The Great Awakening

“Aren’t you going to bring your camera?” Mason asked her as soon as they exited the hospital. The weather wasn’t that bad, in Mia’s opinion. She’d grown up in Vermont and made her living photographing snowboarders. She’d been to just about every freezing-cold country except for Antarctica and had grown used to it.

“What?”

“Your camera,” Mason repeated. “You are a photographer, aren’t you?” Mia nodded, not allowing herself to register where the conversation was going. “Well - I don’t know, I just thought you’d want to take some pictures. Y’know, get your mind off things.”

Mia wanted to tell him that she didn’t take pictures to escape reality. She had art for that -- real art, like painting and drawing and smearing her hands with oil pastels. And, just because it was Kevin who bought it for her, she learned to play guitar. He’d gotten her the acoustic for her birthday, which was spent in New Zealand. She was bored, which he knew, so he bought her a guitar.

Kevin was a lot smarter than he looked. More perceptive, even. He knew when his best friend wasn’t happy which had grown to be quite often. The only thing he couldn’t figure out was why. He asked Mia frequently if she’d rather be at home with her family; she always shook her head and plastered on a smile. He wanted to help her, he just didn’t know how.

“It’s back home. I didn’t want anything to happen to it while I was here,” Mia explained.

“You don’t miss it? I don’t think I could go a day without seeing my board, even if I’m not riding it.”

Mia faked another smile. Snowboarding was Mason’s passion. He was lucky enough to do what he loved more than anything as a means by which to live. He never had to worry about going to college or finding a job. The most he had to worry about was not getting hurt. Mia was never that lucky. All she wanted to do was make art and play music. Even if it was just for fun and nothing ever came of either of them, they both made her happier than photography ever could. However, they couldn’t replace her love for Kevin. She put up with her choice of career solely for him, and she didn’t want to risk that by doing anything different.

“Are you hungry?” Mason asked her as they finally reached his car. Mia shook her head. “Oh, come on. When’s the last time you actually ate real food?”

She smiled. “December thirtieth.”

Mason tensed. He didn’t know if talking about Kevin’s accident was such a great idea because he didn’t know Mia well enough to know how she’d react. Instead, he laughed quietly before starting his car and just driving. He didn’t have a destination in mind and he knew Mia didn’t either, but he wasn’t so sure she minded.

“I’m gonna be honest and tell you I have no idea where we’re going.”

“That’s fine,” Mia smiled. “I’m just happy to be out of the hospital.”

Mason, once again, tensed at her words. He didn’t understand how she could be so casual about the situation. Granted Kevin wasn’t fighting for his life anymore, but she was the closest one to him. His accident had the greatest impact on her, and although she was in good spirits, Mason knew it wasn’t permanent.

Sure, he could distract her for a few hours but she’d have to go back eventually. It was obvious to everyone but Mia that the hospital was warping her, turning her into even more of a recluse than she was before Kevin’s accident. It’d never gotten to the point of her locking herself in her room and only speaking to Kevin, but she was one of the shyest girls Mason had ever met. That wasn’t giving her much credit, though, because he hung around lots of women.

Once the car rolled to a stop at a red light, Mason turned and looked at the girl in the passenger seat. He had taken notice of the light layer of make-up she’d applied and he smiled inwardly. She didn’t need it, but he felt good knowing she wanted to impress him. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” she shrugged.

“What’d you do when you found out?”

Mia took a deep breath in, still refusing to meet Mason’s gaze, and began folding and unfolding her hands repeatedly. “I-I was there. I watched it happen. I can’t get the sound of those sirens out of my head-”

“You don’t have to talk about this, I shouldn’t have asked-”

“No, no - I haven’t talked about it with anyone since it happened. It’ll be good to get it off my chest.” Mia finally turned to Mason, who was concentrated on driving in the city traffic, and smiled. “I just didn’t know what to do, you know? I remember crying so hard I couldn’t see and all I could think of was if he was dead-”

“Mia, maybe you shouldn’t-”

“That’s really all I remember. Sometimes I wish it was me who took that fall.”

Mason remained silent for a few moments before pulling into the parking lot of a generic restaurant. He didn’t know Mia’s eating habits and he felt too guilty about bringing up the accident to ask. Regardless, he parked the car and made a point to open Mia’s door for her. She objected to his chivalry but it didn’t deter him. He was on a mission, and that was to make sure she had a good day.

Upon entering the restaurant, the hostess’s eyes widened once she looked at the two. “I, umm, I’m sorry but could I get your autograph, maybe?”

Mason looked at Mia apologetically before nodding and signing a napkin the girl had handed him. She smiled gratefully and showed them to a table toward the back of the place. “I hope you don’t mind everyone thinking you’re my girlfriend,” Mason laughed.

“What?”

“That - well, this - will be on the internet tomorrow.”

“But you’re just trying to be nice,” Mia explained. She was flustered; no one had ever made accusations about her and Kevin before so it boggled her mind as to why anyone would make them about her and Mason.

“It happens every time I go somewhere.”

Mia laughed and raised an eyebrow. “How many girls are you nice to?”

Mason, who didn’t catch on to Mia’s humored tone, quickly averted his eyes to his menu and blushed a deep crimson. “None, really. Well, not a lot. Okay, a few, but-”

“I was just joking.”

He glared playfully. “Keep taking photos like the ones you’re taking now and they’ll be asking for your autograph soon.”

“Nonsense.” Mia dismissed his statement with a wave of her hand. “People only care about the ones in the pictures.”

Once Mason decided on an entree, he placed his menu on the table and stared intently at the girl across from him. “Is that why you’re so unhappy doing it?”

“What makes you think that?” Mia asked sharply.

“I don’t know,” he shrugged, “I just think if you truly loved photography you’d be hauling your camera everywhere with you.”

“I do love it.”

Mason wanted to call her bluff but he was interrupted by their waitress taking their drink orders. He began wondering if Mia thought he was too overbearing -- overwhelming, even. He got the impression that he kept striking nerves with her that she didn’t appreciate being struck. He was sure she’d complain to Kevin about how annoying his friends were and demand he never let them take her out again, despite how nice they were trying to be.

Mia, on the other hand, considered Mason a healthy distraction. Sure, he was a bit invasive, but she only felt that way because he forced her to think of things no one else did. Kevin didn’t even talk about his accident so he never thought to ask Mia’s side of the story, and no one else was so perceptive to realize Mia hated what she did. However, she kept those things a secret for a reason, and she wasn’t entirely sure she was ready for Mason to figure her out.