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Chapter 107: The Wall to Climb

"Evangeline, darling. They need you in hair and makeup," Cale called out. He thought she had followed him towards the tent. But then, he didn't find her when he glanced over his shoulder. He retraced his steps and spotted her near the shoot.

His eyes followed her line of sight.

Mikael repeatedly lied down in different spots. Cale scowled. He wondered how exactly did those poses give off energy. They seemed pretty lazy to him. Then, he realized that Mikael saw it as a place to rest. 

A crew member handed the model a bottle of water and a sandwich. 

Eve jogged up to Cale. The hem of her button-up dress swayed around her legs.

"Seen Mikael in action, did you? How was it?" Cale asked. His dress shirt had a rose pattern. Their red petals stood out from the cream fabric. Green leaves encircled each flower. He completed the look with a black tie and denim jeans. 

"He has great concentration. I realized many things can be distracting out here but nothing fazes him," Eve said. She hoped to have the same self-control. It wouldn't be good to be in a daze. Her mind needed to be empty before the shoot.

"Ah, well. You'll learn that soon enough. Come on, let's get you ready."

Right. She could prepare for that while in hair and makeup.

When Eve opened her eyes, it was as if time reversed backwards. She froze in place. An old photo flashed in the mirror. The only thing missing was a big smile. 

Her hair was up in curls. The tight coils shortened the length of the strands. A neon yellow headband made of stretchable cloth was tied into a bow above her hairline. Her bangs had been blow dried and curled inwards for a bit of volume and bounce.

For a moment, she saw a younger version of her mother.

"There you go," the makeup artist said, assessing the makeup. "I chose a simple look. Although the 80s are known for vibrant colors on makeup, I think your clothes already do that for you. I kept your eye look, added blush and changed your gloss into fuchsia pink lipstick."

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Eve nodded as she followed along. Since she hoped to do her own makeup soon, she noted down the different points. Her lips seemed even fuller than earlier. She smacked them together. A bit of cherry taste touched her tongue.

"You'll have two outfit changes later, including makeup. One for the afternoon and another one at night. I think they'll be doing a party scene for the night one. We'll elevate the eyeshadows for that. Right now, they want you to move around. Good luck."

"Thank you," Eve couldn't help but say. She already knew some of these. But, it was comforting to know that the makeup artist would fill her in if she hadn't asked Cale about them. 

She stretched her legs. The striped socks reached just below her knee. Her thighs were exposed from there up to her pink mini shorts. It had a white outline that encircled just above her hips. For the top, she wore a simple blue shirt and long gloves that displayed her fingers.

"Did they really wear these for exercise?" 

The makeup artist laughed. "Well, they did for dancing and aerobics. It's only better than spandex and tracksuits. We thought this would work better since it's the closest to modern day styles."

"Is she done?" Cale asked, peeking from the tent entrance.

Eve hopped off the chair at the sound of his voice. She thanked the makeup artist and jogged her way to his side. "Ready. What are we doing first?"

"Rock-climbing."

'... that wasn't an easy task, was it?' Eve thought. Her hands opened and closed on instinct. She would need upper body strength for this. Raising one arm over her chest, she stretched the muscle by pulling it back with her other arm. 

Her feet wiggled inside her sneakers. The soles seemed to bend, allowing better movement. 

"Nervous?" 

Eve shook her head. "Not entirely. I just need to warm up."

Cale smiled, watching her stretch. A crew member waved a hand towards them. He raised his own and signalled them to wait. This was Eve's first shoot without them leading it. If she needed time to prepare, he'd help her in any way.

Soon, a 50-foot gray wall (15.24m) loomed over Eve. Colorful rocks popped out in different shapes and sizes. She spotted a small roof at the top. A few workers stood by, waiting for her to climb. A harness had been tied around her hips while a helmet had been strapped to her head. 

She gritted her teeth, shutting down her anxiety.

"Shouldn't I wear a ponytail?" 

"Well, the goal is for you to make it seem effortless," the photographer advised, knowing full well that she was a rookie. "Don't worry too much about climbing. They'll pull you up to where you need to hang on but we'll start from the bottom. Just focus on posing and enduring it."

"Okay."

Eve walked up to the wall. She positioned her hands, getting ready to climb. Her eyes gazed up and looked to the sky. She took a deep breath and relaxed. Her mind assessed options for a facial expression. For her, that would be the one to carry the pose.

'Effortless? Then' she placed one foot on a rock and reached for another rock. '... I will aim for the sky like I could touch it and enter an unseen paradise.'

The corners of her lips curled like she had a secret. But, her eyes gleamed from the bright sun. The camera shuttered from behind and from one side. She continued to climb, pausing for five seconds with each new position. 

Cale watched her from the ground. He had his arms crossed over his chest. Pride shined in his cerulean eyes as the shoot proceeded smoothly. None of the photographers had made comments. It wasn't exactly a sign of being amazed but it was good enough.

"Ah!"

He gasped as Eve's foot slipped. Everyone became tense and alert. All eyes on her, they waited to see if she'd fall or not. The workers bent their knees and lifted her rope. 

Eve tightened her grip on the rocks and pulled herself up. She looked for a different rock for her right foot. The previous one had been big but it was also rounder. It didn't have an even surface for her to rely on.

A relieved sigh escaped her lips. 

Then, she glanced over her shoulder. 

Her eyebrows shot up from the amount of wide eyes. She hadn't noticed how many they were earlier. Another camera was set up among them. She waved and chuckled at it. "I'm fine."

The photographer caught the moment just before she turned back around.

"Be careful, Evangeline!" Cale shouted. A scowl scrunched his blonde eyebrows together. "If you're uncomfortable, just tell us. We'll lower you down for a break."

Eve closed her eyes and pressed her lips together. Her hands trembled while her legs loosened. She could hardly feel the latter as if they turned into jelly. She stayed like that for a moment. Her loud heart raced inside her chest.

'How did Mikael keep his composure?' She wondered, forcing her muscles to relax. It only took one look but it was more than enough. Her fear of heights had been triggered. She peeled her eyes open and stared at the sky.

Clouds had blocked out the sun, resulting in a calming blue. She stared at it long and hard. It slowly erased the previous image from her mind. She was here to reach the summit

and reach it she shall.

Eve gritted her teeth and continued to climb. After a few steps, she remembered her facial expression. Her lips stretched into a big smile that showed her teeth. Her face lit up like she won the lottery. She advanced higher and higher, taking her time. 

When she reached the top, the workers helped her out. Her pleasant smile stayed in place. There was no need to force it. The view of the landscape had taken her breath away. She saw the top of green treessomething she'd only see from high up.

Clapping, the head photographer yelled, "Alright! That's it for climbing shots. Let's do some shots while you hover in the air with the harness and rope."

Eve followed instructions and faced the other way. Her feet walked backwards until she reached the edge. She gripped the rope in one hand and took a deep breath. There wasn't anything to worry about. She had a harness and a rope. There were people on standby too. 

She would be alright. 

Lowering her bottom, her legs began to shake. Her other hand reached for the rope. She tightened her hold. The rope tugged in her grasp, letting her know about their steadiness. 

But, her legs still wouldn't move. 

"Miss, you have to step off," one of the workers reminded her.

Eve jumped.

The metal rings from the harness and the rope clanged. Instead of a fall, she stayed at the same level. The only difference was her legs in mid-air. She twisted in place until nothing blocked her view. 

They started to lower her.

The pace was slow unlike Eve initially thought it would be. What was she supposed to do exactly? She kept her back straight but it was the standard form for anyone in this position.

Was that all she should do?