Wintercrest Academy

Memories In A Photograph

“The meal was amazing. It’s my first time in this city and this is the best food I had since I moved here.” A blonde customer tells Kaia. He’s literally blonde everywhere, the hair on his head, eyebrows, skin hair and moustache too.

           “I’m glad! Please leave us a review on our website, refer us and do come back for more.” Kaia beams.

           “Totally. Can I have your number? So that I can—” his eyes skitter to her lower body and then come back up darker— “ask any customer questions I have, or place an order and have you specifically deliver it.”

           It takes all the politeness and customer ethics Kaia has to stop her from smacking his blonde face and kicking him right out the door. What a p*****t. “I’m 17, sir. There are active numbers on the website for you to call if need be. Have a good evening.” She turns on her heel to leave.

           “Does it matter? I’m 25. But if that bothers you though, I could . . .wait for you. When do you turn 18?”

           Now that’s disgusting. She’s been hit on by older, similarly disgusting men a couple times. But none of them had been this brazen. Snickering, she faces him again. “You’re willing to wait for me to turn 18 just so you could sleep with me?” He tries to talk but Kaia shushes him up. “What? You think I didn’t notice how many times you’ve stared and stolen glances at my body since you came in here? You should be ashamed of yourself for hitting on and sexualizing a minor. Leave. Now. Before I get my Dad to throw you out.”

           The blonde gapes at her, like he’s surprised she saw through his motives and then storms off with the air of a toddler whose candy was stolen.

           “Yep, he’s not coming back,” Kaia says to herself.

           “Kaia Mahoe!”  Npic on as phone

           Kaia jerks in shock at the sound of her name and swings sharply towards the door. Ugh, Astrid! “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!”

           “Maybe,” Astrid says and pats her shoulder while Adan pulls her in for a pineapple and musk filled hug. “Wow, this place is aesthetically pleasing to the soul.” Astrid feeds her eyes with the spacious room and its décor: walls painted a cerulean blue and some white that strikes a perfect balance, the words ‘to eat is human, to at well is divine’ boldly hung above the counter, comfy looking seats arranged everywhere in pairs or fours with a table in the middle, animated cutlery sets and steak and other foods are sparsely hung on walls to give the room an overall good feel. It’s simple, but beautiful.

           “That wall,” Astrid points to the bare, white wall on the far left when Kaia returns from wiping and sanitizing blonde’s table. “It’s naked. Mind if I draw on it? I have something in mind that’d look amazing on there.”

           “It’s her dad’s restaurant, not hers,” Adan says as Kaia ushers them to a table for four.

           “Yep. I’d have to ask my dad and he’d need to see your work.”

           “He’d be begging me to marry when he sees what I can do,” Astrid smirks and the other two shudder.

           “Pleasant surprise! What can I get you? On the house.” Kaia’s doe eyes jump from one friend to the other.

           “Nothing. We just came to check on you. It’s been two days since Mr Ariel asked you and Bren to study together. And you haven’t exactly done that.” Adan folds his hands like he’s scolding her.

           Kaia rolls her eyes immediately. “Oh please, is that why you two came?” She proudly walked out on Bren and had no intentions of studying with him whatsoever. He was too much in his annoying, arrogant head and that was facts. Mr Ariel would have to re-strategize.

           “That’s why he came. I don’t give any shits about Kang. I came to fix a date for jewellery selection. Now that outfits are ticked off, we’re left with every other thing.”

           “I’m not letting you buy me earrings, Astrid.” Kaia states.

           “You must know by now that I’m persistent.”

           “Can’t wait to see you try.” Kaia and Astrid sneer at each other.

           “Okay, I’d have to keep an eye on both of you that day. Even though I’d be crazily busy.”

           “Of course,” Astrid says in a ‘we know that’ way. “Football game on Friday, after that, party at Jace’s house, if they don’t invite us, we’d go to the mall.”

           “No malls. Let’s watch a movie instead. If I wouldn’t be studying on Friday night, I could as well do something worth my while,” Kaia says when she notices how Adan swallows because of the mall. She’d asked him who the woman they ran into was and why the atmosphere that day was taut with tension. He waved it off and said she was just someone he knew. Kaia didn’t believe him, but she didn’t push it.

           Adan holds her gaze, as if understanding why she rejected the mall idea even if her favourite ice-cream shop was in the mall.

           “What’s this eye flirting y’all are doing?” Astrid shoots them dirty glances. “Wait, are you two secretly dating?”

           “Shut up,” Adan spits the same time Kaia says, “Yes, we are.”

           “If you lie to me, you’re dead.” There’s seriousness in Astrid’s voice.

           “We’re not dating.” Adan looks to Kaia for confirmation and she just shrugs nonchalantly cause of course, they aren’t.

           “We are. Adan’s a liar.”

           Astrid threatens to stop being friends with them and after they give her 100 reasons they’re not together, she lets the issue go.

           “Kaia, go pick Keanu up!” Diane calls from the counter and Kaia jumps to her feet.

           “Right. My brother is at a friend’s house and I have to get him home and ready for bed.”

           “Yay! I wanna meet him,” Astrid grins and it’s the first time Kaia sees her genuine excited. Her smile reaches her eyes and it’s lovely.

           “He’s a lot of work,” Kaia heaves and they grab a burger for Astrid before Adan drives them to pick Keanu up. Astrid takes random selfies with them and when Adan brings Bren up again, she shoves a lettuce in his mouth.

                                               ****

           “You haven’t met up to study together?” Mr Ariel’s face is a comical shock and if he didn’t have that ‘I’m serious’ glint in his eye, Bren would double over with laughter

           “I’m fine studying on my own,” Kaia says.

           Bren wants to say ‘me too,’ but that would mean he’s agreeing with her and he would never agree with her even if his life depended on it. So instead he says, “We couldn’t come to an agreement.”

           “Okay. Do the both of you realize that we have just two weeks left. It’s great for you to study on your own, but this is a partnership. You’re representing the school together. Studying together would help you see things from each other’s point of view and sharpen each other’s accuracy, timing and comprehension.”

           They stand aloof like five-year olds being scolded. Bren peeks at Kaia. Surprisingly, she does the same.

           “He’s arrogant,” she says and Bren glowers. What? “He blabbed about the timing and location without asking my opinion. I’m not his maidservant. Plus, he kept saying that this was a dream I stole from him.”

           “Does the truth bother you? I did not nothing but speak the truth.” He keeps himself calm even though he’s beginning to rage inside.

           “I can’t do it,” Kaia returns her gaze to Mr Ariel. “He’s not willing.”

           “Don’t speak for me. I gave you my terms yesterday. Follow it,” he smirks and is content when he sees the annoyance on Kaia’s face.

           “Okay,” Mr Ariel massages his forehead and goes to pick a camera from his desk. “Stay close.” He gestures with two fingers and raises the camera to his eye.

           “What are you doing?” Kaia says, evidently confused and Bren equally is.

           “Taking a picture of you two. Let’s see if it helps your argument. I’m your mentor for this competition and you must obey me. So stay close, this is your first picture and we’d take others as we progress.”

           Kaia and Bren glare at each other and then at the same time, tsk and look away.

           “I am not kidding.” Mr Ariel’s voice become deeper with command and they have no choice. They gravitate awkwardly towards each other and then after Mr Ariel’s count of three, he takes a shot. “Smile. Do something that doesn’t involve you looking forced.” They do absolutely nothing so he leaves them be and they flee away from each other the moment he drops his camera.

           “Since the both of you decide to be silly and not decide on what to do, I’d decide for you. Tomorrow, 6pm, meet at Big K’s and study for as long as you want. I’d be keeping tabs so don’t you dare fool me.”

           “Big K’s?” Bren’s words are coated with irritation.

           “I have Bible Study,” Kaia says, looking peaceful. Bren doesn’t have to be told that she looks smug because Mr Ariel’s order is in her favour. Brat!!

           “You may want to skip that for tomorrow. We don’t have as much time as you think we do and the judges of the competition are keen about your team work. Can you two just come to each other’s levels and work together? Please?”

           Bren makes a humph sound. This is truly important to him, and to Kaia and Mr Ariel and the whole of Wintercrest as well but Kaia isn’t his concern.

           “Fine,” she says and looks up at him, her braids strung up into a ponytail swinging behind her.

           “I can’t go there after tomorrow, right?”

           “That’d be up to me to decide,” Mr Ariel says.

           “Okay. I’ve got to go. Bye, Mr Ariel,” Kaia waves and Mr Ariel offers to walk her for a bit. Bren watches them leave, a frown deepening on his face. Since when did Mr Ariel walk students outside? Or do they have something to discuss? Whatever.

           He tsks and goes to pick up the camera. All the pictures Mr Ariel took are the same: Bren’s scowl is deep, Kaia’s disinterest is obvious, and they’re not standing close to each other. They’re barely there. Bren stares at the image. He’s tall and almost imposing next to her small cuteness. No. No! Not cuteness. Zero cuteness whatsoever. She glows, golden like the summer sun. All brats glow, don’t they? He clicks on the button that helps him navigate through the photos. What?

            He clicks it again and the images changes. He repeats the action like, seven times and the images keep changing but the subject is the same. Why does Mr Ariel have so many pictures of her? Kaia in the library, Kaia walking to school, Kaia attending to a customer in a restaurant (most likely the said Big K’s even though she’s not wearing the brand shirt), Kaia’s dimples on full display as she laughs with Adan, Kaia going into the bathroom. She’s very unaware that she’s been captured in all the photos. Crap. Crap, crap, crap. A line forms between his brows as a frown draws them together. What the heck is going on?