Caught in the Moment

"Hey! Yvienna! Wait for me!" Tiffany called, her voice echoing through the loudness of other customers inside the bookstore as she tried to catch up. Yvienna ignored her, her focus narrowing as she headed toward the exit. She had to get out of that bookstore. Her face burned with embarrassment—what had she done earlier? It felt like the whole world was watching her.

Suddenly, she felt a sharp slap on her shoulder, making her jump.

"You! Brat! Why did you leave me behind, and why did you ignore me earlier?!" Tiffany's voice was a mix of irritation and concern. Yvienna looked up, her gaze shifting to meet Tiffany's. 

"Sorry, my best friend," she said, offering a sheepish grin. 

"I was out of my mind, so I didn't hear you." She tried to lighten the mood, but the guilt was clear in her voice.

Tiffany let out an exaggerated sigh, crossing her arms. 

"Fine, but—" Yvienna's curiosity piqued when Tiffany's lips curved into a mischievous grin. "What?" she asked, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. Tiffany leaned in closer, her tone teasing. 

"Did you two kiss earlier? Is that why you ran off?" She demonstrated by pressing her hands together, making a kissing sound. Yvienna's stomach lurched. 

"Of course not! That's disgusting!" She feigned disgust, crossing her arms dramatically. "Yuck." Tiffany raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Then what happened?" she asked, her voice dripping with curiosity.

 "None of your business!" Yvienna shot back, but her face flushed.

Tiffany smirked, pulling out her phone. "Okay, fine. But I'll just post this picture of you two on Instagram." She showed Yvienna a picture from earlier, where Yvienna and Kyle were caught in a candid moment—Yvienna on top while Kyle lay sprawled on the floor. The image was innocent, yet it made Yvienna feel exposed. Her eyes widened. 

"No! Delete that now!" she demanded, a knot of panic forming in her chest. 

"Nope," Tiffany said, shaking her head. 

"Not unless you spill the beans on what happened earlier." Yvienna sighed, defeated. 

"Fine. I'll tell you." As she spoke, her eyes drifted across the crowded shopping center. The sight of a familiar figure caught her attention—a man carrying a brown bag in one hand. Her stomach dropped as she caught a glimpse of his face. The ogre. Her eyes rolled involuntarily as she quickened her pace, eager to escape his presence. Tiffany's voice called after her, but Yvienna kept walking, pretending she hadn't heard.

Stopping in front of a looking cheap photo booth? Yvienna frowned, her brows furrowing in confusion. 

"What's going on? Today's not even Valentine's Day… so why's there a photo booth here?"

Suddenly, she felt a familiar tug on her arm. "You brat! You left me again!" Tiffany scolded, though her words were softened by the playful gleam in her eyes. Yvienna's heart sank when her gaze landed on Kyle, standing just a few steps away, looking entirely too smug for her liking. Tiffany's voice rang out, cheerful and oblivious to Yvienna's discomfort. 

"Come on, let's go, Kyle and Yvienna!" Before Yvienna could protest, Tiffany shoved them both inside the photo booth. 

"Wait—no!" Yvienna tried to resist, but Tiffany's grip was too strong. 

"Remember, those pictures," Tiffany playfully looked at her gloomed face, the promise of blackmail loomed over her like a storm cloud.

As they stood inside, Yvienna felt a wave of unease wash over her. She shifted her weight uncomfortably, her eyes darting to the floor, hoping to avoid eye contact with Kyle. He didn't make it any easier by turning his head slightly, meeting her gaze with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"What?" she snapped, crossing her arms defensively.

"Nothing," he said casually, shrugging as if it didn't matter.

The photographer's voice broke through the tension. "Closer, please!"

Yvienna rolled her eyes. "Who does he think he's shouting at?" she muttered under her breath. Before she could react, Kyle's presence loomed closer, his side brushing against hers. Her heart skipped a beat, and she instantly regretted the space between them shrinking. What is this? She thought in a frenzy, hoping he didn't hear the rapid beat of her heart.

The photographer counted down, "1, 2, 3, smile!"

Yvienna tried to force a smile, but her mind was on other things. A wicked thought crossed her mind, and in the moment of the shot, she stomped hard on Kyle's foot. The loud yelp he let out made her stifle a laugh. That's what you get for getting too close, she thought, trying to hold in her amusement.

Click!

Kyle glared at her, clearly less than thrilled, but Yvienna couldn't help the playful smirk that tugged at her lips.

"Another one! 1, 2, 3, smile!"

This time, Yvienna was ready. As soon as the photographer spoke, Kyle unexpectedly pinched her cheek, making her jump.

Click!

"Nooooo!" she groaned inwardly. I'm sure I look ridiculous.

She glared at him, but he only smirked in response. This ogre's going to pay.

"Last one! 1, 2, 3, smile!" the photographer called.

Without hesitation, Yvienna pinched Kyle's cheek in retaliation, earning herself a smug laugh.

Click!

She laughed, thoroughly entertained by the chaos they'd just created.

"Let's go, I'm starving!" Tiffany cheered, unaware of the storm that had just passed between Yvienna and Kyle. They exited the photo booth, and Tiffany was already at the counter paying for the pictures. She handed them to Yvienna, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "You two look adorable in these photos," Tiffany giggled.

Yvienna immediately reached for the pictures, but before she could take them, Kyle grabbed them first, inspecting them with a smug smirk. "What?!" Yvienna snapped, holding her hand out. "Give me those!" Kyle raised an eyebrow. "What? Do you want these pictures?" "Of course not!" Yvienna insisted, her face burning with humiliation. Kyle just smirked again.

"Let's go, Tiffany. I want to go home," Yvienna muttered.

Tiffany, oblivious to her friend's discomfort, chirped, "Let's eat first, my treat!" Yvienna grumbled under her breath, but her stomach betrayed her with a loud growl, causing both Tiffany and Kyle to laugh. 

"I'm not hungry…" Yvienna protested weakly, but when Tiffany and Kyle turned to her with knowing smirks, she relented. "Fine, fine. Let's eat."

They walked into the nearest McDonald's, where Tiffany eagerly placed their order. Yvienna and Kyle found a table, and as she sat down, her eyes couldn't help but wander to the food that was soon to be hers. Tiffany returned with the food, and as Yvienna's mouth watered, Tiffany laughed. "See? I knew you were hungry."

As they dug in, the familiar sound of a phone ringing cut through the conversation. Tiffany's eyes widened as she looked at her phone, glancing between Yvienna and the screen.

"What?" Yvienna asked, her curiosity piqued.