“Watch out-”, a high-pitched voice filled Leo’s ears as he twisted his body to face its source, only to get his face smashed by a bottle of glue. Then, with all seriousness and his best poker face, he turned to face Iris and renegotiated his stand, "You know you could've solved this peacefully right? There is no way I'm surrendering now." The item in question was an old photograph, held by Leo above his head, his arms outstretched to their highest while trying to keep his assailant away. Iris clawed at the prankster's arm, falling short just a couple of inches as she jumped to grab the small piece of paper. Sitting in the corner was Celia, the final member of this chaotic trio, laughing away at the situation. Staring at the old memory from afar, she was currently aboard a trip down memory lane.

~cue flashback~
"So, how old are your little buddies here?", a woman well into her 20s asked her nearby fellow moms, pointing towards a mischievous toddler duo. In front of the ladies was the cutest baby boy with the most innocent doe eyes you could ever see, crawling towards another small girl with beautiful princess blonde curls. "Our two little Lokis?" answered one of the moms, "Well, Leo right there is eleven months old and my Iris just turned one last September!"
Shyly cowering in the woman’s arms was her similarly aged daughter, curiously tugging at the curls of her mother’s hair and giggling at the two strangers smiling down at her. "Ma-ma-" Celia mouthed, and gestured to her mother to drop her off near the two toddlers, feeling a kinship already. Seeing a new competitor, the little brunette prince sized Celia up, looking up and down and finally approached Iris and greeted her with a light tackle. Besides the two, Iris burst into laughter at the entire debacle, and melodious giggles soon filled the room.
Shaking her head from the corner of the room, one of the mothers took out an old polaroid from her purse and captured this treasured memory onto film with a distinctive snap.
~end flashback~

“Celi!” Iris’ shriek tore through her friend's thoughts as Celia jolted back to reality, "Look what I found, it's us at halloween!" Celia was suddenly excited as she felt the dopamine hit her brain with a rush, "Wait, that halloween?"
"Oh yes!" Iris confirmed as she held up another picture, letting out a maniacal laugh which would've been hard to beat even for Snow White's evil stepmother, "That Halloween!"

~cue flashback~
"Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?" Leo teased as he picked up a roll of toilet paper from the dark duffel bag, "I understand if you are chickening out now." The three were currently standing at the entrance of their classroom on that dreaded last night of October, dressed up comically as the iconic Powerpuff Girls. "Why does it feel like you're the one trying to get out of the deed, Princess?" quipped Celia. She grinned and looked at her partner, shackled up in a pink princess costume with a roll of paper in his hands and a silver tiara on his head, he was a sight for sore eyes.
"As much as I would love to join your bickering," Iris started, "my hands are busy working, carrying out our class prank, which by the way Leo, was your idea!" Almost instantly, the duo stopped and Leo looked at Iris sheepishly, her hands covered in glue and glitter, the same one from the glitter bomb she was planting in the teacher's desk. "I'm sorry okay," he muttered, " Let's make this the prank to go down in history, Happy Halloween!" He turned around, only to find Celia holding her mom's old polaroid in position as she exclaimed, "Say Cheeeseee!"
The trio crammed into the small space in the short span of two seconds until the camera- snap.
~end flashback~

“Please guys, I’m begging you,” Leo grovelled as he mock-bowed at Iris’ feet,” Just don’t post that on your story. Pink really does not suit my face…”

Two hours later, Celia slammed the cover of the scrapbook shut and looked at her idiots. Leo was now softly holding Iris as she slept out of exhaustion. She let a soft smile play along her lips as she took out her camera for one last time. "Hey Leo," she whispered, "Say Cheese?"
He looked at her and smiled back. "Always..." snap.


© archaios <3