Chapter 18: Photo Booth

After the time was finally up for the kids, Sandy went to the gate to welcome the kids back, leaving me alone on the railing for a second. I needed some time to build up my mind to deal with Gia again. Sandy started talking to Rom and Danny mainly when they got off, and I after I took a breather, I walked up to them and told them, "Well, I'm glad we're all broke now. You guys have fun?"

Gia was the first one to speak up like usual saying, "Yep, thanks to you staying away from us most of the day."

"I'm glad I could be of service to you." I retorted sarcastically.

Danny held out a thumbs up in my face, breaking the icy glare I was giving to Gia, "Yep, this was your best idea you've ever had to be honest. I can't believe you even suggested this!"

Annoyed by the responses, I objected to the ridicule between the two lovebirds', "What the hell is up with all these backhanded comments?"

My question was partly rhetorical. I knew that these two weren't particular overjoyed at the trip since I interrupted them in an um… intimate moment, but the comments are still not appreciated.

Rom came in finally and saved my self-esteem for the arcade idea by giving me a fist pump and a cute huff of approval. Communicating all she needed to, I took the praise without the insult in stride, "Thank you Rom! At least someone appreciates me around here."

"And what about me?" Sandy asked in protest.

"I was talking to the kids. Well, is everyone ready to go?"

"Nooooo!!" I winced at the scream. Sandy put her hand over her ear closest to the yell, and the entire arcade seemed to fall silent from the yell.

"Ah! Sorry!" Gia quickly apologized to the arcade out of embarrassment.

"And why," I inquired harshly. "Did you decide to blow everyone's eardrums out?"

Still feeling a bit embarrassed from everyone in the arcade suddenly looking at her, Gia meekly responded to me, "B-because we have to go to a photobooth."

I was honestly shocked that Gia became so embarrassed. It threw me off a bit as well, and I didn't retort back with the usual dry remarks I save for Gia. "W-well I don't have anymore money, so I'm sorry, but we can't."

I also just wanted to get back home. This was enough social interaction for the day, and while I enjoyed my time with Sandy, the constant noise pollution from the yelling around us was getting to me.

"I can pay for it!" Sandy chimed in, to my dismay.

Gia immediately took the opportunity and ran with it, "See?! C'mon lets goo!"

"Fine…" I sighed defeatedly. It shouldn't take that long anyway.

Gia quickly grabbed Rom and Danny and ran to the two photobooths in the corner of the arcade by the entrance. Sandy and I started to meander over there ourselves when she told me, "Sorry about that."

Puzzled at the apology, "What are you apologizing for?"

"Well, I know you wanted to leave, and I kinda just delayed that from happening. I just wanted to do the photobooth with Gia, you know? A classic bonding experience…" She explained.

"It's fine," I assured her. "I can handle it if it's just this much."

"You sure?"

"Yeah! I promise haha! You don't need to worry about it!" She really does worry about others too much. It's okay to be selfish sometimes.

"Sandyyyy…" Gia pleaded. "C'mon!!!"

"Coming!" She told her before giving me a quick sorry to run ahead to the trio.

I watched as Sandy bounded happily over to them. I decided to stop and give them a little space since she wanted to go into the photobooth with Gia and them. I didn't want to be in the middle of them during that. I saw Sandy hand the couple of bills to Gia. After that, a conversation happened. I was too far away to really hear what was said, but I know that the life in Sandy's eyes completely drained after the conversation ended. She looked exactly how she looked when Rom and I got back to my house.

I quickly restarted my journey to the booth to see what I missed. Gia excitedly put the money into the booth and yoinked Danny inside by his hand. I arrived at the set of booths and asked Sandy and Rom, "What happened?"

Sandy didn't respond. She just looked despondent, so it was up to Rom to explain the situation to me. She told me in her usual quiet voice, "Um… So Gia and Danny are going to take the first couple of pictures together, and then they're going to bring me in for the last few…"

"So, Sandy won't be going in at all?" I asked aghast at the audacity of that girl.

Rom nodded glumly in confirmation. Sandy must've guessed what I was about to say because she already started to try and diminish her feelings, "Mark it's really not that big of a…"

"That little bitch," I whispered maliciously. "You pay for the booth, yet she still doesn't have the decency to allow you to take part in the thing you paid for."

I moved toward the curtain separating the inside of the booth from the outside. "Markkk don'ttttt!" Sandy implored me as she and Rom grabbed my right hand to stop me, but I was already at the curtain. I ripped the curtain open with my free hand expecting to see Gia and Danny as flustered as they were when I opened his door, but Gia instead was inches from face. Sure, she was kind of surprised, but that quickly subsided to indifference as she continued through me saying, "Great timing! Rom it's time! Let's go!"

She yanked Rom off of my hand and headed back into the booth with a quick, "Thanks Mark!"

"Wha—" I looked back at Sandy whose eyes were just as wide as mine, and I whipped back around to the curtain. "Ooooo if Rom wasn't in there…" I lamented to myself.

I'm not going to bother an innocent like Rom for another's unmitigated gall. I tightened the grip of my hand over Sandy's to make sure she wouldn't let go and started walking with her in tow.

"Woah! Mark, where are we going?" She exclaimed.

I pulled us to the second photobooth directly across from the first one, and I said, "We are going into the photobooth!"

"B-but-!"

"No buts!" I told her as I started to bring out my wallet from my pocket.

"I thought you didn't have anymore money?" She inquired to which I explained, "That was just because I wanted to leave and not give Gia anymore money for reasons made apparent."

I started to put a couple of bills into the booth, and Sandy asked me teasingly, "You just wanted to go into the photobooth with me, didn't you?"

I shot up and turned around. I was so worked up over Gia that I didn't realize I suggested something embarrassing. "No-! I mean yes but—I didn't do this because I meant to. You can go without me if yo—"

"Relax…" She put her finger up to my lips and winked at me. "I was just teasing you."

She was then the one that pulled me inside the booth. It was really dark aside from the large screen in front of us and the smaller touchscreen below that to control filters it looks like. It didn't look like it from the outside, but being inside of it, it is kind of cramped. There really isn't that much breathing room for either of us, so we were forced to be closer than usual.

"S-sooo… How does this work?" I asked looking at the screen curiously.

She raised her eyebrow with a smirk. "You wanted to go in the photobooth, but you don't know how it works?"

"Surprised that someone as social as I am hasn't been in one before?"

"Pffft shut up and get closer!" She laughed as she pulled me down to where my cheek was brushing against her hair. "Y-you have to get close, or you won't be in view with me." She nervously explained.

I was too flustered to question it. I was just trying to not look like a nervous idiot in the pictures that were to come. I looked at myself on the big screen as Sandy was messing with the touchscreen to make sure of that, but aside from seeing the filters and prompts quickly changing, I also saw Sandy's face. With a beet red face, she looked just as flustered as me. She must've seen me looking at her with widened eyes on the smaller screen because she quickly elbowed me saying, "Hey! Get ready, it's about to start!"

"Ah!" I cried out in exaggerated pain and doubled over moreso from the surprise of being hit in the stomach than anything. As I was doubled over, I caught a glimpse of what she was doing on the small touchscreen, and I saw that her fingers were shaking. "She really was nervous, huh?" I thought to myself in amazement.

I picked myself back up a bit and glanced at her face again. This time I didn't use the screen and just turned my head to see her face totally focused in on the touchscreen. "She really wants these photos to be good…" I smirked to myself.

Her focused face was undeterred by the strands of loose hair falling down over her eyes. She was so cute. "Alrighttt!" She suddenly exclaimed as she suddenly completely changed her mood.

She pulled me back down closer to her face once more and started to move those loose strands of raven black hair out of her face. "Okay," she told me. "It's about to start, so just do what I do and what the screen says okay?"

I felt her chest bury into my right arm, and I was about to malfunction. The only thing I could say in response was, "Yep!"

"Hey!" She said to me, grabbing my face and turning it toward her, "For real, just do what the screen says and what I do okay."

Ahh… She's really serious about this. I widened my eyes from suddenly seeing her serious, and that look she gave me strengthened my resolve ten times over. My mind became void aside from the goal to do what the screen says and what Sandy did.

3…

The countdown began on the large screen in front of us.

2…

I wonder how many pictures there will be? Should be like five, right?

1…

Okay, Mark. Five pictures. Keep it together for five pictures for her!

Starting!