The Boy From Everywhere

Ch. 29: The Picture

The whole school was bustling today.

I hadn't even realized how quickly time had flown, but it was the school's Foundation Day, and the classrooms were all mostly empty except for a few students who didn't feel like walking around the school to share in the celebration.

I wasn't supposed to be one of them, but I was too bothered by something to try and join in the festivities.

A group of students ran past my classroom, screaming excitedly and pulling me momentarily out of my trance. I jumped in my seat, and then looked outside to watch the students, but as soon as they left, I turned away and then looked back at the picture in my hands.

It's been a while since I saw her. It almost felt too foreign looking at her face again after so long. How come I didn't know this was in my Dad's room all along? What was this — and all those other pictures — doing in his room?

"Why don't I remember keeping these?"

The photos flipped restlessly in my hands, one on top of the other, and then another, and then another, and two cycles more. It was almost like I couldn't stop looking at the photos, like I'd forget what they looked like as soon as they got back into the middle of the stack.

I almost got lost just looking through them, too. That was, until Hannah popped up behind me.

"What's that?"

"Gah!" I jumped in my seat, the photos flying into the air and then falling everywhere. I panicked watching them, and I quickly scrambled to catch and and pick up every single one.

Hannah rushed to help, too, but I grabbed all the photos she almost licked up before she got the chance. She might have seen them already, but I grabbed them like I was afraid these photos were going to be stolen from me. The remnants of her memories, the only bits left behind hidden in a box I didn't even know existed until yesterday.

I hugged the photos to my chest as I picked up the last one, only to realize a second later as I turned to Hannah just how much my demeanor had suddenly changed. But as soon as I met her wide eyes, I froze...

What could I... possibly say here?

"Is that..." Hannah asked, her hand raised midway in a hesitant point towards the photos held against my chest.

"My mom..." I breathed out, finishing the sentence for her and giving her the answer she was looking for. Bashfully, I looked down as I slowly lowered the photos, letting my arms hang limp while I still held the photos almost too tightly. And then I avoided Hannah's gaze as I just stared at the floor. "I, uhm... found them in my Dad's room recently." I forced a chuckle out of myself, and then a smile, but soon that same smile faded when I realized that I had to explain one more thing about the photos.

I looked back at Hannah, hoping to see an indifferent look in her eyes. Maybe disinterest, too, at least. But she just looked at me, waiting.

I promised... We promised that we'd be honest with each other, didn't we? So why couldn't I just...

"Eli–"

"Ahem!" I looked away again, my eyes now wide like I had just seen a ghost. I didn't mean it to be Hannah. I didn't want it to be Hannah, but... What was I doing to myself? To her? "I-I'll... I'll explain later, alright? Right now is just... not the best time."

That, at least, was half true. I felt so lightheaded still not fully done processing the photos. I needed more time, so...

I smiled again as I looked at Hannah, assuring her. "Let's... talk later?"

She looked at me like she had something she wanted to say but didn't know how to say it either. And almost immediately, I felt horrible. "... Alright."

"... Thanks."

The silence that followed, I think, was the heaviest I had ever shared with Hannah. Usually, I would know what to do or say to make it lighter, even if it was a lie. But we made a promise, and I had been insincere with her way too many times. Maybe it was best that I just accepted the silence as my punishment.

~•~

Time soon came that I would be dragged into celebrating the Foundation Day with other students. And while the classmate who called my name was nothing but friendly and considerate of me, I still couldn't bring myself to do nothing but smile as always as he came close and hide that I was somewhat in a hurry.

The day was almost over, he said, and it would be too bad if I just let this opportunity pass. After all, since he hadn't seen me on the campus grounds where the main event was going on, he was worried I might regret missing anything. Ironically, the booth he recommended to me wasn't exactly the one I was expecting at all. Nor did I think I wanted to get in.

The photo booth. Did I have anyone I wanted to take a photo with?

For a moment, I felt my entire world freeze at the sudden reminder. Photos. Maybe this was my sign that I couldn't just keep ignoring my problems, that I had to face them whether I wanted to or not. Whether I was ready.

I barely even thought of anything else as I was slowly pulled to the booth subconsciously. My mom who left. My dad who couldn't even take care of himself. My entire life... What if it all just stayed frozen in its current state? Could I even move myself to make things better at all? But what if it never-

"Eli?"

... Or... what if it does get better?

"Hannah?" This time, I froze for different reasons as I found myself in front of the photo booth, Hannah right beside me and looking like she had been dragged here, too. She looked at me with her eyes just as wide as mine, and that's when I had another thought finally enter my mind.

Hannah. It would be Hannah who I would want to take a photo with. And just like it was fated, she was right here, in front of me, reminding me of the good things in my life. I could take a photo with her. At least, I could keep this one good memory, right?

Suddenly smiling awkwardly as I remembered how I'd treated her earlier, I held my hand out, asking for Hannah's. "Do you wanna maybe go in together?"

A tinge of red began growing brighter on Hannah's cheeks, but before I could see them fully appear, she placed her hand on mine, and then went ahead into the booth, pulling me behind her with a small smile on her lips.

I could only breathe out a quiet sigh of relief that she wasn't at all mad at me. Soon enough, the smile on my face turned into a sincere one as I followed her inside, and it would only widen even more with every photo we would take.

We took about twelve that afternoon, and I kept six. That classmate of ours was right, I guess. I would have regretted missing this opportunity, even more so with how Hannah ended up here. It is a good thing that I took it, after all.