Chapter 30 Photo I
Photo I
The marker pen squeaked against the whiteboard as the tip touched the surface. Lines of notes crammed the board- quotes, imagery, and explanations from The Great Gatsby.Mr. Davies hunched over the board, carefully filling in the edges in small strokes while glancing at the textbook from time to time.
From the corner, Raphael watched.
Several students stood up from their seats, holding their phones close to their faces to take a quick photo of the notes, while others jotted them down with pens and notebooks.
Tap. Tap.
His pen softly hit the desk as his fingers flipped through the pages of his notebook, stopping at an empty page.
Should I do it?
His pen tapped progressively more as he glanced over his phone. The screen flashed the time - 11:25 AM.
Roughly thirty minutes.
Tap. Tap.
Another tapping started- from the seat across him. Raphael gazed up front, noticing Sylvia's fingers intentionally moving in the same rhythm as his pen.
He paused.
She stopped.
He resumed.
She continued.
His eyes locked onto her fingers.
Then, her phone slipped between her fingers, tapping the screen this time. Raphael's gaze immediately settled onto her phone.
Her last message flashed on screen.
Tick. Tock.
Abruptly, he stood up, pushing his seat back with a scrape. No one bothered to wonder as if he were one of those students taking pictures for notes. His phone clenched in his hand before he strode to the other side, carefully slipping out of the room while avoiding eye contact.
After seeing his figure disappear out of the doorway, the tapping stopped as a smirk formed across her lips.
He left.
What will you do now, Raphael?
Sylvia glanced at her phone. Her eyes stayed on the last message.
Fluorescent lights flickered overhead, filling the empty restroom with a constant electric buzz. Water droplets pattered softly into the basin.
Shoes hit the tiled floor as every step echoed on the walls.
His gaze wandered around.
Empty.
No one at the sinks. No one at the urinals.
Then, his attention drew towards the cubicles, carefully checking each stall, pushing the doors open one by one.
Just him.
He sighed in relief.
He stepped into one of the farther end stalls, closing it behind him carefully.
The latch clicked shut.
The cubicle felt tight. The toilet seat bumped his knees when he stepped in. The sharp scent of cleaning liquids and deodorizer filled all over the place as his nose twitched.
Raphael breathed in deeply, clutching the phone in his hand.
It's just a picture. Nothing more.
The screen lit up as he pressed onto it. The time flashed above.
11:42 AM
His thumb hovered over it, unlocking the screen.
He tapped the app open.
'I want more.'
Sylvia's last message sat at the top.
His breath hitched as he leaned on the wall, his back against the cold tiles.
His fingers began to unfasten his tie, pulling it off his neck with a tug. Then, he removed his coat and dropped it onto the toilet lid.
Next, he loosened the dress shirt, unbuttoning slowly with one hand, stopping at the last two.
He sighed.
"What the hell am I doing ... "
He lifted his phone with the front camera open as his reflection gradually filled the screen. Shirt hanging open- sitting on top of his navel.
His brows furrowed.
Is this enough?
Then, his fingers unclasped the last buttons.
Raphael glanced up at the camera.
Skin exposed - his abdomen visible beneath the open shirt.
He tilted the angles left and right, lowering it slightly.
Snap!
The camera flashed once.
He flinched.
He opened it.
The image filled the screen, looking right back at him with a blank stare.
Bare skin.
Heat crept up from his neck to his cheeks.
The send button pulsed.
His chest tightened as his thumb hovered above it, slowly pressing forward-
Then, stopped.
Raphael exhaled, running his fingers through his hair and clenching it tight.
No.
"I can't."
The words came out softly.
He shut his phone off as the screen went black. He leaned back against the cold wall once more, as his hand gripped the phone tightly, trembling.
The image sat in his gallery.
Unsent.