Switched

Chapter 2

Maxon

A snow flake fell, gently, on to the window sill, peacefulness against the chaos inside the school.

I turned the camera ever so slightly so that it was sitting at a 30 degree angle and the flake was able to be seen in full detail. Zooming in a bit, I could see the light reflect off its icy form and the little beads of water forming as it began to melt. I blurred the area around it and then.....Snap!

I got the photo.

I changed up the filters a bit, trying to give myself options. Black and white. Cool tone. Dramatic. Warm tone. Vivid.

And then the tardy bell rang, shaking me from my haze and bringing me back into the real world. High School. A series of classrooms filled with twos who thought they were better than you and sevens who wished they could be you. Except none of them were in the halls now. Because they were all in class and I was late.

I dropped my camera and it caught on the band around my neck, and then I sprinted faster than I ever have to science. Well that's not true. I'm pretty used to sprinting to my classes. Usually I was able to barely slide into my seat by the time the late bell rang, but I was distracted today.

Mr. Sanchez was gonna be so mad.

Which is why it was no surprise when I received a not so friendly look when I skidded to a stop in the doorway to his classroom. I caught my breath, smiling guiltily. He gave me the evil eye.

"Mr. Singer, what do I have to do to get you to class on time?"

I pursed my lips. "Move the buildings closer together?"

"Very funny," He said, but he wasn't laughing. A few students were but he definitely was not. "It's a warning today, but a detention tomorrow. Learn to walk faster."

"Yes sir," I nodded quickly. "It will not happen again. Scouts honor."

He gave me a look that clearly told me to hurry up and go to my seat and then turned around to begin writing on the board. I grinned to myself. It was always a warning today, detention tomorrow with Mr. Sanchez. Tomorrow has never come. I plopped down into my seat and slung my backpack onto my chair. Aspen rolled his eyes at me.

"Dude, where were you?" He whispered, his yes flicking between me, his paper, and the notes he was copying off the board.

I cringed, quickly pulling out my notebook and a pencil. "I saw a snowflake."

"We live in Carolina. We see snowflakes all the time."

"Yeah. But this one was on the window sill and it was starting to melt...."

"Maxon," He groaned. "That camera is going to be the end of you."

"That camera is going to support my family one day," I disagreed.

"Maybe you should break up with old Cam and go find yourself a real girlfriend," He laughed.

"My cameras name is not Cam. And I have a better chance with my camera than you have with your crush."

"Hey," he deadpanned. "Not nice. Princess America and I will happen."

I rolled my eyes. "Mhmmm..."