After what seems like forever, we arrive at LAX or Los Angeles International Airport. Upon exiting the airport with our bags, Trisha and I are greeted by a bald man in a black suit, holding up my name. We walk towards him and he extends his hand, first to me then to Trish. 

"Ms. Chanel." He says grasping my hand firmly. 

"And friend." He finishes, grasping Trisha's hand. 

"Trisha." She corrects. 

"Ms. Trisha." He smiles. "Please follow me. 

We do as told and as a few cameras come out from the younger people surrounding us, we exit without anyone stopping us for pictures. I heard a lot of the whispering, though. I guess I was pretty known in Cali, a little more than I thought. The car waiting for us outside is a sleek black limo. But that isn't what surprised me. What surprised me was that I completely forgot that I was no longer inside the airport. 

The climate was so perfectly comfortable. I breathed in deeply as the driver opened the door. 

Trisha and I climb in and we are soon on our way to the Hilton's hotel with the pool that I bet Trisha couldn't wait to get in. 

"Gimme your phone, you haven't been snapping enough. You're going to lose followers." Trisha says searching through my handbag. 

She finds it and quickly types in my password. I shake my head unaware that she even knew it but then remember that she is actually the one that put the password on for me. In seconds there is a bright flash in my face. I squint and put my hand up. 

"Trisha! Are you trying to blind me?" I yell at her. 

The light goes off and I can barely see but I imagine a glare on her face.

"We gon try that again and you're gonna act like you've experienced flash before." She retorts. 

I giggle and pose stupidly as the flash hits me. 

She laughs and moves the camera closer to my face. 

"What's up y'all we just touched down in Cali! We outcheaaa! Can't wait to see you." I say chill but still excited. 

The flash is gone and I hear my voice playing over and over as Trish messes with different filters. She adds the Cali geotag that says LAX right across the screen. 

After posting it, Trish turns the camera and takes a selfie. She captions it ''Looking for a papi in Cali" and posts. 

"You better stop playin, you know they will find your cellphone number and start hitting you up. They savages. 

Trisha giggles and checks her phone. I watch as she receives dozens of friend requests immediately on instagram. The requests are moving so fast that the phone can barely keep up with them.

"Holy shit." She squeaks. "That worked?" 

"How did they even find you so fast?" I question. 

"Because I posted a pic of us the other day and tagged myself. I now have 12k followers, just for knowing you, which I find insane. 

"How many do I have on instagram now?" I ask scooting closer to see. 

"700k." She chirps in disbelief. 

"Girl you odee poppin. You should probably start communicating with them more though, or at least start tweeting. You haven't used your twitter more than once since I made it for you. 

I lean back in my seat and fan her off. "All that social media shit is confusing. I don't even know how to work twitter." 

Trisha sighs loudly and the car goes quiet. The radio is low but I can hear a familiar piano echoing through. I listen closely before Devin's chords pick up and soft drums tap behind it. Nothing without you. 

I smile. 

Though my song has played on the radio multiple times, so much so that Trish says it might be overplayed, it's so rare that I get to hear and experience it. This was my second time. 

"Driver, can you turn that up please." I call. 

In seconds Devin's piano chords are running and rifting through the sleek limo. I close my eyes, the biggest smile on my face. Trisha begins to sing along, already knowing all the words. She sings almost subconsciously. Almost like she is used to it already. 

She sings and texts on her phone like it's any other radio artist playing. 

I am both honored and saddened by it because it looks like I've missed the excitement. It seems I've missed the part where myself and my best friend jump around in a limo going completely crazy that MY SONG is on the radio. A small hood girl from the Ville. I immediately promise myself that even though this all seems like a dream, it is indeed reality and I deserve every ounce of it. I've worked hard and I've done my best, it was time to celebrate myself. 

It's time to let the fame get to my head, even just once. 

I'll come back down. 

Mom will surely bring me back down if I need it. 

But I've been too relaxed. 

I am a signed artist to Atlantic Records. 

I have sold half a million records without a single project out. 

I have made the billboard top 10 my third week of being signed. 

I AM IN MOTHERFUCKING CALIFORNIA AND MY MUSIC IS PLAYING ON THE MOTHERFUCKING RADIO!

I take a deep breath and I scream. I scream so loud that I feel the limo jerk forward and stop. I scream so loud that Trisha drops her phone. I scream so loud that my own ears ring. And when it's quiet I scream

"I'M ON THE RADIO!" 

Instead of making a face at me, instead of telling me that I've been on the radio a thousand times already, instead of shrugging it off, my best friend looks at me with the largest smile on her face. 

A smile that says, wow it's finally hit her. 

Trisha takes a deep breath and screams as loud as I do. 

"AHHHHHHHH! MY BITCH IS ON THE RADIOO!!! THAT'S MY BEST FRIEND!!" She laughs and pulls me into a hug. 

I jump on Trish's lap and hug her bouncing up and down.

"MAMA WE MADE IT!" 

"WOOOO!"  

I can hear our driver laughing up front. He must think we're insane but for once I don't really care. 

For once I am going to have the best time of my life. No regrets. No negative energy. 

Trish and Chanel take California. 

_______________________________

"Wait, look at this." Trisha says pointing to a video of Mila on her phone. She is on instagram showing me a Mila performance. Mila's long and curly brown hair bounces in every direction as she dominates all her dance moves in time with her back up dancers. She is sweating and her make up is still perfectly in place. 

"Hmm. What are you showing me this for?" I ask confused. 

Trish dabs her face with the towel and it is quiet as the moon glistens off the pool water. 

"You need to learn how to dance." Trisha looks at me with big eyes like I needed to learn right this moment. 

"I can dance." I shrug. 

"BAH!" She exclaims in a laugh and I glare at her. 

"I don't need to learn anything, I just gotta be the best me there is. That's what I've been doing so far and people like it." I shrug. 

"Yes BUT the dancing would take it to another level with sex appeal and entertainment. I don't know I'm just saying." She huffs. 

I lay back in the pool chair, my eyes closed, feeling a lot more relaxed than I have in a while. I would get back to New York just in time to move Mom into my apartment and I would get to check on Flex, maybe go visit Trevon and apologize face to face. I mean everything isn't perfect but it's certainly better. I open my eyes and look up at the moon, noticing that even though I am 1000 miles away from New York that my mind and heart are still stuck there. I decide to divert my attentions to things coming up tomorrow. My meeting with Mila and my meet and greet at the mall. 

 Plus, this is the new me. The have fun and take California by storm me. Except that Trish and I were so tired from the flight that we just decided to have a chill time at the hotel pool then go to bed and take California tomorrow.

"Did you finish my outfit for tomorrow?" I ask Trish who is suppose to be designing my meet and greet outfit. 

She gasps loudly and I immediately sit up in my chair, panic running through me.

When I look at her, just about ready to choke her to death I can see that she is smiling. 

I roll my eyes. 

"Of course, it's done. You know I gotchu." She says noncalantly. 

I look at the time which reads 2 A.M. 

"We should prob go get some sleep." I mention and begin to pack up. Trisha follows behind me not really willing to but too exhausted to argue. 

"So about the back up dancers." Trish begins again. 

"Let's do it." I say easily. 

"What?" Trish questions surprised. 

"Lets get some back up dancers for the next show. I gotta show you I can dance and this should be a lot of fun." I shrug. 

I slide the card into the hotel room door and it opens. 

"Wow, since you're in this mood, may I propose something else?" Trisha looks at me deviously. 

I squint my eyes. 

"No. Nope. One thing at a time. Tell me tomorrow." I dismiss. 

She sulks and heads into the bathroom to wash off the chlorine. I didn't get in the water with the fear of ruining my hair that I feel my stylist took forever to straighten. The only hair and make up crew I would have at my meet and greet tomorrow is Trisha. She does make up a lot better than I do, but I'm not sure if I would trust her with my hair AND my clothes. 

I change out of my bathing suit and into some sweats and a white tank top. The hotel room is larger than I've been too and the TV is huge. I switch it on and find nickelodeon then let Spongebob play as the covers find me and give me warmth. 

My phone begins to ring but I realize that it is entirely too far. 

I watch it vibrate until it is close to the end of the TV stand. It takes me a moment but I finally get up and run to it before it falls off. Unknown number. 

I pick up quickly. 

"An inmate from-" 

I answer with 

"I'm sorry." Before anything else is said. 

"I don't want you to snitch, I understand that you can't do that for multiple reasons and I'm very sorry for yelling at you. You didn't deserve that. I'm just all around sorry, Trev."

"I knew you might be. It's okay." He replies. 

"How are you? Thanks for calling. I kinda fucked up my one ring streak that I been on." 

I hear him breathe a laugh. 

"Yea I ain't think you were going to answer." I hear the sadness in his voice. 

"No, I was just being lazy. The phone was far and I was in bed." I answer quickly. I plug my phone in and walk back to the soft mattress then climb under the sheets with the device cuddled up with me. 

"How are you? You didn't answer." I ask again. 

"I'm okay, baby. Thank you for checking." 

I feel my heart jump. How did he have that effect on me so easily. 

"Been a while since you called me that." I mumble. 

"Don't get used to it." He says smoothly. 

"I won't." I smile and curse myself for already letting it get to me. It's too late. Now I need to know where it came from. 

"Why are you calling me baby after the last conversation we had? I blew up and then hung up the phone on you." 

"Because, I'm still nothing without you." He says after a few moments have passed. 

He heard the song. Better yet, he heard the last verse. He listened all the way through. Of course I didn't expect anything less of him but it still surprised me that even in jail he was managing to keep up with me. 

I can't keep the smile from creeping back to my face or my hands from fidgeting a little. 

"You heard the song." I state blankly to fill the silence.

"Heard it? I listened to it over and over again, I know all the words now. It was a powerful song, great marketing scheme after the whole chaos. I know they weren't expecting it." He says easily. 

"Your voice got odee better too, guess that vocal coach doin her job." He adds. 

I can feel my heart bursting with excitement. You would think Trevon has never given me a compliment before. I guess it all stems from all our ups and downs. There's been so many that the affection feels completely new. I want to hug him and kiss him, I want to see his face. 

"You there?" He questions. 

I noticed I've gone quiet for a little too long. 

"Yea, just really glad you liked the song. Cece has been training me pretty well. I have better voice control." I tell him like a proud child speaking to her big brother about her painting in art class. 

"I heard them high notes. You ain't gotta tell me." He chuckles. 

I laugh. "It did good numbers the last few weeks. Sold a lot Blaco said." He makes an approving sound and then it's quiet again.

And then I want to tell him to just snitch on Klan and Julius's whole crew. Just snitch so I can fly him out to Cali. 

"Where are you?" He breaks the thoughts in my head and I hear the bathroom door open. Trish is done with her shower. The white towel is wrapped around her curvy body. 

I whistle at her, like a man outside would and she pulls the towel tighter. 

"I'm in Cali with Trisha. I have a meet and greet tomorrow and a meeting with Mila London." I say her name like a TV announcer would and use my hands for exaggeration though he can't see me. 

"That mulatto chick that be soundin like every other pop singer? Why her?" He asks. 

I almost laugh at his disrespect. 

"Because she's hot right now and Blaco said it would be a good look for one of the songs in the album." I explain. 

"Ahh, you sellin out over there?" He asks calmly, he poses it as a joke but then I actually question myself and the whole aspect of the song. 

"It's the only pop type song I got on the album, so -" I begin. 

"Yea, it's going to be the radio hit, the one that makes you all the money." He finishes.

"Exactly-" I continue.

"The one that SELLS." He enunciates.

"Trev, let me talk." I say getting frustrated.

"The one that SELLS  ya ass out." He's laughing now. Laughing at my anger and the proof of his point.

I roll my eyes and stare at my navy blue nails that I got done specifically for Cali. 

"You over there pouting cause I called you on your shit?" He asks, laughter still in his voice.

"I can actually imagine your face right now. But listen, ain't nothing wrong with one sell out song. Just make sure when I hear the album it's solid and it's YOU. I'll know if it's not you and you won't hear the end of that, even when I get up outta here." His voice falls into a mumble.

"Yea, yea." I fan off. 

"You gotta be talkin to Trev, nobody pisses you off AND makes you smile in a 10 second span." Trisha says from across the room. 

I look at her now with matching PJ top and shorts. 

"Yea, wanna talk to him cause I don't." I reply. 

Trish sticks out her hand. 

"What's good big boy." She says friendly. 

I can hear his reply, he sounds completely happy again. 

"I knowww, she brought me to Cali wit ha! Thank God you couldn't come cause then I wouldn't have made it here." She laughs and sticks out her tongue. 

"Trisha!" I protest. How is that an okay thing to say? I roll my eyes. 

She continues looking at me a large smile on her face, ignoring me and listening to whatever Trev is saying. 

"Boyyy!" She beats the bed sheet laughing and I can hear Trev's little cackle on the other line. 

"You crazy." She finishes. 

"Iight, stay safe Trevy." She hands me back the phone. 

"Hey." I say softly. 

"Hey." He mimics me in a voice too high. 

"Okay. Bye." I say abrupt. 

He laughs and it makes me smile again hearing how genuine it is. 

"Ya sensitive ass. I gotta go. Be good, love you." He says. 

"Who love me?" I ask, remembering how he always made me say the whole thing. 

"I love you, bum. Tell me how the meeting goes." Trev responds. 

"Okay, love you too." 

We hang up.