"Babe, hurry up, we are gonna be late. We have a lot of work to do."
Shira dragged Zack out of the bed.
"Ok...ok...ba...babe." Zack is not familiar with saying babe.
Zacker struggled to sit up. His face bore the soft creases of his pillowcase, imprinted like ocean waves. Zack swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat on the side of the bed, to be more precise, the Ikea mattress on the floor.
"Look what I got! I need to return all of these tomorrow before my mom's credit card charges interest," Shira declared, her arms laden paper bags. The words on the bags read like a map of the mall - Zara, Old Navy, Brandy Melville.
Just how many outfits did you get for one photoshoot?" Zack grumbled, rubbing his eyes.
"Maybe 15?," Shira answered carelessly as she was busy putting all the clothes into one giant garbage bag.
Zack wanted to say something, but he then remained quiet.
Shira added, "You are not the one suffering! Like changing outfits in a public park bathroom is a lot of fun."
"Make me look like I'm on the cover of Vogue, not Vogue's list of 'what not to do'."
"Yes, my lady." Zack started packing cameras and those long, heavy lenses neatly in a camera bag.
Zack then carefully reminded Shira that he needs to return the cameras by 5pm or else they won't be able to charge it to the company who paid for these things.
Shira handed the big garbage bag of clothes to Zack, "That's exactly why we need to blitz through all 15 outfits this Saturday. So I can post twice a day next week."
Zack nodded, his mind already calculating the day's tight schedule.
Zack's roommate, Josh, strolled in, yawning with a can of Coke in hand. He just played Call of Duty all night. He leaned against the doorframe, his eyes flickering between Zack and Shira with a mix of disbelief and curiosity.
Josh has known Zack since the carefree days of middle school, when life's biggest worries are cafeteria food. There's been an unspoken understanding between them: Josh is the one with the striking looks and easy charm, seamlessly drawing people—especially girls—into his orbit with a mere flash of his smile. Zack, on the other hand, is the kind you'd label as 'the boy next door' if you're being kind, never get girls, like ever. This has been like it for many years, almost like the laws of physics. But now, gravity seems to be not working.
They are still maybe you can call best friends. While Josh navigated high school hallways like a celebrity, Zack was content in his solitude, his mind occupied by ISO settings and the golden hour. When Josh brought home trophies from track meets, Zack was there, camera in hand, ready to capture the moment.
Josh watched Zack and Shira stride out of the apartment, their fingers intertwined. He couldn't help but feel puzzled – what did Zack see in a girl whose world seemingly revolved around the endless cycle of photoshoots? And more importantly, what does she see in him?
Josh pushed open Zack's bedroom door, where Zack's computer sat untouched, its screen saver flashing images from their last road trip.
Remembering Zack's password – which hasn't changed since eighth grade – Josh logged in. He navigated to Instagram and typed Shira's name into the search bar. Her profile popped up, a vibrant collage of images that showcased not just clothes but snippets of a lifestyle Josh. In a moment of whimsy, Josh decided to create an Instagram account of his own. He typed in username 'imnotfine', and followed Shira's account. His finger hovered over the follow button for just a moment, contemplating the odd sense of connection this action signified.
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