Short Stories

through the lens of us

The moment the camera turned on, it buzzed to life, its lens focusing as if opening its eyes for the first time. The scene it saw was filled with bright colors and happy faces. Right in the center, there was a boy with a huge, excited smile. He had just turned sixteen, and his eyes were shining with happiness and a bit of disbelief. It was his birthday, and the camera was his present.

Around him, the room was full of his family and friends, all cheering and clapping. Balloons were floating near the ceiling, and streamers hung all around, making the place look festive and fun.

The boy looked right into the camera, his smile never fading. "Thank you," he said, his voice full of happiness. He was talking to his mom and dad, who were standing next to him, looking very proud and happy. They smiled back, clearly glad to see their son so happy.

This was the start of everything for the boy and his new camera. It wasn't just any gift; it was his ticket to capturing all the moments he'd find interesting or important, starting with this very special day. The camera, now alive and ready, was going to be his constant companion, ready to catch all the adventures and stories they'd find together.

The camera went silent, its lens shut like eyes closing to the passage of time. When it blinked open again, the same smile was there, a touch more mature, a few years older. The boy, now a young man, looked into the camera, his heart on his sleeve. "Today's the day I confess my love to Emily," he said to the camera, as if it were an old friend, a confidant. "We’ll see if she feels the same."

The camera then turned around, capturing the bustling life of a high school, with students dotting the corridors and courtyards, snippets of their conversations and laughter peppering the air. He navigated through the cliques and clusters until he reached his own group of friends. They acknowledged the camera with a mix of curiosity and playfulness, discussing it briefly before the camera's gaze shifted, landing on a girl.

The boy started to speak, his words a jumble of nerves and sincerity, as he tried to tell the girl about his feelings. The camera captured her reaction — a warm, open smile, and her eyes lighting up with recognition and affection. "I feel the same," she said, and they hugged, a moment of pure, hopeful connection encased in the memory of the camera.

The boy, elated, turned back to the lens, beaming, "She said yes," he announced, sharing his joy with the invisible audience he always imagined was there. It was a moment of triumph, of a chapter beginning. The camera, having captured the moment of two hearts syncing in time, went to black, giving them privacy in their newfound happiness.

The camera whirred back to life, its lens a little dusty, the boy’s face scrutinizing it for signs of life. "Is it working?" came Emily’s voice, light and expectant. With a nod from the boy, the camera's gaze found Emily, dressed in a blazer and holding a notepad, a playful mimicry of a newscaster.

She tried to deliver her "breaking news" with a straight face, but the lines got tangled in their laughter, and the solemnity of the skit was lost to their shared amusement. As they giggled, the camera caught every sincere smile, every sparkle in their eyes that spoke of shared jokes and a comfortable love.

Then, in a playful reversal, Emily snatched the camera, turning it on the boy despite his feigned protests. "Your turn," she said, her voice teasing. The boy took a deep breath, grabbing an imaginary microphone. With a mock-serious expression, he announced, "Breaking news: Emily has officially won my heart," his voice shifting into an exaggerated newscaster's tone. "Details at eleven."

He finished with a flourish, and Emily set the camera down, capturing the two as they leaned in for a kiss, their silliness giving way to a tender, loving moment. But as they broke away, Emily glanced at the camera with a playful "oh shoot," before reaching out and turning it off, preserving the privacy of their young love.