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7:15 am

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Huey climbed up the steps, pulling on his coat, and threw a glare toward the open bedroom door where Riley was rushing to get dressed. He paused in the threshold of Grandad's room and knocked on the door.

"Grandad, wake up," he called, waiting another moment before he rapt his knuckles more insistently against the door, "Grandad."

Robert shifted in bed, squinting at the tall silhouette blocking the light from the loft. He looked around for the clock, muttering a half-inquiry about the time, and Huey frowned.

"It's after seven, Grandad," the young revolutionary said, his hands in his pockets, "Can I borrow your car today?"

"Boy, you got your own damn car," Grandad said, pulling the comforter back over his head and rolling over, "Go to school."

"I tried," he said, his dark eyes narrowing, "Riley slashed my tires last night."

The news didn't seem to surprise Robert, but he asked, "How d'you know it was Riley?" despite the sniggering from down the hall that made the answer obvious.

"He wrote, 'Riley wuz here', across my windshield," Huey said, turning to glare across the loft when he heard Riley leave their bedroom, "And then he put a rock through it."

"Nigga, tha's your own damn fault," Riley said, completely unremorseful, "You shoulda been givin' me a ride to school."

"You didn't want a ride," Huey said crossly, "I asked you every morning. You called me a bitch and said you didn't want to be seen 'getting out of the car with me and Jazmine. What the hell would people think?' "

"Tha's messed up, Huey, you twistin' mah words."

"Riley, what the hell is wrong with you?" Grandad asked, interrupting the spat and rubbing a hand over his face. After another glance at the clock, he changed his mind -- it was too early for this bullshit. "You know what, never mind. Huey, the keys're downstairs."

With a nod, Huey left the doorway, frowning at Riley when he ducked back into their bedroom to grab his jacket.

"I don't know why the hell you're following me, you should've already been gone by now," Huey said when his younger brother tailed him down the stairs, "You're ass is walking to school today. I'm sure as hell not driving you."

"C'mon, Huey, don' be that way," Riley said, stopping in the foyer at a knock on the door.

Huey glanced back, but continued through the house to the kitchen as the front door opened. Jazmine poked her head inside, surprised to see Riley there. She smiled at him anyway, her brow knotted.

"I saw the car," she said with light humor, coming in, but holding the door ajar, "Does that mean we're walking this morning?"

"Riley's walking," Huey said, coming back down the hall, Dorothy's keys in his hand.

"Oh," Jazmine said.

She glanced at the younger brother with bright green eyes as Huey took the door from her, letting her outside first. Riley caught the door as Huey pulled it closed, and jerked it back open.

"Nigga, you gotta be kiddin' me," Riley snapped, following them out and shutting the door behind himself, "There ain't no sense in me havin' ta walk that whole damn way."

"There wasn't any sense in you fucking up my car," Huey said, gesturing at the green car (with it's slashed tires and broken, graffiti-ed windshield) on the other side of the driveway as he opened Jazmine's door for her and made his way around to the driver's side.

Jazmine slid into the passenger seat, smiling apologetically, "Sorry, Riley."

"Man, that car was a piece a shit b'fore I even touched it," Riley insisted, pulling at the door handle of the backseat. It was locked. He banged his fist on the window. "C'mon, Huey! This ain't funny!"

Huey pulled open his own door and got in.

"It isn't, is it?" he asked, pulling the door shut and starting the engine.

Riley yanked at the back handle again.

"Huey! C'mon, man, lemme in!"

Jazmine looked across at Huey as he threw the car into reverse.

"You're not really going to make him walk, are you?" she asked tentatively as they backed out of the driveway, watching Riley's expression flicker between worried and angry as he followed the car, gesturing angrily.

He threw his backpack at Dorothy, not thinking it was Grandad's car and he'd get the hell beat out of him for it. Huey had already backed out into the road, though, and Riley's backpack missed.

"You're God damn right I am," Huey said, shifting into drive.

He pulled away from the Freeman home without so much as a glance back at his brother. Riley snatched his bag up at the end of the driveway and ran after the car, shouting, "GodDAMMIT, Huey, quit playin'!"

"Oh, come on Huey," Jazmine said, twisting around in her seatbelt to see the younger Freeman growing smaller and smaller, "Let him in at the end of the street."

"Like hell I will," Huey said, glancing at her, "He vandalized my car. I'm not driving him any damn where. He's got two legs, he can walk himself to the moon for all I care. And besides, everywhere is within walking distance if you have the time." He looked at the digital clock in the dashboard. "He's got 45 minutes. Sounds like more than enough time to me."

"Huey, the schools like six miles from here," Jazmine said, also looking at the clock.

The young revolutionary glanced into the rearview mirror, stopping at the sign at the end of the street. He waited for a few moments, getting both Jazmine's (and the distant Riley's) hopes up before pulling out onto the other street with the comment,

"If he keeps running like that he'll have plenty of time to get to class."

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(A/n) Huey's so mean, but I've done that to my friend Josh countless times. xD Not letting him in the car and then pulling away, stopping to get his hopes up and then pulling away again. I wonder why he still trusts me?

Anyway, I told myself I wouldn't write older!Huey/Riley/Jazmine, but I lie all the time, so what the hell, right? I thought of this on my way back from the store xD I needed to sate my caffiene addiction.

Please review!

--Motcn