Behind the Camera [h.s.]

[One]

Kids play various of games as they run across the field. Laughter and screams fill the air. Green grass is spread all over the park, and stray flowers grow in the dirt in small, random patches. The smell of spring lingers in the air, as well as a touch of sweat. People run with dogs by their side. Mothers stroll infants in strollers, and watch their kids from a safe distance. People chat as they sit by near benches.

Jenna inhales deeply, admiring the park in all of its glory. She always liked this time of the year, it was pleasant and it wasn't as harsh as the Winter or as blazing as Summer. It was just right. Too bad it has to end in less than two months, she thought.

She smiled as her eyes set on a dog who ran after a frisbee, caught it mid-air with his mouth, and trotted back to his owner.

Her hand flew to her camera that hung from her neck. she brought it up to her eyes and waited for the dog to jump in the air again and catch the Frisbee in his mouth.

Snap. Whirr.

She looked back on it and she snapped it perfectly.

She glanced around to find another little scene. She watched a couple who snuggled into each other and she lifted her camera back up. The couple kissed.

Snap. Whirr.

She slouched as she rolled her neck down to take a look at the photo. She smiled at the cute couple.

"Can I see that?" a deep, accented voice asked her, and if she wouldn't have had the strap of the camera around her neck, it would have fallen and broken. That wouldn't have turn out so great.

She twisted her neck to meet a green, sparkling gaze.

"May I," he said, gesturing toward her camera.

Her grip tightened on it protectively. She gulped and held it where he could see it.

His eyes swept over the screen. "Nice," he praised.

"Thanks," she mumbled, a small smile gracing her lips.

She turned her attention toward a bird soaring through the sky. She snapped a picture as it spread its wings, then it slowly lost altitude and landed on the floor, pecking something at the ground.

She felt eyes on her and turned to see the same boy slouched with his hands tucked into his pockets, squinting against the sun's light. His curls fell messily over his ears, and he wore a scarf, though Jenna wondered why. It wasn't anywhere near cold.

"It's nice out here, isn't it?" He asks.

"Yeah," she replies. "It is."

She waited for him to say something else, but he didn't. He just stared back at her. She flushed and turned away before he could see the pink in her cheeks. She held up her camera and snapped a photo of nothing in particular. She just didn't want to be in that awkward situation.

She turned back and he was gone.

Jenna furrowed her brows. He couldn't have disappeared that fast. And worse, he hadn't even said goodbye. She also didn't know his name, which didn't really matter because who was she kidding, she would probably never see him again. But it would be nice to know who he was, she thought.

She pushed herself off the bench, slung her bag over her shoulder and started her way to her house.

She occasionally would go to the park because it had a beautiful scenery and, honestly, she had nothing better to do, but she enjoyed visiting the park. It was better than staying at home anyway, nobody was usually there, besides her brother. He's a lot more closed off than she is, but at least she tries to talk and have conversations, while her brother hardly ever talked. It was rare for her to hear his voice, so when she did it almost put a sort of excitement in the pit of her stomach.

She stumbled into the house and didn't bother to announce that she was home. Her parents didn't get home till later on tonight and her brother had his music blasting upstairs, so there was no need.

She ran upstairs to her bedroom and shut the door. She dropped her bag onto the floor and hurried over to her desk to grab her laptop. She booted it up. As she waited, she looked over the previous photos she had token before the curly-haired boy showed up.

She plugged in the USB cord to the laptop and then plugged the other end into her camera. A window popped up asking what she wanted to do with the camera. She moved the cursor along the screen and clicked the 'Import Pictures' tab. She selected several photos then clicked 'Done' when she finished.

The pictures were being imported when a soft knock was heard at her door. She stood up and made her way toward the door, opening it and revealing her brother.

"Um, mom told me to tell you that she wanted you to do dishes tonight." His tone was hushed and this was just as awkward for her as it was for him.

"Okay," she mumbled. Jenna wasn't really the type to speak out loud.

He nodded once and left, but she had wished for him to ask if he could come in or something. She waved the thought away because it was useless to think such things. Not after everything that they have been through.

-

"Could you pass the me the gravy, Jenny?" Jenna's mother asked.

She hated that nickname, but she didn't let it show and passed her the gravy.

"Jenna, I heard you went to the park after school," Her mother said casually. "How was it?"

"Fine," she replied simply.

"See anything interesting?"

"Nope, mostly Americans," she joked, but she knew only she had gotten the joke because she was the only who had met the boy with curly hair and an accent, therefore she had to suppress her laugh. It wasn't even that funny, she thought.

Her mother looked at her skeptically. "That's nice."

Jenna nodded.

"And what about you, Dean?" Her mom asked Jenna's brother. "Did anything today?"

"No," he said a little too fast and all of their heads- Jenna's, her mother's, and her grandfather's (Ben)- snapped toward him.

"Dean?" his mother questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing, mom, I did nothing." He came off as annoyed and everyone averted their gazes. It was rare to hear him talk, but it was even more rare to see him angry.

Once Jenna finished, she stood up and grabbed her plate.

"Ah-ah-ah," her mother called her when she was by the dining room door. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To my room," she said. It sounded more like a question, though because she didn't know what she had done.

"You have dishes to do," her mother said, gesturing to the dirty plates settled on the table. Jenna saw the smirk on Dean's face, and she avoided glaring at him.

Jenna sighed, but picked up the dishes anyway. She turned the faucet on and squeezed soap onto a sponge, then dish by dish she scrubbed them. She rinsed the plates and quickly put them away. She was finally done and headed to her room where she prepared a tank-top and some shorts to sleep in.

She hopped into the shower and shortly after dressed into her clothes.

As she slipped into bed her thoughts wandered to the curly-haired boy with green eyes. She noticed he wasn't that old, and might even go to her school. She found herself wishing he did, but she wasn't sure why. Did she think he was cute?

That's ridiculous, she thought.

But was it? It's not like she had some sort of crush on him. She didn't even know his name.