"Gosh." I sink down to my knees the second Ava tells us we're done rehearsing for today.

My limbs ache from dancing, my voice is rough from singing, and the lines I've been repeating for the past hours are swirling through my mind.

Gally—our Danny—pats my shoulder. "Well done."

"Thanks." I smile. "You, too. You're nice to work with."

As he thanks me, I grab my phone. Dariel told me to text when I'm done, so he could come pick me up.

Dariel ❤️❤️

07:30 PM

Hey, you coming to pick me up?

07:40 PM

Oh, shit, I just arrived at the cafe with colleagues. If I hurry, I can be there in twenty minutes?

No, I'll just take the bus, dw. Have fun!!

❤︎︎❤︎︎❤︎︎

With a sigh, my phone disappears inside my pocket again. I do mind a little bit. He told me he'd pick me up, then forgot about it.

"You need a ride?" A girl named Brenda, who plays Betty Rizzo, peeks at me.

"Oh, sure." My face lights up. "Thank you. It's fifteen minutes from here, if that's not a problem for you?"

"Not at all." She stands up, running a hand through her shortly-buzzed hair. "Let's go."

The two of us tell our cast-mates bye before walking off, into the main hallway. This building is a mix of a theatre, a gym, and sport fields.

"So how long have you been—"

Just when I try to start a conversation, another voice interrupts, "Luciana."

There is only one person who calls me by my full name, and even though I know damn well who it is, I still let the surprise slip from my face. "Minho? What're you doing here?"

He looks down at his sports bag. A black hoodie covers his torso, hair still wet from a previous shower. "I was at the gym. Little did I know you were rehearsing and I guess I predicted that Dariel would be an asshole and—"

"This is the first time he forgot to pick me up," I interrupt. "It's not that big of a deal."

He tilts his head to the side, as if he's about to tell me he doesn't agree, but then decides to keep his mouth shut. "Anyway, I can drive you home."

I glance at Brenda. "Actually, I was just about to—"

"No, no. You should totally join him." Brenda grins and reaches out to shake Minho's hand. "I'm Brenda."

"Minho." He nods.

"Are you her boyfriend?"

"No, I'm..." with furrowed eyebrows, Minho shrugs me. "...her boyfriend's brother?" 

"Right. Well, it's nice to meet you. Eh, Lucy, do you want to join me or him?"

I open my mouth, yet am unable to confirm my answer. "Erm.."

"I can also bring you to our home. You'll get to spend the night with Dariel—if he gets home in time," Minho adds. "And Mom only just gave me my driver's license. She wants me to be secure and drive with another adult."

Brenda snorts lightly. "You're clearly desperate." A hard slap on my back. "Alright, Lucy. I'll see you later!"

She disappears before I can protest, leaving me alone with Minho. I, however, am not irritated with the situation and follow him to the car with ease.

Minho's car is cleaner than I expected—probably because it's his Mom's. I slide into the passenger seat, and he shuts the door behind me before rounding the front and slipping into the driver's side.

A low hum fills the car as we pull out of the lot. It's not an uncomfortable silence, but I still feel a bit awkward, sitting with him like this.

"So, gym after school? You suddenly training for something?"

He drums his fingers against the wheel. "Nah. Just trying to stay get in shape."

"You were always in shape."

"Flattering," he mocks, yet the little smile on his lips is unmissable. It fades fast, though. He keeps blinking hard, his fingers tightening and loosening on the wheel.

"You okay?" I ask.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know. You say you're tired all the time and you look... stressed."

Minho exhales sharply. "I'm fine, Sandy."

I shove his shoulder. "Don't start with that."

He smirks. I study him for a second longer but decide not to push. Instead, I change the subject.

"You only just got your license?"

"Got it like two years ago. Mom just didn't trust me with it."

I raise a brow. "You sure are patient."

He shrugs. "Never really needed to drive anywhere before." Minho clears his throat. "So. How's Grease? Your big moment in the spotlight."

I let out a soft laugh. "It's fun. Tiring. Ava's running us into the ground, but I like it."

He nods, lips twitching slightly. "Uh-huh. You always liked this kind of thing."

I blink. "This kind of thing?"

"You know. Being the center of attention."

I gape at him. "I do not like being the center of attention."

Minho side-eyes me, clearly amused. "You're literally playing Sandy in Grease."

"That's different!"

He chuckles. "Sure it is."

I huff, crossing my arms. But before I can argue further, his hands grip the wheel a little tighter, his knuckles turning white. He blinks hard again.

Then his fingers twitch. The car swerves slightly.

My stomach lurches. "Minho?"

He blinks rapidly, shaking his head. "Shit. Sorry." He steadies the car, exhaling sharply.

My pulse is racing. "What was that?"

He flexes his fingers, then grips the wheel tighter. "Nothing. Just... zoned out for a second."

I'm close to informing Lillian about his strange behavior. Sure, he might be tired, but he must be unhealthy tired if it affects him daily.

"You wanna come in?" I wonder when we make it to my drive away. It's not a good idea to make him drive back on his own while his mind is messing with him.

"Alright," he says quietly. "Just for a little bit."

I smile, relief washing over me. We enter through the front door, and I lead him into the living room. I can tell he's uncomfortable, the way his body stiffens as soon as he steps inside. My parents aren't home, so it's just the two of us.

"You want anything to drink? Water? Juice?"

Minho shakes his head. "I'm good."

I sit on the couch. Minho remains standing by the doorway, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his hoodie. He's clearly not sure where to go or what to do.

"You don't have to stand there," I say, patting the seat next to me. "I don't bite."

He sits down so fast that I feel like a teacher commanding him what to do. We sit in silence for a while.

"Thank you for the birthday present." He holds up his wrist, showing off the bracelet. "I really like it. Haven't taken it off since I got it."

"Aw." My insides warm up. "I'm glad. I wasn't sure what to buy you, but I hate gifting people money, so I'm happy to hear you like it."

I pull my knees up to my chest as Minho smiles at me. "Will you text me when Dariel gets back home?"

"Sure." Minho looks around, his Adam's Apple bobbling. "Will I see you on Sunday again? The dinner?"

He has pretty much permanently joined our dinners at Sunday. I don't mind. If Dariel does, too bad for him. Lillian was right when she said Minho needs healthy food, especially now that something is going on with his health.

"Probably before that. Dariel and I are going apartment hunting this Friday."

It's almost as if I just told him the worst news ever—his face pales. "Apartment hunting?"

"Yeah. We're looking for a place to live together. Don't worry, you're more than welcome."

"Oh." I can tell he needs to force an excited smile, as well as an encouraging tone. "That's... nice, I guess. Eh, soon, too."

"I guess." I touch my chin. "But Dariel has a full time job and is done living with his family. I believe I'm ready, too."

"Oh," he says again.

My smile fades. "Not- not like that, Minho. He's not sick of you—or anyone—just.. just ready to live on his own. Independent and all, you know?"

He nods, but doesn't seem entirely convinced. I shrink in my skin. I didn't mean it like that.

I can't blame Minho, though. From his perspective, he will be left all alone with a father that's never home. Plus a caring mother, but it still won't be the same.

"Really. You're always welcome," I repeat. "And it's not guaranteed that we'll find anything. It's expensive and my parents haven't consented yet."

"You're technically an adult," he points out. "You should be able to decide for yourself. They can't force you to stay."

"True. I'm pretty nervous, though. What if Dariel is way different to live with? He has a full time job and I'll be home, practicing lines and cleaning up—I don't mind at all. I literally told him I would want to cook and clean while he paid for everything... but it's still nerve-wracking, don't you think?"

"I guess so." Minho nods thoughtfully. "You've seen most of his sides. He'll remain kind to you. You just need to prepare for the fact you'll be even more alone a lot of times. But you can always stop by at my work! The kids will love you and Jorge won't mind. And I could show up at rehearsals, and we can go to the gym together, and I think Biology is pretty difficult so if you could help..." he trails off, eyes wide. "Eh, a bit too much?"

I laugh. "No, I like the idea of that. I'm also going to grow new friendships while acting so I can hang out with them. But perhaps I should help you with Biology and you need to help me at the gym. I'm lost looking at that equipment."

"Deal." He claps his hands. "I'll send you my gym schedule. We can work it out."

"Schedule?" I sigh out. "Wow, I'm going to die."

"I mean, arms, legs, back, core—I have a day for everything. But you don't have to join every workout."

"We can work it out," I repeat, smiling. "How about we drive to your house? I can spend the night with Dariel after all and can make sure you don't... 'zone out' again."

He looks caught off guard, but nods. "Okay."