The Meanings of Red

Chapter 4

“No, that’s terrible,” Strider said blatantly, sounding closer than Karkat expected.  The insufferable prick had been commenting on his photos as they were being developed.  Basically, according to Strider, they all sucked ass.  Karkat thought that they were actually OK, so he couldn’t see Strider’s point of view.

            Karkat clenched his jaw and turned to face Strider, who still had his shades on even though they were in the dark room.  “Okay, I give up!  What the hell could I possibly be doing wrong?”

            Strider examined all of Karkat’s pictures, which were hanging to dry.  “You must be holding your camera wrong.  The angles are all wonky.”

            “It’s Wednesday, I’ve already used up most of my film, and you’re telling me this now?”  Karkat sighed and grabbed his camera, which was sitting off to the side, and held it up the way he had always been.  “How is this wrong?  Please, enlighten me, Strider.”

            Karkat saw Strider purse his lips through the lens, and then disappeared.  “Don’t move,” the boy said from behind him.  He stayed as still as a deer in headlights as Strider’s hands covered his and fixed the angle of the camera.  “It’s gotta be the angle,” he muttered to himself, his voice close to Karkat’s ear.  Then he snatched the camera out of Karkat’s hands and looked through it himself.  “Or maybe you just need a new camera.”

            “Hey!” Karkat exclaimed, turning around to face Strider in an attempt to take his camera back, but his forehead met Strider’s sharp chin.  “Ow,” he said, rubbing his forehead and looked up to glare at Strider.  Strider has chosen to look down at him that moment, the camera out of his face.  He began to slowly lean down and…

            The lights turned on suddenly.  Karkat gasped and jumped back, blinking in the sudden light.

            “Oh, sorry,” the person who had turned on the lights said.  “I didn’t know that there were people in here.”

            “It’s cool,” Strider said, his face a shade of light pink.  He handed Karkat his camera.

            “I’d better get going, anyways,” Karkat said, his face bright red.  He took his camera from Strider and practically ran out of the room.

            What the fuck was that? he thought.  Did that seriously almost happen?  What the actual hell?  I hope Terezi doesn’t get word of this.

            Karkat let out a frustrated noise.  “I’m such a bad boyfriend,” he grumbled to himself.

            After a long, tiring walk up Prospit Hill, Karkat finally entered his house, which was at least a little cooler than outside.  He dropped his bag by the door and went to the fridge, opening it and grabbing a can of soda.  He sat down at the table and took a long swig after cracking it open, grateful for the icy coldness of the carbonated beverage.

            “And just where the hell have you been?” Karkat’s dad asked, suddenly appearing in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room.

            Karkat almost spat out his drink in surprise.  “Um, I stayed after school to work on a project.”

            “You never told me that!” his dad shouted, his face starting to get red.

            “I-I texted you,” Karkat stuttered, standing up and taking a few steps to put some distance between them.

            His dad advanced on him.  “No, you didn’t.”