Beyond the Lens

by Hannah Ellis

  “That was fast,” he commented while we looked at the next challenge. This time it was a single rope to walk across. There were more ropes dangling, to be used as hand grips, and the distance from this tree to the next was much shorter, but it still looked pretty tough.

  Chrissie let out a cheer when she made it to the next tree and shouted for Matt to follow her.

  “Good luck,” I told him as he set off, with wobbly legs, across the rope. I looked ahead and saw the rest of our group spread out across the forest before us. I just caught a glimpse of Dylan who swung from one tree to the next, Tarzan style.

  “Hi,” I said to Adam when he appeared by my side. I turned when he didn’t reply and he shrugged at me. When Matt was safely at the other side I set off across the taut rope between the trees. I was almost at the other side, and was smiling at Matt, who’d been cheering me on, when my foot slipped and I fell. There was a moment of panic before I felt the safety rope catch me. I dangled at a funny angle until I remembered how to breathe and think again. I kicked around until I was upright and grabbed for the rope beside me.

  “You all right?” Matt called to me.

  “Yep.” I grinned up at him. “Just hanging around!”

  I vaguely heard Chrissie shouting something at me and there were cheers and catcalls as the others turned to watch me scrabbling around pathetically in mid-air. I managed to get hold of the rope, but didn’t have the strength in my arms to pull myself up.

  “Can you help me?” I asked Matt as I inched closer to the platform he was standing on.

  “Maybe.” He held out his hand but didn’t move nearer the edge of the platform, so it wasn’t particularly helpful.

  “Come closer,” I instructed him.

  He made a pathetic attempt to reach out to me. “I don’t want to end up dangling down there with you.”

  “You’re attached to that tree. You can’t go anywhere!” I shouted up at him as I swung for the edge of the platform.

  “Almost!” Chrissie encouraged me from somewhere nearby. I tried again and managed to get a hand to the wooden edge, but my arms didn’t have the strength to pull me up.

  “Lucy’s stuck,” Adam said into his walkie-talkie. I dangled helplessly, abandoning my efforts to climb back up.

  “We can see.” Jessica’s voice crackled up to us. “They’re sending someone up.”

  I looked down and saw figures on the ground way below. There was a ladder running up the side of a tree and someone was roping up at the bottom.

  Adam’s voice drew my gaze up to him. “I could just get her.”

  “There’s not supposed to be two people on the rope at the same time,” Jessica reminded him.

  He looked at me and then down at the people on the ground before clipping on his carabiners and setting off across the rope. I was stunned when he moved quickly and confidently across, stopping to move his carabiners across mine and reaching down to pull me up when he got to Matt and the next platform.

  Jessica’s voice reached us again while I stood beside Adam, catching my breath. “You’ve just made a Spanish man very angry,” she told Adam flatly.

  We leaned over and could just make out the safety instructor, shouting and gesticulating wildly.

  I looked up and met Adam’s gaze. “Thank you,” I said, suddenly shy.

  He shrugged in reply, and it was Chrissie’s voice that broke the silence.

  “Aww! Adam to the rescue. What a hero!” she called, making me blush.

  Chapter 10

  We made steady progress through the trees and ended our treetop adventure by taking a zip wire across the valley, landing at the edge of another forest at the other side. I wasn’t sure Matt was going to manage it, but after threatening to push him, he finally stepped off the platform to sail across the valley, his eyes firmly closed.

  We regrouped at a clearing in the forest and set off together for the walk back to the bus.

  “I actually quite enjoyed that,” I told Adam as I dropped to the back of the group and walked with him. I unclipped my helmet and took it off, noticing the rest of the group had done the same. I was slightly surprised to see Adam take his off too. Then he reached for my microphone, unclipped it from my T-shirt and pushed it into my pocket.

  “There’s going to be some lovely footage of the ground,” he told me, looking down at my helmet which swung by my side. “I did warn them there was no way we could film this part with these crappy helmet cameras.”

  “I saw the cameras in the trees,” I said.

  “Yeah, the climbing part will be fine, it’s just the walk back that’s not going to come out.”

  “So we’re free for a while?”

  “Looks like it.”

  “Go on then,” I prompted. “Tell me all about yourself, now that you can talk to me.”

  “I didn’t realise you were going to ask about me,” he said, smiling. “Maybe we should put the microphones back on and walk in silence.”

  “It’s only fair. You get to hear everything about me and I know nothing about you.”

  “Fine,” he sighed. “My name’s Adam and I’m a camera operator. I’m currently working on some dodgy reality TV show in Majorca …”

  “Hey,” I bumped his shoulder. “Tell me something else.”

  “What do you want to know?”

  “How old are you?” I blurted.

  “Thirty.”

  “What do you do in your spare time?”

  He hesitated briefly. “I take photos.”

  I shot him a puzzled look.

  “The TV camera work pays the bills, but still photography is my hobby. If I could earn a living from that, then I’d give all this up …” He indicated the helmet camera and smiled.

  “What else?” I asked.

  “I hang out with Carl,” he told me, glancing ahead to where Carl was walking with the rest of the group.

  “Oh! Are you two …?” I held up my hand with my fingers crossed.

  “No!” he laughed. “Carl’s married. And I’m not that way inclined. He’s my best friend. I live in his garage. Any more questions?”

  “Yeah. What’s so exciting about Maria’s apartment?”

  His gaze shifted to the forest beside us, his eyes roaming as though searching for something. “I don’t know.”

  “That sounds like a lie.”

  He looked at me seriously and I thought he was going to say something, but instead he reached into his pocket for his microphone. “We should put these back on. I’ll get into trouble otherwise.”

  I stopped walking and put my hand over his, enclosing his microphone in his palm. I was about to quiz him further before deciding it would be a waste of time.

  “I like it when you can chat,” I told him and then moved away when I felt the heat rise in my cheeks.

  “Me too,” he told me before clipping his microphone to his T-shirt and motioning for me to do the same.

  We drove back in silence, everyone worn out from the climbing. Sitting on the bus, I thought about everyone around me. I’d been pleasantly surprised by the group. I was amazed to find that I genuinely liked all of them. I felt especially close to Chrissie and Matt, and somehow Adam and Carl too, which was weird considering the circumstances. My gaze travelled to the front of the bus and I watched Adam fiddle with his camera, which pointed back at us. When he looked up, I quickly shifted my gaze back out of the window, ignoring the fact that my heart had speeded up like a galloping horse.

  ***

  I lost track of Adam when we got back to the finca. By the time I got out of the shower, another cameraman had replaced him, and when we’d finished dinner it was obvious he had the evening off, but I found myself looking for him regardless.

  “I wish we had some music,” Matt said when we moved to sit on the couches with full stomachs.

  “I don’t really like music,” Ryan said, sipping his beer.

  “What?” Matt sat upright to shake his head and squint at Ryan. I smiled, already amused.


  “How can you not like music?” Kelly asked.

  “I just don’t like it.”

  “No music? You don’t like any music?” Matt looked like utterly perplexed.

  “Not really,” Ryan replied.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who didn’t like music,” Margaret said.

  “It’s weird,” Matt said. “I can’t believe you admit that.”

  “Why not?”

  “I’m fairly sure it makes you a sociopath or something,” Matt told him.

  “Calm down,” Ryan laughed. “I don’t hate music. I’d just rather sit in silence.”

  “It’s weird,” Matt sighed and sank back into the couch.

  “Dylan’s got a guitar.” Ryan took another swig of his beer. “If you want music, ask him.”

  “That’s true.” Matt sat up and looked at Dylan, who was lying on a couch away from the rest of us. “You were busking, weren’t you?”

  “I’m not going to be the evening entertainment,” Dylan said.

  “Come on!” Matt nudged Ryan. “Run and fetch his guitar …”

  “No.” Ryan smiled. “I don’t like music.”

  “Don’t touch my guitar,” Dylan shouted Matt when he strode inside.

  “Here.” Matt returned and handed the guitar to Dylan. “I barely touched it.”

  “I’m not playing,” Dylan told him, taking the guitar and setting it down next to him.

  “Please?” Matt grinned at him.

  “No!”

  “Fine. I’ll get you another beer and we’ll sit here and drink until you play me a tune!”

  I smiled at Dylan as Matt disappeared to get beers. “Are you going to play something? Because I really want to go to bed but I don’t want to miss a performance.”

  “You won’t miss anything, I promise!”

  “Okay, then.” I stretched when I stood, fairly sure I would ache tomorrow after the climbing.

  “Don’t listen to him,” Matt said as he deposited more beers on the table and put an arm around my shoulder. “You don’t want to miss the music man!” He winked at Dylan.

  “I’m done in,” I said, wriggling away from Matt. “Night!”

  I was vaguely aware of a cameraman following me upstairs but I didn’t look at him, just went up to my room and closed the door behind me.

  Chapter 11

  I woke to the sound of Matt clapping his hands and cheerfully wishing us a good morning before the end of my bed sank under his weight.

  “Come on!” He shook my leg. “Time to get up! It’s a beautiful day.”

  I propped myself up on an elbow and watched him reach over to Chrissie’s bed to give her a shake.

  “Get off me,” she groaned and pulled a pillow over her head.

  “Come on, ladies! Rise and shine!” He flashed his boyish smile at me and I registered Adam standing in the doorway, filming us.

  “I’ll get dressed,” I said, adjusting my pyjamas as I pulled back the sheet and stood up.

  “You missed Dylan giving us a little show last night,” Matt told me.

  “No! Really?”

  “He’s got a good voice,” Chrissie said, emerging from under the pillow.

  “I can’t believe I missed it.” I picked up my swimsuit and moved towards the bathroom.

  “Wait!” Chrissie was suddenly animated. I stopped and watched her push Matt and Adam out of the door, claiming we needed a private girls’ talk. She closed the door on them and turned to me. “We need to talk swimwear.”

  “What about it?”

  “Please don’t wear that coverall thing again,” she said with an awkward smile.

  “What?”

  “Don’t be offended,” she said. “I’m not trying to be mean. It’s just that you have a really nice body and … Well – here, have this.” She pulled a skimpy bikini out of her drawer and handed it to me.

  “It’s a nice colour,” I told her. “I just think I’ll feel a bit exposed.” It was a lovely teal colour but there wasn’t much to it.

  “Just try it,” she pleaded with me. “It’ll look great on you, I promise.”

  I ducked into the bathroom to try it and then returned to show Chrissie.

  “Hot!” she announced with a grin.

  “I’m not sure.” I pulled at the bikini bottoms, trying to stretch the fabric to cover more of my rear end.

  “You look amazing. Trust me. Let’s bin the old-lady one!”

  Chrissie disappeared into the bathroom as I adjusted the bikini top. I pulled on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt and then looked up to find Chrissie smiling at me from the bathroom doorway. “I guess we’ll work on the rest of your look later. Baby steps, hey?”

  “What now?” I looked down at myself.

  “The shorts could be a bit shorter,” she said.

  “I like to keep my thighs hidden.”

  “Don’t be silly – there’s nothing to hide. Come on, let’s get some breakfast.”

  Adam followed us through the house and we were almost at the kitchen when we met Matt coming the other way with a plate piled high with food. I was about to tease him about how much he ate when I heard raised voices. The three of us paused and looked up at the staircase that led to the rooms the crew used. Jessica’s voice drifted down, loud and clear.

  “This whole show is a joke; I may as well kiss goodbye to my career now.” It sounded like she was pacing. Then another voice said something I couldn’t make out, but clearly annoyed Jessica as her voice got louder still. “This is not the idea I pitched … I don’t have enough camera operators. The way we’re filming is a joke. The house was supposed to be rigged with hidden cameras, for goodness’ sake. We should be recording at all times, in every part of the house. And how did we end up with seven people who actually seem to like each other? They’re the most boring bunch of people I’ve ever met.”

  We exchanged glances and stifled our laughter as Jessica continued. “We need to shake things up a bit. I need cat-fights and sex in bathrooms! Climbing trees and splashing around in a pool is not going to cut it. Somehow we need to make them look interesting, or we’re all wasting our time. If I don’t end up with something that will bring in viewers, I’m done for.”

  We didn’t move for a moment after her voice trailed off.

  “I’ll meet you outside for breakfast then,” Matt broke the silence, his eyebrows raised, and we slowly continued what we were doing. Chrissie and I got breakfast and moved outside without a word. Silently, Adam shadowed us.

  “Shall we have a quick swim before we eat?” Chrissie asked as we set our breakfast on the table outside. “It’ll get the metabolism going.”

  “Okay.” I shrugged.

  “Come on, Matt,” she instructed.

  “I’m eating,” he mumbled with his mouth full.

  “Come for a swim,” she said again and glanced fleetingly at Carl, who had his camera on Matt.

  Matt looked sadly at his plate of food before standing and pulling off his T-shirt. I stripped down to my bikini, feeling self-conscious as I headed for the water.

  “Have you seen today’s activity?” Matt said, nodding towards the other side of the lawn. There was a round blue mat with two sumo suits lying on top of it.

  “That’s going to get sweaty!” Chrissie commented, walking slowly down the steps into the pool.

  We formed a little huddle in the middle of the pool and spoke in low whispers so our voices couldn’t be picked up. Carl and Adam walked along the poolside, aiming their cameras at us.

  “What do you make of Jessica’s little rant?” Chrissie asked.

  “Sounds like we’re not entertaining enough,” Matt said.

  “So if we continue to be the most boring people on earth then we’re probably not going to make it onto TV at all?” I suggested. “It sounds good to me.”

  “I was quite excited about being a minor celebrity,” Matt told us. “My school kids would be very impressed!”

  “I just wanted a free holiday,
” Chrissie told us. “I’m not bothered about fame. I think Ryan is going to be disappointed, though. Let’s not tell him or he might start pulling stunts to make us TV-worthy!”

  “Something’s going on with Ryan,” I told them. “Why did they interview him and not the rest of us?”

  “That was odd,” Chrissie agreed. “It’s all a bit of a weird setup, isn’t it? With the cameramen coming and going, and poor old Maria waiting on us.”

  “It doesn’t seem very well organised,” I said, my arms beginning to tire from treading water. I moved to the edge of the pool.

  “Morning.” Ryan appeared when we got out of the pool. “I reckon that will give the ratings a boost, Lucy.” He looked me up and down in my skimpy bikini, and I reached for a towel to cover myself up.

  “I wonder if we’re on live TV now …” Ryan ran a hand through his hair and posed into the camera.

  “I doubt it,” Matt told him. “But get away from the camera, just in case. People don’t want to see your scrawny body.”

  “I think you’re jealous,” Ryan told him with a grin as he sat down and tucked into his breakfast. I glanced at Adam, who was standing at the edge of our breakfast gathering. I waved without thinking but got nothing back.

  “It’s too hot,” Kelly complained when she and Margaret joined us. “I’m melting!”

  “It’s not that hot,” Margaret said, used to a warmer climate than us. Dylan followed them outside and sat slightly away from the rest of to tuck into his breakfast.

  “It’s going to get much hotter when we’re wearing those,” Matt said, pointing at the fat suits.

  Ryan jumped up and went to check them out. “They’re pretty heavy,” he commented, picking one up.

  “Good morning!” Chelsea greeted us. “I see you’ve found today’s activity. Today is a test of strength and agility, and there’s another £500 to be won.”

  Once again, I didn’t think it was worth getting excited about the money. It seemed very unlikely that I could beat Matt or Dylan at this challenge. Or Margaret, come to think of it. I might have a chance against Chrissie, and Ryan was fairly scrawny – I think I could take him.

  As it turned out, Kelly was the only person I managed to beat, and only because I moved at the right moment and she fell past me and off the mat. It was hilarious, though, and after two hours my face ached from laughing so much. Ryan was right: the sumo suits weighed a ton, and they were so hot. It was entertaining just trying to get in and out of them.