behind cameras- c.l

six

I've composed myself by the time I reach the group again. With a smile plastered on my face, I rejoin them on the sad, and slump down between Lily and George, stretching out my legs nonchalantly. They all look at me expectantly.

"What?" I ask, and George rolls his eyes.

"What was that all about?" He asks, nudging me with his elbow.

"Oh, nothing," I say, waving him off. "Just discussing the Ferrari input for Drive to Survive. You know Charles, massive narcissist."

George nods and looks back out to the sea, and there's silence again. Pierre is the one to break it this time.

"Did you guys kiss?"

My jaw drops and I turn to look at him and Alex gasps besides me. "What?" we ask in unison.

"Charles." Pierre says. "Did you kiss him?"

I don't say anything, opening my mouth and shutting it, my brain trying to figure out what to say. Pierre's eyes light up as he takes that as an affirmative.

"You did!" He cries out gleefully, and jumps up as Charles approaches us all again. "Well done, mate." He says to the approaching man, who looks at him stonily.

"What?" Charles asks tiredly, not looking at me.

Pierre raises his hands in surrender. "Props to you , man. Didn't think it would be that easy. How much do I owe you, then?"

He fishes in his wallet and pulls out what looks like 500 dollars. I start to feel sick as I realise what's going on.

"Oh my god." I say slowly. "That was a fucking bet?"

Both Charles and Pierre look over to me, the former looking panicked. Pierre nods. "Yeah, 500 bucks if he can kiss you before the weekend."

I feel fury in ever part of my body. "You have got to be fucking kidding me."

"Wait, you kissed him?" George asks, having watched this whole thing going down. I shake my head.

"No I fucking didn't! This fucking piece of shit tried, though, and now I find out he was paid?"

George sucks in his breath. "Oh shit." He turns to Charles and Pierre, who are standing, frozen. "You guys are fucking dickheads, what the hell."

Max joins in now. "Seriously, guys?" He says, sounding angry. "That's a real dick move."

"Oh, stay out of this, both of you." Charles snaps.

I scramble to my feet. "Seriously, what the fuck?" Lily tries to pull me back down, but I shake her off. "What the fuck-" I repeat, "-is wrong with you?"

Charles glares at me. "Look, Jones-"

I march up to him, and slap the side of his face, hard. I hear Kika and Max gasp, being the ones nearest to us. I lean in and hiss in his face. "You are fucking pathetic." I take a step back, shaking my head and analysing him again. "I actually thought I might have been wrong about you. And I was, but only that you're a much bigger asshole than I thought you were."

I look at Pierre, just glaring at him. We'd barely had one exchange, and he thought he had the right to use me and trade me around for money. Speaking of money, I look down and snatch the $500 from his hand, waving it in his face. "For the record, Gasly," I say. "We didn't kiss. He lost the bet, and I'm taking this."

Pierre says nothing, at least having the dignity to look ashamed, unlike Charles, who just rolls his eyes. "Jones, stop being dramatic."

I laugh humorlessly and open my mouth to retort, but Alex gets there first.