Chapter 1

I sat there and watched as Dom and three other cars drove past the finish line. Four colour blurs that only managed to last for 10 seconds, but could still produce the same amount of adrenaline, fear, and the same power surge as jumping off a cliff tied to a rope could. For those 10 seconds or less nothing moved. Nobody breathed. Time seemed to stop until that first car flew past. Then, before anybody knew what had happened, deafening screams could be heard, probably miles away. People cheered. Whooping, and clapping, and whistling for the driver in the winning car. No matter who it was, the crowd cheered the same tone, with the same enthusiasm. When they passed that line, everybody was everybody�s friend.

To my left, Letty and Mia were hugging and jumping up and down. Dom had won another race. Yet they still acted like it was he�d never won in his life. I let out a grunt showing my amusement as I watched the hundreds of people cluster together and head towards the finish line, huddling around the four cars parked. Letty and Mia ran up as well, while I just sat and watched as Dom got out of the car, picking Letty up and twirling her around, then grabbing his 'pay' from Hector, and of course, as he embarrassed yet another racer who thought they could outrace, and outsmart the one and only Dominic Toretto. When will they learn? I thought to myself as hopped off the hood of my car and walked around to the front window, pulling a cigarette from the centre compartment and balancing it in the corner of my mouth.

I pulled the lighter out and started winding it up, but only getting frustrated when the flame didn�t pop up. "Aw, fucking c'mon!" I shook the small bottle furiously and tried again. When I failed for a second time, I threw the lighter into the back seat of my car and looked around for somebody else who might have one with them. A fucking lighter, or a pair of matches, why is that too much to fucking ask?

I leaned in against the door and pulled the cigarette from my mouth, pinching it between my fingers while still scanning the area. When my eyes landed on Hector flailing his arms around in circles I went straight into panic mods. "Shit, cops!"

I quickly turned around and got in my car yelling to Mia from the window to hurry up. "C'mon Mia! Get in here!" She ran up to the door, yanking it open. "Don�t pull it off its hinges Mia."

"The cops are gonna be here in a couple minutes and you're worried about your door!" She got in the passenger seat and slammed the door shut.

I quickly started the engine and looked over to her, "Well, if I don't have a door then I won't be able to leave."

Mia rolled her eyes as I quickly pulled out of the street. The cars looked like ants as they scattered out, pulling into different streets, splitting up as much as possible so they wouldn't get caught. Like ants, all following the one in front one minute and as soon as there's a slight disturbance they scatter in different directions. I kept driving straight, knowing the police never went through the highway because of the busy state it was always in. A perfect getaway.

My eyes kept scanning the mirrors, making sure nobody was behind me and that it was safe to go home. Mia kept fidgeting in her seat and looking to the road behind us.

"Don't worry Mia." I sighed as I turned off into the streets that lead to the Torettos.

"I'm not worried, why? Do I look worried? I'm not worried."

I laughed as I listened to her ramble on. "Ok Mia, you're not worried." As I pulled up into the empty driveway I heard Mia let out a relieved sigh.

"How do you get here so fast?"

"I know how cops work."

Mia looked over to me and raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"What's with that look?" Shit, again with the Brian thing. "Look Mi, I�m not a cop."

"Mmm" She quickly exited the car and walked up the driveway into the house. I watched as she turned the lights on in different rooms. Mia, you need to get over him. I sighed and pushed my knuckles into the corners of my eyes to try and relieve some of the tension that was building up.

As I slowly pulled out of the driveway, I could hear the cars engines rumbling up the street. Great "Great" I mumbled as I watched Letty pull up next to the kerb, Leon right behind her. She got out of the car, hitching up her pants and biting her lip as she always did.

"Yo Cass, where the fuck do ya think you're going?"

"Home."

"Aww c'mon Cass, you know tonight's gonna be one hell of a party." Letty walked up to my car and leaned in through the window.

"Letty, I'm blocking traffic with you standing there, and I'm going home."

"Cassie," She mimicked, "The street's empty and you're coming in, at least stay for a drink." She protruded her lower lip and lowered her eyes so she looked like a small puppy who didn�t know what they'd done wrong.

"C'mon Let, don't do that!"

Letty started making whimpering sounds and her bottom lip was trembling. "Pwease? For me?"

"Jeez Let. Do you have to?" I sighed, knowing she wasn't going to give up. "OK, but only for a drink"

"Yup, sure. Only a drink." She said mockingly as she moved away from my car and ran up the driveway into the house.

I pulled back up into the driveway and parked my car, shaking my head as I did so. You just can�t say no to anybody.

*****

By midnight, the party was already at full swing. After Letty and Leon got back, Jesse, Vince, Dom, and then about 100 other people showed up, respectively. Mia was still acting strange around me, and even though I tried talking to her a few times during the night, something always seemed to interfere.

I leaned against the doorframe scanning the room, watching everybody do their own thing. Letty sitting on Dom's lap playing the PS2, Vince in the corner showing off to some woman with too much make up, really bad hair extensions, and a skirt that rode halfway up her ass. Jesse was dancing with a girl he had met a few weeks after the team got back from Mexico. He was recovering well, and sometimes you couldn't tell that anything had even happened. Belinda was a little bit shorter than Jesse, with short blonde curly hair. She was studying psychology at the local university, and she really did care for Jesse. For the first time in a long time he was happy, and that made everybody else feel so much better.

I looked around the doorframe and saw Mia in the kitchen talking to a tall Latino guy. She's finally gonna stop thinking about Brian and get laid. I shook my head, smiling, and looked back into the living room, my eyes landing on Leon. He too was with a girl with way too much make up, but this time she was the one showing off. By what I could see he was bored with what she was saying, but he kept up appearances by smiling and nodding, and taking a sip of his beer every so often, probably to make himself numb.

"HEY!" I heard Letty yell, followed by her laughter. I looked to her and Dom, who was now trying to wrestle the controller out of her hand.

"If you two are gonna wrestle, can ya at least do it upstairs?" Leon said sarcastically to Dom and Letty. His date didn't look too impressed that he had averted his attention from her, but he seemed more than happy to look away. Letty flipped him off and then turned back to Dom, taking the controller back from him and continued playing the game.

The last song faded, and Ja Rule's Murder Reigns started playing. This was definitely one of my favourite songs, but it reminded me too much of Jason, my ex. I looked down at the floor trying to concentrate on something else. Letty must have sensed what I was thinking because she got up and stood next to me, resting her head on my shoulder.

"It�s ok Cass, don�t worry about it."

I turned away, not wanting to let her see the anger and pain that was building up inside. "What's there to worry about? I'm fine." I turned to face her with a fake smile plastered on my face. She saw right through me.

"You have to stop living like this."

"I know, but ..." I trailed off, not exactly knowing what to say. I have to get out of here. "I should get going, I have to be up early." I grabbed my keys and kissed Letty on the cheek. "See ya later babe." I waved to the others quickly as I walked out the front door.

"See ya..."

Chapter 2

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