I took a deep breath waiting until everyone was in before telling Shyla
the living arrangements.
"Well you'll be staying in my room."
"Not that much off a difference," She said rolling her eyes as she tried to snatch her bag from Leon.
"There's only one bed."
"OH … well if you don't want to share I can take the couch.."
"No, its fine, I thought it would make you uncomfortable."
Shrugging, she smiled the half smile that had become her trademark. I sat on the bed watching her put her stuff next to mine feeling an incredible need to protect her, along with something else I couldn't quite put my finger on yet.
"You have like a million CD's " I said flipping through her never ending collection slowly.
"I love music ... the same way you like.. cars," She said her voice taking on a funny hitch. It was then that I realized it was a car that had taken everything away from her in the first place. GOD! She would hate us once she found out what we did!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You ok?" I said turning Jesse's silence out of place.
"Yea," he said rather unconvincingly as I took in his pale coloring.
"You sure?" I asked resting on my knees as I looked up at him.
"Yea, I'm sure Gabby," he said smiling his don't worry about me smile.
:Liar: I thought to myself shaking my head. Exhausted I opted to go to bed early when Jesse went down to for dinner that night. I was almost asleep while later when I heard him talking to Leon as they came up.
" I don't' know how to tell her man."
"You need to soon Jess, or she'll never talk o you again."
" I know man, I know, but what do I say?"
"You'll figure it out dawg. "
: tell her?: I thought : tell who me? What did he have to tell me: Rolling on to my side as he walked in a squeezed my eyes tight trying to feign sleep I forced my now tense muscles to relax.
~~~~~~
I frowned watching Shyla as I tried to rationally explain her actions to myself. She was being weird, distant even , answering all my questions with one word, and refusing to look me in the eyes.
"You want to go see the garage?" I asked breaking the silence.
"Sure," She said Standing. I felt drool form as I watched her rise in a tight pair of worn denims, and a tiny camouflage tank top. It was too hot outside for much else.
: Snap out of it man, this is your little sister here: I said giving myself a mental shake before rising to follow her out the door.
" This!" I said waving my arm excitedly. "Is the Toretto garage."
" Is it ok for us to be here?"
"Yea, I'll be going back to work myself in a few more weeks."
Opening the door for her I waved at Mia who was looked up from her desk in the office.
"Shyla," She said hoping up from her chair to greet us.
"Welcome to the garage, " She said wrapping her arm around her thin frame.
"Hey girl," She said awarding her with the smile that she had kept from me the whole day. : Just what was going on with my little sister ?:
After talking to Mia for a while I headed over to Letty. I felt an odd kinship with her for some reason.
"What ya doing?" I asked leaning on the car she was under.
"Why don't you pull up a dolly and find out?" she asked, the challenge shining in her eyes.
She didn't think I could get dirty? Pushing my disdain for cars aside I pulled a stray dolly over from the opposite side of the garage.
"Here put this on," Dom said tossing me a jumper two sizes too big. So he was actually listening, I said still not used to the way he observed all while remaining silent. Slipping into the jumper I laid down on the dolly feeling like a fish out of water I awkwardly wheeled myself under the car next to her.
"Well if you're gonna be staying with us, you might as well know something about cars," She said proceeding to tell me exactly what she was doing, and each individual part. I left the shop later covered in oil, and with a new appreciation for cars all together.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jesse's POV
I felt mixed emotions as we left that day. Glad that Shyla was letting the group in more, and getting over her phobia about cars; but mad that she was still giving me the cold shoulder. I stared her down over the dinner table willing her to look at me. I frowned as we made eye contact, and she pushed away her plate getting up to go outside.
"What did you do to her man?" Letty asked actually snarling at me , which rarely happened. I guess I wasn't the baby of the team anymore, but she needed the attention more.
"I dunno Let, she's just been giving me the brush off, which is damn awkward considering we share a room."
"Go talk to her Jesse," Dom said nodding towards the still swinging screen door.
"Aight," I said scrapping the floor with my chair as I stood.
"Gab?" I said cautiously walking out to he porch swing she was sitting on.
"What?" She asked voice tight with pent up tension.
" What's wrong," I said coming to stand in front her.
"I don't know what you mean," She said continuing to look straight ahead. Like she was looking through me.
"Don't lie, " I said squatting so I was at her eye level.
" I Heard you," she mumbled.
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
" Last night, with Leon, I heard you ."
" Last night... Oh shit," I said my fingers tapping on the wooden bench as I thought of a way to explain things.
"Gab … it's not what you think … exactly."
"Then what is it Jesse? And don't lie, cause I've had enough liars in my life."
"Its just that … well all of us ... we're not just mechanics."
"What do you mean?" she asked leaning closer to me.
" We race Shyla, we street race."
"Fuck you Jesse!" She said jumping up to pace on the porch.
"You know that's how I got in that bed in the first place."
" I know, I know, " I said walking up behind her. " I know that's why I didn't want to tell you, " I said placing my arms on either side of her trapping her in place.
"Don't be mad," I said resting my head against her shoulder.
" Jesse.... just give me some time, " She said sighing as her shoulders slumped.
"Ok, but let's go in before the team kick's my ass, I said wrapping my arm around her shoulders, and leading her in.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shyla's POV
I lay quietly beside Jesse that night listening to him breath in and out slowly his chest moving up, and down. How were these people, who had taken me in, and cared for me without questions the same kind of people who killed my Mother; and put me in the hospital? Rolling over slowly I turned to closely inspect my new best friend. In sleep he looked even more innocent, that wary look that seemed permanently attached forgotten as he rested with all his defenses down. I watched his eyes lids flutter as he hit REM wondering what he was dreaming off. His dark blonde hair was ruffled from tossing as he lay facing me, one arm slung carelessly around my waist in a somewhat protective manor.
I starred at his impossibly pink lips bringing my hand up to gently rub them with my fingers. I smiled as he lips twitched into a smile. I could easily love him, if I let myself. Realizing where my Add affected mind was wondering, I went back to the issue at hand. How could I hate the team I was already starting to learn. My thoughts were interrupted by Jesse's groggy voice.
"You still up Gabby?" he murmured still half asleep.
"Yea," I whispered wondering how long he had actually been awake.
"What's wrong?" he asked rubbing his eyes.
"Just thinking about everything that's happened, I'm fine really, go back to sleep Jesse," I said feeling bad that he was up , and worried about me.
"Are you sure?" he asked pulling me closer, and burrowing further under the warm covers.
"I'm positive," I said kissing him on the forehead as I lost a small part of my heart. As I drifted off to sleep feeling safe in Jesse's arms I decided all that what mattered most was who these people were now, and not who they had been in the past. It was finally time to move on and start letting go off the past.
"Well you'll be staying in my room."
"Not that much off a difference," She said rolling her eyes as she tried to snatch her bag from Leon.
"There's only one bed."
"OH … well if you don't want to share I can take the couch.."
"No, its fine, I thought it would make you uncomfortable."
Shrugging, she smiled the half smile that had become her trademark. I sat on the bed watching her put her stuff next to mine feeling an incredible need to protect her, along with something else I couldn't quite put my finger on yet.
"You have like a million CD's " I said flipping through her never ending collection slowly.
"I love music ... the same way you like.. cars," She said her voice taking on a funny hitch. It was then that I realized it was a car that had taken everything away from her in the first place. GOD! She would hate us once she found out what we did!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You ok?" I said turning Jesse's silence out of place.
"Yea," he said rather unconvincingly as I took in his pale coloring.
"You sure?" I asked resting on my knees as I looked up at him.
"Yea, I'm sure Gabby," he said smiling his don't worry about me smile.
:Liar: I thought to myself shaking my head. Exhausted I opted to go to bed early when Jesse went down to for dinner that night. I was almost asleep while later when I heard him talking to Leon as they came up.
" I don't' know how to tell her man."
"You need to soon Jess, or she'll never talk o you again."
" I know man, I know, but what do I say?"
"You'll figure it out dawg. "
: tell her?: I thought : tell who me? What did he have to tell me: Rolling on to my side as he walked in a squeezed my eyes tight trying to feign sleep I forced my now tense muscles to relax.
~~~~~~
I frowned watching Shyla as I tried to rationally explain her actions to myself. She was being weird, distant even , answering all my questions with one word, and refusing to look me in the eyes.
"You want to go see the garage?" I asked breaking the silence.
"Sure," She said Standing. I felt drool form as I watched her rise in a tight pair of worn denims, and a tiny camouflage tank top. It was too hot outside for much else.
: Snap out of it man, this is your little sister here: I said giving myself a mental shake before rising to follow her out the door.
" This!" I said waving my arm excitedly. "Is the Toretto garage."
" Is it ok for us to be here?"
"Yea, I'll be going back to work myself in a few more weeks."
Opening the door for her I waved at Mia who was looked up from her desk in the office.
"Shyla," She said hoping up from her chair to greet us.
"Welcome to the garage, " She said wrapping her arm around her thin frame.
"Hey girl," She said awarding her with the smile that she had kept from me the whole day. : Just what was going on with my little sister ?:
After talking to Mia for a while I headed over to Letty. I felt an odd kinship with her for some reason.
"What ya doing?" I asked leaning on the car she was under.
"Why don't you pull up a dolly and find out?" she asked, the challenge shining in her eyes.
She didn't think I could get dirty? Pushing my disdain for cars aside I pulled a stray dolly over from the opposite side of the garage.
"Here put this on," Dom said tossing me a jumper two sizes too big. So he was actually listening, I said still not used to the way he observed all while remaining silent. Slipping into the jumper I laid down on the dolly feeling like a fish out of water I awkwardly wheeled myself under the car next to her.
"Well if you're gonna be staying with us, you might as well know something about cars," She said proceeding to tell me exactly what she was doing, and each individual part. I left the shop later covered in oil, and with a new appreciation for cars all together.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jesse's POV
I felt mixed emotions as we left that day. Glad that Shyla was letting the group in more, and getting over her phobia about cars; but mad that she was still giving me the cold shoulder. I stared her down over the dinner table willing her to look at me. I frowned as we made eye contact, and she pushed away her plate getting up to go outside.
"What did you do to her man?" Letty asked actually snarling at me , which rarely happened. I guess I wasn't the baby of the team anymore, but she needed the attention more.
"I dunno Let, she's just been giving me the brush off, which is damn awkward considering we share a room."
"Go talk to her Jesse," Dom said nodding towards the still swinging screen door.
"Aight," I said scrapping the floor with my chair as I stood.
"Gab?" I said cautiously walking out to he porch swing she was sitting on.
"What?" She asked voice tight with pent up tension.
" What's wrong," I said coming to stand in front her.
"I don't know what you mean," She said continuing to look straight ahead. Like she was looking through me.
"Don't lie, " I said squatting so I was at her eye level.
" I Heard you," she mumbled.
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
" Last night, with Leon, I heard you ."
" Last night... Oh shit," I said my fingers tapping on the wooden bench as I thought of a way to explain things.
"Gab … it's not what you think … exactly."
"Then what is it Jesse? And don't lie, cause I've had enough liars in my life."
"Its just that … well all of us ... we're not just mechanics."
"What do you mean?" she asked leaning closer to me.
" We race Shyla, we street race."
"Fuck you Jesse!" She said jumping up to pace on the porch.
"You know that's how I got in that bed in the first place."
" I know, I know, " I said walking up behind her. " I know that's why I didn't want to tell you, " I said placing my arms on either side of her trapping her in place.
"Don't be mad," I said resting my head against her shoulder.
" Jesse.... just give me some time, " She said sighing as her shoulders slumped.
"Ok, but let's go in before the team kick's my ass, I said wrapping my arm around her shoulders, and leading her in.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shyla's POV
I lay quietly beside Jesse that night listening to him breath in and out slowly his chest moving up, and down. How were these people, who had taken me in, and cared for me without questions the same kind of people who killed my Mother; and put me in the hospital? Rolling over slowly I turned to closely inspect my new best friend. In sleep he looked even more innocent, that wary look that seemed permanently attached forgotten as he rested with all his defenses down. I watched his eyes lids flutter as he hit REM wondering what he was dreaming off. His dark blonde hair was ruffled from tossing as he lay facing me, one arm slung carelessly around my waist in a somewhat protective manor.
I starred at his impossibly pink lips bringing my hand up to gently rub them with my fingers. I smiled as he lips twitched into a smile. I could easily love him, if I let myself. Realizing where my Add affected mind was wondering, I went back to the issue at hand. How could I hate the team I was already starting to learn. My thoughts were interrupted by Jesse's groggy voice.
"You still up Gabby?" he murmured still half asleep.
"Yea," I whispered wondering how long he had actually been awake.
"What's wrong?" he asked rubbing his eyes.
"Just thinking about everything that's happened, I'm fine really, go back to sleep Jesse," I said feeling bad that he was up , and worried about me.
"Are you sure?" he asked pulling me closer, and burrowing further under the warm covers.
"I'm positive," I said kissing him on the forehead as I lost a small part of my heart. As I drifted off to sleep feeling safe in Jesse's arms I decided all that what mattered most was who these people were now, and not who they had been in the past. It was finally time to move on and start letting go off the past.