A DAY TO REMEMBER

CHAPTER 1

Huey

Oh, what a glorious day it is today. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, the Ice Cream man is giving away free snow cones, kids are laughing and running around, white couples are jogging happily; It's beautiful.

Too bad I don't care about any of that crap.

Summers have never been this damn hot before! It's not even heat anymore, it's just straight radiation!

How the hell can anyone even enjoy a day like this? It's 102 degrees and the wind's not even blowing. I should be able to feel some kind of breeze. No wonder the Ice Cream man is giving away free snow cones. I would too. Who the hell thinks about making money at a time like this?

And why kids are running around like some damn fools, I have no idea. I just walked out of the house about two minutes ago and my neck is already starting to sweat. This is some bullshit. I guess it doesn't help that I'm wearing a black thermal, but whatever.

It's not as if I didn't know this day would come though. I always told people that the Ozone layer was getting thinner day by day, but do people listen to me? Nope. So I just don't say anything to anyone about it anymore. They'll learn soon enough.

Still, as much as I act like I don't care, I do. I'm not a bad person. I want to help people and install some common knowledge into their brains, since it's evident that no one has any anymore. I want them to open their eyes and stop being so damn oblivious and ignorant to what's going on around them.

But I guess that's asking for too much.

Anyways, I'll just sit right here on the porch for now. I don't' really feel like going back inside to all that noise. Granddad and Riley are inside arguing about something Riley did at the mall the other day. I don't really care to know what it is.

I sit on the porch for a few minutes, reading the World news section of the newspaper. I just roll my eyes as I looked over the article that read 'A Great Day for America: Bin Laden has been terminated'. It's not as if I care that the man is dead, but people aren't thinking. On the news the other day, I saw rows and rows of people celebrating this man's death. All the while, Al Qaeda's plotting revenge and America doesn't even notice. Bin Laden may have been the leader, but he's one person and his position will be replaced.

But it's whatever. I just shrug. If people want to ignore the truth, then I'll just let them.

As I move on to another article, I hear someone from across the street calling out to me.

"Huey!"

I sigh, not even looking up from the paper. Not today. It is way too hot to play any of Jazmine's annoying games.

She calls me again, probably thinking I didn't hear her since I didn't respond. I sigh once again and look up to see her walking towards me. Her hair is in one puff ball instead of two today and her attire consists of a white tank top, dark blue shorts and white flats. In her right hand, she holds an uneaten snow cone (which I hope to God she doesn't offer me) and as I finally look at her visage, a bright smile is plastered

"Hey Huey." She greets me before sitting down on my right side. She then extends her hand with the snow cone in it. "Want it?"

Now, she knows I don't like anything with sugar in it. She just likes to irritate me, I guess. Despite how sweet her gesture was, once again, I let out a sigh.

"Jazmine, you know I don't eat that stuff." I tell her, but she just keeps smiling and shrugs as if I didn't say anything.

"Okay, but you're missing out." She says, trying to persuade me to get it, but I just roll my eyes.

"Yes, I'm missing out on killing myself. That's something everyone should experience." I sarcastically retort. She just does this girlish giggle and shakes her head.

"Huey Freeman, you're the only person I know who could turn a beautiful day like this into a problem." She responded, reciting that same old line she said a few years back when Ed Wuncler tricked her into child laboring. I let a small breath of frustration as I recall that day. That bastard had her working day in and day out and she didn't even sleep in her own home for about two days straight.

But anyways, I'm getting side tracked here.

"Whatever." I finally reply and resort back to reading the paper. If she thought I was going anywhere with her right now, she must be out of her damn mind.

Jazmine

Huey's so weird. Why is he wearing a thermal in 102 degree weather? And on top of that, it's black! Whatever, if he could do something crazy like that, I'm pretty sure he can handle the heat.

I just sit next to him, awkwardly staring at him as he reads that annoying paper. Why is it so interesting to him? It's a beige paper with black lines and few pictures. You'd never catch me doing something like that.

I guess he feels my eyes on him or he's looking at the corner of his eyes or something because he sighs before saying, "What, Jazmine?" in an annoyed tone of voice.

I take a few seconds before answering his question. "Why are you wearing a black thermal? Aren't you hot?" I can't help but ask. I know he has a ton of stamina, but even he had to be burning up. He doesn't even answer. He just keeps reading, so I assume he's fine. We just sit there in silence for a while.

"Aren't you gonna eat that cone of death?" he asks me, startling me a bit at his sudden voice. I guess he's referring to the snow cone, so I just smile.

"No, it's for you." I joke, but I guess he doesn't seem to get it since he's doing that stupid sighing thing again. "I'm just joking, Huey." I say before he starts going off on me. I really don't need that right now. Huey once said that the heat makes people crazy, so I don't want either of us to resort to unnecessary arguments.

"Then what are you doing with it besides letting it melt on my porch?" He bluntly asks and finally looks up at me with that famous frowny face. He really needs to lighten up and stop shooting those… looks at people. Seriously, have you ever seen the annoyed look on his face? Not pretty.

Okay, I'm lying. He's extremely cute! It doesn't matter if he's frowning or…well, I've never actually seen him smile before, but I think he'd be much more attractive if he did so every once in a while.

"Sorry." I apologize in that weak voice I hate so much. Dang, why does he always have to intimidate me? I start to get up, but he surprises me by grabbing my wrist and gently pulling me back down.

"Don't be. It's not that serious. The sun'll dry it up." He reassures and goes back to his paper. I just stare at him for a little bit, shocked. Does he actually want me to stay? "And stop looking at me like that." He adds, still looking at his paper. I quickly avert my eyes to the area in front of us and feel my cheeks heat up a bit, and no, not because it's hot outside.

Huey

Damn, I don't know how much of this I can take! My shirt is sticking to my back and the hairs on the back of neck are starting to curl up. Just what I need: another shower.

And this paper isn't even interesting. Just the same thing day after day, from oil spills to Republicans against President Obama to Osama's death, and for some reason people are still trying to find the cause behind Michael Jackson's death. Seriously? If they didn't care enough to find Biggie and Tupac's killers (which I highly suspect to be Suge Knight and his crew), then why do they care so much about Michael Jackson? In white people's eyes he's just another nigga to hate on.

Okay…now I'm beginning to sound like Riley.

But it's the truth though.

I would go more in depth with this, but a certain someone cannot seem to keep her hands to herself.

"Jazmine," I begin, "Why are you tapping me?" I glare at her slightly, expecting her to smile, but she just keeps staring at me with those eyes so full of purity.

"It's hot." She starts, still tapping me. I gently pry her hands off of me and snort.

"Ya don't say." I sarcastically retort nonchalantly. She just smiles at me as if she didn't hear what I just said.

"You wanna go with me to Cindy's?" She inquired timidly, knowing damn well I could care less about that white girl. I finally place the newspaper down on my left side and turn back to her.

"Now, Jazmine," I start. "Why do you continue to ask questions you already know the answer to?"

She just stares at me for a minute with an unreadable expression and I have to wonder if the heat has finally caught up with her.

"Hey, you wanna go to the hill?" She asks as if I never said a thing, once again. At age 16, you'd expect someone's attention span to be much longer than that. But this is Jazmine. She seems to be an exception to every rule.

I roll my eyes and turn away from her to look at the activity going on in front of my house. As some white people pass my house, laughing and practically skipping down the sidewalk, I try to think of all the things Jazmine and I could possibly do on this hot day but all I can think about is sitting in this spot right here. That and the Cindy thing, but that'd probably be my last resort.

But, even I have to admit that sitting in one spot is boring and tiring, especially in this heat.

"Fine." I finally mutter as she squeals and quickly hugs me. She then grabs my hand with her free one and nearly drags me away from the porch.

Not at all noticing the heat slowly, but surely, traveling to my cheeks.

Great.