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Chapter 1: Snapshot

Jason felt the crunch of freshly fallen leaves under his shoes and smiled to himself. He loved the feeling of fall: wind growing just a bit colder, nights growing longer, holidays fast approaching, and the start of a new year of school. He grasped the straps of his backpack and tightened it to his back. Today was boring; he was happy to just be coming home from school. His supply-laden pack jostling against his frame kept him just distracted enough to not notice the approach of a furry digit. He flinched as it poked into his ribs from his left.

“JAY!" he heard a playful whine from behind him as more pokes prodded his ribs and shoulders now. “JAY, why are you just staring into the distance like a goober? Something on your mind?"

Jason sighed as he glanced over his shoulder. His eyes met the golden irises of Jennifer Devlin, a mischievous smirk graced her small snout. She traced small circles in the air with her fingers as she waited to poke him once more. “Being distracted is a good way to get more pokes Mr. Deckard. You should keep your guard up." Jason held his arms close to his midsection as he studied his foe.

Jennifer stood about as tall as him, her paws shifting back and forth in the dirt as her bushy ringed tail swayed behind her. Her padded fingers wiggled mischievously as she stared Jason down. The golden irises that studied him up surrounded by a furry black mask always plastered on her face. Her eyes combined with her extremely cute smirk brought heat quickly to his face. He blinked a couple times to try and clear his head but found his sides attacked with pokes and prods. A few seconds of assault made Jason begin to howl with laughter as she poked and prodded. Jennifer smiled wide, relishing in her victory.

“Okay okay okay!" Jason exclaimed as he laughed. “I give, I give!" Jennifer relented her attack and placed a digit against his cheek. Her soft padded finger distracted him for a single moment before he locked eyes with her.

“As always Jason, I win. If I didn't know any better I'd say you enjoy losing to me. Got something to tell me huh? Maybe a thing for being tickled?" She teased him with a small boop on his nose before turning around and laughing triumphantly. Her bushy tail slapped his chest as he felt his face grow red.

“That's not- Jennifer you know tha-" Jason stammered as her tail moved away from him. Gray and brownish-black rings of fur flitted hypnotically in front of him. He wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch it, to see how soft her tail was. He quickly shoved that thought away and turned away from Jennifer. She glanced over her shoulder, still smiling. Her face fell flat as she noticed Jason was now faced away from her.

She frowned slightly as she reached her hands into her hoodie, feeling around for her reason for bugging Jason today. Jason kept his eyes shut as he tried to will away thoughts of Jennifer looking cute from his psyche. Jennifer's gentle touch against his shoulder pried him out of his thoughts as he saw a teal machine wiggling in his peripheral vision.

"I thought I would show you my new Camera. Mom got it for me." her voice was soft, the playful edge falling away as she brought the camera back to her. Jason turned around and saw the sudden change in Jennifer.

She held the camera in front of her and stared down at it. “Sorry, I didn't mean to mess with you like that. That wasn't okay." Her eyes flicked up to lock with his. Jason couldn't help but feel awful as she held his gaze. His hands shot up and waved in front of them both.

“No no Jenny I-" Jason said frantically, causing Jennifer to flinch in surprise. “No you're fine. The joke that wasn't- It wasn't that. Promise." her hands stopped moving over the camera as she glanced downwards and then back up at him. Jason needed to change the subject; he couldn't keep staring into those eyes. “Your mom got that for you?"

Jennifer's downtrodden state ebbed away as her eyes lit up and she brought the camera up between them. “Yes! It's a newer model Polaroid, so it prints the pictures itself! Isn't that cool?" Jason smiled as she pointed to the different pieces and explained how the camera worked to him. Watching her excitement and passion could bring him excitement vicariously. He wanted to see her happy, vibrant, and enjoying her hobbies, Even if he didn't share them with her.

“So how many pictures have you taken so far?" He asked as she wound down from her spiel. Her smile softened as she glanced away from Jason. She turned the camera over in her hands. Suddenly with a click and a flash the camera began whirring softly and spit out a black picture from underneath it.

“Just one so far, I had to use my best model for it's first picture!" she said with a wiry grin placed on her snout. Jason blinked a couple times as she gently waved the picture in her padded fingers. Her eyes were locked on him, smiling that same smile she always gave him. A beaming grin from heaven itself that very quickly brought a fluttering feeling into his chest. But the words that she said registered in his mind and the fluttering feeling turned into a warm flush across his features.

“Wh- Wait What?" Jason stammered out as Jennifer snickered to herself at his awkward display. “That- You're joking right?" he managed to say as her chuckles grew.

Her laugh died and she stared Jason up and down before shaking her head. “Nope, the first picture is you. Gotta capture the best face you can make." she looked down at the picture in her hands. “Besides, my mom said to take pictures of things you like or are important to you! At least to start out." Her smile once again softened as she stared at the picture in her hand. “Me and you, we've been friends for years. You're important to me and I wanted to make sure to capture that."

Her words stuck in his mind as they both watched the picture slowly lighten and show a very confused looking Jason, short dark hair and brown eyes half squinted during the flash of the camera. His mouth was mid sentence. One of his eyes was beginning to squint while the other reflected the flash from the camera. Immediately Jason frowned behind Jennifer as she tried to stifle her giggles.

“If I'm so important then why did you capture me looking so stupid!?" he exclaimed as Jennifer finally let loose with raucous laughter at the photo. “Jenny, this isn't funny! You could've just asked me to pose for the picture." Jennifer stood rigid for a moment before glancing down and back up at Jason.

“Would you?" she asked softly, her piercing golden gaze wearing into Jason's very soul. These eyes had gotten him to do all manner of things he didn't want to. The time they broke into the community center pool at night, the time they explored the abandoned house on 6th, nights where they watched scary movies into the wee hours of the morning. She had a hold over him and she knew it. But something was slightly different about this time, her features were a mixture of curiosity and…guilt? It was a little tough to figure out.

“Um. Yeah sure." he said before a thought popped into his head. “On one condition though." he said, holding up a finger. Jennifer cocked an eyebrow and crossed her arms.

“Is this gonna be another D&D thing?" she said with a sigh. Jason shook his head before gently reaching over and grabbing the camera. She let it go and Jason held it up next to his head.

“A picture for a picture. If you take one of me I can take one of whatever I want." Jason said, smiling warmly. Jennifer looked up for a moment, caught in her own thoughts before she looked back at Jason.

“Ok, nothing weird though. I don't need you having anything incriminating on me now." Jennifer said with a smirk. “Or indecent for that matter Mr. Deckard." she said with a poke into his chest. Jason felt a heat rising to his face but played it off by placing a hand on his forehead dramatically.

“Ms. Devlin! How dare you insinuate that I could do something so vile and monstrous!? Have you no trust in your lifelong partner in crime?" he said waving his hands about before squaring the camera on her and snapping a picture. Her face registered shock for a second before laughing. Jason laughed with her as the camera whirred and spit out another picture.

“There, a picture for a picture. Simple right?" Jason said, holding the camera out to her. Jennifer nodded and grasped the camera. As she checked it over Jason glanced at her. Her small smile and the soft look in her eyes, they sent butterflies up to his chest. Seeing her happy was just…too much sometimes. He never wanted to see that smile go away. When she looked back at him he felt a tinge of embarrassment and looked away.

“Yeah, simple. I guess you can take another one after this." she said happily. He suddenly felt her weight on his shoulder and soft fur pressed into his face. Jennifer held the Camera up in front of them and from next to him he heard Jennifer's voice ring out. “Now smile!" Jason obliged quickly and heard the click as a bright flash engulfed both of them.

After a while of walking and talking the pair reached Jennifer's yard. Jason glanced back towards her porch before looking at Jennifer. She stood facing away from the house, her tail twitching back and forth. Her hands fidgeted with the camera and she looked at him with a nervous smile. “This is me." she said softly.

“I know that, I haven't gone senile or anything since the other day." Jason said with an awkward laugh. Jennifer shuffled slightly and shoved her hands into her pockets.

She produced the picture of both of them. Jason shook his head and pushed her hand back. “No no, that's yours. I have mine." He said with a smirk as he waved the picture of her looking surprised. She chuckled softly before nodding.

Jennifer started to turn away but Jason reached out and poked her shoulder. She looked back to see Jason holding his arms out. She barreled into Jason and he squeezed her tightly to him before letting her go. “I'll see you tomorrow morning okay? Talk to you later." he said warmly.

A small smile crept onto her features as she nodded vigorously. “Yeah, see you later Jay." she said before turning away and running up the path to her porch.

Jason watched her run, fluffy tail bouncing behind her as she bounded inside of her home. His smile grew larger and larger as the moment replayed in his mind a couple times. He began walking down the road before touching his cheek where their faces had touched. “You are some kinda idiot Jason, falling for her like this." he said to himself softly. He pulled his hood up and shoved his hands into his pockets. The chill of fall nipped at his nose as he walked home, but the picture in his pocket kept his thoughts trapped squarely in that warm moment from earlier.