...Heh...well...look who decided to fucking update, yeah? I know a few followers have asked me, but if I have anyone still standing, that's great. Over the years I've gotten alerts that people were watching and adding this story to their favorites. Thanks, and I'm sorry. Roses will be completed you guys

Without further ado

Roses

Disclaimer, don't own Boondocks.

Playing With Fire

Cindy felt like pure shit. Sofia hadn't spoke to her a whole month after her birthday. It's December now and she wasn't about to go into a whole new year without them speaking. Once again, she went in Sofia's room.

"Can we please talk, Sofia? How many times do you want me to apologize? I know me being high wasn't an excuse but honestly? This shit is why I get high!" Cindy yelled frustrated. Around the time she started taking the drugs, Riley was stressing her out, their relationship was stressing her out, and the pressure of her team was stressing her out. She's currently going under detox and one of the side effects of stopping heroin cold turkey were stomach pains, it was killing her to stand at the moment. She would ever so often quietly throw up in her bath room. And she was going at this all alone.

She didn't want to tell Jazmine, she couldn't understand and she'd probably try to send her off to rehab. Riley really was out of the question because he'd seek help from Huey, who'd do nothing but use it against her and urge him to break up with her. Ayanna and Ming weren't all that close to her, their loyalty primarily lied with Sofia, they wouldn't move for Cindy unless given the say-so. They attended her basketball games for her; they haven't been around since Sofia stopped talking to her. The group was once again divided, well even more so divided. Ming had her cold war with Ceasar still and refused to be anywhere near him.

This year was ending horribly.

"Sofia please, I'm getting sober, I've been sober."

"What was it?"

"What?" Cindy blinked, not expecting her to talk. She turned in her chair, facing her.

"What was it you were high on?"

"….Heroin."

"…..Where the hell are you getting heroin from?" Sofia sat up in her chair, "That Bambino guy? Ed and Rummy? Cindy, cut it out and stop hanging around those guys. I bet they don't even do that bullshit."

Woodcrest was having a heroin problem too. As of late, videos of people staggering and limping on public transit were common. Of course, a Wuncler was the culprit of the city's current epidemic. Sofia wasn't exactly thrilled about this hitting so close to home, no matter who it happened to be.

"I will…" Cindy said quietly. She turned back to her desk, "I forgive you, now get out, you're interrupting my studies."

Once again, the cousins were on speaking terms.

/

Ayanna and Ming were out in the mall, Ming had called her out. Their relationship was still on shaky ground, being that Ayanna was still with Caesar, she never did get to tell her what she was about to tell her back in October. The blow up between Cindy and Sofia was bad enough, and it really seemed that as soon as there was peace within the circle, something else would always come up. Deciding not to add to the frenzy, Ming was quiet, until now.

"Ming, I'm glad you called me out here, we really haven't properly talked ever since we argued. I'd like to apologize. I wasn't thinking." Ayanna looked away from Ming's hard gaze.

"Ayanna, remember when I was about to tell you something at the haunted house?"

"I do. What were you going to say?"

Ming sighed as she laced her hands together, "Ayanna. I'm not supposed to even tell you this. Sofia believed you needed tough love and figure it out on your own, looking back, she probably only said that because she was mad about how you did me."

Ayanna bit her lip, feeling ashamed; it wasn't like Sofia wasn't wrong. She understood that reasoning. Life is always the best teacher for the harshest lessons.

"This is about Caesar. Now, I don't know if he still is, but, I know for a fact that around the time you two first got together, he was having sex with Stacey. I know this because Daphne told me herself."

Ming watched Ayanna's face go through the motions. She stood up and walked over to her side of the table and wrapped her arm around her shoulders.

All Ayanna could do in that moment was cry.

/

Huey was looking out the window in his room. Riley was making a fuss of his birthday coming up but he couldn't help but feel…off. He's been feeling on edge all day. The clouds were grey, rolling in with rain perhaps. He couldn't shake something…awful was on the verge of happening. What was this feeling? Jazmine told him once, but he never believed in it. Intuition! That was the word. His eyes happened to fall on Daphne and Franci's house. He still hadn't apologized to Daphne and he couldn't help but feel his shit had something to do with Ayanna's hair getting cut off, and that guilt resonated in his stomach for months. He never spoke aloud about it.

"Riley…I'm…going out."

"What? Where? Were you even listening to me about your birthday? What do you think about my idea?"

"….Man I wasn't listening, I'm sorry," Huey walked over to the closet to get his bomber jacket, "I have a feeling something bad is about to happen…something…just….wrong. I never felt this strong about anything for a while."

Huey wanted redemption, but something was telling him he was far too late.

"Until this feeling is gone…hold off on the celebratory plans…I really don't deserve it right now."

Riley wordlessly watched Huey leave the room. Bundled up, Huey walked to the nearest grocery store. They sold flowers all year round and he picked up a single rose. After checking out, he faced the bitter cold and made his way back to the neighborhood.

His palms got sweaty despite it being below freezing outside. His heart was beating fast as he knocked on Daphne's door, and waited. The more he bit and licked at his lips, the dryer they were getting. He assumed she knew it was him and decided not to answer. After a while, he stopped bracing himself for impact and turned to leave when the door finally opened.

When they were face to face, Huey lost all nerve. He assumed she wasn't going to answer the door, but now that she had, all of what he wanted to say got jumbled in his mind. Without any tact, he handed her the rose.

"Sorry." He muttered.

'Okay, this was not how it was supposed to go, get your shit together Huey Freeman.'

"I didn't mean to do what I did to you…I thought honesty would be better than lying. I got problems with my bluntness and I never intended to hurt you. But I want to add that what you and your sister's friend did to Ayanna was beyond fucked up. If you wanted to start shit, I'd rather you had cut my hair…at least I'd deserve it. I'm not the only one who was with the shit in this situation." Huey wanted to give himself some sort of credit still.

Still not speaking, Daphne took the rose.

"Roses were my mom's favorite flower, and could speak things better than humans could. It's…it's my way of saying I really am sorry."

Huey winced when she ripped the flower to pieces, ignoring the thorns occasionally pricking her hand.

"I don't want your apologies, I never did. I want something much more than that. You think you can waltz up over here months later and expect me to just….accept it? In the real world Huey, not everyone will be swayed by fucking flowers with a speech. And as far as Ayanna goes…you need to be more focused on the people in your circle, I have a sneaking suspicion that there is someone among you that did way worse than me."

Huey frowned, "How can it get any worse than assaulting her for no reason?" Daphne smiled and walked out towards him, getting on her tip toes, she whispered something that was quite the doozy.

"Try sleeping with the very girl that cut her hair for a start?" she giggled as she pulled away, enjoying the look of shock and straight disbelief Huey couldn't hide on his face.

"Play with fire, you get burnt bitch," Daphne smiled in triumph, "Merry Christmas, happy new year. Have fun cleaning that hot mess up."

Her evil laugh cut through the air before she closed the door.

Huey just stood there…not knowing where to start with his thoughts. He reached into his jacket and called the one person he knew could remain the most stable in the entire tempest.

"Freeman?" Sofia asked once she answered the phone.

"…..I….I didn't know who else to call…we really need to talk. Could you meet me at the hill?"

"Sure, I'll be right out."

Sofia trekked up the hill to meet Huey. He sounded distant over the phone; she wondered what on earth he wanted to talk to her about. Her boots crunched the ice and snow under her during her silent travel. When she finally reached the top, she saw the oldest Freeman brother waiting for her.

"What's up?" Sofia asked. Huey shook his head before gripping his temple.

"I…I don't even know. I'm so lost right now I can't deal. I have no idea what kind of person I've been letting in my house, near my friends. Sofia, I…I'm the reason Ayanna's hair got cut. And the worst part about it all is that it wasn't even a mistake, it was a shitty decision. It's costing me way more than it was worth."

Huey told Sofia everything from beginning to end, ending with him finding out Caesar was messing with Stacey. Huey couldn't read Sofia's face, but he could understand if she hated him for what happened.

"…Huey….Ming and I knew what he did already. They told us to make friction within the group, I didn't tell her because she flipped out on Ming and I wanted her to learn the hard way because that was the only way she'd ever learn…and I was angry she'd distrust us over some stranger but Huey your part was just-" she sighed heavily.

"Why did you do that?"

"I don't know! I'm young and dumb maybe?"

"You're too intelligent to not have known better, Freeman." Sofia crossed her arms. She already knew Jazmine would be yelling at him, being that she could tell she didn't know the severity of how Huey chose to break it off, now they're all at the mercy of a scorned teenage girl. Caesar wasn't even a part of the plan, he just made things worse on his own accord, and that right there is what made Sofia detest him. He was flighty, did whatever he wanted and never really respected anyone outside of Huey. But he's a liar; he's been lying to Huey for a while. The person Huey was around wasn't the same person that has been the root of conflict for everyone else.

Like a true sociopath.

"You know, Caesar told me about him going to therapy," Huey paused, "I didn't think to ask what for."

"That's also why Ming didn't tell Ayanna off the bat. Huey I understand people have problems, but what we're not about to do is use our inner demons as an excuse to hurt people. Huey, he is hurting people…you hurt people."

"I didn't like him for what he said about my father, I didn't like him for trying to break up the friendship of my own friends, and I especially do not like him for consorting with the enemy."

"Huey, we've been having this problem for way too long, I believe it's time we resolve this issue. But, thank you for telling me. I do not like how my friend was dragged into your madness, but we will sort it out. I suppose Caesar is too secretive to be caught, so I suppose we rip this band aid off and end the circus. I'm telling her, and you need to confront him."

Sofia looked off into the horizon, the cold wind hitting her eyes made her wince.

"The new year will not be so kind to us. But we'll find a way. Thanks for telling me, Freeman."

"You're Ayanna's friend and the only one in the group that hasn't railroaded anyone with bullshit; I knew talking to you would…bring some type of clarity. You're pretty stable, kid."

Sofia smiled, "Stable is the last adjective I'd use to describe myself. I'm…being strong for the people closest to me. When my father was sick back at home…I had no one to lean on, not even my own mother. I was…lonely for a spell…I don't just open to everyone. But I do want to be there for the people I do care about, so they don't have to feel what I felt."

Loose strands of her black hair that was up in a high bun whipped in the wind as she continued, "And you know my relationship with Cindy is so…toxic I can't even say if I'll ever just…appreciate her presence. Every time it looks like we're going to be okay, something falls through to where we fight each other. I already decided I'm getting out that house as soon as I'm eighteen. I can't be around her anymore."

She shook her head, Cindy was reminding her more of her mother by the day, and adding on the fact she's already a recovering heroin addict just like Sofia's mother isn't bolding well for her. Cindy spelled doom, her whole family was miserable. The McPhearson name had all the money to buy anything, but they had no peace.

"I understand, you're a good friend. Sorry my brother has been such a turd to you for so long." Huey stretched out his hand and in turn Sofia shook it.

"Huey I don't even care about that anymore. He's stopped, now he's just acting weird. But I must go now, it's cold. I'd like to get back to my warm quarters. I now need to mentally brace myself for tomorrow." She let a soft laugh escape. Huey nodded as the pair went their separate ways. Sofia was almost home when her cell phone rang, she was really popular today.

"Hello?"

"She knows." Ming said into the phone.

Oh. So much for preparation.