This Is Real...

“Let’s go!” Mia chirped, cutting around Josh to get out to the hallway. Josh smiled and gave her the look she had grown so used to over the past two years. She glanced down at her attire and gasped. “I’m still in my pajamas!” Her eyes widened, “I’m not wearing makeup!”

“You look pretty,” Josh said.

“Pretty! Pretty! No way!” Mia lurched back into her apartment, stopping only to place her camera gear gently onto the chair. “Make yourself comfortable, I’ll be 10 minutes max!”

Then Mia was gone and the shower went on. Thirty minutes later she returned and picked up her camera gear again. Josh laughed, watching her try and juggle everything, and took some of the load from her arms. Mia smiled at him in relief and marched out the door. She placed her things in the trunk of his car a sat in the passenger’s seat.

“To the beach, right?” She asked when Josh got into the driver’s seat.

“Yes, the cliffs.”

“I’m so excited! Even after living here for two years I’ve never seen the cliffs.”

The cliffs were an outcropping just over the ocean. Any native had seen them multiple times, for whatever reason. But Mia had been too busy with her studies to take out the time. It was now fall holiday though, giving her the chance to finally photograph the place she had been urging Josh to take her. It seemed Josh was even busier than she. Mia was unsure of what he was studying, she had never asked, but she knew it was draining and time consuming.

It seemed that this was the only holiday he wasn’t writing an essay, doing course work, or just being an overachiever. There was a strong possibility he would be doing that the rest of the week, but today he was all hers and she was going to use that to her advantage.

“… Banana you glad I didn’t say orange?” Josh laughed, “Wait! No! That was wrong! It’s orange you glad I didn’t say banana!” Mia exclaimed. “I always get that one wrong…”
They had been driving for over an hour, the conversation filled with Mia’s predictable jokes and the radio. Josh had never been very talkative so she always provided conversation. Even if that conversation consisted of bad jokes or random facts she had read off the internet. Neither of them ever had much to talk about, but both made the effort which, most of the time, resulted in heated discussions about something they both felt strongly about. There always seemed to be something interesting in those heated discussions.

“We’re almost there,” Josh said, squinting against the bright sunlight shining through the windsheild.

“I hate that we missed sunrise. That would have been a fantastic picture. But it’s my fault for sleeping so late.” Mia giggled.

She had stayed up late watching some sob story documentary until well into the early morning, when she crashed on the couch. She never did see the end of the documentary, if only she had had DVR, Mia’s thoughts trailed until the car stopped. Mia wasted no time in getting out and collecting her things from the trunk of the car.

A half mile-long trek up the cliff and there was only the sight of tall strands of dead grass. Mia looked around in disappointment, it was supposed to be clear, an amazing view of the waves crashing against the cliff. And another thing to add to her disappointment, there were people here. This was all wrong. It was supposed to be vacant, that was what she had planned for; a vacant field with a beautiful view of the ocean. Not to mention clear skies. Up here, it was dull and dreary.

“You lied,” she accused.

“What do you mean?” He asked, utterly confused.

“It’s not supposed to look like this,” Mia’s brows drew together. “I guess you’ll have to be my model then.”

Josh obviously didn’t like that statement by the look on his face. But Mia ignored it and began to set up her tri-pod. She was not going to let these small imperfections ruin her day. With that thought in mind she instructed Josh where to stand, how to stand, where to sit, how to sit, to lay down, to crouch, all the while as she began to snap photos.

He wasn’t standing right. Again. She couldn’t count on her hands how many times she had told him how to stand, it was a lot. Mia decided to show him exactly what she wanted him to do. She marched towards him and made him stand sideways. After several directions she was satisfied and pressed the button of the small remote she held in her palm.

“Why aren’t you in the picture?” He asked.

“The photographer is never in the picture.” She shook her head playfully. “It’s a bad omen.”

She didn’t believe that. She just didn’t look good in photographs. The camera added ten pounds, it was true.

Josh grabbed her hand, pulling her into the frame and taking her small remote at the same time. He then leaned down and kissed her, pressing the button so a small click was heard in the wind. Mia pulled away quickly.

“No fair!” She glared. “Forceful picture taking!”

It was apparent that Josh didn’t care. A smirk graced his face and he pulled her back to him…

Mia awoke to her mother’s voice and several knocks on her door. “Wakey, wakey Mia! First day of high school!”

She groaned and fell back against her pillows. She didn’t expect that. Here she was, just starting high school, and already dreaming of a life beyond the dull classrooms that seemed to take over her life. Mia was in college, majoring in photography and falling in love. It was a typical teenage dream. That was all it was. A teenage dream. And everyone knew those never came true. It wasn’t real.

But this, the first day of school, this is real. Mia made a face, welcome to reality.