Over a year later, and I'm writing.

It was almost Christmas, and there were still no leads on who attacked Jazmine. This made Huey angry, because like his friends, he wanted answers. Not only did he want answers, he wanted to kill whoever attacked Jazmine. He did it once before - albeit unintentionally - but who said that he couldn't do it again?

Huey, Jazmine, Riley, and Cindy all stayed in the hospital for about a week after the attacks, but were on strict bed rest for quite some time. Jazmine was the only one who was able to actually get up and move around, but she didn't want to go to school for the first few days back. However, she was prompted by Cindy to return to school for the few days leading up to their winter break, which Jazmine only agreed to go to as long as she got picked up immediately afterwards.

To say the least, Jazmine had grown distant since the attack. She still wore the bandages over her wounds even though she didn't really need to anymore, but she only did it because she didn't want to face them just yet. She also wore her glasses now instead of contacts, which was something she never did. Truthfully, she just didn't have the energy to put them in and do her makeup, which was her routine after putting her contacts on. She didn't seem to have the energy to do anything. She just had this somber, uninterested look in her eyes, like she was off in her own thoughts instead of being in reality.

Coming back to school proved to be a challenge. Not only was she stared at for her bandages, but she could clearly hear the rumors about Huey flying around her everywhere she went. She was with her friends at all times, who kept her company and tried to get her to ignore everyone else, but they didn't fully stop her from listening in on other people's conversations, and they certainly couldn't protect her from everyone's unwanted opinions.

Jazmine was glad that football season was finally over and that she could now take a break from cheerleading until the next semester for competition season. But not even this break could lift her mood.

It was the second to last day before the winter break, and Jazmine sat in the cafeteria with Ming and Hiro, who were keeping her company since she normally sat with Huey. She'd gotten a plain salad and some water, but she only stared at it as Hiro and Ming ate their food. They both noticed her disinterest, and glanced at each other nervously, unsure as to what they should do. Hiro opened his mouth several times to speak, but he would instantly clamp his mouth shut, believing that what he said might upset Jazmine in some way, shape, or form, and that was the last thing they needed to be doing.

Ming casually scanned the room, trying to make sure that they were not in range of anyone talking about Huey, but one person caught her eye. She groaned inwardly and leaned in closer to Hiro in order to whisper into his ear: "Mathew's coming over here, "she said, gesturing with her head. Hiro turned his attention to where Ming had gestured to and spotted the football jock making his way over, his eyes solely on Jazmine.

Hiro rolled his eyes, "Doesn't he have anything better to do? he whispered back, and Ming shook her head, "Obviously not, I can't believe he would even try this knowing Jazmine's current state." they shifted around, waiting for Mathew to approach so they could tell him off.

Mathew didn't even acknowledge the two as he pulled up a chair next to Jazmine, who barely even looked at him, "Hey Jazmine, glad to see your back," he said smoothly. Jazmine still didn't look at him, but she gave him a small nod. Mathew leaned his his down slightly to get a better look at her face, "I'm sorry about what happened with you and your friends," he said sincerely, which caught Ming and Hiro off guard. Even Jazmine had to look at him in somewhat disbelief, "Thank you," she said in a hushed voice. Mathew nodded, "I'm not here to bother you, even though I think you can do better than that gangster Freeman boy, I'm glad you're okay." he gave her a sincere half smile before getting up and walking away, still ignoring Hiro and Ming.

Ming rolled her eyes, "'Gangster'? Does he really think Huey's a gangster?" she shook her head, obviously annoyed. Hiro touched her arm gently to try and calm her down, "Don't bother with him," he said, "he's just trying to make himself look better."

Jazmine sighed, "Everyone's been saying that," she said in a low voice, "everyone's been asking me ever since I got back...if Huey's ever violent towards me, all because of that video." she pushed her food out of her way and laid her head down on the lunch table, covering herself with her arms, "Everyone's been acting like Huey's a bad guy, like he's dangerous, but I know he's not." her voice was muffled, but they were able to make out what she was saying.

"We know he's not dangerous," Ming said, but there was a hitch in her voice that made Jazmine suck in a quiet breath; she knew that even their friends were a little scared of Huey, even though they knew that what he'd done was only for self defense, "Huey only attacked because he was protecting Riley and Cindy," Hiro added, trying to ease the tension in the air, "he only did what anyone else would've done, it's just that no one wants to admit that they…," he trailed off.

Jazmine lifted her head back up to look at Hiro, "That they would kill someone with their bare hands?" she finished for him, although she knew that he wasn't going to say exactly that. Hiro sighed, "Jazmine, we don't think Huey's some kind of monster. We know that he only did what he did because he was protecting the people he cares about. He reacted in the moment, we know Huey would never try and...kill someone just because," he looked at Jazmine dead on, "We know that he's not a killer."

Ming nodded in agreement, "Huey really is a sweet guy, and we know he'd do anything for you and his family and friends." Jazmine nodded, "Thanks," she said, but her voice was still laced with nothing but sadness and...fear.

Huey was propped up on his bed watching the snow fall outside his bedroom window. He had been reading a book, but fell asleep and didn't even have the energy to finish it. He was currently waiting for Jazmine, who was coming by to spend time with him that day. He glanced at his nightstand, which was where Jazmine's Christmas gift was located at, and his mind instantly became filled with nothing but her.

Huey knew that Jazmine was uneasy, that she was most likely depressed or suffering from some kind of trauma related symptoms. Hell, she had her head almost smashed open in a hospital parking lot, the one place you'd least expect to be attacked. Jazmine had every right to be upset and afraid.

What angered Huey the most was that he wasn't there to help her, he wasn't there to protect her. He had been in surgery because he'd been stabbed by some low life who wanted to scare some poor old man into giving him money that he didn't have, and he had the balls to actually try and one-up both Huey and Riley. He had the guts to insult Riley to his face and expect to not get his ass beat, and then had the stupid idea to shoot at Riley and Cindy like Huey wouldn't retaliate.

Huey was also thinking about what happened the weekend after the incident. Huey...Huey killed someone, and even though he hated that person with everything inside him...he still killed him. Huey had never killed anyone before in his life, sure he'd been in a few scuffles here and there over the course of his school years, but never had he actually killed someone. And, to add to it, Huey killed him with his bare hands. He didn't use a gun or a knife or something hard to smash his head in, he actually beat the kid up with his hands so bad that he killed him. Huey could still hear the sounds of the kid's bones breaking under his kicks and punches, and even though he'd never admit it, those sounds haunted him at night, even though they were familiar sounds.

Huey also knew about the rumors going around school; his friends were quick to relay the school's new gossip to him every day. Apparently, he was being labeled as a violent thug from Chicago who could lose control at any moment, and people had also been questioning his ability to stay in a stable relationship with Jazmine. Both Caesar and Hiro received countless questions from other students as to whether or not Huey could be trusted to not lash out at Jazmine in a fit of rage, and it honestly pissed him off.

How could people say such idiotic things without even thinking about what they were saying? Had any of them been in a life or death situation where they needed to protect themselves and their friends, no matter what? Had any of them been so afraid to die that they retaliated and fought back? Had any of them watched their brother and friend nearly bleed out in a corner store while fighting the urge to pass out after being stabbed? All these people had all these opinions like they were valid, like they mattered. And while the opinions angered Huey, he wasn't about to let them totally dominate his mind. Right now, he needed to be focused on Jazmine and her needs, because even though Huey had gone through surgery for being stabbed, Jazmine was literally left defenseless and didn't even have a chance at saving herself, and he knew this was what haunted her the most.

Jazmine was a pretty headstrong and independent person, which were qualities that Huey admired. Knowing this, he knew that Jazmine probably blamed herself for not being strong enough to fight back, for letting her guard down so much that she couldn't even process what had even happened in the moment. But he needed her to know that it wasn't her fault, that she wasn't to blame for anything. If anything, Huey was to blame for even getting involved with that stupid kid at the corner store, because he knew that if he hadn't said anything, none of them would even be in this situation at all.

He heard the front door open, and footsteps ascended the stairs. There was a knock at his door, "Come in," he said, and the door opened, revealing a tired looking and worn out Jazmine, who was still in her school uniform. She tossed her backpack down onto the floor and grabbed Huey's desk chair, pulling it up next to his bed and sitting down with a huff. Huey eyed her, "Are you okay Jaz?" he asked. Jazmine nodded, "Yeah," her answer was short and standoff-ish.

"Did something happen today?" Huey prodded. Jazmine sighed; she knew Huey could tell that she was upset, there was no point in trying to hide it. She played with a strand of her hair, "Mathew just came up to me today and said some stupid shit," she explained as quickly as she could, "he called you a gangster." Huey rolled his eyes, "Apparently everyone is," he noted, and Jazmine nodded, "Yeah, everyone's been talking about...what happened...at school,"

Huey eyed Jazmine as she sat in the chair. She was looking down at her pants, "Why don't you change?" Huey said, breaking their silence. Jazmine shot her head up to look at him with a confused expression, "Change? I didn't bring any clothes with me," he shook his head, "I have some shirts and maybe some shorts you can wear." he pointed to his closet, "You can change in the closet if you want to." she nodded, "Okay."

Jazmine got up and made her way to his closet, which she'd never seen before. There was a light switch on the wall connected to the door, so she flipped it on before opening it and stepped inside, closing the door behind her gently.

It was a simple, small walk in closet. Jazmine was unsurprised to find it neatly organized and tidy; Huey was a neat freak, even his closet was organized. There were five rods, two on the walls to her left and right, and one long one on the wall in front of her. To her left were Huey's shirts and jeans, which were organized by color. To the right were nicer, formal clothes organized by color as well. The back wall was the only one that seemed to be the least organized, which caught Jazmine's eye. She approached this wall, pushing the clothes apart to study them individually.

She was met with clothes she'd never seen Huey wear before; large, oversized shirts of various colors, some with intricate designs and some plain. All of the pants were large and oversized as well, and some even had belts still in the loopholes. There was a shoe rack connected to the rod, which held a pair of brown Timberlands, four pairs of clean Jordans, and a pair of Champion shoes.

Jazmine decided on a large black shirt that had a intricate design on it and fit her more like a dress. She didn't even bother with a pair of pants, the shirt was so long it almost reached her knees. She stripped off everything but her bra and underwear before pulling the shirt on, even taking off her socks. She fluffed her hair up slightly and picked up her discarded clothing. Turning around, she opened the closet door and poked her head out.

Huey was waiting for her, his eyes averting to her when he saw the door open, "Did you find something?" he asked, and Jazmine nodded. Slowly, she stepped out of the closet, and Huey's eyes widened at what she wore, and she saw a faint blush creep onto his face, "What made you pick that?" he asked. Jazmine shrugged, "I don't know, it looked comfortable." she placed her clothes on the edge of the bed and resumed sitting in the chair she'd grabbed.

Huey eyed her carefully. Jazmine looked down at the shirt, "What does this design mean?" she asked. Huey sighed; he hoped that she wouldn't ask, but of course she did. He looked at her and chuckled slightly, "Riley and I have the same shirt," he began, gesturing to the one she wore, "back home, Riley was friends with some guys in a gang. They gave him the shirts. The design is their logo, or insignia; wearing that shirt meant that we were under their protection."

"Protection?" Jazmine arched a brow, and Huey nodded, "The shirts meant that the gang protected us, but they also meant that we were most likely...going to join," he watched Jazmine's eyes widened, and her jaw dropped a little, "You were...going to join a gang?" Huey shook his head, "No, I wasn't, Riley was. They just gave him two shirts because they thought I was going to join, too, probably because of Riley. I never wore the shirt." Jazmine still looked confused, "Then...why did you keep it?"

Huey shrugged, "I dunno, I just did," he answered honestly, "Would you have ever joined a gang?" she then asked. Huey shook his head again, "No, I never had a reason to. People join gangs because they want to feel like they belong, because they're forced to, or because the want to look 'cool'," he smirked, "I was never a cool kid, by their standards. I was a nerd." Jazmine giggled, "Well, I think you're cool," she gave him a warm smile, something he hadn't seen in a while. It made him smile back.

Gently, Huey leaned over to touch her face with his hand, but she winced; she still wore her bandages, "Do you need to wear them anymore?" he asked. She shook her head, "No…," she trailed off. She winced again when Huey's hand trailed over to the bandage that wrapped around her whole head, "It's okay, Jaz," he whispered, "you can take it off."

Jazmine seemed to hesitate, unsure as to what she should do, but eventually she nodded. She allowed Huey to carefully undo the bandage that wrapped around her head, but she shut her eyes when he slipped it off. He let it slip out of his hands and onto the floor, and she held her breath.

Huey saw the long stitch that closed her head back up after she'd received the largest gash from the attack. Huey couldn't deny that it was noticeable, but it wasn't bad. Gently, he pried off the bandage on her cheek, which was taped to her skin. She winced slightly at the stinging sensation, but he was soon able to pry it off, revealing the stitches that closed up the gash in her cheek, although it wasn't nearly as big as the one on the side of her head.

Jazmine's eyes remained closed through the entire process, and she grimaced when she felt Huey's fingers gently trace the stitches, as if he needed to touch them in order to believe that they were real. As he did so, Jazmine felt the tears well up in her eyes, and before she could even process what was going on, she was crying.

She wasn't sobbing or even making the slightest of noise, but hot tears streamed down her face faster than she could wipe them away. It pained Huey to see her like this, to see her in so much emotional and physical pain. Was there anything he could do to make her feel better, even if it was only for a moment?

Jazmine felt Huey tug at her body, and she opened her eyes slightly. Suddenly, she felt Huey wrap his arms around her and begin to pull her onto the bed with him. Her eyes snapped open, "Huey, what are you doing?" she asked, suddenly nervous. Huey didn't answer, he instead continued to pull her over him, grunting as he did so, and laying her on his right side. He pulled the covers back and allowed Jazmine to slip under them before pulling them over her. The action took a lot out of Huey; he still wasn't back to his normal strength.

"You could've just said something," Jazmine said, noticing his painful expression. Huey shrugged, "You wouldn't have done it even if I did say something," she shook her head, "I mean...you are hurt," Huey split the numbers of pillows he had, giving Jazmine two for her to rest on, which also allowed him to lay further back. As he did so, Jazmine removed her glasses and placed them on the nightstand beside the bed. Without thinking, Jazmine laid her head on the right side of Huey's chest, and he wrapped a strong arm around her body, holding her close to him. The only light in the room was from the sun coming from the window, and the blinds were open, but a cloud passed over it, darkening the room.

Jazmine could hear Huey's strong heartbeat thudding in his chest. He smelled good, and she gripped his shirt tightly as she snuggled closer into his body. Slowly, though, the two began to grow tired, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Jazmine drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

On the last day before winter break, Lauryn sat in the girl's bathroom by the cafeteria, alone. She locked herself in a stall and sat on the toilet, staring down at her shoes as hot tears streamed down her face. She sniffed, wiping a few away from her tear-stained cheeks as she forced herself to pull out her phone and shakily text Ming, begging her to meet her in the bathroom.

It was just before the bell was supposed to ring to signal the end of the day, but instead of being in her seventh period, Lauryn was stuck in a bathroom stall silently crying. Why was she crying?

Now that Lauryn was basically four months along, it was becoming increasingly harder to hide her pregnancy. Despite her getting a slightly bigger uniform, her stomach was growing bigger with each passing day, and the only thing she could really do now was use her books to hide herself in the hallways as she'd quickly run from one class to the next. Despite her efforts, people were starting to give her sideways glances when she'd passed, but today had been the ultimate last straw.

Lauryn was in the hallway heading towards her seventh period when she spotted him: Rico. He saw her, too, and made his way over to her from his position several yards away. He'd been talking to two other boys, and they watched him walk towards her, making noises as he strode away. Lauryn felt the familiar butterflies in her stomach as he approached, but she was so engrossed in watching him walk towards her that she didn't even notice her surroundings.

Before he could reach her, someone ran into her. Ran into was an understatement - someone deliberately pushed Lauryn, causing her to drop the books she'd been using to shield her stomach onto the tile floor. She heard snickering behind her, and when she turned around she spotted two girls from her sixth period, a blonde and a girl with dyed red hair. They laughed as she felt her face go white, realizing that the people around her were staring at her now noticeable larger stomach, and when she turned back to Rico, his eyes were wide with surprise.

All Lauryn could do was pick up her books and run past him, eyes tearing up and heart pounding. She ignored everyone around her and pushed her way into her seventh period, sitting as far in the back as she could, away from everyone else. After completing her assignment, Lauryn asked to be excused, and the teacher seemed to sense the tension coming from her because she wrote her a note for the nurse. However, Lauryn merely ran to the nearest bathroom she could find and locked herself inside a stall.

Her fingers slid around her phone screen as she shakily typed out a message to Ming. To Ming: I'm in a girl's bathroom rn. People know I'm pregnant. So does Rico.

From Ming: OMG what happened?

To Ming: It's a long story, I'll tell you later. Just txt me when you're leaving with Hiro so I can find you.

From Ming: Do you need me to come find you?

To Ming: No, stay in class. School's almost over anyways. I'll be fine here.

From Ming: Tell me what bathroom you're in, I'll leave class right after I'm done with my work.

To Ming: In the bathroom by the cafeteria.

From Ming: Be there in a few.

Lauryn sighed as she set her books on the floor in front of her, locking her phone. She was glad Ming had offered to come find her, because she didn't know how long she'd be able to last by herself at this point. All she wanted to do was run away and hide.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps nearing the bathroom from the hallway. Without thinking, Lauryn picked up her books from the floor and sat further back on the toilet, bring her knees up to her chest so her legs weren't visible to whoever was coming in.

She heard two pairs of footsteps enter the bathroom, along with an annoying cackle, "Oh my god Anna, did you see the look on her face?" a nasally voice asked. Lauryn held her breath; she knew that voice.

"Seriously Erin, it was priceless," a second voice replied with a laugh, "I knew she was pregnant, her uniform is a size or two too big!"

Lauryn felt a tear slip down her cheek, and she carefully wiped it away with her shoulder, "Ugh but she hangs out with them," Erin said flatly. Lauryn heard one of the sinks turn on, "Who?" Anna questioned. Erin scoffed, "Seriously Anna? You don't know? Lauryn's friends with the Freemans and their group." Lauryn heard Anna groan, "I forgot about that," she sighed, "Well, they're all pretty screwed over right now, I'm sure she either won't mention it or they won't be able to do anything about it."

"For now," Erin clicked her tongue, "I told you we should've just left it alone."

"They have their own problems right now," Anna assured her friend, "You've seen Jazmine, she's a total mess. Cindy's outta commission, so are Huey and Riley. Venus is on crutches still from that accident. Relax already." Erin sighed, "At least we now know the truth behind her oversized clothes. I know everyone was wondering why she always dresses like that."

Anna giggled, "I know, she looks ridiculous." the two girls erupted into laughter. The sink turned off, and Lauryn heard the automatic hand dryer whir on for a few seconds before the two girls exited the bathroom.

Lauryn didn't dare stand until she was sure the footsteps were gone. After a few minutes of silence, she carefully extended her legs and stood, books in hand, tears now pouring down her face. Quickly, she opened the stall door and rushed out, heart pounding in her chest. She ran out of the bathroom and made a sharp left, and felt her body connect with another one.

Wildly, she turned her head upwards, eyes wide, trying to see who she'd run into.

"Lauryn?" she felt her heart drop into her stomach as she stared up at Rico, who had a brow quirked up in confusion, "What's wrong? Why are you crying?" his questions were sincere, but Lauryn was still too nervous to answer.

She backed up, turning her attention downwards, "S-sorry," she managed to say through a shaky breath, "I-I d-didn't mean t-to run int-to you." she held her books tighter to her chest, not even daring to meet Rico's gaze. She knew he was staring at her because she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up in fear and uncertainty.

"Are you okay?" he now asked. Lauryn bit her bottom lip, trying to force herself to stop crying, "Y-yeah, I'm fine." she replied shortly, hoping that would end the conversation. She wasn't trying to be rude to him, she was just embarrassed.

"I'm talking about from before," he went on, and Lauryn felt her face heat up even more. Finally, she looked up at him, tears pouring out of her eyes, "L-look, I know we've b-been talking, and I was gonna tell you, I-I swear!" she stared into his eyes as she spoke, rushing her words so much they jumbled together. She couldn't tell what was in his eyes, she just knew that she needed to explain herself before she looked like a total idiot, "We've only been talking for a little bit...I was g-gonna wait until I knew th-that-,"

"Lauryn, it's fine," Rico said suddenly, interrupting her. His words took her by surprise, and her eyes widened and her mouth gaped slightly, "W-what?" she asked, bewildered. He gazed down at her, his brown eyes staring into her own intensely, "I said it's fine," he repeated, giving her a familiar half smile that gave her goosebumps, "W-what do you mean?" she prodded.

"I know...you're pregnant," he said the last part in a lowered tone, as if there were people around them that could hear them. Lauryn felt herself blush, "I-I know, those girls…,"

"No, I've known," he shook his head, chuckling slightly at her shocked expression, "How?!" she exclaimed. He shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets, "Just a hunch. You wear clothes that are too big for you, and you always keep your books in front of your stomach," he eyed her up and down, "plus, you always complain about how much your feet hurt even though you don't really do anything other than walking, and your hands have been getting more swollen." Lauryn gasped slightly as she clenched her books a little harder.

Now she was really embarrassed, "If you knew, why didn't you say anything?" she asked, glancing around. Rico shrugged, ruffling his black hair with a hand, "You never talked about it, I figured it may upset you or something if I brought it up."

Lauryn sighed, "It probably would have," she replied quietly. Her eyes returned to his, and she bit her bottom lip nervously, "I understand if you don't wanna talk to me anymore," she said quietly, "I know how embarrassing it'll be to walk around with a girl who's pregnant with someone else's baby."

Rico chuckled, "It's not that big of a deal, Lauryn," he shook his head. Lauryn quirked up a brow, "What do you mean? I'm sixteen and I'm pregnant," he shrugged, "My mom was seventeen when she had me," he replied, "and she was pregnant with my younger brother when she met my step-dad and started dating him."

Lauryn felt her mouth drop slightly, "R-really?" she asked, and he nodded, "Yup. My mom was four or five months along with my brother Antonio when she met my future step-dad, although at the time they were just dating. Me and Antonio are from another guy, and my mom has a daughter with my step-dad, my half-sister Marisol."

Lauryn fidgeted with a loose curl slightly, "How old were you when your mom started dating your step-dad?" she asked. Rico shrugged, "I was about six. She and my dad split up before she found out she was pregnant again. They weren't married or anything, they were on and off for a lot of years."

It dawned on Lauryn that she really didn't know anything about Ricardo that didn't pertain to school. She knew his school schedule and his favorite school lunch, but she didn't know he had two siblings, let alone a half sibling and a step-father.

She saw something move from the corner of her eye as she stared down at the floor, and realized it was Rico extending his arm for her to take, "What're you doing?" she asked, genuinely surprised once again. He gave her another half smile, "School's about to let out, I can walk you to the front."

"Actually, I'm waiting for a friend." as soon as she spoke, she heard footsteps running towards her, and a flash of black hair encircled her as Ming jumped into view, "Lauryn! Are you okay?" she asked genuinely, her eyes wide with concern. She glanced over at Rico, and then back at Lauryn, who only widened her eyes slightly as well.

Ming got the message, giving her friend a sly grin, "I'll go find Hiro," she said smoothly, "We'll get the car and bring it to the front," before Lauryn could say anything, she sauntered away. Rico chuckled, "Can I walk you to the front?" he now asked. Lauryn turned to look at him, his arm still extended towards her.

Biting back a small smile Lauryn looped one of her arms through his, "Sure,"

"So how ya feelin' babe?" Riley toyed with one of his cornrows absently as he held his phone to his ear. He was laying in bed on his prescribed bed rest from the doctor; he had to lie in one position for the majority of the day, save for when he needed to use the bathroom, and his bandages made it awkward for him to sit up properly. He got to watch TV and eat in bed. He still found himself rather tired and exhausted, even when he didn't do anything.

On the other side of the line, Cindy sighed, "I'm so bored," she replied, "Jaz came to see me earlier, but she still looks the same."

"Sad?" Riley questioned.

Cindy was propped up in her own bed at her house, her upper leg propped up slightly with bandages around where her bullet wound was. She was also watching TV, but was flipping through the channels absently, "Yeah, sad,"

She changed the channel once more and her eyes were met with the sight of a basketball star making a perfect dunk on the court, and she felt her jaw tighten slightly. Riley could just feel her tension from where he was, "You watchin' basketball again?" he asked.

Cindy bit her bottom lip, "Yeah," she mumbled, eyes glued to the TV screen.

"Cin…,"

"Season was gonna start up in January," she stated absently, eyes tearing up a bit. Riley sighed, "Cin, I know you were lookin' forward to the season...but you know we both outta commission for a minute."

Cindy clenched up her other hand into a fist, "I know," she said through gritted teeth, "Why you think I'm so pissed?"

"Look, I'm mad too," Riley snapped slightly, pinching the bridge of his nose, "but there's nothin' we can do about it. We can't just magically get better by January to start the season. You know our coaches said our spots are saved for when we do get better, why are you so worried?"

"Riley, I love basketball," Cindy said in one breath, her words flowing together effortlessly. Riley's voice caught in his throat as she continued to speak: "I've been shootin' hoops for as long as I can remember. Every year since middle school I've played in basketball. I have a damn winnin' streak. I'm one of the best on the team," she felt a tear slip down her face, "without basketball...I feel so empty, Riley," her voice was so full of passion, sadness, and desire that it pained Riley to hear her speak.

He felt his throat turn dry and he swallowed, "You'll be up and playin' again soon, Cin," he assured her softly, "Don't even trip. I know you'll make a comeback better than any other they've seen."

Cindy wiped the tears that were falling down her face as she chuckled slightly, "You think so?" she asked.

Riley smirked softly, "I know so, babe." his reply was so genuine it made Cindy want to cry even more, but she refused to even let Riley know she was crying.

She turned her head to look out of her bedroom window at the falling snow. It was late in the evening, and the sky was almost black, with a half moon in the sky. The snow looked like white little dots against an inky black canvas, and she sighed, "I wish I could go outside," she mused, "the snow looks so pretty, can ya see it?"

Riley turned his head to look out of his own window and nodded, "I can see," he replied.

"Today was the last day before winter break," Cindy went on, "I wonder what'll happen next semester when we go back."

"I dunno, but I ain't ready," Riley groaned inwardly, leaning his head back into his pillows, "I know I'm gonna get questioned about what it's like to be shot, and I'm gonna get tons of bullshit questions about Huey being 'violent'," he rolled his eyes, "I can't believe they posted fuckin' footage from the corner store online for the whole damn world to see! Now everyone thinks Huey's just another violent thug from the bad side of Chicago. What does that make me?"

"No one's really talkin' about you," Cindy pointed out, "From what Ming and Venus tell me, everyone's been doggin' them about Huey. Can you believe some people actually think he'd hurt Jazmine?"

Riley scoffed, "That nigga don't hurt nobody unless he provoked. He took martial arts or whatever when we was kids, taught him about self control and all that shit. Our-," he cut himself off, realizing he had said too much. Cindy, however, wasn't stupid, and she heard his hesitation, "What?" she prodded, now interested, "Your what?"

Riley sighed; he needed to tell her something, she was his girlfriend after all, "Look, I'm gonna tell you, but don't go tellin' nobody." Cindy nodded, "I swear," she said. Riley shook his head, "Not even Jazmine." at this, Cindy paused for a split second, but she replied: "Okay."

Riley held his phone closer to his ear and lowered his voice, "When I was eight," he began, leaning backwards, "Huey got into this huge fight. It was my fault; I got this guy from our neighborhood angry as hell. He was a part of this gang that used to own this street we lived on, and he stole some stuff I had, so I fought back." he winced at the memory of getting beaten up with laughter surrounding him, "I went home all beat up and Huey took one look at me and freaked. I saw this look in his eyes I thought I'd never see again...until that day at the corner store,"

"What look?" Cindy asked in a hushed voice.

"...like he was ready to kill," Riley replied back in an even softer voice, "and that nigga really was. That night he dragged me out the house to hunt down that thug. When we found him Huey just straight attacked. Nigga was ten years old and beat that thug up so bad he ended up in the hospital, and he was at least thirteen. Huey...just lost it."

Cindy's jaw dropped slightly as she listened, "After that, our...parents put him in those martial arts classes to teach him how to control himself. I ain't seen him fight like that until a few weeks ago." Riley finished. He was met with a moment of silence, "So Huey really does have anger issues?" Cindy asked.

Riley sighed, "I wouldn't say they anger issues, I just think he didn't know when to stop. He knew that he was hurtin' that guy, but he didn't really care cause it was like instinct for him. Same with the guy at the corner store; he acted outta instinct, outta survival." he thought for a moment, "he would never lay a hand on Jazmine," he added quickly, "Ya know how he was when he saw her in the hospital, he completely lost it. I've never seen him cry like that in my life."

He was met with more silence, but Cindy seemed satisfied with his answers. She yawned, "I'm gettin' tired, what time is it?" Riley pulled his phone away from his ear in order to glance at the screen, "Eh, it's only eight, how're ya tired? All ya been doin' is layin' in bed and watchin' TV." Cindy chuckled, "I dunno, I just wanna sleep." she sounded distant.

After getting shot, Cindy changed. She was more on edge, on alert. Whenever he called she wasn't as talkative, and towards the end of their conversations, she sounded bleak and monotone, like she was having to force herself back into their reality, "Are you okay?" Riley asked, arching his brow.

Cindy fiddled with a loose string from her blanket, "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" she asked, although her voice cracked slightly. Riley sighed, "'Cause we got shot," he replied slowly, "and I know ya ain't fully recovered emotionally from that."

Cindy smirked, but it was a sad smirk, "Yeah, you're right," she replied honestly. She turned her head to look out of her window at the snow falling, "but I'll be okay."

"She's not okay,"

"I know that, but why can't I talk to her?"

Vera bit her bottom lip as she shifted from foot to foot, her phone pressed to her ear, "It's been a few weeks, I thought this would've blown over by now." she admitted. The voice on the other end scoffed, "Blown over? How could I just get over this?"

Vera was talking on the phone with Lily, Veronica's ex-girlfriend. It had been at least two or three weeks since the two had broken up, which Veronica announced publicly in front of all the girls at the hospital with Cindy and Jazmine. Since then, Vera hadn't heard about Lily, until she got a message on Instagram from her, asking her why Veronica was so scared.

Vera wasn't going to reply, but she remembered what she had told Veronica: that she was scared. Vera knew that Veronica thought she was protecting Lily from their crazy family life, but she also knew that Lily must've had stronger feelings than she'd anticipated if she was still hung up over her after weeks of no communication. So, Vera decided to take the risk.

"I don't know," Vera replied honestly, leaning back into her bed. She was lying on her bed in her bedroom. She had just gotten out of work for the day, and was about to take a much needed shower when she got the message from Lily.

"I really like her," Lily went on, her voice soft, "but I don't understand why she broke up with me. She seemed into it, did I do something wrong?"

It dawned on Vera that Veronica probably never told Lily exactly why the two were breaking up, and that must've really been killing Lily. Vera sighed, "Look, Veronica doesn't come from a good home life, okay?" she ran a hand through her blonde hair, "and it's starting to catch up with us."

"So it was over her dad," Lily scoffed. Vera arched a brow, "She told you about her dad?"

"Yeah, she mentioned him a few times, but every time she did, I knew he did something bad to her. She never smiled when she talked about him," she heard Lily shift around, "but when she broke up with me, she told me that she just didn't think she's into this," she sounded somewhat angry, almost offended.

"Well I can tell you this: Veronica really did like you, or does, I'm pretty sure she still likes you." Vera commented, chuckling softly, "Veronica didn't date much, but when she did, she never seemed interested in who she was dating. She never really talked about her dates, her boyfriends. She never asked for advice or what to do, but with you...she always did,"

There was a moment of silence between the two girls, as if they were both thinking about what to say next.

"I'll see what I can do," Vera then said, breaking the awkward moment, "I'll talk to her, see if I can get her to open up and stop letting everything influence her."

"Why does she?" Lily now questioned. Vera sighed, "I think it's just a natural response for her now. Growing up, Veronica was easily influenced by other people because she wanted to fit in. She allowed what other people did to influence her decisions in literally almost everything that I think it's just become second nature."

"Really? She comes off as more dominating then that," Lily noted, and Vera nodded, "Yeah, well she did become popular at school. I'm sure she felt pressure and forced herself to take that leadership role. But really, Veronica's still able to fall back into her old ways." she glanced at her door, as if trying to make sure no one would open it, "I know two things about this: Veronica's afraid of being labeled differently and she's afraid of her dad, not just the fact that he's an asshole, but she's afraid of what he'll say," Lily's silence meant that she was shocked, "her father may have been a total jackass her entire life, but deep down, I know she still wants him to approve of her. She may not ever admit it, but I know she does."

"How do you know that?" Lily asked.

Vera sighed, "I know because I used to be the same way."

I never realized I hadn't updated any of my stories in so long. Over a year ago, I saw that the community on here was kind of dying down. There weren't that many new stories being made, and old ones weren't being updated. Some of my personal favorites haven't been updated in years. I didn't really have interest in writing anymore because there wasn't any new content on here, and I grew my Boondocks writing by reading other fanfics and learning new ways to write. I hadn't been on this website until recently, when it was announced that Boondocks would be making a comeback. I haven't checked the stats on my stories, so I don't know if they're even being read a whole lot anymore lol. But I do hate not finishing things.

xoxo, Queen