on tight."
They rode around for a little bit before Gabriella turned her head towards Vince. "Thank you for this V, it means a lot."
"You're welcome, you have been doing good lately. Sticking to the rules, you deserve to have the best day today."
"Can we go somewhere real quick before we go home?"
"You are the driver, it's your decision."
She nodded her head before turning left at the light. She drove a little ways before stopping the car. "I just want to say hey." She replied looking over at him.
"You want me to go with you?"
She nodded her head before climbing out of the car. It had been a month, one whole month since the death of her father. She wouldn't say it had gotten any easier but it was better. Time seemed to fly by when all she wanted it to do was stop. She felt Vince's hand in hers as she realized she hadn't moved from her spot. She felt her feet begin to move as they made their way over to her father's grave. She knelt down in front of the headstone running her fingers over his name.
"Hey Uncle Tony, sorry we haven't been by lately. Everything is good though, the garage is good. Business has been going great….we miss you…a lot. I think about you all the time."
Gabriella bowed her head as she felt Vince's hand playing with her hair. "I love you so much." She whispered. "Thank you for all you did for me and I miss you. I feel you today daddy, I feel you all around me…I just…" She stopped as the tears streamed down her face. Vince's arms were around her with his lips on her head. "I love you."
"Come on sweetheart lets go home." Vince whispered to her. She nodded her head as he picked her up off the ground. "You want to drive?"
She shook her head. "Good cause I have been dying to see what this baby has."
Gabriella began to laugh as she wiped the tears from her face. "You okay?"
"I am now."
AN: There you guys go! Hope you enjoyed it! There is one more chapter before I skip ahead a few months so I hope you guys are enjoying their time without Dom. I don't like it. I miss him! Haha! REVIEW!