"Oooo…..yes…..aaaa….its feel so good baby…don't stop…..YES YES YES!" Huey set up in his bed panting and sweating. "Why do I keep having that stupid dream?" The caramel skinned boy asked himself. He'd had the same dream for a month straight, it was always the same. Him and her. Huey didn't know what to make of the dreams, or he didn't want to. He really knew fully what they meant and was fighting it with all his might.
"Probably the reason I keep having it." He wiped the sweat from his face and stood in his moon lit room. His little brother rolled over when he heard him get out of bed.
"Nigga you gay." Riley said noticing his brother's excited condition. Huey unaware that he was hard blushed and quickly grabbed a pillow to cover himself.
"Shut up, Riley!" he yelled as he passed his brother into the hallway.
"I'm just saying, it's kinda gay when a nigga wake up and some otha dude standing over him dick all hard and shit. That's real gay Huey." Riley pulled the cover over his face as he mumbled about his 'gay' brother.
"Stupid dream." Huey said as he entered the bathroom. "I'm so tired of taking cold showers in January."
The next morning Riley woke up looking at Huey staring out the window on his freshly made bed. Riley knew something was bothering his brother but it would be real 'homo' to ask him. So he decided to just leave him thinking and went down stairs to find some food.
When he got downstairs he was greeted by his Granddad's bare behind with nothing but a pink apron around his waist.
"Come on Granddad, don't nobody wanna see you droopy ass booty. Cover that shit up." He protested shielding his eyes.
"Hush boy, I pay the mortgage I can walk around butt ass naked if I damn well feel like it. Now I'm making sausage and bacon which one you want?" The aged man looked at his teenaged grandson waiting on him to reply when Huey joined them.
"I want bacon, and I agree with Riley on this one, you gotta have some decency Granddad." Huey said sitting next to his brother.
"Look, I don't care about you two; I will do what I want in my house for as long as I live. So tough tita to both of you." Granddad walked back over to the stove turning his back to the brothers.
"Aww come on man, this is so gay. Good thing you ain't got that long to live I'm tired of looking at yo old ass." Riley snickered.
"Shut up Riley!" Huey punched his baby brother in the arm.
"A, nigga don't be hittin me. It's true Granddad old as hell, I mean the nigga gotta be like a hun-ned. Ain't that right Granddad?" He looked to his grandfather whose mood had considerably dropped.
"I was going to wait to tell you boys this till after you graduated Huey, but since Riley brought it up-"
"Hol up," Riley interrupted. "What you talkin bout, I brought it up. I was straight playing Granddad." He voice became unsure and fearful.
"Now look here, I am getting older and even though Riley is a jackass, he's right. I don't have long."
"Granddad-" He put up his hand silencing Riley.
"You boys remember when I went to the doctor about three months ago, for a checkup?" Robert said not waiting for a response. "Well, it wasn't a checkup, I had been having problems, you know, pissing. Well he told me that I probably only had a urinary tract infection but it could be cancer."
"That's enough man I don't wanna hear no more." Riley yelled putting his hands over his ears while he shook his head.
"Well, you gotta hear it, want to or not." Robert reached over the kitchen island and pulled Riley's hands from his head. Riley felt the tears fill the wells of his eyes as he prepared himself for what he was about to hear.
"Well, we did some test and he told me that I had Prostate cancer."
"What!" Riley jumped out of his chair causing it to hit the hard wood floor it once stood on. "What you mean cancer. They got meds you can take right Granddad?" Riley's tears now flowed freely down his mocha colored face and he didn't care. "Right Huey?" He looked to his brother but his face was blank and emotionless.
"Sit down Riley." He picked up his stool and did what he was told. "Now, I asked him the same thing and he said there were some experimental drugs out there and I signed up for all of them, but none took."
"What about chemo?" Huey whisper still looking down at the granite his arms rested on. "Can't they do chemo therapy to help you?" He looked up at his Grandfather with desperation on his face.
"I'm getting to that," He replied gently. "When none of the other treatments worked we talked about chemo and was going to start, but about a month after I found out, when they were prepping me for chemo, the damn doctor told me the cancer was too advance and chemo would only kill me faster. If I had done the chemo I would have died the next day." He looked at his grandsons with sympathy. He had time to come to terms with his eminent demise, but it was fresh to them.
"Come on Riley, stop now boy." He looked at his youngest grandson with sadness in his eyes. He knew Riley was sensitive and really couldn't handle this type of news, no matter how contrary his behavior was, but he needed to know. He continued despite Riley's whimpers.
"When I talked to my doctor a month ago and he told me that the cancer had spread so extensively that I probably had less than a year left."
"What!" Riley slammed his fist in to the countertop in frustration. "Come on man you can't die. Granddad I was just playing. You got years left in you, that fucking doctor don't know shit. He probably some cracka hatin on you. Come on Granddad don't believe him." He began to cry harder as he buried his head in his arms, muffling the sound.
"Come on boy," Robert placed a hand gently on Riley's arm, attempting to sooth him. "It's gone be alright; as long as you two are together everything will be fine. Right Huey?" He looked to his older more mature grandson for reassurance.
Huey stared at his grandfather. He face gave no hint as to emotions, but inside he was crying. He loved his grandfather more than anything and it took this information to make him realize that. Sadness engulfed him as he dropped his eyes from Roberts. "I need some air" He thought as he got up without a word and walked out the door leaving his sobbing brother in his grandfather's arms.
"Hi Huey." Jazmine said as she walked towards 'their' tree. "I saw you leave your house, I figured I'd find you here." He didn't respond when she sat next to him. When he pretended not to see her after a few minutes she poked him playfully.
"What's on your mind, big head?" She smiled at him patiently, not really expecting an answer.
"Granddad's dying." He did not look towards her when he spoke. Jazmine's hands covered her mouth as she stared at Huey in disbelief.
"What," she whispered drawing closer to him. "I'm so sorry Huey. I really am." She grabbed her surly friend and rocked him gently in her arms. Although he would never admit it, it made him feel a little better. They set like this for a while, neither of them spoke they only watched and listened to the nature around them.
"I should have known he was sick." Huey said breaking their comfortable silence.
"How could you have known that, Huey?" Jazmine asked allowing him to sit up.
"He hadn't been himself lately and I should have noticed. I was so caught up in my own head that I didn't notice." His voice never changed as he punished himself for something he couldn't control.
"Huey, even if you did know, there was nothing you could do about it." She said as tender as possible.
"You think I don't know that," he spat at her. "But I could have noticed." He once again grew silent as he stared off into the distance. Jazmine watched him as the wind blew through his considerably smaller afro. His face was stern and apologetic at the same time. She felt so bad for him.
"I wish I could make it all better, Huey." She thought as she softly caressed his cheek. She loved her best friend and hated to see him this way.
"I would have noticed if I wasn't thinking about you." Huey immediately regarded the words as soon as they left his lips. Jazmine's eyes grew bigger as his words danced across her ears. She sat in silence for a while allowing the reality to soak in.
"What?" she said after a moment of silence.
"Nothing." He lied
"No, you said that you were-"
"I know what I said," he said cutting her off. "I didn't mean it."
"Huey, you never say things you don't mean. Now tell me the truth. We've been friends for too long to start lying now." She crossed her arms across her crest and patiently waited for him to answer. Huey knew that he had to answer her; she would never let it die.
"Ok," he let out a hesitant breath.
"For the last month or so, I've been having…" he couldn't tell her. Huey was blunt about most things, but this was different.
"What Huey, tell me." She pleaded with him placing a concerned hand on his shoulder.
"Well, I've been thinking a lot lately about things."
"What kind of things?" Jazmine asked.
"Just some stuff that's about you." He felt his cool slipping away from him. If he talked anymore he would burst, but Jazmine was far from satisfied.
"Huey, come on stop being vague, just tell me." She demanded.
"Ok, for the last month I've been having dreams about us….together." He had said it. Now she knew. He prepared himself for her to freak out and tell him how gross he was and how they would never do anything like that. But that's far from the reaction he got.
Jazmine placed a petite hand on his face; he turned to look at her. She was crying. "O great now I made her cry." He thought to himself. As soon as he was about apologize for bringing it up he felt her soft lips on his own. He was stunned at first, but soon he kissed her back.
He felt his hand running through her hair and his body pushing her down under him. What was he doing? She had wrapped her dainty legs around his waist locking him in place. His mouth traveled down her face leaving butterfly kiss wherever he went.
"Huey," she whispered into the morning air. He began to nibble on her neck when he lifted himself away from her. He stared down into her emerald eyes, how the popped against the white of the snow around them. He untwined her from around his waist, stood and looked at her.
"I'm sorry." He said as he walked away leaving Jazmine panting and confused
"Good, you're back," Robert said as Huey walked in the door. "I wanted to talk to you alone."
"What is it?" Huey asked sitting on the couch near his grandfather's chair.
"I know what I told you earlier wasn't easy to hear and I know you usually handle bad news pretty well, but you're ok, right?" Robert's face was dripping with concern.
"I'm fine Granddad, people die." He lied.
"I know people die, but people feel too, Huey. You can't pretend that this doesn't affect you in some way."
"No, it's ok Granddad, you are almost 80 years old and it would have been stupid for me or Riley to be hurt by something that was inevitable." Huey knew that his words were hurtful to Robert, but if he didn't say them he wouldn't believe them.
"Ok, boy, I can't force you begin to deal with this now, so I'll leave it alone. Just know that you can talk to me, when you're ready." Robert placed a reassuring hand on Huey's leg. Robert's heart was heavy as he watched his oldest grandson clam up. He knew that he would explore sooner or later, he only hoped that he was around to help him deal when he did.
"But, there is something else I wanna talk to you about." He said as he lent back in his chair. "I know you are preparing to move out and become your own man, but I have a favor to ask you. Think of it as my dying wish." Robert smiled at his grandson as he pushed his glasses up further on his nose. Huey cringed at his last words but continued to listen.
"Now Huey, you know your brother is a dumb ass and can hardly wipe his own ass and I need you to take care of him, look after him for me, when I go."
"What, that's not fair Granddad. Why should I put my life on hold for Riley's ass?" He retorted.
"Cause I said so boy and stop all that damn cussing, I told ya'll asses better than that. Anyway, it's only till he's 18 after that you can do what you want, but don't let your brother get taking away from you. So do what I tell you."
"Fine," Huey mumbled as he rose from his seat and walked towards the stairs.
When Huey reached his room he saw Riley wrapped in his blanket sleeping, dried tears stained his face. He wanted to punch him in the face for being so irresponsible. However, Huey knew that he would always be responsible for Riley, even after his eighteenth birthday. He always needed someone to watch him.
Huey sat down on his bed and stared out at his suburban neighborhood, wishing he was anywhere but here. A small little white boy was playing with his golden retriever across the street. "If this neighborhood get's anymore stereotypical I'm gone scream."
But before he could fully develop is disgust for his surroundings Jazmine walked into his view. He watched as her honey brown hair blew in the wind as she turned to walk towards her house. She was twirling her hair. "She's thinking." He thought. Huey knew her so well.
The kiss flashed across his mind as she got closer to her destination. He noticed how different she had become. She had grown up and was no longer little Jazmine, she was sexy Jazmine. He watched as her hips swayed and her breast bounced when she walked. Jazmine's black genes were definitely dominate, she had wide hips and a very small waist. Huey was a little angry at himself when he realized he was looking at her butt.
"Man she got a fat ass." He thought. "Oh no, I'm acting like Riley. Would she hurry up and get in the house." She finally walked in the house and he flopped down on his bed and was sleeping less than peacefully in seconds, tired from the already eventful morning.
Huey's mind was racing when he woke up, he knew he would have to talk to Jazmine sooner or later, but now he could avoid her. Their kiss was hours ago, but it was so fresh in his mind that it felt like it happened seconds ago. He didn't know why he ran away. But he couldn't think about her now, he still had to deal with granddad and Riley. Even though he would never admit it, Riley relied on him for strength.
"Huey?" Riley said breaking Huey from his reverie.
"What," He replied, rubbing his eyes.
"What we gone do without Granddad?" Huey had never seen Riley so genuine before.
"We'll worry about that when the time come." Before Riley could reply his phone rang.
"Man, why this girl keep callin me." He said after looking at his phone. He put his phone back on his nightstand ignoring the call.
"She's only going to call you back until you answer." Huey said pulling the covers to his chin.
"Man, fuck that bitch, I told her ass I ain't want her. She need to take a clue." Riley looked over at his phone as it rang again.
"Take a clue?" Huey looked over at his grammatically incorrect brother.
"Nigga you know what I meant, stop critiquing me fool." Riley spat back.
"I'm just saying, how you gone go off about her and you can't even talk right. It's kind of distracting from the point.
"OK fine, she needs to get a clue. Happy now nigga. Shit got me talkin like white people." Riley yelled in frustration.
"Should have thought of that before you slept with her."
"Shut up Huey ain't nobody ask yo punk ass nothing. Anyway we was high and horny, she know that shit ain't mean nothing." Riley yelled at his brother as he snatched the phone off the nightstand.
"What!" he said answering the phone.
"What up young Reezy, you coming thro, my folks gone and I wanted to see you."
"Look Cindy, I don't want yo ass so stop calling me, bitch!" Riley hung up the phone and smiled triumphantly at his brother. "You gotta know how to handle these hoes, even a bitch like Cindy. Yeah she gutta as hell, but she still a bitch. See Huey difference tween me and you is I got mind control over this hoes. When I say jump bitch be on the moon for I finish saying it, feel me." He laid back with his hands behind his head with a satisfied smirk on his face.
"5, 4,3, 2,1" As soon as Huey finished counting down the door burst open and a red faced Cindy appeared. Riley jumped up with his hands in front of him, defensively.
"Now look Cindy, you can't keep bustin up in my shit like this, that's just plane rude C-Murph."
"Man fuck that bullshit. You think you gone play me like some random bitch on the streets. You got me so fucked up Reezy."She advanced toward Riley who back into the wall on instinct.
"Come one Cindy, you know I was playin girl." Riley flashed her his million dollar smile that had gotten him out of plenty of trouble. It was especially affective with the ladies.
"Come on Cindy," she said mockingly. "Who the fuck you think you are nigga, Neno. You though you could just cancel my ass. Naw fool don't work that way. We fuck nigga, we go together." At this point Cindy was inches away from Riley with fire in her eyes.
"I know dat, I was just seein if you knew, girl you know you my boo. Shit I was just playing." Riley closed the gap between himself and Cindy embracing her.
"See Reezy, you can't be playin wit my emotions like that. I thought I was gone have to Left Eye yo ass." She said squeezing him lovingly.
"Not while I'm in the house, do that shit when he gets his own house." Huey said walking over to the computer.
"Shut up nigga, come one C-Murph let's go. This nigga's presence is piss me off."
"Ok baby." She said as they left hand in hand. Huey made a whip noise as they walked out.
"Shut up nigga!" Riley yelled from the hall.
"I don't know why you be playin wit me so much Reezy." Cindy said to Riley as she set up in her bed.
"You know how I be girl, I'm a playful as nigga." He replied pulling her down towards him. He kissed her softly as she moaned into his mouth.
"Come on girl, gimme that ass." Riley smiled at Cindy expecting her to melt.
"Naw, I wanna hear you say it first." She sat back up and waited for him.
"Come one Cindy, why you making this difficult." He rolled his hazel brown eyes in frustration.
"Say it." She folded her arms across her body.
"Alright, I love you, happy?" he said leaning towards her for another kiss. She moved away.
"No I'm not happy, you only saying it cuz I asked you."
"So what you ain't want me to say it?"
"Yeah, I wanted you to say it." Cindy said standing in irritation.
"Then what the problem, you trippin Murph.
"Cuz you should just say it on ur own, I shouldn't have to tell you dummy." She was pacing the floor.
"Look bitch, you ain't making no sense, we gone fuck or what?" Riley said stopping her in mid pace.
"Call me another bitch and you ain't gone have nothing to fuck wit." She replied a little too calmly.
"My bad, but you actin crazy." He said regretting his words.
"I'm sorry boo, I just hate when you do that."
"Ok, so we cool?" He pulled her back down to the bed.
"Yeah, we cool." She smiled at him as she kissed him passionately.