Tears of our Ruins

Quiet on Set

ELLIOT

My body is rigid with nerves as I stand behind the camera crew, watching Cora. Some lady is freshening up her makeup. Bobby is standing beside me with his arms crossed in front of his chest. He's all business and I know he wouldn't hesitate to go on set if they breach the contract. Jessa is giving Cora a big smile, trying to calm her nerves. I should do that too. When Cora glances at me, I'll make sure I give her a wink and grin.

We're all here to support her. We're all here to protect her. This is her big statement about CoCo. We've rehearsed through this a million times. I know how nervous she is though. She spent all night last night crying on my shoulder because she doesn't want to do this. The girl who wants to avoid the spotlight has been thrown into it.

She looks gorgeous sitting out there though. Jessa and her fretted over her wardrobe. They didn't want anything flashy. Nothing that would draw extra attention to her. I don't know. This dress may be plain but it showcases everything hiding underneath it. It's a high necked, short sleeved, black dress that falls to her calves. It's completely plain but it's so tight that it is damn sexy. Her makeup is simple, just enough to stand out against the studio lights, or so I'm told. The front of her hair has small, intricate braids and then her gorgeous dark curls fall down to her waist.

"Ready, Cora?" Melody Myers, the host of the show, asks her. We already watched the recording of the opening segment leading into this interview. I silence my anxious groan. I just want this to be over.

"I am," Cora grins. I know she's already faking that confidence. My nervous are tripled now. She briefly glances at me. I give her that wink and grin.

"Silence on the set. And 3...2...1..."

"Thank you for joining us, Cora, or should I say CoCo?"

Cora laughs. "Cora is fine."

"So tell us, how did CoCo come about?"

Cora has a huge smile plastered on her face. "Coco was never suppose to become anything. I was traveling with a friend, who is more like a sister to me. Ava McDouglas. She's a renowned landscape photographer. Her work is amazing. When we were in Ireland, she was shooting landscape pictures at sunset. I was sitting on a crumbling stone wall, looking at the Irish Sea, while she worked. It was just a beautiful location. There was something about me sitting there with my pink hair and modern clothing that really captured Ava's artistic eye, so she snapped some pictures. They were gorgeous but she was obsessed with the juxtaposition of the whole thing; ancient with modern. It just grew from there."

"I do know Ava's work. She is a brilliant photographer. So tell us, why wasn't CoCo ever suppose to be a thing and what changed?"

"It was only ever meant to be for fun. The pictures turned out so good though and Ava was really wanting to showcase her work. I didn't care as long as the attention was on her and her art, not me. So we created an anonymous account; CoCo."

"Where did the name CoCo come from?"

She giggles. She's doing a really good job. She may not want this life, but she looks like a natural. "My childhood best friend, now current boyfriend, couldn't say Cora when we were little so he called me Coco instead. It's still a nickname he uses for me today."

"And should I assume this boyfriend bestie is the same man you were photographed with at the airport?" Bobby hated this question and wanted it removed. Cora was fine with it though and pushed to keep it. She wanted everyone to know she was in a committed relationship. I'm definitely not complaining about this.

"The one and only," Cora says glancing at me. I give her another smile.

"So you and Ava took these amazing and gorgeous pictures. You said you didn't want the focus on you, why not? Why wouldn't you want the world to know you're the woman in them?"