Page 80 of Charming Like Us

Charlie Cobalt is on the board of the charity that Maximoff Hale created, but he’s wasted no opportunity to tell me that he’s unemployed. He hasnojob. I have way too much footage of that response, even during a spontaneous interview I did at a café yesterday.

Thank God I remembered my portable lights.Setting up a key light and secondary light for interviews makes the quality of the shot infinitely better, and I had to rig it all in a matter of minutes, like my life depended on the speed. Any longer and Charlie could’ve just stood up out of boredom and bolted.

Anyway, I remember his response at the café when I pressed him further about H.M.C. Philanthropies.

He said, “That’s not a job. It’s an obligation.”

Well, today I’m filming Charlie at an HMC event, and I’m curious to see how he’ll handle being at one. If it really is just an obligation to him.

Jesse rifles through his camera bag on the grass. “I’m concentrating, Kuya, but it’d be easier if security kicked out the dildos over there.”

I have no clue who he’s calling a dildo.

But I glance around the packed campgrounds. Security are posted at various spots like knights in the woods, and I stop myself from searching for Oscar among them.

Dude.

You’re the one who needs to concentrate.

One breath out, I focus.

The famous families are congregating in their respective friendship groups, and the runners who bought tickets to attend the Fun Run are stretching at the starting line or still registering at a check-in desk near the mess hall.

Refreshment tents are off to the left and largely unoccupied right now. The cluster of camp cabins are also pretty barren, except for a banner that reads,Medical.Good thing no one is hurt, looks like.

Oscar already gave me a map of the Fun Run this morning, and the trail is supposed to lead down a hill, then wrap around the glittering lake. No one has left yet.

So I have to ask, “Who’s a dildo?”

Jesse looks up and around. “They must’ve left somewhere.” He explains, “Some guys who look my age were being crude towards the families.” He doesn’t specify towards who.

“It happens a lot.” I squeeze his shoulder. “It’s good to empathize, but don’t let it distract you.”

His shaggy hair shifts with the shake of his head. “This is their charity event. Shouldn’t their bodyguards send them packing?”

“We’re production,” I remind him. “We don’t do security’s job for them, and they don’t do ours.” We have to respect that boundary or else we’ll both start trying to walk all over each other. “And anyway, if security tried to remove every person that made a transgression against the families, there’d be like five people here, Jess.”

He sighs. “That blows.”

I lift my camera. “We film the shit that blows. With the small hope that it makes a difference when people see it.Empathy, Utoy. Don’t lose it. Use it.”

Jesse smiles. “Always, Kuya. You’re so petmalu.” It meansamazingin Tagalog slang. He nudges my arm lovingly. “Lodi.”

I can’t believe I know thatlodiisidol.It’s also slang, and it’sidolspelled backwards. Stuff he picked up from our cousins on social media.

I smile brighter and mess his hair. “You’re grabbing B-roll today.”

“Sweet, I’ll use the telephoto lens.”

I also hand him an ultra-wide lens. “Use your walkie-talkie if you need me.”

“Got it.” He’s in charge of B-roll, basically extra footage (landscape, wide shots, etc.) that’s used in the show.

“Who are you not allowed to film?” I ask him while we both fit on our lenses and adjust our camera settings.

“Winona Meadows.” His eyes flash briefly over to the Meadows girls. Sulli and Winona stretch under an oak tree together. “Also, Beckett Cobalt and Vada Abbey.”

“Yep.” Those are the only three that are more private and haven’t signed waivers to be onWe Are Callowayor in the background ofBorn into Fame, the working title of the docuseries.