The Photographer - h.s

The collapse

Vic

I turned the corner and walked down the sidewalk until I could hear light footsteps following. I turned and saw Mackenzie standing there looking at me with concerned expression.

"I can't believe I'm here.... again!" I exclaimed and she took a step towards me and I stepped away. I was pissed, I was hurt, I was PISSED.

"Vic-" I heard his voice call as he rounded the corner and stopped when he saw the two of us. Mackenzie looked to me and I nodded at her and she walked away, leaving Harry and I alone.

"Don't, I simply do not care Harry. I cannot believe you got me right back to this position, again." I spat at him, the courage from the liquor sat heavy on my tongue.

"Look at yourself right now, standing outside yelling at me for...what? Getting drunk and kissing a girl? We are not toget-"

"Do not. Do not finish that sentence because I WILL start yelling. No, we weren't together, but Harry, we WERE. You said over and over we were friends and then kept coming back for....more. I told myself I wasn't getting into this again and.... I did."

"Your emotional shortcomings are not my problem, Victoria! You said it point blank- we were not together.I cannot keep cradling your feelings every time they get hurt." He slurred to me and i was in disbelief.

"Have fun with all of....this then. Go fuck yourself, Harry. I thought you were....better than this."

"So this is done then? ...finally."

"Yeah... finally." I repeated and he stomped off back around the corner into the building. Mackenzie turned back around the corner and stopped and looked at me for a moment.

"So... I'm just gonna... I wanna get back to the hotel." I struggled to tell her and she nodded as we took a seat on the sidewalk, leaning against the building. Mackenzie dialed up Jeff and asked for a ride back to the hotel, she told me she texted Mitch to let him know we left so he didn't worry or look for us. The car pulled up and I climbed in with Mackenzie following behind me, we spent the ride in silence as I tried to keep my emotions together.

I rushed to my room and assure Mackenzie I would be fine, she asked at least 3 times and I had to promise to call her if I needed to talk about it. As soon as I closed the door, I locked it and leaned my back against it. I took a deep breath and as I exhaled I started to cry. I walked to the bed and opened my laptop and called Sophia. It rang a few times, and she picked up as she turned the lamp on in her dark room.

"Vic?" She asked groggily and I let out a shaky breath. "Oh my god.... are you okay? What happened?" She asked panicky and I shrugged and shook my head.

"You were right. He uh.... yeah." Was all I managed to get out.

"Oh honey.... no. Not again." She said softly and I just shrugged and climbed under the covers and set the laptop up in the pillow beside me, as she laid down in her bed, placing me on her pillow.

"He uh... he said some pretty... harsh things..." I mumbled and she took a deep breath and nodded.

"Tell me what happened...."

-
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I woke up with a terrible headache with my laptop open on the pillow with a black screen, I reached over and closed it, rolling onto my back and staring at the ceiling, with the sunlight struggling to enter the room through the closed blinds. I forced myself out of bed to take some advil and a glass of water and forced two pieces of toast down to help the hangover.

The events from last night played through my mind and I tried to shake it off for a little longer. I went back to bed and grabbed my phone. I had a text from Sophia from an hour ago.