Time for the next chapter and the first cameo! Sorry it took so long. I had to get the cameos together. I'm still waiting on one. You know who you are. You should anyway. On that note, here comes my disclaimer. I should really come up with a new one.

I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all.

Collins left Roses' house two hours later, carrying a small paper bag of cookies. He wasn't ready to go back to his old home just yet, so he decided to walk around the town. He'd left when he was eighteen and he wanted to see how much had changed. As he walked, he passed a woman with brown hair and glasses sitting on a bench being taunted by a man, who was holding something out of her reach.

Not my problem, Collins thought. Though he didn't want to, he turned around and walked back.

"Give it back!" the woman demanded, reaching for a notebook in the man's hand.

"Go out with me and we'll talk about it," the man told her. Collins walked behind the man and took the notebook from him, causing the man to stand up and face him. Collins was taller than he was by about five inches. The man froze.

"What's the matter?" Collins asked tauntingly. "You look like you've never seen a black man before." The man said nothing and quickly walked away. Collins smiled and sat next to the woman. She seemed to be glaring at him behind her glasses. "I believe this is yours."

"Really?" the woman asked sarcastically, taking her notebook from Collins. "Did you figure that out on your own?"

"Excuse me? I think I deserve a little more respect considering I just got your notebook back."

"I could've gotten it back myself. I had everything under control." The woman took a pen from her small purse, which was sitting on the bench beside her.

"Yeah. That was some serious control." The woman ignored Collins and began writing in her notebook. "You know, when I do something nice for a woman I don't even know, she's usually more grateful than this." The woman stopped writing and looked up at Collins.

"So you're one of those types," she stated.

"What types?" Collins asked.

"One of the types of men who thinks he deserves something in return every time he does something for a woman. I call those types cavemen."

"Okay, what kind of person are you that you have to insult someone that just helped you out? Seriously, woman, what's your deal?"

"I do have a name, you know."

"If I ask what it is are you gonna scratch my eyes out with your claws?"

"My name is Nicole, you jackass."

"I wasn't asking you what your name is. I was asking if I could ask without you insulting me again. My answer was given to me when you called me a jackass."

"Whatever. So, hero boy, what's in the bag?"

"None of your business."

"It smells like cookies. Where'd you get them? Did your mom bake them for you?"

"No."

"Your grandma?" Collins was silent. "So you're grandma's little boy, huh? I should've known. I mean, who else would make you wear a beanie?"

"I'm gonna walk away now," Collins said, standing up. He walked past the bench again. Nicole stared after him before gathering her things and following him.

"Hey!" she called. Collins didn't stop walking so she lightly jogged to his side. "Look, I'm really sorry, okay? I just . . . say what's on my mind sometimes." Collins stopped walking and looked at her disbelievingly. "What?"

"Sometimes?" Collins asked. " I highly doubt that."

"Okay, okay. I do it most of the time."

"Still not believing you, but I have a quick question."

"What?"

"How do you make and/or keep friends with such a fucked up attitude?"

"I don't have a fucked up attitude. I just don't like it when men think they have to do everything for me just because I'm a woman. It seems so controlling."

"I only got your notebook back. I'm not trying to control you."

"I know that. I just . . . can we start over?"

"Why would we do that when we've made it so far?"

"Can I at least know your name?"

"It's Collins, Tom Collins." Nicole stared at him. "What?"

"You're named after a drink?" she asked. "Is that what your parents named you, or are you such a drunk that's what everybody calls you?"

"My father's last name is Collins and my mother gave me my first name, which she is very proud of and would be deeply offended if she heard you making fun of it."

"Sorry . . . again."

"Why don't you keep your thoughts to yourself from now on, okay?" Nicole nodded.

"So . . . what's with the bag of cookies?" she asked.

"Comfort food," Collins replied.

"Can I have one?"

"No! They were made for me and only me!" Collins hugged his bag of cookies to his chest protectively.

"How about a small piece of one?" Collins thought for a moment before taking one of the cookies out of the bag and reluctantly giving Nicole a small piece of it. He watched as she ate it. "Hmm . . . they're good, but I bet I could make better ones."

"I don't think so," Collins disagreed.

"I do. Why don't you come to my place and compare?" Collins stared at her for a moment. "I promise I won't hold you hostage."

"I'm holdin' you to that." Nicole laughed and started leading Collins in the direction of her home.

"So, you're gonna show me your room?" Angel asked as she followed Jasmine from the livingroom and up the stairs. Collins had asked her to take care of Angel until he got back. Since Marvin rarely came into her room, she figured that would be the safest place for Angel to be.

"Yes I am," Jasmine replied. She led Angel down the hallway until they reached the very last door on the left. She then opened the door and let Angel enter the room before her. The first thing Angel saw was a red dress on a mannequin. The dress was strapless with sequins lining the sides and top.

"That's a really beautiful dress," she said. "Where'd you get it?"

"I made it," Jasmine replied, shutting the door behind her. Angel's eyes widened as she turned to face Collins' sister.

"You did?" Jasmine giggled and nodded. "It's . . . amazing." Jasminegiggled again as Angel walked over to the dress and touched it.

"Well, if you like it that much, I'd be happy to make another one just for you," she offered.

"Oh my God," Angel said, facing Jasmine again. "That would be great!" Jasmine laughed as she sat down on her bed. She patted a spot next to her and Angel sat on the bed as well. "Did Collins say when he'd be back?" Jasmine shook her head.

"I don't blame him for leavin' either," she replied.

"Has your family always fought like that?"

"For as long as I can remember. All the fights seem to start with Stack and Daddy arguin'." Jasmine sighed and frowned slightly. "Did Tom ever tell you anything about his childhood?"

"I asked about it once. He said thinking about his childhood gives him nightmares and he didn't wanna talk about it. He tells me everything else though."

"Well, there's somethin' you should know." Jasmine took a deep breath. "Tom . . . was . . ." She took another deep breath. "When Tom was seven, Daddy lost his job."

"As a preacher?" Angel asked.

"No. He didn't become a preacher 'til Tom was ten." Angel nodded and Jasmine continued. "Everything went downhill after Daddy lost his job. He had six kids he needed to clothe and feed, plus he was gonna lose this house. He found a part time job that he hated. He wanted to quit, but he took a picture of Mamma and us to work as a reminder that he needed to keep the job until he found somethin' that paid more." Jasmine paused for a moment. "A man that worked with him gave him a ride home one day and Tom, he loved Daddy a lot at that time, ran to the car. When Daddy got out, he picked Tom up, hugged him, and told him he loved him."

"That's sweet," Angel said, smiling. Jasmine wasn't smiling. She just stared straight ahead.

"I went outside with Tom and I saw the man lookin' at him. Daddy put Tom down and I took him back in the house. The man was talkin' to Daddy about somethin'." A tear fell from Jasmine's eye. "The man gave him a ride home again the next day. Later on that night, the man came back here and Daddy took him up to Tom's room. I know 'cause I followed them upstairs." Another tear fell onto Jasmine's cheek. "Tom was cryin' and callin' Daddy . . . but he wouldn't help him. He just stood outside the door like he was guardin' it." Jasmine wiped her tears away. "I started screamin' at Daddy. Mamma came upstairs and when I told her what was goin' on she started screamin' at him too." More tears fell from Jasmine's eyes. "When the man finally came out of Tom's room he gave Daddy a check. Three days later he quit his part time job, paid the mortgage, and didn't have to work again for a whole year."

"He . . . sold Collins?" Angel asked in shock. She had started to cry without realizing it. "How could he do something like that?"

"He said it was because he was desperate and didn't want his family to starve or be thrown on the street." Jasmine wiped her fresh tears away. "I'll never forgive him for that day. Neither will Mamma."

"How could she stay married to him after he sold her youngest child?"

"I've been tryin' to figure that out for years." Angel cried harder and Jasmine pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry if I upset you, Angel. I just thought you should know." Angel sniffed as Jasmine held her.

I've got a whole new reason to hate that man now, she thought.

And that's my update. More interaction with the rest of the bohos and Collins' family will come soon. I hope you liked it and I hope I did good with the cameo. Did I do good My-Sanity-Went-B00m- ? Hmm?

Review please.