When they arrived at the theater, Ryélle got out.
"I'll go in. I know my way around better than anyone else since I've performed here a few times," she said.
"Wait, Ry. You can't go alone," Kush said. He looked at Baby, "Her parents know your face. You ain't gone be able to sneak her out."
Dee scoffed, "Don't look at me. I'm sitting in the middle. Leo, you go."
Leonard smacked his lips. "What? Why me?"
"'Cause this car only got two doors and I'm not climbing over shit, and Kush can't fucking lie, so he damn sholl ain't go'n be able to do this. If there's any type of talking involved, we screwed. That leaves you. Go," Darnell explained.
Leo sighed and got out, walking passed Ryélle to head for the door. "Don't be doing all that talking shit you always do, either. I got a headache."
She nodded quietly, staying that way as she walked a little behind him.
He grabbed her wrist, dragging her in front of him before letting go. "Stay in front of me. I don't know where I'm going, and I don't need you getting snatched up."
She nodded but embarrassingly tripped over her own foot and fell. She quickly scrambled back to her feet, continuing as if nothing had happened.
He snickered and stopped her, noticing her limp. "Chill. We can stop for a minute if it hurt that bad."
She stopped but didn't say anything or even turn around.
He sighed, "I'm sorry, Ry. I ain't mean to laugh. You aight?"
She hiccuped softly as he moved in front of her. He internally panicked when he saw her crying. Her knee was bleeding, too, from falling on the concrete floor.
"Fuck. C'mere," he sighed, scooping her up. "Why you ain't say you was bleeding?"
"You said not to talk," she sniffled.
"You so stupid sometimes, you know that? Obviously, I'd wanna know if you was hurt, Ry." He found a bathroom and took her inside with him.
She whispered frantically. "Leo, this is the boys' bathroom! I can't be in here!"
He grabbed some tissue and wet it to clean up her knee. "Relax, li'l one. Ain't nobody here but us. And we wouldn't be either if you wasn't so fucking clumsy. How that work anyway? You a dancer. How you always losing your balance?"
"It was your fault for pulling me like that."
He laughed and shook his head. "I ain't even pull you hard. Yo' ass just can't take ten steps without falling."
She crossed her arms and huffed in annoyance, but her attitude changed when he took off his hoodie and the black tank top he wore beneath it, leaving his torso completely bare.
"Gross. Why are you naked?" she scoffed, forcing herself to look away.
He easily ripped the shirt. "'Cause we don't have gauze or bandages." He threw away the fabric he didn't need then grabbed more tissue, pressing it on her knee. "Hold that."
She followed instructions, watching as he tied the ripped cloth around her knee to secure the tissue.
"We'll clean you up the right way when we get back to the house," he sighed.
He put his hoodie back on, letting her ride on his back as she guided him towards the performance stage.
They went quietly into the auditorium where Dei Lin was playing a gorgeous violin on stage.
