Stranger Love (Discontinued)

12: A Little Help

Audrey's PoV

Miss McGregor wasn't sat at her desk. Completely absent, in fact. So we're all just sitting here talking away unsupervised. Theo was sitting with Taylor again, looking over at me every now and then for some reason. I've messaged mom and demanded she go visit the teacher in case something bad happened. The bell goes off so Jess and I head out of class to our lockers. "You think she's dead?" She asks. "Don't assume that, Jess. If anything, she's probably drunk or unconscious at home. I wonder what's got her in such a state," I say as I throw some books into my locker.

"Maybe she's letting her anxiety get to her. I'd be like that if I let my own anxiety take over. I'm sure you would too." I shrug and close my locker, now leaning against it as I face Jessica with a soft smile. "You look amazing," I whisper. "Oh, thanks. You do too," she replied. I feel my cheeks heat up with embarrassment because I didn't think she'd hear me over the noise of the hallways. "Listen, I... Gotta run again. Maybe we can hang out later. Talk soon, Audie." She pecks my cheek hesitantly before walking off.

It's a thing for her to kiss my cheek now and I'm not sure if that's just her thing or if she's crushing on me. I would date her if I had the guts considering I'm now bisexual. Although, I've not even thought about George for the past several weeks because it's just been Jess on my mind. Sometimes others but mostly Jess. "Hey, Audrey," Sasha says quietly from my right. I look to her and she appeared less... I don't know, flashy? She even had a black right eye and a bruise on her chin under her light amount of make-up.

"Hey, Sasha. You alright? You look a bit exhausted and... Bruised," I say reluctantly. "Yeah just... Aggressive customers." Her voice was softer than usual, less enthusiastic. She wore her outfit from the arcade, trench coat and black jeans and sweater. She was a little shaky too while she hugged her pink folder over her chest, tight. "We really need to get you a better job. I'm sure the diner will hire you. Anyways, what's up?" I ask. "Oh, uh. Well, I need some help for this project I'm doing in photography class. I was hoping you'd help me on it."

Her awkward and timid smile was so sweet, she struggled to keep her eyes on me. I can't turn down a day with a secret photo nerd girl. She looks like she could use some company, too. "Sure, I'll help. Just name what I have to do and I'll do it." "Shit, really? Okay, we need to go to several places. One is the woods. Another is by an old factory. The last will be a place where we can get a good sunset, if you know any." She walks on as I follow behind. I'm sure Theo and Taylor are fine. Everyone fears what might happen if they piss off Theo which is understandable.

Sasha and I park just outside the woods near a park where kids played on the climbing frames, yelling "bang bang!" I remember when things used to be so simple as a child. It was the best childhood I ever had. My parents never made me feel unwanted until... Sophie's incident. "Ever had many friends as a kid?" Sasha asks. "Not really. I had a few but most fucked off and left. Now I just have acquaintances." I look to her as she nodded and walked on into the woods. The play park grew distant as did the noise of the children and now it was just Sasha and I alone in the silence surrounded by trees.

Trees of mixed kinds but the smell of soaked pine was rich. Sasha clearly loved it here, she was lost in her zone, gazing up at the tall swaying tree tops. She took a long inhale but her exhale was longer. I'll do her a favour by not smoking here to keep the pine smell alive and undisturbed. "So, what do I do? Pose? Hold something for you?" I ask but I get no answer. She was looking around for a moment before walking on, waving her hand for me to follow. "Can you tell me a story? Any story at all." I raise a brow but shrug and start anyway.

"A year ago, the band and I was in California for a gig. James was so chilled out that we were pulled over by cops because they thought he was high. Derek was charged for assault, though." Sasha chuckled lightly and smiled the slightest bit. She stops us at a field of colourful flowers and within a blink of an eye, she was on her belly taking photos. "There was also this one time when my Dad played a Bruno Mars love song for my Mom on her birthday. Mom was so red and happy we thought she was gonna take a heart attack." "Cute," she replied, "That's my favourite song of his. I'd love it played on my wedding day if it happens."

She then takes out a tripod for a shot of the field flowers that leads deep into the woods. Mostly blue's and red's. "Maybe it will. Could be with someone you'd never expect. Hey, why don't you photograph me laying in the flowers? It would be a good poster," I laughed lightly. "I was thinking that," she says, my signal to lay down. I lay like I would when sleeping on my side and look at the lens aimed to my eyes, behind the flowers. She took a moment to set up before taking many snaps. She then towered over me as I lay on my back, taking a few more shots

"So what's life like on planet Audrey today?" I stand up and shrug. "Nothing special," I reply. "Still healing?" Those words hurt a little but at the same time... I feel a little better knowing she asked for the second time. So, I nod with hesitation. About twenty minutes later, we arrive at an old factory of some sort. I never even knew of this place until now so I wonder how she knew. "What is this place?" I ask. "An old steel factory. Shut down in 1978 after a serious fire put the company in debt. Can you smoke a cig and lean against the wall here?"

I light one and lean on the wall and let her do her thing. "We best be careful. This place has been rotting for forty years at most." I nod in acknowledgement and we then walk inside where ivy hung from the support beams and walls, creeping through the cracks where possible. I could smell only plant life as it seemed to thrive in here. Sasha took some more photos of all the stunning moments such as sunlight beaming through a hole in the roof, down on a small trickling waterfall surrounded by moss, ferns, ivy and flowers. All in a corner of a room.

I'll admit, it's amazing watching her aim her expensive camera and snapping a photo a moment later. They way she positions herself. The fact she visibly loosens herself when taking the shot. That look in her eye when she finds an opportunity worth capturing or when she sees a photo worthy subject. The same eyes that gaze at me now as I stand here watching her. She smiles when taking the shot, cheeks flustered as she continues around the building. "You must be good at photography. Why did you start?" "To rebel against my stuck up parents. They don't believe it's an art unlike their abstract paintings. Plus, I like it. Have done for a few years."

I never knew her parents were artists. I guess Sasha is more interesting than I thought. Some more time passed and we now sit somewhere on the edge of town, not looking over any buildings or fields. Instead, we sit at a place that I found myself coming to lately. A cliff side that I assume was meant for tourists to camp on but it was clearly abandoned. Now a place where I sit to clear my head, looking over the tree tops as the silence fills my ears. I let Sasha do her thing again somewhere else so I could relax a little bit on the front of my car, a bottle of alcohol in my hand with a cigarette in the other.

The heat from the setting sun rests easy on my damp skin and loose black beanie I put on to keep my hair a little dry. I have no doubt she's photographing me right now. I would do it too if I was her. I wonder what Theo and Taylor are doing. Probably at the arcade again or something. I couldn't care less as I'm here with Sasha, someone who I'm sure will understand what I want here. The blonde sits on my left, humming a tune I recognize. Fallen by Gert Taberner. I thought any music would worsen this moment but apparently not. "Can you not tell anyone about this place?" I ask quietly. "Why? Is it your quiet place? It looks like it is."

I sigh softly with a little smile. She understands and that's all I wanted from her right now. She holds her camera out, leans pointing at herself. I shift myself into the shot, wrapping an arm around her waist and firing a middle finger. I could feel her smile against my cheek as she took the shot. "That's going on my wall," she says. "I don't mind. Just... Keep the photo safe." I don't know why I want her to but I assume it's because we're actually hanging out together without any bullshit. Enjoying, actually. "This is a nice place. I just don't understand why you'd bring me here and ask it to be secret."

"I don't like change much. I don't wanna come back here finding it's been trashed by other kids or drunk gangers. I trust you'll also come here if you need to." She leans down and takes a bottle from the crate on her left and coming up again only to start sipping from the beer immediately. "Honestly, I just want some company when I come here sometimes. It would be nice sharing it with someone." I hop off the car and move to the edge where the wall was, leaning over and putting out my cig on it. Sasha followed hesitantly after I pulled out my knife to carve on the tree on my far right.

"What do you want on it?" I ask. "Audrey and Sasha," she replied. So I carve it into the tree and made it clear. It took a few minutes but it was worth it. It put a smile on our faces when the sun made the damp wood glow. Sasha then reluctantly pulled me into a loose hug and it made me feel so much lighter than I did an hour ago. I hug back and hold her tight as she returned the favour. "Thanks for helping me today, Audrey. I needed it. You saved my ass, actually," She chuckled. Come to think of it, I needed this too. "I needed it too. Glad I could help, though."