The Picture We Took Together

By Christopher Ting

Lily Smiles is a seventeen-year-old who has always lived a normal life, except for the fact that shes never had a boyfriend. But when the hottest boy ever enrolls at her school, Lily cannot help but wonder if he is the one in her dreams.

Alex Cameron has just moved with his parents from America to the United Kingdom. When he enters Lilys classroom for his first day, he immediately introduces himself to her with a big smile and handshake. After he asks her to take him on a tour of her town, Lily soon realizes that she likes hima lot. But as they secretly begin dating, now all Lily has to do is figure out how to deal with all the jealous girls who also want to win Alexs heart.

The Picture We Took Together shares the story of a teenagers quest to find her individuality and special place in the world as she discovers that attaining happinessin life and loveis always worth the effort.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing Singapore
• Release date: Feb 28, 2017
• ISBN: 9781482883251

Christopher Ting

Christopher Ting is a teenager who loves travel and adventure. He wrote his debut novel, The Picture We Took Together, when he was just thirteen. Christopher currently resides in Malaysia.

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Copyright © 2017 by Christopher Ting.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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www.partridgepublishing.com/singapore

Contents

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Acknowledgements

To my friends

1

I hear the sound of the rain hitting the metal roof while I’m still looking up at the white ceiling. I’m seriously dying from severe boredom. I see the camera still lying on the table and remember that I took some black-and-white photos for my school project.

My mind keeps trying to remind me of something, but I tend to forget it easily. That’s when I feel a shock run through my body. It’s my photos. I haven’t even started editing the photos! Who the hell am I kidding? I’m gonna be in so much trouble and feel totally embarrassed when Mrs Patterson scolds me in front of my classmates. I quickly run to my room and start the process of editing the lovely photos that I took when I was exploring the London Eye. That place is just the best. I wish I could go there again and take some more shots. It’s just like a work of art.

Anyway, after long hours of editing, I finish the last picture just in time for dinner. Mom calls me to come down and eat with the family. Oh, did I forget to introduce myself? My name is Lily Smiles. I was born famous, I have a passion for photography, I am currently single – never once been in a relationship (sad life) – I am seventeen years old, and I study at Westminster Secondary School. I have always lived a perfectly normal life. At school, I’m just considered a sad case, which for a teenage girl means not being in a relationship with a boy, no matter how ugly the boy is. All of my girlfriends are dying to be in relationships so they can make somebody else jealous, but I’m not into this kind of stuff. I’m just a perfectly normal single girl who likes taking photos of couples French kissing at the beautiful park, any beautiful sunset or sunrise, or, well, you get the idea.

The next day, feeling nervous, I hand in my project that Mrs Patterson asked us to do. When she glances at the photo, she starts shedding tears. I wonder what could have gone wrong with this picture. It seems pretty normal to me nothing to be saddened about. But still, my curiosity kicks in. I ask her if she is all right. She ignores me because she is so focused on the picture, which makes her cry like a baby. But