Something's Gotta Give
So here I am, right back at it again.
"This is Steve Price editor at Buzzfeed, I have your resume sitting on my desk and I need you for an assignment, like yesterday. It's just for a single freelance piece but call me back A.S.A.P."
Mellie had gotten the call from Steve and grabbed her suitcase, deciding to forfeit her position on the tour. As much as she wanted to stay, she had spent her whole life around music and tours and she wanted something different. She climbed into the waiting taxi, turning to see Dylan.
"Mel, you don't have to go." He said with a familiar smile.
"I got a key, I can get into the hideout. I'll be fine. I want to take this Buzznet thing. You have your own life. I need mine." Mellie said, huggin her best friend, "Thanks for the opportunity Dyl." She said.
Dylan hugged her tight, "You'll be great."
Mellie nodded as she pulled away, "Hey, if things don't work out, I'll be back in no time in a couple of days. I got my badge. It's good for the whole tour."
The cab honked, "Meter's running honey."
Mellie closed the door to the cab and waved to Dylan as they headed the hour back to LA. "Mr. Price. This is Mellie Nichols. Yes. I'm an hour away. Yes. I'll be there. Yes sir."
Mellie finally approached the receptionist at the Buzznet office in downtown and said she had a meeting with the editor. They handed her a badge and buzzed her up. Buzznet was more of social media and being a celebrity for the sake of being a celebrity. Mellie hoped she'd get to do something fun with her photography maybe some actual article writing and being in front of the camera.
Mellie sunk into the chair and watched the sun slowly sink over the skyline, an obvious tiredness coming over her and her eyes slowly starting slip closed.
"No. Sleeping." The voice said and the accompanying body sliding into the chair next to her.
"I'm not sleeping." Mellie mumbled.
"Mellie..." The voice said, leaning in close, "Mellie Nichols. That's a pretty name. Alex! I found her." The voice called.
Mellie rubbed at her face, looking up at the body before her and the other that would materialize shortly, "What are you two doing here?" Familiar faces, ones that she knew vaguely well. She'd met them a handful of times before.
"What do you mean? We heard you were in L.A. and wanted you to come shoot us at Buzznet tonight." Jack said excitedly as he tried to pull Mellie up out of the chair. "Steeeeeve! She's here!"
Mellie resisted but she had no chance as Jack was tall and she was, well, not exactly petite but she also wasn't exactly a body builder either. "He drove away the other photographer didn't he." Mellie looked at Alex as she let Jack just carry her into the office of "Mr. Price".
"Yes." The voice said as the person behind it closed the laptop. "Jack pissed off the on-site photographer so bad I'm afraid that they'll never come back." Steve paused, "Jack, would you mind putting her down so I can talk to her properly?"
Mellie finally relaxed as Alex grabbed her and helped her down from Jack's shoulder. She straightened herself out and took a seat on front of the desk. Alex sat in the chair next to her and Jack in his lap, arms slowly snaking their way around Alex's neck. "Continue."
Steve looked at Jack and Alex, "Really?" He muttered, "Anyways, I need you to shoot the whole band for a Buzznet story that needs to go up tomorrow so we're super limited on time."
Mellie wasn't used to working under such a strict deadline, "What time are we shooting for, I mean, for the morning article release?"
"10 am." Steve replied, glancing at her suitcase. "Did— Did you bring everything you own?" He asked, brow raised.
"I, Um." Mellie paused, following his gaze, "I was on a tour." Mellie smiled, nervous. "with some friends but, I'm here now."
Steve blinked a few times, "Well, when you're done here you can run right back out."
Mellie mentally smacked herself, "Actually I was only on the tour as a favor to a friend so I'm still actively looking for employment." She tacked on, trying not to sound too desperate.
"You can always tour with us!" Jack said, "Hey, our tour photographer just left us for greener pastures, we could always use a new one."
Mellie made a slight face, "How about I think about it and we should probably get going. It's going to be an 8am shoot and we have 1 hour to get everything we need." Mellie quickly pointed out. "That doesn't count if I'm going to be scouting locations."
"Tell you what, The band is staying in a hotel close by, I'll get you a room there too. That will make everything easier."
Mellie had gotten the call from Steve and grabbed her suitcase, deciding to forfeit her position on the tour. As much as she wanted to stay, she had spent her whole life around music and tours and she wanted something different. She climbed into the waiting taxi, turning to see Dylan.
"Mel, you don't have to go." He said with a familiar smile.
"I got a key, I can get into the hideout. I'll be fine. I want to take this Buzznet thing. You have your own life. I need mine." Mellie said, huggin her best friend, "Thanks for the opportunity Dyl." She said.
Dylan hugged her tight, "You'll be great."
Mellie nodded as she pulled away, "Hey, if things don't work out, I'll be back in no time in a couple of days. I got my badge. It's good for the whole tour."
The cab honked, "Meter's running honey."
Mellie closed the door to the cab and waved to Dylan as they headed the hour back to LA. "Mr. Price. This is Mellie Nichols. Yes. I'm an hour away. Yes. I'll be there. Yes sir."
Mellie finally approached the receptionist at the Buzznet office in downtown and said she had a meeting with the editor. They handed her a badge and buzzed her up. Buzznet was more of social media and being a celebrity for the sake of being a celebrity. Mellie hoped she'd get to do something fun with her photography maybe some actual article writing and being in front of the camera.
Mellie sunk into the chair and watched the sun slowly sink over the skyline, an obvious tiredness coming over her and her eyes slowly starting slip closed.
"No. Sleeping." The voice said and the accompanying body sliding into the chair next to her.
"I'm not sleeping." Mellie mumbled.
"Mellie..." The voice said, leaning in close, "Mellie Nichols. That's a pretty name. Alex! I found her." The voice called.
Mellie rubbed at her face, looking up at the body before her and the other that would materialize shortly, "What are you two doing here?" Familiar faces, ones that she knew vaguely well. She'd met them a handful of times before.
"What do you mean? We heard you were in L.A. and wanted you to come shoot us at Buzznet tonight." Jack said excitedly as he tried to pull Mellie up out of the chair. "Steeeeeve! She's here!"
Mellie resisted but she had no chance as Jack was tall and she was, well, not exactly petite but she also wasn't exactly a body builder either. "He drove away the other photographer didn't he." Mellie looked at Alex as she let Jack just carry her into the office of "Mr. Price".
"Yes." The voice said as the person behind it closed the laptop. "Jack pissed off the on-site photographer so bad I'm afraid that they'll never come back." Steve paused, "Jack, would you mind putting her down so I can talk to her properly?"
Mellie finally relaxed as Alex grabbed her and helped her down from Jack's shoulder. She straightened herself out and took a seat on front of the desk. Alex sat in the chair next to her and Jack in his lap, arms slowly snaking their way around Alex's neck. "Continue."
Steve looked at Jack and Alex, "Really?" He muttered, "Anyways, I need you to shoot the whole band for a Buzznet story that needs to go up tomorrow so we're super limited on time."
Mellie wasn't used to working under such a strict deadline, "What time are we shooting for, I mean, for the morning article release?"
"10 am." Steve replied, glancing at her suitcase. "Did— Did you bring everything you own?" He asked, brow raised.
"I, Um." Mellie paused, following his gaze, "I was on a tour." Mellie smiled, nervous. "with some friends but, I'm here now."
Steve blinked a few times, "Well, when you're done here you can run right back out."
Mellie mentally smacked herself, "Actually I was only on the tour as a favor to a friend so I'm still actively looking for employment." She tacked on, trying not to sound too desperate.
"You can always tour with us!" Jack said, "Hey, our tour photographer just left us for greener pastures, we could always use a new one."
Mellie made a slight face, "How about I think about it and we should probably get going. It's going to be an 8am shoot and we have 1 hour to get everything we need." Mellie quickly pointed out. "That doesn't count if I'm going to be scouting locations."
"Tell you what, The band is staying in a hotel close by, I'll get you a room there too. That will make everything easier."