Noah- Photographs

I flicked the light switch, and the soft glow of the studio's bulbs gradually filled the space. The studio is closed today, as Uncle Willis is off tending to one of his mysterious errands. It was a familiar routine; sometimes, I'd catch him napping amidst the organized chaos of his desk, while on other days, he'd simply vanish into the ether. Good thing I'd tucked away the spare keys with me beforehand.

For all his natural propensity for clumsiness, Uncle Willis displayed an almost contradictory commitment to the order within these walls. It was as though the studio, neatly organized, echoed the very essence of his soul—an oasis of recollections he held in the highest regard.

Amidst this haven, my gaze settled on a glass display box. It housed a diverse collection of cameras, each unique model placed in perfect alignment. I could vividly recall these very cameras from the days when he still resided with us in Camden. His eyes would light up as he would unravel their histories to me, and his eyes ignited with an enthusiasm that was nothing short of contagious. The cameras weren't just machines; they were vessels of stories captured in a light, a living connection to memories frozen in time. That was how it all started for me.

Capturing images through the lens of a camera, in my eyes, felt like the very essence of an elevated form of art. It's the knack for uncovering intrigue in the midst of the mundane, locating a spark of fascination within the confines of everyday life. Yet, the true revelation lies not in the subjects that grace the frame, but rather in the unique lens through which we perceive them.

In stark contrast to the way, I'd lived before my life in Camden. A complete departure. When I never tried searching for anything around me... but through those lenses, it felt like I could discover anything. Even a new me. It's an orchestra where the notes are not the objects themselves, but the intricate melody of perspective that weaves around them. A melody of angles, emotions, and moments converged, creating a mosaic of the world that was at once familiar and breathtakingly novel.

I unlocked the creaky door to the back room, its hinges protesting as I turned on the overhead lights. The warm glow revealed a space laden with memories, and photographs hanging all around the walls. I made my way toward the sturdy oak desk, it's surface adorned with a curated chaos of papers and trinkets. My fingers brushed over the familiar terrain, looking for a particular stack of photos. After a few minutes of looking around in the seemingly organized mess of photographs, I finally found what I was looking for, clipped together in a stack. Pictures of our graduation day.

I had convinced my uncle to work his magic, scanning those precious photos into hard copies. After learning that I had a camera, both Kyle and Callie practically implored me to have my camera in tow on graduation day, urging me to capture every candid moment and vibrant detail. And after hours of persuasion, in the end, I obliged.

"I guess I'll have to visit them some other day to hand over these photos." I unclipped the bundle and let the top photograph slide into my palm. The images flowed through my fingers like the sands of time. The auditorium, brimming with excitement and anticipation, the principal's stern yet prideful speech, and the student council president's eloquent address—all were there, frozen in ink and paper. There were other candid photos too, like the ones of us celebrating uproariously in our classroom, or walking out from the school building for the very last time.

And then, right there, I saw it—the picture that grabbed me. It startled me as my gaze got caught on it. In the photo, Kyle and I sat facing each other in the cafeteria, sitting on those well-known wooden tables. Sunlight poured in through the windows, casting warm, golden shades that played on our faces.

"Did Callie take it?"

As far as I can recall, we headed to the cafeteria once the event in the auditorium wrapped up, although I can't quite pinpoint the exact reason.

"Hey, Noah, are you feeling a little sad?"

Kyle's voice was the first one to slice through the air, his question landing before me like an unexpected gust of wind. His gaze was inscrutable, offering no hint of the currents running beneath the surface. I couldn't tell what he was thinking as he asked that, so I just stared back at his gaze.

"You know, you couldn't graduate with your friends in Camden, even though you'd spent a considerably longer time with them... don't you miss them?"

"Yeah... I guess."

"Seriously, just that?"

I gave a wry smile. "What? Do you want me to be even more emotional?"

"Uh-uh! Shouldn't you be?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. They're missing you too for sure. Why didn't you just stay back until graduation? I guess that would've been better."

"Sometimes, we need to look beyond how we seem to feel..." Instantly, my lips blurted out words, as if they had picked them right from my heart. "it's better than lying to yourself and doing your worst. I wouldn't want that."

"Looking beyond... what are you saying?"

"N-nothing. Don't bother." I turned my gaze away, trying to fend his one off of me.

"No, tell me. There seems to be a lot of going through your head."

"What I mean to say is- I had my reasons!"

"I couldn't really catch it... though it's not like I could've either. After all, I don't know how you are feeling right now. None of us can."

"You're right about that-"

"But then again, who cares?" His demeanor took a sudden upswing, infused with a newfound cheerfulness. "I mean, let's face it, there are moments when we're not even sure about our own emotions, right? It's all just too complicated. So perhaps, in the end, we possess the power to make our own narratives, our own versions of reality. Just like the way I mentioned how you looked a bit sad. Something along those lines..."

As Kyle spoke, it was like he turned a hidden key inside me, unlocking a door I hadn't noticed before. His words echoed like a song, pulling me into their beat, and I got lost in the way they rose and fell, like a mesmerizing tune. "But what if you get it wrong entirely? For which you start regretting?"

"I didn't think that far into... but what's wrong with it? Isn't that why we're given second chances?"

The crisp air of autumn enveloped me as I hurried through the college gates, my heart still racing from the mad dash to get here on time. It figures, of all days, the batteries in my alarm chose today to die. Panting slightly, I leaned over the campus wall, gripping my knees as I tried to catch my breath. The campus sprawled out before me, a mosaic of buildings, pathways, and vibrant trees, their leaves starting their annual descent.

After a few moments, I straightened up and began to make my way across the campus. My steps echoed in the quiet morning. The sun painted everything with a cozy, warm light, and amidst this golden scene, I noticed her—Callie, standing a bit away, looking at the trees as they let go of their leaves. Since I was already late, there weren't many students nearby. She just stood there by herself, almost like the falling leaves had captured her attention completely. Lost in some thoughts I could only imagine. But why is she here?

Did she apply here too? But she didn't say anything about that...

As I got nearer, her outline sharpened. The gentle morning light played on her face, giving it a soft glow that blended beautifully with the autumn shades. Being near her brought a sense of calm, a peaceful quietness that stood out against the busy morning frenzy I had.

Stepping closer, I cleared my throat softly, causing her to turn in my direction. Her eyes, a blend of earthy browns and a hint of mischief met mine. At that moment, I was transported back to the first time we'd met, the memory playing out like a filmstrip in my mind. The buttercream blonde eyes, and shining black hair like the wings of a raven.

"Callie?" I managed to say, the word carrying a touch of breathlessness from my earlier rush.

A smile curved at the corners of her lips, a mixture of amusement and warmth. "Running a bit late, aren't we? It's the first day..."

Our lives are like fireworks. The moments we share, as we ascend together, might seem fleeting and unimportant. We shine brightly, only to take separate paths, slowly moving away from each other. I've felt that sensation deeply...

When we burst apart, there's no chance to meet again. But even at that moment, I don't want us to vanish like fireworks. Just as life can hit its lowest point, with what little or much we've been given, we can rise again.

And when that time comes, I want to challenge the darkness of the night, spreading stardust across the fabric of time. I'd been taught, by those around me, time and time again... even when we're distant, we can still gaze at the night sky illuminated by fireworks... endlessly.