Hold On

Chapter One: The Diner and the Boys

Adjusting the camera bag that was flung across my shoulder, I look down the street, seeing if there was anything decent worth taking a picture of. My camera bounced in front of my body, as I spot an elderly couple come out of a door about 20 feet ahead of me, holding hands. I smile, and scurry a few feet ahead of me, before getting down on one knee, and holding my camera up to my face. looking through the view finder, I wait as the camera focuses, and quickly snap a picture.

Looking back at the picture I took, I frowned, noticing that the lighting was off and a light from the setting sun had streaked across the picture. Sighing to myself, I shook my head, and hovered my thumb over the delete button, not willing myself to do it. I always kept my bad pictures and put them in a box where I would find them one day and remember from where I'd come from, and how far I'd come.

But so far, most of the pictures I took were put into that box, and it had expanded into about 5 over flowing boxes shoved in the bottom of my closet. Its frustrating most days when I can imagine a picture that I want and can see in my head, it just doesn't turn out the way I want it to.

I always got frustrated when the pictures wouldn't come out the way I wanted them too, because my family thinks this photography thing is a phase that I've had for 7 years. My dad is always saying, "Julia, you need to focus on your studies not your pictures". It just irks me, this is my passion and they need to see that.

Gripping my camera in my hands again, I stand up, and continue walking down the deserted street. I've never been here before, and I've been living in this city basically my whole life. And more curiously, I wanted to see where that couple had come from. I walked a few feet in front of me again, and I saw the door that they had emerged from.

Above the door was an old sign, that had recently been painted that said "Maxie's Diner", and from the outside, it looked a lot rattier then it actually does when I stepped inside.

It was sort of like an old 80's diner, but with more modern touches. Like the flat screen in the corner, and the shiny appliances I could see from the opening in the bar. Booths lined one side of the diner, and the bar lined the opposite side. Tables were arranged in between the two, making almost a jigsaw puzzle to find your seat. Glancing around the diner, I saw very few people there, about 3 customers and 2 waiters.

The one waiter I saw was serving a plate of waffles to an excited 8 year old boy, a big smile on both their faces. The waiter had kind brown eyes, and black swoopy hair, that didn't necessarily go across his forehead. His teeth were so white against the contrast of his tan skin, and his jaw was impeccable from this angle. He was tall, easily 6 foot, nothing compared to my 5'6, and had a narrow body shape. But as he lowered the plate to the table, I could see the bulging arm muscles that peeked out from his shirt. I felt creepy staring at him walk across the diner for so long that I knew I was blushing.

Continuing my way into the diner, I could see someone lying on the seat of the bunk, wearing a plaid shirt with the sleeves cut off. I couldn't see his face because of the menu that had been strategically placed on his face, probably to block out the harsh diner lights. His legs we so long that with his head propped against the wall, his knees were bunched up almost to his chest, in order to stay put on the booth. He had on skinny black jeans, and black shoes, and the only light thing that i could see on him, was his hair. From what peeked out, it was bleach blonde, basically white, and I had to admit it looked good on him. From what I could see anyways. I smiled at the sleeping boy in the booth, and I raised my camera up to my eye, and focused in on him.

I snapped the picture right before the other boy I had been admiring from before, came over, and slapped a dish towel on the sleeping boy's stomach, just hard enough to wake him up, and have the menu slide off his face. I quickly took another picture as the tanned boy was laughing, and the sleeping boy was glaring at him, rubbing one sleepy eye. I looked at the picture in the screen, and before I could find anything bad about it, a voice scared me out of my trance.