Chapter 25
Photographs
April 15, 2006
Saturday morning
Drake was confused as his sweetheart told him on the telephone this morning to bring
one of his guitars to the California Candids photo studio before he and Torey went to
pick up their senior pictures on a delightful spring day.
"Why are you smiling?" Drake asked as he drove with one hand on the wheel and the
other around his fiancée.
"Because."
"Cause why?" He could play this game all day.
"Just because," She opened up her tan purse to take out a piece of cinnamon hard
candy, "Have a piece of candy, Drake."
She even took the plastic wrap off for him. Drake was still pissed off at himself for not
being able to afford the inscription on the inside of her engagement ring.
Not only would it have been over his price limit, but also the ring never would have been
ready in time for holiday gift giving. The fact that he didn't propose until he felt his back
was up against the wall because Torey thought they should break up was irrelevant. He
knew he was a dick for making a big deal about her wanting to put her 'from Drake'
scarf on a winter coat. It really wouldn't matter where she was going to school. They had
to survive as a past high school couple. It was spring. They were going to be graduating
from Belleview High in two months.
Drake Parker and Torey Becker (soon to be Parker) made it past another season.
Their love had to be forever in the literal sense of the word or else the universe was
nothing but a sham.
"Hmm…Cinnamon." He kissed her when they were stopped at a traffic light.
"I also have bubble gum, sour green apple, and root beer."
"You're cute when you try to change the subject."
"Who is changing the subject?"
"You are my pretty."
"I will say that I kind of fibbed before." She couldn't help but blush.
Drake knew it had to do with this little mystery.
"You did?"
Damn. Time goes by so fast when you arrive at your destination when you are trying to
unravel your fiancées cute secret.
"There is no reservation at Café Luna. I just had to say there was," Torey bit her lip as
she unbuckled the seat belt, "You better get your guitar." He would have opened her car
door for her, but she didn't want to erupt in a fit of the giggles if she looked into his eyes.
Torey hoped that Drake chose the Jackson she bought him for Christmas it would go
well with what she had planned.
Most seniors in the middle/upper middle class economic backgrounds in addition to
having the standard school photos taken that were supplied by the district went to
independent film studios to get professional shots done. That's when Torey had the
idea to surprise Drake for his 18th birthday. Unlike Audrey and Walter who were still
going to go half on Drake's (and Josh's) senior portraits, Torey had to pay for her own
because her mother thought it was "too frivolous" to spend money on when the school
issued photographs were just as good. The young woman in her mid twenties with dark
brown hair with a painted on gray streak handed them their computer printed receipts
along with two unbendable cardboard envelopes.
"Take a seat. Justin will be back in a few minutes." She closed the frosted glass window
to give the couple some privacy and to eat her blueberry yogurt in peace.
Why would they need to speak to the photo---
"Torey!" Drake smiled as she sat down on the wooden chair, "A-ha! I'm getting my
picture taken! That's why you wanted me to wear my gray blazer and bring my guitar.
Admit it."
She continued blushing. "May-be."
He kneeled down to kiss her on the lips.
"You're awesome."
"It's for your birthday. What guitar did you bring?"
"One with six strings."
"Drake."
"You'll see soon enough. Let's see our pictures."
"I don't want to. I look horrible. I didn't have a good hair day in neither this picture or the
official school photo."
"You can never look horrible. Here let's open each other's envelopes."
She knew Drake's pictures would come out stunning. They always did. Whereas she felt
like the loser ugly duckling who didn't deserve to have such a great boyfr—fiancée.
What did he see in her?
"Your pictures came out great." They both said in unison.
"Although one of your wallet sizes seems to be missing." Drake said.
"It's not missing. I asked the photographer to cut out one, it probably is behind the
bigger picture."
"Why?"
"You'll see soon enough."
"Touche."
The woman opened up her little window again, "Drake Parker, the photographer will see
you now."
"Make sure you smile."
"I will," he kneeled down again so the woman wouldn't hear him, "I'll be thinking of you
the whole time."
Drake kissed her on the cheek.
When Drake grabbed his guitar case and left for his photo session. Torey took out the
one wallet size photograph of herself that she asked someone to cut out for her when
she made the reservation for Drake's guitar photograph and took out her blueberry
scented pen and kept her thoughts simple.
She drew a big heart and wrote their names in the center. She thought of writing forever
on the bottom of the heart, but couldn't bring herself to put the word down.
Torey didn't know what was preventing her from writing that one simple word. There
were people centuries ago who weren't psychic by nature that had dreams that the
majestic ship of dreams that they were sailing on was going to not make it to their
destination. And those people that slept during the day so they could be up at night were
right. The 'unsinkable' ship did sink and many innocents died on that frigid night.
The young adolescent girl had dreams too. In which she was in a darkened room and
living with her painful regrets.
A future without him.
Torey took out Drake's pictures out of his envelope. He wore the silver faux silk button
down shirt that she bought him for a small Easter gift along with a special order box of
Super Power Mega Sours that was another of Drake's favorite sweet treats. He
surprised her with a watch. A silver one with a delicate thin skinny band in the traditional
female styling in which their initials were carved in on the back.
Drake always checked his hair in pictures to make sure it looked right, but she always
looked for his smile. She would've kissed the photo but the woman didn't have her little
window closed, so Torey just gently breezed her hand over Drake's face before she put
the pictures back in the envelope including the wallet sized photo of herself.
That is why that Torey believed that forever was really just a concept. Well-timed
engagement rings couldn't change that.
Torey was surprised to see Drake when she exited the small bathroom thirty-five
minutes later.
"Hey."
A quick kiss on the lips was good for the soul.
"You're done already?" She held onto her purse handles tight.
"Yeah. Justin took some digital samples and well…you'll see."
Drake took her to the back room where Justin Singletary a semi-bulky guy with young
Roger Daltrey-esque dirty blonde and curly hair showed Torey the sample pictures that
were uploaded to a computer screen.
Drake posed with the Jackson Open Box JS1!
It was the guitar that she purchased for him for their first Christmas as a couple.
Drake liked the photo that was all black and white except for the brilliant metallic red hue
of the guitar.
"They're all nice pictures, but I like the black and white with color guitar the best."
"That's why I love this woman, Justin." Drake put his arm around Torey as he gave her a
gentle squeeze and kiss on the cheek. "That's the photograph I like the best too.
Although I look so good in all of them."
They would make excellent head shots for what Drake called his rock and roll resume. It
was his lucky day when it was Mrs. Hafer who was monitoring the workshop that all the
seniors were required to take three weeks ago. He never thought of it before, but he
could make a resume ("rock and roll is not a career, Drake Parker.") like a
photographer does a portfolio and include demos as well as a professional headshot,
the latter courtesy of his fiancée.
"They're going to come out nice."
"Yeah they are. Now it's my turn to surprise you. We're going to get OUR pictures
taken."
"Drake, that's a wonderful idea," She wished the photographer was not in the room
right now, "But I'm not dressed for it and my make up is all wrong…"
"You look beautiful."
Did he really mean that?
All she was wearing was an effortless dark blue dress with a scalloped v-neckline and
matching short sleeves.
How could he think that she was picture worthy?
When Drake revealed to the photographer that they could use the pictures as their
engagement photo Torey almost had a silent heart attack. If she felt she wasn't dressed
properly for an ordinary photograph then she was downright informal for such a picture.
Too fast. It was all moving too fast.
Stop the world Torey Becker needed to get off.
"I have to take this phone call. I'll be back guys." Justin said disappearing with his cell
phone.
Torey was able to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"What's wrong?" Drake asked as he put his hand on her shoulder.
"Nothing," she did her best to smile, "While the photographer is on the phone. I'm going
to freshen up my make up."
"Okay."
Torey kissed Drake swiftly on the lips as she walked just as quickly to the bathroom. He
put his fingers to his lips to capture the moment and although neither one of them had
any concrete proof that they weren't going to make it as a couple, Drake also sensed
the long painful goodbye that lie ahead of them.
Iceberg straight ahead.