“So what brought you here, Craig, or dare I ask?”
“Easy, Jet. I really just came to hang. I miss you, and we haven't talked since the dinner. I don't blame you for walking out. Dad was a jerk that night. I just wish that you guys could find some common ground, ya know?”
“Don't even bother to ask me to go to another dinner. It's pointless, and I'm not into being badgered when I'm trying to enjoy myself.”
“Don't worry; I'm not going to do that. Not anytime soon, anyway. Dad screwed up, and I know there is no talking you into going there.”
“Good. If you ever want to have dinner with Natalie and me, you can bring your girl and that would be a much better night, I think.”
Craig laughed. “You're probably right. So, the nationals? That's pretty awesome. I will be cageside for that one, for sure.”
“Yeah, I just need to make sure I can heal properly. I am really sore after that bout, and I don't want to have any injuries. The nationals are insanely important, and I don't want anything screwing them up.”
“You're going to do fine, man; no worries.”
He started taking the needles out
. I stretched, and felt so much better than I had before. Kyle had finished making the sandwiches, and we all sat down and dug in. The sandwiches were man sandwiches, filled high with meat, cheeses, and tomatoes. Just what I needed.
I was looking forward to relaxing in the tub, but better than that, I was looking forward to my MMA future, and Natalie.
Chapter Three
Natalie
Photography class had been awesome. We spent the entire class in the darkroom, which was something most schools didn’t even teach anymore. With the way digital technology had advanced, there was no need to develop film or use a darkroom. Everything was done digitally these days, downloaded onto a computer, and edited through Photoshop.
There were still plenty of old-school photographers out there who had never turned in their SLR for a DSLR. They believed film still provided the best quality photographs out there. Those were the people still using darkrooms and the original methods of editing. My professor was one of those people. Although the class for the most part surrounded the digital world, she believed that we should know where it all originated from. How to turn a negative into a work of art, how to Photoshop something inside a dark room with methods such as dodging and burning; the possibilities were all still there. Great art had been created without the use of digital cameras. I never once considered it important until I went in there, and then I didn't want to leave.
The darkroom was an oasis of darkness where you can lose hours if you weren't careful. I found the whole process fascinating, and to see what you could create within those walls was astounding. I loved the red light that protected the film from exposure, yet allowed you to see in the dark. For others outside of the darkroom, there was a light that alerted them that the darkroom was in use, so they would not enter, bringing in the light with them. That light would destroy photographs, and those could not be retrieved again, as digital photos could.
I liked the process of developing the negatives. I liked the smell of the chemicals used. It was like being in a science class. Students took for granted just how easy it was to download images and manipulate them. It was truly an art to be able to manipulate photographs in a darkroom.
The professor had shown us images she had done herself, and then one by one she showed us how we could create similar images with different techniques. It was no easy task, but it was fun to learn these methods, and I knew if I took on photography as my life choice, that I would design my own darkroom to use in my career as a photographer.
The class had been stimulating in a variety of ways, and I couldn't wait to tell Jet all about it. It was funny to even think that?to be able to go to him and talk about things I enjoyed in my life. To even want to do that was even more extraordinary; I still couldn't believe I was now Jet's girlfriend. That I had even agreed to it. It was an exciting thing, and yes, even more so knowing that I could now go to him and discuss my day, and what had made the day so wonderful.
When class ended, I collected my things together and put them away in my bag. I packed away my camera and the equipment I had to go along with it.
My phone chirped and I checked it, finding a message from Julie on it. She wanted to meet for coffee before her next class and wondered if I was available. I chuckled to myself; yes, I was definitely available to talk to her. I messaged her back and told her I would meet her at the cafe downtown, and that I was just leaving class. It would take me about 15 minutes to get there.
I put my bags over my shoulder and headed out of the classroom.
When I arrived at the coffee shop I was still buzzing from the class I had just attended, I almost wanted to head back and do it all over again.
Julie was already at a table, and she had ordered us both coffee. The weather was growing colder so coffee was always a welcome enjoyment. I sat down across from her and smiled. She smiled back as she stirred her coffee.
“What did you order me?”
“Some hazelnut coffee; it's supposed to be fantastic.”
I nodded as I added cream to it. I figured it might already be sweet due to the hazelnut, so I avoided sugar for the time being.
I took a sip of the coffee, and it seared my throat, but it was delicious. I decided to add a bit of sugar, as the hazelnut did not change the bitterness of the coffee.
I looked up at Julie. “So what the heck did you do last night?”
Julie looked to be taken aback, but I knew she wasn't. “Whatever do you mean?”