SPOTLIGHT (Colt Seavers) ✔︎

3 | Car Roll

I sat in the back of the car, eyes glued to the monitor in front of me, where Colt was preparing for his stunt. He looked nervous, kneeling on the ground and digging around in the sand. I turned and looked out the back window, locking eyes with Dan, who shook his head in bewilderment.

I turned back around, chuckling.

"What's so funny?"

I looked up at Jody, who was watching me through the rearview mirror. "Nothing." I looked back down at the monitor, where Colt was being strapped into the driver's seat. "I think they're almost ready to go."

Jody nodded, raising the radio to her lips. "Alright, let's go."

I sat back in the seat, my shaky hands on the camera controls as chatter from Jody's radio filled the tense silence. Jody was wringing her hands, breathing erratically in the passenger seat. The driver looked slightly. uncomfortable.

"Hey, Jody?" I tapped her on the shoulder and she whipped around to face me. I retracted my hand, conscious of her anxious expression. "It's going to be okay."

She looked sceptical. "How do you know?"

I shrugged. "I just do." She narrowed her eyes. "Everything is ready to go. There's like eight cameras on Colt. It'll be fine—"

"—What did you say?"

My eyes widened. Did I say something wrong? "I... uh... There are eight cameras on—"

"—Colt." I was about to reply. "Did you say Colt?" I just nodded. "Not Colt Seavers..."

Jody craned her neck to look out the back window. "Is everything okay?" I asked, concerned. "Jody?"

Jody shook her head with a scoff. "You've gotta be kidding me."

She put her hand on the door to open it, a livid expression on her face. But before she could, the radio crackled. "Camera 1...? Speed. Camera 2...? Camera 2 speed."

"Shit!" Jody cursed, fumbling for the radio.

"Camera 6...? Speed. Camera 7...? Speed." Jody dropped the radio in the cup holder with a huff. "Camera 8...?"

I looked up at Jody, as if for permission, but she just threw her hands up in frustration. I  pressed the record button on my control dock and picked up my own radio from beside me. "Speed."

I stared down at the monitor, my eyes darting around the screen in search of anything that looked off. There was nothing everything looked perfect. The radio crackled again.

"Action."

Jody looked pissed, but I didn't say anything; I just braced myself as the car lurched forward, Colt following close behind.

"Pyros, now!"

As Colt sped straight into the centre of the frame, massive explosions started all around, causing the car to shake violently. The shot looked amazing.

Jody fumbled for the radio. "I need him closer to the front camera."

It was a few moments, but then Colt picked up the speed. I smiled at the monitor, struggling to absorb the fact that this was my life. But my elation was short lived, quickly contorting into horror as Colt's car came awfully close and didn't stop. I let out a yell, turning around to look through the back window, just as a sickening crunch sounded from behind.

I watched in horror as the camera mounted on the back of the car hung limply from its rig. Colt receded. "Shit," Jody hissed. I turned back to see the monitor displaying nothing but static. My heart sank.

"Don't worry about it. We have seven more. Action! Action! Action!"

I leaned back in my seat with a sigh, placing the monitor beside me. My first real film job and I've blown it in the first two days. Way to go, Skye.

"It's not your fault." I glanced up at Jody with guilty eyes. "It's Colt's fault."

I could tell there was something going on between Jody and Colt. Nobody gets this mad over the presence of someone they don't know. I knew it was none of my business but I couldn't help being curious.

I turned back around, just as Colt's car leaped into the air, spinning in a vomit-inducing roll, until it landed upside down in a smoking mess.

"Cut!"

I pressed the record button, even though I knew it was redundant. When the car slowed to a halt, I got out, quickly followed by Jody.

The smoking vehicle was still and my breath hitched in my throat. Colt?  "No one goes in until the stunt man gives the all clear." We all waited with bated breath until an arm finally poked out from the smashed window, fingers forming into a shaky thumbs up.

With no hesitation, a hoard of people rushed forward, surrounding the car and helping Colt to his feet. As they lead him over, he waved over at me. I shot him a guilty smile as Jody glared at him from a few metres away from me.

"Colt."

Colt's gaze tore from mine, landing on Jody. I watched as his expression changed from friendly to something indescribable. I took a step back, ducking my head.

Jody stormed over to Colt, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him away. I watched as they talked, too far away for me to hear.

"I thought they'd be together forever." I startled, glancing to my side to see Dan beside me. He sent me an apologetic look. "They were a thing but then Colt had his accident and..." I looked at him in confusion. "You don't know about...?"

I shook my head. "No. Should I?"

Dan just shrugged. "I... I don't know if he'd want me to talk about it." I watched as Colt tightened the drawstring on Jody's hat, earning a glare from her. "But it was pretty bad. Put him out of work for like a year"

My eyes widened. "That's awful."

Yeah," Dan muttered. "And I've spent enough time working on Metalstorm with Jody and listening to her vent non-stop to know that Colt changed his number and ghosted her for no reason." I narrowed my eyes as Jody crossed her arms at Colt. "She was pretty heartbroken."

"That's a pretty shitty thing to do." Jody stormed away from Colt and towards Dan and I. He nudged my shoulder with his own. "I think I'm with Jody on this one."

"Oh, me too," Dan replied as Jody kept stomping towards us. "Don't tell her I told you." I nodded. "She's under a lot of pressure."

Jody stopped in front of us, staring up at Dan with a glare. "Get me someone else." Dan let out a sigh as Jody brushed past him. "Literally anyone else. Anyone but him."

Dan turned around to face her as she continued to walk away. "That's the thing..." She stopped. "We literally have no one else."

I glanced over at Colt, who was watching uncomfortably. I turned back to Jody, cogs visibly turning in her head. After a few moments, she let out a defeated sigh. "Fine."

***

A/N:  The stunts in this film are awesome, top notch, outstanding! If they gave out Oscars for that The Fall Guy would win, 100%. My favourite stunt would have to be when Colt stands in front of the car when he's high. The way he smiles at he camera with mouth guard in is so ridiculously funny!

What is your favourite stunt in the film?