Inspired by OLWG Prompt #421- Now I have a new goal

” Angelita Brentus! ” her Mother used to say with despair and anger dripping from each syllable in Angelita’s name ” would it kill you, would it hurt you to just smile? Why must you walk around with that sour look on  your face?”

Angelita would look down at her shoes and sigh. Then she would look up at her Mother and she would work her mouth from side to side.

” My smile is so ugly Mom. It’s so big toothy. I hate it Mom. I’m sorry.”

” You don’t look sorry Angelita Brentus. You sound like you’ve got something stuck in your throat. Do you ? Do you have something stuck in your throat? Because it certainly sounds like you do.”

” It’s my smile, it’s just busting to get out. Really.”

” Don’t mock me Angelita. Just try. Just try to smile. ”

Angelita promised she would try to smile more and she did. She  even started practice and she told l her face daily because picture day was coming up at school and Angelita’s Mom was determined that she would have a school picture of her only child smiling into the camera to put on the mantelpiece above the fireplace in their living room.

Angelita took a seat in front of a pale blue screen in front of the school photographer’s camera.

Her hair was tied back  and held in place with a satin bow. Her dress was new and so were her shoes.

” Ok. ” They Photographer said, ” are we ready?”

” I am. ” Angelita said and the under her breath she said, ” are you ready too?”

” Let’s get a beautiful picture! Say cheese!”

The photographer looked up when he heard a clicking, a grinding sound coming from where Angelita was sitting.

She shrugged.

” What is that sound? ” he asked her before he clicked his camera. ” What is that.”

The grinding clicking sound stopped and the Photographer got ready to take his shot. He heard Angelita say smile- smile pretty for the camera  just this one time.”

Then through his little window the photographer saw Angelita’s smile emerge from between her lips and right in front of his eye it got wider and wider and as it did he heard words coming through the clicking and grinding sounds as Angelita’s face parted down the middle and her toothy smile emerged, snapping and grinding as it repeated over and over again

SAYCHEESESAYCHEESESAYCHEESE