Pinhole, Higher Learning
Copyright© 2024 by Fanlon
Chapter 15
The next morning Dana was there bright and early dressed in a robe that gaped open at the top, leaving nothing to the imagination. I somehow managed to get a good night’s sleep, which had me feeling a bit better. So, when Dana gave me her usual gruff attitude first thing in the morning, I just smiled and gave her a long, drawn out look over all her exposed skin, making sure she saw me looking.
“Someone’s in a better mood this morning,” Dana remarked snarkily, closing the robe and cutting off my view.
“And what’s your excuse?”
“Don’t you dare start that shit with me, I don’t want to hear it. You know damned good and well I am not a morning person.”
“Oh, I know, trust me.”
“Ready for your trip to prison?”
“That wasn’t cool at all!” I complained.
Dana rolled her eyes, threw the car in gear, and raced toward school.
When Dana’s car finally came to a stop in her parking spot, I got out of the car, not needing to stay there and watch her change her clothes. As she had told me multiple times, I had seen it all, which was true, and I had even taken a picture that would last forever.
The halls of the high school weren’t busy yet, but they would be before long. We didn’t get here as early as we used to, there was no need since we didn’t have to get into the darkroom before school officially started. Even with the extra time, Dana still wasn’t dressed for school. If she cared, she didn’t show it. All someone had to do was show up while she was getting ready, and they would be in for a treat.
Laura showed up a few minutes before the first bell rang.
“Good morning,” she said to me, wrapping her arms around me and planting a soft, delicate kiss on my lips.
“Hey, morning to you too.”
“So, are you going to tell me what you found out?” Dana asked, leaning in, and keeping her voice low so we weren’t overheard.
“So, my dad thought it was a great idea.”
“Wait, seriously?” I asked.
“Yeah, seriously. He’s looking forward to it. My mom was pissed though.”
“Don’t drop the soap.” Dana started laughing at her own joke, but Laura just groaned.
“Thanks Dana, you’re a great friend.” Laura’s unamused tone didn’t seem to affect Dana at all.
“I do what I can,” Dana replied quickly with a stupid, proud grin on her face.
“Any other comments from the peanut gallery?”
“No, I gotta get to my first class.”
“Better get going. Besides, I need to talk to Josh for a second.”
“Cool, see you two at lunch.” Dana turned and walked off, disappearing into the crowds walking through the halls.
“So, Mom said we could go on Tuesday. Not next Tuesday, but the following one.”
“Your mom is okay with me going with you?”
“Kind of? She wasn’t when I first mentioned it. Dad had to calm her down because she got really, really pissed off. Thankfully, he told her it would be fine, and she calmed down a little.”
“Let me get this straight, not this upcoming Tuesday, but the Tuesday after, the three of us, you, your mom, and I are going to go visit your dad.”
“Yup!” I must have made a face because Laura laughed. “It’s going to be fine, and if my dad likes you, then maybe he can convince my mom to let me hang out with you and Dana.”
“I still have to tell my parents.”
“That’s cool. We can pick you up and stuff. Maybe we can get dinner too. We always go for tacos on the corner across from the prison. That is, if Mom says it’s okay.”
“Yeah, alright. I’ll talk to my parents after my lab and then call you tonight.”
“Awesome, okay, gotta go!’ Laura gave me another quick kiss on the lips and raced down the hall toward her first period class leaving me all by myself in the hallway.
When I showed up for my lab at the university, Jeff was the first one to corner me.
“Hey, what happened last night?” Jeff asked.
“What do you mean?”
“I told April that you would help her.”
“April?” I had no idea who April was and started furiously wracking my brain trying to figure out who he was referring to.
“The model last night you jackass!” Jeff hissed angrily.
“Oh!” It hit me like a ton of bricks.
I remembered that smile, those eyes, every detail about her came back as if she were standing right here in front of me. It was impossible to forget the way she was looking at me with that innocent, hopeful smile as I tried to leave the shoot last night. I was so wrapped up in the whole Laura’s dad thing I didn’t know heads from tails.
“Yeah, that wasn’t cool man.” Jeff crossed his arms in front of his chest as he looked down at me.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know—”
“It doesn’t matter now. I thought you would be able to help her.”
“Why me, can’t you help her?”
That was obviously not the right thing to say at that moment because Jeff growled, muttering something under his breath and walked back towards his team shaking his head in disgust.
“What was that about?” Jerry came over and asked, not at all subtle in his accusation Jeff was being an elitist asshole again.
“Oh, nothing. Don’t worry about it.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, it’s fine,’’ I answered. “Let’s get this lab done.”
It didn’t take all that long to get our projects completed. We weren’t the first ones done, but we weren’t the last either. All I cared about was doing the best we could, as well as finishing before Jeff’s team so I could try to catch him before I went home to apologize and offer any help I could.
“See you guys on Monday. I gotta talk to Jeff quick,” I said, looking back and seeing my team standing there waiting for me.
“You sure?” Samantha asked.
“Yeah, have a good weekend.”
“Cool, see you next week.”
“Right on,” I replied and watched the four of them walk off into the night.
No sooner had they vanished around the corner of the building that I heard the metal clicking noise of the front door opening behind me. I turned and saw Jeff, who looked confused to see me standing there but waved off his team and stopped right in front of me with his arms crossed in front of his chest.
“Did you need something?” Jeff asked. He didn’t sound angry, but he didn’t sound interested in what I had to say either.
“I just wanted to apologize again, for last night. I didn’t know you had set something up,” I replied.
“Thanks, but it isn’t me who you need to apologize to.”
“Oh, umm—” How was I supposed to apologize to her, I didn’t even know who she was, aside from what she looked like.
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