Mwahahaha.
I'm back with another update.
JueyForever: I'm all for slapping fictional characters, lmfao. Feel free!
Juey: Your wish is my command.
Enjoy!
Chapter Two
"Sometimes, you gotta just let your heart take the lead and fall in.
It's okay to jump, babe."
-BeMyFiasco
"Okay." Alyx grinned, laying out in the middle of her canopy bed. "It's not that we're not happy you upped your game with this new dress and fabulous-ass wardrobe." She peeked over at Cindy, who nodded as well, before turning back to Jazmine. "Because trust us, we are…."
She nodded, taking another appreciative glance at Jazmine's new dress.
"But girl, what happened?" She gave her a onceover, furrowing a newly arched brow. "Last weekend, you were totally on board with your dad's 'live and die by the rules' mantra! Now you're sneaking off to the mall and lying about it? That's not you, y'know?"
Jazmine sighed, glancing back at herself in the mirror.
"I know."
She felt guilty every time she thought about it, which as of late, was every five seconds.
"You should've seen how he acted earlier, Alyx." Jazmine told her, pushing her other new clothes underneath the bed. "I don't wanna hurt my dad….I'm just tired of living life on his terms." She frowned, glancing at both her friends. "I'm ready to do something different, something fun like you guys said."
"And I get that." Alyx nodded after a moment, exchanging a look with Cindy, who was still sitting at her desk, listening to them quietly. "I kind of figured this would happen eventually. And I'm here for you fighting to live your life on your terms for a change."
"Me too." Cindy eyed Jazmine warily. "But just so we're clear, I hope you're not letting Huey get back in your head." She hardened. "Alyx told me what went down, and 6' 5" or not, I swear I'll whoop his narrow ass black and blue if you start crying over his reckless ass mouth again."
Jazmine ran her hands over her dress, snorting.
"It's not even like that." She shrugged. "Huey looks good, but honestly, he seems stuck on himself." She rolled her eyes, turning back to the mirror to look at herself. "Nothing he said was true besides the bra thing, which was a total low blow, by the way!" She clicked her tongue, pissed again just thinking about it. "I only reacted the way I did because he was a total jerk!" Jazmine threw her hands up, grumbling under her breath. "I didn't even do shit to deserve all that mouth!"
"Um…" Cindy's brows rose. "Girl….you started it."
"What?!"
"I mean…" Alyx trailed off, shrugging. "You were kinda mean muggin' him all day today."
"Because he kept cutting me off in class!" Jazmine gaped at her. "Did we just conveniently skip that part?!"
"And….you weren't exactly nice when he finessed his way out of gym, either." Cindy shrugged, still watching her. "Girl, c'mon! You of all people should get it! Don't you hate dodgeball, too? Your granddad has some rare, incurable episode whenever we have to run. And your grandma-"
"That's not the point!" Jazmine snapped. "He was acting like he was God's gift to women or something! Talking to me like I was beneath him!"
"Huey talks to everyone like they're beneath him!" Cindy groaned, her face in her hands. "It's not new or based off gender. It's how he is! You seriously don't get that by now?!"
"Of course I do." Jazmine frowned, turning around to face them. "But that asshole was out of line! And you two are supposed to be my friends, not his!" She folded her arms, scrunching her nose up at her. "Why are you acting like this is all in my head?"
Cindy exchanged another look with Alyx, one she knew all too well.
It was the 'See, didn't I tell you about this, earlier?' look, followed by the 'Told you she'd react like this' look.
And the look she hated most of all, the 'We'll talk about it when Jazmine's not here' look.
"Oh trust, we believe you." Cindy shook her head, frowning. "And he definitely needs to be checked." She nodded. "I'm just saying this is Huey we're talking about. The one thing he's never been is malicious. He's an intense asshole, not an evil one." She shrugged. "Besides, he's basically raising Riley by himself. That has to be a lot on him, right?"
Jazmine considered it, thinking of Mr. Freeman all alone, recovering from his stroke in Chicago.
Huey had to feel guilty about that on some level. And watching Riley full-time, too?
"Maybe you're right." She sighed, relenting. "Huey is going through his own shit, and I wasn't exactly welcoming when he first got here….." She trailed off, picking up her phone. "Maybe we just got off on the wrong foot. I'm not exactly great with change."
"We know." Cindy smirked. "But I'm personally more interested in that guy you were talking to at the mall. He was hot!"
Jazmine covered her face with her hands, blushing.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Alyx clapped her hands, trying not to laugh as Jazmine struggled with the zipper of her dress. "Who was the tall, fine cutie from the mall? He looked like he wanted to take you home and-"
"Alyx!" Jazmine blushed, pausing to take a deep breath, woozy just thinking about the guy from earlier. "His name's Cairo. He's one of the new kids from school."
"Oh, yeah!" Cindy snapped, swiping through her phone. "I saw him earlier in Algebra IV! Real cool, laid back dude." She nodded. "What'd you two talk about?"
Jazmine grinned.
"A lot." She gushed. "I thought he was running game at first, but then he congratulated me on being valedictorian, we talked about California, and I dunno…we hit it off." She smiled shyly, glancing down at the floor. "He seems sweet."
She thought back to the rest of their conversation.
"And he invited me to Brooklyn's party, too." Jazmine confessed. "But I turned him down." She sighed. "We all know that's not a good idea."
"Why not?!" Cindy and Alyx exclaimed at the same time. "Jazmine!"
Jazmine just shook her head at them.
"C'mon guys, seriously?!" She pointed at her large bedroom window, gesturing to the state-of-the-art security system her dad had on standby. "Have you seen all the cameras around here?" She shook her head, frowning. "It's impossible for me to sneak out without getting caught." She frowned. "Tricking my dad into letting me buy bras is one thing." She shrugged. "Sneaking out of this house is a whole 'nother monster." She sighed, leaning against the wall. "The second I make a move, he's rushing over here to stop me just like always. Forget it, I'm toast."
Cindy smirked, handing her a small black device.
"Not necessarily." She rubbed her hands deviously. "That's a demitter. It'll stop the signal from being saved to your Dad's storage, which means no recordings, no evidence, no proof." Cindy nodded with a grin. "Everything should still work when your Dad comes home, and he'll probably never suspect things as long as you don't give him a reason to. You'll just need to stuff the bed at night in case he checks on you. And record yourself snoring at night, too. He'll think you're adjusting to the new bedtime and leave you alone." Cindy shrugged when Jazmine's jaw dropped, not deterred by her disbelief. "Hey, it works! I haven't been caught yet."
Jazmine stared at it, blinking.
"Um, thank you?" She inspected it, setting the small black device face down on her nightstand. "Why do you have these on hand to begin with, though? Where'd you even get these?"
Alyx snorted, leaning against her.
"She has them because she's Cindy." She grinned, sitting up straight. "Now let's talk alibis in case you get caught sneaking in." She nodded. "If your dad asks questions, you were taking out the trash, doing some experiment on nocturnal wildlife in Woodcrest, working on a project that will earn you a scholarship at UCLA." She leaned forward, nodding hard. "And for a real get out of jail free card…." She paused for dramatic effect, whispering quietly to her. "You decided to plant some flowers in honor of your mom." She grinned triumphantly. "He could never ground you for that."
She felt like she'd knocked the wind out of her.
"Too far, Alyx!" Jazmine glared, ready to backhand her off the bed.
"I'm sorry!" Alyx lifted both hands, flinching when Cindy actually did backhand her. "I just really want this to work." She said, rubbing the left side of her face. "I want you to have your old life back, like how it used to be, before." She said, her big brown eyes genuinely watering. "I get you don't want to pull the mom-card, but in case of emergency, I think you should use it at least once."
Jazmine sighed, remembering when she'd had her mom to balance things out.
She really wished she could talk to her right now.
Because thinking about sneaking out was one thing, but actually doing it?
What would her mom say about that?
"So what do you say?" Alyx asked her. "Party or prison?"
Jazmine looked between her friends and the window, weighing her options.
And then, she lifted her chin.
"Party." She said firmly, ready to live for a change. "I'm rolling with you guys, tonight."
"Yes!" Her friends pumped their fists in the air, chanting loudly.
"Party! Party! Party!"
"Just don't get too excited, guys." Jazmine pointed at her signature puffball, about to break the tight rubber band. "I need you guys to help me with this."
Cindy smirked, pulling a boatload of products out her bag.
"Girl." She pushed Jazmine into her desk chair, passing a huge spray bottle to Alyx. "We thought you'd never ask."
Cairo was a little too happy for his liking.
"Where's Riley?" Huey asked, his gaze hard.
Cairo face went blank. He kept still, peeking out the corner of his eye to see why he was mad.
Which pissed him off even more.
"Today would be nice." Huey tapped his fingers on his armchair, growing more and more irritated with Cairo's attitude.
He was always having to explain things to him that he shouldn't, not to an eighteen-year-old, or any black teenager for that matter.
But here he was, having to talk to Cairo like he was his elementary-school aged son, instead of his damn near grown peer.
"Upstairs." Cairo shrugged. "Up in the room he's sharin' with Q."
"And why the fuck is he sharing a room with Q?" Huey snapped, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Man, look. You gotta cut all this passive shit out and step it up. Me and Caesar can't run things on our own. You need to start pulling your own weight."
Cairo looked at him like he was the one out of order.
"I don't see why." Cairo grumbled. "You'll just end up undermining me, just like you do Caesar."
"What?" Huey glared, balling up his fists, his hand drifiting to his gun. "You wanna repeat that to me, Ro?"
"Nah." Cairo muttered, turning away. "Forget I ever said anything."
Huey counted down from five, breathing slowly.
"Look." Huey tried to be patient, reminding himself that this was his friend….and that Tom had a thousand cameras across the street "I don't hate Caesar for leading, alright? We just have different ways of handling certain things." Huey nodded, trying to find the patience to comfort Cairo. "So can I count on you step it up and quit bitching? I won't have any complaints if you do."
"Sure, boss." Cairo shrugged noncommittally. "Whatever you say."
He immediately got up and headed to Riley's room, clearly more annoyed with Huey than ever before.
Huey cleared his throat, not sure what the hell had gotten into Cairo.
But knowing him, he could take a wild guess….
"And whoever this girl is." He gritted his teeth. "Do us all a favor and cut her ass loose."
Cairo just headed up the stairs, ignoring him.
"We'll all get caught up behind whoever she is." Huey warned him, shrugging coolly. "It's just the way it is. So don't go getting overattached to anyone. We don't stay around long, remember?"
Cairo huffed, but he wasn't ignoring him. "It's not even that serious." He muttered, disappearing behind the banister.
But they both knew he was right.
There was a difference between fun and disaster.
And that much, Huey knew better than anyone.
Jazmine coughed, making her way through a wide thick cloud of smoke.
The party was still warming up, so there wasn't much to see outside of kids her age making small talk. There was some music playing, courtesy of Hiro, but she didn't really know the songs.
And there was strong smell too, thanks to someone nearby smoking on some very strong marijuana.
"What the hell is that?" Jazmine wrinkled her nose, glaring when Alyx and Cindy started snickering. "Guys seriously! I think I'm getting nauseous!"
"That's just weed, girl!" Alyx inhaled deeply like it was a treasured household delicacy. "That flower, that loud, that reefa! It's the shit, friend! Trust me."
Cindy elbowed Jazmine, smirking.
"And you'll be smelling a lot more of that tonight, too." Cindy wriggled, acting silly with Alyx. "You need to hit the blunt yourself, being real." She nodded. "You can't live in California without getting high! It's criminal!"
"I-" Jazmine stammered, nervous and uncomfortable. She'd planned on having fun in a skintight dress tonight, but this was nothing like the movies she'd seen.
For one, she was overdressed.
She could tell just looking at the other girls, sexy in a different, more casual way.
They were wearing tops that showed off their midriffs, wearing short-shorts paired with sneakers and racy tank-tops.
And then there was her, dressed up in some stupid cocktail dress and stilettos like an out-of-touch idiot.
"I think I need to head home and change." Jazmine stared down at her feet, embarrassed. "Can one of you take me back home? I won't be long. I just-"
Cindy shook her head, looking her in the eye.
"Jazmine, trust me." Cindy nodded. "You look perfect for this party! These hoes need to start dressing up any goddamn way!"
Alyx nodded, returning with a drink from the punch bowl.
"What she said." She placed her back against Cindy's, striking a pose before handing Jazmine a red Solo cup. "Drink this, and don't ask me why, either."
Jazmine winced when she downed a little of it, gagging at the bitter taste the moment it hit her tongue.
Maybe the movies weren't that off, after all.
"What the fuck is this?" She coughed the liquid fire down, tempted to spit it back into her cup.
"Something the rest of us young folk drink." Cindy breezed past, tilting her cup to toast Alyx. "Hurry up and drink it too. You don't want someone drugging that or something. No babysitting."
Jazmine nodded, slowly swallowing as much as she could before she gagged at the taste again, grimacing at how much was left.
"Just chug it all down, girl." Alyx shook her head, amused. "You'll get used to it, eventually. I promise."
Somehow, Jazmine didn't think that was true.
"Now, remember." Cindy nodded. "We came together, we leave together. Don't be afraid to tell these dudes no. Don't be afraid to tell us you're hella uncomfortable and need to leave." She slid something into her palm, whispering. "And if someone really tries you, this is a strong ass taser with dejectable prongs." She nodded. "The police use it in major cities. It can bring just about anyone to their knees. Just in case."
Jazmine stared down at it, horrified all this was needed for a fun night out.
"Seriously?!" She screeched, surprised at how relaxed her body felt already. "Cindy that sounds like this could seriously hurt someone! Or worst, kill them!"
Cindy shrugged.
"It absolutely will." She nodded. "That's exactly why it's perfect."
She grinned at Jazmine, starting to dance to a beat Jazmine was starting to feel.
"Just hold on to it. I'd rather you have it, just in case."
Jazmine nodded, sliding it into her clutch. "Done."
"Thank you." Cindy exhaled, waving at someone calling her name nearby. "I'll be right over here if you need me!"
"And I'll be macking on Maurice." Alyx waved at a tall, chocolate boy nearby, making her way over to him.
"But guys!" Jazmine protested feebly, reaching out both hands. "I don't even know what to do! And where's the friggin' bathroom?"
But Cindy and Alyx disappeared in seconds, leaving her to search for Cairo by herself.
Bitches.
Sighing, she leaned against the wall, watching more people force themselves through the door.
The music was somehow louder, nearly blowing out her ear drums, and there was a couple arguing, yelling at each other over the music while another couple made out next to her.
Gross.
A few stragglers stood off to themselves, dancing slowly to the beat in the other room.
And there were more people in the center, people everyone was apparently waiting to see, seeming to follow their every move as they made their way over, talking and laughing.
They weren't popular, Jazmine realized, they just didn't care what anyone thought of them.
Because they were the life of the party.
Jazmine watched them, intrigued, as one girl whispered to the other, nodding.
And then they laughed, dancing in a cluster until everyone else turned to stare at them, laughing right along with them till everyone joined in.
In less than five minutes, the party had kicked off, surging with chaotic, teenaged energy as feet shuffled and arms swung.
Jazmine found herself bobbing her head, too. The alcohol had lowered her nerves enough for her to engage in a little fun of her own.
And even though she wasn't dancing, she was having just as much fun people-watching.
That is, until she was interrupted.
"You came."
She heard the Chicago accent and counted to five, whirling around to face him.
"Cute try, Cairo." She snorted, barely looking up. "You can deepen that voice all you want. I only came for….Huey?"
She raised a brow, stiffening when she came face to face with Huey Freeman, dressed sexy in his all-black outfit, his arms, strong and muscular.
She was lost for words as his eyes roved up and down, sending a new, pleasurable sensation running through her body, something different than a crush, something new….
Hot.
"Jazmine." He nodded, much calmer than he had been before. "New bra?" He stared at her chest, frowning when she crossed her arms defensively.
"No." She lied, hoping he'd go away. "Why are you keeping track, anyway?" She rolled her eyes. "Making a record of every girl's breasts, now?" She snorted, turning to walk away. "Pretty creepy, Freeman." She scoffed, flipping her hair. "I should report you to Woodcrest PD."
Huey just stared at her, taken aback.
"Whatever." She grumbled. "You're not even worth it."
She took off to find Cairo, trying hard to catch a glimpse of him in the crowd, but even with her back turned she could feel Huey's gaze on her, and for a second, she was sure he would snort and walk off.
But instead, he made his way back in front of her, a lot harder to ignore up close.
Tall, fine, and handsome, Huey was downright sinful-looking, his eyes full of mischief and wisdom, a fire she couldn't quite contain.
Chills ran through her as she met his gaze, struck by the sincerity in it. Something about it made her feel safe and protected again, just like it used to be with him, before he moved away.
"I'm sorry about what I said." He told her, seeming honest for a change. "Dr. Elliot caught up with me after and explained things after school." He nodded, looking her in the eye. "I didn't know she sent you to talk to me, Jazmine. And even if she hadn't, I shouldn't have come at you like that." He kept his eyes on her, more serious than she remembered. "It won't happen again, Jazmine. I hope you can accept my apology and my promise to do better."
"We don't even need to do all that." Jazmine shrugged, trying to ignore how good it felt having him back in town. "I'm good, really."
He nodded, searching the crowd for something of his own, probably Brooklyn.
"Well, okay then." Huey turned back to her, leaning closer. "So, you're here looking for Cairo?"
Jazmine blinked, remembering that she was, indeed, looking for Cairo.
"I was." She shrugged, checking her phone. "I'm not exactly sure where he is, though."
Huey nodded, glancing down at her. "You like him?"
Jazmine blushed, not really sure how to answer that question.
"We're just friends." She shrugged. "Sort of, anyway."
She nearly toppled over when the fire in his eyes blazed out of control with no warning, so strong she almost passed out just looking at him.
"What about you and Brooklyn?" She nodded, her throat dry. "You are into her, right?"
His nose crinkled.
"I'm not worried about Brooklyn right now." He shrugged. "Something else has my attention at the moment."
She ignored her nervous thoughts, refusing to look away no matter how intense things got.
"Something else like what?" She asked him, fighting to hold herself steady.
He snorted.
"Don't ask me questions you already know the answer to." He slowly looked her over, his eyes trailing from her head to her toes.
She shivered involuntarily, noticing the way he seemed to kiss every last inch of her.
And then she gulped, realizing he was still talking.
"Sorry." She snapped out of it. "What?"
He spoke louder, using his timbs to gesture towards her outfit. "Your dad let you out the house dressed like that?"
Jazmine froze, not sure if he was complimenting her or judging.
"He doesn't know you're here, does he?" He narrowed his eyes, intently watching her face.
Jazmine shrugged, miraculously finding the strength to down the rest of her drink and slam it on the table like her throat wasn't on fire.
"I'm almost a grown woman." She declared. "I don't need his permission, and I definitely don't need yours. I can wear whatever I want, whenever I want."
Huey chuckled, his brows raising in surprise.
"I really wasn't saying it like that." He shook his head, lightly pressing her against the wall.
Huey hovered over her, his lips positioned near her ear.
"I'd try to protect all this too if I were him." He shook his head, looking down to stare hard at her body. "You look so damn good, Jaz." He breathed, softly brushing a finger against her stomach. "I'd never let you outta my sight if you were mine."
Jazmine blushed, about to fall over.
"Thanks." She breathed, pushing against his forearm. "You look good too."
Huey just chuckled, sending another shudder of pleasure through her body, a natural reaction to the magic he was working.
Jazmine clung to his wrist, consumed by the feeling.
Everything about him was making her lightheaded. His scent, his lips, his personality…
Him.
She'd liked all that before he'd moved, but now, it was more flagrant, out of her control.
Because suddenly, she wanted him closer, wanted to do the things she'd judged other girls for doing with him, and right when she'd decided she wanted those things, to her disappointment, he released her.
"Thanks." He nodded, glancing up when her classmates line danced off-beat. "Are they always struggling with the steps like that?"
Jazmine tilted her head to the side, watching them.
"Probably." Jazmine shrugged, secretly pouting when he stepped back. "Will I see you in class on Monday?"
"You will." He assured her, holding up his keys. "But if it's cool….can I borrow you for a minute? Get some directions, catch up?" He looked down at the cup on the table. "Might help knock the edge off that, too."
Jazmine flinched, annoyed he thought she'd gone crazy off one drink.
"I'm not drunk." She announced, glaring at the smug smirk on his arrogant, gorgeous-ass face.
"But I'll still go." She made her decision, wanting out of the party already. "Just let me grab one of my friends and tell them where we're going."
She blushed when he gently grabbed her, his voice paralyzing for some reason.
"Just text them." He shrugged nonchalantly, pointing to her phone. "I know they stay glued to whatever group chat ya'll have." He smirked, spotting Cindy in the crowd. "Plus, Cindy is busy with Caesar, right now."
Jazmine looked up, and sure enough, her friend was all over Caesar, twirling a tendril of hair around her fingers.
Caesar leaned forward, totally into whatever she was saying, grinning from ear to ear as he laughed and said something back to her.
"Damn she works fast." Jazmine muttered, blushing when Huey stared back at her, brows raised.
"You cuss, now?" He moved closer, causing their arms to touch. "Since when?" He smirked, practically smiling at her.
"Since the fuck now." She shrugged, not moving away despite how electric it felt. "Couldn't stay ten forever." Jazmine smiled, amused by his jaw seeming to drop even more. "I told you, I'm practically grown, now. I do what I want, when I want to."
That wasn't exactly true, but judging from the way Huey blinked, he'd bought it.
"I guess you are." He waved at Caesar, who whispered something into Cindy's ear.
Cindy glanced up and waved at them, nodding at Jazmine, then at Huey, before smiling at both of them and turning back around.
"C'mon." Huey pressed his palm against her back, gently pushing her out towards the door. "I'm parked out back."
She ignored the butterflies in her stomach, forcing herself to breathe instead of focusing on Huey's hand, flush against her spine.
The night air was warm, that perfect balance between summer and early-fall. She stared up at the sky, captivated by all the stars. Then Huey turned to look at her, and she was captivated by him, instead.
Because damn.
He was beautiful.
"Here it is." Huey nodded, pulling open the door.
Jazmine stilled, staring straight at the car, her brows rising.
Sure, Huey's Camaro looked old, but Jazmine could tell it had been upgraded.
The way it purred to life, the crispy sound of the audio, and that fresh, metal muffler, perfectly polished in the back….
Suddenly, she was hesitant.
Did she really need to get in this car?
"You getting in?" He asked her, watching from the other side.
She was just overreacting as usual.
Jazmine nodded, quickly pulling her dress down before plopping inside. When it rose up, bunching around the top of her thighs, she nearly died of embarrassment right then and there, wishing she could disappear.
"Sorry!" She flushed, fumbling to tug it back down. "Just turn the other way!" She demanded, trying to get it down to her knees. "I need a quick second."
"Jazmine, seriously?" Huey looked at her funny, raising a brow. "I swear it's not that deep." He looked bored, glancing over at her. "Relax. It's not like you're naked or anything."
Jazmine nodded, calming down.
This was Huey she was rolling with, not some random guy off the street.
He'd been more responsible than her since birth, and he was clearly more into Brooklyn anyways, so what was all the fuss?
Jazmine settled into the seat, trying hard to act casual. But that turned out to be too difficult, so instead, she focused on the music, only to realize she didn't know what the hell he was listening to.
So she turned to Huey and improvised.
Big mistake.
"You drive a Camaro?" She finally spoke up, trying to make conversation.
"Problem?" He glared at her.
"Um, no?" She glared right back, frowning. "I have an uncle obsessed with vintage cars." She shrugged, lifting her chin. "I'm just surprised you're not driving something different. Like an Oldsmobile or a Cadillac, something like that. You seem more like an auction car kinda guy, like you'd prefer to drive something from the 70s."
He almost looked impressed, just a little.
Or maybe that was her imagination.
"I got what was best for me." He shrugged, nodding back at her. "What about you?"
"What about me?" She scoffed. "You building a case or something?" She folded her arms, glancing over to watch him steer the car. "Bra size? Car make and model? What's next? My social security number?"
He raised a brow at that, then switched hands, smirking as he cut the wheel.
"I'll leave that to the man who has eight thousand cameras at your doorstep." He shifted his eyes, staring down the road. "I'm just curious." He shrugged, glancing back in her direction. "You know you don't have to be so cagey with me, right?" He took another glance towards the road then back to her, something about that making her breath hitch, her lips part. "I'm tryng to make conversation here just like you are." He nodded. "For example, you seem like a sedan driver to me." He smirked, nudging her arm. "Am I right or are you in a convertible, these days?"
"I wouldn't know, honestly." Jazmine looked away, bitter. "I don't drive."
"What do you mean you don't drive?" He frowned, seeming more angry about it than she was. "You're seventeen, right? Nobody taught you, yet?" He asked her, cutting the wheel. "Don't you leave next year?"
Jazmine fidgeted in her seat.
"No."
"Care to expound on that?" He came to a stop, staring at her like she had two heads.
"My dad doesn't think I'm ready." She rolled her eyes, even more embarrassed with Huey pointing out how ludicrous her life was already. "To leave or to drive." She shrugged. "Happy?"
Huey stared at her for a minute.
"No." He finally snorted. "Leave it to your dad to continuously handicap you in life." He rolled his eyes. "I can't believe….nevermind." He shook his head, nodding. "I do think you should learn before you graduate, though." His eyes lingered on her again, his head shaking. "No wonder you snuck out." He said, still in disbelief. "He really keeps your leash that tight, these days?"
Jazmine stiffened.
"Is it seriously that obvious?" She frowned, even more embarrassed. "I'm not that restricted, you know."
Huey snorted in response.
Great.
It was really that obvious.
Thankfully, he turned around, his eyes on the road again.
"I could teach you to drive if you want." He offered. "Completely up to you, of course." He shot her a look. "But personally, I'd take the deal."
Jazmine turned to face him, shocked he was deadass serious.
He nodded calmly, pulling up to a huge house she'd never seen before
"Just think about it." He told her, getting out and locking the door behind him. "Wait here and don't move." He shot her a look. "This'll only take a minute."
She shrugged, catching his gaze before he went cold again.
"Okay." Jazmine frowned, turning down the music to watch him walk up the driveway.
She leaned up, watching as a tall, black man opened the door and handed him something, grinning when Huey shook his hand.
"Man….what the fuck is this?!" Huey barked, glancing inside the envelopes. "Where's the rest of it?"
"Oh my gosh." Jazmine inhaled, trying not to be too obvious. "Don't freak out. He's just…picking something up. Yeah…that."
The man started grumbling and handed him four more envelopes, waving his hands back and forth, yelling about something.
"What the fuck?" Jazmine leaned a bit closer, watching through the glass. "Okay, Jazmine. Just act normal, it's not like they know you're watching them."
As if they'd heard her, Huey and the man glared at Jazmine, frowning.
She quickly looked away, realizing this technically counted as moving.
Turning up the radio again, Jazmine bopped her head along to the music, running her hands up and down the leather seats until her hand hit something wedged between her seat and the door.
She glanced down and picked it up, holding it up to inspect it in the light. It was the figurine of a jaguar, with a small cursive 'V', on its left foot.
She pulled it closer, studying it some more.
"What up, Mary Elizabeth?" Huey eased back into the car, staring at what she was holding. "Someone gave that to me a long time ago, and I held on to it." He smirked, seeming to laugh at something she wasn't entirely sure was funny. "Promise you won't judge."
"I won't." Jazmine shook her head, still enraptured with the intricate beading on it. "It just looks familiar." She admitted, inspecting it further. "I'm not sure where I've seen it before."
Huey snatched it away, smirking playfully at her.
"Who knows fooling with you?" He shook his head, his eyes teasing. "You used to have damn near everything as a kid, Mary."
"No, I didn't!" She cut her eyes at him. "And who the hell is Mary Elizabeth? Since you insist on using the name to make fun of me." She rolled her eyes, looking away.
"A spy much smarter than you, that's for sure." He pulled off, honking at the guy watching them from the door. "And yes, you did." He shot her a look. "Unlimited toys, tea parties, frilly ass costumes every other day. You were living pretty lavish for a ten-year-old girl."
Jazmine flipped him off, frowning.
"I have photos of those tea parties you attended, remember?" She smirked. "And your little experiments were expensive too, if I remember correctly." She leaned back, amused at how bad he was at pretending to be annoyed with her. "So don't start with me, Free Man."
He smirked back, pulling over into an empty parking lot and then stopping the car.
"Trust me." He murmured, his rasp sending tingles coursing down her spine. "I always finish what I start, woman."
Jazmine blinked, suddenly aware of how quiet it was, especially when he unbuckled her seatbelt and moved closer, hovering over her again, his lips centimeters away from hers.
Just as his lips gently brushed against hers, Jazmine leaned back, pressing her back into the door
"Um…." She trailed off, pushing him away. "Do you sell drugs or what?" She blurted, relieved when he flew to the other side of the car, astonished. "Because that was kinda shady back there and-"
"I….whew."
Huey looked at her and straight busted out laughing.
"Ah….ha!"
She'd never seen him smile, let alone laugh so damn hard he might piss himself, even when they were kids.
His breathing slowed, and he quieted down, right before he turned to her and laughed again, howling into his hands.
"Woman, what?!" He snorted, wiping away a stray tear. "You really think I'm dealing drugs?!" He cracked up harder. "You must think I changed my name to Riley or something?"
"Um, yes?!" Jazmine gestured back towards the street. "Weird house, sketchy ass man, big ominous envelopes! What was I supposed to think, Huey?!"
He snorted for the umpteenth time, picking up the envelopes.
"Yet again, please relax." He tossed one in her lap, watching her open it. "It's not what you think at all. Riley and I are not dealing, okay?"
Her eyes widened when she reviewed the paperwork, documentation for the house, files of his grades, his test scores, him and Riley's birth certificates, orders from Mr. Freeman's doctor, along with his new health regimen and disability paperwork.
"Oh." She murmured, handing them back, ashamed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have judged."
"No, you shouldn't have." Huey frowned. "But then again, I guess it's good you're not that naïve." He told her. "You peeped something was off and asked questions. It's not a bad thing to do."
She sighed, still feeling guilty.
"I guess not." She looked down, relaxing.
Huey slowly reached over, his thumb pressing into her stomach before he leaned down, staring into her eyes.
She felt heat, building in the very center of her chest as he gently gripped her waist, pulling her closer to him.
Her eyes closed at the same time her breath hitched, and she heard herself shift closer, opening her eyes in time to see him purse his lips, right before he pressed them down over hers.
He gently gripped her tighter against him, giving her more kisses, his lips smacking against hers while she twisted her hands into his shirt.
She could feel him touch her, feel his hands trail lower, past her waist and towards her hips, setting her body on fire.
Jazmine sighed contentedly, arching her back without thinking. He kissed her harder, sliding his tongue into her mouth, feasting on her with a low, primal, groan.
That sound made her frenzied, hotter somehow, and all she think about was how good this felt, how crazy his hands made her, melting as they crept past the crevice of her inner thighs.
Slowly, he pushed one hand higher, under her dress and right against her bikini underwear.
She gasped into his mouth, reeling from the sensation.
And suddenly, she cared less about the kissing.
Instead, she was trying not to explode as he rubbed his hand against her, driving her crazy with one back and forth motion of his hand.
He pressed another kiss to her lips, pushing his forehead against hers while he stared down at his hand, rubbing furiously between her legs, not moving one inch from her center.
Jazmine fell back against the window, shivering against the glass.
She felt herself push closer, needing more contact, more of whatever he was doing to her.
He pressed his fingers up some more, pushing harder. Chuckling as she let out a quiet moan, her thighs shaking.
"Damn." Huey breathed. "You're wet." He said smugly. "Feels good?"
Jazmine couldn't think of a response. She wriggled gently beneath him, happy to let him rub her faster.
And when he latched his lips onto hers, pulling her dress up past her stomach, she could only moan louder, coming closer to something good, something straight involuntary that her mind couldn't stop.
She couldn't control the sensations, couldn't help but swallow his tongue whole, only pulling back to moan out when he kissed down her neck then licked his way back to her lips, earning more frantic motions from her, moans and sighs of delight.
Jazmine flew up, pressing harder to feel more, until her legs shook uncontrollably with one more push of his fingers, all of her trembling, her legs shaking against his hand.
"Shit." He breathed, his voice stirring up the feelings again. Huey reached inside her underwear, brushing past the top of her pubic mound and into her panties, reaching forward to cup here there.
Her eyes widened, she immediately reached down, holding his wrist before freezing abruptly, not sure what to do.
"Um..."
After a moment Huey drew his hand back, hard to read, but seeming almost…disappointed, maybe?
"We should head back." He pulled away, watching her tug her dress back down. "You good?"
Jazmine nodded, torn between disappearing and begging him to do it again.
"Yeah." She said finally. "Thanks."
He sighed, looking her over, like he'd broken her or something.
And honestly, in a way he kind of had.
She'd expected kissing. Some tongue during the makeout for sure, but this was way out of her comfort zone, being honest, way beyond her realm of expertise.
Her dad's books on sex only covered the basics: vaginal health, how babies were made, where the guy put his penis during the act.
But what it hadn't covered was what she'd felt on tonight, and before, she'd heard lots of horror stories from everyone.
How bad it hurt, how nasty it was, how you could get AIDS, HIV, or worst than that?
Pregnant.
"You've never…." Huey trailed off, watching Jazmine meet his gaze. "You've never done that before, have you?"
Jazmine shook her head, still unsure what that sensation even was.
"Did it…feel good?" He asked gently, sounding sympathetic as hell, which sucked, made her feel even more embarrassed.
Jazmine blinked, her heart stopping in her chest.
It'd felt good, alright. Too good. Jaw-droppingly, crazy, sexy good. Something she wanted to happen again.
And again, and again, and again.
She was just too flustered to say that.
So instead, she opted for something else.
"Um…" She blushed. "Yeah. I just…I've never…I-"
"Don't even sweat it." He nodded, calm as he pulled onto the crowded street. "We'll work on it."
Work on it.
Had she been so bad they needed to work on it?
Jazmine blushed, watching him from the corner of her eye.
She hadn't even done anything to make him feel good….had she?
"C'mon." He nodded, getting out the car. "Let's head back inside."
"Okay." She nodded. "Yeah."
His arm brushed past her, sending pleasurable tendrils swirling between her legs again. It was like he'd done something to her, something that didn't have a name.
Not yet, anyway.
Because she planned on doing some research as soon as she got home.
They made their way back inside, watching the party carry on.
"Hey, Jazmine!"
Cairo waved from his spot on the couch, standing up to greet her. Jazmine froze, wanting to fall into the floor, especially when Alyx and Cindy noticed her standing there, excited to see her waving back at him.
Huey, on the other hand, didn't seem phased at all.
"Good catching up." He nodded, making his way over to Brooklyn. "See you Monday."
She frowned, staring after him.
"See you, Monday."