Disclaimer: I don't claim any rights/ownership to the Boondocks or anything associated with the series

The door didn't even close shut as she fell face first on her queen sized bed exhausted from a long day of work. She couldn't even get the energy up to take off her coat and shoes, let alone her waitressing uniform. She had put in almost thirty hours this weekend. About five minutes later, her mother knocked twice then pressed open the half shut door as she announced herself with a fresh basket of laundry on her hip.

" Hey Jazzypoo, I just finished your laun…. Oh my poor baby. Did you have a rough day at work?" Sarah stated in a tone that was part amused, part concerned.

"Hhhmm, Mmit wasf mmokay…" Jazmine mumbled into her soft and fresh smelling lavender down comforter having not moved one inch since she arrived. "I'm just super tired… You washed my bed linens too?" She turned her face so she could speak clearly.

"Yeah, I was in one of those moods to thoroughly clean everything today. I'll be leaving to pick your father up from the airport in about an hour. I thought he would appreciate coming home to a clean house and a good meal. Jordan and I even baked cookies!" Sarah said with excitement and clasped her hands together.

She listened as her mom continued to recount the day's events. During her mom's rant a small smile crept up on her face with thoughts of how their relationship had changed from when she was younger. Her mom had always been present in her life but it more like she was in the background and not really interested in her. And honestly the same could have been said to describe her parent's marriage. Things had gotten really bad after her father returned home after finally going on his 'Do It Big' trip with Mr. Freeman. They were constantly arguing, Dad felt underappreciated and Mom felt like she was being held back. Eventually they decided to go to a marriage consoler as a last ditch effort to fix things around my eleventh birthday. The sessions lasted for six months and at the conclusion of their therapy, which must have been a success, they went on a cruise which resulted in my younger brother Jordan.

As she came back to the present from her walk down memory lane, she registered her mom saying something about how funny Hugh Jackman had been on Ellen, but her attention had been stolen by her little brother who was standing in the doorway nibbling on a peanut butter cookie and holding an oatmeal raisin out for her in his other hand, "Jazzy, mommy and me made cookies! I bwought you one. Theywo weawy good!" he said with a wide smile and his dark green eyes sparkling with glee. He had a hard time saying words with r's or l's, they always came out like w's. He was so cute standing there barefoot with his green polo and jeans that she just had to go to him. When she reached where he was standing and she ran her hand through his soft curly black afro and picked him up.

"You are so thoughtful! You got this for me? Well let me have a taste." Jazmine opened her mouth and her brother put the whole thing plus three fingers in her mouth. Jazmine shook her head and laughed then ate the cookie. "WOW Jay! You are right this is really good! But I think you taste better though." She kissed his fat caramel checks as she finished her last statement. Jordan giggled and squirmed in her arms to escape the onslaught of affection. Jazmine placed her brother back on his feet then twisted her torso left and right to pop her back.

"Whew! That felt good… well as much as I love you Mom and Jordan, I can't deny the fact that I'm dead tired. And I need to shower then revise my research paper that's due Friday and it's already 9:30p.m…"

"Okay, Okay we get the point. We need to be leaving to get Daddy now anyway. Come on Jordan let's go put on your shoes and coat." Sarah interrupted her daughter's not so subtle dismissal. As she grabbed for Jordan's hand he threw his arms around Jazmine's legs as tightly as he could, "See you wayter Jazzy, I wove you!" Jazmine rubbed his head one last time for the night.

"I love you too Jordan. See ya Mom."

Jazmine waited for them to leave before she started her nightly routine. She placed her in the bathroom and as she turned it on Melanie Fiona wafted through the speakers. She stood in the steamy shower and allowed the hot water to melt away most of the aches and pains she'd gained from the past weekend at work. As she stood there she closed her eyes and started to sing the lyrics of the song playing. She had always been a fan of music. Whether the sound was smooth and soothing, or erratic and loud, Jazmine could rock to any tune. Music had always been a part of her life for as long as she could remember. Her father would sing to her to help calm her nerves and help her sleep when she was locked up at home after the events of 9/11. Her mother was constantly humming different Usher songs while doing stuff around the house. Jazmine even started to expand her knowledge of music when Thugnificent moved into her neighborhood. She took the time out to study the different eras of music and the stars that emerged and thrived in them. From Motown to the British Invasion, Elvis to Biggie Smalls, she investigated them all and found something to love in each of them. No matter the genre or time period, she loved it all; especially the sounds from the Harlem Jazz era. It was just something about how the voices and instruments merged to create something so undeniably beautiful that spoke to her soul. It is what inspired her to start creating her own music. It was obvious from the start that she was musically gifted. She joined the school glee club in sixth grade, started dancing in seventh, took up piano in eighth, and was currently mastering the violin.

After finishing in the bathroom Jazmine walked back to her room with a towel wrapped around her body and another on her head to check her phone and make sure she hadn't missed anything. "It was only Cindy, I'll talk to her tomorrow at school. I don't have the energy to deal with her right now" Jazmine huffed exasperated. And just she was putting it on the charger for the night, the phone activated and another name flashed across the screen that she would not ignore, it was Huey Freeman.

A dazzling white smile spread across her face at the sight of Huey's name on the screen of her phone. Jazmine shook her head and lightly chuckled to herself at the realization of her goofy reaction. To think after seven years of knowing the man, she still felt butterflies at the mere thought of his name. Sobering from her sudden surge of emotion, she answered the phone, "Ed's Pork-n-Beef Butcher House where we will chop and cut anything, how can I help you?" Jazmine tried to keep a straight face as she waited for Huey to respond.

"Yes, I was wondering if I could order a pound of broccoli salad with extra peas and carrots please…" stated Huey in his professional no-nonsense voice.

Jazmine couldn't take it anymore as she fell out of character into a fit a laughter, which she could hear through the phone as well.

"Huey, who calls a chop house to order broccoli salad and with extra peas and carrots no less?"

"A vegetarian… What kind of business promises to 'chop or cut anything', that is very disturbing on so many different levels. However that was clever… how long have you been thinking that one up?"

"A profitable one and you know I freestyle."

The pair broke out into another fit of laughter. Huey only engaged her with playful banter when he was in a good mood. The young black revolutionary was normally cut and dry; a very logical and technical kind of guy. He didn't usually encourage Jazmine's silly antics, but when he did Jazmine always took full advantage.

"Seriously though, I wanted to give you your physics notes that you loaned Ceasar. He left them here since you were unavailable this whole weekend." Huey stated with a deep timbre in his voice and a frown on his face. Huey swiveled in his computer chair and faced the door to see Riley standing there.

"Nigga is you pouttin?" Riley said in an incredulous voice with an arched eyebrow.

Huey ignored Riley and turned back to face his laptop screen as he listened to Jazmine's reply, "I know right, I barely even saw the light of day. With it being dark by six and me being sleep by eight and turning around to be back at work by seven, I had little chance of seeing anything other than the back of my eyelids."

Huey chuckled, "Well I'm on my way over."

"Sounds like somebody missed me." Jazmine giggled.

"Whatever." Huey said with nonchalantly.

"Okay, but just give me about five minutes to throw on some clothes since I just got out the shower."

"Alright."

Huey ended the phone call while trying not to picture a dripping wet Jazmine with only a flimsy towel to cover her. However he must have failed at that because the next thing he heard extinguished the small fire in his gut before it really got a chance to burn.

"Nigga is you blushin?" an amused Riley asked.

"Shut up Riley. What are you doing in my room anyway?"

"Lemme use yo phone."

"Why do you need to use my phone Riley? What's wrong with yours?" Huey only asked for the Hell of it as he got up to throw some miscellaneous supplies in his bookbag.

"Man… Granddad actin like a bitch cause coach tol em I was slackin at practice and my grades slippin and shit" Riley grumbled something else about being distracted as he crossed his arms across his chest but Huey missed it as he was searching for his keys.

"Not my problem." Huey said simply with a shrug of his broad shoulders as he wrapped his scarf around his neck. He didn't wear hoods or hats since he still wore his afro.

"Ooo, so now you gon go bitch on me too huh? You don't need it no ways nigga. You ain't doin nuttin but goin to that broad house to spen some time wit her cause you missed her ass. Huey, how you gonna be whipped ova some ass you aint neva tapped? That's all bad Huey." Riley taunted with a devious smirk as he shook his head with disapproval causing his long and thick braids to brush over his shoulders.

Huey shot Riley a death glare then spoke words lined with venom, "JAZmine is not a broad, I'm only taking her her notes, and it's not like that."

"Yeah yeah nigga you ain't foolin me. You want that ass, you just too scared to get it. You'll neva catch Young Reezy gettin all caught up on no bird haha, too many women to please. But yo whipped ass wouldn't kno nuthin bout that. Come on Reezy is behind on his mack schedule" a very amused Riley held his hand out and waited for Huey's phone to drop in it.

Once Huey finished tugging on his boots he stood to his full height of 6"1 then swung his backpack over his left shoulder. He calmly walked over to face his brother and glared down at him since Riley was a good four inches shorter than him.

"Not. My. Problem." Knowing it would irritate Riley, Huey overly pronounced each syllable in a deadpan voice which caused in Riley's smirk to fall from his face and made his jaw drop. Huey side stepped his brother and walked out the room and Riley followed him as he made his way to the door.

"Man yous a Bitch Huey! That's not a good look to be cock blockin my mack!" Riley yelled at the back of Huey's head.

Without further response Huey let himself out the front door and closed it before Riley could say anything else. He was halfway across the street when he heard the door reopen.

"Nigga You Gay!" then the door slammed and Huey couldn't help but laugh.