Beside You

Questionable Choices

The rest of the week goes by quickly. I manage to avoid Ryder without anyone asking too many questions. Soon it is Saturday, the day of the dance. I assure Maddi and Arya that they can still come over to get ready. They look absolutely gorgeous. Maddi's pink dress fits her amazingly. She got me to straighten her usually unruly curly hair and braid the front back. Paired with the dress and black heels she looks stunning. Arya is in a light blue dress, almost the same colour as her eyes. I twist her blonde hair into a cool up-do. She looks amazing as well. I take a couple of pictures. 

 "Max is going to be speechless when he sees you Maddi. And Arya, Grayson can't ignore you when you look like that." They thank me and leave. I hear my brothers leaving shortly after them.

 Almost immediately after they leave the house phone begins ringing. My parents forced me to have a house phone in my room when they discovered that I couldn't hear the phones downstairs. My mom is on a night shift at the hospital, and therefore asleep, and my dad is at a conference so I pick the phone up. It's the school. "Hello?" I answer. 

 "Thank god. Hadley, it's Mr. Carroll." What does the photography teacher want from me? "Peyton just told me that she can't take the pictures at the dance, will you please fill in for her?"

 I think about it. If I'm there taking pictures people won't feel as bad for me because it'll look like I had to take the pictures instead of actually going to the dance. "Yeah, I can do it." I tell him.

 Mr. Carroll sighs in relief. "Thank you! Get here as soon as you can, couples will be arriving soon." 

 "I'll be there in 15 minutes." I tell him.

 I hang up and change into a pair of jeans and my yellow Preston "Yearbook Editor" shirt that I was given at the end of last year. I grab my camera and head out to my car. In ten minutes I'm at the school. 

 I go in the main doors and find Mr. Carroll waiting for me. He guides me to where the pictures will be taken. It's a black backdrop, with bright colours splattered on it. The tripod is set up, but with no camera. Mr. Carroll knows that I like to use my own. I set my camera up just as the dance starts. Most people go straight into the gym to begin dancing, but a few people line up to have their picture taken. I play with the settings and take a couple of test shots. I find the perfect settings and wave the first couple in. I have been instructed to take two pictures, so I do as I'm told. After about ten minutes I hear someone calling my name. I turn and realize that Maddi and Max are next in line. Before they go to stand for their picture they come up to me. 

 Maddi gives me a hug. "I didn't know you'd be here!"

 "Neither did I until half an hour ago. Peyton cancelled last minute so I filled in." 

 "Well, I'm glad you're here." Maddi tells me. 

 "Me too. Now I can thank you for making Maddi look so good." Max jokes.

 I laugh and take their pictures. After them the rest of our friends join them; Arya, Mitchell, Riley, Grayson, Colton, Morgan, Ryder and Avery. I take a few pictures before I have to send them on their way so that I can keep the line moving. In the next few hours I take pictures almost constantly. Then it comes to an abrupt stop when there is only about ten minutes left in the dance. I decide to take my camera off the tripod and go into the gym to get some action shots. The gym is decorated nicely, and extremely loud. I take a few pictures of couples dancing. I don't see any of my friends so I go back out to the lobby to wait for any last minute people who need their pictures taken. On my way out of the gym I see Brody and Adelaide in a tight embrace, kissing. It's too much for me and I make an even quicker exit.

 A few minutes later I hear the principal announcing that the dance is over. There's a huge mass of people leaving the gym and I end up taking pictures for about 15 minutes. After I'm sure that everyone is gone I start to pack up the equipment. As I'm taking my camera off the tripod and putting it back in its bag Maddi, Arya and Max walk up to me.