Excerpt--
Take a breath, Lana.
Everything will be okay.
My stomach churned when I noticed his perfectly combed chestnut hair walking through the corridor by himself, just like any other day. I basically jumped out of the bush, nearly tripping in the...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"What's next?" Declan asked, his eyes never leaving mine.
"Photo Booth!" I smiled, wiggling my eyebrows.
One of my long-time dreams was to take pictures in a photo booth with my crush like they do in those romantic movies. Sue me! I would treasure those photos forever if Declan agreed to go along with me. They would be locked right next to my collections of pictures of Declan with his unicorn stuffed animal.
Ambrose instantly agreed with my idea; one of his favorite things at the carnival was going to the photo booth. We already had multiple copies of pictures together, though I had lost most of them in the fire. The only one still breathing was from freshman year, when Ambrose awkwardly confessed his feelings for me in the booth. The photos kept getting stiffer as the sequence continued.
"Right here." I pointed at the red-curtain booth.
Luckily, no one seemed to have an interest in the booth, leaving it vacant. Still, I cautiously pushed back the crimson red curtain and saw nobody inside. After double-checking, I wasn't stealing the booth from anyone I claimed it for us. Once with Meadow, I barged into the photo booth, not noticing a random man making out with another. It was top ten one of my embarrassing moments.
"Declan, do you wan-,"
"Me first!" Ambrose declared, thrusting us into the booth.
Pulling five dollars from my wallet, Ambrose placed it by the money eater and slowly the screen changed. First, we made funny faces, mine was a fishy impersonation, and Ambrose's face was scrunched up to create a whiny babyface. Next was more simple, we just placed our peace signs in the air with a smile.
Lastly, my eyes widened as I felt Ambrose's wet lips on my cheek, sending jitters down my spine. My heart skipped a beat at the thought of Declan catching a glimpse of this moment between us. Ambrose was always friendly, yet he never passed the kissing line between us until now. Why does he suddenly feel the need to?
I jolted from my spot and rushed over to the printer, but froze when I saw Declan glaring down at it.
"Ambrose surprised me... I wasn't expecting it," I explained, even though I didn't have to justify myself, but I wanted to.
He just nodded his head while his eyes lingered on the photo for a few moments longer. My heart was racing as I regretted suggesting the freaking booth, to begin with. My face burned hot in embarrassment.
"Want to take a photo?" I blurted, trying to lighten the mood.
Declan stared at me emotionlessly for a few seconds before he rolled his eyes. "Sure, why not," he said simply.
"Give me our pictures!" Ambrose demanded, snatching the photos from Declan's grasp. "Aren't we the cutest couple? These will definitely be our wedding pictures," he declared.
"Two idiots together. Match made in heaven," Declan slyly commented.
Declan entered the booth after me, I wiped off any dirt particles on his side for him to sit comfortably. My heart was beating irregularly, all my ideas completely wiped from my brain because of his presence.
