Star: Tyler, The Creator

37. Seen

"I'll miss you," Rose's mom hugged her tight.

"Ma, I told you I'm gonna come visit in a few weeks," she eyed her. She didn't want to cry in front of them.

"Be safe out there," Her dad hugged her. James then turned to Tyler. "And you. You take care of my baby."

Tyler smiled lightly.

They waved as T and Rose walked into the airport checkpoint gate.

Rose replayed those final moments with her parents as the plane lifted off. She missed them already, but it wasn't like she wouldn't see them again. All she knew was that she was glad they were a family again.

...

"Fuck, it's only 7 pm? I thought we'd get here later," Rose unpacked her stuff from the uber, Tyler helping her before the driver left.

"Traffic wasn't bad."

"I really slept through it..." she yawned, grabbing her stuff as she followed Tyler to his parked car outside her loft.

She watched as he placed his stuff in his car.

He was unusually quiet.

"You okay?" she asked.

"I'm good." He shut the trunk of the car.

Rose stopped him.

"T."

He sighed, his hands in his pockets.

"What's up?"

He looked away, thinking before he finally
spoke.

"I broke up with Des in the car. While you was sleeping."

Her eyes traced his. He didn't wanna look at her either.

"Why?"

"She knew."

"Knew what?"

"She figured out I came with you."

Rose sighed.

"...I'm sorry." She couldn't conjure up any other words.

He shook his head.

"It was gonna happen anyway."

Rose hugged him, Tyler hesitant to.

She looked up at him.

"It's only 7..." she grinned. "You wanna get
your mind off her?"

He furrowed his brows.

"Not that," she nudged him away. "Let's go."

She threw her remaining luggage into the back of his trunk, taking the keys from his hand as she got into the driver's seat.

"You getting in or?"

He bit his lip, smiling as he did.

"What's the plan?"

"There isn't one." She shrugged.

...

"Fuck, I was starving," Rose took a bite from her burger.

They'd gone through an In n Out drive thru, driving a few minutes away to the top of an empty lot where they were able to see the view from their spot.

It sucked being known—they had contemplated going mini golfing, or something new like skinny dipping; but both weren't possible with them being followed everywhere. This was the second best option.

Tyler turned up the aux, their favorite songs playing one after the other as the sunset fell.

They both finished, Rose joking about finishing her shake first.

It fell silent before she turned over at him.

"You know this is a date right?" She replied.

He turned, confused.

"The music...sunset—,"

"Doesn't make it a date," Tyler replied.

She grinned, getting closer.

Her lips met his, and he pulled away to speak.

"I thought you said friends—,"

"I know what I said."

She pulled him in again, her hand caressing his neck.

"This is fucked up." He turned, shaking his head. "You just gone fuck me and lead me on again?"

Rose sat back into her seat.

"Fine. Then I'll take you on a real date first." She said.

He scoffed, turning on the engine.

"It's not a joke. I'm serious." Rose replied.

"Why do you always do this shit? You're gonna get scared of the commitment and pull away and it's the same fucking cycle with you. You said friends, Rose."

"I know what I said!" She was growing frustrated. "I don't know how these things work," she looked down at her hands.

Tyler looked over at her, noticing the sincerity in her tone.

"I've never been in a stable relationship...all I know is that you're the one."

Tyler turned off the engine.

She continued, but kept her eyes on her hands, fiddling with her fingers nervously.

"You're the only one who's always been there—regardless of anything. You care for me. I'm not used to that...and I think that I make myself believe that you're not real. That it's just my imagination and you're not this
perfect..." Rose looked up at him.

"...that stupid crush never went away." She chuckled. "...But I get if you've pushed me away completely that you don't feel the same anymore. I can take it."

Tyler was silent.

Rose turned her body so that she faced away from him. She knew he probably didn't feel the same anymore.

She fucked up.

It was when he finally spoke that she realized it wasn't the case.

"So when you gon' take me to that real date you was talking about?" he asked.