5sos One-Shots

Photography |Cashton

"So one of us has to take a bunch of pictures of the other depicting a specific emotion. And then next Friday the rest of the class has to guess what it is," Ashton said, fiddling with his Canon camera. It was a point-and-shoot he had gotten for Christmas a few years back. "I'd like to take the photos." Then he hastily added, "If you don't mind!"

Calum was sitting in Ashton's office chair, amusing himself by spinning around and around until everything was a blur of color. He grabbed the desk to stop himself and blinked repeatedly as the room swayed. Ashton fought the urge to roll his eyes.

"Sure," Calum said, trying to focus his eyes on the other boy. "You should take the pictures. I only take photography because I needed an extra class for this year. You actually have talent."

Ashton grinned. He loved when people complimented his art. Ashton had been taking pictures since he was six years old when he held a real camera for the first time.

Little Ash had taken an immediate interest when he saw his uncle using one at cousin's seventh birthday party. His uncle let him play with it, helping him with the buttons and how to work the zoom, partly to be nice and partly to make sure he didn't break it. Ashton instantly loved the clicking noise it made and how the pretty pictures popped up on the screen. It was obvious how much fun the child was having as he dashed around the room yelling "Smile!" and taking awful pictures of unsuspecting party guests. Ever since then Ashton wanted to be a photographer.

"Okay," he said, "so what emotion should we do?"

"Happiness?" Calum shugged. "I don't know."

Ashton pursed his lips and ahook his head. "Let's go a little deeper than that," he said. "Happiness is so straightforward. Maybe we can do something relating to it though."

Calum dropped his head back. "Crap I'm bad at this. Food? Food is happiness."

Ashton giggled, "I agree food is happiness but it's not an emotion."

"Damn. I love food."

They stayed silent for another few minutes, Calum occasionally clucking his tongue. And then it hit Ashton. The thought was like getting slapped with a brick.

"That's it," he shouted, jumping up. "Brilliant idea, Calum!"

"What's it? What did I do?"

"Love's it!"

"Love?" Calum said, looking more confused and skeptical by the second.

"Yeah! For our emotion!" Ashton enthused. Calum had a look of utmost discomfort on his face. Ashton noticed and began begging, "Please, Calum? I doubt anyone else is going to do it. Mrs. Mayvel will love it! Pleeeeeaaaaaasssee? We'll get a good grade, I promise! Please please please-"

"Alright alright!" Calum interrupted. "We can do it."

"Yes!" Ashton cheered and engulfed the boy in a hug.

Ashton knew that he and Calum weren't really friends. They both had their own cliques at school. Calum was a jock, being captain of the soccer team, while Ashton was considered an art geek, being an active member of Palette Club. He knew it was a big step to ask Calum to model the emotion love for him. But Ashton knew what he wanted to do as he set up the flash on his camera and changed the lens.

"We'll do it right here because what better place to let go of your feelings than in your bedroom?"

"We're in your bedroom," Calum pointed out.

"A bedroom, then," Ashton said, setting up his tripod. "Sit please."

Ashton brightened the rooms lighting and turned around to see Calum already shifting his weight on the bed. He wasn't one for sitting still and Ashton knew that was going to cause some trouble. He disregarded it for the moment and began taking test shots. The dark haired boy needed to be adjusted every few minutes and no matter how irritating it was, Ashton managed to keep his patience-- and sanity-- in check.