Picture Perfect (Audrey Jensen)

Chapter 1

Isabella Morello Pov.

Is it strange that I love the sound of my camera going off? The rush that I get when I have to time a picture just right or the picture won't turn out right. The feeling of satisfaction when I see the recognition in elders eyes as they look at my camera and the confusion of my own generation. I use a Canon AE-1 film camera, built in 1976 but it still works like the diamond she is.

"Okay, last picture honey, we have to go" My mother, Grace Morello, said when she saw me taking pictures of our soon-to-be old home. I sighed and lowered my camera, untangling the neck strap from my wrist. I climbed into my car that held half of our belongings, while my mom got into her own car that held the other half. We were light packers for everything, most of the things we had to pack were my camera equipment and developing chemicals.

Luckily, our new home wasn't that far away and it only took three hours to get there. We were moving into my mother's old house where she grew up. I stared up at the house and hummed in slight satisfaction, it was bigger and prettier than our last house but it didn't share the same childhood bond I had with our last one. "What do you think Maji?" I asked Majique, who blinked at me and meowed back.

My mom honking at me brought me out of my thoughts and she motioned for me to park in the driveway alongside her. I pulled in my mirrors so they wouldn't hit her car and parked next to her. Majique instantly jumped out when I opened the door and mom asked me the same question I asked Majique.
I shrugged and looked at my cat who was prancing around the yard, "Majique seems to like it so I guess it is okay".

I grabbed what I could and walked up to the front porch with my mom, who struggled to retrieve the key from her back pocket while holding her bags. When the door opened I was, if I'm being honest, kinda disappointed. When the moving company moved our furniture in a few days ago, they just threw everything in the front room and left it. It wasn't like I was expecting them to put the furniture in place but I thought they would at least put the stuff in their appropriate rooms.

The kitchen appliances were mixed in with the living rooms, the bathroom mirror and cabinets stacked next to the bedroom mattresses. It was a catastrophe but all my mom did was let out a sigh of relief and flashed me once of her million dollar smiles. A smile that I have caught on camera more than once.

"Isn't it perfect honey? Oh do you smell that? That is the smell of a new house and a fresh start!" She said and I sniffed the air a bit before grimacing, all I could smell was dust and it was making me want to sneeze. I wanted to complain and tell mom that I won't live here and that we need to go home but she needs this. She needs a new start and who am I to take that from her.

"Okay, start with your bedroom. Get all the things done that needs to be done involving sleeping. Then you can start on your black room in the attic" mom said as she shifted through all of the stuff on the floor. She yanked my mattress from under hers and up off the ground, helping me carry it upstairs. How did she know which one was mine, you ask? It is the one without coffee stains.

My bedroom was a bit bigger than my last one, not huge but a perfect roomy space. As I stared at the completely empty room, my imagination took control. My bed will sit right in the middle against the wall with my trunk full of photo albums at the foot of the bed. My desk will be in the corner and my closet will be against the farthest wall. That leave one whole wall just for developed pictures to hang. The image of my completed room faded away and I flinched as Majique clawed her way up my back until she sat on my shoulder.

"We can do this Majique," I said and scratched behind her ear before looking back at the barren room "we can make it work".

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Majique (Ma-sh-e-k)
I couldn't think of a name for Isabella's cat so I used my own cats name.