Chapter 8

"Um... hi?" I finally said something to Tyler, frowning up at him.

Why was he here? How did he even manage to find out about my date?

My eyes narrowed in thought. Trent.

He smirked, his grip around my waist not loosening. "Well, well, well, Lauren, stalking me to the movie theater, huh?"

My jaw dropped. Oh. So maybe he wasn't here because he knew about my date with Brandon. "No I'm not!" I exclaimed.

He raised an eyebrow, "Then what are you doing here, smallfry?"

"First of all, do not call me smallfry! Second of all, I'm on a date, you arrogant asshole!"

His eyes narrowed. "With who?"

"Brandon. Why?"

He shrugged. "No reason, let's do this," he said, tugging my hand and leading me to the photo booth we were standing by.

I shook my head. "I have to get back to my movie."

He smirked. "Really? From what I saw, you were in no rush to get back to your precious Brandon, so come on."

I sighed. I really didn't want to go back to the movie, which definitely had a good 40 minutes left. I figured a few more minutes couldn't hurt. He laughed while I glared at him, enjoying the fact that I gave in.

I slid in the booth next to him. He shoved three crumpled up bills into the machine, immediately tapping the screen to scroll through the different themes. I vaguely wondered if he did this with girls he normally brought to the movies. He stopped in one that had pink hearts and said "soulmates".

He looked at me. I glared. "Ha ha, no. We are not dating. Hell, we aren't even friends!"

He faked a sad expression, "I thought you were my best friend, Lauren."

I shook my head and laughed. I kept going through the themes, soon picking the one that I wanted. I smiled smugly at Tyler.

He groaned. "Ducks? Really?"

I laughed and nodded. The countless number of tiny animals surrounding the phrase "just ducky" was actually pretty cute.

The machine lady started counting down from three before snapping the picture with an audible camera click. We did that four times, and I couldn't help laughing.

Afterwards we stood outside the booth, waiting for the photos to print.

An old lady was leaning on the wall across from us. "You two are an adorable couple," she said, smiling at us.

I started to say that there was no way in hell we would ever be a couple, but Tyler cut me off. He grinned widely. "Thank you."

I glared at him and elbowed him in the side. He just smiled even bigger.

I sighed and grabbed the photos that were finished printing. I smiled at them. In the first one, we were both smiling widely. I loved how perfect my teeth looked, well deserved after I had bared the teeth prison of braces for all of middle school.

In the second one, we both had our tongues sticking out. I looked certifiably insane with my eyes crossed and my dimples showing, while Tyler, even doing the same facial expression as me, still looked sexy as hell.

The third one made me blush just looking at. Tyler was kissing my cheek while my eyes were wide, my jaw dropped open, because he had done that completely unexpectedly.

In the last one I was glaring at him while he was laughing hard. "This is priceless," Tyler muttered, laughing quietly.

I punched him in the arm. "Shut up!"

There were two copies of the strip, so we each took one. I gave Tyler a parting glare, walking to go back to the movie.

"Goodbye to you too, smallfy!"

I flipped him off, looking back at him once last time before rounding the corner away from him.

...

"What's this?" Audrey asked in alarm, snatching the photo strip of me and Tyler from friday night out of my purse. Dammit, I forgot to take it out of my purse after I got home that night!

It was now Tuesday at lunchtime, and Audrey took the strip slapping it on the table for all of our friends to see.

Before someone else could grab it, I shoved it back in my purse. I avoided the entire table's stares.

"Did-did you guys, like, do anything together?" Audrey stuttered.

It took a second to understand the meaning of her words, and then my already red face deepened a shade. "What?! Audrey, no! I hate him, remember?"

"Then why did you take pictures together?"

"He, like, basically forced me! I was on my date with Brandon!"

"Hmm, you're definitely going to tell me more about this later," she whispered, excitement on her face. I groaned.

"Anyway, how did that date go?" She asked.

"Not well...I only want to be friends, but he doesn't get that. We didn't kiss, though."

"Why not? He's so cute, you should just date him. I mean, what have you got to lose?"

"I just don't feel that way, Audrey," I mumbled, picking at my disgusting salad.

She laughed carelessly, curling a finger around a chunk of her blonde hair. "Your loss."

"Um... hi?" I finally said something to Tyler, frowning up at him.

Why was he here? How did he even manage to find out about my date?

My eyes narrowed in thought. Trent.

He smirked, his grip around my waist not loosening. "Well, well, well, Lauren, stalking me to the movie theater, huh?"

My jaw dropped. Oh. So maybe he wasn't here because he knew about my date with Brandon. "No I'm not!" I exclaimed.

He raised an eyebrow, "Then what are you doing here, smallfry?"

"First of all, do not call me smallfry! Second of all, I'm on a date, you arrogant asshole!"

His eyes narrowed. "With who?"

"Brandon. Why?"

He shrugged. "No reason, let's do this," he said, tugging my hand and leading me to the photo booth we were standing by.

I shook my head. "I have to get back to my movie."

He smirked. "Really? From what I saw, you were in no rush to get back to your precious Brandon, so come on."

I sighed. I really didn't want to go back to the movie, which definitely had a good 40 minutes left. I figured a few more minutes couldn't hurt. He laughed while I glared at him, enjoying the fact that I gave in.

I slid in the booth next to him. He shoved three crumpled up bills into the machine, immediately tapping the screen to scroll through the different themes. I vaguely wondered if he did this with girls he normally brought to the movies. He stopped in one that had pink hearts and said "soulmates".

He looked at me. I glared. "Ha ha, no. We are not dating. Hell, we aren't even friends!"

He faked a sad expression, "I thought you were my best friend, Lauren."

I shook my head and laughed. I kept going through the themes, soon picking the one that I wanted. I smiled smugly at Tyler.

He groaned. "Ducks? Really?"

I laughed and nodded. The countless number of tiny animals surrounding the phrase "just ducky" was actually pretty cute.

The machine lady started counting down from three before snapping the picture with an audible camera click. We did that four times, and I couldn't help laughing.

Afterwards we stood outside the booth, waiting for the photos to print.

An old lady was leaning on the wall across from us. "You two are an adorable couple," she said, smiling at us.

I started to say that there was no way in hell we would ever be a couple, but Tyler cut me off. He grinned widely. "Thank you."

I glared at him and elbowed him in the side. He just smiled even bigger.

I sighed and grabbed the photos that were finished printing. I smiled at them. In the first one, we were both smiling widely. I loved how perfect my teeth looked, well deserved after I had bared the teeth prison of braces for all of middle school.

In the second one, we both had our tongues sticking out. I looked certifiably insane with my eyes crossed and my dimples showing, while Tyler, even doing the same facial expression as me, still looked sexy as hell.

The third one made me blush just looking at. Tyler was kissing my cheek while my eyes were wide, my jaw dropped open, because he had done that completely unexpectedly.

In the last one I was glaring at him while he was laughing hard. "This is priceless," Tyler muttered, laughing quietly.

I punched him in the arm. "Shut up!"

There were two copies of the strip, so we each took one. I gave Tyler a parting glare, walking to go back to the movie.

"Goodbye to you too, smallfy!"

I flipped him off, looking back at him once last time before rounding the corner away from him.

...

"What's this?" Audrey asked in alarm, snatching the photo strip of me and Tyler from friday night out of my purse. Dammit, I forgot to take it out of my purse after I got home that night!

It was now Tuesday at lunchtime, and Audrey took the strip slapping it on the table for all of our friends to see.

Before someone else could grab it, I shoved it back in my purse. I avoided the entire table's stares.

"Did-did you guys, like, do anything together?" Audrey stuttered.

It took a second to understand the meaning of her words, and then my already red face deepened a shade. "What?! Audrey, no! I hate him, remember?"

"Then why did you take pictures together?"

"He, like, basically forced me! I was on my date with Brandon!"

"Hmm, you're definitely going to tell me more about this later," she whispered, excitement on her face. I groaned.

"Anyway, how did that date go?" She asked.

"Not well...I only want to be friends, but he doesn't get that. We didn't kiss, though."

"Why not? He's so cute, you should just date him. I mean, what have you got to lose?"

"I just don't feel that way, Audrey," I mumbled, picking at my disgusting salad.

She laughed carelessly, curling a finger around a chunk of her blonde hair. "Your loss."