The Photo Effect.

What was I doing? Why was I actually going to go through with this? I didn’t know but as I shut my car door, and locked it the sound of my clicking shoes against the pavement was the only thing letting me know this was in fact real. That this was not any form of dream like I wished it were. I could have very easily turned around and gotten back in my car, but I had made my decision last night. I was tired of this, and curiosity had definitely gotten the better of me.

“Hey baby,” a voice disrupted my thoughts, followed by a kissing noise. I snapped my head in the direction of my perpetrator of disturbance.

“Ugh,” I said, disgusted and continued my walk. Luckily, the two guys had spotted another girl and decided against following me which I was thankful for but sort of mad that I didn’t just ignore them because now I had to run around a corner just to catch up to Julianne.

It was Friday. Delilah has asked if I wanted to work tonight but I was on a mission and I took high advantage of it. So what Julie was doing in a pretty bad part of Huntington was unbeknownst to me but then again I was doing the same thing. Out at night, all by myself. A vulnerable teenage girl, completely legal. But no one had to know that part.

The street that I was walking down was dimly lit. A few signs were blinking from them starting to go all the way out. Then, some were flashing in the colors of white, pink and blue. The white ones were just the casual signs. The pinks were mostly strip clubs or that of the sort whilst the blues were of the shops that had closed early on a Friday. I wrapped my arms closer to my body when a thought jumped into my head. Wishing Mr. baker Zacky was here with me, I felt my smile grow wide to the point of almost hurting my face. Too soon it was gone when I saw Julianne walk into a place with a pink sign above it.

I looked up at the sign. Déjà Vu. What a typical name, eh? I saw a few large groups of men walk into the place, while a couple guys hung around outside smoking and laughing obnoxiously. What was she doing coming to a place such as this? So I crossed the short street hesitantly, not quite sure what my motives were if I actually did catch my sister doing something bad. Shoving my hands into my jacket’s front pockets, I was greeted by a guard at the front doors.

He glanced me over roaming my body, and I was in a pair of fucking jeans, shirt and jacket. Pervert. “I.D?” He inquired, raising his pierced eyebrow as he waved his hand.

From the wall’s edge, the few men that were leaning against it had started to snicker and make snide comments about me. Well, assumedly because I was the only girl around whom had a ‘nice ass.’ If they were talking about men, then oh my. My instincts kicked in, and my head turned to face them automatically. I made sure not to stare for too long or they’d get the wrong impression.

After I dug in my back pocket for my I.D, the little security guard allowed me to go inside. I sneered. I know I didn’t exactly look eighteen but come on. Did I look stupid enough to try and attempt to get inside if I were to have been underage? No. I didn’t think so.

The music was loud and fast. It wasn’t exactly my kind of scene, and I didn’t necessarily peg my sister to be fond of this sort of thing either. Though, when I made it to the middle of the ‘strip’ club my jaw dropping proved me wrong. There was my sister. Dancing on some pole, basically naked. A quick laugh came from my lips of shock. Soon, I covered my eyes from the sight. Slowly starting to back away, I could hear the cheers for my sister.

By the time I figured out how to get the fuck out of the place, my sister had been done for a while. I had checked back on impulse to see she was no longer on stage. My heart hurt suddenly. My twin, the other half of me, the one whom I’m pretty much bonded to is exposing her body for horny old men? I couldn’t bare it. Some place to get a first job.

“Leaving so soon?” The guard chuckled. Scornfully, I shot him a glare. I really wanted to cuss him out about being such a dick but it would have been a complete waste of time to take out my anger on him—oh no, I was saving it for my sister who was going to get the brute from within. My watch told me that it was nearly almost six. I can’t believe I spent an hour for this. I’d much rather have been working or doing something productive.

Storming about, I flipped off the guys who were still outside because they had started whistling to get my attention. Admittedly not the smarted thing I could have done because one of them got a bit feisty when he called out to me, but I kept walking—not paying attention to the road as I was about to cross.

A SUV had to holt as I grabbed onto my chest, and yelled that I was sorry. Until I got a better look at the SUV itself as well as the people inside did I stop screaming my apologies. My heart was pumping blood much too fast around my body. Not only was my sister a damn whore but she was parading around with Mr. Baker—still? What happened to him wanting me?

All I did was shake my head and walk off. I only got a few feet when I heard my sister calling for me. Here she was lying to us all, sneaking around with my damn teacher and giving her body away for money.

“Ri, wait.” I heard her pathetic whine. “Let me explain.”

I stopped walking to see that she was still inside of Mr. Baker’s SUV. I gaped. “Why?” I asked, walking down the street, Mr. Baker driving at my walking pace. “So you can lie some more? Is this where you’ve been all along?” I seethed.

I didn’t dare make eye contact with Mr. Baker. My heart was shattered. I was beyond pathetic to think my teacher could really find me attractive. Everything he told me was a lie. I knew it, and I was fucking dumb enough to let myself slip under his grasp. My jealousness was much more increased my this point. But no matter how upset I was with Zacky, I instantly forgave him. I was falling hard for him charm, it and everything he was doing to me was working.

“Riles!” Julianne yelled, as I began to speed walk. “Talk to me.”

“You lost the right to call me anything but Riley. And why would I talk to you while you’re in a car? Get the fuck out if you want to talk to me.” I said, grinding my teeth.

She was about to say something when I stopped walking, causing Mr. Baker to step on his brakes. “You know what? Don’t talk to me anymore.” Then I began to walk again.

“Ugh, you’re being such a bitch Riley!” She yelled before driving away with her beloved. Wasn’t she supposed to be working? Why’d she just up and leave?

So, when I’m stressed I sink in the shower right? Well tonight I was literally screaming out lyrics. Some tears mingled with the hot water that soothed my tattered heart and tense muscles. I was going to spend the rest of this weekend trying to gear myself up to try and avoid Mr. Baker. What were his intentions with me anyways?

I stomped around my bedroom for the rest of the night. I even locked my door, which my parents hated but I didn’t give a shit at the moment. I put in the first season of SpongeBob, curled up under my covers, and ate my bag of Reese’s Pieces. Occasionally, I would laugh at the stupidity that is SpongeBob but I relaxed a bit when I realized just how disdainful my face really was. The next episode was the bubble blowing one. It was the part where Patrick was laughing, calling the elephant a giraffe and I started to chuckle. It was faint, but still present. But off course, when it rains it pours.

Hey…

I looked at the message for a good five minutes, debating if I wanted to ignore him or just suck it up.

You’re a teacher. Shouldn’t there be boundaries?

You’re right but I just wanted to apologize. What you saw was absolutely nothing.

Hah! Wow. If you say so.

Actually… no, never mind. You wouldn’t believe me.

My eye blinked several times. He was just trying to get under my skin, but what was even worse was it was working. I wanted Mr. Baker. And when I said I wanted him, I meant that I really wanted him. There was just this force that pulled me to him. Everything about him was perfect in my eyes—save for the part about Jules, but besides that. He was undeniably attractive, smart, charming. His eyes were drool worthy and his smile always made me smile, too. I’d only known him for almost two months and I couldn’t get enough. It was like he was purposefully making me obsessed with him. He was constantly on my mind day in and day out.

What?

He never responded which pissed me off even more. He had some nerve, but secretly it made my blood boil in a good way. It was exactly a turn on but it still got to me. I was chasing him, and he definitely liked it. Hell, he basked in it.

A knock came to my door, and I told whoever it was to go away. Come to find out it was my mother, I jumped out of my bed and unlocked my door. She was in her night gown. I smiled at my Mom’s way of dressing for bed. She gave me a hug, and kissed my forehead. I waved to my father who walked by. “I don’t know what’s going on Riley, but if you need to talk about it you do know I was a teenager once, right?” My mother explained, holding onto my shoulders.

By this time Julianne had come home; she was early. I saw her walk in the other direction before saying to my mother, “I’m fine Mom. Just stressed about… school is all.” I lied. I sinned, and I was definitely going to hell for it.

She looked me over for a minute before nodding and saying that I should get some rest. I agreed and quickly shut my door. It was almost ten thirty, so why was my sister home so early? I got up and walked over to my mirror. I let my hair fall from the bun it was in before going back over to my bed. I left my TV on so I could fall asleep to something other than the noise of my thoughts as I crawled under the sheets.

My phoned beeped once again.

Have a good night, doll.