constellations [DISCONTINUED]

aquarius

"So, what do you have next period, carrots?"

I looked at him with the deadliest stare I could pull off, but let it go.

"Photography 11. You?"

Gilbert started chuckling quietly and scratching the back of his neck.

"It's like the universe is getting back at me for spending so much time away from you."

I almost pinched myself to see if what Gilbert said was real, it was too uncharacteristic of him to say things like that. It's not like we were the best of friends when he left, so it startled me when he said what he did.

"Um, why... why would you say that exactly?"

"I have photography 11 next period too, so all my mornings will be spent besides Anne of Green Gables."

"God, now I have to beat you in two different classes?" I tried to be sassy and pull off some sarcasm out of sheer lack of social abilities "Blythe, I was hoping I could chill this year."

"Nice to see you understand I'm a capable rival."

"Still a rival."

"How did you manage to survive without competition all the time I've been away?"

"You're not the only smart person, in the whole of Avonlea, you know that, right?"

"Smart, there it is, another compliment. Anyway, yes I know, but I'm the only one that you want to beat, right?."

I rolled my eyes and gathered my stuff to get to class, getting up and not waiting for Gilbert.

"Wait up, Anne!"

I slowed down, but didn't stop. Gilbert was right, he was the only person I wanted to beat, so Gilbert would not have even the smallest satisfaction of having me wait for him.

"I'm excited, you know. Never took photography — to be honest it's not one of my interests, really. But it still seems fun!"

I just scoffed and kept on walking. I had never done film photography before but it felt so nostalgic and exciting! It was like something outside of a novel, this whole old camera and film thing, so it felt absolutely fascinating.

"I'm excited. Never done it before, but I have a good feeling about it! It'll be so extraordinary, I'm sure! Can you imagine? Going out and about in the world just paying attention to which were the most meaningful and beautiful moments to capture? I wouldn't be able to choose though, I think everything and everyone has something fascinating to capture, don't you agree?"

"Yes, to a certain extent." Gilbert smiled at me "Some have more beautiful things to capture than other though."

This was very confusing. Why was Gilbert talking to me like that? It was so unusual, no one ever talked to me in that way, I couldn't possibly understand.

"Um... yes, I suppose. I guess you could say a creek surrounded by wildflowers is more beautiful than, lets say, an empty room, though you could, a hundred percent, find some beauty in one."

"Such a way with words, lets see if you have that set with a camera on hands."

"I'm sure I'll have more than you."

"Ha! We'll see about that, carrots." And with that, Gilbert entered the photography room, sitting in a seat close to the window.

"I told you to drop that nickname!" I went to a seat in the opposite direction, seeing it was the only one left.

First photography class was a breeze, seeing as we didn't do much. Mostly, the teacher talked about the fundamental principles, which were really, really interesting, then handed us some cameras and we were told to read the manual. I got a Pentax P30T, it was beautiful! I could spend hours describing every edge and crook in that camera, the way it fit into my hands, how perfectly weighted it was, all of it was just mesmerizing!

Reading the manual, I absolutely devoured it, Gilbert's challenge floating around in my brain, "Such a way with words, lets see if you have that set with a camera on hands.", it made me absorb every single detail and instruction.