I'd been out of college for two years now, traveling around the country making use out of the photography and art degree I'd received. I'd been doing freelance work for the last two years when I finally got my big break.
I received an offer from GQ, to be their lead photographer. So today I was saying Goodbye to my dad, promising to keep in touch, that I'd try to make it back for Christmas and all that jazz. In reality, I knew I'd never return to this fucking town ever again.
I was sick of Forks, Washington. I'd had enough heartache and heartbreak here to last two eternities. My high school sweetheart, Edward Cullen, started the ball rolling. We were getting married right after high school, we were going to attend Dartmouth. He had been accepted to their medical school. My dad told me to wait, go to college first, get a feel of what else was out there. But no, everything revolved around Edward Cullen as far as I was concerned.
That is until a month before the wedding, and I walked in on him boning this hot blonde, named Tanya Denali. They were supposed to be 'old friends of the family', according to his dad. Turns out they had been boyfriend and girlfriend, before Edward and his family moved here from Alaska. Secretly, both families always wanted them together. Well, I was devastated, to say the least.
I managed to graduate high school, but there was no way I was going to Dartmouth now. I wouldn't be able to stand to look at his face on campus, without wanting to smash the windshield of his precious Volvo. What kind of man drives a Volvo anyway. That's a soccer mom's car.
I enrolled in Community college and kept my job at Newton's sporting goods, and hung out with my friends in La Push, the local Native American reservation. I was practically raised there, my dad is friends with the Chief Billy Black. His son Jacob was my best friend.
Jake was two years younger than me, so the two years I spent at the community college, Jake finished high school. By then Jake and I had become pretty close.
Once Jake graduated, I transferred to the University of Washington, and Jake enrolled as well. Since I was a junior, I got an apartment off campus and Jake and I lived together.
Jake was on the football team after a walk on try-out and turned out to be the big star on campus. I swear, the coach saw his 6'5 225lb mass of muscled frame and signed him immediately.
Being the big football star went straight to Jake's head, because the next thing I knew, he was dumping me and moving out.
Well, fuck him.
I'd taken some photography classes while at community college, and entered my photographs in a few competitions. A gallery even wanted to display my work. So I decided to change my major to Art, with a minor in photography. I'd sold quite a few pieces, so after graduation, I decided to do some freelance work.
GQ saw the work I'd done for Sports Illustrated and Men's Health Magazine and offered me a position. It meant moving to New York. Of course, I jumped at the chance. They had an apartment set up for me and the salary was phenomenal. Not only that, I'd still get a chance to travel, only this time, I would have an expense account.
I packed everything I owned, except my photography equipment of course, and placed it in the old rusty pickup truck Jake had fixed up for me when I first moved in with my dad after my mom died. I drove it out to the meadow, that Edward and I called our spot, and set that bitch on fire. I wanted nothing that reminded me of my time in Forks Washington. I then called a cab and headed to the airport for New York City.
