A/N: Okay, so hear me out real quick. The song above does have to do with the chapter. I'm not just adding it for no reason; I'll explain further at the end of this chapter.

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The loud, exciting notes of the song Fire by BTS blared into Amias' ears through his headphones as he gazed out of the window of the limo.

He was a bit taken aback by all the commotion that had arisen once he was discovered by many of the prestigious directors of Hollywood. Especially since all their opinions were based on a Sunday showing of his school's annual spring musical; A.K.A. the worst day to see him and the cast perform.

Sunday performances were infamous among him and his castmates as days where everyone is either tired, sick, or sad. No one really put their best enthusiasm into those days like they did with Friday performances except for him.

But he had to, you can't have an Usnavi sing 'In the Heights' without spirit and gusto. It doesn't correctly pull in the viewers, if him, the lead, isn't upbeat enough. It also really helped that Amias simply loved In the Heights and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

And because of a girl in his school who was attending the Sunday performance with her family, a director (who happened to be her aunt) saw Amias and immediately believed that he had promise. This director, Sybil Underhill, was very well known and respected in the industry since she often penned and directed many acclaimed movies and TV shows.

"Amias," she had said, clasping his hands. "Your performance today screamed to me talent and a love of acting. Would you like to star in one of my newest TV shows? I believe that you would be perfect for the part, if today was anything to go by. You'll be able to choose the amount of your salary and, depending on how you enjoy this experience and how well you're received by audiences, I will definitely want to hire you again in the future. Plus, I have already told many of my friends and the higher-ups about you, and they all love you. If you join me now, kiddo, after this you could have endless choices of what you want your next job to be. So, what do you say?"

And of course, Amias said yes. It was an amazing offer and he would be able to jumpstart his acting career working alongside Sybil Underhill, for goodness' sake. Who in their right mind wouldn't say yes?

However, what Ms. Underhill forgot to add — or intentionally left out — was that Amias would have to fly out to Hollywood, and leave his family behind. And, yes, maybe it should have been obvious to Amias that he would be moved from boring, suburban New Jersey to bustling California, but in all of his family's excitement and celebration, the thought just never made its way to his head.

So now, Amias was in a limousine owned by Ms. Underhill, sitting in the back with his older brother and quietly contemplating his life choices. As the song in his ears switched from Fire to Run, he wondered if he should cut the deal and instead stay with his family and do as the song title suggested: run.

He knew it was a stupid thought, but the option was rather appealing. He wouldn't have to leave his younger brother and sister to their babysitters after they finished school — an idea he hated as much as the kindergartener and 2nd grader. He would be able to stay and enjoy the limited time he'd have with his elder siblings before they'd completely leave the nest and start making their own futures. And, of course, he would be able to eat his mother's homemade dinners and animatedly talk about superheroes with his father.

The idea sounded rather nice in his head, but with that choice he would be staying with his family and, as a consequence, putting off starting his career. And it is hard to be found as an actor starting from scratch, even if you have talent. Putting yourself out there isn't always the easiest thing, and going on TV shows to compete for a career often doesn't give you the best job conditions.

Feeling his headphones being tugged from off his head, Amias turned to face his older brother, Vivaan.

Vivaan was a handsome young man of 26 years old. He resembled their mother more than Amias did in the fact that his complexion was more of a rich milk chocolate color. Amias possessed a lighter, tanned complexion, serving as the most perfect mix of his parents' skin tones out of all the Beaumont siblings. Vivaan already knew that he wanted to be a songwriter and was well on his way there, working with many famous artists and even helping to produce music.

After he graduated from college, Vivaan knew that the best way to start getting his name out there was to leave his home and either move to New York, California, or Chicago for a short time. He chose California and eventually made a name for himself there. He was the first child to leave the family.

So he could definitely tell that Amias might have been having some second thoughts by the way he gazed out of the window.

Vivaan's kind brown eyes smiled at Amias; a sight he would surely miss if he left New Jersey. "What're you thinking about, lil' bro?"

Amias paused for a second, wondering what he should tell his brother.

Should he confide in him or should he play off his brother's worry coolly? Have Vivaan potentially tease him and his doubts or receive wise advice from someone 7 years older than him who has also gone through this before?

Amias looked away from Vivaan. "How did you deal with this choice?"

"Well, it was really hard; having to choose between my future and our family, " he replied thoughtfully. "But I like to think that I did the right thing. Going to California was a great experience and especially a great place for making a few connections. Yes, a few people didn't like me there — probably because of my sexuality — but I made it through. And besides, Ami, you'll already have Sybil Underhill in your corner and, most likely, your fellow co-stars. You're a very charming and charismatic guy — you'll make acquaintances in no time."

"Thanks, Vaan. " Amias smiled, his faith in his choice fully revived.

"No prob, and, if you end up making no friends at all," Vivaan ruffled Amias' dark brown hair playfully. "I'll be in Hollywood anyways in a few weeks. I have to meet up with some of my own friends and you can tag along, if you want."

"You're the best, bro." Amias replied, bumping his shoulder with Vivaan's.

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Chapter one, done! ✔

So, if any of the readers from Of Fire and Anger followed me here, welcome! Thanks for being here!

This is my submission piece to the Silver Crown Awards. Or at least, the first part of it. I have eight chapters planned out for this book and am currently writing and editing them.

As promised at the beginning of the chapter, I will explain why I had Fire by BTS up there. (Though it's probably rather obvious if you read all of the chapter.) Our main man, Amias, loves music. As do I. Because of that, each chapter will have a song or two above it. 

These songs are meant to run parallel to the chapter; their lyrics convey the message, per say, and gist of the whole chapter.

Also, at the end of each chapter, you'll see the word count for it, not including the A/N (which is mostly for judging purposes for the contest).

Thanks for reading, and remember to not be a silent reader! Vote and comment! Constructive criticism is an author's best friend! ❤❤

Word count: 1,115