Goodbye Sunshine [GxG]

(0) Picture Perfect (Updated)

"Smile"

Skylar and Ashley gave me their brightest smile as they held around each other. It took a few seconds for the lens on my camera to adjust but as soon as it did I took a deep breath and pushed the shutter button. It was only as I heard the shutter go off that I realized that an unfamiliar girl had walked behind my two best friends. Accidentally ending up in it. The unfamiliar girl looked up, clearly startled at the sudden noise. She gave me a small smile and muttered a quick apology before she hurried off towards the information desk at the end of the hallway.

"Hey, how did it turn out?" Ashley came bouncing over to me still smiling wide. Her short chestnut hair was dancing around her shoulders as she moved. I quickly pulled the photo back up, eager to have a look at it myself. Immediately I frowned. The girl, who had so obviously walked into it, was nowhere to be seen in the picture. Only Ashley and Skylar, smiling brightly and looking like the adorable couple that they were. I could've sworn that she was right in the middle of it when the picture was taken. Strange... Maybe she had managed to avoid it just in time or my camera actually took the picture before she walked into it. Nevertheless it was a perfect picture. The backdrop. The lighting. Everything came together making it a fantastic picture that I was pleased with.

"It turned out great." I smiled and turned the camera towards her so she could see. Skylar came walking over as well, putting an arm around Ashley's shoulder. They had asked me to take some pictures of them as it was their 1st anniversary as a couple. It was also good practice for me as photography is my greatest passion after all. I would snap pictures of everything and ty to turn it into a masterpiece. "This is amazing, Claire. It looks like something straight out of a magazine!" Ashley beamed as she looked up from the camera screen. Without saying anything I turned towards my backpack to pull out a sheet of paper and handed it to her with a small smile.

She quickly took it and scanned through it. As she read through it her eyes widened and she looked up with a shocked expression. "No way... No way! You want to apply to The New York School of Arts? That's an elite school!" She exclaimed, her voice a bit too loud. It drew some attention, heads turned in the hallway and even the girl from earlier turned to look with a curious expression on her face.

"Ssssh, keep it down. I still haven't told anyone yet. You know my parents don't exactly approve of the idea." I whispered to her. The last thing I wanted was for a rumor to spread. Rumors like that always found its way to my parents ears and I would never hear the end of how it wasn't a real job and how I should get something that was more stable. Ashley and Skylar both rolled their eyes. "No offense, Claire. But your parents are kind of old-fashioned when it comes to choosing a job." Skylar scoffed with Ashley agreeing.

"No offense taken. I can't tell you guys how many times they've said to get a real education." I poorly mimicked my dad's voice at the end and sighed. Ashley handed my camera back to me and I held it in my hands looking down on it. A real education. Like what? Sitting in an office just withering away? No thanks. I'd rather follow my dream. I was getting into that school in New York. I was going to become a professional photographer. Maybe try myself as a wildlife photographer. Travel the world. Seeing all kinds of animals and meeting all kinds of people.

The school bell then rang, signalling the beginning of our last period. "Come on, we don't want to be late for Spanish. We all know how Mrs. Alvaro hates those who comes to late." Skylar said with a tired groan. "Yeah, and she also hates it when you call her Mrs. and not miss. No wonder she always gives you detention." Ashley giggled and pecked him on the cheek.

"Do you have to remind me? I feel like I'm spending more time in detention than I am in her actual class." Skylar groaned yet again before he entwined his hand with her and we made our way towards class.

We were walking by the information desk when I noticed the girl from earlier now sitting on the couch, reading through a pamphlet. Maybe she was a transfer student? Though she looked so mature. She had to at least be a senior. No way was she 16. She briefly looked up and our eyes met. She gave me another small smile before she moved her gaze back to the pamphlet.

It was then that it happened. As we had almost walked by, the shutter on my camera accidentally went off. Right as I was putting it back in my bag. I really thought I had turned it off. I picked it back up, ready to turn it off when something caught my eye. It had taken a picture of the couch where the girl sat. The angle was weird and it was really cropped.

But there was one problem.

The girl wasn't in the photo.

The couch was.

And the pamphlet was.

Only the pamphlet seemed levitate in mid air.

But the girl was still clearly sitting on the couch, reading.

My gaze went back and forth between her and my camera. How in the world was that possible?

"Hey Claire, you coming? We're gonna be late." I hadn't realized that I had stopped when Ashley called out to me. I shook myself out of my daze and looked at the girl one last time. Something about the picture made a shiver go down my spine. I put my camera away and hurried after them.

Maybe my camera was broken.

That was the only logical explanation that I could come up with. But it still didn't sit right with me.