School picture day was always an exciting occasion: Equal parts thrilling and the good kind of nauseating. But even though it was (for the most part) a positive time, there were some things that could totally ruin school picture day.
As soon as word got out that SPD was approaching, my middle school friends and I would start putting serious plans into place. We'd meticulously organize every single detail, from our outfits, to our hairstyles, to our eyeshadow colors. Trips to the mall would be made and the closer it got to the day, the more frantic those shopping trips would become. If you were anything like me, you were set on transforming yourself into your own version of Sabrina Spellman, Lizzie McGuire, or your favorite member of 3LW.
School picture day meant that you had to look picture perfect, because every member of your family was going to want a copy of that photograph to proudly display on their mantels. You just didn't want to learn later that your mascara had been smudged all over your eyelid.
For the sake of appreciating our fond memories of school picture day, but feeling relieved that those forced photo shoots are behind us, here are a bunch of terrible things that could've gone wrong.
1. You Left Your Lancôme Juicy Tube At Home
Leaving your Lancôme Juicy Tube at home was devastating. How on earth were you going to make your lips look shimmery and shiny now? You'd have to beg your bestie to borrow hers.
2. You Spilled Your Lunch Down Your Shirt
You had to be incredibly careful at lunch to ensure that nothing spilled down your shirt. If you did spill down your shirt, it was bound to be an omen of a bad photo, and you probably began to dread your time in front of the lens even more.
3. Your Name Got Called Before You Were Ready
No... it couldn't be your turn already? You would have applied your fifth coat of Lip Smackers by now. Your fate was in the hands of a stranger.
4. You Got A Large Zit
You woke up on the morning of school picture day, a little bleary-eyed from having stayed up too late debating whether or not you should wear a hat, when you noticed the new addition to your face. A huge pimple the size of a planet had appeared on your cheek, and you were mortified.
5. You Had Food In Your Teeth & No One Told You
You were feeling on top of your game. Until the photographer politely told you that you had some broccoli stuck in your teeth from lunch, which totally threw you for a loop. What kind of friends wouldn't let their pal know they had miniature trees in their teeth? You gave your besties the cold shoulder for half an hour until one of them passed you an apologetic note in class.
6. Your Mom Forgot To Wash Your Cutest Top
It's the morning of school picture day and you ask your mom where your coolest crop top is, the one that you'd based your entire outfit around. She says, "It's in the wash." These four little words send you into despair— the likes of which are usually reserved for times when you're "unfairly" grounded or not allowed to attend an awesome party.
7. You’re Behind One Of The Popular Girls
So you're lining up behind the insanely "cool" girls; the ones who just seem so confident. You inwardly curse your last name, which happens to start with the same letter as the most popular girls in your class. As you suspected, the camera loves them. When it comes to your turn, you just want to turn around and make a run for it. Middle school is hard AF.
Even if one of these unfortunate events did take place, your picture was probably never that bad in the end. And if something did go seriously wrong, well, I hope you can look back and laugh now.
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Images: Disney Channel Original (3); Walt Disney Pictures (1); Getty Images (3)
