Eyes Wide Shut

I didn’t know much of California, but that sort of excited me because untraveled land was scarce for me. Right then, as we stepped foot in LAX I was nowhere near prepared. I had forgotten who I was. I had forgotten what people expected from me.

“Blair! Blair! What are you doing in Los Angeles!” The initial flash of the camera hurt my eyes before I ducked my head down. I eagerly pulled at the sleeves of my white cardigan and looked back at my father. He had a swarm of his own.

“Don’t you think you’re getting a little too thin?!” Another man shoved a camera in my face and I squinted at the flash.

“Um-.” I began.

“Are you really dating the heir to the Barton fortune?” A stout photographer was waiting for my slightest reaction.

“Come on guys! Leave her alone! Giver her room to walk!” Samuel hooked an arm around my shoulder and pushed forward, shoving a hand over camera lenses.

“Samuel! How was the Portugal club scene?”

“We’re not even famous! You don’t need us! He’s the one you want. He’s got the talent.” He pointed back to my father.

“Hey! Where’s your mother? Your parents traveling separately these days?” For once, it wasn't what it looked like. My mother actually had an art show and that’s why she wasn’t with us, but Samuel didn’t have enough patients for explanations. They never listened anyways.

“Not this shit again.” He shoved a photographer out of his path and motioned to airport security.

“Is it true that you recently rejected a modeling contract from Calvin Klein?” If they kept pushing, Samuel was bound to blow.

“Security!” Samuel shouted.

“Samuel! They don’t work for us!” I whispered, cupping my hand over my mouth.

“So these people get to treat us like animals? This isn’t a fucking petting zoo! It’s an airport!” Off he went. He wasn’t quiet and he wasn’t subtle and suddenly, the camera went off as if Samuel was the trigger to their guns. He was. They had obviously won.

Samuel had broken free, pushed through the paparazzi, and security was well on its way, but as he pulled me behind him with his hand, a camera man tripped me and I didn’t notice his foot until I was well on the ground. My face was smashed against the cold tile and for a second I felt a twinge of pain.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” I peeled myself off the floor and watched as security pulled the paparazzi away.

“Samuel, don’t!” I tugged at his arm. “You’ve already given them what they want. Don’t give them the satisfaction!” I said it as lowly as I could, but my words always ended up falling on the wrong ears.

“Fine.” He yanked his arm away in defeat. “Keep letting them beat the shit out of you.” He pulled away from me and pushed towards the nearest exit.

“Are you alright?” My father touched the corner of my eye and examined my face by taking it in his hands. Only then did I notice the small gash above my eye. I still can’t figure out how the cut happened in the first place.

“I’m sorry, Blair. I’m sorry.” He wrapped an arm around me and for a few minutes I felt something that I hadn’t felt for a while. All it once it was gone, I was sitting in the back of a black escalade; leaning my head on Samuels shoulder as he slouched against the hard leather seats.

“Samuel?” I sighed.

“I know. I’m sorry.” He glanced down at me.

“It’s okay.” I could feel complete exhaustion competing with me and I was ready to lose.

“Are you alright?” I nodded my head and tucked it into his shoulder. “Get some sleep, Blair.”

“Do you think it’s nice where we’re going?” I spoke in a dream like trance, half asleep.

“We always go to nice places. That’s not the problem.” He knew he was right and so did I.

“Still. Maybe it’s quiet.” At that point, I knew it was a stretch, but it was a nice thought and I needed one of those.

“Maybe.” He shrugged.

“Really?” I blinked and looked up at him.

“I don’t know, but it’ll be ok, Blair. I promise.” He squeezed my shoulder comfortingly and I believed him, because he was the most honest person I knew.