Had to do it because I love this song. Hope you like it. This is my first story ever so please give feedback. Tell me what you think.
Disclaimer- I don't own The Boondocks or ''Marvin's Room"
Twenty four year old Jazmine DuBois locked the door behind her and placed her keys and handbag on the small wooden table near the door. The spacious two bedroom apartment was quiet and dark, which meant that her fiancé wasn't home. As Jazmine kicked off her tall stilettos, she glanced at the clock hanging on the wall in the hallway. Half past ten, it read. Jazmine heaved a heavy sigh and made her way to the bathroom, her soft footsteps sounding loud in the quiet apartment. Her fiancé had texted her earlier that evening while she had dinner with her parents. He'd said that he wouldn't be home that night. He would be at his office 'working' on some things and it would take all night.
He didn't bother telling Jazmine what was so important that it couldn't wait until the morning.
But Jazmine hadn't questioned him. When she did, he always got upset and agitated, saying the same thing. Something along the lines of "Babe, I'm working hard for you. I wanna be able to get you whatever you want, whatever you need. Look, after the wedding, I promise, there'll be a lot more time for you and me. Don't worry so much, okay?" So, she didn't. Jazmine didn't worry about what he was really doing on those nights that he claimed he was working. Jazmine didn't worry about who he would text under the table on the now rare occasion that they shared dinner. She didn't worry about the cheap perfume clinging to his skin when he would crawl into bed with her. And she tried not to worry about the bruises, because they would fade after time and he would, eventually, maybe, return to the man she first knew. Jazmine was still having a bit of trouble with that last one.
Once in the bathroom, Jazmine began getting herself ready for bed. She pulled her not quite red, but not quite orange hair, into a loose bun. She didn't bother looking into the mirror as she cleaned off her makeup- she didn't want to see the bluish-purple bruises that marred her otherwise flawless skin.
After changing into a pair of pink cotton shorts and a faded black wifebeater- which she had to pull on gingerly due to the dull pain from the kick he delivered to her side- Jazmine climbed into bed. Jazmine ignored the empty and cold space next to her, instead pulling the comforter closer and drifting off to sleep a few moments later.
Jazmine was awoken a few hours later by the incessant trilling of her cell phone as it sat on the bedside table. She grabbed clumsily at the object before picking it up. Jazmine winced; after just waking up, looking at the bright light emitted from the cellular device was synonymous to looking into the sun.
The caller ID read 'unknown' with an unfamiliar number listed. Jazmine internally debated for a moment on whether or not to answer the call or just let voicemail take care of it and fall back asleep. She eventually chose the latter.
"Hello?'' Her voice was laden with sleepy confusion. Jazmine heard nothing. Taking the phone away from her ear, she glanced at the screen. She didn't accidentally press mute and the call was still connected.
"Hello?"
Cups of the Rose
Bitches in my old phone
I should call one and go home
I've been in this club too long
Another beat. Then Jazmine heard the caller's deep, rich, familiar voice."Jazmine?" The caller said her name as if he were unsure that it was really her.
Jazmine stopped rubbing her eyes and froze. No, this couldn't be happening. But, it was. He was calling her. Why would he call her? How did he get her number? She'd changed it quickly after they broke up so that he would stop sending her those pleading text messages.
Finally finding her voice, Jazmine spoke. "Uh, why-how did you get my number?''
She could practically see him slightly smirking and giving a little Kanye shrug. "You know me Jaz.'' No, she didn't. He was so complex that she'd given up trying to figure him out years ago. ''I have my ways.''
But I've been drinking so much
That I'ma call her anyway and say
"Fuck that nigga that you love so bad
I know you still think about the times we had''
Jazmine rolled her pretty emerald green eyes and thought 'Right, because that doesn't sound creepy as hell. Wait. Was he-'
(Are you drunk right now?)
''Are you drunk right now?'', Jazmine asked once she registered the slight slurring of his voice.
"Yeah, I am. I got a little crazy tonight,'' his voice was nonchalant, as if he drank all of the time. This, of course, wasn't the case.
''Where are you? Do you know what time it is? It's-'' Jazmine glanced at her digital alarm clock with its glowing red numbers-'' It's 2:56 in the morning.''
"Did I wake you up? I'm just walking around.''
Jazmine rolled her eyes once more. "Of course you woke me up. You're walking around at three in the morning? Where? Are you sure that's safe?"
I'm just sayin', you could do better
Tell me have you heard that lately?
I'm just sayin' that you could do better
And I'll start hatin', only if you make me
Jazmine listened to him mutter something about her worrying too much. She was suddenly reminded of her fiancé. "I was at a party with some friends. They dragged me along. Said I needed to have some fun…whatever that means." He added the last part as if it were an afterthought. "I'm in Chicago. Downtown. I needed some fuckin' air.''
Jazmine made a noise of understanding, but said nothing else. She didn't know what to say to him. "I ran into Cindy the other day," he said bringing back her attention.
Jazmine furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. She had stopped by Cindy's place after finishing dinner with her parents and her best friend had said nothing of running into him. "Oh, yeah?"
"Uh huh. I asked her about you. She's the one that gave me your number. Said I should call you," he admitted. So he was asking about her? Jazmine suddenly didn't know what to think.
Uh, cups of the XO
All my people been here I see all of her friends here
Guess she don't have the time to kick it no more
Flights in the morning
What you doing that's so important?
I've been drinkin' so much
That I'ma call anyway and say
"She told me." Jazmine felt everything in her just deflate. So, this is why he was calling. "You're marrying him." It wasn't a question, but a statement. That statement was filled with some accusation, a lot of anger, and a pinch (just a pinch because he wasn't too keen on showing any other emotion besides anger; it was weak and he didn't do weak) hurt.
Upon hearing his tone, for a reason Jazmine didn't want to admit, she felt like crying. "Look, I-"
"Caesar? Really, Jaz? Come on, not that nigga."
"Fuck that nigga that you love so bad
I know you still think of all the times we had"
"Caesar, he loves me," Jazmine said. "And…I love him." The hesitance in her voice didn't go unnoticed by him as she had hoped it would.
"You love him?" Jazmine winced at his derisive tone. "Don't patronize me, Jazmine. You don't love him. You and I both know it."
Jazmine stayed silent. She didn't deny his words, mostly because deep down, she knew they were true.
"He's not there is he? I know he's not, otherwise you would have never picked up." His accusing tone bothered Jazmine as she glanced at the empty spot next to her in bed.
I say "fuck that nigga that you think you found
and since you picked up I know he's not around"
"He had to work late tonight." Even as she said it, Jazmine knew it wasn't true, could feel it, but for some reason she felt as though she had to defend her fiancé. Despite all the wrong he'd done to her.
He scoffed loudly. "Right. You do know what most niggas, Caesar included I'm sure, are doing when they're working late? Especially at this time of night?" He didn't wait for a reply. "It's usually someone else."
"Look," Jazmine's voice was unsteady with tears. She'd already known this, but to have it come from someone else, especially him, crushed her. "I don't need this. Not from you. Ever since we've gotten engaged, I've asked myself why I'm with Caesar. But, I can't- I can't just leave him."
He sighed on the opposite end and Jazmine imagined him carding a large hand through his hair. "You shouldn't have to ask yourself why you're with someone. We both know that you can do better, Jaz. You deserve better." His voice was soft and soothing. Jazmine closed her eyes. She'd missed his voice.
I'm just sayin', you could do better
Tell me have you heard that lately
I'm just sayin' you could do better
And I'll start hatin' only if you make me
"I know," Jazmine said carefully touching the bruise surrounding her left eye. "I know."
The two lapsed into a comfortable silence, both absorbed in their thoughts, before he broke it a few minutes later. "Do you still think about us? All the times we had?"
Jazmine cracked a small, sad smile. Her eyes burned with tears for some reason. Her voice soft she replied, "Of course I do. How could I ever forget? You were my first everything."
He chuckled. "Remember our first kiss?"
Jazmine let out a laugh. One of those loud, uncaring, liberating laughs. It felt good to have something to laugh about. "It was during that really bad snowstorm junior year. You came over because I was alone since my parents went on some trip. I was crying about how we were going to freeze to death and you kissed me to shut me up." Jazmine paused, her bright smile turning into a slight frown. "Although, I never did figure out why you did that."
I was just calling cause they were just leaving
Talk to me please, don't have much to believe in
I need you right now, are you down to listen to me?
"Did what?"
"Why did you kiss me that night? You had never given me the slightest indication that you liked me." Jazmine heard him sigh. He stayed quiet a few moments. Jazmine thought he might be trying to gather her thoughts before speaking.
"I had loved you for the longest , Jaz. I just…didn't think that you were interested." He paused for a beat before continuing. "Anyway, we were together in that house, alone, and you were there, with me, looking all kinds of beautiful and I had to do something about it. I couldn't stand the thought of being just a friend anymore. I love you too damn much to be just a friend."
Jazmine stayed silent, not daring to say a word, as her heart fluttered in a way that it never had during her entire relationship with Caesar. She noticed that he'd said 'love' instead of 'loved' and it sent her heart into a frenzy.
"Jazmine? Jaz?" His voice was panicked. He must've thought that she hung up on him, she had been so quiet.
I'm lucky that you picked up
Lucky that you stayed on
I need someone to put this weight on...
Jazmine shook her head back and forth. She wasn't going to go there. It would do her no good. She was getting married in four weeks. "I'm still here."
"Good." His voice reverted back to the soft, soothing tone reserved for only her. "It's late. I should let you go." Jazmine noticed that his voice sounded a bit reluctant. "Get some sleep, aiight?"
"I've missed you Huey."
Huey said nothing for a few seconds, obviously not expecting such a thing, before he cleared his throat, before quickly saying, "I've missed you too Jazmine." A small and wistful smile tugged a Jazmine's lips.
"Goodnight Huey."
"Goodnight Jazmine."
Jazmine ended the call then stared down at her iPhone as if the thing were something foreign. Shaking her head once more, Jazmine saved the unknown number to her contacts under 'Huey F.' Jazmine placed her iPhone on her bedside table and pulled the comforter over herself. This time, as she hugged her pillow, for the first time ever, she didn't really care that the cold, empty space next to her wasn't occupied by her fiancé.
I'm just sayin', you could do better …
Hope you liked it. Drop me a review. Maybe I can continue this?