Out Of Focus

Chapter 2 - Arlie

"Welcome to the Grey Garage, Lucky." he said with an arm wide opened while staring at him.

It wasn't just an ordinary garage he thought before, it's a photo studio filled with lots of photoshooting equipments; lights, back-drop, reflector, cameras, hair light, couch, 2 big cabinets, a stool and everything a photographer need. All of them was arranged neatly. Max walked inside and stopped nearby a small table with cameras on it. He started to clean the lenses.

"Come in." he asked.

"I didn't expect this," Lucky said while stepping inside the garage.

Max looked at Lucky and smiled, "What? The boring and messy looking garage from outside? Many people said that but really, we are just pearls inside a clam," Lucky smiled while his eyes wandering around the room. He was amazed.

'This place is just the ugliest and worst thing ever a studio photo can be but you won't see it that way after you already see how cool the inside of this place, mate.' Lucky giggled to what Max just said.

Lucky saw an empty-lonely stool on the back-drop and decided to sit. It was surprisingly uncomfortable but still he sat on it.

He hummed. Max walked behind the back-drop and get himself a few things; boxes and cleaning equipments. Few times, Max looked at the the stairs that goes to the house like he's waiting for something. He frowned everytime he looked at the stairs.

"So you're going to take my pictures right?" Lucky asked to break the ice. He was so awkward and just blurted out random obvious stupid question that acrossed his mind.

While bushing down into stacks of boxes in the storage room, Max answered, "Nope." He went out from the storage room and repeated, "Not me. I'm still a student. I'm here to work as a part time employee and to study photography."

"Wait, what? So who's the photographer?" Lucky asked and stood up. He walked following Max who just walked across the room.

"The photographer is upstairs. She'll be down in a minute... I bet," he explained.

He put stacks of boxes near the table where the cameras are and dragged a bigger container. He put it nearby the lights. Lucky just stared.

'A she?' he thought.

Lucky chuckled, "I thought you're the photographer because you look older than me and you looked like a professional photographer in my opinion."

Max looked at Lucky and said, " Woaa!!! Slow down. That's a compliment and an insult in one sentence. I don't know how to react and by the way, I'm actually younger than you, bro," He winked and they started to laugh.

Suddenly, they heard foot-steps from upstairs and Max started to smile, "There she is. I'll be back and wait here."

'Where would I go anyways,' Lucky thought and just sat back on the stool. He heard Max shouting and explaining things to somebody. Lucky just waited and the upstairs door creaked; it opened.

Max sighed and said, "Hi, she is coming down. Get ready." He gave a pat on Lucky's back.

A weak footsteps approached. He found himself staring at a lady; pixie brown hair and brown eyes. She was eating cronuts. He looked at her and again, he didn't expect this.

"TA-DAA! This is the "SHE" i told you." Max said with a smile.

"Hi." Lucky said. The lady took a folder from the table near her and started to read. It was a folder from the NEXT; Lucky's management.

"Lucky Blue Smith? Is that even a real name?" she said, mocking him. He feel offended.

"It's a real name. Any problem?"

"Nope, I'm fine. It is just..." she smirked, " Funny to find a person with this kind of name," she explained. She put the folder on the table and put her cronut on top of it. She cleaned up her hands with her pants. 'Did she treat all her working files like she treats this one?' Lucky thought.

"I'm Arlie Stark. Arlie," she stretched her hand and shook hands with him.

"Get him the outfit, we need to finish this fast," Arlie said and Max's hit her back.

"Oh yeah? Why didn't you think that before and start the photoshoot since ages ago rather than sleeping?"

She scratched the back of her head.

"I was busy last night and I didn't get enough sleep. C'mon Max,"

Max rolled his eyes and walked away. He took few suits from a hanger and gave it to Lucky. Lucky quickly changed his clothes.

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Lucky observe Arlie while she' s eating her cronuts and laying on the couch. Max prepared everything for the photoshoot.

'A lazy-ass chic, disrespectful, cocky face, androgynous look, striped t-shirt, ripped jeans and a pair of men slippers,' Lucky thought. 'She's so sloppy looking.' Lucky can't get over how disrespectful Arlie is.

Max suddenly whispered, "She's 21. You're surrounded with young people. Feel old yet?" He looked at Max and laughed a little.

"Max, You're done yet?" she shouted and Lucky stared at her again, 'AND EFFING 21? Wow, I hate her. She's young and cocky. She didn't even dress decently to meet me and she just woke up."

"Yeah, I'm done," Max said from the storage room.

"Okay, let's finished this." She stretched her body as she stood up. She walked towards the camera infront of the back-drop.

"We will have few sessions and photo-shoots. The deadline is 23rd of July, so we are going to have 5 active days. I hope we both can cooperate well."  she asked and he replied with a nod.

"Okay then, let's do this."