The JereMike Collection

Interview

(Continued from the previous chapter)

The new's room certainly didn't look like a proper reporter's office. Jeremy was lucky enough to find it in time, just passing a muck green door with golden lettering on the window. Peeking through the tinted glass, he could see someone sitting at a lone desk at the far side of the room, head bent down as they read and shifted through a stack of papers.

Sensing Jeremy's presence, their view lifted to stare at the door. Amber eyes caught sight of a figure behind the glass and motioned for him to come in. "Whattaya waiting for? Come in!"

The voice was cheerful and friendly, which was a refreshing change from the solid looks and glares Jeremy's been getting as he wandered around the building. Taking a deep breath, he turns the door knob and steps inside the office, shutting it softy behind him. "H-hi...."

The student raised a brow at the greeting. "Shy one, yeah?" He chuckles, "That's fine, better than some snobby nosed dimwit who knows how to press a camera button" He grins at the unease on Jeremy's face before looking over to the wall, eyeing the high hung clock there. "You're late"

Embarrassment flared in Jeremy as he wrung his hands together, "I'm sorry...I c-couldn't find the office and um..." He trailed off. Yeah, he was late, and it was mostly him just having no sense of direction. Besides, saying he was stalled because he accidentally pictured a boxer who wanted to break his nose afterwards didn't seem realistic in any sense, so he kept quiet.

To his surprise, the student only shrugged. "Not surprised. We're in the middle of fucking no where-excuse my language" He quickly added, Jeremy only giving a small nod in return. The man eyed the clock again, a smile on his face as he piled the stack of papers into one neat corner on his desk. "It's only 7:08 anyway, which really isn't that bad..."

Jeremy wants to pipe up again and modestly apologize, but considering earlier events, maybe it was better not to deny a kindness. "Besides, I was worried you wouldn't want to come anyway. It wouldn't have been the first, heh..." The reporter smiled to himself, clearing off his desk so he could set his elbows on the wood, propping his head up to talk to the teen.

"Jeremy Fitzgerald, right?" He grinned, "I'm Fritz, nice to meet ya"

The hint of an accent in his voice was charming. "Nice to m-meet you too" The photographer stutters, tracking as the other man gestured for him to seat. Hesitating, Jeremy plopped down in an old chair just in front of Fritz, settling his hands politely in his lap.

"Soooo, you accepted right? You wouldn't be here otherwise, yeah?" Fritz piped, asking questions he already knew the answer to. Regardless, the teen nodded his head. A look of glee flashed across the reporter's expression. "Perfect"

Tapping his finger's against the wood, thinking for a moment. "Alright, I know I said I had food but..." He looked to the side, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. "I was kinda convinced you flaked out on me, so I ate it. My bad."

Jeremy smiled. "T-that's fine, I'm not hungry" Well, he might have been a little hungry, just in the slightest. But it didn't matter; he came here for the job, not for the food. Besides, the crumbs collected around the desk and the wrappers stuffed roughly into the nearby garbage can indicated that whatever Fritz had brought wasn't much anyhow.

The reporter seemed unconvinced, narrowing his eyes at how petite the teen's frame was, but only shrugged. "Suit yourself, it'd be better if you'd get something to eat before you start your assignment tonight though. Just saying"

The teen furrowed his brows at the statement. "Assignment? Tonight? But it's already so late...."

Fritz clicked his tone, this time a little guilty. His foot tapped on the ground as he spoke. "Believe me, bud, I wouldn't be here if I had a choice. We gotta have a story by tomorrow and I'm running out of informants." He leans back in his chair, watching the teen's reaction. "Yeah, I know what the contract said; you're just supposed to be a photographer, right?"