Spotlight

12

A few hours later, I was sitting in a director's chair holding a clapperboard. The camera snapped multiple photos of me smiling behind the clapperboard, as it read Spotlight 1.01. I gathered that Spotlight was the name of the television series.

After numerous photos were taken, the photographers let me go back to where everyone else was, looking over the photos that were taken earlier today. The three of them were fixated on the photo of Tristan and I, as he pulled out his phone and took a photo of it.

"What's happening back here?" I asked, providing a fake laugh – like I hadn't noticed the screen.

Tristan looked to the other two, as one of the head photographers interrupted us.

"This is the winning shot Mae! This will be splurged on all types of teenage magazines and gossip columns by next Monday morning. How does that make you feel?" he excitedly said.

I knew my life was going to take off, that's how I felt.

"What about the photos of all four of us?" I asked.

"Well of course Tristan and yourself will be front cover, the rest will be an inset inside the magazine," he mumbled, putting down his Nikon on the bench. I honestly felt like everything was moving too fast.

Michelle and Brian got up, collecting their bags off the floor.

"Are you guys coming tonight?" Michelle asked, looking from Tristan to me.

"Tonight?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"Yeah, like the newcomers party? You know?" she awkwardly laughed, tracing her hand up and down her bare arms.

I still had no idea what she was talking about.

"Uhhh, I'll have to enlighten her on that one, I guess we'll see you both later?" Tristan asked, climbing out of his chair, and also swinging his bag from the floor over his left shoulder.

"See you at eight!" Brian called, slapping Tristan on the arm in an attempt to say a friendly goodbye. His hand brushed past my arm as he walked past, rising goosebumps onto my skin. Michelle followed him out the door as she too, said her goodbyes. All that was left in the studio was the two of us, and some photographers who were cleaning up their areas and loading the photos onto display screens.

"Alright, we're going to head off guys! Thanks for today!" Tristan waved as he shouted goodbye to numerous photographers who he seemed to know on a personal basis. I shyly followed him out the back door, where we were immersed in the hot summer heat of California. I quickly tied my hair into a high ponytail so that my back and shoulders didn't get sweaty from the sun.

"So, your first day. What did you think?" he asked, uplifting his bag higher on his shoulder for comfort.

"There's a lot. It's like a whole new world," I quietly hummed beside him. We silently continued to walk through the empty car park of the building.

When we both opened our mouths to say something at the same time, we both laughed to ourselves, before he murmured a 'you go'

"So what is this newcomers party Michelle mentioned?" I asked, swinging my hand in synch with his, almost like old times.

"It's like a party where we all go on the first day of production. It's kind of just a tradition that happens with every series that is produced by our studio. It's always just thrown on the beach somewhere, and those who want to come, come. Those who don't usually just stay home."

I nodded, but I don't think he could see me that far in his peripheral vision.

"Are you going?" I asked. I realized it was a stupid question as soon as I said it, because I knew he said before he'd see Michelle and Brian there tonight.