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The cars roared, the vibrations from the five powerful vehicles went through everyones body. Mina didn't know if she could watch. She held a hand over her face peeking through her fingers. She was never this nervous for a race before.

"Mina? What are you doing?" Howie asked.

"Deciding if I want to watch or not. What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Mina you're getting stranger and stranger I swear." Brian laughed.

"I must be hanging around you too much Brian." Mina smiled.

The flaggers arm dropped and the five cars tires screeched as they sped off and Mina's heart pounded harder and faster. She was confused, she didn't want to watch but then again she did. Who would she want to win? Her brother is, well her brother, him winning pays the bills. Then there's Alex who doesn't race very often and when he does he only wins half the time, so she kinda wanted him to beat the other four, he deserved to win. Then there was Nick. She wanted to see what he was made of, most definitely.

Kevin was in the lead with Nick on his tail. Alex was a few feet behind with Ricardo right in front of him. Chris was inching up on Alex until his tire blew and took him out of the race. Now it's three men Mina wanted to win and one rival.

"Kevin's got this one in the bag." Brian expressed.

Mina just kept watching. Nick hit a button on his Red Toyota Supra Turbo sending NOS threw his engine making him pass Kevin right by. The crowd went wild with excitement as the new guy just passed the most challenging racer on the local streets.

"OhMyGod, Nick just.."

"Just kicked your brothers ass." Brian laughed, "We'll see how much Kevin likes Nick now."

"Oh stop, Kevin can't win them all." Mina smiled, She was full of excitement for Nick.

The four cars came rolling up, Nick jumped out of his car with the biggest smile. He collected his money from the other drivers. Kevin looked pissed. More then pissed actually. Mina watched him walk towards Nick who had no idea Kevin doesn't take losing well.

"Oh Shit!! Five 0! Five 0!!!" a kid yelled across the crowd.

Everyone scattered with the sirens of cop cars in the distance. Kids left and right jumped into their cars taking off to all different destinations. Mina ran for the closest friend's car and jumped in. Brian and her sped off with their hearts pumping with adrenaline. Mina looked over her shoulder looking to see if the rest of her family got away okay. She couldn't find them.

"They'll be okay Mina." Brian spoke as he switched gears. Brian and Mina went straight to the house and waited for everyone to gather there. She was worried about Kevin. He can't be picked up once again. He's got too many warnings.

"Where is everyone?" Mina paced back and forth, checking the window every five seconds.

"Mina sit down already. You’re making me nervous. Why don't you order a pizza so we can eat."

"Brian do I look like your personal waitress?" Mina stopped and glared.

"Yes, get a move on, I want pizza, girl." Brian clapped his hands at her.

"Oh, your so dead Bri." Mina pounced on him and started punching him playfully.

A car pulled into the drive which made Mina jump up quickly and run out the back door. "Kevin!! What!!?.." she stopped in mid-sentence when she saw it was Nick and Howie and not Kevin.

"He's not back yet?" Howie asked.

"No." Mina frowned.

"Kiddo you worry too much. Kevin is able to take care of himself just fine. Stop worrying okay?" Howie placed an arm across her shoulders as they walked into the house with Nick following.

"It's easier said then done I'm sure." Nick added.

"Hey! Where's AJ?" Brian asked when he saw Howie walk in with Mina.

"I don't know. I got a ride with Nick." Howie plopped on the couch next to Brian.

"I'm sure Alex and Kevin will be here and be just fine." Nick said as he stood near Mina who had worry written all over her face.

"How about that pizza Mina?" Brian chuckled, and only got a glare from her.

"I'll order." Howie got up and grabbed the phone.

Mina looked out the window waiting. She walked out the front door and sat down on the stoop. Nick followed right behind her. "Whatcha thinking about?" he asked as he sat down next to her.

"A lot of things. Actually that's all I've been doing lately." She never looked over at him.

"What about?" He never took his eyes off her.

"My brother, my friends, the past... My father. Just a lot of things."

"Your boyfriend and brother are going to be fine. They’re probably just driving around making sure the cops don't follow them home."

Mina looked over at him "My boyfriend? Alex is not my boyfriend. Well, not anymore."

"Oh.. does he know that?"

"Alex just doesn't want to let go of the fact we’re no longer together. Don't get me wrong. I love Alex just not the way he loves me. He's a great guy, a wonderful friend. But, I'm just not in love with him. He just needs more time to let it go and allow me to move on with the future."

"What's in the future?"

"I don't know. But, it's got to be better than where I was and where I'm at."

"You seem to be in a good place to me." he smiled.

"You don't even know me. What makes you think you know what's good?" Mina snapped.

"Okay your right I don't know you. But, it seems to me that you have a lot of people in your life that care a lot about you. And that's more than what some people have." Nick held her stare.

"Yeah I guess." She broke the stare and looked off down the street.

They sat in silence while they waited for Alex and Kevin to show up.


~Inside the house~

"You worried?" Howie asked Brian.

"No. Are you?"

"No. Um.. Well, I ordered two pizzas." Howie sat down but not until he looked out to see what Mina was doing.

"She okay out there?" Brian asked showing he cared.

"I don't think she's been okay for a while Brian." Howie sat down.

Brian frowned "I know. I wish I could bring her back to us. That spunky kid."

~Flashback~

"AHHHH!!!" Mina ran from Brian who just soaked her with a hose "BRIAN!! STOP!! IT'S COLD!"

"Why would I do that?" Brian laughed right before soaking Mina once more.

12 year old Mina ran from Brian trying her best to dodge him. Brian laughed and chased her with the hose getting himself wet as he ran and forgetting the car the two were washing.. Mina grabbed a sponge from the soapy bucket and threw it at him as she kept running, she tripped over the hose and fell. Brian stopped and tried not to laugh at her.

"Are you okay?" Brian chuckled.

"No." Mina tried not to cry.

Brian helped Mina up, "I'm sorry princess." Brian hugged her.

"You’re evil Brian." Mina laughed in his arms.

"And what would your point be?" Brian asked as he let her go. They both chuckled..

~End of flashback~


"Well, she's not a child anymore Brian. And that woman that she has become is hurting and frightened. And I really don't think there's anything we can do to make it better." Howie broke Brian’s thoughts.

Brian cleared his throat "If there is something we could do I wish I knew what it was."

Mina came back inside grabbed her car keys, went out the back door and got in her car. "Mina where you going?" Howie called for her.

Nick walked into the house quietly. Brian and Howie looked over at Nick, "What's going on?" Brian asked.

"She's going to look for them." Nick shrugged.

"Damn it." Brian ran out the front door hoping to catch her before she drove off. As he ran towards the car she just kept going. "MINA!!" Nick and Howie stood on the stoop watching Brian stand in the street and Mina's tail lights fading away.

"She'll be okay." Nick reassured not sure if it was for himself or for the other two.

"Yeah." Howie sighed as he walked back into the house.

Brian walked up the lawn and sat down on the stoop. Nick joined him. "Don't worry she's just driving around."

"She's driving around with too much going on in that mind of hers. I'm going to worry whether she's sitting next to me or driving around by herself. She's my little sister who needs me." Brian sighed heavily.

"Maybe she needs time alone to get her mind straight."

"Maybe you need to stay out of our business. You don't even know us, you think you can walk into our lives and have any idea what's going on with any of us?"

"I'm sorry. I guess I was just... I'm sure y'all want to be alone." Nick got up and got in his car. He pulled out as the pizza delivery man pulled up.

Brian paid for the pizza no longer wanting to eat, he just walked into the house, dropped the pizza boxes on the table and plopped on the couch.

"You hungry?" Howie asked.

"Not really." Brian stood in front of the screen door waiting for a sign of Mina's car lights. Hoping she'd just come back home and wait with the rest of them. Howie sat near by in the house. They both just waited through what felt like an endless evening.