"Maybe your weird is my normal. Who's to say?"

-Nicki Minaj


"Aye Jaz," Cindy started as she walked into the living room. Jazmine looked her way, peeling her eyes from the film she was watching with Huey. "You seen my pack of smokes?" the blond asked, scratching her head.

The mulatto could only shake her head in a disapproving way. "C'mon Cin, you know how I feel about you smoking," Jazmine said with an annoyed tone. "Plus, it's starting to stink up the carpet a little," she gestured to the manila carpet. She then watched the other girl roll her eyes distastefully.

"Okay, and that's a problem?"

"Well yeah, I mean-"

Cindy stormed out before Jazmine could say another word, muttering something under her breath. Huey finally reacted, noticing how angry the blond's body language was. He raised an eyebrow to Jazmine in a questioning way, who only shrugged her shoulders before leaning back into him. Where were these mood swings coming from? She had had enough with the thuggish white girl that she somehow called her best friend. Ever since Cindy's mom kicked her out of the house, she's been staying with Jazmine. But, the poor mulatto didn't have a clue of what she was getting herself in.

The blond would come back to the apartment late at night from clubs, drunk and reeking of cheap alcohol and other artificial smells such a crappy perfume, sometimes crashing onto the couch for the rest of the evening. Other times, Jazmine would find her passed out on the bathroom floor, looking long dead when she was really only higher than a smoke cloud. But the worst of all was when she would bring home a guy from a party or whatever, keeping Jazmine up in the next room for God knows how long. Basically, it was starting to get old.

"Why don't you just tell her to leave?" Huey had asked Jazmine one day as they sat in the kitchen. She had looked at him like he was stupid, rolling her pretty green eyes and everything in return.

"Because she's my best friend Huey-You know this."

"Right, but all the while, she's dragging you through hell."

"Uh huh."

"And you're okay with that?"

Jazmine had shut up then, ignoring her boyfriend's last comment and dropping it. She didn't need a lecture, but maybe it made her see things differently. Cindy was her best friend, and that was a fact. But, for peat's sake, she was starting to really regret ever letting the crazy blond into her apartment in the first place. Maybe Huey had a point. Cindy most definitely needed to clean up her act.

A part of Jazmine was sorry for her though. Cindy had been kicked out by her wealthy mother, who in return, wouldn't even provide her with a penny of money, then there was her father, who died with a heart attack not too long ago, and on top of all that, her older brother was on death row for murder...but he was framed. Yeah, and we all thought the Freemans had a dysfunctional family, but just look at Cindy's. What was Jazmine supposed to do?


Cindy rushed back into the guest room of Jazmine's apartment, slumping onto the bed and taking her phone out irritably. She couldn't stand that mixed girl sometimes. "Cindy, smoking is bad for you" or "You shouldn't let Riley influence you so easily" she would tell her on a daily basis. But first of all, who was she to tell Cindy she couldn't smoke. And since when did Riley start influencing her way of life? Sure she would tag along to parties with him, hook up at his place, or whatever, but she could hold her own without the cornrowed thug if need be.

Her fingers tapped widely on the on the screen, pressing the call button, before holding it up to her ear. It buzzed, and she waited patiently as the line picked up within moments. "Yeah, Cindy?" she heard Riley say into the speaker, sounding sleepy like he had just woken up. He always did sleep late, for it was graciously twelve in the afternoon.

"Could I come over?" she said. It was more of a demand than a statement. She heard him quietly snicker, something she's come to admire about his childish ways. It was more of a chuckle but less that a laugh. A bit attractive to the young blond.

"And if I say no?" he teased into the speaker, answering her question with a question of his own. He was never one to just say 'yes or no' to her. It was always something with him. Cindy felt the corner of her mouth tug up, a light smirk on her face. Why was he always teasing her?

"Then I'll put yo' ass on probation," she said.

He laughed in disbelief. "Probation? Girl, just get yo' crazy white ass over here!"

Cindy grinned before hanging up, already packing a few things, hoping that her visit would be a bit long, before cheerfully walking out of the room again. She could always count on her homeboy to keep her company. She could use a few days away from Jazmine, and on occasion, Huey.


Caesar trudged from his room after finally waking up and into the kitchen, dragging his feet across the floor lazily. The Brooklyn boy was not a morning person, to say the least. He frowned when he spotted Riley and Cindy snuggling on the couch in the living room, both of them obnoxiously laughing at something irrelevant on the television screen, and then the small baby blue suitcase only a few feet away. Caesar didn't mind Cindy visiting, but he found it annoying when Riley failed to mention things like this to him, when indeed it was his apartment. The cornrowed thug was breaking a law.

"Bro Code," Caesar coughed mellow-dramatically, making sure that Riley caught his glare when the two turned to look at him. Riley wrinkled his nose, glanced at Cindy, before glaring back at Caesar. Cindy looked between the two from her position in Riley's lap, wondering if they were having some sort of telepathic 'Bro Conversation' or whatever, her big blue eyes narrowed and curious.

The glaring went on for about another ten seconds before the spell broke, Caesar silently trudging away, anger slightly in every step as he retreated back to his room, and Riley turning back to Cindy with a smirk on his boyish face. "What's wrong with him?" Cindy said, quirking up and eyebrow.

Riley only shrugged before pulling her closer to him. "Who the hell cares?"


"Well Huey, how was I supposed to know? You barely say anything half the time," Jazmine groaned as she watched him shrug on his jacket. He was going somewhere, the book store, or whatever. She didn't expect him to leave so soon. Not now..

"I told you yesterday, Jazmine," he said as a matter-of-factly, raising an eyebrow at her. "But, I guess we both know you talk more and listen less." He watched the flustered mulatto wrinkle her nose, the blush on her cheek prominent as he looked at her. He knew what he was doing, purposely trying to get a rise out of her.

"I'm a great listener, Freeman. I just choose to express my ideas and opinions more than always bottling them up on the inside like someone I know," she said the last part with genuine irritation, narrowing her green eyes to his wine ones. If Huey wanted, he would've smiled. That was definitely his girl. She continued to surprise him with her sassy attitude day to day, and he just couldn't seem to get enough of it. And often, she could tell when he was only messing with her, sometimes blushing even harder.

"Well, whatever. I'll see you later," Huey said nonchalantly, knowing that this would only irritate her further. He opened the front door, the outside wind blowing cold air inside the warm home, before stepping out and shutting the door behind him. Jazmine immediately sighed, crossing her arms across her chest. She couldn't help feel lonely now, with Huey gone, and Cindy storming out earlier with some of her things, meaning she'd be gone for awhile. The girl's apartment seemed so big and cold with only her occupying the space, the grey walls reflecting her mood in and ironic way. Sweet ol' goody-two-shoes Jazmine, home alone. Sigh.


A/N: Yay, another story guys! This has been in the back of my head for awhile, and I just had to write it out or something. So, those who read this, thank god for you guys! I dunno, we all have our insecurities or whatever, and the opinions of others have always been valuable to me. So, I hope this was somewhat enjoyable. :D Love...or hate it?

~Ramona