School Picture Day

The heat of the sweaty gym hall makes my hair damp from the droplets that fall from my forehead. A cold bench sits beneath me as the bright yellow lights illuminate me and the terrible blue backdrop. The light chatter of my school friends submerges me in sheet of anxiousness as Iím eagerly waiting for this moment to be over.  My senseless brother puts his awkward arm on me and I avoid eye contact with the lens that is pointed directly at our faces. I donít like school photos, itís the same year after year, do we ever grow out of this? Is this a painful ritual that happens over and over? He takes our picture, but Iím not smiling. 

I don't like being told what to do, the faint speech of the camera man echoes in my ears and infuriates me as he tells me to smile and gets ready to take the photograph again. I give my best forced smile.