Under Her Skin

Chapter 9

Police Officer: Somebody reported them together outside of school.

Me: Selena and Sunny?

Police Officer: Yes. Something happened in the woods. Do you know of this?

Me: Yes.

Police Officer: And did this have anything to do with Sunny?

Me: What?

Police Officer: What gave Sunny the courage?

Me: It was love.

***

Sunny trotted her way back from the bus stop as if her bag weighed a million pounds. It was true: Sunny was the lonely girl with wealthy parents who did not spend much time with her. They were constantly absorbed in their affairs about a business of some sort, overly concerned with gaining wealth, while she was left to wilt in the hollow home.

As she strolled along the street, Sunny's boots wanted to show off to the entire city. Each click let everyone know how much she dreaded even just the act of moving. Instead of climbing up the steps home, Sunny had a sudden urge to derail. She didn't venture far, but it was enough distance to generate more freshness, elation. She needed that. The grey clouds over her, Sunny advanced into the woods where the trees hugged her until the air felt stale. Safe.

Sunny sat on the rock and looked into the distance where the skatepark stood. I could tell she was reminiscing about Selena, her smoke, her tears, her presence. Suddenly, a click interrupted her thoughts. Then another.

"Who's there?" A bush moved. Another click. Sunny froze. She reached in her pocket. The bear deterrent was gone. She swallowed hard. God no. "What are you!" There was panic in her voice and her protective instincts were on fire. She was not about to get beat up again.

"Stop playing, whatever you are." The noise stopped. With a camera around his neck, a boy walked forward.

"W-w-what are you doing?" Sunny asked, her face carrying an idiotic form of surprise. Standing beside her was absolute perfection. A boy, a cute boy. He had brown hair that waved with the wind. She forgot how to talk, and just smiled.

The boy brought the camera back to his face and motioned Sunny: tilt your head right. She followed. Click. He was probably the only guy in this generation who owned an actual camera. Somehow that made him sexier. They looked at each other for a long second. He came beside her and showed her the camera screen. Sunny squinted to see.

"Ew, I look gross. You're going to need a lot of photoshop," she said as a complaint, though she secretly admired them— the shots were a revolution in aesthetics. This guy was genius. He made her look pretty.

"No way," he said. Josh had hard eyes, but a voice that was soft. "A photo of you would need no photoshop at all." He was tall, and mature, and had wavering bravery that made Sunny believe he was ready for whatever was to come. Sunny pretended to throw up by putting her finger down her tongue. He laughed a liquid laugh, one Sunny secretly wanted to hear again and again.

He was a few years older than her, a grassy-haired college boy working a part-time job at Sport Check. He lived in the dorms with his buddies but knew a few high school boys because of his younger brother. Josh started opening up to her, conversations flowed like water, and Sunny discovered that she had met a true artist.

"Why do you like photography?"

"A photo," he said "captures the entirety of the moment. The dust motes, the molecules of air, all pause mid-flight. I don't know. It's just so unique because it allows for pauses between moments." He spoke poetically, and along with the nightfall, the moment seemed so rare, so special to Sunny; almost ordained to happen. He was so exotic.