Tenacity {COMPLETED}

O N E

This time, I had him in my crosshairs, two more seconds and I'd take the shot.
"Hey Allie! Over here!" I looked up to see Lydia Johnson, the editor of Kennedy High School, waving frantically at me from the second row in the stands. Her dirty blonde hair curls bounced like springs as she waved.
As I returned my focus to the turf, the field stunted into cacophony of steaming voices. "Go Panthers!"
Thirty seconds left in the football game and were tied 7-7. The crowd was on its feet, and our rivals, the Jackets, were on the offensive attack. I should be focusing on the players speeding across the turf like angry bee's in a bee hive after being knocked off a tree limb. Instead, I took aim at Justin, who was still benched. Yelling at the ref had earned him two minutes on the metal bench, forcing him to wait.

The crowd grew primeval, but I as more interested in getting a closer look at Justin's gorgeous face through my zoom lens. I didn't care about the game itself, obviously.
"Now's your chance Justin, annihilate them!" says someone standing a few rows behind me.
Justin was back on the field with eight seconds left on the clock. I gazed at him through my lens, stalker like. Justin was taller than most boys at our school, with brown shaggy hair that fell before his hazel eyes in a charming fashion.
-Of course, you can't tell this through his armor of shin guards, helmet, and shoulder pads.
One of our star players, Zeke Prescott, grabbed my attention having just recovered the football. He threw it with a forceful sling across the field to a waiting Justin, who sprinted towards the touchdown.
The cheerleaders chant "S-C-ORE, Score! Score!", the band plays the fight song, and the school song, signaling it's the end of the game.
At the same time, within a click of a button, I caught Justin in his moment of triumph, his fist pumping into the air, just before his team dog piles on him.
As our side erupted in cheers, I threaded myself over to Lydia.
"Talk about a nail biter! This game's going to be on the front page! Dream boy will be ever great full of your pics!"
I headed gingerly to the turf to where the team had convened for the typical self-congratulatory ritual high fives, back slaps, bro hugs, and reruns on snapchat. Justin was at the center of it all with Zeke, the senior team captain. My flair for Photography made it easier to snap a few more pictures of the sweaty victors.
"Nice game Panthers! We may go to state this year if you guys keep this up!"
"Thanks. Practice has payed off hasn't it?"
"Yeah! Way to hustle JJ".
A chill traveled down my spine, and I realized that Justin's girlfriend Lele Sparks, a cheerleader as well as the most popular girl in school, and Kristy White, her loyal henchwoman, right behind me squealing.
"Did you get what you're looking for?"
"What?"
"Did you get any good shots of him?"
"Yeah actually I did, I even got some of the tea-"
"I bet you did."
Lele motioned her hand as if she were swatting away a fly, my apparent cue to step aside. I tried to do so without turning around and snap her neck, but luckily for her, I didn't. She brushes past me and literally jumps into Justin's arms, clutching onto him as if he were Romeo, soon to be banished from Verona. You'd think they'd haven't seen each other in months, when in reality, it's probably only been two measly hours since their last make out session.
As the team headed off the turf towards the locker room, I clumsily made my way back to my spot I was standing moments ago. Fifteen minutes later, as I was packing my camera equipment, I sensed someone looming over me. I looked up to see Sean, our school sports reporter, smiling down on me with complete and utter adoration on his shiny face. It was probably the only time I'd seen him from this vantage point since he stood all of his six foot three inches and towered over me.
No matter how many times I rejected his romantic gestures, he seemed absolutely certain that someday soon I'd throw myself into his arms as the dramatic, sappy music from some dramatic, sappy movie.
The worst part of the situation was that his chasing after girls just to be with someone, and dandruff aside, Sean had a good heart. I felt bad for not accepting his passion- after all, "Beauty is more than skin deep philosophy".
Said no one ever.
Not even my pinky would or could dredge up the 'romantic' interest in the guy.
"Hey Sean, I was just on my way to-" I stood up, peering around for the nearest exit and thinking for the best way to pull the plug in this conversation as quickly as possible.
"Allie, I really need to talk to you about something. Adding dramatically, "it's important".
Oh no! I quickly did a mental thumb through of all of the excuses I could think of, but my social excuses weren't coming to mind.
"Can we talk later? I have to develop this film." I say whilst it's hanging from the strap that's securely hung around my neck. I tug my beanie lower due to the cold weather.
"Still living in the dark ages Allie?" He asks referring to my Dad's old camera instead of the digital's employed by everyone else in the world. I loved the challenge of a 35 mm camera. Granted, it took more effort due to my having to develop the film in the dark room , but my mind was made up and convinced that the results were worth it.
"I'm sorry Sean, but if you want to talk to me you have like two minutes, try to hurry please".
"Will you go to prom with me?"
I told you, he keeps asking me to be his girlfriend, or asking me to prom.
"Sean, I can't go to prom with you. I am not even sure if I am going anyways".
I walk out the gate exit, nodding at the ticket booth lady as I leave. It's freezing outside, I can see my breath condensing in front of my face as I continued past the School's parking lot onto the School's sidewalk.
"Hey Beanpole, wait up!"
My pulse sped up with excitement. My sense of fashion for beanies and my skinny figure earned me the nickname 'Beanpole' in middle school. Not exactly your typical endearment but to me, it was music to my ears.
"Nice game JJ!" I said turning back to see Justin jogging to me.
Geez, this guy really is athletic! If I were him, I'd be on the concrete gasping for air; I'm not athletic. I seriously don't know how I'm so skinny, I eat like there's no tomorrow.
I pat my camera that slid from the front to my side, "A true Kodak moment if there is one".
"I hope you got my good side!"
As if he had a bad side!
"So where are you off to?"
"The dark room, I have to develop tonight's film."
"Don't they lock the art room for safety precautions? You know, that way someone doesn't steal the art equipment and Camera gear?"
"No, Mr.Reeves believes that 'Creativity cannot be confined to the hours between 8Am to 3pm. School hours."
"Oh yeah, I should know, I was in art before. But then again, you've heard stories about my old man, he doesn't want me in a class unless it helps me with football or my core classes."
"Does your Dad think you're going to cut an arm off or something? It's just an art class".
"It's complicated."
Believe me when I tell you this, I know complicated. During the summer, prior to freshman year, we hung out every day. The more I got to know him, the more I liked him.
"It's cold out here."
Wuss.
We stand there for what seems like forever until I turn in my heel and take a picture of the light gray clouds overcasting the bright moon, casting a fluorescent, breathtaking moonlight that I just had to take a picture of.
Click. Click. Click.
"Sorry, I had to take that. I loved the appealing look it had to me".
Justin looks at the ground smiling, allowing the one dimple to appear.
"Well, I have to go develop this film. I only have tonight to do it, so I better make sure it gets done".
"Can I go with you?"
Wow, he just asked if he could come with me instead of walking away, surprise, surprise.
"It's kind of a laborious process. Besides I'm sure you don't want to stay and watch me take off a couple film slides and soak them in transparent solution".
"I don't mind, really".
"Suit yourself".
According to Justin's point of view, as well as mine, he's never dissed me in school. I mean, he doesn't always say hi but he occasionally gives me a high five in the hallways or a "Hey Beanpole!"
Sometimes it gets on my nerves. It's not his fault, when his girlfriend Lele's around, she makes sure he doesn't talk to me. Look at me, I'm no threat to her designer clothes and runway makeup critique so there's no need to be jealous of me. Even if I had the guts to, I wouldn't tell Justin about my 'beef' with her, who does that anyways?
We made our way in silence to the front entrance of the school, that housed the art room/ dark room to the left of the cafeteria. I walk inside and turn on the light to its highest setting.
"I love to come in here around this time, it's so quiet. To me, it's the best time to focus without interruptions."
"So how's this so, comforting?" Justin says, staring at all the loose strands of film hanging from alligator clips.
"You'll see". I flip off the light and turn on the red lamp. This way I can somewhat see what I'm doing without exposing the harsh light to the pictures and ruining them.
"Actually, I can't see anything."
"Just blink a couple times, your eyes will adjust to the room. What I'm doing is transferring the film to a developing reel". I take apart my old school camera and I carefully wound the strip around a spool.
"But how can you do that when it's completely dark?"
"I've done this so many times before it just comes natural. Kind of like when your coach wants you to throw a ball a certain way, muscle memory I think. You keep doing it over and over again until you finally get it. It's ironic because muscles don't have a way to remember anything. That was completely irrelevant".
"You know, it's cool that you have something you're into."
"What do you mean? You have football."
"Not exactly. That's my dad who likes it. I guess I just do it to make him happy, and he thinks I'm good enough to get a scholarship".
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring that up."
"Oh, it's okay. No harm done. So what's your favorite hobby? Besides Photography?"
"Nothing. I don't do anything other than this. Mainly because I like to hide behind a camera and be anti social. I'm an unusual teenager if you ask me".
"Unusual is cool, Usual is overrated anyways".
I turn on the light, I probably should've given Justin the head up because when I look at him he's blinking aggressively.
"Sorry! I probably should have given you a warning".
"It's okay. Wow! It took a whole 35 minutes for you to do what you just did."
"Hey, I told you it was tedious."
"Do you want to celebrate the game tonight at Denny's. The staff, Cheerleaders, and the team will be there?"
"Um, I'm okay. Thanks for asking." I yawn, making myself appear to be tired.
"Okay, well goodnight Beanpole."
"Goodnight Justin".
I clean up my workspace and leave after shutting off all the lights.
I can't believe that I turned down Justin's offer to go to Denny's tonight and I turned down Sean's proposal to go to prom with him. I obviously like Justin. So why didn't I say yes? I'm such a hot mess..
Authors Note: Hey, my names Meagan and I am so excited to write this story for you guys. It's not something I usually do because it's not a fanfic but I just wanted to try something different. Different's good right? Well I'm glad you guys are taking the time to read this, it means a lot. Pm me what you think.
Word count: 2,192
Published: 2/12/17
Last edited: 2/13/17