In Colour (Slow Updates)

+ spilled drinks +

Two

“You were out late today,” my sister Lottie commented when I walked through the front door of our loft.

I shrugged. “Yeah, I was just having a skate with the boys.”

“Well Michael left you dinner in the oven,” she replied, referring to her husband. My stomach growled in appreciation as I went into the kitchen to retrieve it. “So how was school?”

“Alright.”

“Nothing you want to tell me?”

I sighed, tapping my foot as I heated my dinner up. “Mr Parker called you again, didn’t he?”

“He’s worried,” Lottie breathed out.

I clapped my hands together in frustration. “He’s just pissy because I’m not good at his subject. He should learn to let it go.”

“Penny,” my sister warned.

I rolled my eyes and grabbed my now-ready meal. “Chill out, Lottie, geez.” I grabbed my camera bag and skipped up the small staircase to the second level. I peered over the glass barrier. “I’ll try harder.”

“Penny—“

I closed my bedroom door on her before she could go further. 

Once in my room, I found solace in looking through and editing the photos I'd taken that afternoon. I liked to take pictures at the skate park because the boys were good subjects. They weren't vain and proved to be natural beings, instead of girls who always tried to look their best, successfully making every photo look contrived.

I edited photos well into the night and even printed a few for the growing collection of photos covering my bedroom walls. I had many toys for my photography courtesy of birthdays and Christmases so I found it easy to lose myself in the art.

My bedroom was a perfect example of how much photography consumed my life – I had pictures, big and small pinned to my walls as well as a shelf full of lenses, old cameras, a photo printer and other nifty gadgets. It was safe to say I'd found my passion.

When it ticked past midnight, I fell asleep in amongst my Bio books –I'd tried to do the reading but my mind kept wondering back to the open Lightroom window on my Mac Book. All I wanted to do was edit my photos, not read about the human anatomy.

Although, the next day, when Ms Belle asked if I'd done the reading, I did regret not doing it because she kept me in at lunch to catch up. By the end of the day, I was super hungry so meeting the boys at my locker, I suggested the pizza place in town.

It was a quick skate because our school was close. Once we were seated safely in a corner booth, Geordie gave my shoulder a nudge. "Wanna come to Dickson's party on Saturday night?"

I shrugged. "Depends. Are all of you drinking?"

"Yeah," they answered in unison except for Josh who said, "Nope."

"Then yeah I'll come," I replied.

Josh ruffled my hair. "I'll pick you up and we'll drive over."

"Sounds good."

For the rest of the afternoon, we ate and chatted, cracking lame jokes and laughing at inappropriate times. But the was my life, these were my friends and I loved them to bits. 

+   +   +   +

Saturday rolled around and after another detention that week, Lottie was reluctant to let me go out. I managed to sweet talk her around though, putting forward the idea she could spend quality time with Michael. She feel for it hook, line and sinker.