Generations

"How the hell is it we've lived in this house less than a month and it's already succeeded in eating one of my shoes? Ones that I haven't even worn since I've been here?!" I yelled to Tori from my position on my knees, peering under my bed.

"Which shoes are you looking for?" Tori asked thickly from behind me.

I sat up and turned to see her standing in the doorway of my bedroom with her toothbrush hanging out of the corner of her mouth. She was already fully dressed unlike me who was still shoeless.

"My black and white lace up Vans. The right one to be exact." I replied holding up the single shoe I had.

"Kitchen." she said and walked back towards the bathroom.

I stood up and walked out. Sure enough I found the missing shoe next to the back door. Frowning I quickly plopped down on a kitchen chair and started putting on my shoes.

"Finally ready?" Tori asked coming out of the bathroom.

"Why was my other shoe in here? I haven't worn them." I said.

"I grabbed it the other day to kill a spider." she replied.

I frowned, "And you couldn't use your own shoe?"

"They were my brand new ones!" she said.

I rolled my eyes and tied the last bow before standing up.

"How do I look?" I asked.

"Yellow." Tori replied.

I rolled my eyes, "Yes my shirt is yellow. But do I look like an idiot?" I asked.

"No you look fine." Tori laughed.

I shook my head and grabbed my sunglasses. I hadn't put a ton of thought into my outfit but I had put in more than usual. In the end I'd decided a yellow shirt with tiny bats all over it, my favorite jeans and a slouchy beanie to cover the fact my hair wasn't liking me that day. Tori wore a pair of jeans, a red and black Raglan tee and sneakers.

"Which car?" Tori asked.

"Catch it in the air." I said and grabbed the glass bowl that we dropped our keys into when we came home and tossed the contents in the air.

"Jesus!" Tori yelled and quickly fumbled for the keys, catching hers in the air.

"Guess you're driving." I said as I retrieved my keys from the floor, putting them and the bowl back on the table.

The two of us headed for Tori's car. While Tori drove I mastered the GPS on my phone and directed her where to go using the address and directions Vince had sent us.

Twenty minutes later we were pulling up in front of an off white clapboard two story. A bunch of different cars were parked in front of it and the driveway. I was glad that we'd decided on one car since there was hardly any place to park. However Tori managed to squeeze in between two of the cars and we got out.

"Vince said to head in the back." I said looking at the text he'd sent that morning.

Tori nodded and started making her way up the driveway with me on her heels. As we walked up we could hear the sound of laughing and music and smell a barbaque already lit and at work. When we walked into the backyard we found it full of people.

Angel was the first to spot us, grinning she cut her conversation with a woman who looked a lot like her short and headed over.

"Glad you could come." she grinned and hugged us both.

"We were happy to." I smiled.

"C'mon and we'll get you girls set up with a couple of beers and introduce you around." Angel said and we followed her into the house.

When we walked in a woman with long dark hair and dark eyes was making a salad.

"Aunt Mia! Meet my new friends. Tori Rich and Even Wright. Girls this is my aunt Mia O'Conner." Angel said as she made a beeline for the fridge.

"Nice to meet you. Jack and Vince were telling us last night how good you two were last night." she said.

"Jack and Vince did what?"

I turned and saw Jack and Vince walking into the room through the door we'd just walked in, both greasy and grinning.

"Oh! Hey! When did you get here?" Jack asked looking at Tori and I.

"Just now." Tori replied.

"Yeah I was getting them beers. Unlike you two who invited them then decided hold up in the garage." Angel said as she handed Tori and I each a Corona.

"Did someone ask you Angel?" Vince asked looking at his sister.

"Hey be nice to your sister. She's looking after YOUR guests. Now both of you get upstairs and get cleaned up. Dinner is in 20 minutes." Mia said.

"Sure thing Mama." Jack smiled and pecked his Mom on the cheek before heading upstairs with Vince behind him.

"So is there anything we can do to help Aunt Mia?" Angel asked.

"Why don't you girls get plates and silverware and head on out? I'll have the boys bring drinks when they come out." Mia instructed.

"Sure no problem." I smiled and followed Angel over to the cabinet where the two of us grabbed a couple stacks of plates and Tori grabbed enough silverwear for everyone.

After double checking that we had everything we headed outside towards the table. We were setting the table when the woman from earlier walked over. She stood about two inches shorter than Angel but other than that they were nearly identical.

"So are these the girls you were telling me about?" she asked.

Angel nodded, "Tori, Even meet my mom Letty."

"It's nice to put a face to the girls that I heard my son babble about all last night." Letty smiled as she shook hands with us.

"Babble about?" I asked looking at Angel who laughed.

"Oh yeah. Both he and Jack wouldn't shut their traps. I almost slapped them. It's not everyday that random girls show up and hand a couple of guys their asses." Angel replied.

"Hey! Watch the language young lady!" A muscular guy with a shaved head said as he walked over with a plate full of chicken.

"You don't get on Vince or Jack's cases, Dad." Angel challenged.

"Still...language." he said looking at her.

Angel rolled her eyes and he smirked before turning to us.

"So Evan and Tori huh? I'm Dom." he said and shook our hands.

"We were just talking about Vince and Jack." Letty smiled.

"Really now? Well I'm glad that you two could make it. I think my son and nephew might have been heartbroken if you two hadn't shown up." he said.

"Why is it every time we walk out a door there's someone talking about us?" Vince asked as he and Jack came walking over carrying a handfuls of Coronas each. Both were wearing clean clothes and looked freshly showered.

"Because you're so amazing that we can't help it." Angel said.

Vince grinned and tugged on Angel's ponytail, "Well it's about time someone realized it."

"Seriously. I'm surprised it took you all that long." Jack agreed and sat down next to me, flashing me a grin.

"Well since you two are so amazing why don't one of you say grace?" Mia suggested as she came out carrying the salad and a bowl of corn on the cob.

"Alright. No problem Aunt Mia. I can handle this one I think." Vince said as everyone else settled down.

Dom sat at the head of the table with Letty next to him. Beside Letty was Angel then Mia. Vince sat at the other end of the table with Tori next to him then me and finally Jack.
Jack reached out and took my hand and I reached over to take Tori's as Vince took hers. I saw Angel shoot me and Tori a grin as she bowed her head.

"Dear heavenly father we send you thanks for being able to gather our family around this table. We also thank you for the new friends who join us and please never let us forget the ones that have passed that watch over us now. In your name we pray. Amen." Vince said.

Amens were muttered around the table and a moment later we began to fill our plates.

"So Vince and Jack were telling us last night that you know Dante and Tyler?" Dom asked.

I nodded, "We used to hang out with them when we lived in Miami. We actually worked with Dante at his Dad Tej's garage. Tori helped fix the cars and I answered phones."

"She would've helped with the cars but she was too clumsy. She nearly knocked Tej out once when she dropped a wrench on his head." Tori smirked and I gave her a shove.

Dom laughed, "You know I actually heard about that happening to him."

"So you know Tej?" Tori asked.

"Yeah we go way back, Roman too. They used to hang out around here until they split for Miami a few years ago." Dom replied.

"Did you two always live in Miami?" Mia asked.

"No I'm actually from South Carolina and Tori's from New York. We used get together when we were kids at our Grandmother's house and hang out. Our cousin and my brother taught us everything we know about cars." I replied.

"We didn't decide to move to Miami until we were 18." Tori added.

"Why move?" Angel asked.

I shrugged, "A bunch of stuff happened and in the end there wasn't really anything left for the two of us where we lived. So we went for Miami."

"And then about 3 months ago we decided to move here for a change of scenery." Tori finished.

"So how are you liking LA?" Letty asked.

"It's pretty awesome so far." Tori said.

I nodded, "A little different from the East Coast but we like it."

"Before you know it you'll totally forget the East Coast. Even if I have to make it my personal mission." Jack grinned.

I laughed, "Good luck."

After dinner Tori and I helped the guys and Angel clear the dishes while Dom, Letty and Mia hung out on the front porch. When everything was clean and put away we headed out into the backyard. The sun was setting, turning the sky various shades of orange and purple above us.

"Do all of you live here?" I asked as Jack and I took a seat on the back porch.

Tori had expressed interest in Angel's car and the two of them along with Vince had wandered towards the garage. That left Jack and I to hang out on the back porch to talk.

"For a while. My dad died when I was really little and Uncle Dom moved us in here with him and Aunt Letty who was pregnant for Vince. A couple years later Mom and I moved into a house a few doors down but I'm always here anyway. I have my own bed in Vin's room." he smiled.

"It's just you and your mom then?" I asked.

Jack nodded, "Yeah but I have Uncle Dom who is awesome. Then there's my cousin Nico in Rio and some friends of Uncle Dom's and my Dad's live around here. And of course there's Roman and Tej when they fly out. I'm never short on family."

"Wish I knew how that was." I sighed.

"You said some stuff happened. What was it? I mean if it's not too personal." Jack replied.

I shook my head, "It's okay. My Dad skipped out when I was 6 leaving me and my mom and my brother Charlie. Mom worked a lot so it was Charlie and I. In the summer when we'd go visit our Grandma him and our cousin Sean would strap us into this old Camero that belonged to our Grandfather and drive like crazy along these old dirt roads that went behind the house. They taught Tori and I everything we needed to know about cars." I smiled at the memory.

"So what happened?" Jack asked.

"Sean got in some trouble during a school year and his mom shipped him off to live with his Dad. Then Charlie-" but I was cut off when Tori, Vince and Angel came walking back.

"Evan you have GOT to see this!" Tori said and before I could protest she had grabbed my hand was dragging me towards the garage.

Tori and I hung out with Jack, Vince and Angel for a while longer before deciding to go home. Mia stocked Tori and I up with leftovers before we bid everyone goodbye.

"So are you two going to the race this Saturday?" Vince asked as he, Jack and Angel trailed behind us towards Tori's car.

"We were planning on it." I replied.

Angel grinned, "Good. I want a chance against you two."

"Looking forward to it." Tori nodded.

"We should hang out sometime this week if you're not busy." Jack said.

"Agreed. You still have our numbers?" I asked.

He nodded, "On speed dial."

I rolled my eyes, "Well we'd better get going."

"Yeah. We'll talk to you later." Tori said and we started embracing the others.

The suddenly sound of screeching tires filled the air making all of us jump apart. I spun around from where I'd been hugging Vince to see a half dozen black on black on black SUVs lining the street.

"What is all-" but suddenly gunfire rang out as troops of guys climbed out of the SUVs.

I felt a hand on my t-shirt and suddenly I was on my stomach on the concrete behind one of the cars in the driveway, Jack's hand on my back. I turned my head just enough to see Angel next to him, Jack's other hand encircling her wrist and Vince hold her down with his hand. Under Vince's other arm was Tori.

Shouts and screams that I recognized as Dom, Letty and Mia mixed with the gunfire. My heart started hammering in my chest and I looked to Jack who was staring at Vince, the both of them seemily communicating with their eyes.

"You three stay here. We're going to go help." Vince said after a second or two as he and Jack pulled guns out of the back of their jeans.

The three of us nodded in acquiescence and the guys prepared to move. However before they could even move Dom's voice broke through the noise.

"VIN! JACK! GET THE GIRLS OUT OF HERE! NOW!!!" he screamed.

Jack and Vince looked at each other for a split second before looking at us.

"When we say run get to my car." Jack said.

We all gave a sign we understood and waited.

"NOW!" Vince said and the five of us scrambled off the ground and sprinted for the car.

As we ran Jack and Vince fired off a few shots and after what seemed like hours we dived into the car. With a roar Jack started the engine and burned rubber. As we took off Angel and I both peered out the window just in time to see a couple of guys shove Mia, Letty and an unconscious Dom into the SUV's.

I looked over to Tori whose eyes were wide and I could tell she was thinking the same thing I was.

What the hell had we gotten ourselves into?