Nobody Likes The Gray Area

Guilty

Hey guys 🙂 sorry for taking so long to update I've been caught up in more homework but I've been trying to get back to this. I had the worst assignment last night Ughhhh 🙄 I knew I had to get back to this Bc you guys have shown SO much love and we're almost to 200 reads! Tank uuuu ❤️

Anyways, I think I'll just stay in Huey's POV for this chapter but it'll switch back to Jazmine's after this chapter Bc I don't want the whole story to be like that since this is Jazmine's story.

I also want pics to put up above for each chapter but always have a hard time finding some. If u guys have any ideas or any art you wouldn't mind sharing, I'd really appreciate it ❤️

K, love you enjoy!

...The Next Day...
(Huey's POV)

    Jazmine didn't show up to school today. She was silent and looked distraught the whole car ride home yesterday too. She wouldn't even look me in the eye as she was going back inside her house. Sometimes, I guess I forget that all the crazy shit Riley and Granddad Get is into isn't your average everyday normal to everyone else. Looking back, I knew I shouldn't have let her come, and...maybe I was a little hard on her when she said she was scared.

    After school, I drive back home as usual (Cindy and Riley took the bus because they don't know how to act). I go inside and change out of my uniform before I go over to Jazmine's house and knock on her door.

A middle aged blonde woman with blue eyes and a professional smile answers it. I assume she's Jazmine's mother.

"Hi, you must be the neighbor!" she chirps and holds out her hand for me to shake. "I'm Mrs. Dubois!"
"Um, hi, Mrs. Dubois. I'm Huey," I awkwardly introduce myself. "Is Jazmine home?"
Her expression droops immediately. "Oh, I'm really sorry. She's under the weather," she says.
"It'll just take a second," I plead. "I just have to tell her about the homework she missed."
"OK." She nods and allows me inside.

She points up the stairs. "Her room's upstairs and to the right."
I look over my shoulder and tell her "thank you" on my way up.

I arrive at Jazmine's door, which has a pink, cursive J hung up on the front of it. I give it three subtle knocks, then it opens quicker than I expected. Jazmine appears in a pink tank top and small gym shorts. Her hair is tied into a messy bun. We only make eye contact for a second before her eyes nervously start dancing around the room to avoid mine.

"Hey," I say quietly. "You didn't come to school, so I decided to check on you."
She wears a frail smile and nods. "Thank you," her voice is barely above a whisper.
She goes over to her bed and sits down. I step inside and close the door behind me, then join her on her bed.
"I can understand if yesterday was a lot to digest for you," I begin. "And I'm really grateful for you saving us, but it probably would've been best for you if you stayed behind."
She smirks and finally looks up at me. "Wow, Huey. Did you just say what I think you said?"
My eyes veer off to the side. "...Yeah," I mumble.
Her smile grows wider into a cocky grin. "Say it again," she demands.
I'm forced to look back at her. "You saved us, and I'm thankful."
She laughs boastfully, proud of her achievement. I just roll my eyes and let her have her moment.

"Look, I came to say I'm sorry for putting you through that," I say. "You could've gotten seriously hurt."
Her face softens into a melancholy expression, and her eyes sink to the floor. "I'm sorry too," she says. "I didn't shoot that psycho... We could've died or something, and it would've been all my fault if you hadn't gotten free in time." She sighs and looks up at the ceiling. I see her eyes are glistening with tears now. "It's just...my mind couldn't fathom even holding that thing—the gun. It felt so...hard and cold, and it was like my brain just froze because of it." She looks back down and sniffles. Tears drop into her lap. Her voice is nasally now. "...And I-I really don't like guns—I'm sorry...."

I get an unnerving feeling in my gut watching her cry. It's painful. I feel like I'm to blame. Unconsciously, I wrap my arms around her and pull her into me. She buries her face in my shoulder and cries even more. It's hard hearing her muffled sobs.

"I'm really sorry," I whisper to her. "It wasn't your fault, trust me. You made a good distraction. And if you hadn't come at all, we wouldn't have escaped and Ruckus would've had his head chopped off."
Her crying gradually subdues and she chuckles a little. She sniffles again and wipes her tears. We slowly part as she gets herself together.
"I didn't mean to become a hot mess," she says. "I must look pathetic."
"Yesterday was scary," I reassure her. "Don't feel bad."
"Thank you, Huey," she murmurs and smiles. "You're really sweet."
I don't really know how to respond. No one's ever said that to me before.

She giggles, "You're turning red!"
I nudge her and get up to leave.
"Wait! Let me see you on your way out," she offers.

She gets up and follows me downstairs and to the front door. Before I leave, she holds me hostage in another hug. She's so small that she has to stand on the tips of her toes to whisper to me,

"Thanks again for saving me."