Ring! Sounded the school bell, it was the end of the day. The children happily got out of their seats, getting into their groups and discussing their weekend plans. A series of laughter, obscenities, and innocent beings flooded the halls. The solemn Huey Freeman followed the boisterous children to get to his locker. The 10 year old kept his focused eyes on his destination. He was. A strong contrast to the other children when he chose to be. Huey was a calm, and stoic child, who preferred to not interact with his other classmates. He thought lowly of them, as if they were just products of society, and regurgitated the advertisements, and phrases the government and media plastered across their television screens.
He crouched down, and put his books out of his locker, and stacked them in. He had already finished his work at school, but these books were for leisure purposes.
He could feel a friendly presence standing above him.
"Hi Huey! You want to walk home together?" Jazmine asked. She was such a lively, and innocent child. She was constantly laughing, and could flow through life like a boat on a gentle stream.
She was the only person that saw the other side to Huey Freeman, but for Huey was not the day for his laughter, or good humor. Today was meant for business.
He shrugged. "Alright." He got up, she skipped through the halls.
"Do you want to wait for Riley?" The 10 year old asked, her morning coloured curls bounced effortlessly to the rhythm of her steps.
"No, Riley didn't come to school today."
"Really? Oh I didn't even notice! Is he sick?"
"Yeah, he barricaded himself in his room. He thinks he caught homosexuality." Huey said expressionless.
Jazmine looked confused as they walked out of the building. "What do you mean?"
"When he went in line at the school cafeteria last week, he touched another kid's hand in the line up. He though that he caught 'gayness from that action. But in reality, it was because someone sneezed in the salad."
Jazmine's jaw dropped open. "Ewww! Luckily I didn't eat it! Is he going to be alright?"
"Yeah, it's just a common cold that he's just blowing out of proportion."
"I hope he gets well soon. Does he like any girls?"
Hey looked at her. "Not that I know what of."
"Oh, well all he has to do is like a girl, then he won't think that anymore." Jazmine said, as if her solution was the answer to a long asked question. She laughed her famous naive giggle.
"I know he talks about getting hoes all the time."
"That are like three times his age!" Jazmine said in shock. She looked out onto the landscape of emerald trees that blossomed beside the concrete strip they walked on.
Huey simply nodded.
"So do you want me to do it?"
"Do what?"
"Find a girl for Riley, so he doesn't think he's gay anymore. I could ask some girls at school, if he likes older women I could ask the teachers at school."
"Too much information, Jasmine."
"Well there is Wuncler High. My mom's friends..."
"They're all married...with children Riley's age."
"Age is just a number."
"Too much of a gap in that number can send a woman to prison. For a number of years."
"Okay, okay." Jazmine said.
"Are you seriously thinking of doing this?"
"You have your operations, and I have mine." Jazmine said, she smiled thinking of the various women who would be suitable for Riley. "Speaking of operations, anything going on now, since your bag looks so heavy?"
Huey scowled. "I'll tell you soon enough."
"Okay...can I guess?"
He smiled for the first time today. "Okay."
Her actions became dramatized, and her voice became that of the people who describe movie trailers.
"Operation Pumpdown. You want to break into the Woodcrest Mill factory to expose it for using underground child labour. First you will gather a rally of protesters on the exterior as a distraction, then you go in through the ventless and turn the mill's gas on the guards, knocking them out. And you videotape the workers, than free them. And no one will say a thing, because the police will already be there trying tonstop the protesters. Mission. Accomplished."
"Admit it, Huester. I can read you like a book."
"No." He said. Shit that's a good guess. "Good guess, though."
"Fine, I can ready you as a well as I can read a Henry James book." Jazmine sighed
Huey laughed. Jazmine smiled her sweet beam. She liked looking at Huey laugh. She thought since he was so serious most of the time, it seemed as if the mask of a statue melted away and was replaced by a window into a youthful happiness. When he laughed, he closed his eyes, and let his mouth sing the chorus of "ha's," which echoed out like a symphony, and caused her mood to elevate to ethereal heaven. A light seemed to enclose him, and it hilighted his voluminous hair, and smooth skin.
Jazmine thought seeing him laugh was a personal experience, since she was one of the only people to cause the melody of elation. She remembered fondly that Riley had asked her before if her and Huey had stepped into the Twilight Zone when she witnessed his wordless song. She found that just seeing him this way was what caused her to slip effortlessly into a profound love, and her secret dread was that the love was unrequited. Her fear was enclothed with a cloak of dreams of the two companions becoming lovers and dancing to the music made by their own universe.
"Alright, well that's what I have so far." Jazmine said, as she spoke, Huey had gained his composure, and the two resumed their daily stroll.
"When can I find out?" She asked with a gentle upturn at the end of her qjestion. She was patiently waiting for the answer but spoke in a subtly a prodding tone. She tilted her head in an interrogation fashion, and the degree of this position resembled that of a confused hound.
"When the it all comes into place." Huey said. The response was Said with a casual attitude, but the phrase killed the younger conversation in mid breath with its peaceful stroke. Huey looked towards him, while Jasmine looked at the ground, admiring the crevices made in the sidewalk. Her left arm was glued to her side, with her book underneath. She swayed her right arm with a new directionless motion. Unsure if where she was going was where her home resided.
She tried to breathe life into a new dialogue.
"So do you have any weekend plans, besides 'Operation Who Knows?'"
Huey blinked. "I'm going to go with Grandad to some appointment."
"Is it for you?"
"No it's for him. I have to be there to make sure he goes. Last time, me and Riley had to drag him by the legs to get him to see the doctor."
"Oh yeah, you told me! Was this after the television got shattered by the phone?"
"Yeah, the anger is what caused him to have a heart attack."
"Oh, so I guess you two were throwing in to get long distance right?" Jazmine cracked up.
Huey looked to the side. "Hilarious."
"Oh come on! That was funny!" Jazmine said, she slapped her knees to signify that joke had enough humor for her to hit herself.
"Of course it must be funny if you had to slap yourself." Huey said sarcastically.
"Exactly!" Jazmine said, her laughter up the streets. She had an aura of optimism that could lead the blind through the darkest of tunnels.
"So did you two beat each other?" She asked.
"Yes."
"Really?" Her mouth thirsty from curiosity.
"No, what kind of question is that?" His tone caused Jasmine to laugh again. Laughter for her was as simple as appreciating the perfect day. It came as naturally as running to a child with a free spirit, or a romantic yearning for love.
They were almost home, it seemed as if they were the only two beings on the street, when in reality many people had passed them. The spectators witnessed the chorus of laughter erupting from the children, and the conversation fueling between the two. The observers found the children to be an interesting pair with qualities as unforgettable as emotion.
Jazmine wanted to bring up Harold, and Dannicus, but she feared that mere mention of their names might stir up anger in Huey.
They finally got to their homes. From the outside, the puffy haired pair could hear Grandad arguing with Riley.
"We have been over this! When you are sick you do not go around spreading germs!"
"I just went to the store!"
Huey turned to Jazmine. "Do you mind if I stay at your house for a while?"
"No problem, Huester." She said, with a grin.
"Grandad!" Huey called.
"What!"
"I'm staying at Jazmine's!"
"Fine! Be back by 7:00!"
"Okay!"
They walked to Jazmine's front door. Huey wiped his spotless shoes off on the weary floral matt.
"Thanks forgetting ke stay here, Jazster." Huey said, partaking in the names.
Jazmine laughed. Mr. and Mrs. DuBois were at a married counseling meeting. They wouldn't be back until 7:00. The clock loomed over their heads. It was 3:20 now.
Jazmine was oblivious to the rift in her parent's relationship, although there were countless times where her dad would come in Jazmine's room sobbing, she consoled him, while he ended up hugging one of her stuffed bears, and re enacting the fights with Strawberry shortcake and Ken. Meanwhile Jazmine put on a pair of non prescription glasses and wrote down 'notes,' which were simply sketches of her fantasies.
"I'm going to make a peanut butter sandwich. Eat whatever you like." Jazmine said. She opened the new jar, and admired the friendly bears on the its face. She plunged a knife through the creamy surface.
Hey sat on one of the comftorble kitchen chairs, observing her actions. "I spoke to Harold today."
Jazmine dropped the plastic jar to the ground. "What happened?" She asked, fearfully. The girl was just a decade old, and in just one week she had felt such a torrent of emotion triggered by Harold and Dannicus.
"He won't change, Jazmine."
"That's what I thought." She said, picking up the jar. "Will the Aurora situation be repeated?"
"At least if it does, we'll know what to do."
"Oh, Huey." She said. She sat next to him. He wasn't much for affection, but she grabbed his hand with both of her shaking palms. He looked straight at her with his intense eyes, she could feel the frustration build up behind her eyes. She wished that her pain could be extinguished by a roar of anger or sadness, instead of the static feeling of bitterness.
"You won't let them treat you like that, right?" Huey asked.
"No, not anymore." Jazmine stood up. "You'll see, Huey. I let Wuncler use me like a dirty washcloth, but no more will I just sit around like a sac of potatoes, and let things happen without taking charge!" A surge of rage washed over Jazmine. Her curls shook, as she raised her fists above the table, and sent it crashing down like a meteor on Earth.
Huey looked at her, and smiled. He was going to help her through this situation, and he was glad that she wouldn't be blindly taken advantage of.
She was becoming stronger, but what did she know about it? He wondered of they went toe to toe...out of the question, it was obvious who would win.
"Oh, oh hssss. Ow." She said, after slamming her hand down on the table. "I'll be okay."
He looked at the clock, and pulled out a book. He started to read, while she went to get her backpack.
"Looks like someone will be seeing me and Grandad at the doctor's tomorrow!"
"Fat chance!"
He laughed, she listened to the wordless song.