Out Of Focus (Wattys 2023)

FINALE. No Takesies Backsies.

OK, it may be a little bit dramatic to be back here, but Shayne knows it's the last place any of them will look.

"Thanks, man, five stars and a big ol' tip are waiting for you in the app," he says to his Uber driver as he hops out of the car.

The driver, Frank, a larger hairy man with a long red beard, gives him a grunt and a thumbs up.

"Nice place kid," Frank says, some kind of accent in his voice.

"It's not-"

But Frank is gone before Shayne can finish his sentence, clearly not interested in very much conversation. The mansion is just as he remembers it when he first walked up, so many nights ago. The lawns are still manicured and every architectural detail looks like it's been kept up with a fine-toothed comb. All that's missing is the insane amount of crew members, now replaced by silence and something that would be very hard for Shayne to miss.

"Oh you have got to be fucking kidding me," he says to himself as he makes his way into the yard.

There's an insane Sholiver shrine. Pictures of him and Oliver together have been printed out on big boards. Personalized signs with messages have been left behind. There are a lot of plushie kangaroos in the yard as well.

"I can't imagine the landscape folks are having much fun with this," he says.

Shayne takes a deep breath, trying to process the surreal sight before him. The Sholiver shrine is overwhelming, an unexpected reminder of the impact their story has had on fans. Each step through the yard feels heavier than the last.

As he examines the area more closely, Shayne's heart aches with a mixture of gratitude and sadness. The signs, the pictures, and the plushie kangaroos are just too much. He wonders how the internet will remember them now that this is out if anyone tabloids know that they're on the rocks; if he cares that people know.

Running his fingers through his hair, Shayne finds himself at a loss for words. He had never expected this to become a spectacle, he hadn't expected it to be anything at all really.

Taking one last look at the shrine, Shayne gathers his thoughts, before turning away and walking towards the mansion doors. He knows they're looked, but he tries the door anyway, his mind flashing back to the very rude man he told off there.

"I know you're just so busy waiting for us to tend to your every need," he says to himself, a reminder of what he said to the guy he risked everything for; and it still wasn't enough.

Was he unlovable?

Should he give him another chance?

Is he still going to leave for the movie regardless, and what does that mean exactly if he does?

They're all valid questions he supposes, as he sinks onto one of the mansion's steps, praying to God no one calls the police.

"Can I help you, young man?" A frail voice says from behind him, Shayne nearly shitting himself as he jumps up and takes a few steps back.

It's an older woman, she has to at least be in her 70's, but she looks well taken care of. She's standing on the side of the now half-open mansion door, wearing a robe, slippers, and red rimmed glasses.

"Sorry ma'am," Shayne says. "I worked on the show here. Didn't know if anyone lived here."

"Oh no," she says. "You're fine baby, I'm Jocelyn."