PHOTOGRAPHY ETHICS

“Well, he seemed nice.” I nod in silent judgement.

“Too nice.” I can literally see her teasing personified and in front of my eyes.

“I’m gonna pretend you didn’t say that.” She takes a sip of her coffee.

The day finally comes to an uneventful close and I can’t wait to get home.

“Uh, Dello ? I think I might have left my keys in my locker, I’ll just be back, okay?” I nod with an annoyed sigh as I begin waiting in the empty parking lot.

I want to lie down on the couch in my PJs and watch The Ellen Show after a hot shower. I’m so tired.

“There you are.” I turn my head sharply at the voice and I have to say, it wasn’t someone I had expected.

“Yes? Do I know you?” She swings her blonde hair and walks closer to me, swaying her hips.

“Obviously you don’t, which is why you have been such a pain today. Sofia. Richman.”

A pain? I’m seeing her for the first fudging time today. Has she lost it?

“Nice name, congratulations. And, excuse me.”

“You! What do you think of yourself?” Okay, and now she’s starting to piss me off.

I have already had a much eventful day and I’m really not in the mood for annoyance loaded crazy bitches.

“You messed up with the wrong people, okay? First, you’re sticking your face all over Zach, and then you go ahead to slap him in the middle of the buildi -”

“Yeah well, you know what? I didn’t even think I wanted to award you with a drop of my attention till now, but it seems that you won’t back down without some. I’ve had one hell of a day and I’m definitely not in the mood for your bullshit.

And just so you know, the guy came to me, and did whatever it was that he did which really happens to be none of your goddamn business.

And yes, if you know that I slapped that assholic favourite of the university aka your personal lollipop of a guy on his pretty little cheek, in the midst of everyone, in the middle of the compound…

What makes you think I won’t do the same in an empty parking lot, to someone in a scanty fabric swaying her hips at me, throwing up absolute crap up my face, holding way less importance in my life anyway?!”

I breathe out heavily after my long impending speech, as Victoria Secret stands stupefied, and the moment Lily arrives, I hop into the car without any explanation and she seems to get the hint with an amused proud smile as she gives Victoria Secret the finger.

I slam the door on her painted face and lean my head against the headrest. So much for a simple first day.

*

“Lily, I would really appreciate if the next time we have breakfast, you do not talk about all the snogging and steamy make out sessions with Steve, okay? You don’t do that when someone’s trying to eat, please.”

“Oh come on, it’s not like I’m throwing it on your face. I’m just saying it was, you know, good. Like, really really good.”

“Yes, I’m sure.” Lily had not stopped talking about some brown haired and black eyed Steve since morning.

Black eyes as in not because-of-a-bruise black, just because-of-the-iris-is-black black. I doubt black eyes held attraction. Which is why I wasn’t really a big fan of my own pair.

And personally I don’t think brown hair can be a major turn on too.

*coughs* Nathaniel Alderidge *coughs*.

Well, on second thoughts, they might.

He was handsome, the kind that you find ‘beautiful’ handsome. His being good, was the cherry. And his being the best friend of Zach was the melted candle wax in the cake.

I’d just casually asked her about Steve, to avoid a conversation about Zach and I, not knowing this is what she’d have to tell me of all things.

Speaking of avoiding, I had not seen him since the last two days and frankly, I did not complain. Though I did wonder why he’s missing classes.

Steve and Lily seem to have been dating for a week now and she seems to be on top of the world. Lily is a heavy dater. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her single, atleast for the time that we spent together.

I am happy for her though. At least one of us gets to be emotionally and romantically fulfilled.

Not that I was dying away because of my lack thereof, but in some moments, I do feel that there’s so much inside of me that I’m not getting to express. On some days, I would sit, and wonder how love would feel like, when you eventually have it. Is it the kind I’ve read in novels? Is it the kind that people post stories of on social media?

My only experience, somewhat close to it anyway, was with the person I didn’t want it to be with. Unrequited goes without saying.

“Anyway, where’s your new friend?” Lily asks me with a knowing sly grin and I know who she is talking about.

“I told you, Nathaniel is not a friend, Lily. And he doesn’t like me that way. Or I, him.” She has been so over her head ever since he had made that conversation in the cafeteria.

“Who said anything about liking?” Sure, Nathaniel was sinfully good looking, especially with those eyes.

I mean come on, blue eyes are an ultimate. And he’s just everything a girl could want. He may have made me blush, but I really think I should be catching cold now, and not feelings. Her sly grin just got bigger and I literally want to bump her head against the same tree I had punctured Zach’s ball against.

Hell, why am I thinking about him, over and over. I haven’t seen him for two days and they’ve been the most uneventful of days, except for the stares and murmurings of people every time they catch sight of me.

But then, why is he missing school again? Is he okay?

Damn, what the hell is wrong with me? No, I won’t care about him. I don’t care about hi-

“F-U-C-K?!” I hear Lily’s sharp intake of breath and follow her gaze slowly. My jaw drops all the way to the floor as I am met with posters all over the place, as far as the eye can go.

I can recognise the girl in them as one Adalanna Callister, also known as myself and just beside mine is a photograph of the least favourite person on earth, Victoria Secret.

*coughs* Zach Hayden *coughs*.

Well, second least favourite. What’s with all the coughs today?

I take a look at one of the closest to us and I notice mine is a photograph taken on my first day where I silently stood at the parking lot. God, help me. I don’t even know how to feel about someone doing these crazy stalker-ish things.

“You actually look good in these!” I glare at Lily disbelievingly but then go on to agree with her, somewhat.

The picture actually would have looked beautiful had it not been on unrestrained display all over the hallways of the school. And had it not been paired with that uncharitable hag.

I was looking sideways, my shoulders relaxed and a few careless tendrils hanging by the side that had managed to escape out of the bun. Okay, I must say, the photographer is talented. Just not really- ethical.

“I see, you girls have come across a breathtaking cover page, adorned by our very own Victoria Secret model!” I don’t really see him coming, but I hear his playful voice.

“Don’t call me that! I’m going to castrate you, God.” I am reminded of that overly blonde hair and cemented face of Richman, and Nathaniel’s sudden comparison, while necessarily positive, makes my insides churn.

“Whoa, whoa, relax, I’m kidding. Someone’s woken up on the wrong side of the bed.” Nathaniel says with his hands thrown up in surrender but smiling nevertheless as his navy blue shirt tightens around his elbows.

These kind of smiles exist?

“Adalanna Callister, 19, evidently BOLD and visibly beautiful, young freshman who seems to have quite an appetite. For adventure. A badass verbal conquest over Richman on her first day, that even left the latter dumbfounded. Do we even need more?

Just one day in campus, and she already has our basketball favourite, golden boy, buying her desserts.

Seems like when it comes to the new beauty in white, even our player Zach Hayden can’t keep his HANDS to himself. Or should we say, it’s the other way round.

You know whom to vote for.”

“What on Earth is this? Some sleazy, reimagined Gossip Girl remake? And what, vote? What’s all this about, anyway?” I feel a confusing headache emerging form within my skull as I take in everything. God, this place is crazy.

“It’s for the Student Council.”

“What?” “What!” Lily and I so happen to utter the exact same word with the difference of punctuation and obviously, expression.

“Are you serious?” Lily questions Nathaniel with a brimming excitement as I stand there blinking.

“Yep. At least, that’s what Daniel told me.”

Who? Excuse me, what’s happening?

“Which position?”

“Uh, The Chairperson, I think.”

“Oh Jesus! This is amazing! God, is this really happening?!” Lily is practically jumping all up and down and I am standing dumbfounded.

“Excuse me, hello? Right here? I know nothing. What council, Daniel, position - Will you explain to me what’s going on, before I start making shit up?” I yell over to both of them, somewhat surprised at the intensity of my voice.

“You don’t know about the Student Council?”

“No.”

“Not even the slightest idea?”

“Just tell me already Alderidge!” I say out, annoyed. I don’t know what’s gotten into me, today, I feel so annoyed.

“Let’s talk over coffee, okay? We’ve got the first period off.”

“Fine.”

As we seat ourselves around the table, Lily hands me my coffee cup and I patiently look up to both of them for the information.

“Well, talk?”

“Okay so, the Student Council is like a students’ association, you know. Every year there are these elections that form the body. It’s headed by the two chairpersons, one guy, one girl. Very prestigious positions, I say.”

“Okay?”

“And like, this body is the representative of the entire freshman batch. And then it continues to be so till the senior year.”

“And what does it do, basically?”

“Represent. Organize. Manage. Lead.” My brain screams boring.

“Okay. And who’s Daniel?”

“He’s the Chairperson of the senior year right now. Absolute favourite. Too hot. Tall. Green eyes. Curly hai-“

“Fine, I just asked who he was, Lil. I don’t need the matrimonial bio-data.”

“Just saying,” she grins.

“Remind me again where exactly I fit in this madness?”

“There are two elections basically, for the core office, that is. The teachers’ and the students’, the results combined gives the final members. Sofia was the probable candidate for the Chairperson, till now that is, considering no one else had that much of a – personality.”

He thinks – Sofia – HAS A PERSONALITY? I’m not trusting his decisions again.

“There may be some others but they’re not much in talks. Majority of the batch wanted someone with a bit less of an ego and capable fairly enough.”

I don’t like where this is heading. And a stressful ache has started to take over me as my head is reeling with all the information.

“So?”

“So when you stepped in two days ago and the whole fiasco took place, Zach and the locker, and the locket, and the slap, and the whole argument with Sofia, everyone kind of found the ‘someone else’ they wanted. Daniel thinks you’ve got panache. And hence the worthier candida-“

“That’s absolutely crazy!” I half laugh, half cry. More trouble is the last thing I want to get myself into.

“So that’s what the ‘vote’ thing is all about.” Nathaniel completes nevertheless, paying no heed to my interruption. I thought high school was over.

Author's note:

Elections incoming. Pick your sides.

Like, vote, comment.

Love me some crazy.