The kids had one big performance at the end of the workshop. It would be Roman and Logan's last summer with them until they graduated college since they were planning other things for their four summers in the near future.

And Logan didn't really want to come home again, no matter how much he loved seeing the kids.

"Welcome to our workshop! I am Holly Yu, the director. Thank you for coming. These brilliant kids have been learning Broadway numbers and each has grown tremendously. Without further ado, let's begin the show!" came the director's voice from a microphone.

Logan spoke quietly from the booth into his headset. "Curtains. Good... Why doesn't she have a mic? Jared, check to make sure all the mics are on stage right are there."

After the opening number was over, Logan nodded in relief. "Fly in Bea. Spot her."

Bea, with a dress to cover her harness, was flown in from stage left to act as Tinkerbell for that number.

He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to see Roman, who whispered, "Logan, emergency. Maia's having a panic attack backstage and can't do Popular with Ashley."

Logan ignored the tension between them because the show must go on. He spoke into his mic, "Maia can't do Popular. Move Dara to stage right and give her a pink dress and the purse. If the dress is a little big, just clip it in the back. She's professional enough to handle it."

Much to his relief, Dara fit pretty well into Maia's dress and did the song with Ashley near perfectly.

"Where's the purse?"

A stage hand answered him, "Someone moved the purse from the prop table."

It wasn't the time to completely rage. "...Okay. Are we cutting, 'pink goes good with green'?"

"Dara took some bright pink lipstick and said she'd figure it out in the moment. I believe in her."

"Me too. Mic up Jake for Step One and call in yellow group to fill the wings. Quietly."

Dara ended up applying the lipstick in record time and kissing her Elphaba on the cheek, leaving pink lip marks. "Pink goes good with green, don't you think?" she asked, beaming.

Everyone in the wings silently cheered her on. Logan made note to congratulate her backstage.

~~~

Intermission.

Logan found Dara and gave her a high five. "We were all holding our breaths. That was so much better than any of us had expected!"

Dara giggled and thanked him. "When I couldn't find the purse, Roman ran around backstage and gave me the only pink thing he could find and told me go on with it. He saved me there."

Logan smiled, forcing down his awkwardness. "Well, I hope since you're turning 16 when school starts again, that you'll become a counselor here even when Roman and I leave."

"I will!" she said. "I've always wanted to. But I'm going to miss you guys."

"We'll miss you too."

"Dara! Our future Broadway baby!" Roman exclaimed and ran up to her, hugging her like a little sister.

"Yo, Logan! We need you over here!" a stage hand called, and Logan quickly left, shooting Dara a quick proud look on his way out.

Thank God.

~~~

The final number was with everyone in the company, which was Jump in the Line from Beetlejuice.

After everyone had taken their bows including tech, the younger kids moved downstage and one took a hand microphone.

"Our dance and acting coach Roman and our stage manager Logan are moving to to New England for college, and we're going to miss them, so please give them each extra applause!"

There was one spotlight on Roman in the front row and one on Logan in the booth.

Logan was not used to having an audience while he was dressed in his blacks, but he thanked them humbly while Roman stood up tall and reigned in the attention, bowing dramatically.

Soon enough, the lights went up and it was over.

The kids moved back and Logan instructed the curtains to close.

After the show, Logan and Roman went to the studio where all the kids were changing or taking off makeup and they jumped to hug them as soon as they walked in.

Logan had never been so overwhelmingly loved, at least he didn't think so.

Roman gave his short speech, which ended with, "I promise to come back at some point, and all of you better have perfect pirouettes by then."

Then the attention went to Logan. "This sounds stupid to say, but this space has given me a new family, and the only one that I want to have. Thank you for lifting me up during hard times and giving me something to look forward to each summer. My family will not be supporting me financially when I'm in college except for my first year, so I'll have to work extra and most likely not be able to afford to come back during the summer, but I'm always going to take over as the stage manager when I can be here since Holly agreed. We don't know who will replace me, but don't forget about me just yet. I'll be back as soon as I can."

They were all quite surprised at how heartfelt it was. Some kids had seen Logan's extremely soft side, but it wasn't a common occurrence.

Each of the two boys were given gifts and signed cards from the students as they got into their cars. The other counselors and Holly said their goodbyes. One of Logan's cards was signed by everyone in the company with a big, "WE LOVE YOU" in the middle.

His heart was full.

Maybe he didn't need Roman.

~~~

Packing was frankly therapeutic. He had already shipped his desk to his dorm and hadn't met his roommate yet.

He brought some books and a box of supplies wrapped in his gray hoodie. The supplies would be organized in his backpack later. He filled the rest of the large suitcase with clothes and toiletries, and his wallet and passport went into his carryon.

When he finally had everything, he laid back down on his bed for his last night of sleep in his bedroom at home.

He never got to say goodbye to Roman. They made eye contact after the show before they drove off, but nothing more.

Is this really how this is going to end?

He had never come to that conclusion before, but Roman was his best friend since he really only had two friends. But maybe he'd get closer to Virgil since they were going to college together after all.

You can always text him.

He inhaled deeply and texted Roman.

Logan: Hey.

Logan: We didn't get to say goodbye to each other but I just wanted to wish you well in New York. I'm sorry for acting out. I believe it was a bit immature.

Roman: no it was totally understandable

Roman: and thank you :) have fun in boston, you're gonna be so successful

Roman: so we're both gonna be at the airport tomorrow afternoon?

Logan: Yeah.

Roman: how about we say goodbye in person there? i want to see you again

~~~

Logan's parents barely acknowledged he was leaving so he just got in Uber to the airport.

And soon enough he was in Roman's arms. They were on the same path for a while but hugged when their paths split.

"I'm going to miss you," Logan confessed.

"Me too. Text me whenever you feel like it."

"Okay. Bye. See you... someday."

"I'll be looking forward to it." Roman smiled.

It was a short flight for both of them from Florida to New England. Logan opened his bag on the flight and sighed at the sight of Roman's red sweater. He couldn't help it. He needed to bring it, something inside him just compelled him to put it in his bag.

~~~

Logan's first thought of Boston when he got off the airplane and stepped out of the airport was, Why is it winter?

But it wasn't winter. It was just a Florida winter.

Giddily, he rushed to the dorms on campus and followed the instructions on his card.

"No way! Oh, thank fucking God!" Virgil exclaimed when Logan opened the door with his dorm room key. "We're roommates?"

"It appears so," Logan replied, just as relieved as Virgil was. Neither of them were very good with new people.

Together, they got used to the new city and learned their way around campus and went down to different stores, Logan keeping track of where everything was. The Boston Opera House was by a small restaurant that smelled like pho when the door was opened.

And the sun wasn't fucking burning his skin off his body.

He didn't think about his family all day. They couldn't get him there.

Logan and Virgil went back to their dorm to fully unpack and review their schedules that would begin in just a few days when school was officially in session.

In the meantime, Roman was roomed with a guy who wore sunglasses inside and inhaled Starbucks. When he walked in, he legitimately thought he was high.

When he noticed Roman, he sat up. "You're Roman? I'm Remy Foster. Welcome to NYU. Dumb shit for me to be saying because I'm new too."

"Nice to meet you," Roman said.

"Yeah, do you want to go around campus and figure this shit out? I literally can't figure anything out on my schedule and you need to find your rooms too. Just leave your suitcase on the floor and you can unpack tonight."

"Uh, okay!" He liked Remy's assertiveness. Remy didn't waste time. He admired that.

"And after, do you wanna go get sushi?"

Roman could definitely get used to his new roommate.