Mike spun around to Danny in the backseat.
“Half or full?”
“Full. Load me up, old sport.”
Mike flipped on the flashlight of his Samsung S5, mounted it in the cupholder to illuminate a workspace across his lap, then went to work on their peanut butter sandwiches.
Most students did not take the short film contest seriously. Mr. Anderson, head of film and media, had to review every submission for inappropriate content. This year had a record number of submissions, and Mr. Anderson had fallen ill in the weeks leading up to the showcase. He was forced to enlist the help of a student to complete the reviews in time.
Mike, Danny and the boys careened into the auditorium 30 minutes late, halfway through the second film. Mike recognized a classmate on the big screen and shouted, “Hey, I know that guy!” His joke landed and broke the melodramatic spell of the second film.
It was almost time for their showing. Danny stepped out to use the bathroom. He took an extra beat to look up at the big mural in the hallway. The school mascot was dancing.
Their film was a hit. The auditorium came alive. Their comedic timing made up for their poor filmmaking techniques. The guys waited with bated breath for the final sequence. A quick-fire montage rolled over “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”. Then, the clip they had been waiting for. Danny, devoid of all garments, clutched a rope and swung out over the water, launched himself off at peak trajectory, turned one-hundred and eighty degrees towards the camera and threw his limbs out as far as they could stretch. If you weren’t paying attention, you would have missed it.
Danny looked down at his hands. They had turned into seaweed.