WHAT CLOUDS AND CUNNINGNESS HAVE IN COMMON! anderperry

EXTRA : PICTURES OF ME & YOU

THIS IS UNRELATED TO CLOUDS & CUNNINGNESS.

Word Count:
1728

Summary:
Neil has a new Polaroid camera. Todd likes to draw. And the two boys end up being each other's muses.

Note:
voidfangiirl idk if you remember but i said i'd post my other andperry piece (it's older than the other and maybe isn't as good) here as an extra when i found it. and i did! sorry it took so long, but i hope you enjoy. i might publish another book about them.

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Once he'd finally received his Polaroid at the post office near town, he had to keep it a secret.

Not only would the school be up in arms about it, but he was sure that the rest of his friends would want to steal it for themselves. Luckily, he'd spent quite a lot of money on buying refills so that his friends could all try it out. It was expensive, but his parents were well off after his dad got a new job.

He mostly started by taking pictures of the views around Welton. The ominous fog in the early mornings, the pink sunrises, the clear days, and even sometimes the church. He moved on to taking photos of Meeks' succulents that his parents had brought from southern Africa after going there on an expedition (his mom was an archaeologist and his dad was writing an anthropological paper on the natives), and then stacks of books and papers that were scattered around. He kept all of the photos in his drawer, in a hollowed out book that he also hid his smokes in.

Somehow, Todd wasn't aware of his recent Polaroid adventures. He was, after all, very much stuck in his own universe. Although, he did often pay attention to Neil and whatever he was doing. In fact, Todd would go so far as to say that the only person he really cared about getting to know was Neil. His other friendships all just happened.

Todd was the first person Neil took a picture of.

He was lying on his bed, in a sea of papers and notes and scribbled out words. A single pad of lined paper lay on his lap, and a pencil was in his hand, tapping against the page in thought. The way his jaw clenched. The almost dramatic lighting from the sun through the window. It all seemed too perfect not to photograph.

So with a loud click, flash, and soft processing noise, Neil took a Polaroid of his best friend.

Todd immediately looked up in surprise. Who wouldn't?

"D-did you just take a picture of me?" He appeared rather shocked, and Neil thought it was a cute expression on him.

The dark haired boy just nodded with a grin, plucking the small picture from the camera, before beginning to shake it.

"Wh-why?"

"'Thought you looked quite nice." He admitted, standing from his seat so that he could place the photograph in the drawer, because they processed better in the dark.

He placed his camera down, and when he returned to sit on his bed, he saw the way Todd's cheeks were tinted pink. Another cute expression on him.

"Um, th-thanks." A small smile appeared on his lips, but he didn't look up at his friend, only at the page in his lap. "Wanna see something?"

Neil noticed that Todd was stuttering less and less around him, which made him happy. Todd really only stuttered when he was anxious, scared, flustered, or surprised. All of these feelings were usually experienced around Neil, but at least Todd felt comfortable being with him.