Exposure | MikhAiah

Seeing The Whole Picture

"Aiah? What are you doing here?"

Aiah let out the breath she had been holding, her lips twitching into a smile, ignoring the tightness of her lungs and the feeling that she couldn't breathe.

"Hey."

Aiah looked at Joey before peering further into the apartment, "Where's Mikha?"

"She left already." Enzo stepped back as Aiah rushed into the apartment.

"What do you mean left?" She turned around quickly to face Enzo, "Left where?"

"She didn't tell you?" Enzo sighed and shook his head to himself. "God she's so stupid--"

"Enzo!" Aiah interrupted, "Where is she?"

"The exhibition. She was accepted and the show is tonight." Enzo watched Aiah's face shift through a few expressions before he continued. "I told her to tell you but she was afraid you wouldn't come. I was about to head that way myself if you want to come with me?"

"Yes! Of course!" Aiah was quickly back in the hall, "let's go!"

"Uh, Aiah?" Enzo called after her, "you might want to, um..." He gestured to her body hesitantly.

Aiah looked down and realized before she left home she hadn't even changed out of her pajamas. She had just grabbed her coat and shoes and left in a hurry.

"Right." She lifted a finger to point at Enzo, "I'll go change and you can-"

"I'll run my laundry home then come get you." Enzo chuckled.

"Perfect." Aiah nodded before turning on her heel and running back out to her dads pickup.

It wasn't exactly going how she imagined it. She thought she was going to burst in with some romantic speech, explain everything, make things right and everything would fall into place. Which may have been a little silly to expect it to play out like a movie. Life was far from a movie- especially when it came to her and Mikha. But even if it hadn't started like a movie, maybe it could still end like one?

——

Mikha was speechless. After walking the entire studio, purposefully avoiding her own prints, she was now standing in front of them with wide eyes and absolutely nothing to say.

They hung together in a straight row across a sleek white wall. Black frames, white mattes and photos in the center. They were all the same size, clean and arranged neatly with the photo meant to pull your attention. The pieces of what Mikha had been keeping in the box beneath her bed were secured in the bottom corner between the glass of the frame and the matte, offering a subtle yet powerful addition to the image in the frame.

She had really done it. And although the night was only beginning, the reactions had been nothing but positive and encouraging. Before she had even seen her prints on the wall herself, she had been given compliments for her work from quite a few people.

"Wait." Mikha counted across the wall, only seeing 8 photos. "There's one missing."

Luna nodded and gestured for Mikha to follow her as she walked along the wall, passing Mikha's photos one at a time. "The studio director thought your final piece deserved its own wall."

They turned the corner and Mikha's self portrait hung alone, a spotlight shining on it lowly. Its solitude only added to its intended message, making it an even more powerful piece than Mikha had ever thought it would be.

"She's quite impressed with your work." Luna looked at Mikha who was standing next to her, staring at the photo, "I wouldn't be surprised if she approaches you to show and sell your work after this."