PLEASE REVIEW! =]

I OWN NOTHING.

THIS CHAPTER IS PRETTY MUCH A BACKGROUND FOR LETTY. I WANTED TO ESTABLISH WHERE SHE IS BEFORE ADDING THE TORETTO'S INTO THE MIX. ENJOY :)

LETTY'S POV

California 1990

Peace and quiet, is that too much to ask? For once I would just like to wake up and not regret the day before it has even started.

First day of school, I look to my right and see my three year old sister, Selena still asleep next to me. My seven year old brother, Raul snoring to my right.

The house smelled of smoke and the music that blasted throughout the night continued to play at 5 o'clock in the morning, great. On top of that, I can here someone knocking either against the wall or on the door.

I walked out of the room, pulled the plug on my mother's never ending party and opened the door.

It was the owner of the building, Jerry, along with our neighbors and a police officer.

"Letty, is your mother home?" Jerry asked. He was a good guy, not very strict, mostly kept to himself but seeing how this was the fourth night in a row that my mom and her 'friends' kept the neighbors up, I could understand why he's here.

"I don't know I just woke up" I said rubbing my eyes

"We told her a hundred times that they have to be considerate to everyone else in the building, but she doesn't listen!" the neighbors Mr. and Mrs. Johnson complained

"I understand" Jerry tried to calm them down "Letty please have your mother see me, this can't go on and I would hate to kick you and your siblings out" he added

"Yea" I said slamming the door

I've been here numerous times.

Back in Puerto Rico my grandmother kicked us out after she couldn't deal with her daughter's behavior. If it wasn't for my dad convincing his mom to let us stay with her for a while in the Dominican Republic, I have no idea where we would be right now.

I walked into the living room, which also served as the dinning area and looked for my mom. I couldn't tell who was dead from alive and honestly I didn't care. The only thing that interested me at this point was making sure Raul and Selena didn't see her in this state.

I looked around and saw a man on top of a woman. The woman's hand had a tattoo of an angel with the letters L S R underneath it. Found her.

"Mom" I shook her hand

The man on top of her shifted, revealing his face, it was her boyfriend Paco.

"Uh?" she groaned

"Mom, wake up" I kept nudging her.

He didn't appreciate it, he pushed me back on the ground. I got up and pushed him back. My mom finally woke up before he could react and moved him to the side so she could get up.

"What?" she asked dragging her feet to the bathroom

I leaned against to wall as she washed her face.

"Jerry stopped by"

"What time is it?"

"Like 5:15"

"Why am I even awake right now?" she questioned

"I need you to sign us in for school"

"You need me? That's funny"

"Didn't know I told a joke" I said crossing my arms

"I clearly remember you saying I don't need you, I'm good all by myself. Remember that, in DR. You said that to me right before we got on that plane and now you need me" she spat out

"Look, just because you fucked up your future doesn't mean Ima fuck up mine!"

"Hey, watch it!" she warned "What time does school start?" she asked walking into the kitchen

"7"

"Fine"

I looked around "aren't you forgetting something?"

"What Letty?" she asked filling her glass with water

"Your guest"

"I'll get rid of them" she said taking a slip of water.

I left her so I could take a shower and get ready. Once I was finished, I woke Selena up and did the same for her. After that came Raul, I instructed him to wake up take a shower and get dressed. While he did that I combed my sister's hair and checked on my actually got everyone except Paco to leave.

I knocked on her door, "you ready?"

She opened the door "yea"

We left the apartment, dropped of my sister to the babysitter downstairs and surprisingly got to school on time.

After registering, she told me to pick up my sister and that she wasn't sure if she would make it home later.

For a while things went pretty much like that, it wasn't until half way through the year that things changed.

I went to school and found myself in the principal's office.

"Ms Ortiz, I don't know how you think things work around here but this is my school!"

I looked away from him

He opened a file that his assistant had placed on his desk. "Ms Ortiz disrupted my class, after multiple warnings she got up and threw our class globe at my head, as if that wasn't enough she jumped one of her fellow classmates" he paused for a moment then continued saying "Signed by your teacher Mrs. Shane. Well what do you have to say about your

behavior?"

I giggled at my teacher's interpretation of the previous events.

"That's it, I waited for a response from your mother but you left me no choice, I'm expelling you"

"You're doing what?"

"You heard me" he signed a few papers

"You can't be serious!"

"Ms Ortiz, I am as serious as a heart attack. You are dismissed." he got up and opened his office door "Security will allow you to gather your belongings and then escort you off of the premise"

"You can't do that!" yelled

"Yes I can and I am!"

"This is bullshit!" I kick his desk as hard as I could

"Security get this young lady out of my school!"

So I walked home. Mom said she wasn't going to be home so it seemed like it was going to be a pretty chill day.

Unlocked my door and saw Paco on the couch watching tv

"What are you doing here?" he asked

"I could ask you the same thing" I remarked

"What did you say to me?"

Since he practically moved in with us I hadn't spoken to him. "Nothing"

He got up and walked towards me "No I heard you! Your mother was right about you, you got a slick mouth. Don't even think about trynna and pull that crap with me! I'll teach you a lesson you'll never forget"

"Yea on how to be a fucking drunk?"

"What'd you say! Come her!"

And with that I was running. I couldn't take it anymore. I ran to my room, locked the door and packed. I could hear him beating on the door. Once I was done I snuck out the window and ran to the bus stop.

With the little change I had in my pocket, I went to the phone booth and looked up my grandmother.

My father's mother left DR after my dad, Miguel got arrested. She wanted to be close to him so she packed up and sold the house. My mom thought it would be a good idea coming back to the states.

Susana Ortiz. I ripped out the page and called the number. No one picked up so I took a chance, got directions and got on a bus to find her.

"So this must be it" I said as I looked at the house

I knocked on the door and waited. After minutes of ringing the doorbell and no answer I finally gave up and walked away.

"Hey" an overly friendly voice said to me

"Hey" I said as I walked pass her

"If you're looking for Mrs. Ortiz, she just went bingo with a few friends"

"Thanks" I mumbled as I sat on the curb

"Are you related to her or something?" she said standing next me

I looked up at her; she seemed pretty harmless "she's actually mi abuela"

"No way!" she said excited

"Yeaa" I said trying to brush her off.

"I see you got your bags, are you moving in with her?"

"Sorta"

A car stopped by us and a man whined down his window.

"Hey dad" the girl said

"Mia, dinner" the man replied

"Okay" she got up and started walking towards the car and stopped "dad I'll meet you there"

He nodded and drove of

"Oh where's my manners. She turned her attention towards me "I'm Mia"

"Letty"

"Uhm, I live a couple houses down"

"Kay"

"I mean if you wanna come over get some food or something"

"Naw I'm good..."

She cut me off "It's just sometimes bingo takes all night and it wouldn't be right to just

leave you out here"

"No go, I'm fine"

She sat down next to me

"What are you doing?" I asked

"Guess I'm waiting with you"

"Isn't your dad going to get mad?"

"Yea but if he found out why, he wouldn't mind"

"Sure he won't"

"If you don't mind me asking, why aren't you going to live with your parents?"

"That's kind of personal don't you think?"

"Yea, your right. Sorry." There was a brief silence then Mia spoke again "My mom died last year"

I looked at her melancholy expression "Sorry about your mom"

"Its fine, I still got my dad and brother. In a way it brought use closer. Family is really important to use. Once you're a Toretto, you're a Toretto for life. Toretto is my last name by the way" she smiled

I chuckled "yea, I got that" my stomach starting making noises

We both looked down at my stomach then Mia pulled me up by the wrist.

"What the…" I began to say

"Come on. Your hungry and it's going to be like a zillion years till your abuela gets home"

She helped with my bag as she pulled me to her house.