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Today was the day.
Picture Day!
Pink loved picture day.
The sun had barely begun to peek over the rooftops when she was already awake, humming happily as she bounced out of bed. Her excitement was far too much for Hazle, who let out a long, dramatic groan and buried her face deeper into her pillow.
Pink only giggled, skipping over to the wardrobe that took up nearly an entire wall of their room.
She pulled open the doors with a flourish.
Rows of perfectly pressed dresses hung beside fitted hot pink jackets, each one decorated with gleaming gold buttons. White and blush button-up blouses, each with a different ribbon bow for the collar, were arranged by shade, while layered skirts embroidered with tiny hearts filled the lower rails. Heart-shaped handbags sat neatly on the shelves beside matching bows, hair clips, and sparkling gold jewelry.
There were just so many choices.
How was she supposed to pick only one for the most important Picture Day of the year?
She pulled out a dress she'd been saving for a special occasion. The checkered fabric alternated between hot pink and light pink squares, each one embroidered with a tiny heart in the opposite color. It had a hot pink Peter Pan collar, puff sleeves finished with frilly cuffs, and a full, layered skirt that flared beautifully.
Pink smoothed the skirt flat before holding the dress up in front of herself, tilting her head as she studied her reflection in the mirror.
"Is this... too pink?" She asked her roommate, never taking her eyes off her reflection.
Hazel let out a sleepy groan.
"Isn't that, like, your whole thing?" She mumbled, turning her head just enough to answer without opening her eyes.
“Hmm, you’re right” She hangs the dress back up “Maybe...”
She pulls out a puffy pink skirt and holds it up in the mirror “...No”
“Urgh” Hazel groans pulling the sides of the pillow over her ears and rolling over to face the wall.
Pink had settled on the dress after all, pairing it with her favorite cropped hot pink jacket, the gold heart-shaped buttons gleaming in the morning sun that shined in from the window.
Matching pink pumps, click against the floor as she walked over to the window and pushed it open, letting fresh air and the melodic chirp of birds breeze in.
Like clockwork, a small yellow bird lands on the window still and chips up at Pink.
Reaching her hand out, it climbs on letting her lift it on her finger.
“Good morning buttercup, isn’t it the most wonderful day” She smiles and the bird chips back in agreement
“Please don’t tell me you’re talking to birds again, come on I’ve got to get to the cafeteria before the smees get into trouble”
“Oh, one second I’m almost done” She turns, letting the bird down and skipping over to her mirror,
fastening the last of her heart-shaped bracelets and giving herself one final approving smile in the mirror.
Pink had to take a quick detour while doing her hair, to finally drag Hazle from her bed.
But somehow the pair were only running a couple minutes late for breakfast, and then it would be picture time!
Grabbing her bag, she follows Hazel out and they head for the cafeteria.
The pair get their food and make their way to their regular table towards the back, Pink for once really does walk not wanting to risk spilling her breakfast on her dress.
Pink's face splits into a smile as she sees Max and the smees already sitting there.
“Good morning, Max” She smiles sitting across from him as hazel starts immediately scolding the twins for throwing their food.
His gaze lifts to her face, its signature smirk ever-present “Careful princess, you look like you might just pop from excitement”
“At least you haven’t been up with her since 5am trying to pick an outfit”
“Hey” Pink pouts “You went straight back to sleep and were no help”
“Good” Hazel shrugs, as she begins digging into her food
“Besides” Pink grins, turning back to face Max “Why wouldn’t I be excited.” She stands “Today is the most wonderful day of all days” She sighs contently as she spins
“5am you say” Max raises a brow at Hazel
“I can’t wait for this to be over” she responds with a full mouth and Pink pout again sitting back down
“You don’t like Picture Day?”
“No” She scoffs
Pink turns to Max again, with her big doe eyes and pouty lip “Max?”
“Uh, I mean” he shrugs “Not the side of the camera I want to be on”
With a small huff she rests her chin on her hand as she picks at her eggs with the fork in the other “Well I love it”
Conversation moves on from picture day as Red and Luis join, and hazel can’t sit to listen to Luis talk about his hair any longer.
Max stays mostly quiet at the end of the table, and he can’t help noticing a certain rose-tinted princess sitting across from him doing the same.
Her plate remaining completely untouched and her mirror not being put down for any longer than three minutes at a time.
“It looks just the same as it did 90 seconds ago princess, you can stop checking”
“I know” She sighs snapping closed the small heart mirror “I just want everything to be prefect”
The bell rings and instead of heading to class, everyone tunnels out to line up for their photo.
Pink is the first of her group out, usually she quite likes how far back their table is.
Her sister is often swarmed by adoring students, but they never seem to bother her over there.
Pink had asked Red why she thought that was once and she only laughed at her saying ‘look who else sits there’
Right now, however she was not a fan, as most of the student body got out before her leaving her far in the back of the line.
She can feel her skin buzzing with excitement as she dusts nonexistent dirt from her skirt and pulls out her mirror again
“Okay” Maxs voice startlers her as he snaps the mirror closed and takes it from her hand
“This” he holds it up, then slips it into his pocket “will be returned after pictures”
“But-”
“No, no buts” he leans against the wall beside them, and Pinks' eyes flicker towards his pocket before huffing and leaning beside him.
Hazel and the twins stand behind him still bickering, and Chloe has joined red and Luis in the back.
“For such a bubbly person you sure huff a lot” He teases, absentmindedly flipping a coin between his fingers.
“Just because some things aren't important to you doesn’t mean they’re not important”
She tries to sound assured, but Max catches the hint of something hint her voice as she begins picking at the ends of her hair
“Never said that”
“You don’t have to. I know what you think about this”
“And why would my opinions on picture day matter? If you wanna stick bows in your hair and smile in front of a camera by all means go ahead”
“Because-” She turns to face him just as Hazel starts shouting at the twins again
Before another word can leave her mouth, Squirmy squirts a tube of yogurt at his brother who ducks just in time.
Pink freezes as the strawberry yogurt hits her dress and begins rolling down the skirt.
“Shit” Hazel says, smacking both boys in the arms as they apologies, looking guiltily down at her dress.
Max watches as Pink stands completely frozen, her hands raised slightly and head forward not even glancing down at the dress herself.
The blinding excitement she had moments ago stripped away, replaced by a silence so unnatural the hairs on the back of his neck stand.
“Pink?” He tries stepping ever so closer, when it finally makes it to the end of her skirt and drips down onto her shoes.
Tears well in her eyes as she turns and runs from the line, in the opposite direction towards the girls dorms.
“Nice going” He snaps at the twins, taking off after her.
She’s quicker than he expected, even in her heels.
He steps into her room with a soft knock finding her already there, sitting on the floor as she cries into her bed.
Now it’s Max’s turn to freeze, why did it have to be tears and clothes.
He’s no good at tears or clothes.
“Pink?” He says softly stepping further in.
She doesn’t lift her head or acknowledge him in anyway.
He sits next to her, his back pressing into the side of her bedframe
He doesn’t know what to say so he doesn’t say anything, he just sits next to her, his thumb gently rubbing her head where is hand is sitting as she quietly sobs into her duvet.
After a while she says something muffled by the duvet.
“hmm?”
“You’re right” She pushes herself from the bed, sitting back on her heels “This is stupid, it’s just a stupid day. Stupid day, stupid dress, stupid girl”
“I never said you we’re stupid”
“You don't have to” She huffs, sounding on the verge of tears again as she stands up, making her way over to the window “I know how people see me. How you see me. Just some ditzy princess who only cares about boys and her looks.”
“Pink” he pushes himself up off the ground
“I mean who cries over a dress” She keeps going looking out the window as he comes to stand next to her again “Or gets up at 5am to pick one out”
“Someone who cares about their appearance”
“Someone who cares too much about their appearance” She huffs “I know everyone thinks it”
“That’s not true”
“You and Hazel at breakfast?”
“We were just teasing”
“Because its true”
He stands shoulder to shoulder with her, his mouth opens slightly, but no sound comes out.
Does she really think him and Hazel have just been making fun of her, right in front of her?
He knows he’s a VK but even that’d be heartless for him.
“Look” he turns her gently by the elbow to face him “I really couldn’t care less about bows and dresses or getting my picture taken”
She tries to pull her arm free but his grip, while still gently, is firm
“But that doesn’t mean I think down on you because you do. In fact, when it comes to my opinion of you your clothing doesn’t make the list.”
“What else is there?”
“What else? Everything else Pink. You’re kind, and smart and a walking ray of sunshine”
“I don’t feel like one right now”
“Yeah well, you’re like a sun shower. Warm and refreshing. You light up every room you're in and you’d do that in all pink, all black, or covered head to toe in food” he says crouching his head down slightly to look her in the eyes, his thumb wiping a stray tear from her cheek involuntarily
She smiles up at him, not as bright as usually but undeniably real
“Thanks Max”
“Anytime Princess, just don’t go telling anyone yeah” He winks “Can’t have people thinking I'm going soft”
She misses the way he smiles down at her as she giggles at him, or how he hesitates before letting go of her arm.
“So” He coughs clearing his throat awkwardly, shoving his hands back into his pockets “Why don’t you change and still get your picture taken? I’m sure you have something else to wear”
Finally looking down at her dress her face drops a fraction again “No, no you go. I think I’m just going to stay here”
“Why? Does this specific dress matter that much”
“It’s” she sighs sitting on her bed “It’s not really about the dress, Max. I just wanted something to look back on and remember how happy I am here, it’s my first picture day here. I wanted to remember waking up excited, picking out my dress, laughing with everyone...” She trails off taking a second to sniffle “Now all I’m going to remember is strawberry yogurt dripping onto my shoes and crying. I don’t need a picture to memorialize it”
“Okay” he nods but doesn’t move to leave
“I’m fine, seriously” She smiles at him, placing a quick hand on his arm “Thank you for coming to check on me”
“I’ll, see you at dinner?”
She nods with a smile and he accepts it, leaving her room with an unsettling feeling in his chest at her disappointment and a plan forming in his mind.
But first he’ll need some help.
Pink does not keep her word.
After taking a shower and changing into her pajamas she crawled into bed and stayed there.
Her stained dress balled up and abandoned somewhere on the floor next to her shoes,
Not having the energy to try save it before the stain sets.
Red and Chloe had come to check on her, and Hazle had tried to drag her down to dinner, but each time someone asked her if she was okay, the stupider she felt and curled further into herself.
Going to dinner would be like sitting in a display case for shoppers to gawk at.
So, despite her assurance to Max, she ignored Hazel's request and subsequent threats to get her to dinner and pretended to be asleep when she returned saying how bad the twins felt.
And eventually she really does fall asleep to the sound of Hazels snores as the day plays on repeat in her mind for the hundredth time.
By the she wakes the next morning, much less energetically than the morning before, she is feeling slightly better about the whole yogurt disaster.
I hope Hazel didn’t give Squeaky and Squirmy too much grief, it was an accident after all.
Thinking of her roommate, she looks over to her bed and surprisingly finds it empty
“When does she ever wake up before me” Pink wonders aloud, double checking her clock to make sure she didn’t wake up late.
She turns to begin getting ready, having to face everyone eventually and not wanting to miss anymore class, when she's interrupted by a quiet tapping noise.
Turning she sees her small yellow friend tapping his beak against the window.
“Oh” She walks over and pushes the widow open, resting against it she props her chin on her hand
“I’m sorry buttercup” She gently pets its head
“Good morning. Yesterday didn’t go so well but today will be better”
She says nodding her head with resolve “We’ll make sure it is”
Three sharp knocks make Pink jump in slight surprise, pulling a hand to her chest, until a familiar voice follows after “Pink? Are you up?”
She grins, opening the door “Red! Good morning”
“Morning” She looks her sister up and down “You’re not dressed yet?”
“I was just about to-” She’s cut off by her sister pushing a white dress bag into her hands
“Put that on”
What?” She tries to zip the bag open to peek inside but Red swats her hand away “Why can’t I see?”
Pink puts her hands on her hips “What are you hiding sister?”
“Nothing” She laughs “Just put it on and come out” She pushes the bag into pinks hands and shoos her back into her room as Pink narrows her eyes at her
“Hmmm, okay” she says unsure, but Red closes the door, separating them before she can ask why again.
Zipping the bag open, she lets out a loud gasp and almost drops it when she sees what's inside.
“It’s my dress!” She says shocked looking around her floor for her ruined one, when she can’t find it she gasps again, jumping up “Its my dress!”
She pulls it out of the bag and looks it over, front and back for any sign of a stain but there's none.
“It's my dress and it’s perfect” She squeals looking over Buttercup
“Oh, isn’t this most wonderful” She spins, the dress held against her “Red fixed my dress”
In a daze of pure excitement, she puts the dress on “Today may not be picture day but a dress like this deserved to be worn”
She makes sure to be quick getting ready, knowing her sisters waiting in the hallway for her, but even the birds can notice the extra pep in her step and bounce in her hair as she sings into her hair curler.
When she’s finally done, her pumps wiped off and a final layer of gloss on her lips, she’s smiling brighter than she has all year.
She opens her door expecting Red, and while the tops of their heads are the right color, the Smee twins are certainly not her sister.
As soon as the door opens both boys hold out a bouquet of wildflowers
“We’re really sorry about your dress” Squirmy says
“And your shoes” Squeaky adds with a nod, his brother nodding along with him
“And your shoes”
“And your picture”
“And your-”
“It's okay boys” She smiles, taking the flowers from them “It was an accident, and my dress is all better now” She adds with a spin “No hard feelings”
“Good” Squeaky says with a nod “Now step two, uhhh” he glances over at Squirmy and whispers “What's step two again”
“Uhhhh” he scratches his head as the two pull confused faces that Pink is sure match her own.
“Step two?” Pink questions closing her dorm room door “Step two of what? And have you seen my sister”
“Urgh, I’ve got to do everything myself” Hazel turns the corner and marches over to them “Imbeceiles” She mutters to the twins as she grabs Pinks arm and begins dragging her away, the twins following after
“Hazel” Pink struggles to keep up with the pirate's quick pace “What is going on?”
Her question remains unanswered as she dragged through the halls, noticeably not towards the cafeteria.
“Hazel” She tries to pull her arm back again, but Hazel doesn't let go until they’re halfway down the next hallway
“Are you finally going to tell me what's going on? And where is my sister?”
Hazel smirks and points behind her, Pink looks back to see her sister, Chloe and Luis standing behind her
“There you are” Pink says hugging her sister in relief “Where did you go I wanted to say thank you for fixing my dress”
“Oh I didn’t fix it” Red shrugs
“What?” Pink tilts her head, eyes scrunching in confusion
“Yeah I just grabbed it from your room when I checked in on you last night”
“Wait” Pink shakes her head “So who fixed my dress?” She looks around at everyone “And what's going on here?”
Red and Hazel share a look as the two walk over to a set of wooden doors they're standing Infront of, pushing them open.
Light shines in through the now open doors for the courtyard and when Pink steps out she finds it empty, mostly empty.
"Max?” She says with a smile walking with a slight skip in her step towards him “What's going on?”
She glances down and notices an worn camera handing from his neck.
His gloved hand comes to scratch the back of his neck, as he struggles slightly to speak now that she's standing in front of him “Well- I-”
His eyes glance over her shoulder, and she looks back to see their friends standing at the door watching the pair.
She turns. Max automatically turning with her, so his back is to them instead of hers.
“Yes?” She asks softly, rubbing her thumb over the stems of her flowers, her skin begins buzzing again
He lets out a huffed laugh, and she thinks to herself how much she likes making him laugh, it's not easy to do.
“I thought you deserved your picture princess” He says and for once there's not a hint of sarcasm
“You fixed my dress?” She says in realization
“It was, no big deal” She shrugs looking away from her again “A simple potion”
“You fixed my dress” she says softer this time, and he looks back up at her
“Yeah”
“Thank you” her voice comes out quiet as she tries to not cry in front of him, again.
When was the last time someone had done something so, sweet, for her?
Had it ever happened?
“Come on” He nods towards the fountain “Let's get you your perfect picture”
She gives him a bright smile and an excited nod, sitting on the stone base of the fountain.
Her perfect practiced pose, bright smile and the flowers still propped in her hands.
She can see her friends have gotten closer.
She keeps her eyes on Max, who's now sat on a stool across from the fountain, as he takes the picture.
His hair flops in front of his eyes, and he pulls a lip between his teeth chewing on it in concentration as he takes the picture, checking it once he does.
“Who would have guessed” Hazel says looking over his shoulder to the camera “She’s photogenic too”
“Come on” Pink waves everyone over “Lets get one together”
Hazel groans but the group do form together in front and on the fountain, everyone except Max who stays where he his, a playful smirk on his face, holding his camera
“Say cheese” he teases holding the camera up
“Max you have to get in too” Pink says standing up and rushing over to him
She can hear hazel bark out a laugh “Yeah hatter this whole thing way your idea you’re not getting out of this”
“I don’t-”
“Please” Pink looks up at him, big doe eyes “I really want you in it”
He holds out for about three seconds before sighing “Okay, okay” he nods setting the camera up on the stoll on a timer.
He and Pink get back to the fountain as the timer beeps down from 10.
Sitting back in her spot at the front, she pulls max beside her.
A small “oops” can be heard followed by a splash as they're all pulled back into the fountain.
Squeaky had slipped, grabbing his brother for support, who grabbed Chloe and next thing you know they’re all soaked.
Eyes turn to Pink immediately, but she's too busy to notice them as she begins giggling, sitting up in the water splashing Max.
He splashes her back and soon the whole group has descended into laughter and splashes, none of them noticing when the flash of the camera goes off.
Its not until the bell for class rings that they get out, most people rushing off to change and get to class.
Pink hangs back as the others leave until its juts her and Max, standing soaked in the courtyard
“So much for fixing your dress” He laughs pulling his gloves off and shoving them into his pocket, he lets out a small huff and pulls something out of his pocked
“Wanna check if your hairs ruined princess” He teases and when Pink looks down, she sees her mirror from yesterday in his hand
“I forgot you had this” She reaches down to take it from his hand.
He watches her, expecting her to really check her hair or makeup in its reflection, instead she slips it into her bag and looks back to him
“It’s just water” She shrugs “Can I see the pictures?”
It catches him slightly off guard but he recovers pulling the camera up for her to look at her portrait on its screen “At least we got this one before we all went overboard”
“Must have been traumatic for Hazel” She giggles looking down at the picture.
She looks great, her dress and hair and smile are perfect but something feels missing “Can I see the other one?”
“Oh, yeah sure” He clicks over to the other picture.
This one takes a little longer to fully absorb, The Smees are barely visible as the wrestles in the back, Hazel laughing as she tries to pull them apart. Luis lays in the water propped up by his elbows as Red and Chloe splash him from either side.
Pinks eyes scan over them, stopping on herself and Max.
Facing each other, half sat up in the water, Pink is splashing him with one hand as he holds down her other with his hand to try stop the splashing. His hat is tilted so far back if she hadn’t been next to him, she mightn’t have noticed it was there at all, letting Pink see more of his hair.
Noticing how his roots are purple, and the black streaks in his hair have grown out.
Her own hair is almost sparkling from the water, her face an extra rosy shade of Pink as she smiles more genuinely than she ever has for a picture.
“No” She shakes her head with a small smile “This one is the perfect one. Thank you so much max”
She places her hand on his, shuddering slightly at the warm feeling of his hand against hers instead of the usual cold leather.
“Yeah- no I-” He coughs to clear his throat “It was really no big deal”
“It was a huge deal” She props herself up on her tippy-toes and plants a sweet, gentle kiss to his cheek
“Anything for you princess” he says with a blush, incredibly thankful Hazel wasn't here to give him shit over this too
“I could ah- print there out for you, in the library at lunch” He offers gesturing his camera as he speaks, his other hand reaching up behind his neck again “Ya know if you want”
“I would love that” She smiles, and he smiles back feeling relief flood his chest for the first time since yesterday as he looks down at this bright, wonderful, once again bubbly girl.
“Good” he quietly nods, still smiling at her “Good”