The Experiment 2: The Journey

Out

His phone rang while he was sitting on his couch, wrapped in a warm blanket and trying to thaw himself after running for more than an hour in the blizzard. He picked it up and answered the call.

"Christine."

"JC, I'm sorry I missed your call. I got stranded in the freaking blizzard and I'd been trying to get home for more than three hours. What's going on?"

He took a deep breath and sighed. "I want out. I'm not doing it anymore."

There was a pause on the other line.

"What do you mean you're not doing it anymore?" Christine finally asked.

"Let's just leave Dei and her husband alone, I don't wanna do this anymore."

"So you called me, in the middle of one of the biggest storms in New York that had me stuck in the road for hours, making me fucking pissed, to let me know that you're bailing out of your end of the bargain?" Christine said, speaking through gritted teeth and her voice straining from suppressed anger. "You're bailing out of something you swore to do... after all that I did for you?"

"You didn't really do anything, Christine, except make a few calls, hand my portfolio to the right people --"

"Yes! I pulled you out of your state of obscurity! Without me, none of these big guys would've even known you existed and you'd still be that freelance photographer who can barely pay his bills. You were just about to be evicted a few months ago, remember? Even your sister couldn't help you. I am the reason you still even have an apartment to stay in through this freaking storm!"

He didn't respond for a few moments, trying to suppress his own anger. He hated how Christine had to remind him of how desperate he was. Desperate enough to agree to her conditions... which he eventually found himself almost too willing to do. He shook his head, now totally disgusted with himself.

"Thank you, Christine," he finally managed to say. "I know that, and I'm grateful, I really am. But I can't do this anymore. Those two are strong, there's no breaking them. And I really hate seeing Dei hurt knowing I am the reason behind it. No, Christine, I can't do this anymore."

"Well, I hope you've saved enough money to get you through the next months, JC, because I'm making the call. I'll make sure you're out of job before you can even say 'unfair.'"

"There's no need for that, C. I already called Shannon. I'm handing my resignation as soon as we're back in the office. It was nice getting in touch with you again, cuz," JC said calmly. "Have a good life."

"JC---" He pressed 'end call' before she could say anything more and blocked her number.

He pulled his laptop from the coffee table and browsed through his gallery containing Dei's pictures. He sighed as he brushed his thumb on one particular close up.

RJ, you lucky bastard.

++++++

"What's this?" Dei asked, looking at him with the file folder he had just handed her in her hand.

"My ideas for the remainder of the project. That's how I'd want them to end up looking. I know you've always trusted my decisions and my visions on the project and in case you won't agree as much on your next partner, you can show him or her that," JC told her.