Pinhole, Higher Learning
Copyright© 2024 by Fanlon
Chapter 31
When the last set of portraits was developed and hanging up next to the others, I was suddenly engulfed in the tight, trembling embrace from a comfortably nude April. Her arms constricted around me as if she were literally trying to squeeze the very life from me.
I couldn’t help but notice the feeling of her skin in my arms and my hands. My heart raced with the possibilities. She was warm, soft, and wonderful. I suddenly felt guilty about what I was doing and um ... thinking, but when I slid my gaze over to Laura, she was smiling proudly, and all my pretense and worry vanished with next squeeze of April’s arms.
When I felt her arms release the unrelenting pressure, I thought she was going to let me go. Instead, she looked around the room and reached out for Laura and Dana who quickly joined in the group hug. Then April turned her head and looked right at Jeff, inviting him to join in on the impromptu celebration. I did the same and burst out laughing when I saw the response registered on Jeff’s face—terror, utter and complete terror.
That started a domino effect as one after another of the girls saw Jeff’s horrified expression, his hands waving frantically, and the girls started laughing along with me. Jeff’s face was crimson, but that wasn’t enough for us to stop laughing at his expense. It felt good, really good.
“Thanks for letting me help with the last ones,” April said when the four of us finally gave each other some space.
I smiled. “You’re welcome.”
“I didn’t think you were going to make me do everything though.”
I honestly hadn’t intended to do that, but April was eager to help, and I wasn’t going to try to keep her away from this part of the process. Besides, I was there to watch over her for every step, ensuring everything turned out exactly how it should have.
She looked at each of these last four photographs with a critical eye as they slowly appeared on the blank white pages. She was so focused on what she was doing, she didn’t give me quite the reaction I was hoping for, at least not for the first three images. When I pulled out the photo paper from the final camera, the last one I had taken, that changed completely.
“Eh, why not?” I shrugged. “Thankfully you’re a quick learner and it’s kind of fun, isn’t it?”
“It’s amazing, like magic.” April’s eyes somehow managed to twinkle an even brighter blue under the red lights of the darkroom. “The last one, the one you did. That was...”
“Fucking amazing!” Jeff announced, standing right next to us. “How did you even come up with something like that? I didn’t even understand it when you were doing it.”
I grinned and shrugged.
“He has a gift,” Laura answered for me, snuggling up to my side.
“No shit!” Jeff nodded.
“You do have a gift, she’s right,” April said. “Thank you, again.”
“No problem.”
“Alright, it’s getting late, and I have some shit to do,” Dana announced.
“What?” I asked, confused. “What time is it?”
“Almost eleven,” Jeff answered.
“Holy shit!” I gasped. “Did anyone hear if my parents—”
“Like, three hours ago dude.” Dana laughed.
“Holy shit!”
“You already said that.” Dana rolled her eyes. “Come on, we should all go so Josh can get everything cleaned up. I’m sure Mrs. Davis is going to want to talk to him as soon as we leave.”
Jeff didn’t need any further prodding and headed straight for the door that led out into the studio. Dana followed closely on his heels. April watched them go, rooted in place. Laura and I stood side by side, her arm still wrapped around my waist. When the spinning door closed, April turned toward me.
“When will they be ready?” April asked, pointing to the pictures.
“Tomorrow,” I answered.
“Can I come by and pick them up then?”
“Sure, what time?”
“Lunch?”
“Sounds good. I’ll have them ready for you.”
“Great, see you tomorrow.” April came over, gave me one more naked hug before realizing she was still naked, giggled and rushed out of the darkroom.
Laura followed her out a few minutes later after we shared a deep, passionate kiss that stirred my mental thoughts all over again, and boy, were those some interesting ideas.
April showed up the next day and my mom led her down to the studio where I was fumbling around with the high-backed antique chair that matched the loveseat we had been using. The chair was still horribly rickety, and I was surprised it hadn’t fallen apart yet. Just the slightest touch made the thing creak dangerously.
“April’s here,” Mom announced when they stepped into the studio.
“Oh wow, where did you find that?” April asked, moving over to look at the chair in question.
“The same place we found the loveseat,” I answered. “But it’s a piece of crap.”
“No, it’s not,” April said, squatting down for a better look. “It just needs some ... help.”
I snorted and April grinned.
“I’ll leave you two be,” Mom said and turned back to the stairs.
“Want to see them?” I asked, not wanting to keep talking about the chair.
April smiled and nodded.
“Come on, they’re ready.”
I had placed the photographs in a pile in the darkroom. I purposefully left the last picture on the top, so it was the first one she saw. April made a beeline for the stack and started going through them, looking at one for a minute or so before setting it on the counter and looking at the next one.
When she had gone through them all, she grabbed that last one, my favorite. She smiled and held it out, offering it to me.
“What?” I stammered.
“I want you to have it.”
“But, why?”
“Because. I wanted you to take one to put on the wall, like the others. Remember?”
“I remember but I thought—”
“You thought wrong.” April grinned playfully.
“Thanks!”
“Is there any way you could, possibly, make a copy?”
“Yes, of course!”
“Awesome. You can give me a copy when you make one.”
“I will!”
“Cool. Thanks again for all of these.”
“I hope they’re good enough.”
“We’ll see.”
The next week both flew by in a blur and somehow dragged on incomprehensibly slowly at the same time. It had to be the combination of that fact all my classes in the mornings were so focused on making sure everyone was prepared, and more importantly, ready for their year-end finals.
That’s not to say my photography class with Professor Zarnick wasn’t the same way. It was, but it was different. It was like comparing, simply, college and high school. Sure, they were both technically school, but vastly different at the same time. When I needed to take final tests in my high school classes, I didn’t need to do anything like that for Professor Zarnick’s class. I just need to submit a picture, something that showed, somehow, everything I had learned over the semester. That was not nearly as easy as it sounds.
On Thursday night, I went to the photography club shoot. I wasn’t going to, and hadn’t planned it, but I was tired of studying and I needed a break. It didn’t hurt that I was going to see a woman or even women, if I was lucky, naked. That would never get old, never.
Professor Peterson saw me walk in and made his way in my direction.
“It’s good to see you made it,” Professor Peterson said, smiling warmly.
“I needed a break from studying.” I groaned. “I can only look at a textbook for so long before my brain turns into mush.”
“I hear the same thing from Katie,” he said, chuckling. “Well, this is always a good way to take your mind off of my wife’s assigned homework.”
“Ugh, I hate social studies.”
“Me too.” He laughed. “But don’t tell anyone.”
The look he gave me told me I knew exactly who he was talking about: Mrs. Peterson, his wife, my social studies teacher.
“Have you decided what you’re going to do for your final project?”
“No...” I lowered my head. “I have no idea.”
“You still have some time, don’t worry about it too much. Something will come to you, trust me. Come and see me in my office after you submit whatever it is you decide to do.”
“Yes sir.” I nodded.
Professor Peterson placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed it gently with a smile on his face before heading off to mingle with the other members of the club.
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