A/N: Prompt #2 for La Paige's challenge: "Lovers". So basically I started out with one concept in mind and I ended up only slightly off track, lol. Enjoy!
Polaroid
By angellwings
Prompt #2:
lov·er(s)
–noun
1.
a person who is in love with another.
Shane searched his bunk for his camera. He couldn't find it. He knew he packed it. He told Mitchie he would. But no matter what bags he checked he just couldn't find his Polaroid camera. He found the extra film he brought with him, but not the camera. He glanced over at Jason and Nate's beds suspiciously.
He would bet anything that one of them took it. They often ran off with his camera during a tour. Jason was fond of wasting Shane's film on random things like trashcans and restroom signs. Nate would never take any pictures. He'd just hide the camera so Shane couldn't take any pictures. It was very annoying.
Shane stomped out of the cabin and headed toward the Junior Rockers craft room in search of Jason. He glared at his older brother's curly head.
"Where's my camera, dude?"
"I don't have your camera," Jason said as he quirked an eyebrow at Shane.
"You have to have it. It's either you or Nate."
"Well, it's not me so it's gotta be Nate. Plus, I'm in the middle of a class, dude," Jason told him with a shake of his head. "Even if I did have it I couldn't get it to you right now. But again I don't have it."
Shane huffed. "You really don't have it?"
"No, man, I don't. Go find Nate."
Shane shook his head and left the craft room and tried to figure out where Nate would be right about now. His drum classes were over so he wouldn't be in the drum cabin. He had no reason to be at Camp Star this summer. Nate and Dana had broken up not long after they all left camp.
Shane headed toward the lake. It was possible that he was there working on a song or something. On his way toward the pier Shane passed Ella's costuming class having class outside. She was talking about color schemes and what colors worked best together. He smiled and waved as he passed her. Out of the corner of his eye he saw movement in the woods not far from where Ella sat with her class. Shane's eyes narrowed on the spot the movement had come from.
He darted into the trees and just barely caught Nate as he was leaving.
"Nate, I've been looking for you! What are you doing in the woods?" Shane asked with a furrowed brow.
"I—I, um, you know just walking the nature trails."
Nate looked nervous and jumpy. He was lying. Shane spotted his camera in Nate's hand and grabbed it quickly. "I knew you'd have my camera. Dude, not cool. You were trying to hide it weren't you? Hiding it outdoors is low, Nate. You could ruin it!"
"Yep, that's exactly what I was doing. Hiding it outside. You caught me. I'm just gonna go now."
Shane glared at his younger brother. That was too easy. Something was up. Then Shane noticed the pictures in Nate's other hand. He smirked at his brother. "What did you take picture of, Nate?"
Nate put his hand that was holding the pictures behind his back. "Oh, just some trees, and, um…a couple of leaves."
"Oh yeah? Then you won't mind letting me take a look at them? I mean you did use my film after all," Shane said as he held out his hand expectantly.
Shane blinked and then suddenly Nate was gone. He heard yelps from behind him as Nate ran through the middle of Ella's class. He called out an apology as he ran, and Shane took off after him.
"You're not getting away that easy, bro!"
Shane chased him through camp. He'd forgotten how fast Nate was. They'd run through several classes and empty cabins before they made it to the administration building where Brown's office was. They'd nearly reached the door to the building when a loud voice stopped them.
"OY! WHAT'S GOING ON!"
Both of the boys froze and turned to find Brown glaring at them. Nate and Shane both doubled over to catch their breath.
"He—He took…my camera…and took some…pictures, but he won't…show them to me," Shane said in between labored breaths. Brown rolled his eyes and snatched the pictures out of Nate's hand. Nate's eyes widened and he protested loudly.
A slow smile came over Brown's face and he chuckled. "Oh, I see."
Much to Shane's disappointment Brown handed the pictures back to Nate.
"Get over it, Shane. You don't need to see them," Brown told him. Then he turned to Nate. "And you need to buy Shane more film to make up for what you've used. Understood?"
Nate nodded. "Yes, sir."
"And Nate?" Brown added.
"Yes?"
"Just tell the girl you like her."
Shane's eyebrows flew upward. "Girl? What girl? Dude, were you taking creeper photos of a girl? Oh, you are so not living that down."
Nate's jaw clenched and he glared at Shane. "Shut up."
"I can not wait to tell Jason. Who was it? Who'd you take pictures of?"
Nate rolled his eyes. "Do you really think I'm going to tell you?"
"C'mon, man! I won't tell! I promise!"
Nate shook his head. "I don't believe you."
Shane crossed his arms over his chest and pouted as Nate passed him. Something fluttered to the ground behind Nate and Shane smirked. It was one of the photos. Shane swiftly picked it up and glanced at it. He smirked.
Ella. Nate had been taking creeper photos of Ella. Oh this was good. Shane slipped the picture into his pocket as the dinner bell began to ring. Both he and Nate silently headed toward the dining hall. Shane needed to think of a way to use this picture Nate had dropped.
One look at their usual table and Shane knew exactly what to do. Mitchie was sitting next to Ella. As Shane approached them he stealthily dropped the photo and then pretended to pick it up.
"Huh. Hey, Ella. I found this on the floor. I'm assuming it's yours," Shane said as he handed her the photo. Nate's eyes grew double their size before he glared at Shane. Ella took the photo and her brow furrowed.
"I've never seen this before," Ella said as she studied the picture. She smiled softly. "I like it though."
Mitchie leaned over to see it. She glanced between Ella and the photo. "You're wearing the same outfit. That's from today. It's a Polaroid picture too." Mitchie glanced suspiciously at Shane. "Did you take this?"
Shane grinned. "I can honestly say that I didn't take that."
Jason approached the table and turned to Shane. "Did you find your camera?"
Shane chuckled. This was too perfect. Jason didn't even know he had helped. "Yep, Nate had it."
"Oh yeah?" Jason asked. "Where did he try to hide it this—"
"Wait a second," Mitchie said suddenly. "Nate had the camera today?"
Nate's face turned very red and he slowly set his head down on the table. Shane tried not to laugh as a muffled "Yes" came from Nate.
Ella bit her bottom lip and smiled softly at his head. "You were taking pictures of me?"
Nate sighed and nodded without looking up.
"Nate, that's…"
Nate looked up at Ella and winced. "Creepy, I know."
"Well, yes, a little, but that's not what I was going to say. I was going to say sweet."
He gave her a small smile. "Really?"
She nodded. "It's a very good picture too. Thank you."
"Y—you're welcome," Nate said nervously. "But it's not exactly hard to take a good picture of you, El."
Mitchie smiled brightly at the couple. "Awww, you two are so cute! Oh my goodness. So adorable."
"Who's adorable?" Caitlyn asked as she sat down next to Jason.
Nate groaned and Ella blushed, but Mitchie continued anyway. "Nate and Ella."
"Why?" Caitlyn asked as she looked around the table.
Nate closed his eyes and shook his head as he silently begged for this story to be dropped. Shane decided Nate had been humiliated enough.
"No reason, you know Mitchie, she just likes to gush," Shane answered. Before Mitchie could protest or Caitlyn could ask any further questions Ella spoke up.
"Nate?" Ella said softly. "Can we, um, talk?"
Nate immediately sat all the way up and gave her a terrified glance. "S-sure."
The group watched as Ella and Nate left the table and the dining hall before Caitlyn spoke up again. "Alright, what's going on? Did I miss something?"