Picture Perfect

Chapter 3

"Ben Gross asked for your help? Ben. Gross. Are you sure?" Devi was in the newspaper club. Alice had always thought that was a good thing. Devi was the kind of girl who had a lot of plans in her head. A lot of ideas. The problem was that sometimes, her ideas were not all that good. They were out there, but they weren't remarkable.

"Yes, Devi. Ben Gross. I have four eyes," Alice motioned to her face, directing Devi's attention to her glasses, "So I'm pretty sure I didn't mistake him for anyone else. It was Ben Gross." Devi made a sound of amusement before turning to Alice with confidence in her eyes, "You said no, right?"

Alice faltered, remembering the conversation they had by the lockers yesterday. "I mean, I didn't exactly say no..." Devi groaned, lulling her head back.

"Alice, you're better than that. He's just using you! I'm pretty sure he's doing it to spite me too," Devi prodded. As if convincing her own daughter not to go on a date with the cool jock. Ironic when Devi was all about Paxton Hall-Yoshida.

"It doesn't make me any less of a person to help someone out, Devi. Besides, we struck a deal. I'm getting a good return for this too," She felt as if she had to explain herself. A part of her felt like she was betraying the newspaper club and Devi wasn't really helping with that. "Oh, and here, the photos for this month's issue," She rummaged through her backpack, fishing out a white usb from somewhere in the depths, tossing it to Devi who caught it flawlessly and saluted her.

"Well, I'm off... Have something else to do," Alice slung her backpack on herself. Devi gave her a once over, "Like playing into the hands of the enemy," Devi whispered with mock-solemnity. Alice shot her a grin—she knew Devi was just playing, she found it amusing—before ambling towards the other side of the school.

It was after-school hours. A significant amount of students were missing. There wasn't the standard teenage couple kissing, pressed up against the lockers. The jocks repeatedly punching each other on the shoulders were nowhere to be found. Likewise to the wannabe influencers who were 24/7 on their phones.

It was peaceful. Just the occasional noise from a classroom being used for club meeting or practice.

Alice reached her destination. An oak door standing between her and the yearbook club. She was trying to keep the bubbling in her chest to a minimum, she wasn't very sure what was causing it. Before she could even touch the door, it had opened and revealed to her none other than the yearbook club president, or so she assumed.

Ben glanced at her, and then at his watch. "Bit earlier would've been great but since it's your first time, I'll let you off for today,"

Maybe Devi was right. Alice thought. Maybe this was a bad idea and maybe she WAS better than just getting verbally abused by someone she barely knew. He opened the door for her, stretching out one arm like a butler guiding a guest to their hotel room.

"Come on in and meet the team," declared Ben.

Alice silently took a deep breath as she took her first few steps forward into the room. She was running through her introduction in her head, trying to rehearse it again so as not to mess up when she was introducing herself to—an empty room.

She wasn't even able to utter a word in her confusion. No one was in there, except for him and her. She turned to Ben with a bewildered face that rivalled her Asian mom's face when she wondered how her daughter got a B on her elementary Math test.

Ben was not fazed at all and didn't miss a beat, "Nice to meet you, I'm Ben Gross. President and whole team of the yearbook club," he stuck his hand out, held his head high and regarded her with a sort of self-important look.