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Kelvin zipped up his duffle bag then pulled it off the air mattress. His sign was neatly tucked inside. In his backpack, a plastic bag rustled with his dirty clothes. Only one outfit, and it smelled of smoke. He reminded himself not to cry, but his face still hurt from fighting it. Rule Number Five.

“At least I won’t have to do laundry when I get home,” he said to himself. The joke fell flat. He folded his blankets to help clean up.

Aliyah knocked on the door. “Are you ready?”

The two started down the hallway with his bags between them. They walked slowly and didn’t talk much. Markus and Jamal brought the luggage out while Tiffany packed up their rooms. By then, most of the family was gone or outside saying goodbye.

Kelvin slung his duffle over his shoulder and took one last look of the house. Tears welled in his eyes. He hardly got to see the place. The masks on the wall would’ve made for some good selfies. Her dad had a talent for woodworking and built a lot of his own furniture. Kelvin would’ve liked to ask him about it.

As he sulked, he reached over and plucked a leaf off the plant in the corner. It was a small souvenir. The house teemed with greenery, so what was one little fig leaf?

Aliyah grabbed his hand before they headed out. “You wanted to sit by me, right? On the plane? Tiffany booked us together.”

“Absolutely. And hey, maybe they got one of your movies on the flight.”

She bumped into him. “I hope not.”

Upstairs, Dominique yelled for them, hurrying down the hallway. Her feet thumped on the hardwood. She almost tripped on the rug at the top of the stairs.

“Are you guys leaving?” she asked with a hitch in her voice, “Already?”

“Sorry, Babe. Something came up.”

Kelvin stared at the floor.

“But he just got here.”

“I know,” he said without facing either of them, “It’s a long story, but Li got an offer, and I wanted her to take it. It’s nothing against you. It’s just something we have to do.”

Aliyah nudged him, cocking her brow. “Did you just call me, Li?”

He blushed. “Oops. Sorry about that.”

“Nah, don’t be. I liked it.”

Dominique stomped down the stairs. “What about that rap you did? It’s blowing up. I was hoping you’d do another, and I could shout you out.”

His stomach soured. The acid burned in his throat.

“We have time,” Aliyah said, “If you want to do it. I don’t mind. I ain’t hiding you anymore.”

He chuckled but shook his head. “Nah, it’s okay. I’m not in that headspace right now, and I don’t really want my name out there. There’s been enough stuff already.”

She hummed in agreement then pulled him closer. She threw her hip into his to knock him off balance. He stumbled, getting a face full of her curly hair.

“Bummer,” Dominique said, “Maybe next time. I am flying out in August, so if you’re still around, maybe I’ll see you then.”

“What do you mean if?” Aliyah wrapped her arm around his waist. “He ain’t going anywhere. I’ll make sure of it.”

The three of them took one more picture for the road. Dominique wedged herself between them and pressed her cheek into her sister’s. Kelvin grinned like a dope in the background.

Afterward, they all hugged and said their goodbyes. Markus and Jamal soon brought out the last of the luggage. Tiffany followed closely behind, checking her tablet. She yelled at everybody to hurry up. It was a long drive to the airport.

A few family members flew out later that day. They visited outside and helped the others load their vehicles. Aliyah apologized for having to cut their trip short. Her dad gave her the biggest bear hug. She wiped away a tear when he let her go. While shaking his hand, Kelvin squeezed as hard as he could.

Nobody talked much during the drive. Aliyah and Tiffany spent most of it going over paperwork. At the airport, a young girl recognized her and asked for an autograph. She had a marker ready and everything. Kelvin knew that scene. Aliyah ended up signing her carry-on and posing for a selfie.

The flight back was bittersweet. He’d never flown first-class before. The plane didn’t have any of her movies, but they did watch a rom-com starring one of her friends.

Back in Los Angeles, everything moved faster. He was Aliyah Gavins’ boyfriend now. Cameras could be anywhere. Any insecurity would not only be magnified, but it would be mocked. He had to stand tall. The skate video was still growing, and the buzz continued to spread. He would not disappoint her. That went beyond the rules.

Aliyah sat beside him as they drove back to his place. The feel of her leather seats calmed him down. Hard to be sad where it all started. They drove up the 405 to avoid traffic downtown, grabbing dinner at a taco shack.

He figured he’d get to bed early tonight. They needed to be at the event by eight tomorrow. That meant getting to her place by seven. Rush hour might be an issue, but he could wake up at five.

In his window, he focused more on himself than the road. He missed his exit. The ramp passed without anybody batting an eye.

“Oh shoot, I think that was my exit.”

“Was it?” Aliyah smirked. “Oh well, we’ll get the next one.”

But they didn’t get the next one. Markus and Jamal giggled in the front. Tiffany turned away to hide her own amusement.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

Aliyah adjusted her seatbelt. “Well, we were thinking, since you were packed for three more days, maybe you wanted to spend them at my place.”

The breath caught in his chest.

“We got room. And you wouldn’t have to sleep on an air mattress. It could be like a staycation. What do you think?”

Every sound came out of his mouth at once. He squeaked, grunted, wheezed. She took it as a yes. She nestled against him after he snapped out of it. Goosebumps ran down his arms. Overhead, one of Aja’s songs played, rumbling in the sub-woofers.

Scene 6: The Public Eye (Coming Soon)