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Miguel and Oakey saved up all winter to buy their new camera. They told themselves if they wanted to go pro, their video better look it. It cost more than their rent. It had a handle on top for low shots and a fisheye lens for wide angles. The resolution was top of the line, maintaining a crisp image even when zoomed in.

The three of them skated at a small bank that morning. Kelvin helped film while his buddies practiced the shots they wanted. Miguel jumped a long staircase into the parking lot. He skated fast and flew down the steps. He twisted, flipped his board. Oakey rolled around in a drainage ditch beside the lot. He skated the slopes like a halfpipe. The property recently redid its landscaping, so the background appeared lush on film. The shrubbery also blocked the view from the street. On Sundays, they rarely got kicked out.

Kelvin tried to hang out with his buddies every weekend. He wasn’t sure if he’d tell them or not, but he wasn’t coming back next summer. He didn’t like L.A. and hated being anywhere near family. Ironic how he lived and worked with his dad but still barely saw the man. His dad worked in sales and traveled a lot. The only reason he took the internship was because his summer job fell through. He had everything lined up to stay on campus that summer, then the school cut the program. His dad pulled some strings last minute. Begrudgingly.

Kelvin knelt in the parking lot and filmed Miguel from the bottom of the stairs. He crouched on his elbows and knees with his eye pressed to the viewfinder. The fisheye lens captured the whole staircase, distorting it like a bubble. Miguel landed the trick several times, but it wasn’t ever clean enough. As they watched the footage, he traced his fingers over his goatee. Kelvin told him it was good, but Miguel always raced back up the stairs to try again.

Oakey hobbled over after he landed his line just once. A row of hedges grew along the parking lot. He walked in the grass to keep in the shade. Their stuff sat in the bushes beside the stairs.

Without interrupting, Oakey pulled some sunscreen from his bag and lathered it on his arms. He then grabbed a hairbrush, some deodorant, and lastly a pack of chocolate chip cookies. He was used to waiting for Miguel.

“Come on, dude. Pick one and move on. Let me have a turn.”

Kelvin snickered. Oakey talked with his mouth full.

At the top of the stairs, Miguel leaned against the building. “Fine, whatever. I’m sick of the trick anyway.”

Before they headed to the drainage ditch, Oakey offered them each a cookie. He tossed one to Miguel then handed the pack to Kelvin to finish. He brought more.

Together, the three of them enjoyed a short break. They rewatched some footage and deleted the bad clips. Oakey pulled out a bottle of milk to hydrate. The other two looked at him funny. He said it went with the cookies. While they shared a second pack, they collected their stuff to bring over.

“Hey,” Oakey said, turning to Kelvin, “Has that actress gotten back to you yet?”

“Nah, not yet.”

“What’s it been, like two weeks?”

“And a day.”

Miguel sputtered his lips. “Homie, that call ain’t coming.”

Kelvin laughed as his buddy’s comment came and went. He slung their tripod over one shoulder then his backpack over the other. Oakey carried the skateboards. They crossed the parking lot once they had everything. Kelvin didn’t hear it, but his phone buzzed in his bag.

“Nah, I ain’t worried. She said she wanted to see me, so I know she’ll make it happen. It might be a while, but whatever. She’s gotta work, and I get that. A lot of people rely on her.”

Oakey ate another cookie. “Really? Like who?”

“Like half her family. It’s unreal. I think she’s got like five relatives working for her. Her bodyguards are her cousins. Her aunt does the housekeeping. An uncle takes care of the lawn. It’s beautiful there. No way would I risk messing any of that up. I’m just along for the ride.”

Behind them, Miguel spit into the grass. “Did you guys hook up then?”

“What? No where near it. Dude, I told you it ain’t about that. At the party, I was just trying to keep up.”

“Is that why you got punched?”

They all chuckled. Across his brow, the cut was healing nicely, but he never went in for stitches. It would scar by the end of summer. Kelvin thought it looked badass.

When they reached the drainage ditch, they dropped their stuff and prepared the camera. Oakey didn’t like the fisheye lens. He preferred his shots on a tripod and zoomed in. He liked a narrow field of view.

A cool breeze blew through the area while they set up. Clouds were rolling in that afternoon. The hedges rustled behind them. For a moment, the scent of jasmine replaced the car exhaust in the air.

Kelvin’s phone buzzed again. He heard it that time and dug through his bag. He missed the call by a second. He didn’t recognize the number, but the area code gave him chills. He told his buddies he’d be back and hurried into the parking lot. Aliyah answered on the first ring.

“Hey, what are you doing right now?”

The air caught in his lungs. He opened his mouth to say, hey, but the only thing that came out was, “Holy shit.”

She exhaled, sounding irritated. “Yep, I can call, too.”

He cringed then shook his head. “Yeah, of course. Sorry, I just didn’t think I’d be hearing from you directly.”

“Well, I can make my own phone calls sometimes.”

“Yeah, no, obviously. I was just—”

“Nah, Kelvin, it’s fine. It’s my fault. I’ve just been on edge lately. I still haven’t hit anything.”

The concern in her voice tied his stomach in knots. Over the phone, he heard her click on her blinker and realized she was driving. By herself. The pieces fell into place like bricks.

“Is there anything I can do?”

“What are you doing today?”

“Nothing anymore.”

“No, don’t do that. If I hadn’t called, what would you be doing?”

“Honestly, nothing. I’m just out skating with my buddies. They’re doing this video, and I tag along sometimes, help film.”

“That’s cool. Could I watch?”

His heart jumped into his throat. “Um, so, you mean, like, you wanna come here?”

“I was thinking about it. Would that be okay?”

Every nerve in his bony body fired at once. He threw his arms up and made a face like he was screaming. His phone nearly flung out of his hand.

“Absolutely.”

She smirked. “Shouldn’t you ask your buddies first?”

“Nah, no need. We got a rule for this. Girls are always allowed. It happens so rarely, so, automatic yes.”

“Cool. Where you at?”

After they hung up, Kelvin shuffled back to the ditch. He stared at his phone until the screen shut off. His reflection snapped him out of his daze.

His buddies stopped filming when he returned. Miguel knelt at the bottom of the ditch, crouched behind the camera. Oakey paused on the slope. He stepped off his board but kept one foot on the back. They both asked the same question.

“Was that her?”

He nodded, grinning like a dope.

The news split them. Oakey celebrated by smacking his board against the concrete. Miguel turned back to the camera with a cold shoulder. He spoke without looking up from the viewfinder.

“So, you gotta go then?”

“No, actually, she wants to come here.”

Miguel whipped around so fast he bumped the tripod. “Wait, for real?”

“She said she wants to watch us skate.”

His buddies gasped, seeming excited but confused. Nobody could believe it.

“Does she actually like skating?” Miguel asked.

“Maybe. She played a skater not too long ago. She might’ve gotten into it then.”

Oakey howled, “Dude, I see why you like her.”

“Yo, Homie, don’t lie. Are we about to have a famous actress up in here?”

“Yeah. She said she’d be here in 45 minutes.”

They each hollered like he just landed the biggest trick they’d ever seen. Oakey started combing his hands through his hair. Miguel traced his fingers over his goatee.

“Yo, maybe she’ll say something for our video.”

“Absolutely not,” Kelvin interrupted, “I’m sorry, but that can’t be how it goes down. Something’s off with her. Like, way off. Before I left the party, she told me she couldn’t reach out until after she had work. She was really adamant about it. Just now, though, she said she hasn’t hit anything. So, I’m thinking things aren’t going well, and she just needs to get away. From everything. I’m sorry, but today cannot be about her as an actress. It’s gotta be about her as a person. Can we do that?”

Oakey bobbed his head. “Yeah, dude, no problem. We got you.”

While his buddy agreed, Miguel hocked up the phlegm in his throat, spitting it into the grass. “Get us into a party then.”

He said it like he had it ready. Kelvin was speechless. The request cut deep yet felt shallow. Miguel refused to face him as he continued.

“Look, if a fine-ass black chick wants to watch me skate, I ain’t gonna say no. But, if I’m gonna play entourage for this chick, I better get something out of it.”

Kelvin kicked a pebble by his foot. “Nah, that’s fair. I mean, I don’t really have any pull now, obviously. But, maybe by the end of summer, if things go well, I might be able to get you in.”

Once more, Miguel traced his fingers over his goatee. “That’s good enough for me, Homie.”

The wind picked up, smelling of car exhaust again. The back and forth upset his stomach. He was happy to have his buddies on his side, but at what cost? The guilt gnawed at him.

“Dude, if you got a minute,” Oakey said before they started filming, “You should like, go to a gas station, wash up.”

Kelvin flinched. “Oh, snap. Yeah, man. That’s a great idea. Thanks.”

He spun around, forgetting where he parked. He didn’t check his pockets or remember his backpack as he sprinted away. He forgot his keys and had to run back.