Chapter 6
Kevin:
Leave
it to our management to find the two most distracted photographers. Neither
Melissa nor Durbbie could concentrate on their work for very long. And personally,
I was getting a little more than fed up with everything.
"Durbbie can I talk to you?" I asked.
Durbbie looked from me to Melissa and back. "I'll be right back,"
she told her friend and walked over with me to we could talk.
"Just what do you think you're doing?" I questioned.
"Excuse me?"
"What do you think you're doing out there?"
"My job, thank you very much."
"From the way you're acting, you could have fooled me. We didn't hire you
for slow service. In fact, WE didn't want you back at all. Management hired
you, so I suggest you get back out there and…"
"Wait a second," Durbbie said, her eyes squinted. "Are you trying
to tell me how to do my job?"
"Maybe it's time you took more control…"
"No. You listen to me. I don't tell you how to sing and you don't tell
me how to aim the camera." There was a pause. "You know, I thought
that out of all of you, you'd get it. Remind me never to listen to myself again."
With that, Durbbie walked off. "Asinine little bitch," I muttered.
"Glad I'm not the only one who feels that way," Brian said coming
up next to me. "Everything OK?"
"Just fine," I replied with bitterness.
Melissa:
"Why
is it that I always get the complete and total asses to come up to me?"
Durbbie said heatedly as she plopped down in a chair and promptly crossed her
arms.
"Another pleasant encounter with Mr. Richardson, I assume?" I questioned.
"Don't even get me started…"
"What'd he want this time?"
"He and the creature that crawled up his butt and died wanted to tell us
how to do our jobs."
"You serious?" I asked. Durbbie nodded. There was a pause.
"Has Brian approached you?" she asked turning serious. I fidgeted.
He did, but didn't at the same time. "What'd he say?" Again, I was
silent. "Dude, I'm gonna beat the crap outta that boy. Just wait until…"
"Durbbie stop," I pleaded. "He just asked me to reconsider his
proposition."
"And you said?"
"I told him to go away. Plain and simple."
"Yeah, but what'd you really say?" Durbbie questioned seeing right
through my lie.
"I didn't know how to deal with him," I replied honestly. "So
I made up some lame excuse to go check on the cameras."
"If he ever comes near you again, I'll give him what for. Resentment must
run in the family or something. Maybe it's the water…"
"Let's get back to work before Mr. Buttmunch gets on you again," I
said referring to Kevin.
AJ:
Melissa
and Durbbie laughed at something before coming back to taking our pictures.
Things were going pretty well considering there was so much animosity in the
air. I heard Kev and Brian talking about Durbbie and whatever Brian does, Nick
is the clone, so there's 3 out of the five of us against them. Howie's indifferent.
Go figure… I'm actually on Durbbie and Melissa's side. They've been through
hell the past few months and it's forgivable that they're a little bitter. So
they're a little distracted. I don't see why Kevin has his panties in a wad…
The sets called for a wardrobe change, so off we all went to go into our new
outfits.
"I don't get why we had to hire them back in the first place," Nick
whined. Lately he's become something more than annoying.
"Just chill out, Nick. I'm sure they're trying their best," I said
in an attempt to keep my sanity.
"Why are you so defensive?" Brian asked with a dangerous looking his
eye. "What have they ever done for you?"
"I'm not being defensive at all," I said casually as I finished changing
and started out the door and back towards Durbbie and Melissa.
Nick:
"I
think we need to have a group meeting," Brian said after the door had closed.
"Why? Aren't things just peachy as is?" I asked with mock enthusiasm.
"Funny," Brian shot back at me. "We're falling apart."
"No kidding, Sherlock," Kevin retorted. "What gave you that idea?"
"Guys, cut it out," I whined.
"Oh grow up already!" came the response. What happened to us?
AJ:
"That's
a wrap," Durbbie called. "Tomorrow's the last day."
The entire room smiled. It would be a relief to get back home and back to whatever
normal was: strip clubs, cheap women, and nice big bottles of whiskey. I couldn't
ask for more. The sober life was more than I needed of reality.
"You going to the shop tonight?" I asked Durbbie.
She looked at me sullenly. "No. I'm not going."
"But isn't it your night?" I inquired. She nodded and continued to
take down all of the equipment. "Then why not?"
"Because I'm not going, AJ, OK? Got it?"
"OK, OK. Chill out. I was just wondering. After last night…"
"Look, what happens outside the set is my own business. You just happened
to be there at the right place at the wrong time."
"But as I recall…"
"You stepped onto my turf. The coffee shop was the one place where I could
bear reality and escape it simultaneously. It's the one thing besides Melissa
I have to cling to right now. I have no family. I have one friend. I have a
crappy little job that pays the rent and brings me close to people like you
who don't give a flying crap what the hell they sing about as long as it fills
their wallet. You know what? I'm really tired of sitting back and taking all
of this from you guys. So if you'll excuse me, I've got a reality to escape:
without you!"
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