Chapter 2

"No." was the resounding answer

She knew that it was coming but somehow he managed to make that word feel like a shotgun shot her in the stomach, it felt like someone was peeing on her poop sundae, it felt like a kick in the gut.

Jazmine's smile faltered slightly but she pulled herself together making her smile even brighter and more cheerful than before. She looked like she farted rainbows and spat skittles.

"Did you just say no?" The question made sense but her tone sounded like her longtime boyfriend had just proposed to her.

He looked at her like she just asked the dumbest and most obvious question ever asked, which to be fair she did "Yeah I said no as in no. Maybe you don't understand english no as in no puedo, bùyào-"

"Ok ok I get it, you said no."

"Good, I was thinking you had brain dam-"

"But why though?"

Now he looked at her like she called his mom a hoe

"Because I said no."

"Yeah but…why?"

"Are you high?"

"Well I mean wouldn't driving the damsel in distress be the gentlemanly thing to do," she pointed to him,"You gentleman," she pointed back to herself ,"help damsel."

"First off," he pointed to himself, "not a gentleman," he pointed to her, "and second off you are not a damsel."

"Really? because I'm feeling very distressed right now." Her hyper happiness had faded

"That is not my problem."

"It is fifty percent your problem."

"Since when?"

"Since you came up to me and started berating me."

"Did not berate you."

"'Speak up!' 'Stop stammering!'" She mimicked, "That doesn't sound like berating to you?"

"Nope." His face and tone deadpan

"If this was a court of law I could sue you for emotional distress."

"Isn't it a good thing this isn't a court of law," he paused, shoving his hands into his pockets, "anyway it's not like I trust the American legal system anyway, so it looks like you're outta luck."

Plan B, time to start begging

"Oh c'mon please!" She pleaded, clasping her hands and giving him the biggest puppy dog eyes she could muster. Her back bending over in a begging position gives the impression of a sickly Victorian child begging for pennies.

He took a step back "No and you don't even know if I have a car or even drove myself here."

"Do you have a car?" She asked, straightening her posture. It was her time to be deadpan.

"...yes." he answered surprisingly somewhat sheepishly.

"Did you drive yourself here?" She asked again.

"...yes."

"Then I don't see the problem."

"You don't see anything wrong with getting into a total stranger's car and telling him to drive to where you live. What if I'm a stalker, or a murderer, or a rapist? What if I'm all three? Would you want to risk that?"

"I mean I don't think stalking raping murderers really advertise that they are stalking raping murderers…so I think you'rs in the clear." She gave him two thumbs up

"Why can't you call your friends to pick you up?"

"I only have two friends and one just ditched me and the other has a job and drives the bus."

"That's pathetic."

True but ouch

"Oh yeah and you are definitely mr. popular, where are your friends genius?!"

He pointed to the frat house, "There in there, doing some shit I don't really care."

"It sounds like you didn't want to come here."

"As you said I am not I am out of my element right now."

"So you drove your friends here?"

"I was lead here by another group of niggas."

"Oh so two cars."

"Three."

"Oh…so that means you aren't the designated driver."

"...what?" That question seemed to knock him out of a comfortable daze.

"Unless you have like a dozen people you brought here which," she stopped and pointedly shook her head, "I a hundred percent doubt that means you are free to drive me home. So did you come here with three cars worth of friends?"

"...no."

"Good so let's get this show on the road!"

"Have you ever been told no in your life?"

She paused and thought back her parents especially her father would rather rip their own kidneys out and eat in raw if they could keep Jazmine from crying she had never had to want for toys, vacations, electronics even when they offered to buy her a car because she was going off to college she rejected them due to her being terrified of driving. Even Cindy and Octavia had a hard time saying no to her giant jade green eyes.

"Huh I guess not."

"Figures." He grumbled

"Soooo are you taking me home?"

He sighed, "Whatever," she squealed and he grimaced, "Just stay over there I need to call someone."

She hopped over to the directed he gestured towards like a bunny high off crack

Looking over to him she once again noted how uncomfortably attractive he is, that side profile could only be found on Pinterest, although he looked a bit angrier than how he normally looked.

What was he talking about? She was tempted to eavesdrop but he would kill her so she ignored her nosiness. She was just probably thinking too much into it.

He ended the call.

"Ok let's go, make sure you stay close behind because if you get lost that shits on you."

"Aye aye captain!"

"...jesus christ you are white as fuck."

The two walked from the backyard into the large and extremely unnecessary frat house of Kappa Sigma.

Inside was pandemonium white sweaty teens and twenty year olds all over the place gyrating to Drake on maximum volume, it was as hot as a sauna and it smelled like hot cabbage in there, she spotted several drunk makeout sessions and even a husky freshman shirtless with the fraternity's symbol branded into his flesh. Jazmine hoped he was just drunk and not dead.

She was pulled out of her daze when she felt a large and heavily calloused hand grip around her own.

"I thought I told you to stay close." His lips brushed against her ear as he spoke in a low voice. She felt shivers run down her spine.

"O-oh yeah sorry about that."

"Keep moving."

"Yes sir."

He looked at her weird but still didn't let go, he kept her hand tightly held in his until they were outside again and then for some reason her hand felt empty, cold and without a purpose.

"That's mine."

"H-huh?!"

"I said that's my car." He pointed to a sleek yet sensible pitch black a few steps away which sat side by side with an extremely ostentatious bright orange Lamborghini and another flaming red sports car probably a Porsche which somehow looked subdued next the the lambo

"Oh my god is that your friend's car?"

Was he rich? Or did he just have rich friends? Jazmine thought he had a more down to earth feeling about him but then again she barely knows him.

"I would not call them friends." He muttered disdainfully before sparing a sideways glance her way, "Get in."

"Oh ok." She rushed towards the passenger's door.

The inside of the car was very uncomfortable, probably because she wasn't used to it, maybe it was because of the icy cold atmosphere, it also felt too brand new like he had just bought it. Everything was clean, shiny, sterile and not lived in.

She was having slight regrets about begging to get in a stranger's car but she was way too far gone now.

"Buckle up."

They sat in silence for a second before he turned around to her.

"Where the fuck do you live?"

Oh yeah she never told him where she lived.

Rattling her address off quickly to not poke the already awake and angry bear at that he just rolled his eyes before starting the engine.

"What's with the eye rolling?"

"Just me not being surprised."

"Surprised at what?"

"Where you live, of course the girl who begs strangers to drive them home would live in an ivory tower. Only rich people are that stupid."

"I'm not stupid-"

"Highly debatable."

She glared at him before continuing "and you're not that much of a stranger."

"Oh really?"

"Yes really."

"You don't even know my name."

And he got her there

"Uh yeah well you don't know my name either."

"Jazmine."

Eyes as wide as dinner plates she stared at him "How-"

"Your drunk ass friend called you 'Jazzy' on the phone and context clues led to Jasmine because what else is 'Jazzy' going to be short for?" He leisurely turned the corner, "plus now knowing you're rich your parents probably tried to make your basic ass name unique but not too unique otherwise it would be too hard for all the lazy white teachers to pronounce so they most likely settled for switching up a letter and the letter that makes most sense. So Jazmine with a Z, did I get that right?"

"I'm starting to believe you are a stalker."

He laughed at that, an actual genuine laugh. He looked even prettier when he laughed.

"So can you guess my name?"

"...Darius?"

"No."

"Tristan?"

"Nope."

"Nathan?"

"Nah."

"Vincent?!"

"Hell no."

She plopped her hands into her lap "Well I give up."

"That's disappointing."

Silence again

"...ok just tell me!"

"It's Huey."

She stumbled at that.

"Huey?!"

"Yeah Huey."

"But that sounds like a name for toddlers, you're a grown adult man!"

"I'm only nineteen, that's not too grown I think."

"But I thought your name would be something sexy like Damien or Alexander but Huey?!"

"Ok you're dragging it now."

"A man like you…a man that looks like you named Huey. Wow."

"What's wrong with the name Huey?"

"It's not respectable."

"I'm named after Huey P. Newton, the black panther and that's not worthy of respect?!"

She furrowed her brows in confusion "Black panther? I thought his name was T'challa not Huey."

Jazmine had never seen such a rageful look as the one who stared down at her, eyes wide and mouth dropped open in disbelief. He looked horrified, absolutely horrified.

1 second passed

2 seconds passed

3 seconds passed

4 seconds passed

5 seconds-

"Oooooh…you mean like the real black panthers-"

"Obviously I meant the real fucking black panthers!"

She grimaced and he scowled, she had ruined the mood like always and now it was back to tense silence.

She resigned herself to chewing on her nails. They were so cute, acrylic, pastel pink with white hearts. Too bad.

"Jazmine?"

"Yes!," she coughed not too eagerly she reminded herself, " I mean yeah?"

"Who was the girl that ditched you?"

"Oh that was Cindy, Cindy McPherson she's been my bff since elementary school."

"Friends for over a decade and she ditched you at a party with a bunch of drunk white boys she must not like you."

"No that's not it!" She shouted defensively

"Then what is it?"

"Cindy…she's always been more social than me and more popular which I know if you met her you would get it. She's tall, tan, athletic, blonde hair and blue eyed-"

"Chill on the blonde hair blue eyes shit you starting to sound like Hitler youth."

"Anyways I've just gotten used to her being the center of attention which I don't mind since I hate attention but she basks in it so it's not surprising a pretty and popular girl would get invited to places without her frumpy bestie to drag her down."

"You somehow didn't answer my question and managed to put yourself down, that's a talent."

"You suck Huey."

"Thank you for the compliment."

A nicer silence than before settled on them

"Sooo want to play twenty one questions?"

"Fuck no."

"Too bad I'm bored and we have like twenty minutes together. So what's your favorite color?"

"Basic ass question."

"Just answer it."

"Black."

"Edgy." She snorted

"Shut up."

"It's your turn to ask a question."

"Ugh…what is your political affiliation?"

"I don't know, I don't really care about that stuff."

"God help us all."

"What's your major?"

"Double majoring in Computer Science and Political Science."

"Oooh we got a genius over here."

"Whatever."

"Hey, ask your question and nothing dumb this time."

"Which one of your parents is white?"

"That's a weird question."

"Just answer it."

"My father is black and my mother is white."

"That makes so much sense."

"Shut up, are you from California?"

"Fuck no, I'm from Chicago."

"Oooh the windy city how…windy."

"You are so good with your words aren't you?"

"Shush, it's your turn again."

"Are you from California?"

"You can't repeat questions!"

"Well I just did, now answer."

"Yes, in fact I'm from Malibu."

"Malibu Barbie in my own car. I should be honored."

"Why did you come to the party anyway?"

"Huh?" That surprised him

"Well I mean you don't seem like the guy to go to these types of parties or any type of parties so why did you come here? And don't say you were dragged here. I've known you for a grand total of like an hour and I doubt anyone can force you to do something."

"You forced me to drive you home."

"You probably used that as an excuse to leave the party now answer the question"

"Where did that little stammering and shivering girl go?"

"Distraction failed, now answer."

"It was business related."

Huh

"Business?"

"Yes business I don't know why they picked that stupid fucking party but it was chosen and I went." He replied simply yet vaguely not once taking his eyes off the road.

Jazmine felt like her lungs flew up to her throat

"...are you a drug dealer Huey?" She whispered scared out of her mind

"No." He leaned over to her, looking deeply into her eyes "I'm worse."

"I'm joking." He finally stated looking back to the road

She let out a breath "You are not funny."

"I get that a lot." He smiled putting the car to a stop

"Wait, why did you stop the car?"

"Because we are here," at her look of confusion Huey continued, "we're at your apartment. You know? The place you wanted to be."

"Oh."

"Yeah oh."

Silence

"Are you not going to get out?"

"Oh! Oh right! I am so sorry." She said fumbling with the car door and almost falling flat on her butt.

"I'm up! I'm fine." She said humiliatingly out of breath

"That's…great."

"Um yeah so uh thank you for that Huey, I really appreciate you helping me out like that."

"No problem."

"No seriously, thank you Huey."

"You are welcome…Jazmine."

She was the first to break eye contact, staring into his eyes was like staring into the sun

"Well it was very interesting meeting you," he gave her a small smile, "Bye."

"...bye." she finally said but it was barely a whisper and he was already gone.

–-

There we go chapter two, a lot quicker than I expected.

Hope you enjoyed it. :)

Sidenote; Apologies for the weird looking formatting, I'm writing and uploading all of this on my phone and I'm still not used to the site so bear with me please.