Capturing Them

Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty-One
Sang

The house is silent as I play around on my laptop at my desk, editing some photos and printing some off to put in my photo albums. The picture I'm working on now is one of a girl and a boy, both seniors, sitting on one of the benches at school. Her golden brown hair is ringlet curly, falling over her shoulders as she looks to the boy that has her hand at his lips. She's smiling and although his lips are pressing lightly onto the back of her hand, I can still see the curve of his lips.

It's wonderful what a single photo can tell you, almost like a story. This photo tells me that they're happy, completely in love with each other. His whiskey eyes sparkle, while her hazel ones shine. It's a picture perfect moment.

Once I've finished editing the photo, I quickly print it off and reach for the photo album marked 'Love is Beautiful'. I flip through the pages until I find the next blank one. Peeling back the film, I gently place the photo into the centre of the page, pick up my pink marker, and write:

Senior's at Ashley Waters High School.
His eyes sparkle. Her eyes shine. All from a simple gesture of kissing the back of her hand.
True love is beautiful.

It's a simple passage, just like most of them are. I place the film back in its place and then close the book, putting back in the ever growing pile.

My thoughts go back to today as I flick through more photos and print them off for various photo albums. I don't know what came over me earlier, I just new that I couldn't let North or any of the others go over that balcony. The need to protect them was so strong—to me, it was an unusual feeling, but ever so wonderful.

Then there's Mr Blackbourne; everything he said this afternoon has been on repeat in my head, but one sentence sticks out the most. "I'll always catch you when you fall, Miss Sorenson." The words are driving me crazy, and I wonder what he means by them. Does he mean it in the literal sense or...

My train of thoughts come to a halt, as my favourite picture of the man himself comes up on the screen. It's from that first day he came and kept me company by that tree, something he has done ever since, as I'm nowhere near ready to go anywhere near a violin or a piano for my music class.

He looks so young sitting there with his knee raised, his eyes just looking off into the distance. If you look closer, you can see the slightest curve on his pink lips. Not what I call his millimetre smile, but something more, something I don't think he even realizes he's doing. He looks content, young, and incredibly handsome.

My eyes dart to the pink photo album that lays on my bedside table. Getting up from my seat, I slowly walk over and gaze down at the pink suede of the cover I've decorated in hearts, all in the colors I've found are the boy's favourites. On the front, in my nearest scrawl, are the words 'Capturing Them', the same name I use on their photo album on my laptop.

I pick up the photo album and sit down on my bed, tucking my legs under me. I open the cover and on the front page are individual photos of them all; North's scowl, Gabriel's grin, Nathan's serious blue eyes. They're all on there and beneath them is their names, what I think their height is, what I think I've discovered are their favourite colours. The only thing I don't know are their birthdays.

My heart pounds as I turn the page. The first page is a picture of North from registration day, leaning against the wall with his foot popped up behind him, his eyes focused on me and my camera. My finger moves over his face, wanting to smooth out the frown he gets on his eyebrows when he scowls. It brings a smile to my face.

I startle when I hear a tapping sound, my whole body flinching as I try and work out where it's coming from. Another tap has my focus moving to the window, and my throat tightens with a scream when I see a face hovering near the glass, the light from my lamp not letting me see their whole profile. I jump from my bed, searching for something, anything, I can use as a weapon.