The Photographer (Ignazio Boschetto Fanfiction)

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

                   The next day when I awoke, the outside light was bright and the sun fully risen. I shuffled out of the bedroom and pulled on a wrap sweater over my pajamas before going out on the balcony. I leaned on my arm on the railing, staring painfully at the wondrous landscape under me and in front of me. I didn’t have any pictures in the midday light, and I desperately wanted some. I knew that if I went out and got them, I would fall back into my cycle of taking daily landscapes. I had to go at least a few days without them. I sighed heavily and looked longingly down from the balcony, feeling as if I was going through a sort of withdrawal.

          I pulled myself away from the unattainable beauty and retreated back inside, sitting down and curling up lazily on the couch. Though I had slept for a long while, I still felt tired. I suspected that it would take several days to recover from my deprivation. I gazed out the window at the balcony, holding myself back with all my might and trying to subdue my frustration. I longed for a distraction, and was appeased when there was a knock on the door.

          “Tamzin, are you awake?” Ignazio called through the closed door, knocking again.

          “Yeah,” I called back, moving my head from where it was buried dejectedly in the couch pillow to speak.

          “Can I come in? I want to talk to you.”

          I got up reluctantly from the couch and ran a hand through my tangled blonde hair on the way to the door. I pulled it open and looked at Ignazio standing in the doorway, surveying his bright smile, his dark messy hair, and his soft-looking sweater and jeans.

          “Good morning,” I said, unintentionally sleepy-sounding, stepping aside to let him in, and he smiled gently after I closed the door and leaned against it, watching him.

          “Well, afternoon, now.”

          “What!?”

          I turned and looked at the hotel room clock, startled to find that it was three in the afternoon.

          “Oh! Oh no, Ignazio!” I said in shock, turning back to him. “I missed the interview!”

          “It’s okay!” he quickly reassured me, smiling, “We didn’t wake you on purpose. Michele and I talked last night about you, and I told him that you were sleep deprived. He decided to let you off for the day so you could rest.”

          I stared at him in stunned silence for a moment, and then I glared at him.

          “No!” I said forcefully, curling my hands into angered fists. “You should have woken me! I am your photographer! You can’t let me off like this! I have to go with you guys, understand!? It’s my RESPONSIBILITY!”

          I was raising my voice in frustration, and Ignazio looked at me in confusion.

          “It’s alright, Tamzin! You can rest today.”

          “NO! I have to go to work, okay!?”

          He gazed silently at me for a moment and then held up his hands in surrender.

          “Okay,” he said softly. “Sure, Tamzin.”

          “I’m coming to the concert tonight,” I said, folding my arms defiantly.

          “Okay.”

          We stared at each other for a moment, his face blank and mine supporting a fierce glare. Then he smiled brightly, trying to get me to smile too, and I dropped my arms after a moment as I watched his cheerful expression.