a million miles away with erica

[Abby Kerr]

Abby stared across the harbor, the shimmering horizon a beatuful sunsetting orange. The sun was hidden by the pink clouds and was painting the sky with the most amazing colour for a photo but this was her little holiday before starting her job. She still couldn't quite believe she had actually been accepted to work as a photographer for Covington Modeling Agency. It had been her dream carreer, to work something she adored to do.

She wrapped her grey coat around her tightly, shielding her from the chills. The winter season was soon to come to a close but the wintery winds weren't ready for a vacation just yet. She gave a soft sigh, a breath of admiring the perfect calm of the New York Harbour. After a minute, she glanced at her watch quickly. Erica was supposed to be meeting her here in only five minutes. She smiled gently to herself as she thought of her friend. It was going to be nice to have a few familiar faces around here.

Abby looked around the harbor again and the view urged her to take a long gaze at it again. The dusk was now fully into its progress. It orange and reds were now gone, flawless purples and pale blues splashed across the large canvas. She couldn't dream of a more wonderful place to work.

[Erica Anderson]

Erica stared at her feet as she continued down the sidewalk which led to the place where she was supposed to be meeting her dear friend Abby. The two had known each other for some time now, and Erica had grown quite fond of her. Abby was one of the only people that Erica actually let into her life; she felt comfortable around her and knew that her secrets were safe with her trusted friend. On the other hand, Abby was one of the only people who would actually tolerate Erica, who was known back home for her incredible bitchiness and sarcastic personality. She didn't mind having that reputation; in fact, she was kind of proud of it. However, not many people wanted to be known as the girl who was friends with Erica, because they too might receive the hatred and criticism that had been so generously given to Erica for years now. But here, in New York, everything on Erica's slate had been erased, and to everyone here, she was just another person living in the big city. With her reputation gone, she was determined to make a new name for herself; hopefully it would be a better and more positive one. But, moving away from her old habits and sarcastic reflexes might be difficult for Erica.

Her slightly numb fingers stayed clutched to her jacket, not daring to let go as she scaled the sidewalk. Erica had been here almost a week now, and she still had not gotten use to the cold weather. There had been a time or two where she had walked out the door, and then rushed back inside, remembering that she was no longer in the south. Then, she would go back to her apartment and put on a coat before leaving again. Most people up here seemed to be pretty used to it and it didn't appear to bother them, but Erica was in no rush to become used to the weather. She longed for the spring time when the mercury in thermometers would rise, and she would no longer have to endure the suffering of winter. She shivered slightly as she finally saw Abby in the near distance. Erica picked up her pace a little bit, though she couldn't tell if she had gotten any faster or not, because her legs were now so numb that she couldn't feel a thing. In fact, if she couldn't see, she wouldn't even know she was walking, because she was that cold. Now, the sun was setting, and the temperatures were dropping even further. If there was one thing that Erica hated on this earth, it was the cold.

She approached her friend with a wide smile across her face. She clenched her teeth together to keep them from chattering as she pulled her fur coat tighter around her. "Hello, love," she greeted cheerfully, hugging her friend as she did so. "How've you been?" she asked in her sweet, southern accent which clearly stood out amongst the way people talked up north. Erica, who had been staring at her feet the entire way over here, just now looked up to see the breathtaking New York Harbor. Boy, was it something. The sun setting on the horizon made this a beautiful sight. For a few moments, Erica was completely silent and still as she watched a boat in the distance, scaling the waters. She never imagined that something as wonderful as this could take place in a place like the busy New York. Maybe this place had something to offer after all. But for now, Erica didn't have a job, and was paying her rent with money that her father was mailing her each week. He told her that she needed to find work, but Erica knew that even if she didn't, he would continued to support her financially anyway. Still, though, she couldn't let her father down. Erica had planned to ask Abby what she was doing as a job, and if she had any idea of something Erica might be good at. She only had a high school education, and had no intention of going to college, especially up here. But, she would save that conversation for later. For right now, she wanted to hear how her dear friend Abby was doing.

[Abby Kerr]

A tight hug startled Abby considerably, though it was welcomed in the cold weather. It gave a her a warm feeling from inside, not the her jacket but the nice fulfilling emotion of having a friend close by. "I've been very good actually," she replied cheerfully, "Surprisingly. And you?" She hoped Erica was alright in New York. Since last they had met, she knew that she was renting an apartment without much of a job, yet. She wished the very best for her friend, especially this one.

She smiled as Erica also noticed the view of the harbor. It was nice to know the sight enveloped both of them, not just the photographer of the two. The boat sailed the waters so calmly, it was a wonder how the people inside it manage not to shake the boat with their shivering. She wished it was the kind of season to do some boating, sailing the the center of the harbor and just letting their hair down properly, away from a stranger's eye. That was one of the most wonderful things about her friend, she made everything so much fun.

Abby turned glanced at Erica quickly, wondering what she was thinking at this moment. She though she saw a glimpse of a troubling conversation though the topic wasn't brought up from both of them. It wasn't a subject that could be lightly tossed about between these girls. It was New York, busy and full of so many possibilities for work. She was positive her friend would be able to score at least one of those jobs up for grabs. And if those didn't work out for Erica, she would always be sure that she would help her out. That what she was for!

[Erica Anderson]

For once in a considerably long time, Erica was actually happy. A smile was on her face, which was something rarely seen since she had moved to New York. Perhaps it was because this was the first time in days that she had had someone to talk to. Well, other than the concierge at her apartment, who spoke to Erica every morning as she left. Other than that, Erica hadn't really spoken to much of anyone except for a friendly girl she had met at Starbucks a few days back. These repeated days of silence were getting old, and they were difficult for a person like Erica, who loved to talk. If she had the chance, she could ramble on for probably five minutes about a subject which everyone else would have nothing to say about. Hopefully, she would be seeing Abby more often, so that she would get to exercise her voice. As for the moment right now, Erica was thrilled that she could talk again, especially to one of her best friends (and her only friend in New York.) She usually did most of the talking, but since she was trying to become a different person as part of her big move up north, Erica was going to try and hold her tongue and let Abby speak more. That might be hard, considering the fact that Erica hadn't spoken much in the last few days. Still, though, she was going to attempt it.

Erica listened as Abby told how she was doing. So far she was being a pretty good listener. Erica tightened her jacket around her petite body as she spoke, "I've been alright. There's just not as much for me to do around here as I thought there'd be." She left it at that, not wanting to raise her blood pressure by getting angry and complaining about the multiple things that had gone wrong in her week living here. She decided to save the ranting for another time, because now she wanted to enjoy her time with her friend before it was gone. Erica forced a smile back on her face as she shivered lightly, once again realizing how low the temperatures were here. She took another glance out at New York harbor. Once more, she was overwhelmed by the beauty of it, especially as the sun was going down. She decided to spark some conversation between the two, because the silence was getting old for Erica. "So, what have you been doing lately? Have you found a job?" she asked curiously as she walked back three steps and sat down on a bench, waiting for Abby to follow. The bench was cold, but it was much better than standing up and having more wind hit you. Erica knew of Abby's plans to be a photographer up here, but wasn't sure if she had managed to pull it off. But, she believed in her friend, so Erica knew that she probably had.

[Abby Kerr]

Abby looked around to Erica and as she did, she saw her smile. It made her feel warm inside, glad that she was with one of her best friends right now. It made her corner's of her lips curve into a smile as well and before they knew it, both of their faces were glowing. She hadn't had much company herself. Preparing herself for her first at work day didn't include many conversations with her friends and family at home at all. It was the first time in a long time she had actually spoken to someone without having the purpose of her work. It only added color to her cheeks as she realized this. Slowly, the cold numbness faded away at her skin and her fingers relaxed from grasping at the bottoms of her jacket pockets.

She felt a jerk inside her as Erica asked once more. It was just a little question to start a conversation but to Abby, it brought a feeling of excitement along with it, every single time she was asked the same question. She was sure she wouldn't ever get used to it. An answer formed in her quickly and the words came out in a rush, just able to be heard in separate words. "I was accepted as a photographer for Covington." She couldn't stop herself from beaming her success but it quickly faded away. She was careful not to sound like she was bragging. It was hardly fair to Erica. "What about you? Any job offers?" she asked quickly. She looked at Erica carefully, examining her for any facial answers.