Page 38 of Tricky Girls

I release a breath as I zip myself back up.

Yep, this girl is going to be the death of me.

CHAPTER 12

Tilda

I might not have had my tower bedroom dream come true at Hazelhurst, but hike to anywhere elevated on an evening and you’ll be graced with the most spectacular sunset.

It comes early these days, pink scudding the sky between the pine trees at around 4pm—just in time for us exiting our final tutorial of the afternoon.

‘What’s the plan then, motherfuckers?’ Haz asks as we wend our way towards the rear of the castle.

It’s just rocks back there, sparse shrubbery sticking out between them. The wind is usually fierce, as is the sound of the waves crashing below.

Tonight, the clouds are powder pink, limning the wave caps below in the same colour. If we didn’t have an appointment touphold, I’d insist on sitting on those rocks to watch the sun go down. Knowing this country, by the time we emerge from the castle in barely ten minutes time, it’ll be full night.

‘Stores, then my place for a reccy?’

I take the stone stairs two at a time until I reach the double doors, holding them open for Haz and Elly.

Elly salutes me as she passes, but Haz narrows her eyes warningly. I smile at her. I’ve been making it a game to get in there first with the chivalrous thing. I know it pisses her off, something I find both funny and adorable.

Once inside, it’s through another set of doors and then down, down, down into the bowels of the castle.

Stores is Hazelhurst’s old wine cellar, now serving as the place we rent all our media equipment from. It’s cool they’ve kept the old bottles, lining the dusty shelves behind a thick layer of glass.

I make Haz and Elly get our cameras and tripods from the scary lady behind the desk. Last year, I decided to test just how thick that glass was (those bottles must be worth a bomb, was my thinking), resulting in the loudest alarm I’ve ever heard and a fifteen-minute lecture from said scary lady. Suffice to say, I tend now to avoid her.

Once we’re loaded up—Haz and Elly, that is. I’m banned from any heavy lifting—we make our way to Portia House, lampposts blinking on along the paths.

Most of our film will be shot in the forest and around the old crypt, but the prologue of it is set in a modern hospital-type location. And apart from the student’s union, the scholarship halls of residences are the most nondescript buildings on the island. Not modern but painted white enough.

‘We can probably make this look like a hospital.’ I lead them down to the end of the corridor, where we’ll start our first panning shot. The bedroom doors don’t have those longwindows like ward doors but I’m sure we can find some stickers on Amazon.

‘Yep, get me in some sexy scrubs and we’ll be away,’ Haz says, swinging a tripod bag off her shoulder.

The only thing this end of the corridor is the fire exit so we’re not in anyone’s way as we set everything up. I take some rudimentary shots first, trying not to focus on Natasha’s bedroom in the viewfinder.

I heard him in there again this morning. Ryan. His morning drawl, that low laugh. Had he spent the night with her?

She’s been trying to talk to me again, both in tutorials and in the evenings at the flat. And like an idiot, I almost buckle. Then she fucks him again and I’m left feeling angry at all bloody three of us.

Shit, living in Portia House istorture. I can’t spend the rest of the year like this.

‘We should get some shots from the top of the east tower,’ Elly says, watching what I’m doing from over my shoulder. ‘At sunset or something.’

‘Oh my god, yes. The walk up’s fucking awful but the views are insane.’

She nudges me playfully. ‘We should go up there anyway. Just the two of us. Three won’t fit on that narrow staircase.’

‘Well, Haz took me on her version of a date, so it’s only fair you do.’

‘Woah, woah, woah.’ Haz holds up her palms, an expression of outrage on her face. ‘You distinctly said it wasn’t a date. Because believe me if it was, baby, you’d have got the full princess package.’

‘I should have got the princess package anyway.’

‘She’s right,’ Elly agrees with a smirk. ‘You choked.’

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