Capturing Savannah Read Free Page B

forty-minute drive making it well out of walking range. I change into my bathing suit and cover it with a lightweight old t-shirt and pair of shorts. The shorts are much longer than my pajama ones and acceptable to wear out. As I am getting my camera ready I like seeing my grandmothers pictures hanging by my bed but I still feel like my side of the room as small as it is, is an empty canvas. Which is a lot like how I am starting to feel about this new part of my life.
    I finish gather ing up my things so I can head downstairs and grab some fruit and water to take on the bus. Just then Emily comes in soaked with bits of balloon pieces in her hair and laughing. It does look like it was a fun time. She changes and we both head downstairs. We wait in line and carry our food trays to an empty table. Me only with fruit that I am just going to pack up after Emily finishes her lunch. I see David and Dax sitting at another table and try to ignore them not wanting to make eye contact.
    Instead I ask Emily what she is up to since she said she couldn’t go on the bus to the beach today and she tells me about her plans with her mom and dad to go on the Old Town Trolley Tour of the city. Which I admit does sound fun and I am jealous of her having her parents here with her and what sounds like a normal family relationship. But the beach sounds amazing too so I can’t complain. Emily finishes up her food and we head outside to the parking lot. Our flip-flops paddling as we walk outside onto the hot asphalt.
    Emily takes a seat on the bench making herself comfortable . We tell each other we will see one another later, and I head towards the bus that is filling up quick. I am relieved to find an empty seat in the back. It’s almost time to go and there are only a few seats left at the very front. Suddenly two runners jump aboard with boogie boards, one bright green and one banana yellow. The tethered wrist straps drag along the bus floor. I slink down some into my seat when I see its David and Dax. I don’t think they notice me but I am sure I’ll be forced to talk to them once we get to our destination. I sit with my paisley beach bag that holds my camera hooked onto my knee, crossing my arms in my lap. Finally the bus takes off and I settle in a little more with my headphones. Hoping for a scenic forty-minute drive.
    After driving though miles of canopies of Spanish moss we hit a bridge and from there it’s marshland until we reach the beach. As we park the bus driver tells us she wil l leave in three hours for the next stop at the local grocery store, Piggly Wiggly then back to the dorms. All the students walk down a weathered wooden bridge passing by coastal reed grass and a large black lighthouse with a thick white stripe around the middle. There are so many potential spots for photos, but I need to take it all in some more first and make sure I save some time at the end to do some swimming or at least put my feet in the water.
    Mos t of the students pair off together in packs of two or four. To the right there is a large wooden pier that is where most of the group is heading. To the left is mostly beach with protruding rocks and patches of reed grass. I decide to head to the left taking out my camera and adjusting the white balance settings for this time of day. I take several test shots and get infatuated with the reed grass. The tops of the reeds are a light golden yellow with a feathered edge and brown strands at the top that connect with a green thicker blade before jetting into the sand. So beautiful.
    I am obviously in my own world because I don’t notice David until he intentionally jumps into the frame of my shot. I click the camera just as he curls his lip up into that grin of his. My heart skips a beat and I hope I was able to get that smile of his on film.
    “So second day here and you are already working?” he says teasing me. “That’s dedication.”
    “Well that is what I am here for. For school I mean.” I