“That’s not fair. I got my picture of OTP number
one,” Elaine Rivers’ finger pointed at Maxine Ride and Liam Edevane, “I need
OTP number two.”
At that, the rest of the group turned to Arzen
Venura and Mathias Angelo. The ginger just gave them all a stare and took
Elaine’s camera, making the smaller girl protest.
“Okay,” he said slowly, “Blondie and Rivers, move
closer so I can take a picture of both of you.”
“Hell no, Ginger.” Elaine swiped back her camera, “I
meant you and Venura. Now move.”
“E-Elaine–” the rest of the group began laughing as
Arzen tried to ‘escape’, “I don’t think–”
Cianna gave a smirk and lifted her own SLR. “Rivers
is right, Venura. Get closer to the ginger before any of us does it for you.
And by that, I mean push you two together.” Liam began chortling in the
background, Maxine just rolling her eyes – and grinning.
“Yeah, before the crowds get in the way,” Gabrielle gestured
behind them, where crowds of students were getting hugs and whatnot from the
teachers. “Get your asses together! The bus might leave the majority of us bus
riders, freaking basic private riders.”
“I won’t–”
Mathias grabbed her from the waist and pulled her
closer, making them laugh even harder, some of them (Liam and Daniel)
catcalling from the side. “Just hold still for five seconds,” he muttered to
her, turning to smile (or smirk) at the cameras. Arzen could only make what
seemed to be a pained or embarrassed smile, and once they flashed, he let her
go and she smacked him with her thick notebook.
“That
was uncalled for!”
“It got them off our backs–”
While the two ‘argued’, Elaine took out the film and
squinted at it as the image developed. “How’s your shot, Alrada?”
“Very nice,” she commented, the rest of them peeking
at the screen. “I’ll be posting these later. If I’m not that lazy,” and
Gabrielle rolled her eyes.
“Knowing her, she’ll do it maybe tomorrow or next
week.”
“Hell yeah.”
“I’ll pull them away.” Daniel left them and Elaine’s
smile faded slightly, the blond gently pushing Arzen back to the group with
Mathias frowning. “Okay. Now what?”
“The remainder of us can get a picture by the booth.”
Cianna counted them – four had already left. “Goddamn it, the only time I ask
for a proper picture and the rest of them go AWOL.”
“Calm down, Alrada. They might have stricter bus drivers,”
Liam interjected, hands folded behind his neck as he stretched and gave a large
yawn, “Like some of us here who might be left again.”
Maxine muttered something under her breath.
“So – picture?”
*
* * * *
“You’re leaving for France.”
Mathias glanced at Elaine, who was staring at him
with the camera in her hands. He nodded.
“How’d you find out?”
“Arzen.”
“Oh.” He looked at Arzen, who was busy talking with
one of the teachers. “It’s just for the summer. I’ll be back in May so I can
join her in college review. She’ll be okay.”
“No, she won’t.” Elaine shifted, “She needs someone
to talk to when she needs it.”
“You’re there. Why not you?”
“She won’t tell me things sometimes. You know her.”
“You think she tells everything to me?” he gave a
dubious laugh, “Elaine. She doesn’t. Arzen keeps in what she doesn’t want us to
know, even when you persist and she tells you the details. Why do you think she’ll
tell me whatever she wants to tell?”
Both of them stayed silent after that.
They knew the answer very well.
“I’m going to France,” he finally said. “And I’m
counting on her to talk to me. Or you. If I get back and find her in a worse
state…”
He didn’t finish.
“Please make her talk for me.”
*
* * * *
“So, he’s leaving.”
“Just for a month.” Arzen kept her gaze on the
stairs, where students were going down and laughing. “He’s gotta check on his
family, you know. Make sure they’re okay.”
Daniel nodded thoughtfully. “Are you worried?”
“Worried?”
“That he won’t come back.”
“Of course he will.” She looked away, “He…he
promised, at least.”
He let himself smile. “Calm down. Angelo won’t abandon
you here. He isn’t that prat-like.”
Thankfully, she laughed.
There was no time for tears.
*
* * * *
She made him take pictures. With the teachers, with
friends, and a shot or two with him. (The others insisted. He now felt like a
character in a book who the other characters were mocking because he didn’t get
with the girl JUST YET.) Mathias politely declined having pictures with the
teachers, saying that he had the memories anyway.
He caught her watching two people and gently poked
her shoulder, making her look at him.
“Don’t.”
“I wasn’t doing anything,” she protested.
Silently, he just pulled an arm around her waist,
and she remained silent.
“It doesn’t matter.”
She nodded, and watched on.
*
* * * *
“Lovebirds,” Liam chuckled.
Daniel agreed. Silently.
“Do you think he’ll…?”
“Confess? Hell no. Maybe college, but this time? No.”
“Why not?”
“Well,” Daniel exhaled, “Both of them want to
continue their studies seriously. Wouldn’t you?”
“True,” Liam admitted. “Must be hard, though.”
“When they finally know when they can,” Daniel
muttered, “It won’t be hard for them.”
Liam could have sworn he was looking at Elaine at
that exact moment.
Knowing his brother, he was.
Knowing his brother, he meant it in many ways.
Knowing himself, he did, too.
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