I'm in Love with a Jackass

Chapter 18- I'm Afraid of Snakes

"Katie, this is Wee-Man," My Uncle pointed to the small man whose foot I had tripped over earlier today, "this is Danger Ehren," he pointed to a man with a mowhawk, and missing tooth, "and this is Preston Lacy." he pointed to a man a few inches taller than me with a big build.

"It's nice to meet you all." I greeted quietly.

"Nice to meet you too." they all greeted back unison, waving. 

"All right guys! Let's get ready for the shot! Where's Manny?" Jeff yelled. 

"Right here!" an old man with shoulder-length hair and a greying beard walked up to where all the cameras were set up. He brought a small plastic box beside him. 

"Nice to meet you," he nodded and shook my hand with his free hand.

"Nice to meet you too. I'm Katie Yaffery, Johnny's niece. What do you have in that box there?"

"Just a baby boa constrictor." 

I felt my face go white. "A w-what?"

"Yep, but it's just a baby boa constrictor. It's not venemous though, so don't worry about it!"

I exhaled out then in, my face coming back to it's original color. "Oh, okay. Just wanted to make sure because I really, really--"

"Manny! We're ready! Let's go!" My Uncle shouted. 

"Coming! Well it was nice meeting you Katie, I've gotta go." And with that, Manny jogged onto the grassy area of the forest floor. 

"I'm Johnny Knoxville, and I'm gunna wrestle a snake today," Manny let the snake out of the box, "Okay Manny, what do I do?"

As Manny explained how to catch the snake, I was caught off guard when arms wrapped around my waist and twirled me around. After being set down, I turned and saw Bam's smiling face. "Bam!" I hugged him, "Why aren't you in that scene?" 

"'Cuz," he said, looking around, "I hate snakes." 

I nodded in agreement, "So do I!" 

"Really?" he asked.

I nodded, "I had a really bad experience with one once."

"So did I," he said, "what happened to you?"

"When I was in the seventh grade, my science teacher had a python as a pet, and it was kept in this huge glass cage because it was so big." I looked down at the dirt and kicked a stone on the ground, "Then one day she let some of us hold it in class, and then it bit me." Bam's eyes grew wide, his blue sparkling eyes full of wonder and excitement.

"Then what happened?"

"Well, it drew some blood, but that's not what scared me," I furrowed my brows as Ryan came up behind Bam with a hose, "it was the fact that I thought that the snake was venomous! So I started to freak out--" Ryan threw the hose on Bam's neck, making him cry out in horror. I laughed as Bam took the water hose from his neck and threw it at Ryan who was also chortling to his heart's content. 

I knelt down on one knee laughing hard as Bam stood there, smiling like a fool. "What the hell man..." he grumbled annoyed and stomped off back into the car. 

"That was priceless!" I laughed and high-fived Ryan who was now recovering from his laughing session. Our laughing and fooling around was interrupted when shouting was heard from the other side of the forest where everyone else was filming.

"You know what?! Then why don't you guys just find another camera-man!" I heard someone yell. 

I glanced back behind me and found an angry, fat, bald man throwing a camera man onto the ground, "Hasta la vista, assholes! I quit!" The man stomped out of the forest into the clearing and onto the road, hitching a ride from a passing car. 

"What was that all about?" I asked Ryan. He shrugged his shoulders, probably in wonder of the same thing. I walked over to the producer and my Uncle, who were now seriously talking face to face. "Hey guys," I approached them slowly, "what happened back there?"

"Well, it seems like our camera guy isn't up to his job like he's supposed to be." Tremaine sighed, then sat and stooped on a plastic chair. I frowned at the negative mood that was starting to emanate. 

"Why don't I be the camera-person then?" I asked and picked up the camera he had left behind. 

"Katie, are you sure about this?" My Uncle asked, slightly tense. 

"Yeah, I'm sure! I would love to help in the production..." I said and played with the buttons on the camera. 

"I dunno, I think she might be a bit of a newbie for this camera..." I heard my Uncle and Jeff discuss. I rolled my eyes, Of course I can handle this camera! It's just a little heavy and confusing... I continued to play with the buttons. 

"Katie, I think you should just use the digital camera..." My Uncle suggested. 

"Okay! I don't mind doing that..." I said and switched cameras with another camera-man.

"Alright guys, here we go!" Jeff shouted, "Katie, I want you to film close to the snakes." 

I nodded, my heart-beat becoming faster and faster. I stood near Steve-O who had the teeniest smile on his face. I pressed the button on the small and simple digital camera to start rolling, aiming at the snakes that were at Manny's feet.

"So what you want to do with the snake, is grab its head first, and try to not let it wrap or coil around you, because it could choke you to death."

I stood there, unable to move, as I kept on pointing the camera down to the huge snake at my feet. I gulped, and looked at Jeff who motioned me to film closer to the snake. I smiled faintly and took a step forward with stiff legs. My arms wobbled as I neared the snake's head. For a minute, the snake just stayed in its wrapped, coiled, position. I held my breath, but relaxed when I felt sure that the snake wasn't even reacting to my movements. I became more confident and stepped closer to the snake, the camera just two inches from its face, when something that I should've known happened. 

The snake suddenly lunged forward, and bit of my arm! It clung for a few seconds, but relaxed and let go after Manny wrestled it along with the other guys. I furrowed my brows a bit, now staring at the holes in my arm, oozing bright red blood. My heart rate was starting to become unsteady, my lungs heart was about to burst. Small beads of sweat formed on my forehead, then a silence between me, Manny, my uncle, Steve-O, and everyone else. "Medic!" someone shouted, "Medic!"  

I suddenly heard footsteps rush up behind me, then crowding around me. I remained silent as the paramedics quickly took a hold my arm, cleaning it with rubbing alcohol. "We need pressure! She can't lose too much blood..." one of the paramedics said. Was it me, or was I seeing two of everyone? I felt light-headed and ghastly as my vision blurred, my heart-beat became slower and slower, and before I knew it, I faded into the blackness, afraid of no return.