The five boys currently causing various havoc around the portacabin looked up at me as the door slammed shut behind me. I jumped slightly, my already speeding heart beating that little bit faster. I didn't think I'd be photographing someone as big as One Direction, I expected some smaller celebrity, like a new addition to the music word or some competion winner, not a successful (or so I'd heard) international band. I felt myself begin to panic. I knew hardly anything about these boys, except their names, just about, and that they were very famous. What if my shoot wasn't good enough? Thousands of questions flew through my brain, wondering how this would work out. Mr. Baines never thought to tell me I would be shooting these guys! Part of me despised him and everyone else for not telling me about this, giving me time to plan this better and be prepared for what I was facing. Though this explained the screaming girls outside the warehouse.
I straightened up as their eyes watched me from their various positions around the room. I had to act professional and in control even if I didn't feel it. They would be relying on me to direct this shoot, if it didn't go well it would be my internship on the line. My career, my future. I had to get this right, after that who knew how many more jobs I would get? Especially with my first shoot being as high profile as this, I could do it, I just had to have faith.
"Hi. I'm Cassidy, I'll be your photographer for this shoot." I said, trying to suppress the tremor threatening to rise in my voice. I was confident, I was professional. "Do you guys have a minute so I can talk you through what will happen?"
"Sure, sit down." Said the one I recognized from all the teen magazines I'd been pouring over the past couple of weeks for inspiration, as Louis.
"No thanks, this won't take long." I said, smiling politely. He shrugged in a suit-yourself manner. "If you could all just sit on the sofa so I can see you all." I said, gesturing to the sofa Louis had spread himself out on.
"Move your legs Louis." The curly-haired one named Harry said. He pushed Louis' legs aside and sat himself down in the space he created. Louis sat upright allowing the rest of the boys to sit. They all sat on the distressed red sofe, looking up at me expectantly. I wished they would look away, I felt nervous with all their gazes watching my every move.
"Well I'm sure you've been informed this is a one day shoot, since the magazine is doing a four page spread on you guys meaning there are various outfits to be changed into and such. Once you're ready if you could come into the warehouse. Please be careful not to ruin your outfits, I'm sure the wardrobe department will be grateful, as will I." I stopped to look at them all in turn to make sure my point got across. I noticed they'd begun to get restless, poking each other and whispering. "Basically you will be given some things which you can use as you please. Just mess around and pretend I'm not there, okay? You will also be doing individual shots too, just so you know. That all clear?" They nodded obligingly. "Good, then there should be no problems." I concluded.
"What did you say your name was?" Harry asked me. I paused before answering.
"Cassidy." I said.
"Right. Cassidy. So this shoot will take all day?" He asked me.
"That's what I said." I replied. "Would you like me to repeat it so you can understand it fully?" His band-mates sniggered. He looked annoyed at how I had adressed him.
"How old even are you? Surely you're not a real photographer." He retorted.
"My age is none of your business. And yes, I am a real photographer so you can rest assured." I replied, irritation edging into my voice. Who was he to question my authority? I could tell we were not going to get along.
"I think we got it all, don't you lads?" Said the one I knew as Liam. The others agreed.
"Good. See you all inside soon." I said, flashing them a smile and leaving the portacabin.
As we waited for the boys to finish hair, make-up and wardrobe we rushed around checking everything was in order. We had a table set up with snacks and drinks, we had the radio on, all the photography equipment set up and all the props on set ready for use. As I walked around for the fifth time checking everything was good, I nodded. Everything was as good as it could be. With nothing to do, I decided to take a stroll outside.
It was a large premisise so, thought there was little on it. Still, the fresh air would do me good. As I stepped out of the warehouse I spotted one of the boys sitting on the portacabin stairs, one I think was called Zayn. As I got closer I saw why he was outside. He was smoking. It was none of my business, but it shocked me. Surely boybands were meant to be all clean-cut and that thing? He saw me coming and put out the cigarette.
"Sorry." He said when I was in hearing range.
"It's fine, you can smoke if you want." I said. He shrugged. I sat down on the opposite end of the stair he sat on.
"I try not to smoke in peoples presence. Most people have a problem with it." He said, shrugging.
"Your life, you do what you want with it. I don't mind anyway, I'm used to it." I said. He looked at me for more information. "My ex-boyfriend used to smoke." I explained.
"That why you dumped him?" He asked. I shook my head.
"He slept with my best friend." I replied. He inhaled sharply.
"Ouch. What a dick." He said. I laughed.
"Thanks. I don't care though, he wasn't that great." I said. Zayn raised an eyebrow.
"At what?" He said, smirking. I smacked his arm lightly.
"Shut up! I thought you boybands were meant to be all clean-cut and wholesome?" I giggled. These guys weren't so bad. Well, Zayn wasn't anyway. I didn't know about the rest of them.
"We're boys, what do you expect? We're not exactly saints, I can tell you that. No one really cares though, they're used to it." He replied with a shrug.
"Oh yeah? What kind of things do you do?" I asked, interested in how bad these boys really would.
"Drink, I smoke though none of the others do, sleep around, except for Liam and Louis, they have girlfriends. I've had to stop now though, I have a girlfriend. I have a load of tattoos too. Not typical boyband things." He said. I raised an eyebrow. Worse than I expected.
"Better to be exciting than boring." I replied simply. "Though I must say I'm impressed you haven't been killed. You're managed by Simon Cowell right?" Zayn nodded.
"He tells us to lay off the partying and stuff, but whatever. Live life while you have it and everything." Zayn said casually. I laughed.
Just then the portacabin door opened and a blonde head popped out.
"Lauren said you have to come in now." The blonde one called Niall said. Zayn sighed.
"Nice talking to you Cassidy. See you later." Zayn said to me, giving me a smile before climbing the few stairs leading into the portacabin.
"What was that?" I head Niall whisper to Zayn as he closed the door. I grinned to myself. Zayn was cool, maybe we could be friends. Although he was insanely good looking I wasn't really into him, sure I'd probably sleep with him, not being a slut or anything, but I wouldn't date him. He had a girlfriend anyway. He was a cool guy though, I wouldn't mind being his friend.
With that I got up from my place on the stairs. My bum was wet from the damp stair, but I didn't mind. It would dry off later. I walked around the premisise, the stones beneath my feet crunching as I walked. The sky was grey today, threatening to rain. It had rained last night though what did you expect with October weather. The air was crisp and bit at my cheeks, probably turning them red. It didn't bother me. I didn't care about my appearance much, despite most girls my age. How my hair looked or if my make-up was perfect didn't affect my job, therefore I didn't care. As usual I wore my fair hair in a ponytail which touched the base of my neck and my face was free of make-up. It made me feel uncomfortable and I always forgot to wash it off. I wore what I felt like, this time going for light blue skinny jeans (distressed) with a plain purple t-shirt, which I wore a blue hoodie over, and converse high-tops.
Eventually I went inside, my hoodie not protecting me from the cold October air. Everyone sat around waiting. We didn't wait long before the warehouse door opened and five loud and energetic boys bounded in ready for their shoot. They skidded to a halt as I shouted for them not to set foot on the set until they'd got their assigned shoes on. If I'd let them on their would be footprints all over the white paint-splattered set, which meant more work for me editing it. I beckoned them over and they slinked guiltily toward me.
"Sorry for nearly ruining your set." Louis said.
"It's a really cool set!" Niall added. I smiled.
"Thanks, I'm glad you think so. And it's fine, just don't do that again." I replied. "So, if you go get your shoes on we can get started." They nodded and ran off to put on their shoes. Zayn gave me a wink before he turned around. Harry pushed Zayn when he saw it.
"What the hell man?" He muttered. Zayn shoved him back without a word.
"No fighting please, what did I say about looking after your clothes." I shouted after them. I had a feeling they'd be a handful.
The shoot didn't turn out too badly. It went rather well infact, apart from the part where I told Harry to move back.
"But I'm always at the front." He told me. I smiled sweetly at him.
"Then maybe people are sick of your face." I said. He looked shocked as the other boys laughed at my comment.
"Come on mate, just move back." Louis said, placing a hand on an irritated Harry's shoulder. He shrugged it off and shuffled reluctantly from the back.
"Good Harry. Now Niall, Louis, come to the front and Zayn, Liam just position yourselves either side of Harry. That's it." I instructed as the moved into the places I asked. They were well-behaved once they got into it, I never had to ask them more than a few times.
After hours of shooting I decided they needed a break. They'd been good and I was getting hungry, as I was sure, were they due to Niall's constant trips to the snacks table. Though a lot of food had been wasted through minor food fights.
"Right, let's break for lunch for an hour." I announced, they cheered and dropped anything they'd been holding, running off set towards to door. "Boys! Hey! Take your shoes off!" I shouted after them. I heard them collectively groan and trail back to put on their shoes. Once they had they ran off again, not bothering to wait until they were in the portacabins to take their shirts off. Show offs.
I settled down at my laptop to begin my work of selecting the photos that the magazine could use and editing them with my trusted editing software. I connected my camera and began going through the pictures I had taken when I heard the door bang shut behind me. I glanced over my shoulder to see Louis walking towards me. When he was standing directly behind me I spoke.
"Surely you should have left by now." I murmured, my eyes fixed on my laptop screen.
"Can't get rid of us that easily, we're like a disease, always lurking." He grinned.
"I thought it was an infection." I replied, remembering seeing something about "One Direction Infection" on Twitter on various ocassions. He smiled.
"Someone's a secret fan, me thinks." He teased. I rolled my eyes.
"Dream on sweetheart. Now, what do you want? I have work to do." I said, glancing up from my screen to look at him.
"We wanted to invite you to lunch with us. Figured it would be more fun than sitting here looking at pictures of us. Though actually, thinking about it...." He said, a laugh in his voice.
"Yeah right. Thanks for the offer, but I'm good here." I told him, giving him a polite smile. He frowned.
"You can't not have lunch." He told me.
"I will have lunch, I'll get something later." I said. But he wasn't having any of it.
"Cassidy, come on. We need some sort of responsible adult there, making sure we don't cause to much chaos." He said, tugging at my arm.
"But I'm younger than you!" I protested.
"Yeah, but who says I'm responsible?" He laughed. I sighed and before I knew it he had hauled me out of the chair and was pulling me toward the doors.