𝐁𝐔𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐒 [ 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐞 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 ]

more than meets the eye

You were sitting outside with a camera, one you were borrowing from Porco. Apparently he was a photographer in his free time, and a good one at that. He had shown you a couple of pictures on his camera before handing it over to you, the sunsets so vibrant it looked like someone took a paintbrush over the sky and colored it. He had shown you what to do with it— adjusting the lighting, zooming in, focusing, etc. You had promised to be careful with it, and so far you had.

You had gotten lots of pictures for your assignment on your phone, which was a perfectly fine camera, but for these you wanted to use something a little stronger.

You were sitting on top of a parking garage downtown, the wind pulling at your hair even though it was in a secure ponytail, something you had done before going out knowing it'd be windy up here.

It was exhilarating.

Below you, people the size of ants were walking all about, cars zipping down the busy streets and coming to abrupt stops due to traffic. It was a feeling like no other, close to being on top of the world as you towered above all your problems that lied below, mainly emotions and school-related.

It felt like there was nothing up here holding you back, no feelings of anxiety or fear distracting you from everyday life.

You started to take pictures of the different world below, admiring how a change in elevation could change everything else. It was perfect for your project— a change of perspective.

After a few shots you sat down on the rough concrete and inspected the photos, satisfied with the outcome. You smiled to yourself, the thoughts of different changes making you think of Connie.

You still hadn't told him about your last relationship, but you didn't want to. You actually hadn't thought about it much since you started going out with Connie, but you wondered how much of that was just a distraction.

There were so many good things about the beginning of a relationship, the honey-moon feeling of it all. But soon that'd wear off and Connie would finally see you for you. And as hypocritical as it sounded after that night you told him you signed up for it all, you didn't want him to ever see you broken. So you hid yourself, in more ways than one, showing Connie your fun and caring side, hoping he'd never get bored with you. Not like last time. Never again like last time.

You pulled your plaid jacket tightly against you, the wind even stronger now as it sent a chill up your spine. It was already getting pretty late, and you promised to give Porco his camera back before his shift was up.

You willed yourself to get to your feet, the flat converse slapping against the concrete as you walked down the parking garage. It was an older one, so there were no elevators. And even though it was cold, it felt nice to be outside rather than taking the stairs.

You re-entered the world you left for a while and walked past people scurrying down the sidewalks like mice, scrambling to get to their jobs or just to find their place. You bumped into a couple of them but they didn't seem to even notice as they kept pushing forward.

It wasn't that long of a walk to your workplace, the bell dinging at your arrival, a friendly little signal that someone had entered the coffee shop. Porco poked his head out of the kitchen and smiled, holding up his finger signaling that he'd be back in a second as he disappeared behind the doors again.

You walked over to the counter and set the camera down, drumming your fingers on the oak counter top as you waited for Porco to come back.

"You get the pictures?" He asked, throwing a white rag over his shoulder as he returned with the camera bag in hand. Gingerly, he put the cap on, placing the camera back into place, zipping the bag shut.