Cosmo's Luck // 𝐊𝐚𝐢 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐳

27.

"Cassie! Cassie!"

Today is a huge day for the club, and all of the preparations have suddenly folded in front of us last minute. Some of our cameras have low batteries or missing lenses, our staff are all off sick or they're extremely late and our social media pages have crashed overnight. I was called in early to cover the shift that a colleague couldn't make, which means I have to deal with work that I'm technically not trained enough to handle!

I pull my walkie talkie from my pocket as I pace around the training centre, trying to find a member of the team who's apparently poofed into thin air. "Yes Jay?"

"We've had another photographer phone in sick." My mentor groans, causing me to roll my eyes. "You know how to work the Sony ILCE-A9, right?"

"Yeah, they're the ones we use for the proper matches, sí?" I reply, frowning at myself as I speak Spanish for two seconds.

"Sí, those!" Jay mimics me, brightening our conversation for a brief moment. "We need you to cover their position in the stadium today."

My feet come to a stop before my head can process what Jay has asked of me. I nearly fall face first onto the solid tiled flooring of the training centre, glimpsing at a blue-stained glass clock on the wall. The Chelsea v Liverpool final match starts in 45 minutes, and photographers are meant to be there an hour or so before kick off to make sure the cameras are working properly! Jay's asking me to get a camera, run to the ground and set it all up before kick off!

"Jay, you know that's impossible." I scoff, making my way back to the office because I have a terrible gut feeling that they're going to send me out anyway. "The Sony ILCE-A9s are huge, there's no way I'll have it set up in time!"

"We just need you there, no matter what the time is." Jay tells me, his breathless voice crackling through the walkie talkie as someone else tries to interfere our conversation. "Take a spare camera with you just in case the A9 breaks, and get there sharpish!"

How bloody dare he! I audibly groan as I run into the office, grabbing a Sony ILCE-A9 and doing a quick check over to make sure everything is visibly in tact. Then, I put it back in the right bag, sling it over my shoulders and make a beeline for the stadium. The stadium is going to be bustling with people, from fans to players to staff like me; trying to get through them and to my place on the pitch is going to be like trying to get through a labyrinth of bodies.

The whole place is heaving with fans from both teams; the dazzling red shirts clash with the bold blue scarfs that are being recklessly slung around in the air like lassos. I weave my way around the chanting crowd, keeping my head down and out the way of those who are already tipsy and looking for a fight. Once I got inside the stadium, I went straight into the closest staff entrance, which took me down endless corridors that had faux grass as flooring. I'm pretty sure this is for players only, but I haven't got time right now to be picky with my entrance onto the pitch? By the time I had got to the pitch, the teams were already there warming up, and the camera team were positioned ready. I can't believe I've got to do this all now! This is ridiculous! I scoff to myself as I make my way to my post, which is nearby a corner flag. This is where the best photos are taken, so I'm going to have to hope that my camera skills are on point today. That is, if I can get the camera going!

I take the Sony ILCE-A9 out of it's bag, taking note of the camera its self, the classic, giant, white-cased lens and the portable stand. I hate using stands, they give you less mobility to get angles, but these things are so huge that you either carry them against your shoulder or you hold them like some kind of machine gun! As the triumphant commentators start to call the line up, I frantically check the camera's battery and make sure the lens are clean. It's difficult to concentrate with the crowd roaring behind me; this is also my first time taking photos during a match, so it's not like I can accidentally miss a moment and retake it. If Chelsea- or Liverpool, I guess- get a goal then I have to capture their celebration as soon as it happens, otherwise the media team will be pissed! Thank God I'm only on photography and not live recording, otherwise it would have been the most maddening moment of my life.