Knock!
Knock!
Knock!
There was pounding on the door.
"I'm not going to work today, Tasha!" I replied to the knocking.
Knock!
Knock!
Knock!
I sighed and pushed the blanket aside. I look up to the ceiling.
Hey, when did we paint the ceiling peach?
Hold on, I'm not in my room. And that is definitely not Tasha. But I know that I'm definitely late for dinner.
10:45
Goodness Gracious. I ran to open up the door. It was a cute red haired girl in simple jeans and a red top with a dragon slung across it.
I don't know her, but I like her style.
"Hey. Cameroon, is it?" She questioned, visibly shocked by my appearance.
"Yeah?"
"Ms Salem told me to check if everything was alright since she didn't see you at the party."
"Party? I thought it was just dinner?"
"Yeah, you could call it that."
I hope it isn't a party.
"Can you tell her that I'll be right down."
"Cool. And can you check for Shawn when you're coming. He hasn't come down yet."
"No problem." I smiled.
I took a quick shower immediately after.
Pulled out the first things out of my suitcase and I was sure they'd match.
Most of my clothing is black, grey or vintage.
I didn't bother with my hair, I never do. I always have it under a beanie, under a hoodie.
I rush down the stairs and halfway down, I realise that I forgot to call Shawn.
I gave a lazy knock on his door. He answered his door and he did not seem ready, just like me fifteen minutes ago.
"You seem well prepared."
"What do you want?"
"And I am the grumpy one, Salem is expecting you down."
"Tell her I'm staying in tonight."
×××
I knew it.
It wasn't really a small dinner. It was a party. Maybe it was a small dinner for them. But in my book, if they're over ten guests, it's not dinner. It's a party.
"Ms Chesterfield." Malificent acknowledged my presence.
"I prefer Cam." She eyed me. I don't think she grabbed what I just said. "Everyone calls me Cam."
She didn't say anything. She just analysed me.
"You're late."
"Yes, I overslept and-"
"Where's Shawn?"
"He's not coming."
"Why is that so?"
"I don't know."
"Well, go up there and call him down."
"Why? Last time I checked, I'm his photographer not his personal assistant." I blurted out before I could process what I was saying.
"I-I mean...it's, I–"
"Give the girl a break Sue, it has been a long official first day for her." Hank defended.
"Well, I beg to differ." She said before clutching her drink off to a diffrent table.
"Sorry. Susan is just having a bad day."
Susan? I'm already so used to Malificent. Susan didn't taste good falling off my tongue. It sounded too...not evil.
"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. She's my boss."
"Technically Shawn is, but it's kind of the same difference." He smiled. I smiled back.
I wonder why he has to put up with her. Whatever she's paying him is not enough. What does he even work as? Does he even work for her? No, maybe he works for Shawn. Gosh, there is so much I don't know about him.
Come to think of it, I don't know anything about anyone.
After a while, the conversation Hank and I were having was cut short when he got called by someone and I was left on my own in a huge table.
I couldn't help but feel like a fish out of water. So I just sat there and sipped on water while trying not to look to awkward.
The red haired girl I had met earlier approached the now empty table with a friend of hers.
"I hope you don't mind me sitting here...Camden?
"Cam."
"Yes, Cam."
"I don't mind." At all.
"By the way, it's Laura."
"Mine's Cam. But you already knew that." I face-palmed myself. "I said that like, five seconds ago." I said and Laura's friend laughed.
Later, I could tell that Laura and her friend were tipsy because they were actually having fun. With me!
"So, what do you take pictures of?" Laura's friend, Miranda asked her arm on my shoulder.
"You know. Nothing much. Trees, the sky, food, people."
"Cool. Maybe you could take a photo of me sometime." Miranda challenged, looking at me dead in the eyes. "Maybe sometime tonight."
"Miranda!" Laura kicked her under the table.
"What?" Miranda questioned.
"I would, if my camera wasn't so far. It's all the way upstairs." I replied.
"Lord, you're lazy." Laura exclaimed.
"He's just saving his energy for what's gonna happen tonight, right Cam?"
"He? You know that I'm female, right?"
"You're, not..." she stuttered.
She looked astonishingly at Laura, as if saying, why didn't you tell me?
"Um, imma go fetch us another round." She said staggering off to the bar.
"I'll just have some juice." I shouted at her, amused.
Laura and I looked at each other for a while before we broke down laughing.
"Don't tell me that you seriously didn't see that, Miranda was totally flirting with you the whole time."
"Not the whole time." I defended weakly.
"She was. Cam, she thought you were a guy."
"Well, I'm obviously not."
"She didn't know that. You might be gay but it doesn't mean-"
"Woah Laura, I'm not gay."
"Oh..." She said before a weird tesion followed.
First, Miranda assumed I was a guy, then Laura now thinks I'm gay. See why I dislike people, they don't understand me at all. I mean, Miranda got my gender wrong.
"Well, this is awkward." She said before she started laughing.
And she soon got me bursting into fits of giggles.
"How long do you guys know each other. Is she gay?"
"I don't know. I just met her tonight."
"That explains a lot." I said as Miranda came in with two drinks.
No juice in sight.
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