So...I should be packing, since I'm going to DC for the weekend tomorrow. YAY!! So excited. I love DC/cities. And I should probably be reading my assigned homework pages too...but as usual, I'm procrastinating :P

Okay, im lovin the reviews I got (which I checked while in the campus library. How lame/lazy/slackish am I?). They had me grateful/weak/any other positive emotion. So thanks for that :clears throat: Jazmonsterrr, Lil-Dutchezz, TRIGGER MIKE THE GREAT, Osaisi (WHICH I finally spelled right :P), and DarkSmile. And anyone else who read. Or favored. Or...oh my god, you know what I mean. Sorry, I'm sleepay from waking up extra early to get my classes out of the way. College is starting out to be very...interesting.

So now, here's chapter ten! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! It's kinda longer than the others have been, but I do believe you'll enjoy the ending...sorta.

Disclaimer:...Seriously. Come on. Have you NOT noticed i'm too crazy to come up with something as good as the Boondocks?

Let Me In

Between Love and Hate

The next few weeks that followed were probably the worst ones of Jazmine's life. Not just because of the strain of her "relationship" with Marcus, but because her behavior was finally taking a toll on everyone else. And sadly, she was running out of chances to get their forgiveness.

"I don't know what her problem is," Cindy said in a low voice to everyone at their lunch table one afternoon, dusting a piece of lint of her red sweater. Being that it was the Christmas season she was already getting into the holiday spirit, even if her so called best friend wasn't. "But it's starting to piss me the hell off, whatever it is."

"Maybe she has a reason," Caesar said reasonably. Being that Huey had at some point informed him of Jazmine's parents splitting up he was a bit less hesitant to go against her. But not by much. "I mean, you know her. She just stresses over more things."

"Maybe," Maya suggested in a clipped tone, paying more attention to her salad than the conversation. "She just wants to be left alone." Three pairs of eyes turned to glare at her and she looked up, recoiling. "Ouch. DAYUM! Look." Maya shrugged carelessly, dabbing more ranch dressing on her lettuce before going on. "I'm not trying to say she's avoiding us. She's just..."

Everyone at the table turned to stare at the usually empty table in the middle of the cafeteria, where Marcus and Jazmine were sitting. Jazmine's back was turned to them, her chin resting in her hand. Marcus, on the other hand, was talking and laughing as if he hadn't felt better in years. Everyone let their eyes fall back on Maya.

"Yeah. She's avoiding us," They all said in unison.

"But there has to be a reason," Caesar stated. "She doesn't just give people the silent treatment. And even if someone made her mad she forgets she's angry with them less than five minutes later."

"Maybe she's PMSing." Cindy shrugged. Caesar rolled his eyes.

"Maybe she's not."

"Maybe she just sick of y'all niggas," Riley suggested, snorting. "Maybe she decided to drop all the gay ass niggas in her life."

"Then you're one, too," Cindy pointed out coolly. "She stopped taking you to school just so Marcus could take her."

"You're the one who introduced them," Caesar pointed out in a low mumble. Cindy glared, punching his arm.

"What?"

"Ouch! Nothing!"

"You're saying she's ignoring us because of me?"

"No! I'm saying...what am I saying? Cindy, come on!" Caesar whined as she grabbed a fistful of dreadlocks. "Not the hair!"

"Speaking of hair, where's Afro?" Cindy glanced around. "Don't tell me he's ditched us, too!"

"Nah." Maya shook her head, eyes narrowed. "He's in the library, making up a Latin test."

"Good." Cindy shifted in her seat, casting another glare towards Marcus and Jazmine before clearing her throat. "Now, instead of focusing on Jazmine and whatever the hell she's doing, we've got other important issues to settle." She grinned. "Like what we're doing for Huey's birthday."

"Stripper!" Riley yelled.

"NO!" Everyone else shouted together.

"I say we just throw him a surprise party," Maya shrugged. Caesar stuck his tongue out at her.

"Shows how much you know about yo man, Maya. He hates parties. And surprises."

"Well, he hates everything," Maya stated matter-of-factly with a toss of her hair. "So I don't see the big deal."

"The big deal," Cindy said, flipping her own blond hair behind her shoulders. "Is that he's turning eighteen. So we can't have no half baked, wack shit. We gotta do it big."

"Man, doin it big for Huey is readin a book," Riley complained. "Lil bitch."

"Fine." Cindy gave him a look. "Then you decide what we're gonna do."

Riley thought for a moment, stroking his chin. After a few seconds passed he snapped his fingers, grinning.

"Got it! We throw that nigga a party-" He ignored the other's collective sighs. "-just to make him mad."

"Why the hell would we do that for his birthday?" Caesar asked.

"Because it would be fun." Maya beamed. "That's a great idea! Think about it." She tapped her forehead. "The point of being someone's friend is forcing them to do things sometimes when you know they'll be fun in the end. That way they end up appreciating you more, even when they thought they wouldn't."

Cindy gave her a pointed stare. "Does this have anything to do with the fact that you and Huey's relationship is basically doomed?"

"Cindy!" Caesar yelled at his inconsiderate girlfriend, throwing his hands up; across the table, Maya's eyes burned with anger. "What the hell?!"

"Well, it's true! I mean, damn." Cindy poked out her lower lip. "Ain't like no one ain't noticed."

"That don't mean you say it out loud!"

"I think it's a good idea. The party, I mean," Caesar added as Maya's jaw dropped. "Not Huey kicking you to the curb. That's a bad idea. A badddddddddd idea," He emphasized, just to keep the peace. Maya's nose turned upwards.

"Whatever. So, party or not?" She asked, voice significantly colder. Riley cackled.

"Yeah nigga yeah!"

"Sure."

"Okay."

"But-" Caesar winked at Cindy "There's gotta be lots of hot wings and other food Huey hates."

"Ah! Right!" Cindy clapped her hands enthusiastically; she loved planning out events, especially if they had anything to do with being social. "And there's gotta be a cake-"

"A HUGE chocolate cake that'll make his face do that funny look it does when he hates something-"

"And loud degrading rap music-"

"Even though he hates dancing-"

"And mistletoe! Cause it's the Christmas season," Cindy added, winking. "Wouldn't be bad for many of us."

Caesar pouted. "Long as you ain't under any. With anyone else, I mean."

"Awww-"

"Boo!" Riley cut in, throwing a piece of bread at the two lovebirds. "Aye! Cut that shit out!"

"Hater," Cindy muttered.

"I don't know about mistletoe..." Maya glanced over at Jazmine, eyebrows knitting together. "Maybe that's not such a good idea."

"Girl, boo. It's a great idea!" Cindy batted her eyelashes at Caesar. "Right, baby?"

Caesar, drawn into her gaze (as usual) replied, his expression dazed, "Y-yeah."

Giving him a pat on the head ("What am I, a dog?!") she set her eyes on Riley.

"Right?"

"Aye. If it gets broads to kiss me without me havin to pay, it's all good." Riley slurped down his root beer as if to make a point. Cindy turned back towards Maya, flashing her an innocent grin with her pearly whites.

"Then it's all set!" She told them. "A surprise party for Huey on...let's see...his birthday's the fifteenth, which is Sunday. So his party should be the fourteenth!"

"Yeah! PARTY!" Caesar cheered, punching his fists in the air and knocking the lunch tray clean out of a passing white boy's hand. "Can I be DJ?"

"Hey! That was my soup!" The boy whined, noodles and yellow broth clinging to his shirt, glasses, and hair. Cindy threw her arms around her clumsy lover, burying her face in his neck.

"Of course!"

"Are you guys even listening to me?" The boy pressed furiously.

"Well, we should write this all down before Huey gets back." Maya whipped a small pad and pen out of her purse. The boy stomped his foot before storming off, droplets of soup flying.

"I hate you people!"

"And remember." Riley looked around the group, his eyes in a rare serious glare. "Whatever y'all do, no one tell Huey."

"Hey, Huey!" A girl in Huey and Jazmine's Chemistry class asked the next morning, pausing at the edge of their station as she carried a beaker filled with a fizzy blue liquid back to her desk. "Are you going to your party Saturday?"

Huey rolled his eyes, gloved hands prodding at his own beaker. "Of course not," He said sarcastically. "I hate Huey Freeman. I wouldn't go to any of his parties if he paid me."

The girl gave him a puzzled look before slowly turning forward again, heading back for her desk. "White people."

"Some of these tests," The teacher called over the noise of the student's chatter as they did their experiments as he passed out their graded tests, his nose upturned. "Were abysmal." He dropped a graded packet on a girl's desk near the front. Glancing at her grade, she burst into tears. "Some were just-" Gliding past Jazmine's side of the station he dropped her's on it as well. Huey noticed Jazmine wince upon seeing her grade. "-horrific. And others-" Sweeping in front of Huey he dropped his own test in front of his arranged beakers, careful not to hit the heater underneath them. "Were quite impressive."

Huey noticed Jazmine craning her neck to see his score, her eyes failing to maintain their look of indifference. "If you want to see it, just ask," Huey said stiffly. Jazmine shook her head rapidly, her nappy ponytail, extremely rare to be seen on her these days, flapping on the top of her head. She was silently recording the results of their experiment while he actually did the experiment. He did the work, she solved the problems, and they both came up with the answers. Verbal communication wasn't needed, apparently.

He knew he should be concentrating on anything else. Like the fact that his friends were forcing him to have a party to celebrate his birthday, for one. Or maintaining his 99.4 percent average he had in Chemistry. He would've even done better to focus on his Calculus grade. He'd hate to admit it, but without Jazmine's help his A was steadily dropping and was barely above a B. At least he wasn't as bad off as her; her Chemistry grade was now so low it would be a miracle if she could get back up to a B by spring.

Maybe that's why he was so perturbed by her behavior; beause he seemed to care more about the state of her grades than she herself did. That just wasn't normal.

"Jazmine." He knew he was breaking their pact of silence (when it had became that way he had no idea but it was so routine it was beginning to feel natural) but he couldn't stay silent. Before he thought he'd like it if she didn't talk as much. He never knew how wrong he was. If Jazmine heard him she didn't let on; she continued to write and monitor the progress of the beakers as if he hadn't made a sound. "Jazmine," he repeated. Finally, she looked up, her eyes magnified from behind her glasses making her resemble a bug.

It was cute, in a way.

"What?"

"How are your parents?" That had to be what was up with her lately. Right?

Jazmine shrugged, her attention returning to her paper. "Fine, I guess."

More silence. 'Great,' Huey thought.

"Well...how are your dance classes going?" Huey Freeman trying to make conversation. Ha. What a switch.

Jazmine blinked at him. "Fine," She repeated. She dropped her head again, her pencil still scribbling against the worksheets. "Hey, Huey?"

"What?" He was surprised by the relief he felt at her words. "What is it?"

Jazmine paused before pointing towards one of the beakers. "Is that Sodium Chloride in that one? Or is it the one on the end?"

Huey slumped, dejected. "The first one. The one on the end is Sulfur."

"Thanks." Jazmine began erasing at something before resuming her writing. Huey groaned.

"Jazmine, when are you going to stop?"

Genuinely confused, Jazmine looked up again. "You want me...to stop helping?"

"No! I want you to be normal! Or normal for you, anyways."

Jazmine blinked. "How am I acting now?"

"You're acting like something's taken over you or something!" Huey snapped, causing her to flinch. "We don't ever talk to you. We never see you outside of school. And when I do see you you're always quiet, or falling asleep in class, or just dazed or with Marcus or whatever! Why don't you do us all a favor and just tell us what's bothering you?"

"I-"

"Is it your family? Is school stressing you out? Cause you know i'd help you if-"

"It isn't school, it isn't home and it isn't anything!" Jazmine suddenly screamed, causing the entire class to freeze and stare at her, mouths agape. "It's none of your business! I just want everybody to LEAVE ME ALONE!"

While everyone else, including the teacher, looked on with shocked expressions, Huey stayed calm. "Jazmine," He started quietly.

"Why can't you just leave me alone, Huey?"

"Jazmine." Huey's voice was even softer.

"No!" Jazmine jumped to her feet, fists clenched at her side. Tears pricked her eyes, spilling over. "I'm sick of everyone getting mad just because i'm tired of being bothered! I'M SO FUCKING SICK OF IT!"

"Ms. DuBois!" The teacher snapped, making her jump. "Calm down."

Jazmine glared at him, nostrils flared. "No."

"Jazmine." Huey's voice, still calm, was now firm. "Look-"

"Ms. DuBois, don't think I won't hesitate to kick you out my class-"

"I don't give a damn!" Jazmine snapped, already reaching for her books. "I'll leave myself!"

"Jazmine!" Huey yelled this time, grabbing her wrist, her eyes snapping to his. "Listen to me!"

He hadn't known what he was going to say. He just knew that Jazmine DuBois didn't yell at anyone unless she had a reason. She didn't start screaming over something someone said to her, especially not in the middle of class. Especially not when Huey Freeman was the one who said it. She had reached a breaking point from something, he just didn't know what it was. And he needed to know.

Because he didn't know how much longer he could deal with seeing her like this...

"Just calm down," He said, his eyes refusing to leave her's. Her own eyes, too burnt up with anger to connect, hardened.

"Let me go," She said coolly. Huey's own eyes matched her's.

"No."

"Let," She breathed, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Me go."

"Not until you tell me what's wrong," Huey demanded, not even bothering to care that the entire class was witnessing their exchange. Jazmine's mouth clamped shut, her arm trying in vain to pull away from his strong grasp.

For a moment, the anger faded from her eyes, the intense sadness and frustration she'd hidden from him exposed. But then the bell rang, and it was gone.

"Get OFF me!" She screamed, wrenching her arm out of his slackened grip and snatching her book up. She stormed out the classroom, the eyes of their peers lingering on the doorway even after her departure. The teacher cleared his throat, jumping up from his stupor.

"Right! So um, you guys clean up your stations and turn in the recordings from the lab!" He yelled over the sudden commotion. "Don't worry about the homework assignment tonight, we'll discuss it in class tomorrow. And make sure you don't spill any of the clear liquid, it's corrosive to most surfaces-"

Huey wasn't paying attention. Not because of Jazmine's shouting; no, he'd get over that. However, all he was seeing was the play and replay in his head of Jazmine's wrist. Her right wrist, which had been covered up by her long sleeved sweater. The sleeve, which had come up in her haste to grab her stuff and get out the classroom.

He could've sworn he'd seen a bruise where her sleeve had once been.

"Ima beat yo ass on this train!
We on da marta and i'm fittin to do my thang
You thought I couldn't freestyle on you, boo?
You got five minutes to apologize for yo shit, ho-"

"Riley, what the hell are you talking about?" Huey asked.

"What?" Riley looked up from his math book. "I saw it on youtube! Dat bitch was wilin and freestylin. It ain't make no since when she said "get my sheep" but-"

"Uh huh." Huey shook his head. "Where's granddad?"

"He upstairs on myspace." Riley rolled his eyes before making gagging sounds, clutching his throat. "He locked his door so he probably takin sum more naked pics of himself. Who he thinks wants to see dat I aunno, but-"

"Oh." Huey looked back down to his own laptop. "Damn. I needed to ask him something."

"What?"

"Nothing." When Riley raised an eyebrow at his contradicting response Huey sighed. "It's about Jazmine."

"Ah." Riley grinned, tossing his math book over his shoulder; it thumped loudly in the middle of the floor. "So you finally realize you love dat broad?"

"No! It's not about that!" Huey snapped.

"But you do love her."

Glaring, Huey rolled his eyes. "I'm serious, Riley."

"You always are. An i'm surious too!" His younger brother added. "Shit, Maya needs ta go. She can't braid hair, she can't do math, she can't cook, and if she call me lil' bro one more time ima get A Pimp Named Slickback on her crazy ass-"

"Riley-"

"What do you see in her? I know I thought u was gay an all but I get it, u ain't! U can dump the ho now!"

"Riley!" Huey put down his book. "For the last time, not all woman are hoes!"

"Enuff of em are." Riley sat back on the couch, nodding as if that settled it. "Yea." Smirking, he added "You never answered my question. What u need to talk ta granddad fo?"

Huey glared at him. "None of your business."

"Ooh, so suddenly I can't know bout somethin cause it ain't mah business." Riley got up, heading for the kitchen, his voice raising higher and higher the further away he became. "Cuz it ain't like I'm yo brother. Ain't like we came form the same womb. Shit, don't expect me to claim yo ass when niggas on the street wanna kill you bitch ass cuz u tryin to push yo views on people, and dey all going "Aye! Nigga wit tha Afro! Shut the fuck up fo I blow yo ass up! Then what? Yo terrorist lookin eyebrow havin gat damn-""

"What," Huey asked, draping his arm over the side of the couch. "Are you talking about?"

"Oh, you'll know!" Riley stuck his head back into the living room before slowly backing away once again. "Nigga you'll recognize."

Shaking his head again Huey picked up the phone. His granddad was...well, he didn't want to think about what he was doing, but he knew he wouldn't be able to help Huey. Hell, Riley couldn't even help Huey tie his shoes let alone give him advice on something.

Which was why Huey dialed one of his best friends, someone who he knew he could confide in with about anything(no matter how gay Riley insisted that analogy was). Someone who kept it real. Someone who had seen it all.

Because you've got to know how to survive when you was raised in Brooklyn.

"What's good hommes?" Huey heard Caesar shout into the phone over some loud music. Huey snickered. His mom was probably out because if she was home there was no way she'd ever let the music get that loud. Tugging the phone cord so that the phone didn't feel as if it were going to fly out his hands, Huey cleared his throat.

"Aye man...how much do you know about abuse?"

"Here."

Jazmine gasped as a red and green envelope was thrust under her nose by a pale white hand. Glancing to the owner of the hand she saw Cindy, her clothes festive and full of holiday cheer. Her expression, though, was anything other than that.

"It's for Huey's party." Cindy's voice held no warmth whatsoever and it made Jazmine frown. "It's Saturday. That is, if you even bothered remembering his birthday's Sunday."

A lump formed in Jazmine's throat. "How could I forget?" She asked softly. Cindy snorted.

"You forget everything else. Friends, social life-" She ticked off each item with her fingers. "Loyalty."

"How am I not being loyal?"

"Forget it." Cindy tossed her a dirty look which had an obvious meaning: Bitch, you on my shit list. "I only invited you because Caesar said it's a good idea. That maybe-" There was such sarcasm on the word "maybe" Jazmine's face turned red. "-since he's supposedly your closest friend out of all of us you'd show him a little more kindness than you've been giving us the past few weeks. Then again, after what happened yesterday, he might've been wrong."

Jazmine flinched, remembering how she'd freaked out on Huey. The only of her friends who had still tried to talk to her, who had been worried about her, and she'd pushed him away. She hadn't meant to, but she just couldn't let him find out what was happening. No matter what happened to her it wouldn't be anything close to the pain she'd feel if anything happened to him or anyone else she loved. "I wasn't trying to yell at him-"

"But you did. So get over it." Jazmine wasn't used to being on the receiving end of Cindy's notoriously short temper and boy, did it hurt. "I ain't gonna beg you to come, DuBois. You do what you wanna do. It doesn't really matter anymore."

Jazmine glanced at her watch. 2:16. Shit.

Marcus was probably outside already, waiting for her in his car. God forbid she was late, she'd be in for the worst shouting match and smackdown fest since World War 2. She'd even resorted to cutting her last class, English (which was another painful situation all in itself; she had to miss out on the opportunity to stare at the back of Huey's head for a full fifty five minutes), just to make it out on time. Even then, depending on his mood, she wasn't safe.

"Cindy, I-"

"Yeah, yeah. Jazzy gotta go." Cindy let the invitation fall to the floor at Jazmine's feet, already bumping past her. "Tell your cheap Bobby Valentino wannabe boyfriend I said hi."

Jazmine closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. Bending down to retrieve the invitation off the floor she slid it in her purse, hurriedly zipping it back up before slowly heading towards the student parking lot.

He was already going to be mad. No use in rushing to her fate.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY HUEY!"

"Oh, my god," Huey gasped as Maya threw her arms around his neck, squeezing him so tightly the air was forced out of his lungs. "Can't...breathe...Maya, please..."

"Girl, get off of him!" Cindy said, tugging her away and laughing. All around them the party pulsed on, the bass in the surround sound causing the floor to shake. "Tryin to kill him just before he turns eighteen. What's wrong with you?"

The Freeman house was packed with people; people Huey knew, people Huey sort of knew, people who he didn't know, and people who'd come with the people he didn't know who he'd never seen in his life. Friends, friend's cousins, friend's cousin's sister's godmother's nephews were there, and he was pretty surprised that the police hadn't been called due to a noise complaint yet. Even more, he was still amused that his granddad even let Riley and Cindy throw a party in his "perfect piece of suburbia" house.

"Shit, all yo ass do is study. You ain't grown yet! Have a little fun!" Granddad had pat his shoulder, ignoring his slackjaw expression. "Me and Tom are meeting some cutie pies from that "Bookface" anyways."

"Facebook?"

"Nigga hush!"

Now Huey watched as Caesar, who'd been in charge of music until some white guy came up and offered his services, take Cindy's hand and twirl her around in the crowded living room, teenagers pushing everyone each and every way. He knew it was his party, but he was just as content to stand in the corner and drink punch (which thankfully wasn't spiked...yet) watching everything happen than be a part of it. It wasn't like no one was coming up to harass him anyway.

Ah. The joys of being the birthday boy.

"Yea, nigga!" Some guy in a fitted and a too long white tee ran up, giving the Afro headed radical some dap. "You eighteen!"

Huey nodded. "Yeah. I am."

"Now you can buy some smokes, and go to jail, and buy porn, and aye! Yo, I'll hook you up, my cousin Carlos's lil sister Angie's got a half cousin from Argentina who's got that good stuff and-"

"Huey!" Maya sang, drawing up to his side the way bees did to honey; Huey forced down the urge to groan. Between random people reminding him how he could purchase "deathsticks" and be incarcerated now, Maya had been at his side for the last two hours. He knew she was his girlfriend and all, and maybe he was wrong for feeling this way, but...why couldn't she just leave him the hell alone once in a while? "Okay, so when are we cutting the cake?"

"When i'm ready to cut the cake?" He guessed sarcastically, raising his cup. The boy who'd been talking to him about heaven only knew what walked off, another guy coming to stand in his place.

Well, at least he wasn't one of the many girls who'd tried to catch him under the multiple bunches of mistletoe strung around the house. That Cindy and her twisted humor. Now that he thought about it, no wonder Maya had been hanging around him the entire evening.

"Aye Huey, my nigga!"

Huey stared at him. "Who are you?"

Maya suddenly stiffened beside him and he looked at her, concerned. It was at that moment that the man seemed to notice her as well.

"Maya! Girl, how you been?" He tipped his hat. "Been good since Marcus's party?"

Huey looked from the guy back to Maya, back to the guy. His eyebrow raised. "Who is he?"

Maya swallowed, putting on a smile. "Nobody! He's...nobody, sweetie." She gave the guy a stern glance. "Right?"

Realizing his mistake the boy glanced around, then waved his hand. "Aw, shit!" He laughed, grabbing his sides. "Yo, my bad nigga. I'm mad TRIPPIN. It's the punch yo, I think somebody spiked dat shit-"

"They haven't." Huey's tone was smooth as ice. "I've been watching it the whole night."

The boy's smile faded. "Oh. Well...happy birthday, son."

Huey waited for the guy to push through the crowd before turning on Maya, his jaw set. "Who was that?" He asked. Maya shrugged, although she looked guilty.

"I...don't know."

"You do know!"

"I don't!" Maya rolled her eyes. "Damn, how do you even know I know him?"

"He knew your name!" Huey snapped, grateful that at least the kitchen was clear, minus a few people who'd ventured in for food. And really, who gave a damn about them? "He says you were at Marcus's party...I thought you had to work that night?"

"I did!" Maya shot back, rising to stare up into his furious eyes. "I just got off earlier than anticipated. He's nobody, Huey!"

"If he's nobody," Huey challenged in a dark tone. "Then why can't you tell me who he is?"

"Because he's nobody!" Maya screamed. Huey blinked at her in response.

"Baby," She started as she reached for him; Huey raised up his hand, blocking her attempts.

"Don't talk to me," He advised, putting his cup down by the punch bowl on the counter and walking towards the back door. Maya watched him, her eyes filling with tears.

"Huey, please-"

"I said," Huey said, his voice quiet but still intimidating; the few people who had been in the kitchen all tensed up before backtracking out of the room. "Don't. Talk. To. Me."

Maya closed he mouth, a lone tear falling down her face. Usually crying girls made Huey feel pretty uncomfortable, but not right now. He was too angry to even consider her feelings. Yeah, consider her feelings just like she'd considered his.

Throwing open the back door he turned towards it to pull it shut, slamming it with a bang.

And spinning around again, he found himself nose to nose with no one other than Jazmine DuBois.

This...was just...suicide.

God, her friends hated her, her boyfriend threatened her on a daily basis, and her dad was out on a "date" (which meant her mother was holding herself up in her room, crying under the covers. What was wrong with her family?). And the guy who she'd tried so hard to stop loving? Yeah, it hadn't worked.

At least she'd succeeded in making him hate her, though. Then again, he probably hadn't been that far off from feeling that way before she went cookoo bananas on him.

Happy holidays her ass.

She'd meant to be inconspicuous. Marcus had dropped her back home after their date (which consisted of him talking to her over dinner and her shooting him glares of hatred when his attention was elsewhere) and left, but not before letting her know he'd call her when he got home. And by telling her he'd meant it as "your ass better answer the phone or you'll regret it". Charming guy, he was.

So the plan had been to sneak into the Freeman's backyard and slip Huey's gift underneath the door. It had his name on the envelope in her familiar loopy scrawl so it wasn't like he'd mistaken it for trash. He'd better not, anyways. Along with the gift she'd written a note of apology, promising that she'd explain one day. She hadn't elaborated or when that day would be (as if she knew herself) but she'd hoped it would work. It was similar to a farewell note more than anything. If the good lord allowed it she'd be accepted into Georgetown for next fall and he'd never see her again.

Jazmine still wasn't trying to think about that too much. A life barren of Huey Freeman. Didn't sound very promising.

But it did seem more inviting than a life with Marcus Taylor A.K.A. official female ass whooper.

So, creeping into Huey's backyard, trying not to slip on the ice patches along the sidewalk and blinking the snow that had begun to steadily fall out of her eyes, she reached the back door, envelope in gloved hand. Taking a deep breath, she'd squatted down to slide it under the door, muscles already tensed so she could make a dash for it.

And then, the door had swung open, no one other than Huey Freeman slamming it shut behind him, turning around so that his face was inches from her's.

Talk about embarrassing. Jazmine's cheeks now flamed and she took a step back, the heel of her boot slipping and sending her flailing backwards. At least, she would've fell if Huey, with his ninja like reflexes, hadn't reached out and grabbed the front of her coat, stabilizing her again. His eyes went form being narrowed in anger to being wide with surprise. Surprise...and something else.

"Jazmine?" His breath came out in gray fog before disappating in the air around them. "What the hell?"

"Sorry." She couldn't think of anything else to say and with everything going on, she thought it would best to just start every conversation with the five letter word. Pushing a strand of straightened hair out of her face she accidentally smudged a chunk of ice that had clung to her glove in her eye. "Crap!"

"What are you doing out here?" Huey demanded, sounding more surprised than angry. Jazmine stared into his deep eyes, her stomach flopping over. Well, at least he didn't sound angry like he'd seemed a few seconds before For whatever reason.

Maybe, just maybe he didn't hate her like she'd thought...

"Why are you here?"

Jazmine's hopes deflated faster than a helium balloon with a hole in it. She fished around uselessly for words.

Or...not.

"Well?" Huey's infinite amount of patience for her seemed to have significantly thinned out as his jaw was set, his eyes hard. "Say something." His voice, to her surprise, softened. "Anything."

Jazmine bit her lip, choosing to flash the envelope in his face instead of trusting her words to explain herself. "Here." When Huey took it with reluctant fingers she stepped back, clasping her hands behind her back. "Happy birthday."

Huey's eyebrow raised as he began to tear the envelope open. Not waiting to see his reaction Jazmine turned away to head back home.

"Whoa!" She looked over her shoulder to see Huey holding the wad of cash he'd pulled out the envelope, his eyes wide as saucers. "Whoa whoa whoa-"

"It's to go towards your transmission." Jazmine shrugged, shoving her hands in her pockets. She didn't feel the cold. She didn't feel anything. "Four hundred, right? That's how much you needed?"

Huey nodded slowly, his eyes still trained on the money in his hand, the envelope in the other. "Yeah. But Jazmine, this is five hundred."

"I know. You like suicide knobs, so i thought maybe you' want to get one while you were already getting your car all fixed." She stared at the ground, not liking the void of silence that followed her words. "Unless you already got one."

"No," Huey responded slowly, barely blinking. "I didn't." He shook his head, shoving the money back into the envelope. "Jazmine, I can't accept this."

"Yes," Jazmine shot back, looking up. "You can."

"It's too much!" Huey held the envelope out so she could take it back. "I'm not going to take it."

"Well, I'm not taking it back," the mulatto said stubbornly, marching back up to him and standing on her tiptoes to glare up into his eyes. "So looks like you're stuck with it. Might as well keep it since it's yours now."

Opening his mouth as if to argue more Huey sighed, pushing the envelope into the pocket of his dickies, to Jazmine's relief. "Fine." He stared down at her, snow catching itself in his dark hair. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Turning away again Jazmine flinched when Huey's hand grabbed her shoulder, pulling her back around to face him.

"I said "thank you" not "go the hell home"," Huey informed her sternly. "We need to talk."

Jazmine winced. Oh good lord.

"I've got a question." Jazmine's eyebrows shot up at that. She was the one with the questions and he was the one with the answers. How was he going around switching up the equation now? Instead of repeating this she gave him a curious stare.

"Okay."

Huey took a tiny step forward, closing in the distance between them. "I don't know if you're going to want to answer it," he elaborated. Jazmine's heart clenched in her chest.

He hadn't found out, had he?

"O-okay," She repeated, trying to keep her voice from wavering but failing miserably. Her hands tightened inside of her pockets as Huey opened his mouth.

"Do you love Marcus?"

The sentence, so unexpected, caught Jazmine off guard. Flabbergasted, her eyes widened at Huey, who was staring down at her so patiently and expectently, waiting for her answer.

The instant the question rang in her mind and fully processed Jazmine's first impulse was to laugh. Love Marcus? The one who'd made her have to resort to wearing oversized sweatshirts and long sleeved shirts all the time to hide the bruises? The one who presented her with so many elaborate gifts and trinkets as if he could buy her love? The one who trash talked her, called her a worthless whore, and made her want to crawl under a rock and disappear? Love him?

Hell no! Jazmine opened her mouth to say just that, then stopped. Marcus's threat flashed through her mind.

"And we all know how close you are to Huey. How would you be able to live with yourself if he were suddenly...not around?"

'I'd die,' Jazmine thought, shaking her head to rid herself of the silent reminded. She couldn't tell the truth. The truth would be too dangerous for him. She had no other choice...

"Yes." The mass that filled her throat caused her to cough, her voice strained. "Y-yes."

Huey's face fell. Jazmine couldn't think of a reason why that would happen, unless he'd suddenly remembered how much he hated her. Hell, she'd hate her too. At this moment she didn't hate anyone more than she did herself.

"Oh." He averted his eyes, nodding as if with realization. "Alright. It's just I thought..." He trailed off, rolling his eyes. "It doesn't matter what I thought."

Jazmine's throat was steady clogging, her eyes filling. All her eyes ever did was tear up these days. She was surprised her ducts weren't dryer than the Sahara yet. Lifting her eyes to the sky as if asking for the lord's help, her eyes met the gutter instead. They widened.

"Huey," She whispered, not even realizing she did until he was looking up to see what had her so entranced. "Mistletoe."

The small red and green plant was shaking wildly in the wind, which had just picked up as the snow grew thicker. Huey was the first to speak.

"Mistletoe." he made a face. "Caesar wasn't kidding when he said Cindy had stuck it everywhere possible." He shivered slightly against the cold. "It's such a stupid tradition. Stupid Christmas, stupid mistletoe-"

"But you love winter," Jazmine pointed out quietly. "And snow."

"Doesn't mean I have to like Christmas too."

"I guess not." She laughed nervously, her heart fluttering ever so softly as her eyes lingered on the flower above their heads. "Well, I guess I'll be going." She shook her head, laughing again. "Mistletoe. Who even thought of something so ridiculous?"

'The same idiots who commercialized Christmas." Huey's eyes hadn't left the plant as well. Jazmine nodded, trying to calm her heart, which for some reason had decided to come back to life. "It's a pagan holiday."

"I know. You talk about it every year." Jazmine wiped snow out of her eyes, which were still tearing, only now it was more form the wind. "I guess you should get inside to the party..."

"Yeah..."

The two gave each other another nervous glance before averting gazes again; Jazmine cleared her throat, spinning around. The one perfect excuse to kiss Huey Freeman, and neither one of them were taking the bait. How could she after just falsely admitting her love for Marcus? Not that he'd want to kiss her anyways. "Well, happy birthday, Huey."

Before she could take a step forward, however, huey's hand was grabbing her arm, whirling her back around. She couldn't help but gasp as she flew into his chest, her hand flopping over his heart to stop herself from completely falling into him. She could feel the strong beating through his sweater, the beating that was so powerful, yet so soft. Her eyes nervously lifted to meet his.

"What...are you doing?"

"Mistletoe." Huey nodded up towards it, his eyes not leaving her's. "It's a tradition."

Jazmine squinted up at him. "You hate tradition."

Huey shrugged carelessly, wiping the damp moisture away from her cheek, his head lowering closer to her's; Jazmine could feel his breath, warm and sweeter than she'd ever remembered it being, on her skin. "Some traditions aren't so bad to follow..."

Jazmine meant to recoil away, to stop before both of them would end up regretting it but it was too late; Huey's eyes were already closing, his lips so close to her's. Jazmine felt her eyes flutter shut as well, bracing herself as she felt the pressure of his lips softly coming down on her's.

As if a jolt hit them both she suddenly felt a shocking sensation pierce through her body; instinctively she pulled Huey closer to her, her hands around his neck. Huey in return wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into him so that she was against his solid chest, her heart pounding so rapidly in her chest it was as if it would burst at any given second. One of his hands moved up to her chin so he could tilt her head upward, deepening their kiss. Jazmine stood up as high on her toes as she could, dragging him closer down to her height...

"What the fuck?!"

Huey and Jazmine jerked apart to see Maya standing in the now open doorway, her mouth open and her expression twisted in such an expression of fury Jazmine could feel the heat radiating off her body. Pressing a hand sub consciously to her lips she took a step back, looking up fearfully into Huey's face.

"What the fuck was that shit about?" Maya growled, her fists clenched and her teeth grinding together angrily. she looked from one to the other, neither of them speaking. "Huh? Neither of you can talk? You-" Maya pointed a finger towards Jazmine, who was shaking with a mixture of fear and anger. "-can kiss my boyfriend, but you can't get enough balls to explain it to me?"

"Mistletoe," She said weakly. Maya snorted, her eyes so piercing Jazmine cringed.

"You slut." Maya's tone was low and dangerous. "You stupid two timing slut!"

"Maya-" Huey started but Maya held up a hand, silencing him.

"You turn around," She said slowly. "And do this? After what I did for you?"

Huey glanced down at Jazmine, confused. "Did what?"

"The bitch knows what!" Maya screamed. "Tell him, Jazzy!" Jazmine squeezed her eyes shut, dreading the girl's next words. "Huh? You won't do it? I gotta tell him?"

"Shut-"

"The whore gets drunk at Marcus's party and I drove her home!" Maya snapped, stomping her foot. "The stupid, so called innocent bitch decides to get drunk! And then she's all up afterwards blubbering "Oooh, I don't know what happened. Wah wah wah." Guess what? I saw you coming from downstairs!" Maya's tone was hysterical. "I saw you coming downstairs, and Marcus had been upstairs! It doesn't take a genius to put two and two together!"

Huey's eyes sharpened and he glanced at Maya, then down at Jazmine. "You didn't."

"Everyone knows she did!" Maya said, dark brown eyes narrowed at Jazmine. "And then you have the nerve-"

"I-" Jazmine tried to speak, but nothing else came out. Dejected, she hung her head. "I can't...I just-"

"Come on." Maya grabbed onto Huey's arm, steering him towards the door. "We've got some discussing to do and a cake to cut." She opened the door, eyes cutting towards the tearing mulatto. "Slut."

Jazmine couldn't care less what Maya said; it was Huey's reaction that made her cringe. because all he did before going in the house was look at her, his eyes so much colder and distant than they'd been just a minute before. "Huey," She tried, her throat ashen.

He'd felt something in that kiss. She knew it. She'd felt it even though she'd tried so hard to deny it and he'd had to have felt it. Besides, he'd kissed her! Couldn't he see? Didn't he know that she just couldn't tell him?

Even as she remembered her reasons, for the first time her mind asked, 'Is it really better for us this way?'

Huey shook his head, already closing her out. "It doesn't matter what you two do, Jazmine," He said, the door already closing on her. "After all, he is the one you love."

And with that, the door shut. The party was still in full swing, yet Jazmine didn't even notice it as she dropped to her knees, sobbing into her hands.

So this was how it felt to finally die inside.

Um...please don't hurt me...oh come on! You didn't think it would be THAT easy, did you?

:is shot:

Guess so. :runs for cover:

-Kelsey