Chapter Text
Man it’s been raining a lot.
June 9th 2008
I, Huey Freeman-have always been a slightly reclusive person.
My world revolves around my family, my younger brother Riley Freeman and my grandad, Robert Freeman. We had all lived in Chicago, our whole lives with our parents and grandad and after our parents passed away. Our grandad decided to spend our inheritance money on a big house in the suburbs.
I know he wants the best for us but being the only black person in a new white neighborhood was a big change for me and it affected my brother, Riley, a lot more than me.
Now more than ever he wants the thug life style and I can’t blame him this is the same guy who though his name was Nigga until he was three as long as he doesn’t get into too much trouble he’ll be okay.
So to say I became an even more reclusive person would be an understatement. It became more of isolation than anything else, being black in a all white town- mostly white town meant the whole package: the strange staring, the pointing, and the rare yelling.
And when they do man oh man can these white people can yell.
But it’s not all bad being with Riley and grandad has been enough since Riley always has a new problem to fix and grandad always has a new crazy woman into our house.
But I care about them all the same.
I even wanted to protect them from when it was the end of the world, well them and my friend Jazmine.
She convinced me to make a plan for her since she thinks “We’re best friends” but I decided it would be good to have a girl since if there were only two boys and an old man there wouldn’t be as much of a human race left.
Jazmine is the only other black kid (well half black) that’s not like Riley (or Cindy.)
She’s the perfect little princess who’d never want to get in a little bit of trouble (maybe it’s from being half white? Or being raised by Tom and Sahra?).
Speaking of Tom and Sara, they've been arguing a lot lately but Jazmine hasn’t been running and yelling to me like she normally does. It’s strange really and I’ve been seeing less and less of her.
I would think since it’s summer break I thought she would want to hang out talk to me be in my general presence more.
Whatever the case she’ll tell me when she has trouble or whenever anyone has troubles.
-Huey Freeman.
He finished writing and hid the 2 dollar notebook under his bed. Huey liked writing in his journal (not a diary-in his words)
He hoped that one day if he wrote his random ideas one day he’d find an amazing breakthrough that would change the world for the better.
He almost never smiled and his frown was almost permanent: he did want to see the world be a better place.
But maybe one step at a time-
He was ten after all.
Maybe he can start with something small like—-
A compliment! Jazmine had said he should give people more smiles and compliments. A smile would be a heart attack to anyone he knew but baby steps.
He smiled fondly before snapping out of it and violently shaking his head “When did I ever care about what she suggested?” He wondered but shrugs the thought off as just an intrusive thought.
He walks down the stairs and walks over to the kitchen since he was a thirsty maybe he they had orange juice—
Wow there’s nothing in the fridge-i mean if you call onions and cream cheese food.
“Damm boy-why y’all eaten all the damm food?” Grandad scolded. He was standing at the door with his towel after his “workout” session.
“Grandad” Huey deadpanned as he normally did ”when was the last time you went grocery-“
“Boy hush!” He waved his hands, cutting Huey off mid sentence “You know I'm too old to remember to feed you dam kids! Why don’t cha just take my wallet and go buy some groceries!” He half shouted walking off.
“Grandad?”
“What?”
“I…I like what you did with your…um h-hair?” He gave the brightest smile he could and tried to look like a kid in a candy store but ended up looking like a murderer after slicing his victims.
Which was unnerving for him and did hurt his face a bit for all the sudden movement.
“GOOD LORD—i mean uh thank you Huey i-i like your hair too?” He stammered “Now if you’ll excuse me Im gonna call a priest-i I mean uh Uncle Ruckus!” He stammered while backing away “Bye!” He dashed off into who knows where. As Huey continues his crazed smile.
“Well that wasn’t the best but no great person gives up after their first attempt.” he thought still hurting his face by smiling.
“And make sure to stock up on orange juice Huey!”
Good lord. Just forget it.
Huey quit his goofy grinning and solemnly took his umbrella, navy blue overcoat and grandad's wallet. Maybe he’ll treat himself for being so nice to grandad. He smiled at the thought of being able to afford to have sweets.
Maybe he’ll try that bucket of sweets on forth block he remembered when Jazmine got that for her birthday and got sick from eating too much candy and gave the nearly full bucket to him. Which Riley happily stole before Huey could eat any and gave the whole thing to gangstalicious and his “gang”.
It was a nice gesture though.
He stepped outside the cold air hitting him instantly. Man it has been raining a lot huh? The news said it would rain for the whole week, not a good second Summer break week. He walks into the side walk looking at the way the rainfall hits the puddles and how the leaves move with the wind and-
Until he got splashed by a big truck that sped on by…
“AY! WHAT THE HELL?” He exclaimed in surprise, shaking himself and wiping mud off his face and mentally recoiling as some mud had gotten into his hair. It may have been time for a hair wash but still! That’s revolting!
Why would there even be a truck that big in this neighborhood!?
“WHO THE HELL NEEDS A- A moving truck?”
It was a weird thing to see a big moving truck in this neighborhood but shook it off and continued his walk to fourth block as he continued to stare at the wet and muddy ground in thought.
Who’s moving truck could it be? He knew a few people in the neighborhood but he wouldn’t think anyone would ever want to move? And why in this weather?
“Are we going back to Chicago?”
The thought crossed his mind but—No that’s impossible grandad is a complete open book, he would know any surprise grandad tried. And unlike grandad he didn’t have to pretend that he was surprised but he did anyway because he didn’t want to upset anyone since when people are upset there’re less likely to help you when you need them to.
Grandad wouldn't be that cold. He was used to Huey’s cold demeanor; he was his grandchild for gods sake! So he could cross that idea out. He walked into the store still dripping with mud while the majority of workers stared. But that was to be expected. But just smile and wave. Smile and wave.
“Now let’s see, what do we need?”
…
Huey walked out the store into the pouring rain, dragging the bags…”Why did grandad tell me to do it?” He muttered to himself. He managed to get all the basics for him to cook for at least a week. And the bucket of sweets that he can share with Jazmine.
Wow Jazmine. It’s such a fluid name the way it rolls off the tongue.
He had been thinking of her a lot. It’s probably because she’s been gone for a while that’s why! But why wasn’t she around?
Did she have new friends? Was she upset at him? Did she hate him?
He stopped walking.
Why did he care? He didn’t care. He continued walking through the rain. She was probably fine, maybe she was visiting family.
He walked back home and dried himself up while Riley was still gone and grandad was looking through his MySpace page but he was a bit skeptical after the crazy wolf bitch.
Huey decided to go and shower. He wouldn't want to go to Jasmine's house being covered in mud he should look nice for her.
…
Man these intrusive thoughts are really slipping by it’s like all he could think about was her.
It was maddening really.
After he took a shower, changed clothes, and took an hour to detangle, brush, and blowdried his hair. He stole one of Riley’s nicer coats that he got from dad, and his umbrella to go outside. After pulling the bucket of candy from one of the bushes where he hid it.
He didn’t want to risk bringing sweets in the house with those animals! They would definitely eat them all before he could say anything to stop them.
He walked over to her house. It wasn't too far, just a hop, skip, and a jump. But maybe he shouldn’t hop or skip, not in the rain. He wouldn’t want to ruin his outfit. It was Riley’s nicer jackets anyway he would probably kill him if he found out he stole-
-It.
Why was the moving truck in front of her-
Oh.
Oh.
…