Nadia walked quietly through the party and into a small room off to the side. She clasped the red cup filled with spiked root beer and leaned against the wall. There were a few stragglers moving in and out of the room, but it looked quiet enough for her to catch her breath. Nadia stretched her back a bit before straightening her back against the wall. This was already getting to be too much for her.
Nadia had expected high school parties to be fun and exciting. She had been deluded by countless media to think that the idea of hanging out with young people, drinking underage, listening to music, and being as hedonistic as possible without trying to break the law would have been something she could easily fit into. Instead, Nadia discovered that it was just a lot of standing in cramped rooms, a lot of screaming to try and talk to people over the music, a lot of disappointing snacks, and a lot of guys who were hoping she'd be the one to bring them into adulthood if they boozed and schmoozed her enough.
Needless to say, the novelty had worn off about an hour in. Nadia didn't feel like going home yet since that would mean she'd be trading one boring party for one boring night at home. She didn't have much to do at home; she was caught up on homework and any photo projects she was working on. Surely she could stand to stay here and put up with at least another hour of awkward social interaction.
In the mean time, Nadia pulled her phone out of her pants pocket and began to flick through the web browser app. Surely there was something more interesting happening somewhere else but here.
Ceremony
Private
Another party, another room full of Kingmanites who wanted to hear about how he pinned 195 pounds of pissed off white kid to do what hardly any Kingman wrestler - and none outside good old Cochise High - had ever done before. What was there to tell that hadn't been told, hadn't been on the video that hit youtube or the footage the myriad news cameras caught? The Miner and the Navajo Times and other papers he hadn't bothered to memorise had already scribbled down every interesting thing he could think to say about the biggest wrestling match of his life. What did these kids want? Just to be near a champion?
Hm. That word. "Champion" had lightened his heart and made him feel like he could fly until it was all he goddamn heard from anybody but his parents. And here he was, the masses he usually tried to ignore penning him at this little table he'd sat down by, the teammate who'd dragged him here nowhere to be seen. White faces, a couple brown, gawking at him and barking questions or suggestions or requests or shoving drinks at him when he was pretty sure if he had to say "no, I don't drink, no not even Coke" one more time he would lateral drop somebody through the floor. The air conditioner was on and yet the hum of voices and press of bodies negated it, turned this living room into the middle of the Mojave at high noon. Someone noticed the tightening of his lip, the furrow of his brow, even as some girl's hand brushed down his arm, and there was a small ripple when he came to his feet and they gave him space.
Maybe it being common knowledge he could toss around anybody in this room with ease wasn't so bad. There were a couple concerned queries, maybe genuine, but he just shook his head and tried a smile.
"Guys, I'm fine. I appreciate all this, really, but I need a little air. Make way, yeah?"
They did, a little escape corridor opening up to his right. He mustered the dignity to walk through it instead of run, heading off to the furthest corner from those gawkers and not letting himself release his breath until his back was to the wall.
Parties were fun, usually, but tonight seemed made to test his patience.
Hm. That word. "Champion" had lightened his heart and made him feel like he could fly until it was all he goddamn heard from anybody but his parents. And here he was, the masses he usually tried to ignore penning him at this little table he'd sat down by, the teammate who'd dragged him here nowhere to be seen. White faces, a couple brown, gawking at him and barking questions or suggestions or requests or shoving drinks at him when he was pretty sure if he had to say "no, I don't drink, no not even Coke" one more time he would lateral drop somebody through the floor. The air conditioner was on and yet the hum of voices and press of bodies negated it, turned this living room into the middle of the Mojave at high noon. Someone noticed the tightening of his lip, the furrow of his brow, even as some girl's hand brushed down his arm, and there was a small ripple when he came to his feet and they gave him space.
Maybe it being common knowledge he could toss around anybody in this room with ease wasn't so bad. There were a couple concerned queries, maybe genuine, but he just shook his head and tried a smile.
"Guys, I'm fine. I appreciate all this, really, but I need a little air. Make way, yeah?"
They did, a little escape corridor opening up to his right. He mustered the dignity to walk through it instead of run, heading off to the furthest corner from those gawkers and not letting himself release his breath until his back was to the wall.
Parties were fun, usually, but tonight seemed made to test his patience.
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Nadia looked up from her phone when she saw another guy enter the room. She immediately recognized him as Rod Kanuho. How could she not recognize him? He was almost everywhere in the last few weeks. The Champion. It was in the papers, and it was announced all over school. He won some wrestling thing and had suddenly ascended to godhood. Nadia didn't particularly care. She didn't really feel athletes were worth gushing over, especially at the high school level, and wrestling was something that just didn't excite her. Granted, she had thought about how interesting the wrestler's physique was as a photography subject in case she decided to have a Mapplethorpe phase in her career, but that was about it.
Nadia looked up and saw Rod lean against the wall opposite her and exhale. Just from his posture she could tell her was getting drained from being out there. She could relate, so she thought it would be good to break the ice.
"Is it hot out there? You know, in the pits of Hell?"
Nadia looked up and saw Rod lean against the wall opposite her and exhale. Just from his posture she could tell her was getting drained from being out there. She could relate, so she thought it would be good to break the ice.
"Is it hot out there? You know, in the pits of Hell?"
A tiny trickle of sweat at his hairline served as answer, but the voice caught his attention anyway and the speaker kept it. A little bit of healthy irreverence, in this miserable dust bowl of a "city" that decided he might as well have descended from Mount Olympus, was almost as refreshing as a tall glass of water. One of those would come in handy soon, as dry as his throat was it might as well have been stuffed with sand - especially once he got a good look at the girl who'd spoken to him.
And a second look for good measure, he was only human. At least the quick sweep up and down his gaze took was quick enough not to be disrespectful, as tempting as it was to linger. Besides, the more pressing matter was the fact he simply had no idea who she was. He certainly wouldn't mind finding out, even as the music thrummed away in the background and the droning buzz of partygoers continued around him.
That was an awful lot of black to be wearing out here in the desert, even in the evening.
"Enough I figured I'd get away from the flames a bit," he offered the mystery girl, slow-built tension in his muscles easing away as he let himself relax properly. He even managed to smile a little.
And a second look for good measure, he was only human. At least the quick sweep up and down his gaze took was quick enough not to be disrespectful, as tempting as it was to linger. Besides, the more pressing matter was the fact he simply had no idea who she was. He certainly wouldn't mind finding out, even as the music thrummed away in the background and the droning buzz of partygoers continued around him.
That was an awful lot of black to be wearing out here in the desert, even in the evening.
"Enough I figured I'd get away from the flames a bit," he offered the mystery girl, slow-built tension in his muscles easing away as he let himself relax properly. He even managed to smile a little.
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Nadia shifted her position a bit against the wall. Rod seemed to appreciate her joke, which already told her it was right to speak to him like that. If he was the meatheaded superstar she presumed, he probably would take offense to the circle jerk outside being compared to Hell. Maybe he did need a break from the frivolity as much as she did.
"Yeah, it's obnoxiously hot out there," Nadia continued. "I don't know how anyone can stand to prance through that."
Nadia put her phone back in her pocket. She took a sip of her drink.
"Is it at least fun for you out there?" she asked.
"Yeah, it's obnoxiously hot out there," Nadia continued. "I don't know how anyone can stand to prance through that."
Nadia put her phone back in her pocket. She took a sip of her drink.
"Is it at least fun for you out there?" she asked.
"No."
Well, that was a little blunt, but he couldn't resist not answering honestly when someone actually seemed interested in what he thought.
"I like parties, not being gawked at like an exhibit."
Yes, winning a championship was impressive. Anyone could have done it if they'd put in the work, but they hadn't, he had. How many days had he been killing himself on the practise mats while some deep-buried part of him wished he could just laze around in front of a video game, Netflix or the internet like most of those punks did? How many appointments, dates and hangouts had he had to reschedule or outright skip because there was a match, tournament or extra practise? Did they think he ran to school every morning instead of taking the bus for the hell of it?
Work. That was a four letter word here, and not just in the literal sense. Be impressed, respect the accomplishment, sure, but don't treat him like some wrestling machine sent from on high. Mystery girl seemed to get it at least.
"What about you? You don't seem too impressed by this little gathering."
Well, that was a little blunt, but he couldn't resist not answering honestly when someone actually seemed interested in what he thought.
"I like parties, not being gawked at like an exhibit."
Yes, winning a championship was impressive. Anyone could have done it if they'd put in the work, but they hadn't, he had. How many days had he been killing himself on the practise mats while some deep-buried part of him wished he could just laze around in front of a video game, Netflix or the internet like most of those punks did? How many appointments, dates and hangouts had he had to reschedule or outright skip because there was a match, tournament or extra practise? Did they think he ran to school every morning instead of taking the bus for the hell of it?
Work. That was a four letter word here, and not just in the literal sense. Be impressed, respect the accomplishment, sure, but don't treat him like some wrestling machine sent from on high. Mystery girl seemed to get it at least.
"What about you? You don't seem too impressed by this little gathering."
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"Eh, it's not what I expected," Nadia replied.
Nadia looked down at the red cup in her hands. With the lighting in the room, the root beer now looked like motor oil. Maybe it's because she tainted it with tequila, but it suddenly looked unappealing.
"I mean, I thought I'd be able to have fun at one of these things," she continued, "but I just don't get it. I just can't see why I should be having fun here."
Nadia took a sip of the sludge in her cup. Most of the ice had melted and now it tasted more like tequila than root beer.
"I don't know. I don't get why that is, but it just feels that way."
Nadia looked down at the red cup in her hands. With the lighting in the room, the root beer now looked like motor oil. Maybe it's because she tainted it with tequila, but it suddenly looked unappealing.
"I mean, I thought I'd be able to have fun at one of these things," she continued, "but I just don't get it. I just can't see why I should be having fun here."
Nadia took a sip of the sludge in her cup. Most of the ice had melted and now it tasted more like tequila than root beer.
"I don't know. I don't get why that is, but it just feels that way."
"I'm no party expert, but this really isn't a good example of one. Unless your thing is getting drunk and listening to bad music, which it doesn't seem to be."
Parties weren't all the roaring inferno of excess and hedonism the silver screen made them out to be, especially since when those did happen there was the risk of a KPD visit. What was a good example of a party, then? It was hard to say what a party is when all you could come up with was what one wasn't.
"Depends on what you're hoping to get out of it, I guess. What's fun for you?"
Parties weren't all the roaring inferno of excess and hedonism the silver screen made them out to be, especially since when those did happen there was the risk of a KPD visit. What was a good example of a party, then? It was hard to say what a party is when all you could come up with was what one wasn't.
"Depends on what you're hoping to get out of it, I guess. What's fun for you?"
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Nadia shrugged.
"I dunno. Fun for me doesn't really involve posturing for my peers like this. I mean, if I was asked to take pictures of the event, then I might have fun and might get some cash out of it."
Now Nadia wished she had brought her Nikon with her. That might have given her something to do tonight. She had her cell phone camera, but that wasn't as exciting to use as a proper camera.
"But I'd probably just get pictures of drunk assholes instead, so that might not be so great."
"I dunno. Fun for me doesn't really involve posturing for my peers like this. I mean, if I was asked to take pictures of the event, then I might have fun and might get some cash out of it."
Now Nadia wished she had brought her Nikon with her. That might have given her something to do tonight. She had her cell phone camera, but that wasn't as exciting to use as a proper camera.
"But I'd probably just get pictures of drunk assholes instead, so that might not be so great."
"It's not all posturing."
A half-hearted defence for a party he only had half a heart for. Appropriate. He found himself more interested in the little bit of information she volunteered, a little chuckle even escaping him as she called the assorted attendees "drunk assholes". How very accurate. Wasn't that half of Kingman, except the young souls that still hadn't been crushed enough to lose their dreams of escaping its clutches?
Maybe that was fair, maybe it wasn't, but what they never seemed to realise was he never got on that mat and wrestled for them. His eyes were still on mystery girl, and he remained glad the music had gone down just enough he didn't have to scream across the room to her.
"Pictures, huh? You're a photographer, then?"
Please don't work for the Miner, I'm sick of those guys already.
A half-hearted defence for a party he only had half a heart for. Appropriate. He found himself more interested in the little bit of information she volunteered, a little chuckle even escaping him as she called the assorted attendees "drunk assholes". How very accurate. Wasn't that half of Kingman, except the young souls that still hadn't been crushed enough to lose their dreams of escaping its clutches?
Maybe that was fair, maybe it wasn't, but what they never seemed to realise was he never got on that mat and wrestled for them. His eyes were still on mystery girl, and he remained glad the music had gone down just enough he didn't have to scream across the room to her.
"Pictures, huh? You're a photographer, then?"
Please don't work for the Miner, I'm sick of those guys already.
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"Yeah, photography's my passion," Nadia said. "I want to have pictures in Vogue or W Magazine someday, so I'm taking pictures all the time."
"Well, not now. But in general."
Nadia smirked a bit. She hadn't expected to start talking about her photography, but somehow she felt better just mentioning.
"For now, it's mostly blogging and sending stuff to magazines while doing local photography and modeling. Whatever can help me get some opportunities when I get out of here."
"Well, not now. But in general."
Nadia smirked a bit. She hadn't expected to start talking about her photography, but somehow she felt better just mentioning.
"For now, it's mostly blogging and sending stuff to magazines while doing local photography and modeling. Whatever can help me get some opportunities when I get out of here."
"Vogue, huh?"
A big goal, but then, so was being state champion, or going off to wrestle in the Olympics one day. So many people here had no goal at all, big or small. They were content to just... be. Didn't they understand how limited their time was? Didn't they see there was a whole world beyond the desert? Hell, drive ninety minutes northwest and you hit Las Vegas of all places. A couple hours longer than that and you're in LA. They were so close to the bigger world and yet most here seemed to just accept Kingman. Accept a future of meth and trailer parks and bad teeth and possibly banging their cousins and certainly nobody ever knowing their names. Even some of his team seemed to settle into the idea of their life being baking in the desert heat and never really amounting to anything.
The very thought made his skin crawl. That wasn't a life. He'd sooner drop a neutron bomb on this place than grow old here, and so talking to someone with some kind of actual aspiration? More refreshing than the A/C which was finally starting to do its job on his overheated skin. And she didn't work for the Miner at all, so his silent prayer had gone answered. Clarice would probably like this girl, what with her wanting to direct movies and all.
"How's all that working out for you?"
She certainly looked like she could be a model.
A big goal, but then, so was being state champion, or going off to wrestle in the Olympics one day. So many people here had no goal at all, big or small. They were content to just... be. Didn't they understand how limited their time was? Didn't they see there was a whole world beyond the desert? Hell, drive ninety minutes northwest and you hit Las Vegas of all places. A couple hours longer than that and you're in LA. They were so close to the bigger world and yet most here seemed to just accept Kingman. Accept a future of meth and trailer parks and bad teeth and possibly banging their cousins and certainly nobody ever knowing their names. Even some of his team seemed to settle into the idea of their life being baking in the desert heat and never really amounting to anything.
The very thought made his skin crawl. That wasn't a life. He'd sooner drop a neutron bomb on this place than grow old here, and so talking to someone with some kind of actual aspiration? More refreshing than the A/C which was finally starting to do its job on his overheated skin. And she didn't work for the Miner at all, so his silent prayer had gone answered. Clarice would probably like this girl, what with her wanting to direct movies and all.
"How's all that working out for you?"
She certainly looked like she could be a model.
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"Ehhh...not so great," Nadia said, shrugging.
She started to tap her finger against the side of the red cup.
"There aren't many options for modeling here in Kingman," she said. "If I were in LA like my sister, I might have a better chance. I mean, she walked for Betsey Johnson in her first year at UCLA. Meanwhile, I was in a pizza commercial here."
Nadia took another sip.
"So it's mostly just blogging and sending stuff out. It's pretty static right now."
She started to tap her finger against the side of the red cup.
"There aren't many options for modeling here in Kingman," she said. "If I were in LA like my sister, I might have a better chance. I mean, she walked for Betsey Johnson in her first year at UCLA. Meanwhile, I was in a pizza commercial here."
Nadia took another sip.
"So it's mostly just blogging and sending stuff out. It's pretty static right now."
"Just keep working at it, I'm sure you'll figure something out. You've at least got a start."
That was what his coach and his parents always said, 'keep working'. Nothing was out of reach if you were willing to just work at it, even if you had to push yourself until your hair fell out. There probably wouldn't be many opportunities in Kingman, there never were, and while that meant he didn't have much in the way of things distracting him from training it wasn't so good for someone aiming to be a model.
Pizza commercial, huh? That might explain why she looked a little familiar, although he was certain he'd remember her if he'd actually seen her. Hrm.
"Sorry, I don't think I got your name?"
That was what his coach and his parents always said, 'keep working'. Nothing was out of reach if you were willing to just work at it, even if you had to push yourself until your hair fell out. There probably wouldn't be many opportunities in Kingman, there never were, and while that meant he didn't have much in the way of things distracting him from training it wasn't so good for someone aiming to be a model.
Pizza commercial, huh? That might explain why she looked a little familiar, although he was certain he'd remember her if he'd actually seen her. Hrm.
"Sorry, I don't think I got your name?"
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"Oh, yeah. It's Nadia. Nadia Riva," she told Rod.
Nadia shifted her position against the wall. This guy wasn't so bad to talk to.
"And yeah, I plan to keep working on it," Nadia said. "Most of my free time, I'm thinking of new photo concepts and looking for items for photo shoots. I know the easiest way to fail is to not keep up with it. If I don't post new photos every week, it feels like I'm failing."
"But I mean, that's just how it is for me."
Nadia shifted her position against the wall. This guy wasn't so bad to talk to.
"And yeah, I plan to keep working on it," Nadia said. "Most of my free time, I'm thinking of new photo concepts and looking for items for photo shoots. I know the easiest way to fail is to not keep up with it. If I don't post new photos every week, it feels like I'm failing."
"But I mean, that's just how it is for me."