Hey, Sunshine // S. Clearwater

02 ; picture perfect

"Where do you think you're going?" Kate asked. She leaned against the wall in the hallway, arms crossed and eyebrow raised.

Billie turned around to face her sister as she zipped up her raincoat. "To get sunset pictures," she answered simply.

She took in her sister's attire and asked, "And where are you going?"

"Late night shift," Kate replied, glancing down at her scrubs. She worked as a travel nurse and rotated between La Push, Forks, and Seattle hospitals. If you ask Billie, Kate's been drowning herself in work the past few years. She claimed it's because they need more money, but that's not entirely true anymore. Maybe it was true initially, but now, Billie thinks it's just a distraction.

"I'll be gone for a few days. I'm going to Seattle straight from my shift in Forks."

"Oh," Billie said. They were supposed to have a movie night tomorrow. They started that tradition so Kate would finally stay home for a night.

"Take a nice sunset picture, yeah? I need more to decorate my locker with."

Billie nodded. "Sure."

Billie took every photo that decorated the house. There are nature photos in the bathroom, pictures of friends on the fridge, and the one of Kate, Leah, and Emily framed in the hallway. She glanced at it and frowned. She could never understand how boy troubles could tear apart a friendship.

She got her first camera from her mom, and she took the first picture of her parents and Kate on the front porch. The shadows covered most of their faces, and the picture was crooked and off-centered, but she kept that photo tucked in the mirror of her dresser.

"Call me when you get back, okay?" Kate said. She walked to the hooks and grabbed her coat.

Billie pulled on her hiking boots while Kate slipped into her sneakers.

"I will. I shouldn't be out long anyway," Billie said.

They both walked out onto the porch and down to the driveway. Billie waved as Kate got into her car and backed out. Billie continued to walk down the road toward Emily's house to enter the treeline there.

As she walked along the perimeter of the house, she strained her ears for any conversation. More often than not, she and the boys all hung out here. The resounding silence surprised her.

Billie entered the tree line and walked about one hundred meters, searching for the highest tree to climb. When she found a suitable candidate, she plotted the route up and began climbing.

"Motherfucker," she grumbled when a splinter entered her palm. She shook out her hand and continued her ascent. At an acceptable height, she leveled her camera and slowly surveyed the forest. A smile broke across her face when the sunset fell perfectly between two pine trees. The blood-orange rays poured through the branches and illuminated the forest.

She spent another two hours wandering around, taking countless pictures. When it was well past dark, she decided to make her way home. Kate was probably anxious about her call. She had traveled West, so to get home, she needed to travel East—simple enough.

She spun around a few times, trying to make left from right.

"Shit," she spat.

East versus West was a whole lot easier in the daylight.

She pulled out her phone to call Emily. None of this is new. She's gotten lost before. Emily invested in a supercharged flashlight that she uses as a beacon for Billie to find her way back. At the 'No Service' indication, she nearly screamed. "You're joking! Oh my fucking God!"