Lasting Moment

three

I pulled into the parking lot. There was only one other car there, and leaning against it was a tripod and a bounce board. Sitting on a bench there was a dark haired guy with sunglasses and a backwards hat.

I got out of my car, and opened up my trunk to get my duffle bag of clothes. When I closed my trunk the guy was right in front of me. I blinked, confused. Was that—?

"You're the bartender," I blurted, then blushed at my lack of filter.

The bartender laughed and pushed his sunglasses to the top of his head. "Yes, I'm Percy," he said holing out his hand. I shook it. Percy looked like he was somewhere between a surfer and a skater, something I found very interesting. "I'm the unpaid intern," he said cracking a smile.

A woman appeared behind him. I hadn't noticed her get out of the car. I had three first thoughts. First, that she was gorgeous; second, she was really tall; and third when she was little she probably got 'you should be a model' a lot.

"Unpaid assistant, Seaweed Brain," she said flicking his ear. She turned to me. "I'm Annabeth," she introduced herself. People should really put their full names up on Instagram, because until now, her name was just A. Chase. I wondered if she knew that.

"Piper."

Annabeth shot me a smile, and started walking towards the woods. Percy and I followed. "Just so you know, it's going to be just you, me, Percy, and some trees. I like to go for a look that's as natural as possible."

"Sounds good." Great actually. If this were something like a shoot for a clothing magazine with a fifty person crew and bright lighting, I wouldn't be able to do this. Not after such a long time anyway.

Annabeth, Percy, and I spent about half an hour going through the clothes I had bought, putting together outfits. It felt good, like having friends, even if I had only really met them today. There was a lingering feeling of the memories with Jason and Leo, before Jason was my boyfriend and when Leo wasn't wary of me.

The pictures themselves took about two hours. We went though different outfits and locations and angles. Annabeth would just tell me to look one way or sit a bit of a different way but she let me do what I felt like doing most of the time.

Sometimes she'd tell Percy to hold the bounce board because the natural light just wasn't doing it. It was clear that Percy had helped Annabeth out quite a lot because she didn't really have to give him much direction.

Throughout the shoot I kept looking at Annabeth. As the sun settled lower in the sky, the light made her hair look like pure gold.

"Hey Piper!" Percy called from where he was leaning against a tree. I looked over and he pulled a face. It was the most stupid face I'd ever seen, but it made me laugh regardless. It reminded me of Leo, even if he and Percy weren't all that similar, and suddenly I felt sad.

I heard the sound of Annabeth's camera shutter. "I think that's a wrap," she said. "I'll send you the pictures once I download them. What's your number?" She holds out her phone.

I smiled a bit too much for a girl who was drunk crying about her ex a week ago. I take Annabeth's phone and type in my number. A part of me wanted to give myself a really stupid name and the Leo in my head was highly encouraging it. Instead I just named myself Piper because I wasn't sure if Annabeth was into weird nicknames.

"Hey wanna grab some dinner with us?" Percy asked, twirling his hat in his hands.

I was about to refuse on the account of third wheeling, when I vaguely recalled Percy saying his friend was a photographer at the bar. I still didn't want to intrude though so I just said, "Umm," like the most awkward human on earth.

"You can come if you want, you're not intruding at all," Annabeth said with and easy smile. She still had her camera hanging off her neck.

I nodded. "Okay, sure."

Percy beamed. Annabeth bit her lip, but she was smiling. "Piper, have you heard of Katie's?" I shook my head. "It's this really good burger place, only one location. Percy and I love it."

"I'm vegetarian," I said apologetically.

Annabeth laughed and something in my chest felt funny. "Oh, don't worry, I think they have more vegetarian options than not."

"Okay then, show me this wondrous place." Percy snickered.

"Percy, you take my car, I'm going with Piper to be her GPS." I looked over at Annabeth wide-eyed. She wanted to ride in my car... okay then.

Until the highway exist Annabeth said that there weren't really directions. She sat in my passenger seat perfectly at home. She was looking down at her camera scrolling through the pictures that she had taken of me.

"How many are there?" I asked, slowing in the traffic.

"No idea, I'll find out when I download them."

The cars had slowed to a stop. There was likely some sort of accident. I turned to look at Annabeth who was absorbed by her pictures.

She went to the next one and smiled. I was laughing a bit off to the side. The sun outlined my face against the forest. I didn't remember taking the picture. The next picture is almost the same, except I look almost melancholy. I realized that these were the last pictures she had taken. When Percy made me laugh and reminded me of Leo.

"Why'd you take those?" I asked.

Annabeth looked at me, her eyes shining, and shrugged. "Because you were beautiful," she said as if she hadn't just made my heart skip a beat. "I was looking for you, and those two pictures are your essence."

"You think so?"

"Yes." I just stare at Annabeth, this girl I met today for a photoshoot, who had somehow enchanted me. I realized that maybe thats why people liked her, she was more than a photographer. "Cars, Piper."

I looked ahead realizing that the traffic had started flowing again. I start driving. We drive in silence for a while. It was comfortable. I wondered if Annabeth heard my heartbeat during our conversation.

"I like it too," I decided out loud.

I saw Annabeth smile softly in the corner of my eye. She had her camera out again. She was looking at the picture. "It's a lasting moment," she said and my heart grew warm. 

_____

Three down, three to go. 

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~Speedy