Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 73817 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 369(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73817 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 369(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
After a moment, I look back at Sean. “What’s wrong?”
He keeps staring, completely silent, still, unblinking. “I thought I saw something,” he finally chokes.
“Saw what?”
His eyes won’t pull away from the park. I look again. I see no one there. Not even an animal, bird, or suspicious shadow. Just the usual trees, the old benches, the trashcans, and the small spread of concrete that once was a basketball court, but is now only used occasionally by skaters.
I look at him again. “Sean? Are you alright?”
He peels his eyes from the park at last and puts on a rather sudden smile. “I’m perfect. Let’s go home … baby.”
I smile back as we continue walking. I can’t help but glance one last time over my shoulder, wondering what it was that arrested Sean so deeply—if anything at all.
Chapter 18 - Seany
“Nailed it.”
I pull my tank undershirt back on over my head, then shrug. “I hope it turns out well.”
“You’re the most photogenic person I’ve literally ever met or worked with,” says Lily, a photography student with straight black hair to her shoulders and thick red glasses. “Of course it’ll turn out well, once I get around to editing these later tonight. Y’know what? I think you could charge even more than you do.”
I blink. “Really? I thought I’m already charging a lot.”
“Not even close. What do you think, SJ?”
Her gangly man-bunned roommate-slash-classmate SJ, who’s been sitting on a stool in the back after helping set up the lighting at the start of the shoot, looks up from his phone. “Huh? Oh … y’mean how much he charges? Heh, yeah, he’s selling himself short.”
“See? Ask Vann, bet he’ll tell you the same.”
“I’m not a professional, though,” I point out as I slip off the pants Lily gave me and put my own shorts back on. “And everyone on campus is already burdened enough—”
“With student loans and tuition? Sure, but we’re all artists here. We know the value of compensating for time and work. We know ‘exposure’ doesn’t pay bills. Fuck this ‘do it for exposure’ bullshit. The only exposure I will ever respect is the amount of light my baby’s aperture lets in,” she says, giving her camera a loving pat.
“Yeah, man, don’t be too humble,” says SJ as he stuffs things away in his backpack. “Charge more. It’s your body you’re giving up, anyway.”
I pause, considering that for a moment as my flamingo button-up shirt hangs in my fist. I never saw it as “giving up my body”. He makes it sound like something else.
Nevertheless, I find myself inspired by the idea of charging more. Aren’t I worth it? Hell, my means of getting money since leaving home have been questionable and often involve thievery and deceit, it feels pretty amazing to earn honest money like this.
I’ll be able to pay back Coop for my phone in no time.
When I step out of the cramped studio (it’s actually a repurposed guest bedroom in Lily and SJ’s apartment), I find Vann on the couch with his sketchpad, gnawing on his lip as he draws. He closes his pad and looks up at me. “All done? How’d it go? Did Lily get you naked yet?”
“Vann, please,” mutters Lily. “That was just once, and it was my ex-girlfriend who modeled, and we broke up before I could even use our work in anything. It’s for the best. We did some great work that day, and I’d be damned if I became famous on my ex’s body. Goddess works in mysterious ways.”
SJ is already out of the studio and in the kitchen. “You guys want anything before you head out? I’m thinking ‘bout cooking up some chicken nugs.”
“I would,” says Vann, “but Toby’s waiting for me back home. Maybe next time?”
“Wait. He is?” I turn to Vann. “You should’ve told me. Coop could have picked me up, or—”
“Nah, it’s okay. Toby likes eating late, and I needed the time to work on this.” He gives his sketchpad a swat of his hand. “Besides, he’s been obsessed with a new game lately, so this gives him gaming time. In other words: valuable, precious, don’t-you-dare-interrupt-me time.”
“Oh … I see.” I stuff my hands down my pockets—and that’s when I remember. I yank out my phone. “I totally forgot! I’ve got a phone now. I need to get your number before I go, Lily.”
“Number?” She has joined SJ in the kitchen, fishing for something in a high-up cupboard. She peers over her shoulder at me. “Oh, that’s new. No longer communicating through Vann? When’d you get a phone?”
“Week or so ago. Coop got it for me.” I face the screen to both her and SJ, showing off my background image: a selfie of me and Coop sitting on his porch with the plants. “Nice view, right?”
“How cute,” she sings. “Coop’s that older guy you’re living with, right?”