Thick fog in the late Sacramento night blanketed the parking lot. I could barely see an inch in front of my face. It was hazy, diffuse light in that way you step into another world. It had a ghostly glow. After the crash and burn performance, the after-party wasn't much of a party for me. But I do love the fog. The way the lights bounce off everything in that pretty eerie way is breathtaking. I lean next to the back door of the VIP section waiting the hours for the dawn so I could drive home. I've never stopped loving the Tule fog in Sacramento. Its fog is so dense that it settles on the ground and sticks. When I was a kid, my mom would wake up super early. She'd get everything ready as soon as the sun rose to drive my brother Maurice and me to school. Then on the way to school, my mom would pick up Zoey and her brother Noah. My mom had to drive slow because you can't go fast in that kind of fog. The best part about those early mornings was when she drove to school, she'd put on old-school R&B music. The kind of classic stuff that's got so much soul in the music it sticks to the bones. We'd sing along with the music and her voice it was magical. Ya, most folks hate the fog, but I love it.

Zoey stumbles into my back. "Hey, Sabali," she giggles drunkenly into my back. Her arms wrap around me without the hesitation she gets sometimes. Her uncertainty in touching me is more of that. I'm Bi, but I'm not coming on to you. It's a big fear of hers even though we've talked it out multiple times. But the hesitant affection from her continues unless she's drunk. It's one of those; I fear you think I am coming on to you. And since she's Bi, she gets it from all sides. That always makes me a little sad for Zo. Showing affection shouldn't need to feel like three-dimensional math. It's a no-man's-land for her. I still blame an ex-friend a long time ago for the problem. We were all young but shit stays with Zoey for so long. It still affects her to this day. How little things shape us sucks sometimes.

Zoey's long black hair comes forward into her face and she burps. The scent smelled like stale nachos and regret. Yep, she's good and drunk. She stumbles closer to me, her forehead pressed against my back.

"Sabali," Zoey asks?

"Yeah Zo?" I answer.

"We lost?"

"Yup."

"Where in last place?"

"Yup."

Last place out of two other teams doesn't mean we're kicked off. The prize at the end is a guaranteed contract for the winning team. A spot on a world tour for a paid gig would be out of reach normally for a small act with a small fanbase. A clean, clear shot in the music industry. And we have to sing all the way until the end. Even if we are so far behind in the contest, it's not theoretically possible to catch up. No matter how many rando thoughts I try to fill my mind with, I can't escape that empty feeling. The emptiness grows with every answer I give to Zo.

"B, was it my fault? We... didn't have any time..." Zoey whispers.

"No, I'm sorry," I sigh. "It was my fault," I admitted to my inner thoughts. Memories kept me from going to the after-party for the show. The foggy night stretches out the hours, remembering better times. "I pissed Paulie off and he took it out on both of us." It felt so good to come clean. I didn't even know my shoulders were tight, but I felt it when they loosen. "He told me to change my song style, and choice during the interview. But... I don't know..." Apart from me wanted to growl in frustration. "Paulie pissed me off, and I wanted to sing the things I wanted to sing. He didn't like what I was bringing to the table when it came down to it." Looking back, if I had known it wouldn't have just fucked over me, but Zo too. I wouldn't have hurt Zo that way. But Paulie is an ass if he didn't think I knew what he meant by too urban.

"Oh," she hiccuped. "Fuck Paulie." There's the Zoey I know she's ride or die.

"Yea, fuck Paulie, agreed." Zo giggles at my reply. My girl is sloppy, fucking drunk.

"All I've ever wanted was to make music," Zoey says. She leans more weight into my back. Her arms come around me and tighten in a hug. A rare hug from Zoey that normally if she wasn't drunk, she wouldn't give me.

"Last place," she says it as a statement. As if the words are set in stone and it's not. Maybe it was the drunkenness, but all the rock star waiting to happen vibes washed away from Zo tonight. She was nineteen and her voice was coated with obvious uncertainty. Wetness coats my back and at that feeling, I turn around quickly and hug Zo back.

Zoey's head buries into my neck and I hold on tight to her.

Paulie and more gatekeepers like him are to come. They don't mind tripping you right before you go through the gate or when you go through. Then trip you backward right out the gate you just went through. But I sure as hell will not fuck up her shot again. People like Paulie see it as a toy to offer someone like us all we could ever want. It's just a reality tv show, some entertainment. Then he steps on the fair shot like its nothing.

I don't say a word to Zo, because what could I say? Can't tell her everything's going to work out because I don't know. I do the only thing I can do. Hold her tight and let the warmth and memories of Tule fog carry us both away.

***

The VIP entrance to the arena opens. Both the camera and sound guy walk out backward. The camera's eye is pointed at the four other contestants. The after-party is officially over. A party bus limo with glowing undercarriage lights rolls up. Megumi has a tired look on her face as she directs the camera and sound guys for the reality tv show. The last two people out of the door are Camille, the pop judge, and Asher.

The camera crew sets up for the shot of the contestant and judges getting into the limo. It was the same party bus limo that took us to the hotel for the first time. That establishing shot is important to the show. Nothing is ever real on reality tv.

Camille heads for the party limo with the rest of the cast. Behind Camille, the Midwest food restaurant big shot. He pulls aside Camille before she could join the rest of the cast in the party limo. Restaurant big shot money slips a piece of paper to Camille. She looks down at it and her cupid bow lips curl. She does not look impressed. I wonder if the married Midwest CEO was shooting his shot. Camille turns around and walks to the Party Limo and then gets in.

The bus is waiting, and the driver looks over at us with one foot on the steps. Taking the limo to the hotel and the reality Tv cameras isn't a great idea. Zoey is in a giggle mood after the emotional crash. Crying it out helped a lot. It was a much-needed time alone. No threat of an emotional outburst immortalized into a profit center for Paulie.

The Citizen Hotel is one big reality streaming set for the Tour. It would be a terrible idea for Zoey to stay there drunk. Besides leaving her exposed when she's down, I don't really trust them. Driving back to Zoey's house is off the table. It's too dark to drive in the fog and too many unlit back roads. Plus, she hired a personal assistant and is letting her stay at the house. The personal assistant for the YouTube channel has two kids. And taking a semi-drunk woman home to two kids wouldn't be a good idea. It was Zoey's plan to stay at the hotel during the show, anyway. My house is off the table until morning. It's not safe to drive in the fog at night this late.

Zoey is off in semi-drunk la la land singing to herself. I shift her weight against me. It seems my time as boring Wheelz is going to come in handy after all. We could always stay in the hotel lobby until morning, then I can drive Zoey to my place to sober up more.

"You're going to the hotel?" I jump sky-high into the air at Asher's voice, knocking Zoey off my shoulder. I've never liked horror movies, and that was the most horror movie moment. It was that you're about to die. I was on a complete emotional rollercoaster. Full hot pants mix with a horror movie scare.

"Hiii," I said it dopey. So dopey, I wished I could rewind this nerdy moment. Wheelz strikes again. Thank god I'm black and I can't turn red. I'd be a bright strawberry.

Asher wasn't in the slick suit and tie from the live show. When he wore that suit, he felt so much older. He was older in that distinguished way, but now he was wearing dress pants. Asher's was in a dress shirt, with the top four-button, unbuttoned in the deepest of vees, had me. All his lovely tattoos were on display in a feast. Don't space out Sabali! Lawd, how is looking this casually hot legal?

"Hi," he smiled. Even with all the tats and everything, the smile works on his face. Or maybe I could be a sucker for a smile. Behind Asher was his ever-present shadow. Rux is still huge as fuck. Noah, Zoey's older brother, is a wrestler huge, but Rux is like a big heavy basketball player huge. Just a massive tall guy.

"Yo, Rux," I call out to him and Rux looks a little surprised to be acknowledged. Maybe I was supposed to act like Rux didn't exist. I'm not sure I would act like Rux wasn't there unless he told me he needed me to do that. It seems rude to do that. Plus, I get good vibes about Rux and I trust my vibes. Asher smirked at me, but it wasn't a cold smirk, it was more of a good job smirk. Rux was just as tattooed as Asher, but the beard sold the badass better. A badass bodyguard with his super dark skin and tattoos had this way about him. He felt like safety, a bit like my older brother. But without the older brother, I'm in your business vibe. Rux nods at me.

Paulie and Tucker walk out of the side door with a group of women. Tucker, for an agent, seems to always be carting around a group of women. He's not a particularly good-looking guy. They walk over to the Big Shot backer of the show. He perks up at the women as the large group climbs into the party limo. The driver gives me another look. I don't want to make him wait for us. We are the last ones.

I catch Asher's eye line, and it wasn't on the driver. His eyes were narrowed at Tucker and the group of women. Tucker was waving over Kyle to the group. Kyle has that I should be in a boy band still. Plus, it's past my bedtime appearance. When he walked over to the group of women and Tucker, he appeared so young. Rux went over to the Party bus, leaving us alone.

"Are you getting into the Party Limo?" I asked Asher. It startled him out of his death glare.

"No," Asher answered me. "You?" I didn't have an answer. But I did know something basic about the vibe on the Party Limo. I'm not here for it.

The pause was long between us.

"Would you like to stay the night on my bus?" I was a little taken aback by the offer. Was he inviting both of us, or is he being nice? Confused in the mix-up. "Rux can pick up Zoey and your extra clothes from the Hotel Citizen if you have some there?" His sentence trailed off like I was a little clueless, but I was clueless. What was I thinking? Maybe the kiss was huge for me, but for someone like him, it was a rock star handshake. What was I thinking? I need to stop taking it so seriously.

"Yes, thank you. We'd love to stay." I bite my lip. "Can you thank Rux in advance for both of us?"

"Sure," he says. With a singing Zoey in tow, I follow Asher back to his Tour bus. Last time in the parking lot when he kissed me. I try my hardest not to replay it in my mind. I failed completely.

We pass by the outer perimeter of tour techs still working. The techs were packing up and prepping for the rehearsal for the next show in two weeks. The parking lot was near the practice area for the basketball team. It was somewhat secluded. In the far corner of the parking lot with a single parking lot light that was out above, it was Asher's tour bus. Next to the tour bus was the black stranger danger van Asher was in that first night. The one he drove me to my car and a black motorcycle next to that. Near the motorcycle was a black, classic muscle car. Asher really seems to like black. The Tour bus was huge. It was like he had a large mobile house.

Rux got ahead of us. His watchful eyes scan the parking lot, then he takes out the keys, and a beep goes off. The Tour bus was in two parts with a semi-truck pulling it. At the sound of the beep, the front RV lifts up and expands. Lights turn on inside the front van. Asher, Zoey, and I wait as Rux walks around the RV checking it out. He uses the clicker a second time and the second RV connects to the first, opens up and all the lights turn on. Just one of the RVs was huge, bigger than most houses on my small suburban street. Rux walks by us and heads to the black stranger danger van. Without another word, he starts it and drives off.

I tighten my hand around Zoey, but she's still a little out of it. Walking but buzzed walking. Asher takes a look at Zo and puts her arm around his head. She's super out of it. He helps her climb the stairs to enter the front RV.

"Come on, we need to get some water in Zoey's system," Asher said.

Inside the RV it's proportionally over the top. The sides of the RV extend out like transformers giving more space. Kitching, living room, bedrooms, with rooms, most houses don't even have like a studio. Then a walk away connecting to the two buses. Shit, I remember watching classic MTV cribs. The old episodes that they show late-night and this would be the kind of stuff you'd see on it: complete insanity. Asher walks Zoey over to the kitchen area and sits her in front of the little bar area. He pours her some water. I encourage her to drink the water and hopefully, she will sober up a bit more. It's funny, she's nineteen not of legal drinking age, same as Kyle, yet magically both had a few. It wasn't hard to get any. Talk about shit string for a reality tv show plotline. Paulie, really, is something else. Not a trick is undone. Doing the most. I stop myself from thinking about it more. It would only keep pissing me off. I shouldn't have stood outside in the parking lot for most of the night. I just wasn't feeling it at the after-party. But I'm kind of glad I'm with Asher and Zoey now.

a/n: this is a long chapter. I'm going to publish the next one. Just split it due to the bits I don't like to split. After Noah posts probably middle of next week depending on the news I get from my appointment and my free time. It could be earlier just not sure.