Camera Girl

Chapter 3

Ever since I found that note, I've been thinking how that drug dealer took my photo, he couldn't have gotten that close to me.

   What if he really was the guy that carried me to the nurse's office?

I snaked myself out of bed, got dressed into the dreadful school uniform, and walked towards the dining hall with my messenger bag resting on my shoulder. Dining hall was bigger than I expected it to be. The food was even well prepared.

After I got my breakfast, I looked around to see if Madeline was around and texted her with the number she gave me, but there was no sign of her.

I decided it was best to eat outside. It was getting colder out, but at least it was quiet.  Feelings of tranquility slipped away when I caught a glimpse of that guy who chased me down yesterday. He was walking towards my direction. I ignored him, and continued to eat.

"Ahem." He cleared his throat to gain my attention. I looked up at him.

"What do you want?" I said sourly hoping he would go away.

"The real question is what do you want." He sat down across from me.

"I want you to get the hell away from me." I was getting more irritated by his presence.

"It didn't seem like it from yesterday. Tell me, what're you interested in, I might have it."

"I'm not interested in anything you're offering."

"Wait, so you stalked me for no reason, and took a surprisingly sexy photo of me." He took my stolen picture out to display.

"I mean look at the angle, this is a nice shot." He continued.

"I'm glad you like my photo, but I want it back." I leaned forward to take what was rightfully mine, but he pulled the photo away from my reach.

"Who said I liked it? I love it!" The dealer put my photo into the pocket of his blazer.

"It's not yours, so give it back!" My voice raised a little higher.

"Why should I? You're probably going to drool all over it."

"No asshat, it's still my photo!"

"Your words, they hurt." He sarcastically put a hand over his heart.

"I don't care what you'd use it for. I don't want this getting out. Sorry Camera Girl, you're not getting your photo back."

He slipped out of his seat, and began to walk back from where he came from. I suddenly acted on impulse, and I heard myself say: "who do you think you are!?"

He turned around and flashed a cocky grin.

"I'm Gaige Mendoza, who're you?"

I stayed silent.

"Thought so." Gaige continued to walk away, leaving me in embarrassment.

I spent the rest of my morning trying to catch up on missing lectures from the week before. Lunch rolled around and I finally got to meet up with Madeline. After I told her about my encounter with Gaige, she was unresponsive at first, but she was able to collect herself within a few seconds.

"You talked to who!? I heard what you just said correctly right?"

"Yeah...? I assume you know him?"

"Not personally, but everyone knows him Alma, and he's not a good person. There's a lot of people who have it out for him."

"I can see why, he's a colossal dick. " I said as I took a bite out of my food

"Are you going to talk to him again?" she asked concerningly.

"I just might..." There it was, her look of disapproval. She quickly shifted it into a blank expression after I noticed.

"He has something of mine, and him getting away with it feels like a crime. I'm just going to get it back, and never talk to him after that."

"Fine, but don't tell me I didn't warn you about him."

Awhile later, lunch came to an end and classes began to start up again. When I first arrived to class, there was a clump of students on one side of the room. I couldn't bother what was going on, so I sat away from them.

A lady who I assumed was my teacher this year walked into class causing the students to spread apart, and fill in the empty desks.

In the middle of class, I couldn't help but feel like there was a set of eyes burning through my skull. Do I look over, or do I ignore it?

I glanced over to see a beautiful girl staring over. She could probably be a model if she wanted to. But, why is she staring me down, I don't think I've seen her before in my life.

When class was over, I was one of the last to go besides the beautiful girl standing near the exit. I tried to slip on by, but she quickly pulled my arm back with minimal force.

"Can I help you?" I stepped back away from her.

"Why are you acting like we haven't met before?"

"You must be mistaken. I'm not really from around here, I'm new actually."

"Very funny, I know who you are Alma, quit playing now."

"I'm sorry, but I really don't know how you know my name nor do I remember meeting you, excuse me." I scuffled past her this time and hurried over to the next class.

For the rest of the day, my thoughts were clouded with my interaction with the mysterious girl. I still couldn't put my finger on who she could have been. I should've asked who she was, but I felt weird about approaching her. After dinner, I went over to a box of photos in my dorm that I have yet to open.

I thought that maybe I could find this girl in my photos, but instead I was confronted by another face. His disarming looks were immortalized in this picture, but I know now that his charming guise hid something far more sinister. I took the photo and placed it in my drawer. I won't let the past come back.

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Author's Note:

Hey, I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far, I just want to let everyone know that I will be posting these chapters on Mondays so stay tuned for the following weeks to come!

-D.H. <3