Bella Notte

by Jesse Kimmel-Freeman

  Since it was now overcast, the entire room looked gray- not a good light for a photo shoot. Damn. I really had wanted this to go smoothly, but it looked like the gods were against us.

  I put Kelly in a squashy chair and wrapped a blanket around her. I turned on the heat so the room would warm up to a nice seventy degrees, and then I walked off to the kitchen.

  The phone rang.

  “Hello,” I said into the receiver.

  “Hi, Emma. This is Chris. I'm running late. Is Kelly there already? Has the overcast landed by you guys as well?” He threw the questions at me so quickly I barely blinked as I listened.

  “Hi, Chris. Yeah, Kelly's here. Unfortunately, the overcast is here as well. How late do you think you're gonna be? I setup in the sun room- like we had discussed, do you want me to move it?” I asked him.

  “I should be there in about an hour. I'm bringing hair and makeup with me, so they couldn't be late. The clothing should be arriving any minute with my assistant. No, keep the sun room … if the sun decides to break through, then we won't have to move again. Okay, bye honey.” Click. The line was dead. Artists! Such odd ducks.

  I got some breakfast ready for Kelly. I was sure she was going to be the only human here today, so I didn't make a lot of extra for everyone else. I brewed a huge pot of coffee and put the kettle on for tea and cocoa. I brought her the nice hot meal- which she ate thankfully and then I conveyed what Chris had told me.

  “You don't think the weather will ruin it all?” Her face contorted with worry.

  “No. That's what artificial lighting is for.” I smiled at her as she relaxed a bit.

  “Okay.” She slid down further into the chair.

  “Why don't you take a little nap and I'll wake you when everyone gets here, although I'm sure the commotion will do fine.” I laughed.

  She nodded and closed her eyes.

  About twenty minutes later, Chris's assistant- Kris- arrived. I helped her get all the outfits out into the sun room as quietly as possible. They had all been numbered- there were about thirty of them. I really hoped that Kelly would not have to go through thirty different wardrobe changes today.

  I think it is so he can have a variety of things to choose from. I've never known anyone to go through that many in one shoot let alone a human. Kris said to me, her voice was very even, which made me wonder what she would sound like when angry.

  I can only hope so, for poor Kelly's sake. I smiled at sleeping Kelly.

  Kris and I set up everything around Kelly that would be needed for the shoot. Apparently, all Chris had with him was the makeup person, the hairstylist, and all their gear. His camera was here. I was highly tempted to take a shot of Kelly sleeping, but I had never seen a vampire get upset, and I didn't know his temperament.

  So, what happens if someone touches his camera? I asked Kris.

  Oh, he kills them right there. She laughed.

  I so didn't think that was funny.

  Just kidding. I doubt anything. Why?

  I think this angle of Kelly sleeping would make an awesome shot. It's very natural. I looked at Kris to see what she thought and she handed me Chris's camera.

  Go for it. It's digital, so, if he hates it, he can get rid of it. Easy peasy. Her smile was so natural that it took the vampire chill away from her and made her quite warming.

  While Kelly silently slumbered, I shot numerous shots of her, from varying angles, in the hope that Chris would in fact like one. I was an artist as well, and I knew that he would appreciate the gesture. I was surprised that she didn't wake up from the flashes, but she slept on happily.

  We're here. Chris's gentle voice drifted into my thoughts.

  I'll get the door, Kris said and gestured for me to wake Kelly up.

  I gently shook her and she mumbled at me. “Hey, girlie, it's time to shake the lead out.” I shook her again.

  “Kay. I'm coming.” She rolled out of the chair and right onto the floor.

  I started giggling. “Um, what happened there, hun?” I giggled some more.

  “Guess I forgot where I was.” She smiled as she got up and rubbed her bum.

  “Well, they're all here now.” I poured her out a cup of hot chocolate from the thermos I had put in the room for her. “Here, some chocolate to wake you up.”

  “Thanks!” She beamed at me as she sipped the warm liquid.

  “Ah, there's my model,” Chris said as he walked into the room.

  “Emma, you and Kris did a fabulous job out here.” His compliment strangely didn't sound as flamboyant as it should have.

  “Eh, thanks,” I said as Kelly yawned and waved at Chris.

  “Okay, Kelly, I need to take some of your measurements. That's when I take your height, bust, hips, and waist size. That way, when I make you a comp card, your information will be on the back along with the agency's information.” He pulled out a measuring tape and got to work.

  Afterwards, he jotted everything down.

  I watched as Chris walked around the room and Kris followed him about, awaiting instruction. It was quite entertaining to watch. I only wished that I had thought to record the entire event to later play for Kelly when she was famous. Oh well.

  “Okay. Kris, set up some lights and flood every corner we are using. I don't want any odd shadows unless I put them there. Now, Kelly, you need to come with me and we'll decide on a couple of looks for you from my racks. Afterwards we can talk about my visions for the shots and so forth. To work.” He clapped his hands and I giggled.

  Kelly stood in front of a mirror as Chris held up dress after dress. I watched the small frame of Kris scurrying about, carrying lights that were bigger than her, and flooding the entire sun room with a white light. I immediately hated it.

  Is that necessary? I asked with my eyes squinting shut.

  Unfortunately, it is. It's something you adjust to, if you decide to stay in this business. Kris answered as she lit yet another one.

  Can we put a filter on it, to soften it or something? I was thinking about crying to get my way.

  We'll see what Chris wants to do for Kelly's look. Maybe it will all be gentle lighting. She smiled at me.

  We can only hope. I looked over at Chris, who had missed everything that had happened.

  Chris was holding a short black dress that was very simple, a replica of Kelly's prom dress, a replica of my prom dress, and a sun dress done in yellow plaid. He was explaining to Kelly how her feet wouldn't show in the long dress, but, in the sun dress, he wanted bare feet. For the black dress he produced a pair of electric blue stilettos and for my dress he pulled out a pair of shoes similar to mine. I felt slighted because it was my dress and shoes that she was going to be wearing. Logic decided to intercede and explained to me that my dress and shoes were upstairs, so I needed to take a freakin' chill pill.

  After they decided on the clothes, then they decided on the makeup. A lot of it was really dramatic- except the sun dress, he didn't want any makeup for that.

  I watched Chris figure out in which sequence to shoot the photos and where he wanted to shoot them. The sun dress was going to be outside, and if it started raining, then all for the better. The short black dress was to be on a white background. Kelly's prom dress would need the use of a chaise and would be shot on a black background. My dress was going to be shot from an above angle and with a checkered floor something we had in the kitchen.

  I pulled the chaise in for them and watched Kris get the backdrops ready; they consisted of two metal poles holding large rolls of paper on them. The paper could be pulled down and then was taped to the floor. For the white paper it was important not to have anything on the bottom of your shoes- as to not have shoe prints in the shot. I decided that if I had been a photographer, I would love to have the prints in all my photos- it would be my signature.

  After Kris got the shot ready, I helped her position the chaise in the right spot. Then we sat and waited for them to finish with Kelly. She was in her prom dress and her hair was turned in
to a river of cascading curls. Her makeup was done so her eyes were surrounded by deep blues, thus making her natural color more vivid. Her lips were barely colored. She could have easily been a corpse, but it looked way too cool.

  “Kris, put a blue filter on that light, please!” Chris called as he positioned Kelly on the chaise, in a draping position. Kris rushed off to place a piece of blue plastic over the front of one light and Kelly was instantly tinted blue.

  Her position was beautiful. She was laying across the chaise with her curls spread all around her, her knees were bent and angled to the left as her dress was pulled to the right. Chris climbed up a ladder and started snapping shots of her. She changed her facial expressions without being asked and he smiled joyously at her.

  Kris was getting the photos instantly, on a laptop that she monitored, to make sure there were no technical difficulties going on. I watched as my childhood friend was turned into a Gothic pop star. Any singer would kill to have these shots done. And then Chris called for a position change. They sat Kelly up, curled her legs under her and handed her a book, but they left the blue tint on. It was sad to me and when I watched the images pop up, I realized that was what it was- lonely. She was all dressed up with nowhere to go- alone.

  Chris had Kelly do various positions in the dress and used the chaise as a prop as needed.

  After an hour, he decided it was time for a wardrobe change.

  Next was the simple black dress. They pulled Kelly's luscious curls into a tight bun on her head. Cleared away all the blue makeup and did a gentle black eye liner, with a slight pink eyeshadow and lip gloss to match. She was placed on the white back drop this time and was told how to stand and look.

  The pictures made her look more like a lawyer or something. I liked the ones before better, but I knew it was important to get different looks.

  I watched Kelly closely, in case she needed a break or anything. I couldn't read her thoughts but I could see her body language, even under all the direction. She was holding up well.

  After another hour, Chris decided it was time for the last inside shot and directed Kris to move the gear that would be needed into the kitchen. I helped her as I felt it was unjust for any one person to get stuck doing all the slave labor.

  Kris tested the lighting with the kitchen lights on and the shutters open on the windows. After some great internal debate, she decided that two lights would be good enough. She went about setting up an area that Kelly could sit in and still have the right angles. I watched in amazement as she set everything up … then did some more light testing.

  Kelly came in the room and she looked very Gothic. She had red streaks in her hair. Her eyeliner was thick and her shadow was bright red, as were her lips. It looked very fierce.

  She looked at me like she finally understood who I was, and it made me want to laugh because I was no longer that girl.

  Chris came in and sat Kelly on the floor with her legs tucked under her. He climbed up the ladder once more and called for her to look up at him. She did. The shot was perfect.

  He had her do various leg placements, but all the shots were from above, it was all really interesting.

  The final shot was of her crying and looking up once more- the makeup guy came and spritzed her eye makeup, in just the right place, so that it ran in two perfect lines down her face. Her eyes looked filled with pain and I wanted to cry.

  After that shot I didn't think that Chris would want to do the outside shot, but I was wrong. Soon I was helping Kris get my backyard set up for another shoot.

  Chris had demanded that a tree needed to be in the background, but only one. This didn't seem like an impossible request until I realized that all our trees were part of the forest and there weren't any singular trees sitting about. Damn him!

  I walked up and down my property trying to find the perfect place to have Kelly's last shoot done.

  What if the tree is so big that you can't see the other trees? I asked Chris.

  I suppose that will have to do. He huffed.

  I shook my head and called Kris over. “This is the right spot.” I declared. It was at the very edge of my backyard and the tree was huge. I knew it would take most of the shot and what was along the sides could be cropped out. Kris and I set up for the shot. There wasn't any electricity this far from the house so the shot would be done with the natural light- the clouds had gotten thicker and I wasn't sure if Chris wouldn't get his wish about rain.

  Kelly strolled out in the thin sun dress and shivered. It was cold outside and I knew without her shoes, she was feeling it one hundred percent. I held her shoulders tight and rubbed up and down in hopes of making her warmer.

  “You know …” Her teeth chattered together. “ … your hands are pretty cold.”

  “Oh, sorry.” I pulled my hands away and remembered my chilly nature.

  Chris came out and declared that it would rain. He had Kris go get an umbrella for when it started and began to shoot Kelly and the tree. It was hard for Kelly not to chatter her teeth together throughout the entire shoot, but as soon as the rain began to fall I was concerned for her health. The dress went almost see through and Kelly's hair turned into long strings of wetness.

  After about half an hour, I told Chris that enough was enough. I grabbed the umbrella from him and hung it over Kelly as I walked her into the house.

  She pulled off the dress where it made a plop sound as it hit the floor. I wrapped her in the wool blanket she had snuggled up with in the morning. I found the sweats she had come in and had her slip them on and drink some hot chocolate.

  Chris came in and he was enthusiastic. He told Kelly that he would easily have jobs lined up for her after graduation. She blushed and thanked him for his help. Then, as quickly as they had appeared Chris, hair, and make up, all left.

  I helped Kris load everything into the large white van she was driving. I offered her something warm to drink- she looked at Kelly and then shook her head. I waved to her as she left.

  “So, you hungry?” I asked Kelly.

  “Starving!” she cried.

  “Then let's eat something. I know, I'll make you a dish I learned from Dominic. It's Italian and yummy.” I smiled and she nodded as we made our way into the kitchen.

  I made the artichoke frittata that I had watched Dom make for me. Kelly enjoyed it and declared that she hoped one day she'd be able to go to Italy and eat their delicious food all the time. I laughed at her.

  After we ate, she left and I was once again all alone. Dominic would be back later in the day, but I was alone right then. I went back upstairs and continued my monster movie marathon.

  Dom found me asleep later as some Japanese movie with a Godzilla like creature in it terrorized the local town. I had fallen asleep in the beginning- it was way too cheesy for me.

  He tucked me into my bed and then disappeared behind my eyelids.

  Dom and I spent all of Sunday together as we worked out more of the details for the move. I wasn't sure what I should take with me and I was all nervous. Graduation was coming up quickly and then I'd be packed and gone. I got all stressed out and Dom suggested that we see a movie. I agreed as long as it wasn't a monster flick. He laughed at me.

  When we got to the theater, they were playing Pirates of the Caribbean and Pin Up Girl. I readily went for Pin Up Girl- it had no monsters whatsoever in it.

  I watched the old film in fascination as I thought about how Betty Grable's legs were insured for a million dollars. She really could say she had million dollar legs. I loved the old black and whites where everyone sung and danced about everything. This was no different and I wished for a time and place where I could walk about singing and dancing all the time. I'd love to live in a musical. I laughed to myself about the thought of it.

  We left the theater and the day ended slowly.

  Monday was filled with excitement because the valedictorian was going to be announced. I still secretly wanted it even though I had received my ticket out.

 
I sat in first period and listen to Mr. Fitzgerald talk about stuff that didn't matter anymore- the tests were down and classes, as well as school, would be over shortly.

  About halfway through the class a junior came in to announce the year's valedictorian. And the winner is …

  “Emma Hutchinson,” the small girl said, and then left the room.

  I was congratulated by everyone. Mr. Fitzgerald mentioned the speech that I'd have to give and I shuddered. I really hated giving large public speeches.

  Congrats. Dom's voice whispered in my head.

  Thanks. But now I have to give a farewell speech for our class. UGH! I wanted to be struck by lightning.

  Don't be so dramatic. It's a small enough town that it can't be bigger than the town. He laughed.

  Just so you know, I am shooting you with death stares! I huffed at him.

  The rest of the day flew by with many congratulations and me fretting about what to say. I got home and sat down with a piece of paper and started to write.

  Welcome parents, students, and. No, no. Welcome ladies and gentlemen to our graduation. It has been a year of great a many things. Ugh. accomplishments. We have grown from the children that our parents raised, into the young grownups. Grr. adults that are about to leave this fine school. Deep breath. establishment, and take on the world. Our long awaited future is calling us into action to take up arms. What is this an army recruiter's speech? to us. Our futures seem a little brighter and definitely scarier. The unknown for us is if we will make it. I believe that we will. I've grown up with every one of these students and I have seen all the awkward phases and interesting choices we have all made throughout the years. Now we are going to put our current knowledge to the test and go out there into the real world. This sounds so stupid. We are all going places in our lives, whether it is to college, or modeling, or work, we are going on to the next phase of our lives. Gah. step on this road. Our futures are bright with the hopes of our dreams and nothing is impossible for us. I believe that we will follow these dreams and turn them into reality, but this is the starting point for that. I realized that, where I stand right now, someone else stood not that long ago and they went off and began on the road to their dreams and there was someone before them. Great, I'm going to ramble on like a crazy old person. It is a long line of people that we follow out of these high school grounds into the waiting world. We welcome the future with open arms and open minds. And could someone please just shoot me for having to do this speech? Right like I'd get away with this speech if that was in it. I would also like to issue a challenge to the classes that will come after us; reach for the stars, if you fail, you'll land on the moon. Never give up on your dreams, even if they seem impossible. Once again, welcome to our graduation.