He watches as she climbs the tree, cautiously placing her foot in places that she hoped would be sturdy.

"You should stop. You could fall." He says, and she responds with a giggle.

"You'd catch me." She says, reaching for the next branch of the tree in his favorite spot. They came here often, doing the same thing they were doing now. She knew this tree well, but he still worried. And he would still catch her. He always would. He watches carefully as she positions herself and sits down, looking out to the sun. "You coming up?"

He lets out a breath, leaning against the trees trunk. "Do I ever?"

"You used to." She says, and he looks up, the two of them meeting eyes. She had a small smile, a smile that wrapped him up in her. "When you wanted to kiss me you did."

"Hmm." He says, looking back out to the horizon. "That was a long time ago."

"Not that long. Four years ago wasn't that long." She breathes out, looking in the same direction. She was like him. They were wrapped up in each other, and there was no escaping. But he still tried. He claimed to have gotten tired of her, and that they just weren't working. He had moved on to Jazmine and now they were together. She didn't mind. She wanted him, and if having him only meant having his friendship, she was content. She's never met anyone like him. "How's Jazzy?" She asks, and he looks up at her.

She wasn't the spiteful type. She never would be. She was the sweetest girl he's ever met. She didn't have a mean bone in her body, and that's what pulled him in. Jazmine wasn't bad, but she wasn't this girl. Jazmine was nothing like this girl sitting up in his favorite tree. If she was, this girl wouldn't be sitting up on this tree in his company. He wouldn't even know who she was.

"Fine."

"That's good. She stopped talking to me." She says, a small pout on her face. "I tried to tell her we were done, but she still dislikes me. I hope one day we can be friends again."

Those words didn't have any amount of sarcasm or spite in them. She was the complete opposite from him. But, they do say opposites attract.

"Maybe." He says, but he knew better. Jazmine had gotten jealous. The older she grew, the more corrupted she became. She had turned into this beautiful rose, the thorns included. She knew how to cut into people with her words and her mannerisms. But when she was with Huey, she was the sweet innocent girl he grew up with. He knew better. He was just gonna let her play him because he had nothing else to do. All he knew was that the girl up in that tree had consumed him and he didn't want to fall deeper into her. He didn't want to get sucked into what she was.

He wasn't prepared for the amount of love she had for him. He wanted something shallow. He couldn't handle anything like that.

That's why he left the girl up in that tree. He loved her too much, but he would never be able to say that. He was… afraid. She made him do and view shit differently whereas Jazmine made no attempts to try and change him.

"I…" She closes her mouth, swallowing her words. "Sorry, its not my place."

"What?" He asks. He wanted to speak what's on her mind. It was something she did freely around him and now… she stopped. She couldn't tell him anything.

"I'm sorry." She says, looking down at him, the same smile on her face. That smile killed him. It hit his heart in the worse way and made it harder for him to breathe. "I can't tell you things like that anymore, Huey."

Once she said that, he knew what she was thinking of, what she wanted to tell him. He looks away from her and back to the horizon. She watches him, slowly closing her eyes. It hurt her to see him with a girlfriend, but as long as he was happy. That was all she truly wanted. If it wasn't with her, she was okay with that. But she knew better. She could read him like a book.

Their silence was interrupted by his phone, making her look down. He pulls it out, looking at the text sent by Jazmine before closing his eyes. Sometimes, she irritated him with how jealous she was. "I got to go." He says, and she looks back down at him.

"Okay." She mutters, moving to get off the tree. He watches as she slides down, stumbling a bit, and even then, she was great. She always was. She stumbles forward, toward him, before straightening up and giving him a smile.

All of her smiles hurt him.

"I'll see you then." She says, placing her hands behind her back and rocking back and forth. She did that often to.

"Alright." He says, and on impulse he leans forward, kissing her. He didn't mean to. It was something he was used to. He would always kiss her when they were together like this, before Jazmine, when it was still them.

They were the couple everyone knew throughout middle school and the start of high school. It was her personality. She was so sweet, she attracted people, making her well known. Even now, people love her, anywhere she went. He hated it. He got tired of it. He got 'tired' of her.

But he would never stop loving her.

She takes a step back, shocked. He watches, also surprised at his actions. He's usually under control with all of his impulses, but she just… she had him under a spell that he would never be able to remove.

She swallows, taking a step forward and throwing her arms around his neck, pressing her lips against his.

She knew this was wrong He had a girlfriend that wasn't her and hasn't been her for four years. But she couldn't help it, she loved him. Her whole being belonged to him. He owned her heart and soul, and she didn't even care. She would say those things with a wide smile on her face. She didn't mind being in love. She embraced it. She accepted it. She loved being in love with Huey.

The two make out, his hands on her waist.

"Ooooh, I'm telling." Riley says, making Huey pull away and to let her go as if she was hot coals. She also pulls away, keeping her eyes off of him. She was ashamed of her actions. He could feel it rolling off of her. She was better than that. "Huey was kissing Natalie when he got a girl! Cheatin ass nigga."

"Riley, shut up." Huey says, his voice low and he keeps his eyes on Natalie. With a deep breath, she looks up, giving him a small smile and turning around, walking away quickly. That wasn't a good smile. That wasn't the smile that touched his heart. That smile had nothing behind it.

He hated those smiles. She gave him those smiles when she felt negative feelings. Which means that he messed up. But he didn't need to see her smile to know he messed up. He watches her go before turning and walking past Riley and back toward the house.

"Damn, yous a mack, nigga." Riley playfully says, trailing behind him. Seeing this gave Riley hope that one day, Huey will be with Natalie again. All he needed to do now was get rid of Jazmine.

"It wasn't like that." Huey says, a scowl on his face.

"Nigga, whatchu mean? You just kissed Nat while you was with Jazzy. If that ain't macking then I don't know what it is. Shit, you a playa. I bet you get that shit from me."

"It wasn't like that." Huey says, stopping and turning to look at his brother. The words came out slowly and were stern.

"Aight nigga, damn." Riley says, throwing his hands up. "So, whatchu finna do?"

"Nothing. We aren't gonna talk about this." Huey says, turning around.

"Nah, man, you can't just kiss Nat like that. I've been telling you ever since you broke up with her that you need her back. Everyone can see y'all love each other." Riley says, crossing his arms.

Riley surprisingly always knew what he talked about. He changed from that slightly stupid immature kid to that almost smart, less immature than before teenager. Natalie changed all of them.

"Nat's crazy for you nigga, and you know it. You broke her heart that time."

Natalie was Riley's closest friend and the only girl friend he's never fucked out of respect for not only his brother, but for her. He saw Natalie as an older sister, well now he did. She was easy to get along with, and he cared a lot about her.

"Riley-"

"No nigga, hear me out. I wanted to punch you dead in your fucking face when I saw her." He says, following Huey into the house.

"What?"

"She was a fucking wreck nigga. Like… her eyeliner was smudged all over her face, her eyes were red, everything. Hella people were asking her what was wrong when I found her. She told me that she had just been walking around with no purpose. She was depressed for a long ass week before she just… stopped."

Huey stayed silent, keeping his back to Riley.

"Like, you don't get her. Like, even now, she loves you so fucking much. Like I swear I tell her to move on, cuz you don't deserve her, but she loves you so much. It kills her. And yet you walk around, prancing Jazmine around, knowing she could see you. You know she loves you and won't ever stop."

"I don't prance around with Jazmine." Huey says, turning to face Riley.

"Yeah right nigga." He mutters, shaking his head. "Whatever. I just don't get niggas like you."

"Niggas like me?"

"Yeah! Nat is a perfect girl."

"If she's so perfect, you be with her." Huey says, growing angry. He was tired of this. He didn't need Riley to talk to him as if he was a child. He knew what he was doing.

"Don't wish that on yourself." Riley says, shaking his head. "I'll make her forget all about you and you gon be salty as fuck." Riley watches as Huey grinds his teeth. "You know Jazmine's a hoe. She changed nigga. She don't like you, she likes the fact that she took you from Natalie. She ain't never like-"

"Huey!" Jazmine shrill voice rings out, making the two Freeman brother's roll their eyes. Jazmine opens the unlocked door, and Riley eyes her.

"Look what the cat threw up." He says, looking her up and down.

"Hello, Riley." She says, walking past him and making him cough.

"What the fuck is you wearin?" He asks, holding his nose.

"It's Victoria's Secret." She says, looking back at him. "What?"

"Victoria told you to put that shit on? Victoria's secret must be that she put cat piss in all her fucking spray, cuz that shit stank."

"She just put too much on, Riley." Huey says, and Riley shook his head.

"It's something bad. Nat would never do some shit like this."

Jazmine's eyes narrow and she turns away from Riley, trying to compose herself. "You don't like it, Huey?"

"It's fine." He says, not caring about the smell. It was overpowering, but it wasn't unpleasant. It just wasn't expected for Riley. Huey was used to Jazmine spraying all types of chemicals in the air and on her. Riley was used to Natalie, who'd use things like oils or scented lotions to keep herself smelling nice. She was one of those types of girls who'd you'd catch a small whiff of when walking past and wanting more. It was subtle. It fit her.

"So what are we gonna do today, Huey?"

"Actually, can you excuse yourself for a second." Riley says, crossing his arms and she looks at him.

"Who the-"

"Jazmine, go to my room." He says, keeping his eyes on his younger brother. Riley could tell by the look Huey had that Huey was gonna say some shit, and Riley would have to school him once more. Sometimes, Riley got tired of having to tell Huey what was up, but that was his job now.

Once Jazmine was out of the room, Huey's tense silence broke. "Don't compare Jazmine with Natalie."

"Why?" Riley asks, crossing his arms. "I bet you do that shit all the time." Huey's normal scowl deepens. Riley knew Huey a bit too well when the topic was Natalie. When it came to say anything about her, Riley would read him and his thoughts easily. Sometimes, it scared Huey.

"Shut up, Riley." Was his rebuttal and Riley smirked. Huey had just confirmed the love he had for Natalie even more. Riley already knew, but now he hoped that Huey would stop denying it. He couldn't hide it because they all knew now.

One trait that Riley developed while growing up was being to read people. He surprised Huey at how good he was at dissecting people and their personality just by looking at them. And then he'd end up being right.

Huey felt like that was something he received by being around Natalie and her influence. Natalie had the capability to change people and he didn't know if it was for better or worse.

"Look, nigga, I couldn't give one fuck about how you feel about Natalie." Riley says. "Like, if she didn't love you, I wouldn't be on your ass -pause- about this. But the shit you put her through ain't cool nigga. You really gonna regret that shit cuz Jazmine don't love you."

"I'm done with Natalie." Huey says, and Riley rolls his eyes.

"You weren't done with her when y'all were kissin." Riley shakes his head. "You know what, whatever nigga. Lose Nat and stay with Jazmine. That's fine. She don't need a punk ass nigga like you anyway man. Yous a bitch."