Free The Crushes by Pamela Wells Page B

several times before coming over to Sydney. He sat on his hind legs and glanced up at her as if to say, “Can I lick you or something?”
    “He fell in love with you quick,” Drew said. “Just like I did.”
    Sydney smiled. She was hesitant about the whole thing, but saving this dog seemed to make Drew happy, and he was the only thing she had left.

THIRTEEN
Rule 9: Be yourself! He will like you for the real you!
    Sydney crossed her legs, hoping to stop her fidgeting. A moment later, her foot tapped impatiently on the carpet, making her knee bob up and down. Her trip to the fish store had calmed her down, but then Drew had talked her into adopting a dog, a big dog at that, and…
    She let out a breath. Right now, she needed to focus on the photo contest awards ceremony.
    Drew sat on one side of her, Raven on the other. Alexia, Ben, Kelly, and Todd were all there, too. Sydney hadn’t expected them to come, but Kelly surprised her by telling their friends. They’d all been waiting for Sydney in the front lobby of Children’s Hospital at the start of the ceremony.
    To be honest, Sydney was glad they were here. Sure, losing in front of them would be disappointing, but she liked having their support for something she felt so awkward with. Photography was new to her. Not to mention, somepeople might think it a waste of time. But her friends didn’t and that made Sydney grateful.
    Within the ten minutes the group had been seated, the room filled up. They were in the conference room on the first floor of Children’s Hospital surrounded by at least a hundred red chairs. The panel of judges, two men and two women, sat quietly in their chairs on a dais at the front of the room.
    Sydney’s knee bobbed faster.
    “It’s all right,” Drew whispered, setting his hand on her leg. “No matter what, at least you entered, right?”
    She nodded.
    At five minutes after four, the room quieted as a man took the podium on the dais. He was older, mid-forties, with thinning gray hair and black-framed glasses. “Good afternoon,” he said. “I’m Eddison Gerald, director of public relations. I’m glad you all could be here. Welcome to the fifth annual Children’s Hospital photo contest. For those of you who are new, every year we take photo entries from amateur photographers. Those photos are hung in our art hall for the children to view, to give them something beautiful to look at as they go through difficult treatments, working toward better health.
    “And, to encourage submissions, we award first, second, and third prizes every year. Now let me introduce you to our panel of judges.”
    He stepped back, pointing to the man seated on the far left. “We have Roy Harrison, a critic at the Yale School of Art. Katie Taylor, a professor at the New York Institute of Photography. Jamie Munson, director of photography at Shutter magazine, and leading photographer Cook Porterwhose photos have been in magazines such as National Geographic . Please welcome them.”
    The room applauded. Sydney clapped quietly, her fingers trembling. She didn’t recognize the names of the judges, but if their credentials were any indication, they were prominent figures in the industry. Who was she to enter her photo? They’d probably seen her entry and laughed, picking it apart.
    “Can we go?” she whispered to Drew.
    “What, now?” He frowned. “It just started. I don’t want to stand up in the middle of it.”
    “You okay?” Raven asked. “You look pale.”
    “This was a bad idea,” Sydney said as the clapping quieted down. “Those judges are serious about this, and I’m just an amateur!”
    “It’s an amateur contest,” Kelly pointed out.
    “Now,” Mr. Gerald said, stepping up to the microphone, “along with a free two-year subscription to Shutter magazine, our winners will receive some other valuable prizes. Third place will receive a hundred dollar prize. Second place will receive a two hundred dollar prize and first place will receive