Check, Please?

Chapter 12

Marsha Lane was the first person to greet me as we walked inside.  She made me feel overdressed as she stood in her jeans and black high school hoodie with her blonde curly hair secured back into a tight bun.  She always seemed blind to the hatred that people had for our school.  She attended all of the games, all of the club meetings that she could, had perfect attendance all four years, and graduated as salutatorian.  Her being smart had nothing to do with her grades - she just kissed ass like I had never seen before.  She thought the teachers at BSHS were the best teachers on the planet... and they had certainly loved Marsha right back by giving her grades she didn't always deserve.  Her school spirit was off the charts… the mental stability charts, that was.

“Welcome back!” She cheered, shaking a cheap pompom in her hand before choking Bud and myself I a tight hug.  She hugged Harry forcefully too, almost taking him off his feet.  Harry pulled back away from Marsha as if she were trying to maul him, an irritated look plastered across his face as he fixed his messed up curls and sideways shirt, but Marsha took no notice.  She just kept giving instructions.  “You sign in here, get your nametag there, and you’ll get your picture taken down at the end!” She pointed to each station that was set up down the front hallway.  As Bud bent down and checked his name off of the clipboard, I looked around at the other people near us.  I recognized all of their faces but couldn’t remember a single name.

Harry checked his and my name off of the clipboard and made us both nametags.  I looked at his chicken scratch writing on my nametag and sneered.

Harry handed me the purple marker and a fresh nametag. “Well you do it then.”

“Hey, y’all! Come over here and take a picture with me.  We can be a trio!” Bud called from behind the photo booth curtain. He disappeared behind the curtain, but I could see his feet bouncing underneath it as he made faces into the camera.  Harry took my hand and pulled me to the booth.  He climbed in and sat down, holding open the curtain for me.  I ducked into the small area and sat down on Harry’s lap.  I couldn't help but feel like this was weird.  The real trio was Harry, Anna, and I.  I wished she was here.

“Ready?” Bud asked, his hand on the large green button that started the camera timer.  I nodded and shifted so that Harry could put his chin on my shoulder.  I giggled as he buried his chin into the side of my neck and kissed my skin light and quick.  As Bud pressed the button, a large “3, 2, 1” appeared and the screen flashed to capture the picture.

“Wanna take another? Silly faces!” Bud said, slapping the button a second time.  Before I even had time to think, the screen flashed again. 

Bud jumped out of his side of the booth and snatched the two pictures from the booth printer.  He laughed.  “We all look pretty dang sexy in this one,” he said, shoving the first photo in my face.  I inched backward and took the picture from him, holding it out so Harry could see it over my shoulder.  “This one, you look so funny!” Bud said to me, shoving the second picture under my nose again.  I tried not to seem too irritated as I took the picture from him and looked at it.  Both Harry and I looked so caught off-guard, obviously not ready for the second picture.

“You look so funny!” Harry whispered mockingly in my ear, poking me in the side as he did it.  I knew he was trying to make me feel better with all of the little kisses and touches.  While a simple poke in the side didn’t make me feel suddenly excited for being at the school, it made me giggle.  I knew Harry would be by my side the whole time.

“Harry. Styles.  That cannot be you.”

Harry and I both turned to see who was calling his name.  I wasn’t surprised to see a group of about ten girls all standing in a semi-circle around us (around Harry - I happened to be standing next to him).  I immediately took notice of their hands.  Not a single one of them had an engagement or wedding ring on their finger.  I also took note of their outfits; they were a little more dressed up like I was in heels and flashy dresses, so I felt better about my attire. I slipped my hand around Harry’s upper arm subtly, remembering that we were there as a couple but not totally wanting to draw attention to it.  Or… was I actually feeling jealous?  Maybe protective of my date?  I knew just from the star-struck looks on the faces before us what was coming next.