Traffic roared on the main road, like a lion with a throat problem. It was four in the afternoon, and the door to Tailor Lofts shut flush against against it's furry rim, creating an air resistant seal.. well. As close to one as you'd get with it's great quality. People pushed each other on the sidewalk, talking and gossiping like teenaged girls while Andre turned around to continue walking down the road.

He had followed Natoya from afar, and now that he knew she had gotten back safely, he crossed the road to make his way back to Harlingtons' apartments. He pulled out his phone and earbuds, and began to play some music on an app on his phone, but that couldn't stop him from thinking about the 'what ifs' that could have happened if he didn't make sure she got home safe. On one hand, he felt like a creep. On the other hand, if something had gone wrong, he would've been there to help.

Just last week, another girl, the same age as Andre and Natoya, had her poster put up in the nearby Walmart's billboard. "MISSING". Just one of the thousands of other teenagers that were kidnapped while walking alone. Andre knew it could happen to anyone, and his mother always told him that it's better to waste time in your day making sure someone got home safely, than to waste sleep without knowing.

After a few minutes, he entered his apartment complex- Hariltons' Apartments. Best rat problem in all of downtown LA. If by 'best' you mean 'greatest'. But the rent was cheap, and most of the studio apartments had a functioning bathroom. Andre climbed up the stairs to get to his floor where his very own rodent-infested apartment was waiting for him to struggle against the door, a one vs. one battle, his patience vs. it's rusty keys. He took a step back to regain his composure, he couldn't help but wonder if Natoya had noticed him and just kept her mouth shut. Did she think he was a creep? He should've just asked to walk her home. Finally, he managed to unlock the door, quietly shutting it behind him.

The sound of soft footsteps echoed through the small bachelor studio 'apartment'. Trash that had softly fell to the ground was quietly picked up and placed back into the trash can, only to fall back onto the hardwood floors.

"Andy?" His mother asked, her back was to him and she was stirring some pot. The entire studio smelt like mac n cheese, and Dominic and Mileva were patiently waiting at the little fold-out table they called a dining table. "Well you're home late!" She laughed.

Andre did spent quite a bit of time at the park, longer than he usually did. Then again, he was hanging out with Jess Severen and a pretty girl. A small smile crossed his face as he thought back to the moment.

Now that he was home, he couldn't help but remember everything about her, still fresh in his mind. He and Natoya had so many common interests, basketball, movies... They both moved a lot of different places, they both barely felt like they could settle in their lives. His heart beat faster just thinking about the cute little black strands of hair that fell infront of her face. But worst of all, he couldn't stop thinking about the moment he first saw her.

I walked through the gate of the old park, barely anyone ever came here anymore because there had just been a massive shooting in the area. They used to have so many festivals here, and now it was like... well... an empty park.

I became sentimental as I looked around the area, preparing myself to suddenly get hit by the nostolgia of playing basketball with my friends till dusk, or the lot of us running out of the park since we had ditched school, and an officer was just about to walk into the park. But instead, I was hit with a very different feeling.

Standing in the middle of the basketball court was the most beautiful girl I think I had ever seen in my entire life. The sun radiated off of her jet-black hair, turning it into a crispy dark brown. Like a chocolate bar, except it wasn't... you know. Melting in the sunlight. She looked timeless, but when she turned around and made eye contact with me...

"I- uh..." He didn't make eye contact with her, "I was out with someone." He kept his gaze away, and knew he messed up when he could feel heat slowly creeping up his ears, and across his cheeks.

"Oh," Andre looked up to see his mother with a big smile on her face, and a similar blush on her cheeks matching his, "oh my! Someone special?" She asked in a teasing tone.

"N-no! She's just a friend! Really!" His eyes widened and he froze as he realized he just confessed to hanging out with a girl. The scoreboard was now two to zero, and he wasn't on the winning side.

I should have known I was done for the second I even laid my eyes on her, but those brown eyes- not the kind that almost every other girl had here in LA. No, hers were ... beautiful. Like she had looked into the Trinity College Library for too long and encompassed it's colors. Standing in front of all of the graffiti and trash, it was like looking at a renaissance painting among modern art. And I don't mean good modern art. More like, stacked pieces of toilet paper, or a single red line on a blank canvas. That type of 'art'.

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"Uh huh?" The grin on her face only widened as his entire face grew to a brighter, hotter red. "Are you sure? You seem awfully red for just a friend."

"Y-yeah." He laughed nervously, "Just- just a friend. Definitely not- no- no- NOT a crush." He was really selling himself there.

"Yo, yo, yo, what's up?" I said that. God that was stupid. Why did I say that? Once in a lifetime type of girl and I said 'yo yo yo, what's up'.

The giggle that escapes her smile was followed by a knowing smile. "Oh really? Not even the teensiest bit of a crush?" His mother knew exactly what this girl was, but to spare him from dying of a heatstroke, she turning around to place a paper bowl of mac n cheese in front of his little siblings, Dominic and Mileva who giggled at how red Andre was.

He tried to force a chuckle, "N-no no, really." The red only grew deeper, the blush going down his neck now. "S-she's just- she's just a- a friend. An-and- and nothing more. Just- just friends." He stuttered. He was stuttering. That's even more embarrassing than his mom asking about a girl.

"Hey," She said. Sung? Doesn't matter, she needs to become a voice artist. A singer. Was that honey? God what is wrong with me I should not be talking to this chick. No, she isn't just a chick, she's a lady. Oh god I'm turning into a literal simp.

"Well, maybe one day I'll get to meet this... 'friend'." She replied with playful air quotes.

"W-well- I mean- I- she's- well...." He scratched his head, "She- she's really nice. You'd- really- you'd- probably like her."

"Not as much as Andy likes her~" Mileva teased, causing Andre to suddenly take a sharp breath. He was trying very hard to stop thinking about the first time he saw her. The first time he met her, but god, that was hard. He thought of the little details that made him fall for her, things like her laugh, or the way she smiled.

"Oh don't worry Andre, I know you're mature enough to make the right decisions when meeting people." His mother stood up and ruffled his hair before heading back to the kitchen to make Andre a bowl of mac n cheese as well.

"So? Tell me about her?" She softly smiled after placing the bowl infront of him, on the table.

"Yeahhh! Is she preettyy?" Mileva, his little sister, teased alongside their mom.

Andre's mother was very understanding. He could never understand how, with everything she had gone through. "Thanks mom." He chuckled, before realizing what they asked, his eyes grew wide as he looked up at them, "W-well- she- she- she's really nice! And- she's reaaally- she's- she looks- she- she's very attractive!" He blushed, suddenly covering his face as he realized how obvious he sounded, which made the red flush even more.

"Sounds like more than a friend to me!" Dominic mocked while kicking his feet while he sat in the chair.

"Oh Dominic, be nice to your brother!" His mother chuckled, now sitting on a bean bag near the three of them.

"She's not! Really!" He kept trying to convince himself as the red on his face grew deeper,

The three laughed before his mother straightened up. "Now don't you two mock him too much, here in a few years you guys are going to be in the same boat. Maybe this mystery girl will also be sitting here eating dinner with us~"

"But mom!" Mileva complained, "You always say that!" The little girl pouted, and even though he didn't want it to continue, Andre couldn't help but chuckle at her complaint, but the thought of his little sister with some high schooler... Or even a middle schooler- gross. Andre looked over at his mom who was about to stand up to do the dishes.

"It's okay mom, I'll do them." Andre then said, helping his mom back on the bean bag before he walked over to the sink to clean out the pot of mac n cheese.

"Thank you so much, Andre." His mother said sweetly, then looked at Dominic and Mileva. "Now, remember you both have school in the morning, so you can't stay up too late."

Mileva pouted, "But mom, pleaaaseeee!" She whined.

"Mom is right, don't you have that spelling test today?" Andre said in response to her whining. "You've got school tomorrow! Better get some sleep!" Dominic didn't care anymore and flopped down in bed, too tired to put up any resistance.

Mileva pouted even more before she quickly ran to the bathroom to get ready for bed. His mother yawned and looked back over at Andre.

"Now that they're gone... Tell me, what's she like?" His mother spoke in a soft whisper as Andre did the dishes, as to not let Mileva or Dominic hear.

Andre closed his eyes for a second before he released a long breath. "She has this..." He was at a loss for words, he wanted to describe her, but how do you describe what made someone so special? He thought of all of their special moments together, all of the times his heart had fluttered when she spoke gently to him, she was an angel, a bright, shining light. ".. Aura. She's so kind, and her eyes, mom."

His mothers' breath caught in her throat at the look of pure emotion the shone in his eyes. She gently ran her fingers across the sides of his face while he spoke. "That's wonderful, sweetheart."

He smiled back up to her and sharply exhaled. "It's too soon to know anything, though."

"Well, don't stay up too late thinking about her," She teased him one last time before turning around and getting Mileva ready for bed. His mother and his two little siblings all got comfortable in the bed, and the little lamp on the nightstand flicked off.

Andre often went to sleep on the sofa on the opposite side of the bed. He was the largest out of his siblings, and it would be far too uncomfortable for him to join them on the bed. But it was the least he could do, despite all the bug bites he had gotten from sleeping on the couch, when he looked over and saw all three of them laying in their bed, his heart felt the warmest it ever had. Even as he turned off the light and went to sleep on the couch, he couldn't help but feel content, and happy that the people he loved so dearly were safe and sound.

He rested his head against his arm, and closed his eyes to fall asleep.