Huey Freeman...
Wait, I think as I look back and forth between them. Jazmin and Yazmin, have the same face. The same pouty lips and high cheek bones, their eyes were different though Yazmin's eyes were much softer almost silver green, which is such a contradictory aspect to have with her hard personality. While Jazmin's eyes were the deepest green I have ever seen, but they shined when she smiles, like now with her waiting for me to say something, instead of looking at her like she is an alien. She's a twin why was this so surprising, why is talking to her hard?
"DAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYMMMMM, Der is two of yous. Twins B, shit." Riley said looking between them "How do you tell each other a part." I shook my head. What the hell Riley, where is the couth in that boy.
"Oh, we don't, we just switch bodies from time to time just to fuck with people." Yazmin says sitting down.
"Yazzie, be nice. My sister has no home training, I'm sorry we should have just kept her in her kennel." She says turning to me.
"I understand completely, Riley is like keeping a pet monkey, only I'm sure a monkey can be trained." I said staring at Jazmin who laughed a tinkle laughed that almost made me smile… almost.
"Hey" siblings across the table said together.
"Nigga I ain't no damn monkey, get yo life B." Riley said scooping some of the Lasagna on to his plate, then taking a big bite. "Awww shit, this good twins." He says eating more of it. Then the container of lasagna got to me and I passed.
"What's wrong fro, you don't like lasagna?"
"Yazzie, he doesn't have to have any if he doesn't want to." She said scooping some on her plate.
"it's Just I don't eat beef, and you shouldn't either, I am certain that the big corporations are pumping them full of pesticides and by products, so they can get more meat with less cows and which means less land to take care of and more product, filling up their greedy pockets with cash made by the deaths of mostly black people who are susceptible to all kinds' heart dieses from their overpriced meat." I said everyone looking at me.
"Should I continue, or will you stop looking at me like I just told you something surprising. If you don't know the government is trying to kill us then you are more stupid than you look." And to my surprise Jazmin started laughing.
"Huey you are a riot." She said I raised my eyebrow, how is the death of millions of black people funny. "It's just this is vegetarian lasagna, no meat in it but tofu is. But I guess you can say the same bias and overly dramatic statement to that as well huh."
Then before I could say anything Tom and Granddad walked into the room laughing. Wait when did they leave, and where did they go?
"Oh Kids lovely, dinners already served." Tom said taking his seat at the head of the table." Yazmin I hope you aren't messing with our guest."
"How are you going to immediately assume I am being troublesome?"
"I never have this type of problem." Jazmin announced. "It's okay though, I'll always be there for you."
"Do ya'll ever stop going at it." Riley said looking between the two.
They honestly looked at him and then tom Jazmin and Yazmin started laughing. "This is not us going at it," Jazmin stated "If we were really mad at each other you would know it."
"Anyway, "Granddad said. "This lasagna taste amazing, which one of you is the cook."
"Well, we both did something," Yazmin said "I boiled the noodles and cooked the tofu."
"While I did, the vegetables, the trick is to sauté them before adding them." Jazmin continued. These girls are fascinating to watch, even for me. They work well together but in weird ways, so different yet very much alike. And then like that I lost interest, I get bored easily with the mundane. I have noticed this about myself that's why I love book so much, you never have to stay in a singularity. I spend a lot of time meditating and learning martial arts, so I am usually stuck in my thoughts.
I feel someone staring at me, and turn my head to see Jazmin staring at me with those dark green orbs she calls eyes. Then I here Granddad ask Tom something about his work and since I was curious about it I listened in.
"Well, I went to Harvard Law and graduated top of my class, but when I was lined up for a great job, I did the stupidest thing my parents think I could've done. I declined the offer, to become a beautician." I stopped, this family, is full of surprises. I mean I was expecting anything but that.
"Awww Nigga you gay." I immediately kicked him under the table. "nigga ow, the fuck you kick me for Huey damn."
"Boy, watch yo damn mouth."
Yazmin laughs, "You all are funny."
Tom clears his throat, "ummm no Riley, I am not gay. I just like making people pretty. I got my own spot for a beauty salon right off of drummer and Hyland, by the dance studio and the chicken place."
"Congratulations Tom."
Jazmin Dubois…
Oh that reminded me I turned to daddy. "Daddy, we need to stop by the old studio and reenroll, oh and we need to find a dojo somewhere." I said taking a bite out of the lasagna which I have to say I put my foot in. I felt Huey next to me staring at me, his deep wine colored eyes that tell me nothing in a face that has been slapped by god himself, to say Huey was good looking was practically an insult. He looked at me still which I have to say made me feel a bit self-conscious, did I have sauce on my face? I looked ahead of me to Yazmin, I had been avoiding her gaze because if I had she would know I was freaking out about Huey, But I had to know.
She looked at me at the same time our eyes meeting and she just smirked at me, what the hell does that mean. Oh she so knows Dammit.
"Oh well honey we can go tomorrow, besides we can go see the shop and see what we will need for it. I'm hoping to open at the end of summer."
"Cool beans daddy-o." Yazmin said, even though I was the one who said something. This only bothered me for a second as I could still feel Huey's gaze on me. So I looked at him as well, and he just continued to stare then that cute little glare he has come back as he said. "You do martial arts?"
"Yeah, but Yazmin is better than me at it." It was true I was better at the technical stuff, the proper forms and the meditation. While Yazmin was fast and could pack a punch, I know from all the times we practiced.
"Jaz, not true you won the bet, you got your belt before me."
"Ha, that was a technicality; I only got it first because J comes before Y in the alphabet."
"Yo, Huey ain't you into all that kicky shit too?" riley said taking another mouthful of food.
"That's right boy don't you go to that dojo off of Market. Why don't you cutie pies just go there, it's just around the corner from the high school, in fact I see them using the school track all the time." Granddad said to us. This was perfect, we can go there tomorrow as well, see what it's all about but I'm sure if Huey goes there this place is legit, with all the muscles I can see under his black shirt, oh an did I mention he smells like chocolate.
"What chu' say 'bout a bet." Riley asked Yazzie. No absolutely not, the bet shall ever be discussed.
"Nothing, She said nothing about a bet right Yazmin." I said looking into her soul
"Yes, no bets were mentioned." I let out a breath. I looked at Huey again just cause you know, Sexy Huey with weird intoxicating eyes and smelling like chocolate and shit. He looked back at me and a dimple showed for a fraction of a second before he turned away. Okay he has dimples, Huey Can you actually not I mean, am I still a human form? Have I not turned to goo right before these people very eyes? I dare not to look at Yazmin, who I know is having a field day with this. As the rest of dinner passes, with sly looks from the both of us, and daddy and Robert talking about some sports team, they were about to leave when Huey looked at me.
"We, should spar sometime." He said then turned away not waiting on an answer, and walked across the street catching up to his brother and grandfather. I was watching them cross the street when Riley said something I couldn't hear and Huey smacking him across the head. They entered the house and I closed the door to see Yazmin staring at me.
"You-, "she started and then I cut her off.
"Yazzie, can you let the dogs back in I'm going to go take a shower." I said in a rush, running up the stairs and into the bathroom. I heard her laugh, from behind the door and walk away. HUH, tonight was stressful.
The Next Morning…
I felt a wet nose next to my face when my brain slowly came back to consciousness; a tiny black dog was sleeping on my pillow. I picked up my phone to see what time it is, it was lost between my covers and pillow and the hours of night I spend on Tumblr and Reddit. I tiredly look for it on my bed and I ended up sleeping on it, but I grab it and look at it, 11:53. Hmmmph no I want sleep, but a tiny dog is now looking at me with its big brown eyes. Okay Gambino stop looking at me like that, I'll get up, stubborn ass dog. He hops off my bed and leaves the room my phone beeps and it's a text from Yazmin.
'Are you up yet? Sleepy ass, get to the studio by three to sign some papers and check out dads shop.'
I text back 'go fall off a cliff. I'll be there :P'
I go do morning stuff and open the back door for Gambino to run around with Kendrick. I grab the box of cinnamon toast crunch and make me a bowl when I get a text.
'Ask Huey to take you to the dojo and 'spar with him' ;)'
I start blushing at the message, refusing to text back but also thinking about how great of an idea that was so I put on shorts and a Childish Gambino shirt I got from his concert in March. I let the curls run free with a cute pink headband a little mascara and we are in business. I decided that Kendrick and Gambino can stay in the backyard, putting some water dishes out there I left to go across the street.
Each step I take I can fill more and more butterflies, and I'm not even sure why. I take a deep breath as I reach the front porch and another breath as I knock on the door, and I wait. Should it be taking this long I mean the house isn't that big, oh my god what am I going to say when he open the door? Hey Huey… No I already hate myself. Aye you me dojo now, ugh please? No, no, no, ewww. What if he doesn't even open the door what if it's Riley or Granddad Robert, I didn't even prepare for that. I am sure I can find it on my own, they said mercat street, Right? But as soon as I was about to bolt the door opened, and Huey was standing in front of me looking down at me.
"Jazmin." He said
"Ugh Huey hi, how are you, are you busy?"
"No, I'm not what do you need."
Oh my god Jaz get yourself together, he is just a really good looking guy that smells like Godiva milk chocolate. "Well, I was just wondering if you could show me where that dojo is. I would try to get there myself but I get lost going to the bathroom at night, haha." What in the actual fuck, what am I saying I shouldn't be allowed to interact with humans.
"Yeah sure, no problem." He said closing the door behind himself pulling out keys.
"Oh that's great, we can take the car, and you just tell me where to go okay?"
He just walks across the street to the car; I guess that's a yes. I follow him noticing how he doesn't sag his pants, which makes his butt look magnificent, like his ass should be in a museum. I am almost sad to have reached the driver side of the car, the quote 'what chu gon' do with that big fat Butt" enters the mind, I giggled and said wiggle wiggle wiggle, under my breath, Huey was looking at me like I was insane. I hopped in the car and started it up, and the speakers started blasting,' Yes' by childish Gambino and, I turned it down.
"Sorry, about that." I said putting on my seat belt and starting the car.
"Who is this?"
"What? You never herd Childish Gambino?"
"Am I supposed too?"
"Yes he is the best rapper; he just gets it with his lyrics, you know, it's like he is rapping about my life."
"Turn left at the corner, I like this at least."
"Oh, by the time I'm done with you, we'll be going to his concert."
"You know how to get to the high school from here?"
"Yeah, you just go straight and turn right on market right?"
"Exactly, go that way but go left."
"You got it captain." We sat in silence for the rest of the trip, I was silently singing the song lyrics and nodding my head to the beat of the song. Again I felt the familiar gaze of Huey Freeman, on me but I was driving and couldn't take my eyes off the road. Turning the corner on market he points at out the window.
"You see that building with the big blue doors and the banner, that's it."
"Oh wow it's not far from the studio or home at all."
"Yeah, I usually run here."
He said as I pulled into the parking lot of the dojo which was called the Jasmin Dragon, Ha Oh My God.
"Oh, it's fate." I said pulling into a parking spot.
"Yeah, I thought you would get a kick out of that." He said getting out the car and walking to the big doors, me close behind him. Entering the building it looked very calming, there was a burning incense smell that instantly hit you like cherry blossoms and cinnamon, it was darkly lit but most of the light came from the big windows in the back of the studio. This place is amazing.
Huey came back to where I was standing with an Asian man with a big goatee but no hair on his head, he was wearing sweat pants and a dragon ball z shirt walking with a big cane shaped like a dragon. He looked to be about mid to late 40s and he is wearing the biggest smile. "Hello, welcome to the Jasmin Dragon, I am Iroh but you can call me uncle everyone else does, well except for Huey but I think he is one egg short of a dozen." He says shaking my hand.
"Hello, I'm Jazmin, my sister and I would love to join your dojo, it's absolutely beautiful in here."
"Ah, named after a beautiful flower for a beautiful girl, it fits." I blush and look down.
"Well aren't you smooth talkers, Iroh aren't you married and 67." Huey says somehow materializing right next to me. This boy needs a bell. Wait 67 it's so true that Asian's do not age till they are like 80.
"Huey you do not need to hater player." He says hitting him with the lower end of the cane. I immediately laugh at him. I love this old dude he is so funny. "Now Jazmin, what level are you and your sister?"
"Oh we are both black belts in, Kung fu, karate, jujitsu, tai chi and three other types of martial arts." They both looked at me without speaking. "My sister and I are very competitive, she is much better than me though, she hits hard."
"How old are you two?" Iroh asked
"We are both 16 but we will be 17 in September."
"How long have you too been studying?"
"Since we were five, but we've been dancing and doing gymnastics since we were three."
"So you two are twins, splendid."
"Shocked, the hell out of me." Huey said
"Well I would love a demonstration, you can spar with huey."
"What?" Huey and I said at the same time.
"Yes no time like the present and Huey is the only one at this dojo who could possibly take you."
"Iroh, you can't just spring these things on people you old coot." Huey then ducked the can but then missed the cane at the bottom. "Oww." He said grabbing his shin.
"Now, are you ready young Jazmin."
UGH….WHAT?