Nevermind Me

Chapter 2

Okay, here we go!

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"Jay!" I heard his voice behind me, and recognized it immediately. I turned to see him running towards me, a smile plastered on his face.

"James!" I smiled, "What is it? I'm sorry, I didn't see you!"

"Oh, no problem. But I have some good news!! I've found you a job! One you'll love!" He was shaking with excitement.... Or he was on something. Hard to tell with these people. Wow, my life was a mess if I couldn't tell if one of my (dare I say) 'friends' was high or not.

But he had my attention. If I wasn't going to be eating from my fathers money, I would need food eventually. And a place to stay would be nice to.

"Really? What is it?"

Instead of answering he pulled a flyer out of his back jean pocket, if you could call them jeans. They were more tape then anything... Like my fathers.

The flyer he handed me said:

WANTED

A GOOD PHOTOGRAPHER FOR OUR LOVING FAMILY

£5.98 AN HOUR

all you have to do is stay with us and take photos... All the time! We want someone to catch our wildest moments, or happiest moments and our sad ones! Hopefully less of the last one...

Just swing by our place to see if you would be right for OUR FAMILY!!

Bellow was an address for a flat, halfway across the city from where we were standing.

"Oh, James, it looks like fun. But I don't even have a camera, or a place to wash up."

"Come with me." James said, absent minded, "I can get you a camera."

I hesitated, knowing James this may be dangerous, but I loved photography, and this job would also provide a place for me to sleep. I followed him, clutching the flyer in my hand tightly.

"Not far. Not far at all..." He mumbled. Yep, he was most defiantly on something. It scared me how much that didn't bother me, how I was willing to go with him, even after realizing that. He turned a corner, and led me down a short alley then out onto another street. I started digging in my bag, looking for the money I had grabbed off the counter on my way out this morning. I did a quick count, £20.97 ... That probably wasn't going to be enough, but James was a good hustler, and he obviously knew the person that he was taking me to. At least, I hope he did.

I was right behind James, so when he stopped and turned his head to the left, looking in a shop window, I crashed right into him. He stuttered, "hmm...hmm. We're here." He walked into the shop. I hesitated before following him. The place looked like a murder scene. Broken window, cracked plaster, manikins in the window wearing nothing but pants, other odd things laying on the ground in plain sight. A plunger here, picture frame there. James popped his head out and gave me a pouty face. He was acting like a little child.

"Jay?! Please!!"

Sighing, I walked in after him. The shelves were covered in odd nick nacks, everything from collectible looking art and fine china, to toilet seats and ripped trading cards. But they all must have meant something. The only question was what?

"Caaaaammmmeeerrroooonnnnn!!!!" called James, cupping his hands around his mouth.

"Yes James?" came a small voice from my left. I gave out a small scream, where had this girl come from! She wasn't there a second ago. "I saw you come in." She told me with a sympathetic smile.

"I see." I answered.

James looked bored by our conversation, so he interrupted us, "Cameron do you still have that Nikon that you were gonna sell me yesterday but I didn't have the £20? Well we need it now and I'm pretty sure we can pay."

Cameron was a short young girl, no older than 13. She was not built for street life, and she looked like she belonged in a library with her hair plaited down the side of her head and her eyes made huge by the specs sliding off her nose.

"Follow me. I held it behind the counter, knowing you'd come back for it. You always do James."

We followed her to the back of the shop, passed shelves loaded with everything and anything you could imaging. I paused and picked up a book.

"The Hunger Games."

Cameron stopped and looked back at me, "I love that book." She smiled.

"How much?" I asked, feeling free. My father would have slapped me across the face for even holding it.

Again, sympathy crossed her face, "keep it. It's yours. I've read it too many times anyways, and the only reason people buy books from me anymore is tinder." I felt sad for this girl who sounded like an old woman, and grateful as well. My second book ever. Shoving off my pack, I slipped it in.

"Hurry hurry up. Hurry up now please." James was already at the counter, watching us impatiently. Cameron giggled at how silly he looked and she hurried around to the back of the counter, bending down to pull out a small box.

"Here u go James," she pulled a beautiful camera from the box, "£20, but I'll throw in batteries for an extra pound."

I stumble up to the counter, "may I hold it please?" I gasped. Slowly, she placed the camera into my palm. It felt perfect, something I'd never felt before, "are the batteries in it?"

She nodded.

I clicked it on and trained it on her and James. I needed this camera.

"Done." I said and set my £20.97 on the counter.

She shrugged, "Close enough." grabbed the money and disappeared down the aisles of the shop without another word. I turned to James.

"Thank you."

He looked up, confused. "Don't thank me. It's about time you had something for you. Now get outta here." He was really screwed up right now.

I hugged him quickly, and ran out of the shop. Now I had my first step....and a plan