Checkmate ⚢

Chapter 13 Rival

It must have been hours. Althea was getting tired of posing and smiling for the camera. Even though Hana told her she could say her whenever she felt tired, she didn't want to delay the schedule and mess up everyone's moods. And it seems Hana was having the same train of thought too.

Hana looked like she was giving out expressions of frustration and madness, then a complete outburst.

The second location shoot went from a Mad Hatter-inspired tea party to scantily look for the natural light that escaped the dark clouds.

Everyone looked exhausted too and needed a break. There wasn't even any conversation taking place. It was just her and Hana—talking, interacting, and staring. Even if everyone around them was tired, even if Hana was having some serious creativity crisis, Althea liked being with her and helping her.

Althea felt needy for Hana's presence and warmth beside her. She couldn't help reaching out to her; even the slightest of shoulder's touch sent burnings of desire to her. She caught herself stealing too many glances and holding eye contact with Hana when it was no longer necessary.

She didn't know why she wanted that or what led up to that. But she wanted Hana's attention on her and she liked the reaction she was getting out of the cute girl.

And there Hana was, as beautiful as she always appeared to be in Althea's mind—a beautiful mess, with her red eyes laughing with Liezel.

Althea frowned at that.

She was drowning in her thoughts when Hana continuously clapped, letting her out of her trance.

"That's it, people!" Hana said. "We're done for this location!"

Althea's eyebrow arched. She then heard multiple pleased sighs. Clearly, Hana was getting tired and some of them were already feeling the stress of the whole day.

"Let me see the photos you have so far," Samantha said as soon as she got the camera. She began scanning through with genuine awe. "Wow, Hana you take photography more seriously as days go by."

"Ehehehe, thanks."

Samantha noticed her staring. "Laney, want to see?"

Althea arched an eyebrow with the nickname. Must've been taking from Lancaster. "If I must," she stood beside Samantha, staring at the photos Hana took of her. Noticing a keen detail in all of them, Hana had a habit of focusing on shoulders.

It seems that Samantha too caught the vibe. "Hana," she raised her eyebrows repeatedly. "Is there something you want to share with me regarding these photos?"

Hana blushed. "Well, shoulders are very feminine and a beautiful part. I really like looking at photos where the model had one of the straps on her shoulder down to display it."

"Boring!" Samantha rolled her eyes, unsatisfied with Hana's lame answer. "You're not going far in your talent if you're just going to copy Andromeda. We don't need an Andromeda 2.0."

Hana munched on air, ready to retort when Althea spoke first. "You might have held the right way of thinking, Miss O'Reilly, but you conveyed your thoughts on the matter incorrectly."

"Oh yeah? What should have I said?"

"A photographer's style can be seen as the way they use language to transmit their message," Althea said. "Most great photographers started by copying someone else and some ultimately developed their own style. You learn techniques and apply them to your taste, that's how you built your own style and master the craft." She then turned to the shorter girl. "So Hana, it's very important for you to learn from Andromeda. So if following her advice on matters inspires you, never feel bad. You are still learning."

Hana's eyes clouded with happy tears. "Aww Althea!" she jumped towards the taller girl and enveloped her in a tight hug.

"H-Hana!" Althea flushed, feeling the girl's weight on her. Although the hug itself that cane from Hana made her ecstatic.

Their rendezvous ended when they heard a flash from a camera. The crew stared at Hildegard, who was documenting the whole photoshoot, smiling at the fact that she took a good photo.

Hana took one last sniff and clapped her hands with a giggle. "The food smells great, Nat!"

Natalya smiled at the flattery. "I cooked my afternoon snack time specialty."

"Yay!" Hana screamed in delight. "Come on guys! Let's eat!"

"Ahh finally!" Samantha said as she stretched her aching arms.

"What?" Fallon asked, her frown was deep and her eyes scanning the schedule sheet. "You sure?"

"Why?" Hana tapped the sides of her DSLR. "Aren't you hungry?"

"Well sure," she began. "Not the point, but... we're taking a break already? The break was supposed to be after the whole shoot."

"I didn't know it would tire us out that much! Besides, Professor Andrea told me to never take photos on an empty stomach!" Hana could only wink, for her mouth was filled with tasty tarts. A sure-fire way to get Hana sugar rushed. She noticed Althea staring at her being a complete glutton and coughed hard. "Come rest and eat, after this a wardrobe change then we head to the last location."

Althea followed what she was instructed to do and sat next to Joshua. He was enjoying the slice of cake that he was eyeing for quite a while. She really wanted to sit next to Hana and flirt but since they were accompanied by a lot of people she restraint herself.

However, Althea's focus diminished as she watched Liezel talking vividly to Hana once more. Hana smiled and nodded approvingly, every once in a while losing her gaze into the sugary sweetness that she was plunging her teeth into.

Liezel said something to which Hana laughed, and to better seal the degree of her amusement, at what appeared to Althea as a joke, she affectionately brushed Liezel's arm.

Witnessing such a scene, Althea's genuinely disturbed, she felt compelled to do something to cut the evil from its root. Althea's patience with seeing them laughing and talking was reaching its limit. One more flirting and she's going to snap. She didn't know what had determined her to want to take action, but the boiling in her veins told her that it was the right thing to do. She couldn't allow Liezel, of all people, to take what she had rightfully claimed the moment she pinned her to the wall.

Hana was her sudden interest. Althea was the only one entitled to reveal the secrets behind Hana's character; her and no one else.

Althea took a sip of the nearest tea at her side of the table, wanting to calm herself from the impending eruption of her anger. She swore she heard Hana's voice rose but all she could focus on was the fire burning in her tongue and throat.

Then an evil cackling Liezel that made her clench her fists so hard that she's worried her fingernails pierced through her skin.