Fast & Furious (4)
"I get that it's always been your dream, but can you please be careful out there?" Regan asked for the millionth time.
"I'll be careful." Brian promised.
Regan hadn't grown up with her brother around much, considering their age gap. She was nine when he decided street racing in LA was his cover back in 2001. His career had started to take off before Regan could even finish elementary school. When Regan turned fourteen, she moved in with her brother, the FBI agent. Her seventeenth birthday had passed back in December. Strange, the passage of time.
Brian had been ecstatic when she was learning to drive, getting her a car before she'd even started her driving classes to get her permit. Of course, he had come home with a red 2002 Nissan Skyline. It may have only been a cover for him way back then, but racing was a part of him and whether he liked it or not, it always would be.
"Get to school. I'll see you at dinner." Brian told her.
She nodded before pulling her red backpack out of the chair next to her, tossing it into the passenger's side of her car. She had been getting to the end of her senior year of high school, her brother pushing her about what she was doing next. She'd had no fucking clue.
'Following in your footsteps' she had answered. That meant the FBI. Was that what she wanted? What exactly did she want? She hadn't been paying attention, barely even noticing she had been doing twenty over the speed limit.
"Shit." She mumbled to herself, taking her foot off the gas. She pulled into the school parking lot, shutting the engine off and grabbing her bag before she locked her car up. What the hell was she doing here? She didn't know what to do with her life. As she passed by the usual crowds, making her way into the school itself, Rae ran a hand through her long blonde hair.
Brian hadn't realize how his career had set his sister apart from the others in her grade. It always had. Living in LA meant her brother put away someone's father, brother or friend all the damn time. Nobody wants to be friends with the agent's sister, who was assumed to be a snitch herself.
Regan O'Connor to the principal's office. Regan O'Connor to the principal's office.
That caused heads to turn, watching the girl sigh before she made her way through the school. Brian stood there in the office in his suit and tie, smiling weakly before he led her out through the doors.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
Her brother sighed. "Letty's been murdered." Brian told her.
Regan looked at her brother. "Your- Dom's Letty?" She asked, correcting herself quickly. She'd never met them, but the way Brian had always spoken about them, it was as if she had. "I'm so sorry, Brian."
"I have to watch for Dom at her funeral." Brian added. "I wanted you to come with me, Rae."
"Of course, I'll come with you." She promised. She knew he needed the emotional support, but she also knew he'd cover that up saying he 'needed extra eyes'. Brian had gotten her an internship with the FBI when she had turned seventeen, right around when she said that was what she wanted.
"Follow me?" He asked. She nodded.
Rae stood by her brother, who looked so professional in his suit and tie. They had stopped by the house to allow Regan to change into something more appropriate, a simple long-sleeved black dress. She could tell Brian was upset as she laid her head against his arm. He wrapped his arm around her, letting her rest against his chest as he kept looking for Dom. He was actually staring at a petite brunette.
"I'm sorry, Bri." She whispered.
"Facial recognition found a match for Toretto ten minutes after we crossed the border. I don't get it. Thought he'd show." Stasiak told Brian. Regan had never liked Stasiak, always trying to push her away from Bri. Even now as he eyed her while Brian continued to hold his little sister. Nobody cared that this was tough for them, Brian especially, if it meant it brought in Dom. She knew that.
But he had shown; they both knew it. He wouldn't miss this. She felt Brian shift under her. Regan lifted her head to follow her brother's gaze. He'd shown.
"Head on home. Do whatever homework you got. I'll see you later." Brian told her, removing his hold on her completely. Rae furrowed her eyebrows at the sudden change, but noticed the way Stasiak was glaring at Brian.
Regan nodded, hugging her brother one last time before she climbed into her car.
Rae sat on the couch, a pencil in one hand and a chocolate chip granola bar in the other. Her blonde hair draped around her in soft waves as her blue-green eyes scanned the paper in front of her. She sighed, pulling her round, metal framed glasses off her face to pinch the bridge of her nose. The door opened, revealing her older brother.
"Need any help?" He asked her, taking a seat on the couch. She shook her head.
"This is next week's homework, just doing it to do it, I guess." She answered. He smiled at her again.
"Good. Hungry?" He asked. She nodded, closing her book with the papers inside before they headed out of their place together.
"What are you looking at?" Rae asked with a mouthful of burrito as she unscrewed her Dr. Pepper in the passenger's seat of Brian's car.
"Files." Brian replied.
"Can't tell me?" Regan asked. Brian took another bite of his burrito.
"You know the answer." Brian answered. "Stasiak's getting on my case. You've gotta stop being so attached to me."
"Says the one that hugged me." Rae shot back, turning to face him.
"Says the one who leaned against me first." Bri countered.
"You obviously needed to be comforted. Unlike the boneheads you work with, I know you and I know when you're hurting." Rae argued as she tucked her leg underneath her.
"You're my best friend, you know." Brian reminded her so she'd calm down.
"And you're mine. Stasiak doesn't get to have his panties in a fuckin' twist because he's lonely." She mumbled into her burrito, letting both feet slide back to the floor as she turned away from Brian.
"Language." Brian sang in a high pitched voice. Regan laughed, which was what Bri had wanted.
"Anything we can talk about?" Regan asked. "Since being an intern and the sister doesn't get me an inside scoop."
"As if you don't already know too much. School?" Brian replied.
Regan shrugged. "Just passing to graduate, I guess." She replied, sipping her Dr. Pepper.
"Friends?" Brian asked.
Regan scrunched her nose at her brother. "No." She answered simply.
"Rae-"
"Don't start." She begged. "I tried; you know that."
"I do know that." He agreed. "I assume no boys then?" He asked.
Regan laughed. "Even if there were, I wouldn't tell you." Rae answered.
"I wouldn't wanna know." Brian laughed.
Who needs friends when you have your brother? Right? Dear god, send this girl some help.
Regan's leg bounced in her third period AP English class. She was done after this; her credits having been completed for every other class. She was taking Algebra two for fun this year, which was her first period and art was her second. That was the only thing she needed for graduation besides her English. Art. She had avoided taking it, knowing she couldn't draw for shit; her fears had been confirmed. Luckily, she was graded based on her effort.
Her eyes flicked to the clock in the corner of the room, making her long eyelashes hit her eyebrows. Four minutes. She tapped her long, black fingernails against the desk patiently. She had to stay quiet, the test lasting the entire period, finished or not. Regan chewed on her soft, pink bottom lip as a song played in her head. Two minutes.
"Shit." She whispered, looking out the window. She stopped tapping, running her hand through her long, blonde hair. Her long nails scrapped her scalp nicely, making her do it again as she closed her eyes. One minute. She quickly finger combed her waves as the bell finally rang. She shot out of her chair, red bag in hand as she set the test on the teacher's desk, waving goodbye as she walked down the hall.
She pushed her glasses up her nose, making her way to her car. It was cool out, the wind blowing her dark green jacket open, revealing the cropped white shirt she wore under it, paired with light jeans.
Brian was home when she'd gotten there, sitting on the couch.
"Get dressed. You're coming with me." He called.
"Dressed?" She asked.
Brian looked her over. "Time to be an intern. Keep the cropped shirt, put on black jeans, grab your leather jacket and red shoes. Ditch the glasses, meet me outside."
She raised an eyebrow at Brian, but he was already out the door. She hesitantly made her way to her room, slipping off her white converse and light jeans to slip on a pair of ripped black jeans and red converse. She traded her green jacket for her leather one. Rae set the jeans perfectly to where they didn't sit directly at her waistline but still managed to show her belly button. She flipped her hair a little in an attempt to show the two helix piercings on her left ear as well as the three lobe piercings she had, but gave that up quickly as Brian began honking.
"I think we need to remind you what intern means. New car?" She teased as she slid into the passenger's side. Leave it to her brother to always have a foreign on hand.
Regan looked around as Brian parked, following him when he got out of the car. She looked around a bit, not very impressed with the scene.
"Hey." A platinum blond called. "What you looking at, nutsack?" He asked Brian.
"I don't know. You tell me." Brian replied.
"Oh, the racer wants what Dwight's got." The blond told the three girls around him. Dwight. "See, but ladies, Dwight's already on the team."
"Yeah, that's good for Dwight." Regan commented.
"You gotta be fast if you wanna drive for Braga, little one." Dwight replied.
"Is there a problem here?" A woman with dark hair asked Dwight.
"No." Dwight answered. Briand and Regan laughed, signature O'Connor smiles across their faces.
"You here to drive fast, blondie?" The brunette asked.
"Yeah, I am." Brian answered.
"And her?" She asked.
"Emotional support." Rae answered. She pretended to pout, making Brian punch her arm lightly and the brunette smile.
"Follow me." She told him.
Brian followed her and Rae followed Brian. The two passed by Dom, both looking away once realizing. They were led up to the top, where the man had been playing golf when they had arrived. Dom stood two people away from Rae as he made eye contact with Brian.
"You all know why you're here. Good drivers are a dime a dozen. Man, every corner's got a chingagara racing for pinks. That's not what Braga's got me looking for. Braga wants someone that would sell their abuelita to be behind the wheel."
Regan heard Brian's soft laugh.
"Someone that drives their ten second cars not in a straight line but to push it and make it through places no one else would take it. Real drivers."
"So, what are we haulin'?" Dom asked.
Rae was taken back by how deep his voice was. It took her a second to begin processing things again.
"You don't need to know." Was what she'd heard when she checked back in.
"You just said you wanted real drivers. A real driver knows exactly what's in his car." Dom replied.
"Real driver. No one's forcing you to race." Another guy piped up.
Dom turned. "You the boss?" He asked. "Or am I talking to the boss?"
"Do I look like a boss?" The guy replied.
"My job is to find the best drivers, period." The main guy told Dom. Rae had no idea who any of these people were. "Whoever wins the race gets the info."
The brunette hands Brian the GPS and Rae watches as his gaze doesn't leave her. She nudges her older brother lightly.
"We cool?" The guy asks. Dom doesn't reply. "Are we cool?"
"Yeah, we're cool." Dom finally says.
"Nah, we ain't cool man. Who's closing these streets?" Another racer asks.
"No one. That's the point." The main guy answers. Rae's smile drops.
"Bri-" She starts.
"You're not tagging along, I guess, Rae." Brian told his sister, raising his eyebrows at her.
"Brian." She tries again.
"Nonnegotiable." Brian told her.
"That's not why I'm saying your name." She replied as they head back down.
"I'm not backing out." Brian tells her.
"Will you shut up?" She asked. "I was gonna say good luck and don't crash, Bri."
"Sucks you can't tag along." He told her.
"But does it really?" She asks. Brian shrugged, chuckling softly at her. "Don't come back unless you win."
"Yes, ma'am." Brian replied as he started up his car.
Regan shook her head. She was worried he wouldn't get the spot he needed. Dom posed a threat to this.
Brian had always come in second.