Picture Perfect

Chapter 4 Jack

I had to stay after school for newspaper. Mrs. Link called a newspaper crisis. I never really understood Mrs. Link. She always was worried about every little thing. She had to have everything perfect. "Ok newspaper team. I would like to introduce a new team member. Come on in hun." She called to the door. A short lean guy with black hair walked in. We all gasped. That guy was the new boy. Someone actually wanted to join the newspaper.
He waved a shy "hello" to us small group of girls. "Girls, this is Jack. He's a junior and is new to this school since the beginning of the quarter. I want you girls to be very nice to him." Mrs. Link said the word nice like we were to bite him like wild dogs or something. Jack just stood awkwardly in the doorway. "Come on in. We aren't like savages." Selina joked. Ironically us girls weren't afraid of a new boy on newspaper. We were desperate. Mrs. Link had a smile from ear to ear, trying to look as welcoming as can be.
Jack slowly walked in and sat down in one of the foldable chairs, right next to me. He didn't say anything for the entire meeting.
After Mrs. Link gave us some new ideas for our newspaper articles. Then she dismissed us. Once we got out out of the school Jack actually said something. "I'm sorry I didn't properly introduce myself," Jack said to me. "Hi, my name is Jack Jones, and I'm the new kid in school." After that he ran down toward a car.
Charlie screamed at me from my backpack. That picture girl really got on my nerves. I sighed and took the annoying picture out of my backpack. I stuck it in my fingers and Charlie seemed to be hyperventilating. "Finally you took me out of that stinky backpack of yours! Seriously what do you put in there? Your gym socks?" I rolled my eyes at the picture. "I'm starving, where can we eat?" Charlie demanded. "Hey, I thought you were supposed to be helping me get a boyfriend! I'm starting to feel like your mindless servant." I grumbled.

"Don't worry, a girls got to eat though! Now, what can we eat?" Charlie asked in a demanding tone. I felt like I was babysitting a toddler demanding food. "One question, how exactly can you eat?" Charlie rolled her eyes at me like I should know how a picture eats. "You just take a picture of some kind of food, then you put it next to my picture and I sort of pass through to the other picture." Charlie said the sentence with a tone like it was common knowledge.

"Oh, ok." I sort of agreed. I took an apple out of my lunch bag and take a picture of it with my polaroid camera I absolutely take everywhere. I took a picture of it and the picture slipped out smooth and easy. Charlie squeaked in excitement. I put the two pictures together. Charlie passed through the picture. She looked at the apple and started to eat it. "Thanks." She managed over a mouth full of juicy apple. "Wha-what did you just say?" I cuffed one of my hands over my ear like I didn't hear her right.

"I said," Charlie gulped down the apple. "Thanks." I smiled. "Gee the first time I've ever heard you say thank you." Charlie eyes me as if I were growing an extra head. "Hey, I'm nice at times. You've got to get to know a girl at times." I laughed. "Ok, I've met you a couple days ago and I haven't heard you appreciate my work." Charlie puts her hands on her animated hips. "Excuse me, I am a nice person!" I laugh. "Sure you are, since when was the last time you didn't yell at me for some stupid thing?"

Charlie thought for a moment. "Since just now." I finished. Charlie sighed. "Fine, I guess I'll stop yelling at you." I thanked her and stuck the two pictures back into my backpack. I didn't want to be noticed talking to a picture.