Present time...
It had been roughly a decade since I last saw Vanni. We've grown apart since then. I can't even remember much about him anymore. Though, I heard he did achieve his dream; he's an idol now. A rising solo artist from...an idol company. I don't know the name of the company. But I am glad Vanni made his dream a reality.
As I knew he would.
I've also achieved my ambition--or rather, my parents' ambition. I'm now a renowned model, just as they hoped. It's...okay, I guess. I'm well-off, famous, got a nice home, car and I could buy pretty much whatever I want; what else could a girl need?
Well, a taste of freedom would be nice.
"Icy!" I heard a voice--no, two voices call out. I don't turn to look even as I hear their impatient footsteps approach. I already knew who they were; Alexander and Alexandria Rosewood, the two Briton twins, and the founders of the newly rising label, 'Roses & Clothes'. Alexander is the head fashion designer while his sister is the creative director of their brand. I'm their star model, according to rumours anyways.
"What is it?" I inquire calmly once they draw closer. Alexandria points a sharp, well-manicured nail at me. "You're supposed to be in the dress by now!" She fumes angrily. "You have to get out in less than ten minutes!" Alexander adds, exasperated. They're usually laid-back people but when it comes to work, they don't pull any punches.
"Go change NOW!!!" They yell simultaneously. I silently watch them through the reflection of the mirror, waiting for the twins to calm down. Their glares could rival Medussa, but I've always been a stony person anyway. They seethe while I just continue to look at them through the mirror. Once they calm down, I stopped what I was doing. I sigh as I gently place down my make-up supplies.
"I already am," I point out, standing up and finally turning to face them. With one hand, I gesture to my outfit. It was a red and white gothic dress with roses littering the hem of the skirt, which barely reached my knees. There were some black ribbons and small rosettes along the sleeves too. I was also given a parasol; but unlike the dress, the parasol had thorny vines with small roses here and there.
I'm personally not a big fan of frilly dresses like these. It was a bit too...embellished for my taste, but this was the centerpiece of this clothing line; and since I'm the star model, I was 'lucky' to be chosen to wear this.
"As expected, it looks good on you." Alexander nods in approval. "Then again, I designed it after all," he boasts, a smug grin on his face. Well, he did personally design this one; so it was understandable how much this design mattered to him. Give praise where praise is due.
"Yeas, it is a wonderfully gorgeous design--not something I would personally choose though," I say, glancing at a nearby full-length mirror. I looked like those expensive gothic porcelain dolls; I'm not certain whether that's a good thing or not. The taller male nods in understanding; the twins were far too used to my curt nature.
"Hmm..." The younger twin circles around me, peering at me appraisingly. "Is something unsatisfactory?" I question, observing the Briton female. She moves her gaze up to me. For a moment, she says nothing. Finally, she snaps her fingers, a smile lighting her features.
She grabs some make-up and I instinctively close my eyes. The girl's skill hand starts 'doing their magic', as people call it. I feel a tap on my shoulder and open my eyes. I swiftly spin on my heel to look in a mirror. She had used a dark eyeshadow, giving me 'cat's eye' as well as making my eyes looking narrower.
The girl smirks, proud of her handiwork. She meticulously placed back all the tools. Alexandria, herself, favours a natural look--but considering how hauntingly pale my skin is, I guess I do naturally look like porcelain.
Alexander glances at his watch, then gestures to his sister. The two quietly stare at each other, a silent exchange between the two. The younger girl nods. "We have to be off now; don't be late okay?" She says, a hint of skepticism in her voice. I simply nod.
"And don't forget your contacts!" Alexander reminds, as the two strut away. I watch them exit before shifting my gaze to my handbag. I riffled through my purse and soon found my contact lenses. After putting them on, I blink rapidly, trying to get used to the feeling of something foreign in my eye. Once I do, I glance at the mirrors.
My mismatched-coloured eyes now both the same shade of crimson red. It's almost scary how the contact completely erases the shade of blue with no trace of the former colour--the soft blue is now gone, swallowed by the darker red.
'Why do you hide your eye? They're both so pretty!' Vanni once told me. Heh, even now, I'm not completely sure whether he was just being polite or genuinely thought so; but knowing him, it was probably the latter.
Well, it's survival of the fittest.
I sigh, grab the parasol, and head to the runway.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I wave at the crowd as the hall is filled with deafening cheers. Despite my tiredness, I push through and beam brightly at everyone.
"We love you Daybreaker!" "That was amazing!" "Daybreaker! Over here~!"
I laugh lightly at their enthusiastic energy. My skin was flushed, both from the praise and the exertion. My eyes scan the crowd. I from slightly when I couldn't catch sight of the person I had hoped came. Then again, I should've expected this.
"Thank you, everyone! I love you all!" I proclaim, to the booming cheer of the audience. I grin, inhaling and exhaling as I look over them. "Remember to come to my special concert this weekend! I'll be releasing my newest song. So, don't miss it!" I announce.
I didn't think it was possible, but the cheers got even louder and more excited. I'm glad they're so thrilled!
"Goodnight, everyone; 'till the next dawn!" I waved them all goodbye. Even as I walk away from the stage I could still hear their cheers. Hmm, I hope they don't lose their voices shouting like that; it would be such a shame.
I enter my sizeable dressing room. I throw my shoes in the corner and placed my wig on a mannequin head. I let out a heavy exhale and promptly collapse on a nearby sofa. I sigh in relief as the fabric catches me; it's super soft too! Like a cloud--or maybe a marshmallow?
My stomach then decides that was the best time to make a fuss. Ugh, great; now I'm hungry. Hmm, I wonder if I could get some sweets? It's been weeks since I had something 'unhealthy'. A nice little lemon tart would be good! Oh, or a parfait? Maybe a souffle? Tiramisu would be yummy too!
So many options; so little access...
Suddenly, I feel something nudging my head and something furry brushing my left hand, which was splayed on the floor. I look up and come face-to-face with the deeply unimpressed look on my cat's face. Its name was Fluffle, a Maine Coon with thick, fluffy fur. I glance at my side and notice my other cat nuzzling its face into my palm before looking up, peering at me curiously. Similar to Fluffle, the other cat had a silky coat. I call her Snow--since she's mostly white.
I sit up and Snow leaps onto the sofa, curling up on my other side. "Hey, girls." I smile, stroking their luscious fur. The two let out low rumble-like purrs.
"Should've figured this is where you went." A voice sighs. I flinch and slowly look up. My eyes lock with a pair of irritated jade green orbs. The man's cherry-hued locks tied in a neat ponytail with not a hair out of place. His name is Andrea Pyro Samson--or just Andy--my agent.
"Ahaha..." My laugh trails off, as I avoid eye contact. The taller male gazes at me expectantly, before sighing. "Have you eaten yet?" He questions. I shake my head.
Today had been super hectic. This morning I had to do three costume changes, four practices, and check on the props and all the equipment; and finally, performing the concert of course. I barely had time to shower, much less had lunch--unless you count the small packet of sugar biscuits I had.
To my surprise, Andy steps forward. He picks up Snow before plopping on the sofa and placing the feline in his lap. Snow has always been a sweet and docile kitty while Fluffle was far fiercer and territorial. But Andy was one of the few people the Maine Coon approved of--and that's high praise coming from her.
"You shouldn't skip meals; as skilled as you are, it won't matter if you've passed out," he warns, one hand idly stroking Snow's silky coat. "I just like practicing, I guess." I shrug, scratching beneath Fluffle's chin. Andy purses his lips and narrows his solemn eyes, watching me closely. Then I see a glint in his jade eyes--the kind that means he had come up with a plan/idea.
"That's it," he proclaims--not before gently placing Snow on the floor though. "You are not skipping dinner, again. We'll even eat out; it's been months since I had a meal in a local cafe." He nods decisively, a slightly wistful look on his face. Well, I can't deny the truth of that.
I guess it would be nice to eat out--I have to wear a disguise, but that was a small price to pay. That said, I have at least two interview later.
Andy was a stubborn man who rarely allowed a change of plan, but I decided to try my luck, "Wait, I have--" Before I could finish, Andy interrupts.
"I'll reschedule them, or even cancel them; depends on the interviewers' reaction, of course," he replies, not budging on the matter. Well, it was worth a try.
"Besides, there is this cafe close to a potential sponsor--not only do we get to relax and have a nice meal; but we also get to see what the sponsor is like. As they say, murdering two crows with one shot." He clasps his hands together, a confident aura emitting from him.
I bite back a laugh at the expression. It was definitely incorrect but I did get the gist of it. But at least now I know why he was so determined to go through with this dinner idea; Andy was never one to let an opportunity pass. "It's actually, 'Killing two birds with one stone'." I corrected. He looks at me, raising a brow.
"Hmph, same difference," he huffs, a bit miffed by my correction. "Anyways; get some rest, take a bath and wear a disguise. We'll be leaving at six sharp. I'll come to get you. Understood?" He looks at me expectantly. I glance at the clock; I had two hours to do all that. I hope it's enough.
"All right." I smile, a bit unsure but deciding to just roll with it. Andy nods and strides out. But before he reaches the door, a thought occurred to me; he never told me about this potential sponsor before.
"Hey, Andy?" I called out. The redhead gazes at me through the corner of his eye. I take a deep breath to collect my thoughts and finally ask, "Who's the new sponsor?" I question. It's surprising that Andy seems to have taken an interest in whoever the sponsor is--they must be very exceptional to warrant his attention.
Andy contemplates me for a few moments. Finally, a smug smirk stretches his lips; the kind of grin someone has when they know something you don't--and they're proud about it.
"They're a rather new but remarkable fashion brand--taking the fashion industry by storm, as they say. They are called: Roses & Clothes."