“This show will put your face in front of millions of viewers. I respect that our decision to cultivate the perfect team by dismantling what you have already established may not seem ideal, but that’s the nature of show business. Don’t get me wrong. I have my preferences, but so does Charles, and we can’t seem to agree, so this is our solution. Ask yourselves. Do you want to grow? Do you want to profit from your hobby and stop relying on donations and subscriptions?”
Desperately, I thought,but at what cost?I couldn’t break up my team. We’d been together for six years.
Again, I studied the list of requirements. Few of the prerequisites had anything to do with actual chasing. It came down to stage presence and personality. Who looked good on camera? Who could engage the audience? That wasn’t what this was about.
“This is a television production,” Dennis said as though reading my thoughts. “Reality TV. Although we want and need skilled and fearless chasers, we also require candidates who will appeal to an audience. Be relatable. Who can engage.”
When no one spoke, Charles stepped forward and got the ball rolling. Something in his tone told me he wasn’t happy with this either.
“Our goal is to fit people into predetermined slots, so we cover as many technical bases as possible while also feeding the audience’s appetite. Much research has gone into reality television, and that research has given us a blueprint for success.Five members is the sweet spot, so five is what we want. We need a quirky leader who will be responsible for most of the narration. The nerdy computer guy who analyses the weather data and translates what it means in English. The handsome deviant who always breaks the rules and puts himself at risk. The—”
“This is a fucking joke,” Jazz muttered, loud enough that people on both sides of the table glanced in his direction.
Charles continued as though he hadn’t spoken. “The fearless videographer who wants to get closer and closer to the action. The voice of reason, the buddy, the pal, the one who holds the group together and mitigates arguments.”
Dennis took over. “Charles has assembled a professional team of videographers to film the parts that happen in those surrounding moments before and after an actual chase. They will film the day-to-day interactions. Perform interviews. Catch quieter moments. While you’re on the road, in the midst of a storm, the footage will be your responsibility. We don’t want to put untrained people at risk. It will be raw and engaging. From there, we edit it and put together episodes.”
“Noah.” Charles’s beaming smile fixed on my friend. “You’re a shoo-in. I told Dennis this can’t run without you. Period. You’re already a step above the rest. You’re a film student, correct?”
“I have a BA in cinematic arts. Graduated a couple of years ago.” What he didn’t add was that he’d been mostly unemployed ever since, and apart from a few independent projects he tackled in his spare time, he mostly did cash jobs for people across the state.
“Excellent. That alone secures your spot. Unless someone else has a secret education I’m unaware of?” He scanned the room. Rather, he scanned Olivia’s crew. “Any more videographers in the house?”
No one spoke.
“Didn’t think so.” Seeming smug, Charles approached the digital screen. Until then, I hadn’t realized it had touch capability. Using a finger, he wrote Noah’s name beneath the list of qualifications. Beside it, he wrote, videographer. For emphasis, he added two exclamation points.
“As for a handsome and fearless leader, there is no better candidate than Mr. Devereaux. Not only does he have years of experience on his side, but I think you have a touch of rebellion in you. Am I right, Oz?”
“This is bullshit.”
Everyone except Dennis turned to Jazz, who sat with his arms crossed.
Dennis’s gaze remained on Charles, and he looked equally perturbed.
“It’s obvious this guy is partial to Twisted Fates,” Jazz said. “He doesn’t want to separate them as much as we don’t want to be separated, and I’m not interested in sitting here, listening to him sing their fucking praises like their shit don’t stink. Yeah, maybe they have more years on the road and a fancy videographer on their side. God knows they ooze a disturbing amount of arrogance, but so what? It doesn’t make them better chasers, but Charles here is going to do everything in his power to discredit any advantage we might present because he’s a big fan.”
Charles floundered. “No, no. That’s simply not true. In fact, prior to our meeting, Dennis and I drew up a proposed list of the best candidates based on your YouTube channels.”
“With all due respect, you didn’t know my name five minutes ago, and you want me to believe you watch my channel?” Olivia said.
She had a point, but I kept my mouth shut because it was evident that Charleswaspartial to our group, and I would take any advantage I could get.
“We’re wasting our time.” Olivia pushed to her feet. “It’s clear you’ve already decided on a cast, and it doesn’t include us.”
“No. Stop. Please sit.” Dennis’s pleading gaze clung to Olivia. “We haven’t made a final decision. Yes, we created a list of who best fits our vision. Yes, we are partial to certain people, but it’s not set in stone. That’s why you’re here. Our intention was to meet with you in person, have a conversation, get to know you, and learn your personalities off-screen. All of this will be taken into accountbeforedeciding on a final cast. Allow us to be transparent.”
Dennis leaned over the laptop and fiddled with the touchpad. Seeming to remember something, he lifted his gaze, zeroing in on Olivia’s brother. “You, at the end of the table.”
“His name’s Gale,” Olivia said.
“Thank you. Gale, you were not included in this list since, at the time of its creation, we didn’t know if the Wind Riders had a fifth member.”
Gale looked like he wanted to flee. “That’s fine. I can be excluded.”
“No.” Olivia rested a hand on her brother’s arm. “He’s a new addition. This will be his first year chasing, but he’s more qualified to assess weather and systems than anyone in this room.”
Everyone stared at the newcomer as I recalled what he’d gone to school for.
