Hey! Sorry for such a late update... I kinda forgot about this story. But I'm really eager to finish it now, so here you go! Chapter 14! Stay tuned for the rest of them ;).

❁❁❁

For some reason, our trashy backyard never looked so beautiful before. Maybe it was the way the newly exposed sunlight hit the top of the lifeless fish pond, or my sudden desire to stare at something in order to take my mind off the fact that Wesley was actually gone. Either way- no matter what it was, the grass couldn't have been greener for the awful state is was in.

I was sitting at our kitchen table, staring off into the outer world from behind the screen door. The birds were chirping their morning songs, while the squirrels played tag among the trees. It reminded me of how all four of us Scott children used to play together when we were younger. If only it could be that way still.

The kitchen door swung open, and a bombardment of loud chatter filled the room. It was pretty easy to tell who it was. Steel, Ricky, Dime, and Scram.

"Howdy, Tip." Scram sang, lightly tapping my nose in a playful manner.

I scrunched my nose up before swatting him away. "Get outta' here."

"Have ya' seen Sean?" Ricky asked me, taking a seat directly across from my body and blocking my view of the peaceful outside. That's when I knew that my quiet time had faded.

I shrugged my shoulders, "Haven't really talked to him."

"I thought y'all were good." Steel said, taking another one of the seats around the table. Before I knew it, all of the boys sat around me and awaited my response.

I blinked, "Oh- hop off! Why ya' always so interested in other people's business, hmm?"

All four of them chuckled, before Dime spoke up. "We just interested in your business."

I rolled my eyes. The fact was, our families business was somehow the most interesting around. Probably because one of us is always fighting with the other. I can't tell you how many times we've all "run away" and then came back several hours later. But that's just how we were. We all loved each other so much that we just wanted the best for one another. That's why so many fights broke out. Someone always has something against our life choices.

But of course, I'm the one who has it the worst. It's like I can't even breathe without surveillance. Especially lately, where Sean has demanded people watch over me. He's still pissed about this race thing, although, keeping me away from the track isn't really helping much. He needs to understand that the deal has been made, and that it's time to teach me how beat the son of a bitch. Fighting isn't getting us anywhere.

"We're not good." I sighed, taking the final sip of the cup of hot tea I had. "Sean and I haven't spoken since I moved out."

"Dont ya' think you ought to?" Dime asked me, cocking his left eyebrow. "Hate to say it, but the tension goin' on is hell to be stuck between."

"There's no tension." I snapped, "We're fine- or whatever. We're just not talkin', alright? Leave it."

Dime laid back against his chair, and stuck up his hands in defense. That's when Scram decided to test my patience some more and bring up another touchy subject.

He grabbed a banana from the fruit bowl, and began to peel it. "What about you and Ripper."

My heart kind of stopped for a moment upon hearing his name. I didn't like the way our conversation had gone last night, and to be quite clear, I was afraid to face him again. There's no doubt in my mind that it'd be awkward.

The hair on the back of my neck stood up, "What about me and Ripper?"

"Oh come on, Tip. I may not have a good education, but I ain't stupid." He stated, putting his banana down. "We all saw the way y'all disappeared together the otha' night. And then I saw how he blew ya' off earlier this mornin' as well."

I quickly looked to Ricky, who had an unhappy glare plastered on his face. But he wasn't glaring at me. His eyes were directed towards Scram right now.

"So-"

"So, what's been goin' on? Are y'all datin'? Screwin'?"

"Enough." Ricky yelled, slamming his hands down on the table. "I don't needa be hearin' this right now."

"Neither do I." Added Steel, his eyes falling to the table. I always forget how he still has a thing for me.

"We all was thinkin' it." Dime said, helping defend his friend.

"Why ya' care so much, Ricky? We's just havin' a conversation." Scram titled his head in an arrogant way. By now, my face was boiling hot. My breathing was heavy, and my fists were clenched. Scram was really asking for it right now- which I didn't seem to get, because we've never had a problem like this before.

"Because-" he spat, "Tip knows damn well she ain't supposed to be runnin' around with him. If Sean catches on and asks me about it, I ain't gonna be able to save her ass- or his. And none of y'all gonna be able to help em out either. If Sean finds out about it, he gonna come askin' them questions we all hate. If we get caught lyin' to his face, we're screwed just as badly."

The boys nodded, and seemed to understand the point. I was able to calm down a bit, although hearing Ricky talk that way had upset me. I didn't expect him to be okay with whatever went down between Ripper and I, but I also didn't think he'd treat it as a deadly secret he feels the need to keep.

"The less we know, the better." Dime nodded, Scram rolling his eyes and finally shutting up.

"There's nothin' to know, anyways." I said, breaking the silence. I know it was a lie, but after hearing what Ricky had to say about Sean getting pissed, I knew I couldn't allow them to risk themselves for keeping some stupid secret. "Nothin' happened that night, and nothin's gonna happen, alright?"

They all nodded, ending that conversation. I didn't know what to think, though. How did I know any of them even believed what I said? They easily could have just said yes in order to avoid an argument. I just don't know.

Now there was a heated silence. Nobody was speaking, but just sitting there and staring in different places. For as long as I could remember, there had never been such a dull moment within this group. The boys made it a sure thing that someone was always talking, or making a joke. But it was dead now, and I felt like maybe it was my fault. Had I been too harsh on them? That wasn't my intentions. I just wanted them to let the subjects go. Sean and Ripper were the two hardest things to talk about for me.

I decided to apologize. "Look, I didn't mean to be so harsh. I just- there's a lot goin' on, and I-"

"Ricky! Eleanor!?" Sly's frantic voice filled our tiny home.

"In here." Ricky yelled, seconds before Sly came barreling through the kitchen door. Scram stood up instantly, running over to her.

"What's wrong? Are you alright?" He asked her, Sly using his arm to hold her as she caught her breath.

"I'm fine." She managed to say through her rapid breathing, "But Sean might not be."

Everybody's attention turned towards her immediately. Upon mention of my brother, the room went quieter than it had already been- which is nearly impossible.

"Janie, what happened." I asked, standing up and walking over to her.

"I was on my mornin' run when I decided to take the shortcut home passin' the track. My earbuds were in, but as I passed by, I heard a few odd sounds. I stopped and walked towards the noise, and saw Sean gettin' into it with three random guys. I don't know who the other two were, but one was definitely Ross."

"Sean's a big boy, he can handle himself." Dime said, attempting to calm everybody down.

"He was holdin' his ground," she nodded, "but the two guys Ross was with were so much bigger then the four of you combined. It didn't look like Sean'd make it much longer."

And after hearing that, the boys took off for the track. I swear I've never seen them run faster before. Janie and I followed them, but at a much slower pace. That's when i remembered what happened when Ross showed up at the grill last time. There was only one person who scared him so badly- and that was Ripper.

"Sly, I'll catch up with ya' later." I said, stopping dead in my tracks. Janie eyed me carefully. "There's somethin' I gotta do."

She eventually nodded, and continued running towards the track without me. I, on the other hand, backtracked my steps till I was back inside my house. I ran over to the old phone in the wall, and began to dial the number for the garage Ripped worked at.

Just like I had wanted, he picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Ripper- it's Tip."

There was a loud sigh from across the line. "God, Tip. I told you not to call me anymore."

"Can ya' just listen to me? Please? It happens to be way more important than whatever we are."

"What is it?"

"Ross is back at that track, but this time he brought two new friends. They're attackin' Sean."

"Jesus christ , not again."

"You have to come and help. Nobody else scares him the way ya' do."

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

Ripper hung up before I could say anything else. As much as I wanted to hate my life for him not wanting to talk to me, there were more important things to deal with. So I took off towards the track again, soon rejoining the rest of us who were crowded around the scene.

Sean was still holding his place, but probably because Dime, Scram, Steel, and Ricky were trying to help him.

Janie under-exaggerated when she said the two men with Ross were 'bigger'. They were massive human beings- ones I've never seen in my life before. Almost like tall, muscular giants straight from the beanstalk. It took all 4 of our boys to even phase one of them, which left Sean on his own.

I couldn't stand here and watch him deal with one all by himself. I decided I would give him a little taste of what I gave Boy Sid a while ago. I rolled up the sleeves of my leather jacket, and started walking towards Sean- but before I could get very far, a hand reached around my shoulder, and pushed me back.

"You stay back there." He demanded, throwing me off towards Janie who stood behind the fence. My mouth fell as Ripper came up behind Sean, and wailed the remaining monster directly in the jaw. The thing fell with a loud boom, and mild shake of the ground.

I was a little pissed he wouldn't let me fight, but watching him take down one of the men Ross brought all by himself surely made up for it. And there I was again, admiring him from afar. It seemed to be the only thing I was allowed to do anymore- although, not really. Sean did want me staying away from him.

He helped Sean up, before turning towards Ross. "Knock this shit off, Ross. Ya' have no business bein' here."

"I beg to differ." Ross responded, a quirky smirk plastered on his lips. "You see, someone interfered with my hopes of taking this trashy place down. I'm a little upset about it."

"And ya' thought beating another one of us up would help with that?" Ripper questioned Ross's dumb logic. This is what caused a few of us to laugh- only increasing Ross's anger.

"Not just another one- but the one who ruined everything." Ross pointed to Sean, "He's the one who initiated the big race next month."

Oh no. Ross thinks Sean was the one who made the deal with the mayor. But, Sean was one of the guys who was strongly against it.

Ripper chucked, "Ya' really are an idiot."

"Watch it." Ross snapped, "Or I'll have my friends stomp all over yours."

"Ya' don't get it." Ripper shook his head with a wide grin, "You're beating up the wrong person."

"Rediculous." He spat, "Sean's the one in charge, isn't he? That means he's responsible."

"Sean was against it. He didn't want any trouble."

Ross looked disturbed by what Ripper had told him. Probably because he was wrong, and didn't like to be. Especially not when Ripper was right.

Ross looked around at all of us, "Then who did it?"

He had expected someone to speak up, but nobody dared. They all knew what Sean would have done if one of them threw me under the bus. Like it's been made pretty clear, Sean did whatever he could to protect me. That's most likely why he took Ross's beating- so he wouldn't have found out who really made the deal.

Ross took out a pocket lighter, and held it to Sean's racing car. "You have one minute to spill, of it goes up in flames."

"Alright chill!" I yelled, jumping in front of Sean's car. That car meant the world to him. I could never live with myself if he lost it because of me. "It was me- I made the deal."

"Tip!" Sean gritted through his teeth.

"Do ya' have some kinda death wish?" Ricky asked.

"Fuck." Ripper muttered underneath his breath.

"It was you?" Ross eyed me carefully, until a new smirk formed on his lips. He put the lighter away, and advanced towards me- but all six boys jumped in between us.

"Can't say I'm really surprised." He continued, putting his hands up in defense, and backing up again. "You seem to always be the one causing problems.

"Ya' don't know jack." Dime spat.

"Oh I know enough." Ross said, "I'll leave for now..." He then turned to look me in the eyes, "But don't think I'm done with you yet. You'll get what you deserve."