Author's Note:
This chapter was a LOT of fun to write, but it almost didn't make the cut. But ultimately, I think it's one of those things that'll make sense in the end, and there are some cute Juey moments too, which...admit it...we ALL love.
It gives a taste of the shenanigans to come in Back to the 90s,which will be well worth the wait whenever I get done with the other outstanding stories.
I would love to hear your thoughts on what you like, what you hate, even what you want more of.
To Juey, thank you so much for reviewing! I appreciate the love you've shown my story!
To Nexus258, thank you for favoriting and following my story. I appreciate it.
Enjoy! Happy Reading!
Chapter Five
Step Five:
Hang out with your friends.
They probably miss you.
When Fantasia Burrino was blasting in a woman's car on a Saturday afternoon, it could only mean one thing.
They were done with your ass.
"If you don't waaannntt me than don't talkto meeeee!" Huey could hear Jazmine from across the street, singing her heart out with her friend Casey, their screeching getting louder and louder.
It had been a few days since her confrontation with Vince, and he was relieved that Jazmine was still on board with the plan, even if her new look was hard to come to grips with.
"Damn." Riley looked out the front door, covering his ears. "Her ass really is done this time. She's blasting Fantasia?"
"Yup." Huey nodded. " Everybody knows once her songs are in rotation, there's a ninety-seven percent chance that it's over."
"If you don't want me then don't talk to meeeeeeee!" The singing continued in the driveway. "Go ahead and freee yourselfffff."
Cindy gave Caesar another kiss on the lips before glancing at Shanice, who was still kissing Riley.
"Are you still coming with us or are you staying here with him?"
Shanice acted like she didn't hear her, leaning forward to place yet another kiss on her boyfriend's lips.
Huey cleared his throat, discreetly motioning towards the TV.
Riley practically shoved his girlfriend out the door, excited to play the 2k25 Madden release with Huey and Caesar. "Nah, nah! It's coo. Ya'll have fun!"
"Okay." Shanice pouted, leaning in for another kiss. "I'll miss you."
Riley almost folded, only pausing when Caesar held up his phone, the 2026 Grand Theft Auto game release clear as day.
Caesar's gaming engineer cousin had asked them to test it, which meant Riley could play this game, and then add notes to make it even better.
He pecked Shanice on the lips then dragged her over to Cindy. "Go have fun with your girls, baby. We'll be here when you get back. Jazmine needs her girls right now."
"But the lovveeee I haaaaad inside HAS DIEEEEEDDD!"
They all blinked, staring out the door at the girls, especially Jazmine, who had placed her hand on her forehead and dragged out the best part of the bridge while Casey swayed from side to side.
"Babyyyyyyyy it's DIIIiiiiieeeEEED, yeaaaah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah!"
"Please go." Huey managed not to laugh, glancing over at Jazmine and Casey, who were now standing with their heads poked out of the girl's opened sunroof, throwing a concert for their entire neighborhood. "For the sake of our eardrums."
"Had to take it there! HAD to take it there CUZ I'M TIREDDDDDD!"
Shanice side-eyed Huey. "And how come you aren't going, Mr. Perfect Best Friend?"
"OHHHHHHHH YEAHHHHHHH!"
"It's important for her to be surrounded by female friends today." Huey shrugged, acting like he didn't just make that up. "Caesar and Riley had a day with just their male friends too. It's part of my program."
"And it's just a coincidence that this program is the same day as the 2K25 release ya'll been talking about?" Cindy put a hand on her hip.
"Yep." Huey nodded.
"You're play-in gammeeeesssssss!"
They all laughed at the timing of the last lyric, glancing at an angry Ms. Von Housse slowly wobbling over to Jazmine's car.
Cindy and Shanice raced out the door, rushing to get Jazmine and Casey before things got worst.
"Bye ya'll!"
Once the door slammed, shut he lifted two controllers from the couch and threw them.
"So." Huey smirked. "Ya'll ready to get ya'll's asses kicked?"
"Nigga please!" Caesar snorted. "You know you can't win when it comes to video games!"
"You sho' can't." Riley plopped down on the other couch. "You suck, nigga!"
They stared at the television, waiting for the game to load, laughing at the sound of Ms. Von Houssen yelling over the sound of screeching tires.
He snorted, lifting his controller when the game finally loaded, prepared to whoop some virtual ass.
Jazmine hadn't been to a skating rink in ages.
It was even brighter than she'd remembered, with fluorescent lighting, twelve disco balls, and strobe lights flashing at every turn.
She'd gone all the time when she was younger, hanging with Cindy and Casey in middle school.
After awhile, she was with Vince whenever they went, always blowing them off to be with him, which had been the dumbest mistake of her life.
She regretted not enjoying more of her teen years. Jazmine had wasted a lot of time running behind him, and all in all, what had she gotten out of the deal but heartbreak?
'Not much.' She noted, staring at her crazy friends. They were still chatting as they looked at themselves in the mirror, applying some gloss to their lips.
But now, things were different.
She could finally have fun like they used to, especially now that they'd changed into their roller-skating uniforms, white tank tops with denim shorts and tube socks, their feet adorned with different colored skates. Matte Black for Cindy, Electric Blue for Shanice, Bright Yellow for Casey, and Baby Pink for Jazmine.
They all rolled to their feet, chuckling as Jazmine slid forward, struggling to balance her weight.
"I gotcha." Shanice smiled sweetly, linking arms with Jazmine. "See? It's easy. You've just gotta get used to the feeling again. Remember how to stop?"
"Like this, right?" Jazmine tapped her toe against the carpet, nodding before staring at the practice rink. "You mind if we go over there, first? I'm a little nervous rolling around with the experts."
They all watched as a few guys broke out into choreo in the center of the floor, doing backflips and complex stunts while they sped around the rolling rink, laughing loudly to themselves.
"Of course, girl!" Shanice grinned. "We need to catch up anyway!"
Jazmine waved at Cindy and Casey, pointing to the smaller rink on the right hand side of the building. "We'll be over there if you're looking for us."
Both girls waved. "Okay!"
Shanice and Jazmine made their way into the practice rink, slowly maneuvering around the wall, until Jazmine could reach the railing.
"I saw what happened with you and Vince, Monday." Shanice's voice was gentle. "How are you feeling?"
"Better." Jazmine nodded, relieved to admit she genuinely felt that way. "For a second, I was almost willing to take him back. But this time was different." She smiled, as she slowly pushed herself further. "As wrong as it sounds, I'm glad I got to dish it out for a change."
"That's not wrong at all, Jazmine." Shanice smiled, just as happy as she was. "You're not the only one happy to see him get a taste of his own medicine." She rolled her eyes. "He needs to know how it feels, which is why I don't feel bad telling you that Vince cried all week in the locker room during gym. Homeboy is feeling the burn."
Jazmine laughed at that before falling on her ass and laughing even harder.
Shanice extended her hand, lifting her to her feet.
"Thanks." Jazmine grinned.
Shanice grinned right back, smiling at her. "No problem."
"At least you and Riley seem to be doing well." Jazmine couldn't help but notice the girl's glow. "You look happy because of him, don't you?"
"You know what?" Shanice turned in front of her so she could skate backwards. "I think so. With us, things just feel right. Once he quit playin' and stopped taggin' Woodcrest left and right, I finally took him seriously."
Jazmine pushed herself forward again, getting used to the feeling of the skates on her feet. "I'll be like you when I grow up."
"Girl, no." Shanice laughed, tugging her away from the practice rink. "We do not need two of me when we're good and grown. Let alone right now."
They both laughed as Shanice shook her head. "I mean, seriously! Could you imagine two of me?" Shanice managed to kick a leg back and pose. "These people's heads would explode from all that greatness!"
Jazmine found herself laughing again, leaning on her friend's shoulder.
The announcer caught their attention, disrupting the music to make sure everyone could hear him.
"Alright folks! We want all the best friends on the rink right now!"
Cindy and Casey sped over and grabbed their hands, laughing as they linked arms for the umpteenth time.
When they finally made their way to the floor, Jazmine smiled to herself, grateful that they'd never left her side.
She was so lucky to have great friends in her life.
Huey included.
Huey couldn't believe this was his life.
"Ayyeee! Why is the screen still blue?!" Riley frowned, staring at Granddad's TV in the living room. "Ya'll ain't got nothing up there?"
"Nope! Doesn't work up here, either!" Caesar called from Riley's room. "What about-"
"It doesn't work on my TV either." Huey walked back downstairs, pulling out his phone. "According to the News App, there's something weird going on with-"
"Hell nah, you got the news on your phone?" Riley shook his head. "That's not a good look, Huey."
Huey ignored his brother.
"Like I was saying, there's a global outage impacting all devices connected to Microsoft, which unfortunately, includes the Xbox."
"So…." Caesar whistled. "What do we do now?"
They all sat on the couch for a moment, moping as Huey went to check on the emergency supply he kept in his room.
Granddad walked out of his man cave, frowning at them. "Why are ya'll so down in the dumps?"
"Man, the outage ruined our game!" Riley pouted, glaring at the screen again. "We were looking forward to playing that game all year!"
"And?" Granddad snorted, grabbing some orange juice out of his fridge. "Your brother has a car, you and Caesar have two lovely girlfriends, and you all have healthy, well-functioning, ailment-free bodies. I'm failing to see the problem, here."
"Hey ya'll." Huey walked out of his room and leaned on the wall. "Just in case this is some sort of cyberattack, we should get a hold of one of the girls before things pop off, make sure they're good."
"Boy! Didn't I ban your conspiracy mess from this house?" Granddad glared at him before taking another sip of his juice and popping his lips. "What you boys need to do is go outside and do something fun. Something that Does. Not. Involve. Technology."
The man paused, staring at Ms. Ebony as she walked through the front door. "After all, you only get one life. Why waste it?"
Huey grabbed his keys, looking at Riley and Caesar. "I guess he's right."
"For once." Riley grumbled.
"Of course ya'll's granddady is right." Granddad smirked, nodding at them as he wiggled his eyebrows. "Now, me and Ms. Ebony are going to go upstairs to live young, wild, and free, if you know what I'm sayin'."
"Granddad! We talked about this!" Huey winced, frowning up again as Ms. Ebony laughed in his grandfather's arms, lightly brushing his sides with her hands. "Why would you say something like that? Do you remember all the night terrors I had from stuff like that?"
"That's still nasty, Granddad!" Riley cried out, covering his ears. "You gon' die tryna do all that up there!"
"You sure are." Huey shook his head, frowning at them. "Hope you have your Life Alert Necklace on when it happens. Cuz I'm not explainin' that to the EMTs."
"-Yeah." Caesar grimaced as he headed for the door, his coat already in his hand. "I'm out."
"We're right behind you." Huey announced, not even looking at Granddad before closing the door behind him, rushing out into the cold before he'd even warmed up his car.
He turned to Caesar and Riley, who were both on their iPhones, tapping away on their screens.
"Remember." Huey glared at them. "Everything we're doing today…does not involve technology, just simple texts and calls. That's it."
They both sighed, reluctantly putting their phones away.
"We could go see a movie." Caesar suggested.
"And see what?" Huey shook his head. "A move about tornadoes? Bad Boy 5000?"
"We could do Painting with a Twist." Riley suggested, pausing deviously. "Escobar style."
"Hell no!" Huey slammed his head against the seat. "We ain't taggin' shit, Riley! Pick something else!"
"Ohhhhhhh! I know!" Caesar grinned. "Paintball! It's fun, violent, and artistic! It'd be so much fun!"
"It really is." Huey frowned. "But, me and Riley got banned from every paintball center within a four hundred mile radius."
"That's…oddly specific." Caesar frowned, stroking his chin. "How about-"
Riley lifted his phone, shrugging. "The girls are at the skating rink. Ya'll down to go?"
"I guess." Huey started up the radio, turning to Caesar, who was smirking at him. "What?"
"Nothing." Caesar shook his head. "I just think it's funny you're so nervous."
"I'm not nervous." Huey rolled his eyes. "Your boredom has you seeing things, Bob Marley."
"Don't get mad at me." Caesar shrugged. "You've been acting weird all week, and I know it has to do with Jazmine. She looks soooo good that it's driving you crazy, isn't it?"
"It's not driving me anything because it has nothing to do with her." Huey shot back. "I keep telling you all that stuff I've been doing is only about the bet!"
"Nigga, no it ain't!" Riley shook his head, frowning at his brother. "But whatever, do it yo dumbass way."
"My way is getting Jazmine into a happy and healthy relationship, something I've done for both of ya'll's childish asses." Huey rolled his eyes. "Jazmine is my friend and nothing more, so for the last time, drop it. Before I drop kick one of you."
Riley and Caesar gulped, sitting back in their seats.
Huey paused at the wheel once they reached the red light, thinking to himself.
"Do either of you know how to get to the skating rink?"
This whole no dating thing was getting old quick.
There were so many fine boys her age at the skating rink, and Jazmine was starting to wonder why she'd even agreed not to entertain anyone.
A tall, handsome boy she recognized from a neighboring high school waved, grinning at her.
Like, seriously….
How could some book tell her when she was ready?
She spotted a familiar afro moving through the door, easing past the security guard with her other two friends.
Her eyes narrowed.
It was like he'd known what she was about to do before she did it.
Per usual.
Even though Huey had been acting very strange lately, Jazmine knew in her heart that it was for a good reason.
Knowing him, he was doing his whole 'tough love' thing again, and while it frustrated her to no end, she trusted his judgement more than anyone else's.
After all, he'd never let her down before.
"Hey, Huey." She smiled, leaning forward to hug him. "I thought you all were having Guys' Day, playing the game?"
She nodded at Caesar and Riley who were already draped around their girlfriends, nuzzling their faces in their necks before wobbling back over to Huey in their skates.
"Where are the rest of your shorts?" He raised a brow, frowning at her. "You do realize that they're staring at your ass, right?"
"I don't care." Jazmine shrugged, surprised when she took off smoothly, making her way onto the floor before he could respond. "It's a good look."
"Well, it's still cold outside." She heard him retort. "Some of us actually dress for the weather."
To her surprise, Huey was already gliding next to her, the skates on his feet whooshing against the hardwood floor.
"You skate?" Jazmine stared at him, astonished. "Since when?"
"Since forever." Huey smirked. "There's a lot you don't know about me, Dubois."
"Like what?" She teased, nearly tripping over herself when he eased closer to her. "Can you sing?"
"Yup." Huey smirked proudly, holding her by the waist so she wouldn't trip again. "And dance."
"Wow!" Her jaw dropped. "I knew it!"
"No you didn't." He smirked again before slowly releasing her waist, studying her for signs of another potential fall.
Jazmine smiled at him when he smoothly slid backwards, moving his feet back with ease. "So what else can you do?"
"Something you can't." He pointed at her feet, staring at her motions before extending his hand. "You're not bad, but it's not smooth, either. Need some help?"
"Please." Jazmine nodded, taking his outstretched hand. "Thank God this isn't the 90s. They would've run me over."
"Exactly." Huey smirked, staring down at her. "Remember in yoga? When Lori was telling you to engage your core?"
Jazmine nodded, understanding exactly what he meant.
"It's similar to that." He told her. "You just gotta find the right posture, relax, and go with the flow. You already know how to skate. So loosen up. Have fun with it."
"Did you just tell me to have fun?" Jazmine's eyes widened as she stared at her friend. "Who are you, and what did you do with Huey Freeman?"
"Shut up." He rolled his eyes. "I'm just saying that it'd help if you loosened up. You won't go anywhere if you're all tense. So lighten up."
She did exactly what he said, surprised when she glided across the floor with ease just like he did.
"Okay." She waved at the guy from earlier before turning back to Huey. "This is a lot better."
"It is." Huey nodded, turning to stare at her. "You learn fast."
Jazmine smiled. "Thanks."
"So." Huey sighed, his face more serious. "About how I acted this week, I'm sorry. It's not cool how I've been treating you. I've been in my head about some stuff, and I took it out on you. It won't ever happen again."
"It happens to all of us." She managed, still slightly rattled by the intensity of his gaze. "Don't worry about it. Seriously. It's fine. I wasn't upset about it."
Huey moved closer, about to say something else, but the announcer interrupted the music again and turned on the lights.
"Alright, kids! Someone left behind some pretty cool concert tickets!"
The man paused, staring down at them from his spot in the tall DJ booth. "Do any of you know who Jhene Aiko is?"
The crowd cheered loudly, knowing exactly who she was.
"Well, we have eight tickets." The man leaned over and grinned. "For the best skater in the building."
Jazmine looked over to Huey, wiggling with every word. "I. Love. Jhene. Aiko."
"You. Love. Every. Singer." He rolled his eyes. "She's not even that great of an artist. I don't get why you love her so much."
A few people in front of them turned to Huey and glared.
"My boyfriend's just cranky because of this outfit." Jazmine shook her head, motioning toward herself. "Don't mind him."
The crowd seemed to accept her excuse and turned around, murmuring amongst themselves as their friends rushed over.
"Why'd you tell them that?" Huey grumbled, rolling his eyes at her. "I'm not your boyfriend."
Jazmine was surprised by how much the words hurt her. Especially since he was right. He was not, nor would he ever be her boyfriend.
Shaking her head, she decided to act normal, shrugging her shoulders in response. "Next time, I'll just let you get into another avoidable fight."
"Thank you." He folded his arms, turning towards Caesar and Cindy, who were kissing sweetly right behind them.
"Now this contest won't be easy." The announcer snapped and someone aimed the spotlight at him as he descended from the stairs of the DJ Booth and onto the floor.
"And that's why I need skaters who can do stunts, dance moves, and choreography! We need the IT factor."
Casey and Shanice looked at her before staring at the person she'd also been thinking of.
"What?" Huey whirled around, staring at them. "Why are ya'll looking at me like that?"
The girls squealed dramatically, staring back at Huey.
"What?" He repeated, looking at all of them. "Why are you screaming like that?"
"Because they want yo' ass to do it, nigga!" Riley smirked. "Gon' head and handle business, big bruh!"
"Uh-uh." Huey glared at them. "They'd better ask Caesar! Because I am not doing that shit!"
"C'mon, Huey." Caesar smirked before giving him a playful puppy dog face. "It's up to you, now."
"Why does it have to be up to me?" Huey snapped, shaking his head. "Almost all of us can skate."
"Cuz foo!" Riley smirked, gesturing towards the floor where a few people had gathered. "Yo ass been gliding around here like an extra off Roll Bounce all damn day!"
"That movie-"
"Is an embarrassment to black people everywhere, we know." Caesar slid forward, Cindy still in his arms. "But we also know that you can do the stunts, the dance moves, and the choreography."
"And." Casey nodded. "Nobody we know is here. You're the one getting us the tickets, so it's not like we'd ever tell anyone."
"Plus, it'll give us something free to do." Shanice smiled, pecking Riley's cheek with a nod. "And think of all the cute, meditating, yoga-loving girls that'll be there."
Jazmine could see Huey mulling it over and decided to go in for the kill. "Plus, if you do it, I'll make you two weeks' worth of vegan food. Freshly made, every day."
She could see him pretending to resist before he dropped his head in defeat.
"Fine." He grumbled, heading towards the rink. "But if any of you tell anyone about this, I will kill you "
"Seriously." Caesar remarked, looking over at Riley. "That is not normal. Your Granddad should've gotten him evaluated."
They watched as he made his way to the center of the floor, crossing their fingers.
It was up to him, now.
He couldn't believe he was doing this.
"Alright, here's how it works." The announcer read the rules, staring down at them. "You'll have three minutes to make a good impression. Winner takes the ticket. Loser takes none. Got it?"
"Got it." They all repeated.
The man laughed. "We'll get started in five."
They all stretched, staring over at their friends on the other end.
"Yo, Huey!"
Quincy from his AP Calculus class, dapped him up, staring over at Jazmine.
"Aye, dude! That's you right there?"
Huey shook his head, ignoring the tightening in his jaw. "Nah. We're just friends. Why?"
"Cuz she's bad!" Quincy shook his head as he stared at her, eyeing her long legs. "You think I gotta chance?"
"She's still hung up over Vince." Huey bent down, to tie his shoelace, shrugging his shoulders. "I personally wouldn't."
"Damn." Quincy whistled, before nodding at him. "Good lookin' out, dude. Preciate it."
Huey just stared after him.
It shouldn't have been a big deal.
After all, guys asked for Jazmine's numbers every once and a while, and normally, he passed them over to her.
So what was the big deal, now?
He found himself staring at her intense conversation with Casey and Cindy, staring at her hair, her lips, those legs….
Okay, so maybe he wasn't as immune to her new look as he thought.
But then again, when had Jazmine started wearing shorts and tank tops in winter, even if they were indoors?
And since when was he so annoyed with Quincy all of a sudden?
And when exactly had he started asking himself questions about why he did things?
"Okay." The announcer was back in the DJ Booth. "When I say go….."
The microphone echoed as Huey leaned forward and closed his eyes.
"You'd better be moving."
The music began, the beat to Talib Kweli's NY Weather Report dropping just in time.
Come on, yeah.
"On your mark."
He leaned forward.
I'd like to thank everybody for this opportunity.
"Get set."
He pushed his other leg back.
To thank everybody who's been ridin' with me so far.
"Go!"
it's been a long journey.
Huey wasn't making the best impression.
Jazmine and her friends stared as Huey zoomed around the skating rink, not doing much of anything but zooming past.
"I thought he was good at this!?" Casey rolled her skate-covered feet back and forth. "Those other guys are doing cartwheels and stuff!"
"She's right." Cindy shook her head. "What he's doing now ain't gone cut it!"
Jazmine's heart dropped, but she tried to keep hope alive by glaring at her friends. "He'll get it! Leave him alone!"
"I know that's right, Jazmine." Shanice high fived her. "You'd better defend your best friend, girl!"
"Man." The announcer pointed. "That kid sure does suck. How can he recover from this now?"
"You gone check him too, boo?" Cindy's voice was smug. "Get on yo job, bodyguard."
But Jazmine wasn't focused on her.
She was watching Huey, who was smirking in amusement, probably happy that he wasn't shucking and jiving.
He worked her nerves.
Jazmine lifted her chin and marched over to the DJ booth, her skates slamming down onto the carpet.
"Hey!" She called up to the announcer. "Can a team have more than one player if the first one sucks?"
The man nodded, smirking. "Take it away, cupcake."
Jazmine made her way out onto the floor, remembering to engage her core like Huey said, just in time for Case of the Ex by Mya to come on.
She spun around and waved her arms around her, as if clearing the space, before leaping into the air and flipping backwards.
It's after midnight, and she's on your phone…
Phone!
The other contestants froze, not expecting her to show out so early, or at all.
Saying come over cause she's all alone…
The crowd, on the other hand, went wild, cheering at the top of their lungs as she hit the cabbage patch and the chicken head, then jujued on and off the beat, before supersoaking that hoe, several times.
Now what is that she wants?
And what is it that she needs?
"That's my best friend!" Cindy hollered, standing on top of the bench. "Shut this shit down, Jazmine Marie!"
Did she hear about the brand-new Benz that you just bought for me?
Cause ya'll didn't have no kids.
Didn't share no mutual friends.
Jazmine felt a surge of satisfaction run through her when she sped through the center and all the guys parted, allowing her to make her way through the center of the floor.
And you told me that she turned trick
When ya'll broke up in 96'.
Still in rhythm with the beat, she shimmied into the spotlight and dusted her shoulders off, pretending she was Beyonce, and this was her stage before doing a headstand and kicking back, ending her choreography with a pose.
Whatcha gon' do when you can't say no
When the feelings start to show, boy, I really need to know…..
"It looks like we have a clear frontrunner!" The announcer hollered over the thunderous applause, nodding as Cindy whispered something in his ear. "Jazmine Dubois is the one to beat, ladies and gentleman!"
The crowd cheered even louder when she flipped again, pointing at Huey with narrowed eyes, calling him out while he smirked and moved towards her.
"This next song is a crowd favorite! You know what time it is. Method Man featuring Mary! J! Blidgeeeee! I'll Be There for You! AKA….You're All I Need to Get BYYYYYYY-yyyyyyyyy!"
"OUUUUUUUUUUUU!" The crowd suddenly gasped at the throwback song, bopping their head at someone behind her. Clowning by himself as the beat dropped.
You're alllllll,I needdddd, to get byyyyy, ah iiiiiii.
Jazmine couldn't believe what she was seeing, even after blinking and rubbing her eyes several times.
"Hell yeah, nigga!" Riley rocked his head beside. "Show these foos how we do it back home!"
There are few things that's forever
My lady
There was just no way. No way on Earth was he moving like that.
She'd seen Huey do a lot of things, obviously. Make dodgeballs float, eat a shitload of cookies when he thought no one was looking, whoop the asses of several Woodcrest residents regardless of age, and she could've sworn she'd seen him levitate once while meditating.
Back when I was nothin'.
You made a brother feel like he was somethin'.
But this?
This was impossible.
Because Huey, Huey 'I Don't See Why That Matters' Freeman was moonwalking.
On skates.
Backwards!
That's why I'm with you to this day, boo
No frontin'.
"Awwwwwww shiitttttt!" The announcer drummed his hands together on the small wooden panel next to him. "It seems like we have ourselves a battle, folks! I haven't seen anything this intense in over thirty years!"
The other contestants had long since left the rink and were now standing on the outskirts, waiting to see which one of them would win.
Even when the skies were grey.
You would me on my back and say "Baby, it'll be okay."
Jazmine snorted and stuck out her left leg as she dropped down and spun around, her hand on her outstretched foot.
"Yessssssssss!" Casey and Cindy screeched at the top of their lungs, cheering for their friend. "Okayyyyyyy, Jazmine!"
Not to be outdone, Huey zipped behind her and jumped until he was smoothly rolling on top of the railing.
Now that's real to a brother like me, baby.
They went stunt for stunt.
Jazmine with more aerial tricks. Huey literally skating on the walls.
They approached each other head-to-head, breathing heavily as Caesar and Cindy made their way to the DJ Booth, yelling something at the man.
"Wait…they are?" There was loud rustling from the DJ booth as the announcer stood to his feet. "You sure?"
"Yes!" She heard Cindy yell. "They're on the same damn team, so end this and give them the damn tickets before they kill each other! Nigga this ain't the damn nineties! Nobody's tryna watch them duke it out all day!"
"…Okay." The man shook his head. "It looks like this battle is a draw! Congratulations to Jazmine and Huey! The winners of today's skate contest."
They tore their eyes away from each other, glancing back towards the DJ Booth.
"Not bad." Huey wiped some sweat off his forehead, his chest heaving up and down. "For you, anyway."
Jazmine stared up at him, still fascinated by something in his eyes. "Whatever." She rolled backwards. "You know I killed it."
"Yeah." He pulled her back to him before she made it back to their friends, his eyes roving up and down as he looked at her. "You did."
They stayed that way for a moment, staring at each other until their friends broke the spell.
"Jhene Aiko tonight!" Cindy hollered, standing in between them. "Where'd you two learn to skate like that?"
They both shrugged at her, their eyes wandering back to each other's.
"Just came natural, I guess." Jazmine turned around, heading for the lockers. "Can we go, now? I need a nap after all that."
Cindy said something else, but Jazmine could barely hear her.
Her mind was on Huey, on the energy flowing between them.
Maybe, just maybe, there was a little something there after all.
After ten outfit changes, eleven security checks, and the twelve people behind them on the 2nd row, Huey had to admit it.
As far as weekends went, this one was pretty cool.
"I can't believe we're sitting front row!" Jazmine squealed again. "We're gonna see her up close and personal."
Casey grinned at her and Shanice, who had positioned themselves dead center so that Jhene Aiko could see them when she got onstage.
"Girl, yes!" Cindy wriggled closer. "I'm so excited! I heard the show is dope as shit!"
But Huey could barely hear them, too busy frowning at a familiar face that had approached.
"Huey." Arielle's voice was casual, like she hadn't done what she'd done last semester. "You look well. How've you been?"
He took a breath, waiting for his blood to boil, for his voice to rise, but surprisingly, he felt nothing significant.
Not like he had before.
"Good." He turned to face her head on. "Ready to graduate."
She nodded. "I'm sure."
His eyes wandered up to the guy she was with, the one she'd left him for.
"Hi." He introduced himself. "I'm Liam. Her boyfriend."
Huey didn't bother taking his extended hand. Instead, he kept his voice cool.
"We've met." He took a step back, nodding at them.
Arielle and Liam gulped.
"Right." Liam nodded. "Sorry about that."
"Don't bother." Huey shook his head. "Enjoy the show."
Arielle looked horrified, no doubt wondering if he hated her for good. "Do you mind if we step out? Talk for a minute? Just us two?"
"Why?" They were all surprised when Jazmine stood in front of him, cutting her eyes at his ex. "Hurting him once wasn't enough?"
The entire row grew quiet, amazed when Arielle snatched out of her boyfriend's arms and stepped closer to Jazmine, who stepped up to her with no hesitation, sizing her up.
"Well, that's new." Arielle scoffed as she narrowed her eyes. "I thought you were the spineless one of the bunch. What happened? Huey finally taught you some cute comebacks?"
"Didn't have to." Jazmine shrugged. "The idiot who cheated on my best friend made it easy."
Jazmine smirked when her friends erupted into laughter as Arielle hung her head in shame.
"Couldn't even be bothered to break up with him before he found out the truth." She continued. "Seems pretty spineless to me."
Huey moved to stop her, knowing how much Arielle's words could cut when she really got angry. "Jazmine-"
But Jazmine wasn't worried about any of that, she shoved past him, clutching Arielle's wrist tight in her hand.
"Stay away from him." Jazmine growled, the bite in them so ferocious that they all hopped back, except for Riley, who was downright excited about the exchange. "He doesn't need you circling back to see if you can get a second chance. He's better off without you."
"I told yo asses her ass was crazy!" Riley laughed at Huey and Caesar's shocked expressions. "Ya'll's asses never wanna listen to a real nigga!"
"I don't plan on doing that." Arielle was smug, glancing back at him like she just knew she could have him back whenever she wanted. "So, what you gon' do? Fight me?"
Arielle shoved Jazmine back when she just stood there, frozen. "That's what I thought."
"Ayyyyy, nigga!" Riley snapped his fingers at Caesar when Jazmine suddenly snapped out of it and moved again. "Hurry up and pass me my phone! I gotta record this shit for TikTok. This shit is definitely going viral!"
Jazmine leaned forward, her fist balled up.
The entire crowd moved back, anticipating it before he did.
By the time Huey tried to grab her, she was too fast, already right behind her.
"Jazmine, don't!"
But Jazmine had already moved forward, punching Arielle in her face until she fell to the floor.
"Bitch, damn! I was joking!" Arielle pushed herself back up, just as surprised as Huey. She winced, struggling to dodge the quick punches Jazmine was throwing. "Jazmine, stop! Huey get her off me!"
"Now, what?" Jazmine barked. Arielle backed up in time for security to escort Huey and Jazmine out of the stadium, snatching his ex and her boyfriend and dragging them in the opposite direction. "You want some more, bitch? Cuz there's more where that came from! I ain't playing, Arielle!"
The crowd gasped when she tried to break free again, flinging herself against the men's arms.
"The fuck did you think this was?" She growled again. "Shoving me like that!"
Huey just rolled his eyes, his eyes on his ex, who looked out of it, staring back at him.
The security guard glared at him. "Can you get your girlfriend under control, sir?"
"She's not-" He sighed, rolling his eyes before glaring at Jazmine. "Jazmine, calm down. I'm good. Really."
Jazmine didn't seem to care until she looked at him, really, truly looked at him and saw that it wasn't bothering him at all.
"You're really over her?" Jazmine's jaw dropped.
He nodded. "Yeah, I am."
The guard ushered them out of the building until they wandered out onto the street with big frowns. "We'll have to ask both of you to remain off the premises for a year."
"The whole year?" Jazmine's jaw dropped. "But Jhene Aiko! I-"
"Should've thought of that before you started fighting." The man shrugged. "Have a good night."
She frowned, groaning. "This night sucks!"
"It's not that bad." He laughed at her, amused. "Personally, I'm relieved I didn't have to sit through that concert."
"Shut up, Huey." She looked back at the stadium. "This is awful! I'm probably all over the Shade Room by now."
"I'm sure you're not the only one." Huey shrugged. "There were a few fights more interesting than you throwing a few quick punches. If anything, they'll just flash past yours in a video."
Jazmine hmphed and turned around. "My punches weren't that bad! At least they landed!"
"I didn't say they were bad." Huey shook his head. "Just saying that they weren't the best of the night."
She started trembling, realizing that she'd left her coat inside with Cindy, her rationale returning now that the adrenaline had worn off.
"Here." He eased out of his coat and handed it to her. "If you plan on fighting to solve your problems, keep your stuff on."
"I did that for you!" Jazmine sweetly offered him the other half of his jacket, holding the other side out for him.
"As much as I want to believe that…." He put the other half of his jacket over her shoulders, pleased with how content she looked. "I'm not so sure."
"Why not?!"
"Hear me out." He paused at the crosswalk with her before easing across the street, choosing his words carefully. "You're so used to me jumping in to defend you, that I think you jumped at the chance to do it for me."
"And what's so bad about that?" She asked him, slowing so that they were walking right next to each other on the sidewalk. "It's not like you aren't always telling me to stand up for myself."
"When it's needed." Huey stressed the last word with a sigh. "Even though the situation was entertaining, I was perfectly capable of telling Arielle to leave me alone by myself. I didn't need saving. You only hopped in because-"
"Okay, damn!" Jazmine cringed, her shoulders jumping up to her ears. "It did make me feel good to be a badass like you for a change, even if it was a little misguided…."
"Just a little?" He found himself laughing. "Jazmine, you realize we got dragged out of the concert?"
"Whatever." She poked his cheek with her finger. "You know you liked it."
"Maybe." He stared at her for a second and shook his head. "But there's still an intense need for you to follow step six of the plan to the letter, no deviations, forreal."
"No." She groaned. "That's for crazy people."
"Huh." He deadpanned. "You really are half-black."
"You went off on Riley for being Riley, cried and screamed when we acted out your conversation with Vince, and beat up my ex for not backing down after asking me to talk." He raised an eyebrow. "Do you know what that means?"
"That I'm one step closer to acceptance?" She shrugged her shoulders again, playing dumb.
"No." He lifted his key and started his car as they moved towards it, making their way through the cramped parking lot. "It means that you are in deep, critical need of therapeutic intervention. And not just because of the fighting. You probably have a long, deep history with abandonment and identity issues…."
"You're one to talk!" Jazmine shot back. "Didn't you turn the house into a makeshift prison for Riley when you were ten?" She shook her head, smirking. "Mr. Freeman only went on vacation, and you nearly killed your brother over it. That, my friend, is a person who needs extensive therapeutic intervention."
"For the last time, my Granddad didn't go on vacation back then!" Huey hollered. "He went to run some errands, and then there was some crazy, unforeseen catastrophe that kept him away a little later than usual!"
"Well, wherever he did or did not go, you sure seemed convinced that Riley drove him away and broke up your family." Jazmine shrugged.
Huey blinked. "I was ten. You're sixteen. I lost my parents. Yours-"
"Just got divorced." Jazmine hugged her arms tighter around her. "I'm aware that the situations are different." She sighed. "But I'm also not the only one who could benefit from a therapy appointment."
"Actually, I do go to therapy." Huey shrugged. "It's helpful."
Jazmine's eyes almost popped out of her head. "You do?"
"Court mandated therapy, yes." He opened the car door, ushering her into the passenger's seat. "It's not bad. Dr. Heat is cool."
"Court mandated?" Jazmine stared at him. "Because of that riot a few months ago? But that wasn't even your fault! You just organized the protest."
"Comes with the territory." Huey shrugged. "Change doesn't always come easy."
"And you don't feel like she's gonna throw you into a mental health facility and throw away the key?" Jazmine raised a brow.
"I don't have to worry about that." Huey smirked, turning up the heat in his car. "You, on the other hand….might have to if you keep this up."
Jazmine sighed. "I guess one session couldn't hurt."
"That's the spirit." He turned the dial back and forth, clicking a button, before turning back to her and watching her face. "Now, don't tell anyone this, but I have access to all the cameras in Woodcrest, including this stadium's. We can watch the concert right here, if you-"
"Oh my gosh, Huey." She interrupted, gripping his arm hard. "Look!"
"See, this is what I'm talking about." He snatched his arm away, glancing down at it to see if she drew blood. "Why would you grip my arm like th-"
"Hey." It was Jhene Aiko. Standing in front of his car with security casually, like it was something she did everyday. "A few people said that the girl she fought cheated on you. Is that true?"
"Um." He glanced back at Jazmine's triumphant smirk before nodding. "Yeah, that happened."
"Well, I don't think it's right to put you two out over that." Jhene eyed Jazmine, shrugging. "Even if your reaction was a bit much."
He glanced at Jazmine, unable to resist. "Told you."
"Whatever." Jazmine grumbled.
"Okay." Jhene held up two laminated backstage passes. "I'm gonna hand you these."
She paused, pointing at her limo. "Then, you two are riding back to the stadium with me in that."
Jazmine looked like she was about to explode. "Thank you, Jhene Aiko! You're the best!"
Huey eased out of the car, killing the engine as Jazmine rushed out from the passenger's side, squeezing the woman tight.
Jhene Aiko laughed, shaking her head before nuzzling into her. "You….are a sweetheart."
The woman glanced between her and Huey before running her hand through her hair. "So, what kind of hair care products do you two use? I need my hair to look like that."
Jazmine laughed, linking arms with Jhene Aiko before security could stop her.
"No seriously." The woman laughed as they made their way to the limo. "Both you guys' hair is huge! I need the haircare regimens, sis! What's the secret?"
Huey shook his head as Jazmine squealed, gushing about her haircare products to the singer.
He'd never admit it to Jazmine, but seeing her so happy made him just as happy.
Maybe more than she'd ever know.
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!
And check out my other stories too. I made Riley rap in one of them.
Seriously, it happened. Scout's honor!