Page 117 of Hypothetical Heart
“Speak for yourself,” Genevieve laughs as she leans back into Jameson. “I thought I was never going to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
“Well, we still have another semester until summer, so it’s not really the end of the tunnel.” My statement makes everything in the room feel colder, like the light breeze coming from the backyard is now an arctic snowstorm.
There’s something sad about the realization. The first few months away from each other have blown by, but we’re reminded every time we’re together how different it is. We no longer see each other every day or are a ten-minute drive from everyone at all times. It’s something we’ve chosen to avoid conversing about until now.
I’m transported back to all the times we spent in this very same living room when we were five, ten, twelve. And at every stage, we were able to look back and think,God, we were so young.
Now we’re here, and the future in front of us doesn’t feel like the one promised. It’s not something we’ve always known, not in the way Fairwood is.
In the wind that blows through the open door and the water from the pond we swam in as children, we are all still the same people we grew up with, just with a little more lifebuilt into us and a lot more memories to look back on. But all of them include each other.
I’m just hopeful that one day, when we’re older, we’ll be able to look back at the moment we’re in now and think the same thing:God, we were so young,and everything will be okay.
“It’s going to be okay,” Genevieve says like she can read my mind, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “This is just another phase of life, one we’ll accomplish together.”
A single tear makes a track down Winnie’s jaw as she sits on my lap. I don’t wipe it away. I want to memorize its path.
All of our eyes are burning as we look at one another.
Luke pulls an envelope out of his pocket, and we all snap our gazes toward it. “These are the prom pictures from the disposable cameras.”
Eloise laughs, but it sounds more like a strangled cry. “Perfect timing.” Right as we begin talking about how quickly time moves, Luke pulls out cold, hard evidence.
“Let’s look at them,” I suggest.
Everyone gathers around Luke as he breaks the seal of the envelope, waiting patiently for the first photo to be revealed. The pictures turned out great, and we let Luke do the honor of flipping through them one by one for the first look before we pass them through the group.
The first part of the stack seems to be the ones from the camera Winnie and I passed back and forth because I remember taking a lot of these.
“Aw, that one’s cute!” Winnie says, pointing at the one of me kissing her on the cheek on the dance floor after being crowned king and queen. Someone from the table must have snagged the camera to take the picture.
The photos transition to Jameson and Genevieve’s camera.The first picture is Genevieve holding the camera up and the two of them smiling giddily. There are a few more cute pictures, and then Luke flips to one that makes all of us gasp in horror.
Including Genevieve. “Oh my God!” She snatches the picture, tearing it in half.
Luke’s mouth is wide open in shock, and I’m guessing Winnie and I look the same way. Eloise is keeled over, her hands on her knees, trying not to laugh while Briar’s hand is on her back.
We all just saw Genevieve’s boobs. The realization makes me cringe.
“How—” I stop myself from saying something crass.
Genevieve stands from the couch, leaving the living room, and Jameson follows. This is not good.
When they’re finally out of earshot, Eloise can’t help herself. She bursts out laughing, making the rest of us laugh so hard that our stomachs are aching when Jameson and Genevieve come back.
She holds a hand out, stopping us from saying anything as she stands in the entryway of the living room. “Don’t make this any more embarrassing than it already is for me.”
We all nod like we understand, and the two of them take their seats on the couch again.
Again, Eloise can’t hold herself back. “I’m just confused?—"
“Eloise,” I warn.
“No, I’m being serious. I think we’re all wondering how in God’s name that happened!” We were all wondering, but Eloise is the only one willing to say it. Briar is sitting next to her, silent and stiff as a board.
“The cameras have x-ray vision capable of taking pictures through my dress,” Genevieve says sarcastically. “How do you think it happened?” she then adds, like it’s obvious.
I mean, it is obvious.
