Skylar's POV
Today was graduation, and it was all I never imagined and more. Cain was still not back yet. Aunt Cassidy got the day off, and it's cloudy. This means I won't have sweat dripping everywhere, and the putrid scent of body odor won't be floating around while we all bake in the sun waiting to be called. It was a relatively small graduating class, so the ceremony took a mere 45 minutes until Aunt Cassidy and I were on our way to my favorite place– The Cheesecake Factory.
"What are your plans now?" Aunt Cassidy asked a bit apprehensively. I had never mentioned plans after high school, and I never told her that I had applied to any universities, even though she urged me to multiple times.
"Well," was my hesitant reply, "I accepted an offer to model for an agency in Chicago," I continued. A frown teased her lips before she forced a smile, but disappointment was evident in her eyes.
"I'm sorry," I apologized, feeling a weird guilt. "No need to apologize, my dear. You're just so smart. May I ask why modeling?" she inquired. I looked down as my tears began to gather in my eyes.
"I love you, I do, and I appreciate everything that you have done for me, but I can't stay here," I all but whispered, trying not to cry. When I finally looked up at my aunt, tears were streaming down her face.
"I'm sorry," Aunt Cassidy replied, her voice soft but firm. It was full of remorse. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me. I know I left you alone a lot; you were just a child when you lost them," she continued.
"It's okay, that's all in the past," I replied while wiping her tears.
The night ended with a call to Mariah. Aunt Cassidy and Mariah spoke for a while, and Aunt Cassidy was now officially involved in my move to Chicago. She will help in the initial stages as I settle in.
—-------
The move was a success, and now Mariah was helping me unpack my things, which were not much—just my clothes and laptop. The apartment, with its 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, impressed me. One bathroom was in the master bedroom, and the other was between the remaining bedrooms. The wooden floors and oak-colored walls gave it a warm, welcoming feel. The kitchen, with its granite counters and glass-clear cupboards above the sink, looked stunning.
As we arranged, Mariah's phone rang, filling the room with the sound of Ellie Goulding's "Burn." She looked at the screen and then at me. "It's James Anderson from the agency. He said he wanted to meet you and ensure everything is set for your debut. Shall we go down?"
Nodding, we headed downstairs, and there stood James Anderson, a man in his mid-thirties dressed sharply with an air of authority. Mariah greeted him with a smile, "James, this is Skylar. Skylar, meet James Anderson, one of the managers at the modeling agency."
James extended his hand, "Nice to meet you, Skylar. I've heard great things about your potential."
The meeting with James was quick. We briefly touched on my upcoming schedule, because he will be accompanying me along with Mariah. On some days he will be there instead of Mariah.
One week passed, and the day of my first modeling job had arrived. Excitement bubbled within me, perhaps heightened by the pregnancy hormones.
I found myself sitting, listening to Ellie Goulding's "Burn," feeling the energy surge.
"We don't have to worry 'bout nothing
Cause we got the fire and we're burning one
hell of a something."
My phone rang, and it was Mariah. "Skylar, are you ready? I'm coming over."
"Yeah, I'm ready," I replied.
"Good. I just drove up to the apartment parking lot. Come on out."
I went downstairs, and Mariah was waiting in the guest lounge, reading a magazine. Mariah looked up and saw me. We engaged in another conversation, and she briefed me about the important details of the job for the teen magazine's winter catalog; such as the photographer, other models who would be there as well as who to look out for, and tendencies of other persons who'll be there that I should be cautious about.
After our conversation, we walked to the car. My eyelids felt like heavy metal sheets.
"Skylar, Skylar, honey, wake up. We're here." I heard a familiar voice calling me while someone shook me. I opened my eyes, staring right into Mariah's hazel eyes.
"Here? Where is here?" I asked, still feeling a little dazed.
"We're at the company, silly. Now up you go. We're already late because of the traffic," Mariah said.
As we stepped into the high-class modeling agency building, a symphony of elegance and professionalism greeted us. The aesthetic was a harmonious blend of beauty and authority. The walls, adorned with captivating details, told a story of sophistication.
Gone was the drowsy hazy that had shrouded me minutes ago, I was now fascinated by the intricate and emotive scenes before me reminiscent of Frida Kahlo's "Viva la Vida." The butterflies, once mere decorations, now carried a deeper symbolism, mirroring the transformative journey of the agency's talents.
In place of the familiar winter catalog pictures, striking images inspired by Kahlo's masterpieces graced the walls. Each frame spoke of resilience, individuality, and the celebration of diverse beauty—themes that echoed the agency's commitment to pushing boundaries in the world of high fashion.
The ambiance exuded a refined allure, with every element meticulously curated to reflect a commitment to both timeless aesthetics and the ever-evolving landscape of the fashion industry. This transformed space not only radiated beauty but also served as a canvas for the agency's dedication to artistic expression and the elevation of the human form.
We walked up to the front desk, and Mariah greeted the receptionist, Stacy. Stacy, a friendly and efficient woman with an air of confidence, was well-acquainted with Mariah.
"Hey Stacy, is Andy in yet?" Mariah inquired.
"Hey Mariah, she's been here for a while. Is she the new rookie?" Stacy asked, her gaze shifting to me with a discerning inspection.
Mariah nodded, and Stacy's welcoming smile appeared. "She's waiting for you in greenroom number 5. The suits are labeled alphabetically. Show her where to go and get her ready."
"Thanks," Mariah replied, the camaraderie between them evident.
We speed walked to greenroom number 5. Mariah opened the door, revealing Nadine, a petite and striking woman who seemed to command attention, giving out orders to others in the room. Nadine's expression displayed a mix of authority and frustration.
"Where have you been, Mariah? It's not like you to be late, much less thirty minutes late," she exasperated.
"The traffic was really heavy, Nadine. I'm sorry," Mariah replied, her tone apologetic.
Mariah nodded. She showed me to my room and left me to get ready, after getting dressed there was a knock on the door. When I opened the door there stood a man and a very handsome one at that, he was about 5'9, with black eyes, black hair, and a muscular-ish body. He was sexy though not as sexy as Cain. I mentally slapped myself for thinking of him at a time like this. Then he finally spoke.
"Hi, my name is Charlie and girl quit staring didn't your momma ever tell you it's not nice to stare."
"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't realize I was staring," I said blushing slightly, quite embarrassed that I was caught staring.
"It's okay it always happens because I'm so beautiful, I know I'm mesmerizing," he said striking random poses.
"I'm your personal makeup artist."
"uhm...I'm Skylar." I replied.
"Now that all the familiarities are over time to start your makeup"
That's exactly what he did and about five to ten minutes later he was finished and I couldn't believe how beautiful I looked.
"Perfect he said looking at my face, this must be one of my best jobs, you look beautiful." He said.
"Thanks," I replied with a smile.
"There's no need to thank me you were beautiful without the makeup all I did was enhance your beauty" he replied.
Yet again there was another knock on the door. I answered and it was Nadine.
"Oh good you're ready, come on I want to get started." She said.
I turned back to Charlie and said another thanks and left with Nadine.
The other models had already begun their photo shoot, my turn came sooner than desired. I went in front of the green screen and I just began to do the poses I was instructed to do, after individual shots we did some group shots which felt weird it was like the other models were purposefully posing and blocking me from the shot. We got a half-hour break and during the break three of the models came to me.
"You know you don't belong here, you're an amateur, I don't even know why Mariah picked you up off the street."
All they said I didn't reply because my aunt always said that in life while you strive some will wholeheartedly support you, while some will try to bring you down, but you just have to know what you want and focus on achieving it.
When the break was over we resumed with the group shots and they were still blocking me but I did my best not to make it bother me I just did the poses that Nadine told me to do. After the last set of shots I changed back into my own clothes and Mariah brought me home.
When I went up to my apartment I took my phone out of my bag checking my phone, I found fifteen missed calls and five messages from Cain, growing increasingly worried and frantic.
Babe, what's up?
[Sender: Cain]
You okay why aren't you answering me?
[Sender: Cain]
SKYLAR ANSWER ME !!!
[Sender: Cain]
Skylar, answers me.
[Sender: Cain]
Skylar where are you and why aren't home, why aren't you in the fucking state?!
[Sender: Cain]