Author's Note:

I've noticed a steady level of engagement on this story in particular, and that's encouraging. It means that some of you are reading and following along, which is all I could ask for.

I'm committed to finishing this story, and I'm grateful for every view and every moment you spend with these characters.

As usual, if there is something that you loved, hated, or desperately wanted me to improve, I'm still open to that feedback.

Thank you for your support, and I hope you continue to enjoy the journey.

P.S. This chapter is extra long, and it contains a very special Juey moment.

Chapter Six

Step Six:
Assuming you haven't yet, book a therapy session.
You should complete this before putting yourself out there.

Jazmine didn't care if she promised Huey she'd go to therapy this past weekend.

She'd been so amped up in the moment that she'd become delusional enough to agree to go see Dr. Heat, completely depressed by not being able to see Jhene Aiko.

But now that she'd seen her, live and in person, in addition to taking several photos with her before finally heading home, she didn't really see a need to go to therapy anymore. That concert was more than healing enough.

Seriously.

She'd cried twice. That was all the intervention she needed.

Unfortunately, her friend didn't seem to agree with her on that.

Which was why Huey ended up trailing her to the counseling center in his car right after school, not even giving her a chance to escape, knowing she'd back out if given the opportunity.

And honestly, she really had tried rushing out into the parking lot as quickly as she could, only to find Huey smirking at her by her car door.

Now that they were sitting in the waiting area, Jazmine felt even more anxious.

"I don't think she's here." Jazmine said after a minute, frowning at him. "I'm gonna head home. My dad's probably worried sick."

"Sit." Huey shook his head at her, holding up his phone. "Your dad knows where you are, and he agrees with me. At least one therapy session will do you a world of good. Trust me."

"I can't believe you dragged him into this." Jazmine glared at him, annoyed. "So what I'm not as strong-willed as you are? It doesn't mean there's something wrong with me." She grumbled.

"I'm not saying that." Huey stared at her, his gaze soft. "I'm only trying to help. And you're on your dad's insurance. I think he'd find out eventually. You'll feel better once you go through with it. You'll see."

"I'll see alright." Jazmine folded her arms as she began complaining under her breath. "In the white padded room of someone's asylum."

He sighed, turning away from her. "You'll thank me later."

The sound of someone's heels clicking down the hallway caught her attention for a moment. She turned back to her friend, frowning at him. "Sure doesn't seem like it."

"Oh, really?" He raised one of the health magazines higher. "Then tell me what it does seem like."

Before she could shut him down with another smart comment, the receptionist, Lerorda, snapped at them, bringing their attention to an attractive older woman approaching them from the door on their left.

"Hello, Jazmine." The woman smiled, her red hair styled neatly around her shoulders. "I'm Dr. Heat." She moved closer, firmly shaking her hand. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah." Jazmine nodded. "Just lemme grab the rest of my stuff. I have a lot so…"

"Oh, you won't need it." Dr. Heat patted Jazmine's hand as if to say 'nice try' to her attempt at stalling. "Your things will be safe with Huey and Leroda. You can follow me."

Jazmine followed her into her large office, taking deep breaths as she settled into the chair in front of the large oak-colored desk in the center of the room.

"So, Jazmine." Dr. Heat adjusted her seat and rolled over to the center, her voice neutral. "What's going on in your life?"

"Well…" Jazmine wasn't sure where to start. She shifted uncomfortably, wincing. "I broke things off with my boyfriend. Actually, he broke things off with me, first. Then, I refused to get back together. Up until now, it's been a bit challenging to get over him. Still is, if I'm being honest."

"I see." Dr. Heat glanced down at her file, shuffling a few things around her desk. "And how long have you been seeing each other?"

"Four, almost five years now." Jazmine replied, still shifting, her hands in her lap.

"Long time." Dr. Heat nodded, scribbling something into her notepad. "Do you two break up often? And if so, how many times?"

Jazmine blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"How many times have you two broken up?" The therapist asked. "Is this the first time, the third, the fifth?"

Jazmine looked away, embarrassed. "Way too many times to count. At least twenty times. I'm not even sure anymore, to be honest."

"You're a junior in high school." Dr. Heat kept writing and then grabbed another pen when it ran out of ink.

"Yes." Jazmine tore her eyes away, trying not to worry about whatever she was writing.

"Okay." Dr. Heat nodded. "So you've been with him since eighth, no….seventh grade."

"Yes." Jazmine nodded again.

"And how did you two meet?" Dr. Heat crossed her legs and stared up at her with a smile.

"Class." Jazmine grinned, remembering it like it was yesterday. "He sat in front of me in sixth period, and he was a cute new face. He was nice to me, friendly."

"Was he the first guy that had been nice to you?" Dr. Heat asked her.

"Not quite." Jazmine tilted her head to the side. "I mean, my dad was, and Huey and Caesar weren't bad when they weren't harassing me, but…."

"Vince was the first pleasant interaction you'd had with a boy your age." Dr. Heat smiled.

Jazmine nodded. "Yeah."

"Okay, got it." She scribbled something else onto the notepad. "So, Huey and this Caesar boy teased you a lot as kids."

"Yeah." Jazmine nodded, frowning. "A lot."

"I see." wrote some more stuff down, making Jazmine more nervous. "What did they do?"

"What didn't they do?" Jazmine rolled her eyes. "Told me Santa was in Hungarian prison, told me Donald Duck exploded, left me outside waiting all night with a Valentine's Day Card and then told me to beat it, made up a story about Jolly Jenkins and had me send gifts to him, gave me a walkie talkie for the end of the world just to freak me out, refused to hang out with me or acknowledge me as a friend. Y'know, typical boy stuff."

"And you just kept trying?" Dr. Heat asked her, glancing up from her notes. "Did anyone else your age live on your street?"

"Well, my best friend Cindy eventually came along, which helped a lot." Jazmine thought about it. "And this girl Brooklyn lived down the street, but we didn't really click. Same with Arielle."

"Huh." Dr. Heat scribbled something else down. "You didn't delve into my first question much. Let's circle back to that."

"Sorry." Jazmine looked down again. "I didn't mean to. I'm not used to this stuff. It's….a lot."

"I know." Dr. Heat responded gently. "You don't have to apologize. I just want to understand. You had negative experiences with these boys, but you kept trying to be friends with them?"

"Yes." Jazmine nodded her head.

"But when it came to the girls, you didn't try as hard." Dr. Heat peered at her again, seeming to see into her soul. "Why do you think that is?"

"Well, I already had a close bond with Cindy." Jazmine shrugged. "And she was friends with Huey's younger brother, Riley. My dad was friends with their granddad, and it made sense at the time for us to be close, I dunno." She sighed. "I guess I just knew if I kept trying we'd be close enough eventually."

"You say that it made sense to be friends with Huey and Caesar, but not Riley." Dr. Heat pointed out. "He's a part of the inner workings too. He's even friends with your close friend, Cindy. Why not try with him? After all, wouldn't it be important to be close to Riley too?"

That stumped her.

"I don't know, okay?" Jazmine placed her arms on the chair, trying to keep her anger down before she really got herself into a bad situation. "What's the point of these questions, anyway? What does that have to do with the fact that I'm on my thousandth breakup in four years?"

"We're building to that." Dr. Heat smiled, her calm voice enraging Jazmine to no end. "I get that my methods can be rather…intrusive, but I'm getting somewhere. I give you my word."

"Okay…." Jazmine nodded, thinking carefully before answering. "I guess if I'm being honest, I wanted to hang around Huey and Caesar more because I thought they were cool. I wanted to prove I was good enough to hang out with them, that I could be just as boss as they were."

"So you wanted to prove you could hang." Dr. Heat smiled, scribbling something else into her notes. "And who'd you want to prove that to exactly?"

"Myself." Jazmine answered. "I wanted to prove that I could do it."

"And did you also want to prove that to someone else?" Dr. Heat stared at her. "Someone who was the ringleader of said negative experiences?"

"I never pointed out a ringleader." Jazmine grumbled. "I just said that Huey and Caesar-"

"Nope." Dr. Heat just smiled that smile again, shaking her head. "There's only one name you've mentioned more than anybody else's, and that name seems to coincide with the boy who was just sitting with you out in the waiting area."

Jazmine fell silent.

"Now, your file says that your parents are getting divorced." Dr. Heat slid to the other side of the desk, grabbing a highlighter, and marking something up on her desk. "How does that make you feel?"

"I don't care." She shrugged. "I'm glad they're not fighting anymore. It's more peaceful, now."

"You don't need to lie here, Jazmine." Dr. Heat grabbed something out of her desk. "How do you really feel?"

Jazmine thought about it, frowning. "Forgotten."

"Have you always felt that way?" Dr. Heat leaned back, her face solemn. "Take your time."

After a long pause, Jazmine sighed. "I guess."

"Tell me about your mother." Dr. Heat smiled. "Is she as beautiful as you are?"

"Yeah, she's gorgeous." Jazmine shook her head. "Always has been. I wanted to look like her growing up."

"But you didn't look like her." Dr. Heat leaned forward, placing her chin in her hand.

Jazmine sighed, closing her eyes as she remembered those days, back when she'd been confused about why she couldn't get her hair as straight as her mother's, no matter how much she and her parents had tried.

"No, I didn't." Jazmine finally answered her after thinking it over. "She didn't want to discuss it much, either. Wanted to give me the power to choose a side. To claim my own identity or something like that."

"Did that help?" Dr. Heat asked her, scribbling something else down. "Did you feel powerful having that choice?"

"No." Jazmine bit her cheek, sighing. "Because not discussing things didn't help me." Jazmine shook her head. "It just confused me, especially since I was just a little kid at the time."

"Do you and your mother get along?" Dr. Heat asked her, staring at her intently again. "What's your relationship like at the moment?"

"We get along when she's around." Jazmine shrugged, the anger creeping out of her voice before she could help it. "She's been busy. New job. New city. New adventures."

"You're obviously upset about that." Dr. Heat told her. "Have you tried telling her how you feel?"

Jazmine raised a brow. "You sure you're not Huey in disguise?"

"Let me assure you." Dr. Heat laughed. "I am definitely not Huey Freeman."

"I guess I'll take your word for it." Jazmine shrugged, absentmindedly picking the lint off her jeans.

"Now, back to my last question." Dr. Heat leaned back into her chair, staring at her again. "Have you tried talking to her about it?"

"Tried talking to her about how I feel?" Jazmine snorted. "No. It'd only make things worst."

"And how do you perceive your mother?" Dr. Heat asked her. "What adjectives would you use to describe her? Assertive, friendly, passive?"

"Definitely not passive." Jazmine frowned. "She's fun, but still firm when she needs to be. Outgoing, vivacious, smart. Definitely friendly. She's a people person for sure."

"Do you take after her?" Dr. Heat jotted something else down.

Jazmine paused. "No, I'm more like my dad."

"I see." Dr. Heat kept writing. "What can you tell me about him?"

"He's the passive one." Jazmine admitted quietly. "I love my dad. He's stable, and he's always made me feel loved, but he's not…he's not the strongest man around. My mom walked all over him, and he always just…..let her."

"I'm seeing an interesting pattern there." Dr. Heat clasped her hands together. "Because I think this is something you learned to allow in your own relationships."

"Wait…." Jazmine squeaked. "Me?!"

"Yes, you." Dr. Heat nodded. "You throw yourself into relationships where people don't appreciate what you have to offer, but because you see your father as the lesser party in those interactions-"

"I don't see him as lesser-" Jazmine objected, shaking her head. "I just-"

"Push a little harder than he does." Dr. Heat finished her sentence for her. "Not enough to irritate someone too much, but jussttt enough to get them to reassure you they're not going anywhere, that they want you around."

Jazmine blinked, her face turning bright red at her words. Was that true? Did she really do that?

"Because growing up, you think he backed off too soon." Dr. Heat was still talking, still tearing her to shreds with her analysis. "That if he'd pushed more, things could have been different. Your parents would still be together, and your mother wouldn't have left you two for greener pastures."

"No-" Jazmine gasped. "That's not what I think at all!"

"You think that if he fought harder, he'd have you and your mother's respect." Dr. Heat kept going. "And then you'd feel safe, protected. You'd be less confused because he would've taken the lead in educating you, in giving you what you needed to be okay."

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Jazmine leaned forward, angry. "I do feel safe with my dad! I don't blame him for the divorce!"

"As safe as you do with Caesar?" Dr. Heat shot her a knowing look. "As safe as you do…with Huey? Because subconsciously, I think that's who you're comparing him to. A kid your age who's been able to get it right with you when they couldn't."

"I don't….I don't compare them!"

"And deep down, you don't feel like he shouldn't have to. That's why you spent a lot of time pushing so hard. You want to prove that you're worth all the effort."

"Excuse me?!"

"Because in your mind, if he can do it, why can't they?"

"That's not what I said!"

"Because even if it's tough, even if it's aggravating, at least he knows something is wrong, at least he's not pretending that what's happening is okay."

"I'm leaving." Jazmine reached to grab her things, and then stood to her feet when she realized that she'd left them up front.

"Have a seat, Jazmine." Dr. Heat gave her a no-nonsense look, pointing back at the chair. "We're not done, here."

Fighting the urge to scream out several obscenities, Jazmine eased back into her chair, her shoulders tense as the woman continued to point out her every problem.

"You see yourself as weak and unstable because that's how you see your father." She pointed, scribbling something in her notebook as the tears finally came pouring down.

No matter how much she wanted to deny it, she was right. Somewhere along the way, she'd started to resent her own parents for everything. Even if it wasn't necessarily their fault.

"And because he was the first image that you related to." Dr. Heat handed her some tissue. "That's who you think that you are."

Still sniffling, Jazmine glanced up at the woman, feeling calmer now that she'd gotten a good cry out. "Well, who do you think I am?"

"That's what you need to figure out for yourself." Dr. Heat nodded, pulling out a calendar. "I don't think that you're in need of straitjacket per se, but you do need to relearn some things. Let go of some bad habits. Embrace more positive self-talk. It'll help you to assert yourself in a healthy and direct manner so that you're not bottling up your feelings as much."

"So you're recommending more sessions." Jazmine watched as Dr. Heat began typing.

"Yes, I am." The woman nodded. "But only if you're willing to put in the work." Dr. Heat leaned forward, her piercing blue eyes never leaving her own. "So, are you prepared to continue?"

Jazmine blinked, staring at her for a minute.

Was she sure? Jazmine glanced back at the town in the distance, letting her thoughts drift to everything that had transpired the past few weeks.

"Yes." Jazmine nodded. "I am."

Huey was relieved to have a moment of quiet.

The past few weeks had been full of excitement, and while he appreciated a good adventure every now and again, sometimes it felt good to relax and do nothing.

But only for about five seconds.

With the medical history in his family, being sedentary was a recipe for disaster.

Nothing scared Huey more than having to be in and out of the doctor's office in old age, spending his adult life on all sorts of medication because he didn't take care of himself early on.

And he'd be damned if that shit happened to him.

That's why he slipped on his sweats and his jacket, deciding to go for a long run, instead of louging around all day like Riley.

Ignoring Granddad's complaints about him slamming the door, he rushed outside, inhaling and exhaling the icy, cold air, pushing himself down the block as he enjoyed the feel of the sun on his face, doing very little to warm his numb skin.

He stayed that way for a while, running as fast as he could, pushing himself faster and faster until he was on the other end of the park he normally frequented, staring up at the hill before running up and down, over and over again until he collapsed onto the ground with a groan, breathing heavily until he slowly felt normal again.

He rested on the lush grass, already growing tall despite the wintry weather. Huey sat up and gazed into the distance, admiring the beauty of the town, the peace he felt in that moment.

This was the one pro of moving to Woodcrest, probably one of the only pros to be honest.

It was one of the first things he'd fallen in love with upon moving there.

"Scoot over." Jazmine sat next to him, easing closer to his side. "I need room."

"What are you doing here?" He asked her, not taking his eyes off the view.

"Not sure." She answered him, her eyes on him. "Needed a place to think. What about you?"

He chuckled. "Needed a place to not think."

Jazmine seemed surprised at that. "You hate thinking?"

"I hate overthinking." Huey clarified. "Sometimes, it's good to quiet the mind and just be. Live in the moment for a little bit."

"Yeah." Jazmine nodded. "I get it."

"You do?" Huey raised a brow, surprised she ever found comfort in the quiet. As much as she liked to fill in the silence, he'd have thought she hated it. "Why?"

"It's just better that way, sometimes." Jazmine shrugged. "If I didn't sit with myself from time to time, I wouldn't be able to recognize the sound of my own voice."

Huey looked at her for a moment, smirking. "You know, you really need to hang out with me less."

"I really do." Jazmine laughed. "You're nothing but trouble, Freeman. You're a bad influence. I was completely innocent before you showed up."

"It's for your own good." He managed, taking one of her curls between his fingers and watching as it sprung back into her hair. His eyes darted up to her face, admiring her radiance in the sunlight. "Face it, I'm good for you, and we both know it."

A blush crept across Jazmine's face as the words dawned on him. Not wanting to make much more of it, he kept talking.

"So…" He leaned back, stretching his arms behind him as he turned his attention back to the view. "What's up?"

"Well, first off." Jazmine sighed, rubbing her arm before looking up at him again. "I owe you an apology. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that in Dr. Heat's office the other day. I was just nervous about my therapy session. I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

"I know." Huey nodded. "My feelings weren't hurt. I know you well enough to know that you were just lashing out, but I still accept your apology."

"Good." Jazmine smiled, her hair seeming to flow slowly in conjunction with the wind. "It worked wonders, if you're curious. Dr. Heat made some good points about me, about my feelings and my childhood. I'm gonna keep going every other week. Keep up the momentum and put things into perspective."

"Good." Huey turned to her, extending his fist until she leaned over and gave him a shy fist bump. "I'm glad you're sticking with it. Everybody needs to talk to someone."

"Yeah." Jazmine looked out into the horizon. "I guess you're right."

"So…" He smirked, staring at her again, trying like hell to ignore how soft her lips looked. "How many times have you rewatched all that concert footage you have on your phone?"

"I've watched it so many times! You just don't know!" Jazmine shrieked. "Jhene Aiko is my girl! I even text her my hair care routine, and she's gonna try it out! Isn't that so cool? I'm texting freaking Jhene Aiko about my hair!"

"To you?" Huey raised a brow. "Definitely. I'm not impressed by someone asking me about haircare. Celebrity or not."

"Anyway." Jazmine rolled her eyes and kept talking. "I had so much fun this past weekend. Really the last three, if I'm being honest." She paused, grinning again. "These past few weeks really helped me take my mind off Vince."

"What?" He smirked playfully, cupping a hand over his ear. "You mean not watching awful black movies all weekend helps? Who would've guessed?"

"Don't ruin it, Huey." Jazmine shot him a look. "Anyways, if I ever have another breakup again, I'd follow your advice to the letter. This has been so good for me. You should seriously sell your book to a major publication. This is the best self-help book I've ever read."

"First off, a black man, talking about partnership in a healthy, non-toxic way wouldn't touch a bookshelf in this day and age." Huey sighed, shaking his head. "My book probably wouldn't see the light of day."

"Whatever, old man." Jazmine stuck her tongue out at him.

"Second off." Huey grabbed her attention again. "What makes you so sure you'll never have a breakup again?" He snorted. "You're what, sixteen? I'm guessing you have at least two more breakups before you even get close to dating someone who's marriage material."

"I dunno." Jazmine shrugged. "I guess since everyone else found their perfect match because of your book, I figured it would happen for me too."

He hadn't even considered that Jazmine would end up finding her soulmate because of his book.

Most of his cases found people he could actually see them doing life with, Caesar and Cindy included. And for some reason, the thought of that happening for Jazmine really, really annoyed him.

"Have you even considered what you want in a husband, Jazmine?" He fought to keep his voice casual, focusing on seeing where her head was at. "Or have you only planned out the wedding?"

"I know that I want someone I can talk to no matter what." Jazmine sighed breathlessly, resting her cheek in the palm of her hand. "I want to be with someone who gets me, someone who accepts me for who I am."

She snapped, adding more to it. "And….I want to be able to like the person I end up married to. It wouldn't be enough to just love them, if that makes sense. We'd have to have some sort of friendship outside of the romantic connection we'd share."

"Why?" He furrowed his brow. "You really believe in the whole friends first thing?"

"Absolutely." Jazmine nodded her head vigorously . "My parents loved each other at one point, or at least, they thought they did." She paused for a second, seeming to think it over. "And when all that faded, they didn't like one another as much as they should've." She paused again. "I don't think they really accepted the other person's flaws….that's why things went left."

"Are you afraid that things won't work out?" Huey stared at her again. "If you ever get married?"

"Honestly?" Jazmine sighed. "Yeah. Sometimes, I am." She ran her fingers through the grass, closing her eyes as the sun moved overhead. "I mean….I've seen some things, heard some things. Some stuff I'd never want my kids to hear if I were a parent."

"But?" He pushed, wanting her to continue, wanting to know for a reason outside of plain curiosity.

"But I still believe that a good marriage can happen for me one day." She declared, lifting her head as she opened her eyes. "It may take a bit of work to get there, but with the right person, I'd do it in a heartbeat."

He didn't say anything else for a minute, barely blinking when she fixed her lips to ask him a question as well.

"What about you?" Jazmine asked him. "Would you ever get married?"

"I don't love the idea of marriage to be honest." He shrugged his shoulders, thinking about it for the first time in a while. "With the wrong person, it'd be a huge waste of paper and money. Seriously, just…." He shook his head again, sighing. "I don't always see the point, especially when basic math comes into play. Seems like way more trouble than it's worth."

"So you'd never marry anyone, then?" Jazmine interrupted. "Even if you loved them?"

"Of course I would." Huey thought about it. "People have done crazier things for love. I'm no exception to that rule. I'm just saying that I haven't found that person yet."

He held up a hand the second she opened her mouth, glaring at her.

"And before you ask." He continued. "I'm not sure who I'd marry. But I'd like to think it'd be someone who makes me a better man, someone who enriches my life in every way possible, who I could trust to be a guiding light in the lives of our children."

"You want kids?" Jazmine gasped.

Huey smirked, shaking his head. "Not all of us hate kids, for your information." He gave her a knowing look. "And if you weren't an only child siloed with endless adoration from both sides of your family, you'd be able to relate."

"You and Riley as kids is more than enough to deter anyone from wanting to become a parent." Jazmine rolled her eyes. "When it rains, the back of my head hurts because of Riley's crazy lightsaber rampage. Not fun at all."

"I mean, results may vary." Huey shrugged. "The point is…..I'd marry the woman I love because I love her and nothing else would matter but that."

"It does matter, Huey." Jazmine shook her head, her voice softening. "Take it from the kid who watched her parents grow to hate each other more and more everyday. Marriage is hard."

"It is." Huey shrugged. "Doesn't mean you have to anticipate it failing over something your parents did. Because if you go into it like that, it's bound to fail. If you're confident in the person you choose to be with, which let's be honest, your parents weren't, then you'll be just fine."

"That's not what I'm saying." Jazmine shook her head. "I'm just saying love isn't always enough. I mean look at me and Vince-"

"What about you and Vince?" He growled, surprising him and Jazmine back into silence for a moment. "Is he bothering you again?"

"Nope." He could tell she was holding back laughter as she kept talking. "I just think you can love someone and be an awful match for that person." She sighed. "Just because you love them, it doesn't mean you should be with them."

He nodded, staring at her for a moment.

She stared back at him, an anxious smile on her face. "What?"

He'd always found this part of her cute, when she got nervous and soft-spoken. Huey lifted to his feet, gazing into her eyes before smirking at her.

"You're ready." He said, watching as she tried to piece together what he was saying. "It's time."

"For what?" She repeated. "Ready for what, Huey?"

He just shook his head. "You really don't know?"

"Know what, Huey?" She rolled her eyes. "You're not telling me anything!"

"Maybe you aren't ready then." He smirked, patiently waiting for her to figure it out.

"Again, ready for what?" Jazmine cocked her head to the side. "Because….oh….oh! Dating! I'm finally ready for dating? Thank God! It's been killing me turning down all those numbers everyday."

"It's been killing me hearing you whine about it." He rolled his eyes. "What happened to the whole love isn't everything speech you were on a few minutes ago?"

"What happened to the whole some of us go out and date like normal people our age quip you had when this started?" She smirked, raising a brow.

She had him there.

"Exactly." He pointed. "Normal. Something you….are not."

"Oh, I see." Jazmine raised a brow. "Because you're just an ordinary guy, huh?"

"Yup." Huey smirked, watching her face redden from frustration.

"You're so-" Jazmine paused, hissing as she spoke. "Ooooohhh!"

"Use your words, woman." He smirked again. "So what?"

"Insufferable!" Jazmine got out the word in one long breath. "Always have some smart shit to say."

"So insufferable you've been practically glued to my side." He snorted, deciding to have even more fun. "If I didn't know any better, I'd almost think that you liked me."

"I what?" Jazmine gaped at him. "What did you just say to me?"

"Yep." He grinned, finding It fun to fluster her. He leaned closer to her, smirking as she fell, her back on the ground. "I'm not wrong, am I?"

"Um…." Jazmine stuttered, nearly tripping over herself as she tried to crawl backwards. "Huey, what are you doing?"

"Just investigating a good theory." He leaned even closer, his face tilted over hers as he held back a laugh at her eyes growing wider by the minute. "Why? You scared?"

"I'm not scared." Jazmine looked away, obviously nervous. "It's just…you're really close to me. And…"

He leaned closer, suddenly not as interested in pretending anymore.

"And what?" He breathed, gazing into her eyes, leaning closer, his lips just inches from hers. "What were you gonna say?"

Was she blushing like that because of him?

"Nothing." Jazmine wrestled away from his grasp, nearly falling all over again as she ran to the sidewalk. "Look, I gotta go, okay? I'll see you around."

Snapping out of it, Huey flew to for her side, gingerly holding her arm before she could escape. "You know I was just playin' right? I didn't mean to take it that far."

The sadness in her eyes didn't make him feel any better.

"Of course." She tried to play it off with a laugh. "I'll see you at school tomorrow, okay? A girl's gotta finish up her homework sometime. Some of us aren't seniors just yet, y'know."

"And you're sure you're good?" He held her gaze, searching for something, anything to let him know that he hadn't ruined everything. "Jazmine, really. I'm sorry."

"I'm fine, Huey." She waved her hand, turning on her heel to head home. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm not that easily rattled."

Knowing she was lying, he watched her leave, starting to wonder if Ebony was right.

That maybe he would end up hurting her when this was all said and done.

She was so humiliated.

Jazmine couldn't believe how she'd reacted towards Huey, blushing and stumbling over herself like she was crushing on him. She didn't even insult his breath before she'd rushed away from him, and now, she'd made things weird.

This was why she needed to start dating ASAP.

She'd spent so much time around Huey these past few weeks, joking with him, crying on his shoulder, eating scones with him.

Now, she couldn't even laugh off a simple joke because she was desperate to be with someone in place of Vince, even at her own friend's expense.

How selfish was that?

Huey had been nothing but helpful to her.

Not only had he taken the time to give her advice, but he'd also been the first one to really hold her accountable in her actions with Vince, helping her to steer clear of the behavior that had landed her here in the first place.

She owed it to him to see this thing through, to find the right guy and be with him.

Huey deserved to get his money without her muddying the waters of their far-from-complicated friendship. Her emotions just had her jumbling things up for the time being.

"What's wrong, honey?" Her father asked her, staring at her face as she walked through the door. "Is it Vince, again?" He sighed, setting his newspaper down. "Because as much as you like him, maybe it's time to consider ending things. I don't like seeing you like this, Jazmine."

"It's not about Vince this time, Dad." Jazmine frowned. "I'm finally over him, actually. And I think I'm ready to start dating again."

"Well, I'm not thrilled about you dating anyone at this age." Tom took a sip of coffee. "But I am extremely happy to hear you've started moving on from Vince. He's not exactly my favorite person."

"Um." Jazmine shifted uncomfortably. "Thanks."

Her father went back to his paper, reading something else he was interested in.

"Do you mind if I ask you something else?" Jazmine took a seat on the couch, staring up at him. "It's about mom, about….the divorce."

Her father froze for a moment before relinquishing. "Sure, Jazmine. What is it?"

Jazmine took a deep breath, asking him before she lost her nerve. "If you could do it all over again, would you be with mom?"

"Of course I would." Her dad didn't hesitate. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have you. You've been the perfect daughter, my sweet little girl."

"I'm not your little girl anymore, Dad." Jazmine rolled her eyes. "And besides, I'm far from perfect. You know that."

"You're still perfect to me." Her dad smiled, setting down his paper. "You have been since the day I laid eyes on you. You'll always be my little girl. You're the best thing that happened to your mother and me."

"Do you…." Jazmine paused, considering her words carefully. "Do you think that love is enough to make a marriage work?"

Her father blinked once, thinking to himself for a moment before gazing at her intently, as if suddenly aware of something.

"I hope you're not asking me these questions because you're afraid to get married, now." He told her, frowning at her.

Jazmine's shoulders slumped as she looked back, nodding sadly. "Maybe a little."

"Honey, you're not like me and your mother." Her dad shook his head, his voice calm and assuring. "We didn't hop into our marriage because of love. With us, things were just easy, convenient. She wanted a certain physical type, and I definitely had my own preferences."

He paused, thinking about it. "The next thing you know, we were dating, and it seemed great to have someone that fiery and beautiful at the time, someone who seemed focused on me. Someone that made me feel alive."

He sighed, pausing.

"But….looking back, your mother always wanted a more take-charge kinda guy, someone who made her feel as alive as she made me feel." He shrugged his shoulders, staring at her. "I guess we both just hoped it would be enough, and ultimately, it wasn't."

"And you don't…you don't think you could've started taking charge more?" Jazmine asked him. "Asserted yourself, more?"

"I couldn't be anything more than what and who I am." Her dad said, shaking his head. "Just like your mother couldn't want anything more than what she wanted."

He stood to his feet, easing closer to her. "That's why we got divorced. Our dynamic wasn't as easy as it should have been. We were never clear on what we wanted in a partner outside of the physical, and as time went on.…it all just boiled over."

Jazmine wasn't sure what to say.

"I don't want you spending your whole life fearing the worst." Her father told her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I've done enough of that for the both of us." He smiled at her. "You should just let go and live your life aloud every day, whether it's in love, or in school, or in taking a chance on something you've never done before."

He sighed glancing all around them, at her baby photos on the mantle. "It all goes by faster than you think, and believe me, you won't get these years back."

"Did you….love Mom?" Jazmine asked him, not sure if she was ready for the answer.

He was quiet for a moment, and then, he sighed again, shrugging.

"Of course I did." He admitted quietly, his eyes on the floor. "But at some point, I had to love myself enough to be honest. And being honest, your mother and I just couldn't work things out." He lifted his eyes from the floor to look at her. "She's still a wonderful person, who loves you with all her heart and I-"

"I know, Dad." Jazmine smiled softly. "You don't have to clean it up for me. I'm almost grown now. I get it."

"Don't remind me." Her dad groaned. "Where did all the time go? My baby Jazmine is all grown up, now!"

It was Jazmine's turn to groan as she fell back onto the couch, flushing red from embarrassment like someone could hear them.

"You sure you don't wanna go to the University of Maryland with Huey?" He teased, already knowing the answer. "It's a good school, honey. And besides, it's only thirty minutes away."

Jazmine just shook her head at him.

There was no way in hell she planned on staying here for good. She and Cindy had been planning to go to UCLA for ages, and she had no intentions on backing out of that plan when the time came.

"Nope." She shook her head, rolling off the couch and heading up the stairs to her room. "No can do."

"B-bbutttt Jazmine!" Tom held up a brochure. "They have a veterinary program, top-knotch too!"

"So does UCLA, Dad!" She called out from the stairs. "As well as a law program." She shrugged her shoulders indifferently. "Y'know, if I ever decided I wanted to go down that path."

Her father gasped and rushed up the stairs beside her, a sudden burst of energy surging through him.

"You're thinking about becoming a lawyer, honey?" He grinned widely, obviously bursting with joy. "Oh, honey this is wonderful! Have you thought about what sector? Any cases you're interested in? You could be on the Supreme Court if we get you in the right rooms! Actually-"

"Whoa, slow down!" Jazmine shook her head. "I'm still pretty sold on the vet thing. I'm just saying that if I were to change my mind….law wouldn't be a bad second choice." She grinned, already knowing he was coming around to the idea. "…at UCLA, of course."

"I can call one of my old teammates." Her dad pulled out his phone. "Get you into early admissions in the fall." Her dad snapped his fingers. "Matter of fact, I think Lamont is one of the deans for their program. Let me check."

"There was a Lamont on the cheerleading squad?" Jazmine raised a brow.

"No!" Her father shook his head. "I played basketball too." He grinned again. "That's actually how I met your mother."

"That…." Jazmine leaned on her door. "Explains a lot, Dad."

His jaw dropped. "What does that mean?"

She just shook her head, holding in her laughter. "Nothing."

"This is why you and I need to spend more time together, honey." Tom shook his head. "You've started to morph into someone else we know."

"Really?" She paused at the door. "Who?"

"A certain neighbor of ours." Her father smirked. "First name Huey. Last name Freeman. Ring any bells?"

It was her jaw that dropped, this time.

"Hey!" She rushed in to her room and grabbed a pillow off her bed, returning to the hall to point it at her father. "You take that back!"

He laughed, brandishing a pillow of his own from behind him.

"Nope!" He laughed, blocking her girly hits with his pillow. "You know I'm telling the truth."

Ebony was seriously the best thing that ever happened to their family.

That's why Huey was relieved Granddad pushed the date for their wedding up. His granddad needed to lock that down as soon as possible.

Before Ms. Ebony came to her senses and left them all in the dust.

"You've been quiet, Huey." Ebony observed him from her seat next to Granddad. "Is something wrong with the vegetable soup I made? I could grab you something else if you'd like."

"No." Huey shook his head. "No, Ms. Ebony, thank you. The soup is just fine. Just got some stuff on my mind is all."

He still couldn't believe how guilty he felt over harassing Jazmine earlier, especially since it was something he'd done since the moment he'd met her.

But this time he'd taken things way too far. Something about what he'd done felt different this go round, on his end and hers, and he had no clue what to do about it.

"Boy, cheer up!" Granddad rolled his eyes, gnawing away at some chicken on his plate. "You'd better be happy and cheerful in three weeks! You're too damn young to act so miserable all the time. Ms. Ebony and I won't tolerate this mess at our wedding! No sirrrrr!"

Riley snickered from his seat, glancing up after texting something else to Shanice. "He can't help it, Granddad! He's a natural-born hater, probably got it from Tobias. Y'know he was a hater too!"

"You do know the version Granddad made up about Catcher Freeman isn't accurate, right?" Huey rolled his eyes. "Tobias was an ignorant sellout and a coward, he wasn't hating on himself, though."

"You know what, Riley?" Granddad took a sip of water, ignoring Huey. "He sure is! All his ass does is hate on everything and everyone! His ass even hated Obama! Everyone loves Obama!"

"Again, I never said I hated Obama!" Huey shot back. "All I said was 'eh', and the entire black population of Woodcrest tried to beat my ass!"

"That's what you get!" Riley snickered. "Dumb ass nigga. Who the fuck hates on Obama?"

"Call me a dumbass one more time, and I'll show you what time it is." Huey glared at his brother. "I mean it, Riley. Today is not the day to try me."

"Dang." Riley smirked, looking over at Granddad who smirked right back. "Bet went sideways already, huh?"

"What are you talking about Riley?" Huey took another bite of his soup. "Everything's going just fine with the bet."

"Nigga, please." Riley sucked his teeth. "You can't fool me." He took another bite of his chicken. "I know yo ass was probably just with Jazmine."

"Sho was." Granddad nodded, smacking on some potatoes. "I just saw lil baby run home a few minutes before Huey made his way over here."

"Not sure what that has to do with me." Huey shrugged.

"Quit playin', nigga!" Riley pointed his fork at him. "Hell, ya'll niggas been attached at the hip these past few weeks! Ion' know why yo ass just won't admit it. You like spending time with her, dontcha?"

"She is a lot less annoying these days." Huey shrugged. "Finally grew outta all that crying over nothing."

"Whew, boy I'm glad you said it!" Granddad shook his head. "I'll never forget how dramatic her little ass used to be! Cryin' and hollerin' every two seconds! Couldn't even hear myself think over all that screaming!"

Ms. Ebony laughed. "I'm sure Jazmine wasn't that bad."

"Yes, she was." They all chimed in, rolling their eyes.

"She used to cry over everything, Ms. Ebony." Riley shook his head. "I used to stay beggin' Huey to put her ass out."

"And one day, I think I actually did." Huey cracked up. "She would literally create shit to cry about. Never seen anything like it."

"Her ass has it honest, though." Granddad smacked on some more green beans. "Cuz that Tom? Ouuuu lord, he was even worst than Jazmine, all on the goddamn porch, crying, begging for us to take him in."

"Oh noooooo!" Ebony gasped. "What was wrong with him, Robert?"

"Absolutely nothing!" The man declared as both boys shook their heads in agreement.

"That nigga just needed to grow a pair, that's all!" Granddad rolled his eyes. "I'm happy he finally got a divorce. Sarah was always mad about something, and he was always crying about something. Now we can all live in peace, and he won't come crying every time she gets mad over nothing again."

"Yeah, that's about what happened." Riley shrugged. "Tom's a bitch."

"Uh-huh." Huey shrugged. "Pretty much."

"Well, how's the bet thing going with Jazmine?" Ebony smiled, taking another bite of her potatoes. "Any luck with her in the dating department?"

There was that irritating word again. Dating.

Funny, it had never really bothered him to think of Jazmine dating before.

"She should be working on outlining what she wants once she reviews chapter seven, and then from there, she'll be ready to start dating pretty soon. Probably as soon as next weekend." Huey took another bite of his soup, very aware of all their eyes on him.

"And you're good with that?"

"Of course, Riley." Huey shrugged. "She doesn't need my permission."

"Well quit takin' it out on the poor soup then." Riley laughed at the way he was practically stabbing the vegetable soup. "It's not tryna date her."

Huey tossed a spare plate towards his head, but Riley caught it, smirking as he set it down on the table and smoothly flipped him off without Granddad or Ebony noticing.

"I could speed up the process." Ebony smiled before he reached across the table to smack his brother. "I know a few nice young men around Jazmine's age. I wouldn't mind introducing them. I could even let you vet them if you'd prefer that."

"No." Huey shook his head. "It's fine. I trust Jazmine to find her own date."

"I'm sure you do." Riley leaned back in his chair, clearly happy to instigate. "Especially since she tried to fight your ex the other day."

"Riley!" Huey's jaw dropped. "You said you weren't gonna say anything!"

"That was before you threw a plate at my head, nigga!" Riley smirked. "See how that works?"

"She what?!" Ebony and Granddad gasped for air, both shocked into silence for a second.

"Jazmine?" Granddad did a double take. "Sweet little Jazmine tried to fight your evil ass ex?"

"Airielle wasn't evil Robert." Ebony shook her head. "She was just…a little rough around the edges."

"That little girl was disrespectful!" Granddad hollered. "Told me I had a potbelly the last time I was over here! Actin' like I didn't work hard on my Tao Bo!"

"Well, it ain't like she was lyin'." Riley barely had time to let out yet another snicker. Granddad reached over and slapped the base of his neck. "Ow!"

"Watch your mouth!" Granddad turned his attention back to Huey. "Anyways, how bad was it? Did Airielle beat the poor baby down?"

"Actually, no." Huey shook his head when Riley pulled out his phone and handed it to Granddad so he could see for himself. "Jazmine won."

"Yeah, security had to come put Jazmine out and pull her off her ass." Riley snickered at Ebony's gasps, watching in horror as she watched Jazmine punch Arielle in the face repeatedly. "Then the guards had to ask Huey to make her stop."

"So cutie pie was your guard dog for a change?" Granddad laughed. "Good for her! Got some good licks in too. Looka there!"

"Yeah, it was actually pretty cool….until we get banned for a second." Huey shrugged. "Actually, both of us still can't go back to the arena for another year, but Jhene Aiko found us and let us backstage to watch the concert. So, I guess it all worked out. Jazmine was pretty happy about it."

"You seem pretty happy yourself." Granddad shook his head, smiling at his grandson. "You almost seem proud that she got banned."

Huey couldn't help smirking back at him, but that didn't mean he was confessing anything to him. "I don't know what you mean."

"Well I guess you also don't know that you need to stop corruptin' that girl." Granddad went back to his usual grumpy self in an instant. "Jazmine fightin'? Getting banned from places? That's just ain't right! Do better boy! Got that sweet girl fightin' your evil ex. Hell, the little gremlin in her probably shifted onto Jazmine for a second. Might need to call Ruckus over to Tom's so he can do another exorcism for them."

Huey just shook his head and cleared his spot at the table, washing his bowl out before placing it on the drying rack and heading upstairs.

"Lord what is the world coming to?" His granddad was still going, talking to himself. "Lord, don't let Sarah find out. And Tom? Whew!"

"Uh-uh, he'll have a heart attack." Riley said, still instigating more drama. "Especially if he knew she got arrested at the mall a few weeks ago, and Huey had to bail her out."

"ARRESTED?" Granddad shouted. "Boy get back in here and explain yourself! Why the hell is Riley sayin' Jazmine got arrested?"

Huey just popped his headphones in, listening to his favorite playlist.

Once Jazmine started dating, everything would go back to normal.

He'd just have to hold out until then.

After all, how much worst could it get?

Thanks for reading!

I hope you enjoyed it.