Young Collective - Cole Sprouse

chapter two

I arrive to the shooting location at 12:50pm. Julian and I left the bakery and parted ways nearly two hours ago. Then I picked up my fathers old car that is still at our old house. My parents split up many years ago. He moved from Los Angeles to Australia, and left the old family house behind, followed by his car. It's a 1970 red Ford Mustang and it's beautiful. I feel extra cool when I arrive in the beast. Maybe other people don't think I'm cool but I do.

Antelope valley poppy reserve is so stunning. As I arrive I see there's only four other people here. Yet the shoot equipment is all set up. There's three large light reflector screens lying on the ground next to a stool and some tripods. I see two people talking over near the stool and two people sitting on the ground laughing about 100 metres away from them. No one is facing the parking lot. I decide to walk over to the people on the ground as they look much friendlier than the other two. As I'm approaching them I hear a car roll up and turn around to see Julian stepping out of a vehicle. Then more cars follow and before you know it there's twenty people walking out onto the fields. The two men on the ground stand up and turn around. It's kind of awkward because I'm standing directly behind them so I shuffle over a little bit. I watch them walk past me and towards the photographer. One of them double glances at me as he passes. He has black hair and gorgeous features. The other one has blonde hair but they look exactly the same. Maybe this is what Julian was talking about when he mentioned twins. I decide to go and sit down on a bunch of chairs I've just noticed off behind the light reflectors. That way I don't have to talk to anybody. I watch as the crew assemble the tripods and place various cameras on them. I don't see the twins again. After about half an hour Julian approaches me.

"Elora! Hello! Uh- so, I have a job for you. If you come with me-" he waves his hand in the set direction and I tailgate him to the reflector screens. He holds up the largest one and hands it to me.

"If you could hold this while we shoot that would be great." He smiles and I take it. He points to a marked spot on the ground and I stand directly there and hold the screen up. I look around. Almost everyone has disappeared. There's only about five people hanging around now. One of them is an assistant photographer and I think the others are just stylists and hair and makeup artists. So I stand there, doing jack all for another half an hour until I hear Julian behind me talking loudly.

"No singular Cole today- we're just shooting solo Dylan and then twin photos. Okay? No smiling, act natural act annoyed act angsty..." I turn around and see Julian swishing his hands up and down as he talks to the two young men I saw earlier. They both look quite young. Lean bodies but stunning faces. I stare a little too long and loosen my grip on the screen and it comes flying out of my hand and back towards the cars, just passed the black haired twin. I gasp and quickly waddle over towards the car park but the black haired boy gets there first. He walks up to me and hands it over.

"It's a lot harder than it seems isn't it." He smiles as I take it from him. He has soft hands.

"Haha yeah." I say. But I don't move. My body doesn't budge. I stand frozen in front of this beautiful man and wait for him to say something but he just laughs back awkwardly. Finally I manage to giggle out a "thanks" and twaddle off back to my station. I'm so embarrassing. I'm literally an idiot. I plant my feet where I was told to about 45 minutes ago and pray this boy doesn't look at me. The blonde haired one walks up to the stool which is now in the middle of a paddock. He sits down and takes a few deep breaths then starts to put his model face on. The black haired boy stands directly behind me, occasionally letting out an "ohh" and "yeah" and "mm" whenever his brother strikes a daring pose. Loud enough so the blonde haired boy can hear, and he laughs occasionally. And the dark haired one is told off numerous times by Julian.

So I stand there for what feels like forever. Holding up a screen and praying the boy behind me doesn't remember me tomorrow when I have to hold another screen up for his modelling.

———

I soon find out that the black haired boy is named Cole, and the other Dylan. But I still can't remember or even pronounce their surname. By the time we finished shooting it's nearly dark. My arms are tired and my stomach is sore from all the not-eating I'm doing. I perch myself down on the seats, hoping someone will tell me that I can leave. I watch as many of the crew members leave and drive away in their cars. I think to do the same but remember I'm here for Julian. So I sit, and gaze upon our two models who are rubbing makeup off of their faces and changing their clothes. Cole takes of his shirt slowly- as he is laughing and mid conversation with his brother. He tosses it to the ground and doesn't move for a bit, still distracted. This give me a perfect minute of stillness to gawk at his fantastically muscly but also lean figure. He has hardly any chest hair and his skin glows in the sunset light. I'm still staring- and noticeably starting might I add, when he turns to me. The bottom of my jar crashes up towards the rest of my face and I swallow quickly as I stare way too hard at the ground at my feet. Not obvious at all El. You're so smooth.

Another twenty minutes or so and the boys disperse. I sit still as stone as I see Dylan (the blonde haired one) strut towards me. He sits down on a chair right next to me and starts up a conversation. I try to activate my confidence but I'm tired and lazy and I fail.

"Hi." He smiles at me. His elbows leaning on his knees. He so handsome. But his face is noticeably different from Coles. I stutter out a few words,

"Hi- uh- I'm Elora." I smile back.

"I'm Dylan." He sits back comfortably. He clears his throats then looks over at the others. "Julian wanted me to let you know that some of the crew are going back to his house for drinks. He was wondering if you wanted to come back?"

"Um-" I don't want to decline Julians offer because well, it's Julian. But I'm tired and hungry and sore and I have to get up early tomorrow. So I decide against it.

"I'm really tired and I have a early start tomorrow, please give him my apologies." I say, putting on my sincere voice. "Will you be here tomorrow for the shoot?" I try to end on an optimistic note.

"No, photographer seems to be satisfied with what we produced today and he's only shooting my brother tomorrow. I might see you again soon," he smiles and stands up. "It was really lovely to meet you Elora." He extends his hand and I shake it. If he pulled upwards I could fly into his arms like a butterfly and then together we could leave this plane and off into another. But no, his soft hands leave mine and he awaits my reply.

"Pleasure was all mine Dylan." I smile and he skips off towards Julian. I watch Julian's expression as Dylan rehearses my lines, he doesn't seem at all disappointed and just turns his head in my direction and waves a wave I presume is a goodbye.

And so I leave. I meander over to my mustang and start the engine. The sun is basically gone and I watch as the black haired boy helps the others pack up. I kind of wish he'd come and asked me for drinks instead of the blonde haired one. Oh well, no matter.

There's always tomorrow.