Sooner Than Later, I'll Need a Saviour

I bit my lip and lowered my camera from my eye for a moment, turning my head to the side. “Ash, turn you head to your left, just a little. Ah, stop there, perfect!” I clicked the shutter button as soon as I got the view back to my eye. I grinned and lowered the camera again, letting it rest around my neck from it’s strap. I clapped my hands together a couple of times with a wide grin. “Beautiful as always Ash.”

“Thank-you Zacky, but that’s much too dramatic,” Ashley chuckled, standing to her feet. She grabbed the pile of clothes she had shown up in earlier, heading to my apartment’s bathroom.

“I fail to agree doll,” I chuckled as I turned off the lights in my personal studio I had set up in the corner of my apartment. I took down the vintage patterned sheet that I had hung up and begun to fold it up. I placed it back on the end table next to the area. As I set the digital camera on my desk in my room area that was separated by a paper-like divider like the Japanese had, Ashley walked out in her casual clothes.

“You are just a sweetheart,” Ashley laughed as she shoved her dress and heels into her big, Batman purse. She pulled the strap over her shoulder before leaning down and kissing my cheek since I had settled into my computer chair.

“So I’ve heard. I still fail to see it.” Ashley smiled to herself and shook her head.

“Sorry, I have to go. Joyce and I are going out to dinner.” I smiled at the mention of her fiancée. Ashley and Joyce had gone to high school with me, the main reason the aspiring model always came to me for shoots.

“Anniversary, right?” She nodded with a wide smile. Her perfect, straight, white teeth also lit up the room, even in high school. “Well congrats, have fun. I’ll have your prints ready by five tomorrow.”

“Thanks doll. Bye.” She gave me a quick hug before heading out the door of the apartment. I settled back as my laptop booted up. I stared out the view from my fifth floor studio apartment. Only a block away was the beach. I was happy that I lived in such a nice part of Huntington. I could look outside without feeling like I was going to get shot.

Suddenly I was ripped out of my thoughts and turned to stare at the time that was in the bottom right corner of my MacBook’s screen. 7:24 P.M. I should head out to the other side soon. Crystal needed clothes, she refused to buy more. I clicked on the email button to take me to my inbox. Unimportant messages flashed for my attention. They could wait until I returned from my trip.

I stood and headed over to my closet to grab my duffle bag. I had this thing since Freshman year in high school for baseball. It’s literally gone through hell and back, it’s state proving my story. As I went into the ‘living room’ closet, where I kept all the extra clothes, I heard my phone going off. I sighed and trudged back across the apartment to my computer desk where my phone sat vibrating and screaming ‘In The End’ by Linkin Park. I rolled my eyes and flipped the phone open.

“Hello Brian.” Brian had been one of my best friends over the years. He was a pretty big party animal. Any weekend, such as one like this, he could be found in the local clubs. When he wasn’t he was being a freelance guitar teacher that is. The man had a gift that I often found myself envious of. I had a small knack for guitar, but it was small. Since high school ended I was mostly just a photographer. But it made me proud to know I was the first he came to when he needed pictures.

“You, my friend, are coming out with Jimmy and I,” Brian ordered. There was a chuckle heard in the background, no doubt from Jimmy who was right next to the guitarist. Jimmy was also one of our close friends. Him and Brian had known each other since middle school, the second longest relationship between our small group of friends.

“I have to go do stuff Brian, you know that,” I sighed as I went back to the closet. Brian echoed my action and, though I couldn’t see it, I knew he was glaring at whatever he was doing.

“I still don’t see why you go there every other day. They had the option to clean up their shit and chose not to. We turned our lives around and they can too,” Brian grumbled. I was used to this speech. I got it quite a lot with Brian. Actually I got this speech every time I mentioned this to Brian, my Mom, my Dad, and our other friends Matt and Johnny. The only one who seemed to support my choice is Jimmy, but that may be because he was the furthest in that life such a long time ago.

“You never do Bri,” I sighed. I shoved in a pair of size zero shorts, a size small v-neck, and few other assortments of clothes, including shoes, and left the closet.

“Look Zack, I know you’re heart’s in the right place but there is so much money you’re putting to these people that probably won’t remember it all two days from now.” I had to bite my lip from lashing out at him.

“I have to go Brian. I’ll talk to you later.” I hung up without waiting from a reply and tossed my phone onto my bed. I headed into my bathroom, flipping on the light. I walked over to the small cabinet drilled into the wall. I pulled a couple of needles wrapped in their plastic packages and shoved it into the duffle bag. I also grabbed a handful of condoms before leaving the room again.

I grabbed my cell phone (making sure to silence it) and shoved that into my front pocket. I shoved my wallet into a hidden pocket of my duffle bag. I knew none of the people I helped would rob me, but I couldn’t promise the same for unknown people. Most of them tend to stay away since I apparently intimidated people, but some of the druggies were courageous.

I grabbed my keys from the hook next to my door and left the apartment. I turned long enough to lock the door before heading into the elevators across from my apartment. I pressed the down arrow and waited patiently for the elevator. Another reason I liked my area was that I never had to worry about break ins. This place hadn’t had one robbery since the fifties. That sounded pretty good to me.

I climbed in the elevator when it finally reached me and took the quick ride down. I waved to the woman who was the receptionist of the building on my way out. I headed off away from the pier with a slight humming in my head. A random tone always made it’s way into my head on these ritual walks. Within fifteen minutes I was in the more rundown side of Huntington Beach. The strange thing is it never gave me the creeps or made me stick my nose up. It just made me worry for the people here.

I smiled softly when I saw the familiar, nineteen year old blond waiting where she always waited. With her was a younger boy, about seventeen, and a dog. “Crystal!”

She looked up from her conversation with the boy and smiled when she saw it was me. As soon as I got close enough she pulled me into a hug. Her miniskirt and halter had rips in them, from a recent fight with a girl is what she had informed me on the phone yesterday. The boy kind of held onto his German Shepherd as if it were his lifeline. “Thanks so much Zacky.”

“No problem.” I handed her the shorts and tank which caused her to kiss my cheek. She patted the boy’s shoulder and he slowly stood to his feet. I frowned when I saw he was wearing baggy pants and a long sleeve shirt. Definitely not California weather clothes.

“This is Danny, he came from Wisconsin. And this is Molly, his dog. Do you have anything he could wear?” I nodded, digging though my bag. I found some shorts that would fit him properly and a sleeveless Jack Daniels shirt. As I passed it to him he kept his eyes on the floor and muttered a thanks.

“Do you need money to buy Molly food?” He looked down at the skinny dog and frowned.

“I can get my own money.” His voice was soft and unsure. I smiled and dug out a ten from my pocket, one of the lose bills I hadn’t placed properly in my wallet. His brown eyes grew wide and he tried to hand it back.

“Just take it. I need to go. Crystal, take care of him.” She smiled, slinging an arm across his shoulders.

“I will Zee.” I smiled, nodded, and headed off to complete my rounds.