Love Is Just a Chemical Creation

The photo shoot went very smoothly, the only time I felt it get a little tense was when I was taking individual shots of Zack. You could tell by just seeing him with his band members that it was more than just playing music to him. It was his life. I felt a connection with him on that level because it was same way for me and taking pictures.

When the photo shoot was over however things only got better. Skylar, Rian's girlfriend, came up to me and offered to take me to lunch, because the boys had to do a radio show interview before they went to the studio, and she couldn't go. I had checked my calendar to make sure I was free and smiled seeing I was until the following morning. I packed up my stuff as she said goodbye to Rian.

I looked over to see if she was ready only to see them in a heated kiss. The familiar pang came back as I looked at them. Why couldn't I have something like that? They broke apart and she pecked his lips one last time before he walked out the door. As she walked over to me she had a giddy smile on her face.

"You ready to go?" She asked still smiling.

"Yeah lets go." I told her hiking my camera bag up onto my shoulder.

We walked out of the studio. I had made sure that everything was off and cleaned up. I shut the door and Skylar and I walked to the elevator and she pressed the down button. As we waited and awkward silence filled the air.

"So, how long have you been with Rian?" I questioned not really wanting to know the answer, but still genuinely interested.

"Umm...October will be three years." She said happily.

"Well you guys are adorable together." I told her as the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. The doors revealed a few people I didn't know and one other photographer that hated me. He hated me because I was a natural and he had to spend 7 years doing internship and apprenticeship after internship and apprenticeship.

The ride down was quiet and yet still noisy at the same time. The doors dinged again and I quickly stepped out of the elevator, Skylar following close behind.

"What was all that about?" Skylar asked as we walked toward the parking lot.

"Well Kalvin, that's his name, isn't all that fond of me because I got my job after only one internship and he has had to slave 7 years to get his job." I said laughing at how childish it sounded when you said it out loud.

"Sheesh. 7 years!? That sucks." She giggled. I stopped at my car so I could put my camera in it. "Wow. What happened to your car?" Her mouth was slightly open as she looked my car.

"Zack ran into the back of my car at a stop light before we got here. That is why it was a little tense when you showed up." I Explained.

"Oh, it's a really nice car. What year is it?" She questioned as she examined my car further.

"1966. I have always had a thing for old cars. It was my dads but after he got into an accident with it he never got around to fixing it up. So when he passed away he left me the car and told me to fix his baby up. I was really close to my dad so when he passed I was devastated. Having the car is kind of like having him with me." I told her.

"That's really cool of you to actually fix it up. Not many people would, you know to much pain cause of the memories."

We got in her car and drove to a small restaurant called Dockside. Up until the food came it was pretty uneventful, small chit-chat here and there. I had learned a lot about the her and the guys. I was starting to hate Zack less after hearing some of the stories about him. He actually seemed really cool, as did the other guys.

"So how did you meet Rian and the guys?" I asked as I paid for my food. Although she asked me out to lunch I insisted on paying for my meal.

"It was my junior year of high school and my best friend at the time dragged me to one of their shows. At the time they were nobodies and she was absolutely in love with Zack. We ended up going to an after party with them. She and Zack got drunk and slept together. She got pregnant and her parents made her get an abortion. When Zack found out that he was going to be a dad he wanted to step up, but she just disappeared after we found out she got an abortion. I have just kind of stuck with them through it all and they have become another family to me." She explained.

I just sat there not being able to find the words to express how I was feeling.

"You don't have to say anything you know." She said as she looked at me.

"I know but I just wouldn't know what to do it I had been in your shoes at the time. Hell, I couldn't even begin to imagine what I would have done if I was you old friend. Have you seen her since then"

"No. She killed herself about a year or so later. Zack wanted to see how she was holding up, so we tracked her down. When we actually went to go see her we went to her house and her parents said that she had committed suicide." I could tell this part was hard for her to talk about. "Zack hasn't really dated much since he found out."

"He must not have found the right one then." I told her. "If they were meant to be together then they would have ended up together."

"There have been a few hopefuls over the years but none to serious."

I looked out the window and noticed that we were parked next to my car. I didn't know how long we had been there and frankly I didn't really care.

"Thanks for inviting me to lunch." I said getting ready to get out but she stopped me.

"Listen the guys are playing a show tomorrow. I want you to come." She said. "Its not everyday that I get to hang out with a cool, non-plastic girl." She laughed.

I giggled cause I knew, by the stories she had told me, she was talking about the girls that Alex brought back to the bus.

"I would love to. I haven't been to a concert in so long, let alone taken pictures at one." I said smiling.

"Uh uh." She said shaking her head. "No camera. Well you can bring it but I am not going to let you take pictures the whole time." She added to the end when she saw my face. She was laughing when she finished she sentence.

"Deal. I can't wait to go!!" I exclaimed.

She gave me her number so I could call her when I got there cause I didn't have a ticket and she didn't have one on her. I was really excited to go and see them play. I didn't know how much differently my life would be after I went though.