Author's Note:

This chapter wasn't bad after re-reading, so after a few tweaks and edits, here it is.

There are more Juey moments and a hint of a jealous Huey in this next chapter that I hope you all will enjoy.

I'm absolutely thrilled to see your responses to the latest chapter! A big thank you to everyone who took the time to leave a review—it really means a lot.

Juey: I'm so glad you enjoyed the therapy session and the Juey moments! I'm excited to see how Huey reacts too—it's going to be interesting!

Naturalgal29: Your enthusiasm is contagious! Thank you for the love and support; it keeps me motivated to keep going.

JayJai106: Binge-reading? That's the highest compliment! I'm so glad you're enjoying the story, especially with Huey and Jazmine not coupled up yet. There's a lot more in store, so stay tuned

As the story continues to unfold, I'd love to hear more of your thoughts and reactions. Reviews really help me understand what's working, what you're enjoying, and where I might take things next.

So if you have a moment, please consider leaving a review or even dropping a quick PM to share your thoughts. Your feedback means the world to me and helps keep the momentum going.

(Also, if any of you finished Overcome, can you PM me and tell me wht you thought of the twist? I've always been curious about you guys' reaction to that crazy ending, even if you wanted to cuss me tf out.)

Happy Reading!

Chapter Seven

Step Seven:
 Dating is a contract.
Outline your conditions and stick to them.
Set the standard for a change. No more waiting for someone to do it for you.

Jazmine hated Thursdays.

They always made her restless, reminding her there was just one more day of her being stuck doing something she really didn't care about, in a place she really didn't want to be in.

Which was why she continued to ignore whatever their Latin teacher was talking about. Instead, doodling in her notebook, creating imperfect stars with the I'm-Totally-Listening-To-You face she'd mastered back in elementary school.

"Note for you from the foreign exchange student." Her friend Casey tapped her on the shoulder with a grin, gesturing towards her. "If you don't want him, I'll happily take him off your hands." Casey continued talking as she eased the note into Jazmine's hand. "He's from Europe. His name's Liam."

Jazmine glanced down at the note, silently reading the cheesy message on it:
I hear you're in the market for a dinner for two.
Are you available?
What say you?

Jazmine turned back to glance at her suitor, completely prepared to turn him down.

After all, according to Huey's book, she wasn't supposed to accept a date until she'd completed step seven of Huey's process. And she'd had yet to do so. She honestly hadn't been too sure where to start.

But none of that mattered now. Not anymore, not when Liam was way too beautiful to turn down.

Not only was he tall, which was a total plus, he had perfect tanned skin and piercing green eyes. He was serious but still approachable, he clearly worked out, and he looked like he belonged on the streets of Greece.

A real life Clark Kent straight out of Smallville, a complete 180 from her usual type.

Jazmine didn't have to think about it for long. Scrawling a 'Yes' onto the sheet of paper, she passed the note right back to Casey, turning to face him as soon as it landed back in Liam's hand.

"Wow." He gasped, looking up from the paper to meet her gaze. He rustled his hands through his short black hair and smiled at her. "You said yes."

"I did." Jazmine smiled back at him. "We can meet at Blake Hall's on Saturday. 8:00. Don't be late."

He pressed his lips together and nodded appreciatively, clearly impressed by her forwardness. "You're the boss."

She turned back around, shrugging.

"I sure am." Jazmine kept her composure despite Casey quietly squealing behind her, low enough that it wasn't drawing anyone's attention but hers before going back to her doodling.

Maybe dating wouldn't be so bad after all.

Cindy was already waiting at her locker when she strolled down the hall, grabbing her math book for her next class.

"So, you're into white guys, now." Cindy leaned on the locker next to hers, making a playful kissy face while Jazmine ignored her. "I'm not mad at it. Just let me be the one to break the news to Mr. Afro Love."

"Shhhhhh!" Jazmine glanced around, nervous he'd pop up at the worst possible moment. "Shut up, Cindy!" She glared at her. "We're just going on a simple date this weekend." She turned to look at her friend for a moment before fluffing out her curls in the mirror. "Besides, he was way too cute to turn down. Have you seen Liam?"

"I have." Cindy grinned, pulling out her phone. "He's a really good-looking white boy."

"Cindy, you're white." Jazmine shook her head, laughing.

Cindy laughed right back. "That's how I know, hoe!"

"I'm excited though." Jazmine walked down the hall with her, a smile on her face. "It's been a long time since I've been on a date."

"That's right!" Cindy gasped. "You haven't dated anyone since seventh grade!" She whipped out her phone, pulling up her calendar. "First, we'll have to find an outfit tomorrow at the mall. And I'm pretty sure we can get Brandy to hook you up on the hair Saturday morning."

"Hook her up for what?" Caesar pecked Cindy on the lips, glancing between her and Jazmine.

"Hook her up for a date." Cindy smiled at Caesar. "She has one this weekend."

"Really?" Caesar raised a brow, smirking. "Have you let Huey know, yet?"

"I don't need his permission!" Jazmine protested. "I can see whoever I want!"

"I'm just saying." Caesar laughed as he held up his hands. "You know how he gets about following his rigid ass rules, and I'm pretty sure that book clearly states you can't agree to a date until you've outlined your demands."

"I outlined the time and the place of the date! Close enough!" Jazmine rolled her eyes. "What Huey doesn't know won't hurt him." She shrugged. "I'm just gonna play along later and do the whole contract thing. After that, I can go on the date this Saturday, and Huey will be none the wiser. No big deal!"

"Breaking Huey's beloved rules for a white boy." Caesar smirked, turning to Cindy before laughing and shaking his head. "This is perfect on so many levels. Please break it to him at lunch today, Jazmine. I need more ammo for the next time he complains about Cindy."

"Wait, what?!" Cindy glared at her boyfriend. "You'd better be checking him before she breaks the news! Matter of fact-"

"Nobody's breaking anything about anything to anybody!" Jazmine glared at them, folding her arms across her chest. "You two got that?"

"Nobody's breaking what to who?"

They all froze when they noticed Huey standing there, staring at them like they were crazy.

"Um…"

"Well…."

"Hey!" Jazmine grinned, hugging him as if nothing were out of the ordinary. "Happy Thursday!"

"Happy Thursday?" He raised a brow in response.

"Well…" Jazmine decided to go with it and nodded. "Yeah. It is almost Friday, isn't it?."

Cindy and Caesar even blinked, staring at her.

"You…." He raised his brow even higher. "You don't hate Thursdays all-of-a-sudden? No rant about how it should be Friday, instead?"

"Nope." Jazmine lied, hoping he wasn't on to her. "I've moved on to hating Mondays like regular people."

"Oh." Huey nodded casually, eyeing her with a smirk. "And this has nothing to do with the fact that you deliberately broke my rules and agreed to go on a date with Liam?"

"Aw, man!" Caesar pouted. "He already knows!"

"He was cute!" Jazmine wailed. "What did you expect me to do?"

"Follow the crystal-clear steps outlined in the book, Jazmine!" He kicked her locker door shut when she started walking down the hall, shaking his head at her. "Seriously, what's so hard about that? You could've written out what you wanted and been done with it ages ago!"

"I already told you the qualities I wanted in a man when we talked about marriage." Jazmine paused in the hall, gaping at him for a few seconds before stomping away, with Huey not too far behind her. "Get a grip! It's practically done at this point!"

"Talked about marriage?" Caesar gasped for air, staring at them like they'd officially lost it.

"You two?" Cindy looked up. "You two-"

Caesar finished her sentence. "Talked about marriage?"

"That doesn't count!" Huey shook his head, still focused on his conversation with Jazmine. "Think about it. You've never based your criteria around a truly successful relationship. You need to think that part through before hopping back into the dating world."

"Well, I'm still going!" Jazmine folded her arms over her chest, glaring at him. "You can't stop me, and we both know it!"

"Maybe not." Huey admitted with another shrug of his shoulders. "But I could give Liam a nice talking to, maybe convince him that Europe is a better, safer bet than Woodcrest."

Jazmine couldn't believe him.

"Screw you, Huey Freeman!" She shoved past him. "Why would you do something like that?"

"Because you brought it on yourself." He pulled out a copy of his book, waving it in the air. "You know that it's imperative you follow my step-by-step plan to the letter. Why make things more difficult than they have to be?"

"Why can't you just loosen up a bit?" Jazmine rolled her eyes. "I don't get why Liam and I have to suffer just because you want to argue your stupid point! I could easily do the contract at lunch and go this Saturday. What's the big deal?"

"It's not stupid."

"Yes, it is."

"No it's not!"

"Yes, it is!"

"No, It's not!"

"Yes-"

"Okay." Cindy stepped in between them. "Huey, if Jazmine agrees to write the contract at lunch, then can you agree to look past this indiscretion and support her date with Liam?"

"Fine." Jazmine continued to glare at Huey, staring up at him. "I'll write the stupid contract."

"And I guess I'll look past it this once." Huey shrugged. "But, if he does something stupid, I reserve the right to say, 'I told you so.' And just so we're clear, I will end up saying that when he inevitably screws this up."

"Well, it's settled, then." Cindy smiled. "All is well, and we can move on with our lives."

"Sounds good to me." Huey shrugged, heading off to their next class.

"Bye." Jazmine waved at Cindy before shaking her head at her aggravating friend. "Asshole."

She loved Huey to death. She really did.

But what was clear to her, despite what he was saying, was that he absolutely did not approve of her going out with Liam, and his reasons for that had nothing to do with the book.

Nothing at all.

She didn't know if it was because of what had happened on the hill earlier, or if it was just his way of trying to protect her.

But either way, she needed him to loosen the reigns a bit.

She could handle herself.

He'd thought his reaction to Jazmine's new look had been bad before, but this feeling was much, much worst.

Jazmine honestly hadn't done anything far from the norm. Most of his cases caved into the pressure right before doing what they needed to do. It was something he'd come to expect. They always relapsed around this time and learned their lesson the second time.

So why was he so upset all of a sudden?

Huey glanced over at Jazmine, watching as she played with the bracelet on her wrist then sighed, tucking her hair behind her ear, and applying some gloss to her soft, pouty, lips. He could see her earrings swing back and forth, as if trying to hypnotize him.

Without even thinking about it, he leaned forward, fascinated by the curls in her head yet again. Jazmine had taken a break from wearing heels and had cute flats on her feet today. She'd still worn a miniskirt, pairing it with a new blouse she had on.

All. Black.

He really liked how that looked on her. As a matter of fact, he had half a mind to drag her to the nearest mall so he could personally get her at least four more of the same exact outfit. Maybe even six, so she could wear it every single day.
She looked that good in it, like an adorable rebel with a cause.

He glanced up once it registered Jazmine was saying something to him. The paper ball flying past him immediately snapped him out of his trance, and he let out an aggravated sigh, glaring at her.

"Really?" He rolled his eyes at her. "Calling my name wasn't good enough for you?"

"It got old after five minutes." Jazmine shrugged. "Besides, you were zoned out because of whatever had your attention."

"Well, find another way to get my attention next time." He turned to face her. "What's up?"

"For starters." Jazmine held up her phone, grinning from ear to ear. "I saw that Mr. Freeman moved the wedding up"

Huey nodded. "Yup."

"Can I come?" She asked him. "You know weddings are kind of my thing."

"I've noticed." He muttered. "I guess you can come. I'm sure Granddad and Ms. Ebony wouldn't mind."

"Yay!" She danced in her seat. "Is there a dress code?"

How the hell would he know? He wasn't the one walking down the aisle.

"I don't know." He shrugged his shoulders, his voice taking on that rude tone without him even trying. "Just dress nice. No formal wear needed."

"You're not still mad about Liam are you?" Jazmine lowered her voice, glancing around to make sure no one else was listening. "I'm just trying to help." She sighed, glancing nervously at her desk before meeting his gaze again. "I know you really want the money, and after all you've done to help me, you deserve it. I have to move on eventually. Why waste time, trying to find the perfect person?"

"I'm not mad." He shook his head, looking her her in the eye. "I just don't want you to rush. I'm confident that I'll get my money, and you should be too. Trust me. You stick to the plan, and it'll all work out."

Jazmine seemed to accept it, nodding her head and smiling. "Good."

So far, she'd truly been one of his most impressive turnarounds to date.

Granted, she'd only been at it for over three weeks at this point. She had about four more to go thanks to the extension, and by then, she'd be in the best place possible to date whoever she wanted.

But then again, Jazmine hadn't dated in ages, which meant she was still excited about the whole ordeal. Knowing her, she probably thought it'd be just as fun as it had been when she was thirteen, sitting with Vince at a restaurant for the very first time.

But he knew better.

Still, she was his friend first and foremost, and nothing mattered more to him than making sure they were on good terms, which was why he kept talking.

"And I'm not upset about the date either." He managed, struggling to keep his composure. "I just wish you had accepted the date with your terms and conditions in mind. It would've made things a lot easier."

Jazmine smirked, handing a sheet of looseleaf paper over to him. "Already done."

"Must have car?" He glanced down at the rushed contract she'd made and rolled his eyes. "Must enjoy romantic movies? Jazmine….what is this?"

"The book said to create a contract." Jazmine folded her arms over her chest defensively. "I made one."

"No, you didn't. What you made, is a wishlist." He handed the paper back to her, resisting the urge to rip it up. "You need to focus on the things you absolutely will not tolerate, the terms and conditions for basic respect, your absolute no's, and your must haves. After that, you can focus on things like activities and material possessions."

"So, if I put in something mentioning no rock climbing…." She pressed the pen on the paper hard, writing it down before he could speak. "Would that be wrong?"

"If you're plan on dating white boys, I'd personally keep it in." Huey smirked. "I'd have at least a ten-date clause before I'd go out there with one of them alone." He shrugged. "It's basic statistics. I'd tell Cindy the same. Or any woman, regardless of their race. That idea sounds like an episode of First 48 waiting to happen."

Jazmine shuddered, thinking about it.

"Actually…." She crossed it out. "How about no rock-climbing period?"

"Agreed." He nodded. "What else you got?"

Jazmine thought for a second before snapping her fingers. "Must be a good communicator. I don't think they should be too busy to talk to me at least once a day. I don't want to wait three days to hear from the guy I'm dating. I like constant communication."

"You're getting warmer." Huey nodded. "Keep going."

"And…." Jazmine tapped her pen on the desk, snapping. "Must pass a thorough background check." She stared at Huey, shaking her head. "I don't want any secret agents or whoever else you wronged trying to date me to investigate you. After what happened with your brother…well…y'know."

"Whatever." Huey snorted, secretly amazed she'd even thought of that. "That only happened to Riley once."

"Well, it shouldn't have happened at all." Jazmine pointed out, continuing to work on her contract. "Better safe than sorry."

"That's the spirit." He stood to his feet, starting towards the door and taking one last look at her. "Have fun with that. I'm outta here."

"Okay." Jazmine nodded. "Would you mind looking at it later?" She gave him a knowing look. "I'm guessing I won't see you at lunch, today."

"Swing by tonight." Huey shrugged. "I'll text Ms. Ebony and have her set a place for you at the table. We can go over it then."

"Sure." Jazmine nodded, going back to writing more stuff on her dating contract. "I'll be there."

He smirked, nodding at her one last time before heading for the double doors at the end of the hall.

There was something so satisfying about seeing her hard at work, completely focused on asserting her boundaries. It was nice to see her thinking of what Jazmine needed for a change, instead of worrying about everybody else.

She wouldn't even need him soon.

His work here was almost done.

Caesar and Huey were in his car, watching as Jazmine glided though the halls with Cindy.

"I'm happy you decided to help Jazmine." Caesar watched her, amused when both girls split to link arms with Casey. They paused, doing a small twirl together. "She's never looked happier."

"Interesting." Huey smirked. "I didn't know you were so invested in her emotional well-being."

"Whatever. Anything that keeps her from interrupting me and Cindy is a plus." Caesar snorted. "I love Jazmine to death, but little sis has terrible timing."

Huey laughed at that. "I know for a fact you ain't lying."

Caesar nodded staring back at the girls again.

"They grow up so fast." Caesar remarked, blowing Cindy a kiss when she looked up for a moment. "Seems like yesterday we told Jazmine that Bugs Bunny had succumbed to his injuries. She cried for three weeks straight." He chuckled. "Tom had to explain to her it was just fictional dynamite."

"Back when I was overly militant and controlling." Huey reminisced, allowing a contented feeling to wash over him. "Good times."

"What do you mean 'back when'?" Caesar turned down the radio and grabbed something out of his backpack. "You still are, bruh! Ain't nothing changed."

Huey ignored him and backed out of the parking lot, heading over to Caesar's place. "How long is your car in the shop for, again?"

"A few more days." Caesar nodded. "Why?"

"Because I'm making a detour to Chicago tomorrow." Huey made a left turn, smoothly veering over into the next lane before pausing at a red light. "There's something I need to get for Granddad's wedding."

"We're going on a road trip?" Caesar's eyes widened. "Let me text Cindy."

"Don't start. You know I have a strict Anti-Cindy policy in this vehicle." Huey rolled his eyes. "It's an errand, not a field trip."

When Caesar gaped at him, Huey finished what he was saying.

"Besides." He continued driving when the light turned green. "She'll probably be busy helping Jazmine get ready for her date."

"Oh, shit!" Caesar thought about it. "I forgot about that."

He paused, rubbing his chin. "I still think we should skip some other time, Huey. Just me, you, Cindy, and Jazmine."

"Why?" Huey raised a brow. "It's only an hour away. You can always ride with Cindy or Jazmine if you don't feel like heading with me."

"Nah, it's not that." Caesar shook his head. "It's just….you're going off to college, Jazmine's gonna be wrapped up in a new relationship pretty soon, and the rest of us will be seniors next year." He glanced away for a minute, staring out the window. "The past few weekends felt like the good ole days. Back when we were little kids hanging out together every day. I think we should do that one more time before we're split up for good. "

Huey paused, about to say that nothing would change, but who was he kidding? Things were changing every minute.

And fast.

"Okay." Huey relented, not sure why it mattered to him so much. "Let's skip in Chicago tomorrow, then."

"Does that include Cindy?" Caesar smirked.

"Yes." Huey frowned, rolling his eyes. "That includes Cindy."

"Anything else you need?" Caesar asked him.

"Actually, yeah." Huey nodded. "Do you have plans this Saturday at 8:00?"

One thing that never got old for Jazmine was visiting the Freeman household.

"I will not, nor will I ever, tolerate any blatant, excessive disrespect of any kind while engaging in an exclusive partnership with any individual." Huey read the words she'd typed out once she'd gotten home, raising his eyebrows while Ebony and Mr. Freeman looked on, impressed. "These behaviors include but are not limited to: cheating, abuse, be it physical or emotional, blatant lying, or any other behavior detrimental to my wellbeing. Failure to comply will result in swift corrective action, resulting in severing the tie between both parties."

"That's a long ass way of sayin' you ain't takin' these niggas shit no mo'." Riley rolled his eyes, glaring at his brother. "Man, Jazmine was finally gettin' fun, and you messed that shit up for all of us! I liked watchin' her beat ass and shit!""

"You should be taking notes." Huey shook his head at his brother. "Every day I wonder how Shanice puts up with your ass."

"Cuz' I'm not a bitch nigga like you." Riley remarked, grinning as he grabbed a homemade dinner roll from his plate. "I could give good relationship advice too….if a nigga really wanted to. A nigga could be a real life matchmaker in this thang, ya heard me?"

"The hell you can!" Granddad shook his head. "Had me on that goddamn bumblebee app getting blocked left and right!"

"You mean Bumble, Granddad?" Huey raised a brow.

Riley snickered. "You would know." He shot a look at Jazmine, who released a giggle before she could resist fighting it. "Yo ass knows you gon' be on there all the time in a few more years."

Ebony gave Huey a small smile, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I think the contract was a lovely idea, Huey." She smiled at Jazmine. "Any prospects, yet?"

Jazmine was glad she'd asked. "Yep. His name is Liam." She pulled out her phone, swiping left. "He's taking me to Blake Hall's."

Ebony stared at the photo before giving a nod of silent approval. "He's handsome, Jazmine." She handed her phone back to her. "You two will probably have a great time."

"Blake Hall's?" Granddad's eyes widened. "That nice restaurant on the other end of town?"

"Yep." Jazmine grinned, excited about it herself. "I can't wait."

"We know." Huey rolled his eyes. "You only talk about it every ten minutes."

"I literally brought it up because Ebony asked me to." Jazmine tried to resist the urge to storm out, not wanting to leave until she'd finished Ebony's cooking "What's the deal?"

"Yeah, nigga." Riley leaned over his plate, smirking at his brother. "What's the deal?"

"Nothing." Huey glared at him, continuing to eat his salad. "I just think it's no big deal. That's all. People go on dates every day. No need to throw a parade over it."

Mr. Freeman gave her a sympathetic look, passing a bowl of his famous pork-flavored broccoli over to her. "Don't mind my grandson, cutie pie. He's just being a hater."

"Yup." Riley remarked, snickering again. "Probably just mad he ain't the one going out wit' cha."

Jazmine nearly choked on her food.

She watched, in horror, as Huey literally did the same for a moment, grasping at his throat until his passageways were cleared with a cough and a knock on his chest.

"Are you okay, Huey?" Ebony's eyes widened. "Let me get you some water."

"That ain't gone quench his thirst, Ms. Ebony." Riley was in rare form, tonight. "What Huey needs is something the tap can't provide. See, a nigga like me ain't ever gon' thirst. I know how to handle my business like a real one, everytime!"

"Probably because a nigga like you wet the bed every ten seconds until you were twelve." Huey smirked. "All the water in the world is probably still in your mattress. We could send it to a third world country, and they'd be just fine."

"Nigga shut up!"

"Or what?"

"Or I'll beat both your asses that's what."

Jazmine and Ms. Ebony just looked at each other and laughed.

The Freeman men were crazy.

No matter how much Jazmine pretended she was fine in the front seat, she was hyperventilating, and they all knew it.

She'd never skipped school outside of city limits before, way too afraid to get caught up in traffic or worst, get lost in the middle of town with no way to get home. Not to mention the crime, the constant horror stories from her Dad and Mr. Freeman.

And just thinking of driving in the city paralyzed her with fear.

"Maybe we should just stay home." She suggested. "I mean….it's not like we have to go today."

"Jazmine, we're twenty-six minutes out." Huey kept calm as he sped down the interstate. "This is for Granddad's wedding, anyway. It's not completely fun."

"Maybe not for you two party poppers." Caesar stopped kissing Cindy in the backseat. "This has been plenty of fun for me."

Huey glanced at them in his rearview mirror, loudly clearing his throat until they broke apart.

"Thank you."

Jazmine glanced up at the faint outline of the skyline before glancing over at Huey, completely enamored with him driving, the way he was focused on the road.

Suddenly, her heart had kicked into high gear, and she was powerless to stop it. It was weird, something she'd never felt with Huey before, not even when she'd had that tiny crush on him as a child.

"Jazmine." He shot her a look from his peripheral. "Is there a particular reason why you're staring at me like that?"

She couldn't tell him she was starting to notice just how fine he really was. He'd probably flip out on her!

But boy could she kick herself for not noticing sooner.

"Sorry." Jazmine shrugged. "How much longer we got?"

"Twenty-three minutes." Huey glanced back at Cindy and Caesar, who were smirking at her as if they were onto her already. "Why? Need a tablet and some snacks?"

"Not funny." Jazmine leaned back and closed her eyes. "I'm just gonna nap."

"Cute try." Huey switched lanes before chuckling. "You're not even sleepy."

"I am, actually." Jazmine glared at him. "Since we had to get up earlier than usual just to skip school today."

"You'll thank me later." Huey kept his foot on the pedal. "And by the way, you always scrunch up your nose when you get sleepy." He eased over to the next lane. "Since you're not doing that right now, I know you aren't really tired, so drop the act. Embrace the mini-road trip like the rest of us."

Jazmine's eyes popped open, and she turned back to make eye contact with Cindy, who looked just as surprised as she did.

"You've been watching me the whole time?" Jazmine gave him a wide-eyed stare, turning to stare at him drive again.

"I had to make sure you wouldn't hop out onto the interstate and run home." He snorted. "I don't need your dad locking me up because you hurt yourself in my car. You know he's quick to lock folks up these days."

Jazmine studied Huey closely, just in time to see a tiny hint of a blush spreading across his nose, until he turned his head and shifted lanes again.

"Um…." She muffled an awkward laugh, leaning back again. "If you say so."

Cindy was the first to break the tension, leaning on the console between them. "So, what are we getting, exactly?"

"Something borrowed." Huey shrugged. "I called my cousin, and he has something I think my Granddad would appreciate."

They all stopped talking, their jaws dropping when they glanced up at the skyline in full view.

Jazmine could see why Huey had missed home so much. Even with all the craziness going on, the city was beautiful, with way more culture pulsing through it than Woodcrest had on its best day.

It was like she could feel the soul of the city coursing through her veins, making her feel alive in a way she'd never felt before, not even when she'd visited her hometown in Columbia, Maryland each summer near DC, the place that she'd been born.

"It's beautiful." She managed, still staring at the city in awe.

Huey turned in that moment to stare at her, muttering something under his breath before putting his foot on the gas and making a left turn.

"It is."

Despite the size of the small house they'd entered, Huey felt right at home.

He could still remember the nights he'd spent here, the sounds of the sirens in the distance, along with the epic summer nights underneath the stars. His childhood had been perfect before he'd moved away. There had never been a dull moment growing up here, and he'd come to appreciate his early childhood experiences.

There was nothing in the world like it.

"Huey." Lorna smiled at him. "I'm glad you and your friends could make it, but….isn't it a school day?"

He stepped in front of Jazmine, smoothly changing the subject before she could question them any further. "We won't be long. It's six in the morning right now. We'll be back before school starts at nine."

Lorna smiled. "That's what I like to hear." She reached over and hugged Caesar and Cindy. "I presume you two are dating each other."

"Yes ma'am." They both nodded.

Lorna nodded her head, seeming to scrutinize their every movement. "Ummm hmmm."

Jazmine seemed hyper aware of the fact that she was next, nervously wringing her hands before standing completely still and then relaxing, as if remembering she had nothing to be nervous about.

"Come on over here, Mrs. Thang." Lorna opened her arms, smiling at her. "I ain't gon' hurt ya."

Jazmine went over, wincing when Lorna hugged her tight.

"You're a pretty lil' ole thang." Lorna looked up at Huey like she'd caught him staring a second too long. "Girlfriend?"

"No!" Jazmine flew out of her arms like Lorna was on fire. "Just friends."

Caesar and Cindy laughed aloud, unable to hold it much longer. Huey joined them. Jazmine made it so easy, sometimes.

"What?" Jazmine raised a brow, a funny look on her face. "Why are all of you laughing at me? What's so funny?"

"It's….just…." Cindy wheezed, nearly falling onto the floor she was laughing so hard. "You damn near fell over the way you flew outta her arms!"

"Zipped out faster than the speed of light." Caesar wheezed right along with her, causing Lorna to laugh as well.

"It wasn't that funny." Jazmine grumbled, turning her back to go sit on the couch in the living room.

Huey nodded at Lorna, ignoring Cindy begging Jazmine for forgiveness. "Is it here?"

Lorna turned the hall light on, sighing. "Yeah. I got it."

She pulled out a shoebox, handing him the golden cufflinks with the initials R.F. on them. "Here."

She slid something else into his palm, the necklace his mother had always worn around her neck all those years ago. Huey immediately tried to hand it back, shaking his head.

"I like Ebony and all, but I'd rather that stay here." He frowned. "Riley might want it later."

Lorna smiled, patting his hand gently. "It's for you." She told him. "I think you're old enough to hold onto it for now. Your brother has the other one."

Huey hadn't known that.

"Thanks." He nodded, suddenly caught off guard by all the memories, the sudden whiff of Lorna's bedroom bringing it all back. She pulled out a box of things that had belonged to his parents, of photos of them from when they'd been kids, photos of things he'd forgotten even mattered to him at one point in time.

"I'll give you a minute." Lorna smiled, heading out of the door before pausing. "And Huey?" She looked at him. "It's good seeing you, again."

"Yeah." Huey took a second to look at her. "It's good seeing you too, thanks."

Keeping his hand steady, he looked through the box, gazing at each photo and smirking as he remembered the fun times they'd had here as a family.

Riley with two water guns, chasing after everyone with them. Huey and his cousin Whitney, smiling at a family reunion with Jericho's oldest son. And him sitting on the steps with his father, talking about something as the rest of the block, including Riley and their mother danced on the sidewalk.

"You really have been serious your whole life." Jazmine eased over to his side, smiling softly at him. "Is that your mom?"

She pointed at the photo of her standing in the sunlight, shooting a mischievous smirk at his father, who couldn't take his eyes off her.

"It is." He answered her.

She stayed quiet for a moment, staring at the photo for a while before speaking again. "She was stunning. I'm surprised she didn't model."

"Oh trust." Huey smirked. "She could've." He laughed. "Let's just say it wasn't her thing."

"Do you come here a lot when you go home?" Jazmine asked, her eyes still lingering on the photos he'd laid on the bed.

"When I can." Huey shrugged. "Lorna only comes here for hurricane season. They just had an anomaly this year thanks to climate change, so she chose to evacuate here. My parents really left it to my great-aunt, but it's hard for her to come here." He sighed. "It's hard for all of us, if I'm being honest.

In a rare move, maybe not so rare considering it was Jazmine and she'd always tried doing this with him, she sweetly laid her head on his shoulder, an act of support as he continued to go through the box, looking at the photos and items one by one.

Caesar and Cindy made their way inside as well, watching them without saying anything, until finally he put everything back and closed it, walking into the backyard without them and closing the door behind him.

Lorna sighed, giving them all a sad smile.

"Just give him a few minutes ya'll."

They all looked at the door, frowning.

"It's like this every time he comes here." She continued. "He just needs a little time alone. That's all."

It had been two hours since they'd left the old house, and none of them had acknowledged what happened earlier.

Nor had they mentioned how puffy Huey's eyes had been when he'd returned.

After all, some things were best left unsaid.

"That top is two hundred dollars?" Huey's eyes widened as Jazmine and Cindy continued to look at clothes in the mall. "Ridiculous."

"Sustainable." Jazmine picked it up, feeling the fabric on it. "Those six dollar tops you hold dear are full of synthetic fibers, microplastics, and harsh chemicals, which are all bad for the environment and tend to rip off established black designers with quality products." She draped it over herself, twirling around in the mirror near the purses. "Plus, it'll look good on my date."

"Exactly." Cindy agreed with her. "That's why you should get it!"

"Just seems wasteful to me." Huey shrugged. "How many times are you even gonna wear that?" He shook his head again, glancing at another price tag. "Sustainable clothes should not cost this much!"

"I'll wear it as much as I want!" Jazmine shot back as she grabbed another mini skirt. "Everyone knows you get what you pay for."

"So." Huey glanced at Caesar. "She's really wearing that on her date?"

"Yes." Caesar grinned, watching as Jazmine made her way over to the shoes, grabbing something else before rushing into the dressing room with Cindy. "Yes, she is."

"I just don't get it." Huey shook his head. "She has thousands of clothes."

"Yep." Caesar nodded.

"And then this Liam dude passes her some dumbass note and she's ready to get all gussied up for him?" Huey rolled his eyes. "Please."

"If anything." Caesar corrected him. "It's for her." He shot him a look. "She's clearly excited. Be happy for her."

"No can do." Huey frowned, lifting a pair of leather pants. "These are Six. Hundred. Dollars. Six Hundred Dollars, man!"

"Jazmine probably has more money saved than all of us combined." Caesar shrugged. "So what if she wants to splurge a little?"

"She shouldn't waste her money to buy clothes just to eat in." Huey frowned. "She'll regret it when she needs money to buy books and food in college. Not to mention, the extra cost of parking, gas, and whatever else she needs to maintain her current cost of living."

Caesar smirked. "Oh, I see."

"See what?" Huey glanced back when Jazmine and Cindy shrieked, clapping loudly. "I'm just pointing out how ridiculous it is. It's-"

"You look incredible dahhhhhlinnnnng!"

"They like to pretend they're in Edna Mode's office when they shop." Caesar explained when Huey paused, staring at them with a raised brow. "It's their thing."

"Okay…." Huey looked over at the other people in the store, browsing without a care in the world.

"And just so you know…" Caesar smirked. "You're jealous."

"Jealous?" Huey rolled his eyes. "What would I have to be jealous about?"

"It's like I told you before, man." Caesar shrugged, walking over to the dressing room when Cindy called them to come check out Jazmine's new outfit. "You're digging the new look. Whether you want to admit it or not."

"The hell I am." Huey snorted. "I just think it's ridiculous that she's wasting all this money! She could use that to pay for three years of groceries instead of one outfit she's only gonna wear for one lousy di-"

They both froze when Jazmine strutted out with a graceful smile. Her chin up and her dimples on full display. The deep violet of the chiffon top brought out her eyes, alongside the high heeled sandals and the mini skirt, clearly showing the massive results of her Yoga and Pilates sessions over the past few weeks.

"Well." Cindy smirked at them. "Are you two gonna say something?"

"You look nice, sis." Caesar smiled diplomatically, staring over at Cindy before nudging his friend. "Very date appropriate. Right, Huey?"

"Yeah." Huey managed. "Right…Very date appropriate. Right on target."

"Not a total waste?" Jazmine grinned at him, the gesture doing something to his insides.

He averted his gaze from Caesar, determined to play it cool.

"Still a waste." He shook his head, finally. "You could probably put on a purple bag, and it'd look good."

So much for playing it cool.

Jazmine and Cindy's jaws dropped before they erupted into laughter turning back towards the mirror.

"Okay." Cindy draped her arm over Jazmine as they went back over to the dressing room. "We are definitely getting that top. If Huey's hating ass loves it, just imagine what Liam will think?"

They both screeched again, talking in hushed voices.

"C'mon dude." Caesar smirked at him, patting his friend's shoulder. "Let's go wait for them at the front before you have a stroke."

He looked back one more time before catching up to his friend, deciding not to bother arguing for once.

Deep down, he knew he was right.

They'd been to Six Flags, eaten several slices of traditional Chicago-style pizza despite Huey's nagging, and taken an ungodly amount of photos on Cindy's polaroid on the streets.

They'd even made some fun videos near Barack Obama's house, since they hadn't quite made it there before it closed early.

Cindy and Caesar had bickered about trying Harold's Chicken and some other soul-food restaurant until Huey had gotten mad and driven in the opposite direction. They'd ended up to getting some popcorn from Garrett's instead, which had been so good Jazmine knew she'd be back here, if for no other reason than to get her hands on it again.

She'd spent a lot of time with Huey over the past few weeks.

But something about this was different.

Special.

"I see why you miss it so much." Jazmine found herself gazing at the skyline with Huey from the small cruise ship they were on.

The two hour tour of downtown was their last stop before they went home.

"The vibe here is beautiful." She smiled. "It's the perfect city."

"Yeah." Huey shrugged. "Until the sun goes down."

"You." She laughed at him, shoving him over. "Are the most negative guy I know. Do you find joy in anything?"

"Nope." He moved over a little, causing their arms to touch. "Never will."

"Well, I saw you smile back at Garrett's." Jazmine tried to keep her mind off of the fact that she wanted to cuddle into him all of a sudden. "I know you had fun today, whether you admit it or not."

"I didn't have much fun." Huey tried to disguise his smirk as a frown, but Jazmine knew better and burst out laughing. "Someone had to tell the people what happens when you eat too much Carmel popcorn. And trust me, it ain't pretty."

"Huey, really?" Jazmine gasped for air. "The dangers of popcorn? What other evils will they think of next? Pudding? Ice cream?"

"Full of cancerous artificial flavoring." Huey shrugged. "And that's if they're lucky."

"I got one that he'll really hate." Caesar smirked, one arm on the rail and the other around Cindy's waist as they moved closer. "Hookah lounges."

"Another cancer station waiting to happen." Huey grimaced. "I can't believe the city denied my appeal-"

"I swear you're really fifty-seven years old." Cindy laughed, leaning back on Caesar's chest. "You act older than your granddad, and we're still not sure how old he is."

They all paused, thinking about it for a minute.

"Yeah." Huey shrugged. "I can't lie. Even I don't know how old he is. It doesn't help that he claims he fought in every war."

"And marched in every movement." Caesar shook his head. "One time he told me helped free some of the Jews."

"Noooooo!" Jazmine giggled.

"Yes." Caesar nodded.

"Ohhhh!" Cindy snapped. "Remember when he told Huey he marched with Malcolm X?"

They all laughed.

"He did say that." Jazmine shook her head, still laughing. "He said that Malcolm X copied his rant about the march being a circus and everything! Stole his thunder."

They all laughed again.

"You wanna know what's even crazier?" Huey leaned over, suddenly even closer to Jazmine than before. "I don't think he was lying."

She willed herself to act normal and not fall into the water like an idiot.

"Do you think it's true he was originally cast as the daddy in Friday?" Caesar raised a brow.

"I gotta admit..." Cindy nodded. "They do kinda sound alike."

"And look alike." Jazmine shrugged.

"No, no, and no." Huey rolled his eyes, the sun bright and perfect in his eyes. "He probably never auditioned to be honest. He brought that up around the time that actress that moved down the street. He was probably trying to impress her."

"Speaking of your Granddad…" Caesar smirked at Huey. "What about the time we tricked Jazmine into driving Dorothy?"

Cindy burst out laughing, covering her mouth as Jazmine glared at her.

"That was not funny!" Jazmine rolled her eyes. "You guys nearly gave my dad a heart attack!"

"Hell, you almost gave everyone else a heart attack." Caesar chuckled. "Thankfully you were only going five miles per hour since you didn't know how to accelerate."

Huey and Cindy laughed, shaking their heads as Jazmine playfully popped Caesar on the arm.

"Mr. Freeman still gets suspicious of me to this day." Jazmine frowned. "He's always thinking I'm gonna steal his car because of you two!"

"Well…" Caesar shrugged, still laughing. "Technically you did."

Jazmine narrowed her eyes until an evil grin spread across her face. She snapped, trying to get their attention.

"What about the time Brooklyn pranked Caesar into kissing a fish?"

They all paused for a moment when Caesar's face fell, trying their hardest to hold it in, but a few minutes later, they were laughing so hard that several onlookers were staring.

"I was only twelve!" Caesar frowned. "How was I supposed to know she was gonna trick me?"

"Maybe because she was into Huey?" Jazmine raised a brow. "It's not like she was super nice to you."

"She still didn't have to humiliate me like that at my birthday party!" Caesar frowned, rolling his eyes. "Ole girl just opened the damn closet in front of everybody. Had to save face by saying Brooke's skin was just as scaly as the fish she'd hung up."

They all laughed, shaking their heads at him.

"You were absolutely right, baby." Cindy shook her head, taking his side. "Nobody can blame you for seeing double. It's a good thing she ended up leaving last year. She was kinda becoming a tyrant at school."

"Which is exactly why she and Huey had a thing. He's the tyrant of all tyrants. " Caesar motioned towards Huey with a grin. "Face it, you have a type."

"I can admit that I know what I like." Huey retorted, smirking again. "Besides, I got a kiss from an actual girl that night. So clearly, it works for me."

"Speaking of kissing." Cindy grinned. "Remember when Tom and Sarah caught Jazmine full on kissing a boy at the tender age of eleven?! Tongue down his throat and all!"

They all snickered.

"Hey!" Jazmine whirled around. "I didn't know it was too much! I just did what I saw on the movies!" She rolled her eyes. "At least I didn't kiss a guy who still had wasabi on his lips!"

Caesar bent down enough to tap his knees, exploding with laughter. "Ahhhh shit, that was funny as hell."

"I had to go to the hospital, Caesar!"

"And I'm sorry that happened to you, but-"

"You looked like you belonged in LA." Huey snickered. "Your lips were literally eight times their size, Cindy."

"Huey!" Jazmine gasped, averting her eyes from Cindy and Huey both.

"Man, look me in the eye right now and tell me her ass didn't look like a botched white woman from the streets of Los Angeles." Huey laughed again. "She looked like a cautionary warning against plastic surgery."

Even Cindy had to chuckle at that one.

"Remember when Huey was scared of heights?"

"I wasn't scared of heights!"

"Just scared to sled."

Jazmine suddenly remembered something else.

"Remember when it snowed for three weeks straight?"

They all smiled, looking at one another.

"Hell yeah." They all grinned.

"That was the day Jazmine held her own." Caesar looked proud. "Rallied Cindy, Brooklyn, and Arielle around those other kids and knocked the shit outta them with those big ass snowballs."

"She had other girls in on it too." Huey nodded, glancing back out into the horizon. "Girls up in the trees, on rooftops. Riley was scared as hell to go outside. Ya'll wanted revenge bad for all the other years he got ya'll."

"And we got it, too." Jazmine smirked. "Even got you in on it."

"I didn't do much of anything." Huey chuckled. "I just told him you were all the way down the street. He's the one who got comfortable and went outside."

"You could've warned him she could throw that far." Caesar grinned. "But it was something to see for sure." He smiled. "All those softball torture sessions paid off."

"Heavy on the torture." Jazmine grumbled. "My arm was sore as hell the entire summer you guys taught us to play."

Cindy sighed, looking over the railing again. "But it sure was fun."

"It was." Caesar agreed. "Those were the good ole days."

They all nodded, smiling at each other.

"Today wasn't bad either." Huey shrugged, finally looking down at Jazmine, his eyes softening before looking over at the rest of them. "As far as days go, this one definitely wasn't the worst."

She knew what he meant. He didn't have to say it, even if he just had, in his own weird little way.

"No." Jazmine leaned over and hugged him, resting her head on his chest before pulling away. "It wasn't."

Thanks again for reading! I really hope you enjoyed it!