Off the Map

1

One words, photography. By the time I was ten I knew that I wanted to be a world famous photographer. I started to learn everything I could about the job, like how to take great photographs and what good cameras to use. When I was thirteen my parents bought me my first camera, less then a year later I was hired by a small coffee shop in my neighbourhood of Soho. (Oh yeah, did I mention I live in New York City.) Anyway, this coffee shop paid me to shoot some pictures to hang in there store. Little did I know that the coffee shop would become very popular and would even open more shops around New York. Suddenly I was being hired by so many different stores to shoot pictures for them. With all the money I received I was able to afford the camera of my dreams and I still have some left over. I was very proud of myself and so were my parents. After my first job my family held a little party (and I mean little.) Only my family members were there but there was still cake. I'm boring you aren't I? I'll get out of your way. 

"Hey, mom!" I yelled from outside. "Come outside, these pictures are amazing. I'm in love with new camera." My mom opened up the window and yelled down to me,

"That's great honey but I need you upstairs for a minute,"

"Okay mom, I'll be right up," I put my new camera back in it's case and headed upstairs. "I'm here, what do you want?"

"Your brother found this page in the most recent National Geographic's magazine. It's a photography contest, and the top ten entries win a ten month trip around the world and they get to meet with some of the best photographers in the world," my mom said to me very excitedly, "I thought you could enter the contest considering your dream is to become a photographer." She handed me the page, It was just one page, on the page it had in big bold letters 'up and coming photographers wanted' and the details were underneath it. Behind the writing were pictures of places around the world and teens smiling in group pictures.

"That's sounds amazing, like a once in a lifetime opportunity, but whatever... It's not like I'll get in the top ten, my works not that good," I say. Yeah I know that my work is hanging in coffee shops, cafés and clothing stores around New York and there's no reason I should doubt how good my work is but I still do.

"Oh come on Florence, your photographs are amazing," my brother Spencer said poking his head in the door. Spencer was pretty much a genius. He goes to an elite private school that only the smartest kids get into.  And at said school he is at the top of all of his classes. Talk about a talented family. All the girls adore him. Sadly no guy has ever looked at me like girls look a Spencer.

"I don't want to enter the contest mom," I sigh, "I should get going, bye I'll see you after school,"

"Florence, this is your last chance to enter the contest, it ends tomorrow," my mom said as I walked out the door.

It was true that I thought that the contest was a once in a lifetime opportunity but even if I won which I doubted. I'd have to leave my school to travel the world. I would miss most of my senior year of high school. I'd miss my friends and family. I thought about the contest the entire walk to school.

I go to a private school that is just a few blocks from my house. My school is very laid back, considering we have to wear stupid uniforms. But at least the uniforms aren't itchy. My uniform consists of a white blouse, tie, cardigan, skirt, knee high socks and oxfords. You know the plain, unoriginal, typical, school uniform. I don't mind school though, it's nice I guess. I have friends, not many but I was never the person to like other people's company. Most days after school I spend roaming around New York taking pictures. There is the odd day where I'll go to a friend's house but those days are very rare.

My school used to be an few old university buildings, all of the buildings were connected with corridors and all the buildings surrounded a court yard and in the center of the court yard was an old fountain.  Usually the popular kids ate lunch there. I on the other hand usually met my friends at any local restaurant and we'd eat there. You see the cool thing about my school was that at the beginning of each month every student received a prepaid lunch card that was valid at any restaurant within a certain number of miles. It was great for me and my friends, we were always exploring new types of food. 

When I get to school I head to my first period class... chemistry. I don't like science very much in general in fact I hate it but in order to graduate I have to have so many credits. Most of the time I do my homework in class so I won't have to think about it for the rest of the day. Second period is photography, which is my absolute favourite class. I've already finished all my assignments for the class so right now I'm doing more photos for extra credit. Third period is sociology which is interesting and I may decide to pursue that as a career if photography doesn't work out. I also have my best friend Anya in my class, which makes it even better.

Anya came to my school in the fourth grade as an exchange student from Russia. She liked it so much here (obviously because she met me) that she decided to come back again the next year and the year after, and then the war in Russia got worse so Anya's family decided to move to New York so that Anya could continue to go to school here and their entire family would be safe.

Fourth period and the last period of the day is Russian language arts. When Anya and I started high school we agreed that Anya would take advanced English so that she would be able to speak English better and I would take Russian language arts so that we could communicate in both English and Russian. After school I went home, dropped off my bag, changed into more casual clothes and pick up my camera.

It's the same thing everyday but I don't care. After I get home I download all the pictures I took onto my side of the family laptop and go through them. I love this process, it calms me down, seeing all these beautiful pictures that I took. It makes me feel good and proud about myself, because I took that photo, I could do something beautiful. This cycle continues throughout the entire school year, which I know for some people it would get boring but to me it doesn't.

**********************

It's been three weeks since I heard about the contest and each day I regret not entering it more and more. All day in class I keep thinking about which photos I would have entered. Of course I think of new photos that I could've entered everyday which just upsets me more.

It's been taking away from my photography and my school work. So now I get to play catch-up with most of my classes, which of course takes away from my photography even more. I just need to take a break from my homework and go take some pictures.

I quickly get up from my desk, almost knocking over my pencil jar in the process.

"Mom," I yell while lacing up my sneakers, "I'm going out to shoot some pictures, I'll be back soon."

"Okay honey, be back before supper."

I knew dinner would probably be soon, so I didn't bother going that far. But it worked out fine because my favourite place to take pictures is a little park near my house. It has the prettiest flowers around this time of year. It's quite small, less then half a block long. The tree were tall and the leaves blocked out most of the sunlight, it's cool in the summer when New York gets really hot. The fact the only some light gets in creates really cool lighting effects too. But it also has street performers wish are always cool to take pictures of. The park is just a block away so I decided to go there but the park is closed because some movie is filming there. I walk past the park and take some pictures of street art. It's not what I usually take pictures of but I don't mind. Maybe I can use one of these pictures if I get another job. After a little while I looked down at my phone, crap someone had texted me.

To: You    From: Mom

Can you come home now we need to talk.

To: Mom   From: You

I'm on my way.

------------

AN: Thank you so much for reading my story. I have 5 or so chapters written but I'll be putting them up at different times. I hope you guys like it and please comment and vote.