While You're Here

07

It was the first week of October but you'd never know judging by the weather. With the temperature climbing back to the twenties, I'd left my jacket at home, grabbed my sunglasses, and felt all my stress melt away under the warmth of the sun. Before I left the house, I'd made sure to grab a blanket and stuff it in the bottom of my bag for later.

Now, I had another rare moment to breathe between classes. I laid out the blanket on the grass, settled down, and picked up a book I'd borrowed from Ren a few days ago. She swore it was one of the best she's ever read and begged Erika and I to read it so she could rant to someone who understood what she was talking about.

The book had a bit of a slow start, but I tried to push through. I probably wasn't going to finish it even if I liked it, so I settled on reading as much as I could in one hour before passing it on to Erika. I could just search up a summary online or have Erika relay everything to me.

Around the twenty page mark, I looked up, scanning the quad. The sun was strong today and even with my sunglasses, reading was a bit uncomfortable for my eyes. As I looked around, I spotted none other than Wesley himself, wandering with a camera in hand. Under my stare, he glanced up, spotting me across the field. I waved to him and he walked over.

"Well, now I know you're stalking me," he said in lieu of greeting.

I sat up so I didn't have to crane my neck. "You're the one who keeps coming up to me."

"I haven't the slightest clue what you mean."

"Do you wanna sit?" I scooted over on the blanket to make room.

Wesley looked down, pondering for a moment, then said, "Sure." He settled down on the edge, leaning back on his hands. His gold jewellery sparkled in the sunlight. "You don't have class?"

"In half an hour." I nodded at the camera hanging around his neck. "What are you taking pictures of?"

"Everything." He sat up, cradling the camera in his hands. "It's mostly film. I'm thinking of compiling all the footage when I go home."

"Hmm." I smirked. "Sounds stalkerish."

"You would think so." His eyes wandered across my face and I fought the urge to blush. After a moment, he asked, "Could I take your photo?"

I balked. "Me?"

"If you hate it, I'll erase it."

I didn't feel photo ready, but I'd looked worse, so how bad could it be?

"Okay."

"Yeah? Alright, hold still for a second." Wesley adjusted the settings, then lifted the camera. I tilted my head down, looking over the top of my sunglasses. He took a few shots then leaned over to show me them. I held a hand over top to block the intrusive light. "Good?"

The photo was tastefully flirty and mysterious. Some strands of hair had fallen loose from my bun, yet they didn't look out of place. Sunlight hit my face at just the right angle, illuminating my skin. I really, really liked it.

"Can you send me that?"

Wesley grinned, pleased. "Done."

"So, tell me," I said as he packed the camera away. "You're studying digital media—you must have a favourite movie that you're strongly opinionated about."

"Lots of people have favourite movies."

"Yeah, but people who are in the business are extremely touchy about it." I paused, considering the worst. "Don't tell me yours is The Godfather."

Wesley's eyes darted around before whispering, "I've actually never seen it."

"Are you serious?"

"What?" He laughed, raising a brow. "Are you going to lecture me?"

"I mean, I haven't seen it either, but I'm surprised you haven't."

"I prefer television, anyway," he explained. "Building up characters and storylines over multiple series and being able to look back and see how far it's all come—you just don't get that same satisfaction with movies. That's what I'd like to get into, if I'm lucky."

I tried to imagine what kind of show Wesley would work on, what would speak to him the most. He seemed like the kind of person who could work with anything.

"Have you written any scripts?"

"I have for classes, but I prefer working behind the camera." He shrugged. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Have you got any wild dreams?"

"I have a small business," I told him. Orders were slow, but at least they were still coming in. It was too bad my creative rut was slowly taking over every aspect of my life. "It's a bit of a mess right now, but I think it could be something one day. I don't know."

"You manage it all on your own?"

I nodded.

"That's pretty amazing. Not many people can do that."

When I first set it all up and received my first batch of orders, it felt like I was on top of the world. Glowing reviews trickled in and for a short while momentum built and I thought I was at the start of something great. Of course, it wasn't that simple, but for a while all my dreams seemed possible. Now I wasn't so sure.

"I guess."

"Give yourself some credit. You're a full-time student and you work. I'm sure you're doing your best."

"Thank you." I breathed a sigh of relief. It sucked, needing validation from other people, but it really did help sometimes. "I think I needed to hear that."

"You can pay me back with something from your shop," said Wesley.

I scoffed. "Oh, really?"

"Maybe two things, if you're feeling generous."

"You're a piece of work." I checked the time and was surprised to see how quickly the hour had gone by. I grabbed my bag and started shoving my things inside. "I have to get to class. But you probably already know where that is."

"Ha ha. I have to get going, too."

Wesley helped me fold the blanket and we walked down the path together until we had to split up. We waved goodbye and he headed left while I turned right. I knew I was cutting it close, but I detoured for an iced matcha anyway; I deserved a treat. When I finally sat down in class, I realized I hadn't stopped smiling.