Chapter 293: Cheers to the Weekend!

Eve chose the gray cube on the right which reached up to her mid-thighs. She sat down and angled her body towards the left. With a fitted dress like this, what needed emphasis was the silhouette it created. Her legs spread out, only the toes stepping on the floor.

Because of her eye-catching pose, the other models in the group glanced her way. Each of them strutted a pose that matched her elegant disposition. They all used the same expression but changed angles accordingly.

The camera shuttered in motion. 

At the other end, Tiffany shot her leg up to the ceiling. She had grabbed the other cube and pulled her arms behind her back, propping her elbows on the surface. Her pants and crop top outfit gave her free reign on movement. She made it seem effortless and as natural as possible.

The others noticed her outrageous pose and switched positions.

Eve bit her inner lip, clearly seeing what was going on. She kept her focus and adjusted like she had prepared. She dropped to the floor on all fours. Her hair fell on the side of her face that was away from the camera. Like her previous stance, she used her side profile and made sure her arms were straight—one shoulder higher than the other.

The photographer continued taking photos while staying silent.

For the next one, Eve seized the initiative before Tiffany could. She brought her legs from under her and pulled them to the front. Her bottom sat on the floor while her back leaned against the cube. She bent one of her legs and let the other remain parallel to the floor. Her hair framed both sides of her face.

Tiffany gritted her teeth. Not one to back down, she played along and lied on the floor. The back of her thighs pressed against the side of the cube while her legs stayed on top of it. Her arms stretched beyond her head to elongate her body. 

Their group members became confused. Without similar props, they found it hard to adapt to their poses. The director wasn't pleased. A male model found an opportunity to sit on Eve's cube because of the vacant surface. The third female model saw this and placed a foot on Tiffany's cube.

The remaining two male models sat on the floor back to back and copied Eve with a little variation. At this, the director wrote something down on her clipboard.

Their photo session ended after finishing ten poses altogether.

Walking out on the other side of the studio, Tiffany skipped to Eve's side and patted the latter on the back. A wide grin stretched her lips. "Nice fight you put up, Reed."

Eve scowled ahead of her. "Shouldn't the point be not making group shots competitive?"

Tiffany merely smirked and winked in her direction. "But someone always has to lead for the betterment of the group. It just so happens that we're two alphas in a pack. See you later for deliberation."

The deliberation was a private session for each group where their mentors would share their feedback and opinion on their work, hoping to give insights. The discussions started an hour after all the photoshoots ended. 

Everyone had gone back to the waiting room, twiddling their thumbs until their names came up again. One part of the studio had a long table where the mentors sat one one side while the models sat across from them. Nervous heartbeats pumped when the models came in.

Since it was the last day of the week, the activity weighed heavily on their performance scores.

It would showcase their growth and the potential of snatching future projects.

"Hello, everyone," the camp director greeted from the other side of the table. She offered the models a dazzling smile. "Did you like the activity?"

"I think it trained us better on keeping on our toes," Tiffany spoke first. She and Eve sat in the middle of their group. "I had a lot of fun."

Mikael checked the photos on his folder. "Tiffany Quartz… correct?"

"That would be me, yes."

He frowned and flipped to the next picture. The rest of the mentors stayed silent as he took the spotlight. His radiant blue eyes stared intensely at the photos, studying and criticizing them. "I can see that you've found your own style in modelling. You know your body well and how to move it."

At that, Tiffany felt her heart swell. "Thank you."

"However…," Mikael quickly added. He flipped the photos for the group to see as their reference. "In several of these, you failed to blend in with everyone else."

Eve raised her eyebrows along with Tiffany. She leaned forward and inspected the picture. While everyone seemed to be on the same page, Tiffany had an exaggerated style on numerous shots. They were good but…

… they didn't seem to fit in.

"What…" Tiffany gasped breathily. "But I've led some of these poses."

"You did but yours are easily distinguishable from the rest. Not everyone has the same mindset as you nor do they always know how to keep up," Mikael explained as best as he could. It was one of the harder concepts to grasp since the person could take it the wrong way.

He took a deep breath and attempted again.  "As a group, it's all about balancing each other out. Know the limitations of your other models and match their level. But, at the same time, don't forget your own individuality."

Tiffany slowly shook her head. Be original but not too original? 

Was that what Mikael was telling her?

Mikael heaved a sigh and pulled up another photo. "Here. Take a look at Evangeline."

Eve stiffened in her seat upon hearing her name. No one seemed to notice since all attention was drawn to Mikael. The male model tapped his finger beside Eve in the picture. "This is a perfect example of what I mean. Can you see how the two other models also used the same tactic of sitting on the floor?"

Pressing her lips together, Tiffany nodded. 

"You also did well here actually," Mikael told her. "But you still manage to stick out enough by a hair—as if rebelling. On the other hand, Evangeline made this pose her own by keeping her posture curved which is definitely different from a male body."

He placed the photos back on the folder and clasped his hands together, resting them over the documents. "Yours would work if you are the main model and the others are there as your backup. But this is not that kind of session. I hope you understand what I mean."

"I will improve on it, Mr. Davis," Tiffany replied. What else could she say but that? She had wanted to strike back and say, 'How was I supposed to know their limitations if you instructed us not to talk before the photoshoot?'

She pushed the thought away almost immediately. That was probably the aim of the activity—to see where they would mess up so it could be addressed. Her back hit the chair as she took a deep breath solely through her nose.

Her rank would definitely go down now.

"As for everyone else," Mikael said, addressing the rest of the group. "You did well in working together but you also need to work on your individuality which Tiffany has an abundance of. I think your group is well-balanced so I hope to see improvement from here."

His gaze flickered towards the camp director.

The latter opened her mouth and said, "I want to add something about that last photo Mikael showed. You all adapted well to each other but I have to give compliments to Evangeline on that one."

Eve blinked once. "Me?"

The camp director smiled at her. "Yes. Besides Tiffany, everyone else seemed a bit lost. But, because of your pose, you were able to give your teammates some inspiration on what they could do which resulted in what Mikael had pointed out. I think your team also agrees."

Mumbles of positive feedback came from the other models.

Hardly believing her ears, Eve tried not to faint. Of all the things she'd get praised for, she didn't think it would be over something like this. She wasn't thinking of her teammates that much when she did her poses—but she was glad her preparation paid off somehow.

"Which is why I'm happy to announce that you're number one among the ladies today," the camp director declared. "Congratulations. Keep up the good work."

"Number one! AAAAHHHH…!" Cale exclaimed back in their room. He jumped up and down, clapping his hands. "I need to see those photos when they share it. You have to tell me every detail on how they happened. I want to hear all about how it became a success."

Eve stood in front of the closet, hanging her clothes that came from the dry cleaners. "I told you I don't even know how it happened. I was busy keeping up with Tiffany. We did the exact opposite of what the activity is about."

"But because of that, you managed to bring the whole photo together. It's like the center on any dance group. The person has to embody the kind of vibe all her group mates give so the whole dance makes sense to the audience."

"I'll pretend like I know what you mean." 

Cale came up behind her and grabbed her shoulders. "Don't think about it too much. It's the weekend! Our days off from camp! We should celebrate. Maybe even go clubbing…?"

"I hate clubbing." Eve groaned. The loud music always irritated her. 

"Fine. What about a bar?"

She opened her mouth to protest but reconsidered the idea. It has been a while since she had a drink. "I think a bar sounds good. Let me message Ambryan first."

Cale scrunched his nose. "Well, if you're telling him now, say Mikael and Jordan will come with us."

"Why?"

"So he knows you're with a group and will be safe from drunk strangers."

"It's a bar, not a club."

He raised his hands in surrender. "It's your boyfriend, not mine."