Lasting Moment

two

When I woke up the next day I was surprised to find myself functioning. I may have been drunk last night, but this was the first day in a long time that I hadn't woken up completely hungover.

I had just finished showering when I remembered the supposed photographer from last night that was probably waiting for an answer.

I went to a.chasephotography's profile (the bio read: photographer; she/her; California), and scrolled through the posts. There were no pictures of the photographer herself, but a lot of pictures of other people, models I supposed, and a few of reoccurring stripped cat.

She seemed pretty legitimate.

What bothered me was that she seemed almost renowned as a photographer, and she was tagged in a lot of other pictures that she had taken but weren't on her profile by well known models, and yet she wanted to photograph me.

A part of me was scared that she just wanted to do this because I was Tristan McLean's daughter. But then again, Dad hadn't been in a lot of movies lately and people had stopped taking interest in me because of that when I was around eighteen.

I sighed and reread my conversation with the photographer, carefully planing out my next text.

pipermclean95 What sort of shoot were you thinking?

I only had to wait a few minutes before I got two notifications.

a.chasephotography i was thinking a casual shoot but in the forest.

i really like doing those nature photoshoots.

I had noticed. Most of her pictures were out in nature. Flowers, trees, and beaches were common. A. Chase's kind of shoot was something I would like to be in. It didn't hurt that she had twice the amount of followers I did.

pipermclean95 Sure, I'd like to do that

When and where?

a.chasephotography would wednesday next week work?

I smiled, it wasn't like I had anything else in my life to do. She could have said Maytember 71 at nine-thirty in the afternoon and I would have agreed. In the next ten minutes we figured out the details, and I had just sent my 'See you then' text when she added something.

a.chasephotography oh, and bring your own clothes, whatever you usually wear.

maybe around three outfits? thanks.

I wrote that I would.

I could see what clothes I wanted to bring later, right now I was too happy to focus on anything else. I'd gotten a gig for the first time in a little over a month. I had to call Leo he—

Leo. I had to call Leo who I hadn't spoken to in over a week. Leo who was ignoring me until I got my life together. I hovered over his contact name. This was a step forward right?

I took a deep breath and pressed to call.

It rang and rang.

"Hi you haven't reached Leo," I heard Leo's voice say. I smiled when there was a crash in the background. "Oh my god Piper!" Leo yells faintly. "Leave a message, bye!" The signature beep of the answering machine came a few seconds after.

"Hey, Leo," I say, "It's Piper." I wasn't sure what to do, I was nervous and I hadn't planned this and what if he still hated me. But I had to get this news to him. "I just wanted to tell you that I got a gig next Wednesday. Last night I didn't drink so much, but it's the bartender's friend who's the photographer so ha! Anyway, just wanted to tell you that. I love you. Bye."

I hung up, feeling heavy.

I turned off my phone, and got on my work uniform shirt. It was a disgusting puke colored yellow-orange, and we were only given one. During my shift at work I got yelled at my two moms and three middle schoolers.

When I got home I realized I had three notifications.

One text from my dad. A selfie of him with a pineapple (a thing he did that I didn't understand but still found funny).

One text from Jason which read 'So you got a gig?' Leo.

Leo listened to my message. Which brought me to the last notification: a missed call from Leo. I listened to it.

"Hiya Beauty Queen," came Leo's voice though my phone, "it is I, Leo." I smiled faintly, it felt like forever. "I'm really happy you got that job, and yeah maybe you got lucky with that bartender, but stay sober till your shoot okay? And hey, maybe we can talk sometime." A pause filled with background noise. "Shit, you're working right now aren't you? Love you, call me, bye!"

I grinned. I would call Leo tomorrow and take his advice today. I would stay home. Or maybe I could invite him over? God, this used to be so much simpler.

It was times like this when I wished I was still dating Jason, because everything was so much easier then. Except, I wasn't happy dating Jason.

I should call him. Make sure he realizes that I did read his text and tell him about the gig. Maybe ask about Leo, and what I should do. Jason was good at advice.

And so I showed up at Jason's doorstep again, for the first time in a long time, completely sober.

My life had taken a turn for the better, and I had a green eyed bartender to thank. Him and his mysterious photographer friend, A. Chase, who somehow had decided to schedule a shoot with me.

As I sat on Jason's couch, talking to him as a friend, I realized that maybe he was getting over his heart break. His life was changing too, hopefully for the better.

Life, I realized, is filled with patterns of temporality, but even if they are not there for long they're hard to break out of. After all, we need valleys in order to have mountains. 

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Here's the next chapter! I'm almost finished writing it. This will probably have around six chapters.

Remember to comment and vote and tell all your friends!

~Speedy