Like Taking a Photo

Chapter 2: A Friend In Need

Reid woke up to the sound of his alarm going off. It was 6:30 am. He blindly felt around for his phone to shut off the blaring alarm. This was used every morning so he could get up and get ready for work. This time, however it felt like a stab in the chest. The clock mocking him. He lifted his head up from the tear-stained pillow and sat on the side of the bed.

After a few moments he got up and made his way to the kitchen where he turned on his coffee maker. Once heated, he placed a pod into the awaiting slot and closed the top. He grabbed his favorite orange mug from the cabinet and poured in a pouch of hot cocoa mix. He liked to mix his coffee with cocoa, it gives it a very unique flavor.

Once the coffee was poured and the splash of milk was added, he made his way over to the couch and turned on the television. The news was on and the headline at the bottom of the screen read as follows:

"City's Highly-Proclaimed Restaurant: Up in Flames"

Reid's jaw dropped. The restaurant he had been working at caught on fire. Luckily nobody was hurt. His paws started shaking. He heard a message come through on his phone. He picked it up and looked at the screen. He looked at the name and chuckled. The name shown was another friend of his, another deer, aptly named Cocoa. The text read:

"Hey Reid, saw the news about the restaurant. I hope you're ok."

Reid answered back. "Hey, bud. Yeah I'm fine, funny thing is they actually fired me last night before it happened. I just found out myself. We can talk about it later."

"Glad to hear it, I'm sorry you were let go, I will see the fire as karma. Talk to you soon!" Came Cocoa's almost instant reply.

Once Reid was nice and awake, and he was ready to begin the day, he washed out his cup and put it on the drying rack. He will have to come back today and get more things. This mug will be one of the first things he packs. He decided to just roll with the punches today and drive to Kitsy's house while still dressed in his pajamas. He grabbed his keys, his filled suitcase, and turned the lights off, before heading out the door.

Reid lived in the city. It wasn't too dense of an area, but there were still buildings and cars, and other furries everywhere. His friend Kitsy, however, lived on the outskirts, in a very rural area with trees and grass and all the quiet that the city doesn't have. He was very much looking forward to living without all the noise that he had to deal with everyday.

Reid was driving along, listening to his favorite 80s music on the radio. He had just made it out of the city, he could see trees! But this feeling didn't last. He felt the car begin to slow. The gas pedal was doing nothing. He looked down. Out of gas. He was too focused on starting from scratch and leaving behind the city life, that he forgot to fill the car before heading out. He carefully pulled over to the side of the road and stopped.

Reid covered his face with his paws. Mumbling to himself. "Stupid deer, fucking stupid fucking buck."

He stepped out of the car to breathe some fresh air, and to hopefully calm down. He watched cars drive past, one after another. And then one vehicle seemed to slow down. They were coming from the direction he was headed and as they passed, he saw the vehicle make a U-turn, and pull behind him. The vehicle was a red pickup truck. A little dirty, with larger wheels. Obviously used to the rural life.

Out of the truck, stepped a taller and decently muscular Thoroughbred Horse. He was brown in color, wearing a flannel shirt and denim overalls. He walked over to where Reid was standing. He spoke in a slight southern-accent.

"Are you ok, sir? Do ya need some help with anything?" He spoke softly.

Reid was admittedly a little flustered. One reason being the not-so-bad-looking horse in front of him, but also the fact that he was still in his pajamas.

"Oh, um yeah, actually." Reid said, "I wasn't thinking, and forgot to fill up my car before driving out to the countryside. I can be a dumb deer sometimes. Oh, and my apologies for not being, well, presentable. It's a long story." He rubbed the back of his neck.

The horse waved his hand. "Hey I don't judge." The horse very subtly eyed the deer from top to bottom, an action that was not caught by Reid.

"Oh and don't worry about that. Those things can happen to the best of us. You're in luck though, I have a couple jugs of fuel in the back of my truck here. I'll see if I can help you out."

The horse went back and grabbed a jug out of his truck, and came back over to the car. He opened the gas-cap and poured in the fuel. After he was done, he closed it back up and set the jug back in the truck.

"That should do it, there's a gas station a couple miles down that way. This should get you there."

Reid stuck out his paw. "Thank you for the help, ummm-"

"Call me CJ." The horse said shaking Reid's paw.

"Thanks, CJ. Name's Reid."

"Not a problem, Reid. Always happy to help."

CJ walked off back to his truck. He started the ignition and made the turn back to his original path, but not before giving a wave goodbye. Reid watched as the red truck drove out of sight. Reid got back into his car and turned the key. The car started right up. He kept glancing in the rear-view mirror not sure what he was hoping to see.

He checked his surroundings and pulled out onto the road, this time making sure to stop at the gas station on the way to the house.

LATER: Reid pulls up into the driveway of his friend's home. It was a ranch-style home. Very up-kept, with plenty of shade from surrounding trees. He got out of the car and opened the trunk to grab his suitcase. He heard the front door of the house open. He looked over and saw his friend standing in the doorway. He gave a wave.

Suitcase in paw, he walked to the front door. Kitsy took the case and sat it on the nearest chair. Reid closed the door behind him and was enveloped by the always reassuring hug from his friend.

Reid immediately began to tear up again. Only able to speak two words.

"Thank you."