Simply Me

Chapter Three

He sat on the wet, mossy rock quietly. Andi stood feet away from CJ, camera at her face.

"Alright, hold steady. Wait.. Actually move your head to the left, keep you body the same way it is. Just move your head slightly to the left." Andi tells CJ where to motion himself to. CJ silently laughed but obeyed and did what Andi told him.

Andi shook her head, even though CJ wasn't looking. She laughed and walked up to him. "CJ, you can't move your head slightly to the left?" Andi smiled, making CJ smile.

"What did I do wrong?" CJ asked, turning to look Andi in the eyes. A smile shown on both their faces.

"To far." Andi said.

"Like this?"

"Uh.... No." Andi let her camera fall to her waste, she took both of her hands and extended them to his head. Being silly, she messed up his Caramel brown hair and turned his head the right way. "Ok, now stay like that."

CJ sat silently as Andi moved back to her spot up on the bank.

"1.. 2.. 3!" Andi snapped his first picture done by herself. CJ stood off the rock and walked over to Andi. She handed the camera to CJ so he could examine it better. With a nod of approval and satisfaction, CJ handed her camera back.

"You know, you're really good at photography. I mean, just looking at this picture shows how well you can do this job. Do you have any more photos?" CJ asked with interest.

"Actually, I do. You can look at them." Andi says, handing her camera back into is hands.

"Ok. But every time I change the photo, I want you to tell me where it was taken and why you took it there, ok? I want to get to know you better." Andi nodded after thinking and CJ switched the picture.

"Umm... That was taken at my Aunt Josie's house. It was my thirteenth birthday, that's when I started photography. As you can see, it's not a good as all my recent ones."

"I still like it." CJ smiled. "What about this one?" Andi looked at the photo.

"That was my first concert I've ever been to. They're called Super Junior. Here, look at my recent ones." Andi went through the photos and stopped at the one she took two weeks ago. "That was two weeks ago, at Olivia and Louis' wedding. It's just the front of the building."

CJ smiled and switched the picture. Next, was a picture her grandma had taken of Andi, Louis, and Olivia int he back room of the church.

"Oh, umm.." Andi laughed nervously. "That was fore everyone arrived at the wedding. Louis and Olivia wanted to take a picture with me so I gave the camera to my grandma. She took the picture." Andi smiled, remembering the memory with her only solving hand his new wide. Oh, how she missed them.

"You were the girl that walked Olivia up to the steps right?" CJ asked, noticing the memory as well.

"Ha.. Yeah... That picture is horrible though. I don't know why I agreed to get in that picture." Andi didn't smile or laugh happily. Her insecure side came back to visibility. She didn't like that dress she had wore. It was to short and tight for her type. Andi didn't like the idea of her mid-thighs and down to show to more than 100 people in one chapel. But CJ didn't see any flaws to this wonderful picture. All he say was perfection within a 14 year old girl taking a photo with a 22 year old boy and 21 year old girl.

"What do you mean by horrible? This picture defines beauty. Actually, only one thing does." And do you know what that one thing is? Yep, CJ was directing that comment to young, beautiful Andilynn Rae Summers. Did she notice? Ehh... No.

"It should've been just Louis and Olivia in the picture. I didn't want to be rude and not join the picture--" She trails off once she hears a voice off in the distance, calling CJ's name.

CJ watches as two boys come down. Worry and panic flooded his face, those were the boys who bullied him at school. He didn't want Andi to see him get bullied.

"Hey! Guess who it is? Caleb Junior!!" One boy says, mocking a laugh along with the other one. Andi stays quiet and stares at the two boys. 'What's going on?' Andi thought in her head. CJ remained quiet, these boys always made him cry. What if he cries in front of Andi? He'll look like a fool and a weak 14 year old boy.

"Since when does Caleb Junior have friends?" The other boy says, a smirk upon his face. Andi was sure getting mad, no one could treat her new best friend like that!

"Since two weeks ago." Andi says as loud as her hoarse voice would go. We all know how hard that is. The boys laugh and turn back to CJ, being meaner than ever.

"Caleb, where've you been, huh? Huh? I haven't got to mess with ya for a month." The boys shove him off the rock and into the water. Andi turned to the boys, and with anger in her voice, she yelled at them. Well, yelled a whisper.

"Who do you think you two are? Huh? Just going to throw someone into the river because? Why would you do that?" CJ quickly climbed out of the water, standing behind Andi, he listened to what she was saying. Andi walked up closer to the two boys, just inches from them. Her short figure stood at the boys' necks and she continued to scold them. "What purpose do you think you've got to mess with CJ? Gosh, people these days can't even think! What if CJ couldn't swim? He would die, that's what. Would you have anything to cost? Yeah, you do. Your lives in prison because you could've killed a 14 year old boy who probably couldn't even swim! What's the point of bullying other kids? To make yourselves more powerful? If you want to be mor powerful, just be your damn self!" The two boys were surprised that Andi had so much anger within her to talk that much. As well as CJ. "Everyone loves it when you be yourself. Why exactly? Because when you be yourself, you shine with inspiration! People look up to that!! There could be someone out there whose just at their lowest of lows, ok? And maybe they need some inspiration. But, there's only two boys left! And that's you two!! Bullying won't help solve your problems. It'll make kids scared and they won't want to even be next to you for more than .0 seconds! But when you be you, they'll be your friend and enjoy your company. Do you get that now? Do you understand why you don't go throwing people around the place?" Not waiting for a response, Andi answered for them. "You better not hurt another person's soul. I've been bullied before, and it's not fun. Try being in CJ's shoes for once."

Andi turned away from the two boys who had amazed faces planted onto them, and patted CJ's back. "Come on, CJ. We've got to go get stuff at the store to cook cookies?" Her voice was hoarser than ever, but that didn't stop her for assuring CJ.

"Are you ok? Your voice sounds worse.."

"Yea, yea, I'm fine. Just what happens when you start loosing your voice. But, are you ok?" Andi looked up so she could look into CJ's eyes. Sadness flashed in multiple colors of hazel's green and brown. A few stray tears left his eyes, but Andi didn't mind.

"Ye-ah." CJ says, but registering that crack in his voice, Andi knew he wasn't alright.

"You know, you can talk to me right? CJ, you don't have to hide anything from me. I'm trustworthy, I promise."