Pencils & Polaroids

46: august

There are two kinds of people in the world—there are Suns and there are Storms. Sunny people are happy, cheerful, and optimistic people who live on the bright side of life. Stormy people are ferocious, violent, and gloomy due to existing on the dark side of life. People in between are rainbows—colorful, moody, and extremely weird. Rainbows are mere upside-down frowns that excite people just because it's multi-hued--which when you think about it, is so weird because half the world picks up their phones every time a rainbow shows just to capture the sky frowning--me being one of those people.

Anyway, I always guessed I was a rainbow person that is partially inclined toward Storm. However, when I opened the black dust bag and found a golden Sun charm, the birthday gift felt more like a joke. 

He calls me sunshine--therefore the sun charm--I get it. But I'm everything contrasting it. That nickname is a joke. It's a mock of my grumpy personality but a sun charm as a birthday gift is just taking the joke a little too far. 

Rolling my eyes, I put the charm in one of the hooks on the new bracelet that he'd given me earlier. Teddy with the emerald details, that I now can relate very much to the shade his eyes turn when he smiles. Keeping the bracelet in my part of the closet, I wear the one given by my father and scuttle to class. 

I've never been this late in all of one week of camp. I hear many murmurs and mumbles as I near the door that's kept slightly open. Peeping in, I notice how the classroom is houseful. 

Proceeding two knocks, Jackson Cain takes in my presence. "In," is all Cain says before I'm rushing to the Falcon section-- and my chair is occupied by Zach. 

I raise my brows, silently yelling at him to get up but he just shrugs and motions to Rainer, who instead of being in front of him is sitting beside him, in Sadie's chair. Escaping Rainer's snug face, I turn to Sadie who is seated in front of Zach. She gives me a no-care head shake, translating to the fact that she had nothing to do with this. 

"If you're having a problem finding a place to sit, there are lots of other alternative places outside the class, Miss Mellon." Jackson clears his throat. Not only did I interrupt his lecture, but I also stroke a nerve. How dare I. 

Gritting my teeth, I eye the only chair left unoccupied, which is exactly in front of Rainer Barcross. He, with a knowing mock, pulls the chair back for me. I press my lips to a very savage smile before I sit in the chair and pull it as far away from his desk behind me as possible. 

Jackson resumed his topic about Music Videos. The topic alone was beyond interesting and I have been waiting for this particular class ever since I saw the camp's academic schedule. Despite the very coming-of-age examples and references, I had the hardest time paying attention and taking notes because in between Jackson's sentences, I could hear every breath Rainer inhaled and exhaled with utmost clarity. 

In fact, the proximity triggered me to an extent where I believed he was inhaling the scent of my hair and exhaling directly on the back of my neck. Every time he sighed, I gulped. Even without turning around, I could tell his eyes were hooked on me. On my every action, every movement, every detail--and it was making me spin in circles. 

I'm seeing Jackson's lips and I'm trying to focus on the words and write something in my book but for the first time in my life, everything he's saying is going over my head. My paper is blank and I haven't used my pen even to write the date or the heading--or anything. 

I know Rainer is looking at me, it's way too evident to not make out. Even Jackson notices it, which is probably why he asked Rainer so many questions throughout but Rainer's replies were so instant. I even remember his answers, "Concept Music Videos," "1080 Resolution or Full HD," "Coverage or Insertings," and "Kiss You by One Direction have chroma key effects, I think. It gives them a comical shade to their personalities and it's super cost-friendly." Sadly, I don't remember what Cain's questions were.