Gaming Buddies — PS2 Era, 2004 6

Two friends passed out asleep on the low futon in a college dorm room — a young person with short dark hair and warm brown skin curled at one end, snapback askew on their head, controller resting on their chest. A tall lanky Black teenager with an afro pick tucked in his hair wearing a white tall tee and baggy low-rise jeans sprawled across the rest of the futon, long legs hanging off the end, one arm over his face, controller on the floor beside him. The small TV on the mini-fridge shows the PS2 system menu, the blue swirling background casting a cool glow on their sleeping forms. The silver Motorola Razr flipped shut on the floor, the burned CD spindle, empty Mountain Dew Code Red bottle. Bob Marley flag, desk lamp with red bandana still casting amber. The charger cord across the floor. Flash from the roommate who came back — harsh and bright on their dead-asleep faces. Heavy grain, slight blue-green color shift. The photo has the energy of 4 AM when nobody has class tomorrow. Natural skin texture with subtle pores and micro-imperfections, organic asymmetry in features.