To my best friend.
Rest in peace.

     Monday, October 7.
7:35 a.m.

My head is going to explode. I have less than five minute to found my photography classroom and I walked all the corridors of the whole school. Fortunately, I founded all my other classrooms before and don't missed any lessons but not this time, I think.
This place is so big that if someone wants to hide an entire dinosaur it will be a succes!
I'm new and I'm too shy to ask someone where are the class of Mr.Jefferson, the reason why I came here. I love doing photo with my old Polaroid and it will be a pleasure having a famous photographer like a teacher.
I look at my watch and notice that the lesson will starts in a minute. Shit! I have to hurry!
I start to run and try to find some indications  on the wall but nothing help me.
They are just cover by posters and trophies.
A girl with blue hair is hanging a lot of papers wich says MISSING.
She seems so sad, I wonder who is the missing person.

I want to know more but there isn't time.
I throw a look at the watch: thirty seconds left! Please God help m-
I fall on the floor because I hit something or... someone. My books fall all over the floor.
I put a hand on my book to pick it up but a stranger's hand cover mine.
I raise my head and see brown eyes looking at me. Everything stops for a while.
Those eyes. It's like a movie.
His face seems familiar to me.
"Miss, it's everything okay?" - his voice is worried.
And this voice seems familiar to me.
"I...I'm so sorry! I was searching my photography class but I get lost..."
He holds out his hand, helping me get up.
"Seems that you found what you were looking for. "- he says with a smile.
"I'm Mr.Jefferson."
Well done, ____(y/n). It's the first day of school and you already made a fool. With the most famous photographer in Arcadia Bay.
"Oh... Sorry, I'm such a mess." - is"everything I can say.
"It's okay. Don't worry. By the way, the lesson will starts soon so come inside."- he says indicating the room wich, I suppose, is the photography class.
"Yes, Mr.Jefferson."- I say picking up a book on the floor.
"Let me help you." Mr.Jefferson pick up all of my books and give them to me.
He's very nice . I blush.

Entering in photography class I notice that every student is already at his desk and when I come in , following by Mr.Jefferson, all those eyes are on me.
"Goodmorning everyone. I hope your summer holidays were full of fun." -says Mr.Jefferson.
"And full of homework."- I hear someone on the back.
"Today I will introduce you a new classmates. Please be nice with her and remember, we are all artist , indipendently of our taste. So, Miss, please introduce yourself."
Don't be a mess again, _____.
"Hi. I'm ______. My dream since I was little is photography. So I come here to learn new techniques and informations. I'm glad to had you as a teacher because I like your shots and I heard a lot of good things about Blackwell.
I prefer to take photo of nature but I also like drawing: my favorite kind of photos are polaroids. "
It didn't go to bad.
"Excellent. Now, ______ ,take a sit whatever you want and we will start."
I look all over the class, too shy to sit with a stranger.
There are some boys, two girl with blond hair wich look badly at me, a sad girl with a bun looking at the window and...
"Pss! Hey! Sit here!" - whisper a girl with short brown hair . I look at her and she smiles.
I take sit whit her and Mr.Jefferson starts to talk.

After ten minutes the girl say:-" So do you like polaroids?"
I turn myself and whisper:-" Yes, a lot."
"Me too.Also you have good tastes on music. This morning was... Oh, I forgot the text of the song."
This morning I was listening the music while I was unpacking my stuff, and she heard me!
"I'm so sorry that I disturbed you! Next time I will turn down the volume."- I say biting my nails.
"Girl you don't understand! This song is amazing! Just tell me the lyric." - she says with enthusiastic eyes.
"Okay okay. I'm a little out of tune but I'll try. The song is 'To all of you' by Syd Matters."
I clear my throat and silently start to sing.
"To all of you, American girls, it's sad to
imagine a world without you..."
"American girls I'd like to, be part of the world around you..." - Max continues the lyric.
"Damn, you're so god at singing!"
"Thanks. One day I'll play it on my guitar for you, if you want."- I say blushing.
"I'd like it."- Max smiles.
"You sound friendly, not like Victoria and her slaves." - she says looking at the two blonde girls. One have expensive clothes and short hair. The second have long hair and she was dressed in a blouse and... short?! This school doesn't have dress code? This is strange.
I cant'resist and I laugh a bit.
Mr.Jefferson looks at me .
Shit! He heard me!
"By the way, I'm Max Caulfield, never Maxine."- she continues after the teacher tooks his brown eyes off me.
"But let's talk later or Mr.Jefferson will give us detention." -she winks at me and turns back to her diary.
I made my first friend on the first day.
My anti-social ass is broke today, but it's better that way.

I turn back to write my notes about the lesson.
Mr.Jefferson continues to talk.
"Alfred Hitchcock famously called film 'little pieces of time' but he could be talking about photography, as he likely was."
I look at the watch on the wall: ten past twenty.
"These pieces of time can frame us in our glory and our sorrow; from light to shadow; from color to chiaroscuro..."
At some point I see something fly all over me and hit the girl near the window. I hear the laugh of Victoria and her friend, who threw the piece of paper.
Poor girl. I want to help her but how? If I talk again Mr.Jefferson surely will give me a detention.
The girl doesn't say anything but her eyes are full of tears.
Why Mr.Jefferson didn't do anything?!
He is in front of us, how he didn't notice?
Maybe I can talk to her later.

"Now,can you give me an example of a photographer who perfectly captured the human ..."
The phone of Victoria rings. Why there aren't rules in this school?! Like turn of your phone!
She raises her hand. Shit! Mr.Jefferson did a questions but her fucking phone distracted me!
"Diane Arbus."- she says, like she reads already all her books.
"There you go, Victoria! Why Arbus?"
"Because of her images of hopeless faces. You feel like, totally haunted by the eyes of those sad mothers and children." - responds Victoria.
Damn, she knows a lot of things.
"She saw humanity as tortured, right? And frankly, it's bullshit. Shh keep that to yourself.
Seriously though, I cloud frame any of you in a dark corner, and capture you in a moment of desperation. And any of you could do that to me, isn't that too easy? Too obvious? What if Arbus chose to capture people at the height of their beauty or innocence?"- saying this Mr.Jefferson beats with a hand on the desk and gets up, putting his eyes on mine, again. Like he is talking only with me.
"She had a brilliant eye, so she could have taken another approach. I have to admit, I'm not a big favor her work. I prefer... Robert Frank."- says Victoria.
I'm becoming jealous. Like, she is the only who talks in class. And I've promised to my parents to be the best students at Blackwell.
Mr.Jefferson goes back to sit on the desk in front of me:-" Me too Victoria. He captured the essence of post-war, beat America. And there was honestly about the economic conditions of the area, but a beauty, in the struggle. You don't have beauty without a beat. Wich explains why Frank was Kerouac's photographic muse and were the great chroniclers of the 1950's. Well... We've all seen that iconic shot of Kerouac on the balcony. And, if you haven't, shame, shame, capturing the romantic urban solitude of the 20th century poet. You dig? Now, contrast Frank's stark Americana, with Salvador Dali's surrealist photographs. Like Cocteau, he was a true renaissance man, and his famous self-portraits are famous, early examples of that truly awful word you pesky kids love so much, the 'selfie'...And it's a great tradition, and I wholeheartedly fight for your right to self-expression. Or selfie-expression. Heh, sorry, I know. So if anybody wants to question the portrait as modern narcissism, they could go back hundreds of years to blame society. Speaking of questions, I bet you thought I'd talk all the way until the bell rang. It's your turn to lecture us. Now, based on the chapters I have no doubt you all memorized, who can tell me the name of the actual process that led to the birth of the self-portrait?"
Silence.
I was too shy to respond, but I know the answer.
"Anybody?... This does not bode well."- he says deluded.
Suddenly I hear at my left a sound of a shot.
I turn my head and see Max doing a selfie with her Polaroid.
"What are you doing? Mr.Jefferson could hea-."- I try to whisper but its too late.
"Shh, I believe Max has taken what you kids call 'selfie'... A dumb word for a wonderful photographic tradition. Of curse, as you already know the photo portrait has been popular since the early 1800's. Your generation was not the first to use images for selfie-expression. Sorry. The point remains that the portraiture has always been a vital aspect of art, and photography, for as long as it's been around. Now Max, since you've captured our interest and clearly want to join the conversation, can you please tell us the name of the process that give birth to the fisrt self- portrait?"
I look at Max and she seems a lot embarrassed.
"I'm sorry,I feel sick. I need to go to the bathroom. May I be excused?"
"Nice try, Max . But you're not going to get away that easy." - Mr.Jefferson has a severe face.
"Is there anybody here who knows their stuff?"- ask again Mr.Jefferson.
I feel bad for Max but it's my moment. Carpe diem*.
I erase my hand at the same time as Victoria.
But he chose me.
"Yes, Miss _______? "
I try to hide a smile but he notice that anyway. He is so kind with me.
"Louis Daguerre was a French painter who created 'daguerreotypes ' a process that gave portraits a sharp reflective style, like a mirror."- I say in one breath.
I feel the angry eyes of Victoria on me. But I don't give a shit. The important thing it's that I've captured the interest of Mr.Jefferson.
"Nice work miss ______" -he is impressed.
"The Daguerreian Process made portraiture hugely popular, mainly because it gave the subjects clear defined features. You can learn more when you actually finish reading the assigned chapters. ______ is so far, way ahead of everybody."
I think I like a lot this school.
The bell rings. End of photography class.
"And guys don't forget the deadline to submit a photo in the 'Everyday Heroes ' contest. I'll fly out with the winner to San Francisco where you're be fated by the art world. It's great exposure and it can kickstart a career in photography. So Stella and Alyssa, get it tougher. Taylor, don't hide, I'm still waiting for your entry too. And yes Max, I see you pretending not to see me."
Nobody are listening him, too busy to pick up stuff and leave class.
Only Victoria is standing by his desk , looking at him with flirting eyes. Ew. She is absolutely the pet teacher.
Am I jealous? Looking better Mr.Jefferson is a young teacher. I wonder how many girls like him.
I want to know more about this 'Everyday Heroes' contest.
Max is waiting for me near the door.
"I need to ask him something. See you later, okay?- I say to her.
She raises her eyebrows and a little smile appeared on her face.
"What the... No! It's not, silly!"- I laugh.
Max waves her hand and then disappears on the corridor full of students.
I go straight to the desk: MrJefferson is talking to Victoria.
"Excuse me, Mr.Jefferson, can I talk to you for a moment?"
"Yes, excuse you."-says Victoria.
How rude!
"No, Victoria, excuse us."- he says.
______ 1, Victoria 0.
"So, what did you want to talk to me about ?"
Victoria, look me with an angry face.
Look who is jealous now.

"I want to know more about the 'Everyday Heroes' contest. What I need to do to join it?"
Mr.Jefferson is enthusiastic.
"Oh I'm glad you want to take part of this contest. Well, I saw some of your shots when you fell before and I like them. You're like me: black and white photos and 'chiaroscuro' theme.I never seen this before.- he says coming closer with me.
He smells like cologne.
" Oh yeah, I'm such an emo."- I reply back with an embarrassed smile.
"You're a great artist. And you have taste like mine. So, the point of this is because I think you can win the Everyday Heroes Contest.
Everything you need to do is an artistic photo and then give it to me. The winner will be announced at the next Vortex Club party.This Friday."
This sounds great but I have no experience.
"Mr.Jefferson, I'd like but I think my photos can't compete with the shots of other students."
"Trust me, you can do it. I decide who win. And the winner will fly to San Francisco to see an art museum, with me."-he comes more closer.
The smell of cologne became more intense.
Alone to San Francisco with... Mr.Jefferson.
I think I will try.
Only now I notice how much he is attractive.
"This can be also a big opportunity for your career." - he adds.
"______, so what do you think about it? You will participate?"
"Yes Mr.Jefferson, I think so. I hope to take a beautiful photo, like yours."
"I'm sure you will. Now go, I already steal a lot of your time." - he says with a warm smile.

I go out and... So many students walk on the corridor. But there isn't Max.
She told in class to feel sick, maybe I can found her in the bathroom but... where is it?
I'm so confused.
There is too many voices so I put my ear phones and press play.
The song 'To all of you' by Syd Matters starts.
Ahh, this song is so beautiful and sad at the same time.
Now I have to find Max, because I have no idea where to go after the photography class and she is my only friend.
To all of you, American girls,it's sad to
Imagine a world without you
A girl with purple hair and a tall boy of my class are standing together, she is texting on the phone.
American girls I'd like to
Be part of the world around you
I continue to walk over the corridor.
Oh, that's my locker! I open it and see my mum and dad's photo.
Driving a car by the seaside
Watching the world from the bright side
A girl that I saw this morning near my dorm is talking to a boy with a hat. I wonder when I can be her friend.
To all of you, American girls in the movies
No one can tell where your heart is
A girl is taking notes on the floor.
American girls like dollies
With shinest smile and plastic bodies
Another girl seems to writing something on her phone.
I wish I has an American girlfriend
At my left I see two bullies annoying a boy with glasses. Seems that habits never change.
At some point I see the poster that the girl with blue hair put on the wall. The poster says:

So her name is Rachel Amber and she is just disappeared. I hope she is still alive.
I cry sometimes walking around my own place
Going on I see a guy that's looking a showcase full of posters of Vortex Club.
Wondering why she cry sometimes
Talking about her own place
Somewhere around the mountains
There is a couple. How cute. I wonder when I will have a boyfriend.
No one could dry her fountain
Till she got tired to complain
A janitor is cleaning the floor and the principal Wells is standing in front of his office.
And...Here's the bathroom! I hope Max is in.
I open the door.
That's when I fly to the wildland, to your land...

________________________________
(1 photo https://pin.it/2XDT413 )
(2 photo https://vm.tiktok.com/JJ9M92u/ )
(3 photo https://pin.it/rEFVpXt )
( 4 photo https://pin.it/6JPIBWx )
(5 photo https://pin.it/75ubeAL )
(6 photo from ep.1 Life is Strange)
(7 photo https://pin.it/2WpsF4f )
(*A latin quote wich means 'catch the moment')
(To all of you by Syd Matters)

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