I like to think of myself of a walking accident waiting to happen. I'm like the human version of a sitcom character, always in the wrong place at the wrong time and still always managing to make things more hilariously awkward, as it already is.
So, lets get all the nitty gritty details down.
Me: standing by the tiniest wall in the Bascar and wondering " what could possibly go wrong?'
Some guy: I know its time for the show but I need to get some refreshments around so everyone can enjoy Daisy's EPIC EMBARRASSMENT! With a glass of wine. Or should I have gotten popcorn?
Justin Hayes: I'm trying to get through this show with nothing crazy happening to me. Like being knocked over by some weird Bambi on ice girl.
Me: I'm the Bambi on ice!
Long story cut short, I slipped through the marble, wheeling around like some crazed doll and fell right on the stage, to the view and spectacle of a MILLION photographers waiting for something juicy to give the rags. Well, with me here, they've come to the right place.
It'd have been way better if I'd crashed on the floors and slipped back out but somehow, the universe decided I wasn't having enough fun. Cause I literally crash landed RIGHT ON TOP OF JUSTIN HAYES!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!
The crowd gasped and I closed my eyes. Cameras clicked in a crazed frenzy. Yeah guys , you've got your cover. 'Crazy Bambi on ice girl trips over hot supermodel' or no, ' weirdly dressed girl takes over the fashion stage by storm.' How does 'catwalk with grace' sound?
Oh Daisy what have you done?
" OMG is that Daisy?" i could hear Maddie say, laughing hysterically. " I'm so getting all of this. So hilarious. Weirdo"
" Yeah. I'm one big mess of a weirdo" I muttered, unaware of the fact that I was STILL on top of Justin. I forced my eyes open, staring into the face of the most handsome boy I've ever seen.
Get this, I know how Justin Hayes looks like. Hell, Tori's got a large 2 feet long poster of him in her room, as well as half the female population of America. But seeing him for real, in human is… devastating.
For one, its the light soft green of his eyes, like fresh moss. Or ferns. Or both. Its like a twinkling swirl of light green with a tint of silver cutting through his irises. And I know that cause my face is literally inches away from his. And his hair. All that bright mop of brown shooting through his face's the worst distraction I've ever seen. He's got hair… everywhere, shooting through his forehead, his head, a soft swirling mop of light bleached brown. Complete with cheekbones sharp enough to cut glass and a jawline thick enough to break ice and a face drool-worthy, I was so close to drooling myself. Somehow, I couldn't breath. or think. It was just him. And his massively mind-deteriorating cologne invading my head, my brain, my mind, my eyes, everything. By God how could someone be so impossibly handsome?
" Hey" he said, his soft rosy velvet of a voice playing dodgeball with my brain. And believe me I wasn't winning " are you ok?"
" Okk…okkka…" Ok now my mouth's in shock too but damn I can't stop staring at his face " Ok? Yeah if you call mega-embarrassment being ok then we can classify me as that" he laughed and I shuddered. Such a nice laugh. And perfect teeth.
We stared at each other a while longer.
" So, do you want to stand up?" He asked, throwing his hair back. dreamy eyes. And those lips. So soft and round and rosy and…
" Hey? Hello. Do you wanna um, stand up?"
" No I'm enjoying the view" I spluttered without thinking. He squinted at me and I gasped, slamming my eyes shut. Oh Daisy, Daisy, Daisy.
" I didn't just say that aloud did I?" I whispered, knocking myself on the head " stupid, stupid, stupid" I opened my eyes to see him laughing and desperate to make amends, I held out my hand.
" I'm Daisy. Its a pleasure meeting you" I'm Daisy? For goodness sake who asked you for your name? it's a pleasure meeting you? You're not some heroine from William Shakespare's books!
He stared at me for a while and then took my hand, laughing.
" I'm Justin. Justin Hayes. And its a pleasure" he said, mimicking me with a cheeky smile " Meeting you too. We might want to stand up now, considering the fact that we're on national television" National television? How'd I forget that? And the fact that literally everyone in the room has eyes on us.
Including Tori.
I stared back at Justin.
" Yeah we should get up."
" Right." He chuckled " What I said" I slipped off his body and tried to help him up, slipping right through the marble again when I got a inch tall. We slipped back down again and again. I let out an exasperated sigh.
" Why do they make these floors so slippery?"
" Its a catwalk. It's supposed to be"
" Is that why it looks like you guys float when you walk?" He grinned, bracing his palm beneath his back on the ground.
" I guess you could say that"
" Oh really? I used to think you wore rocky shoes or something?" He laughed, pushing a lock of his hair back. I squeezed my palm shut cause I kept having these crazy thoughts of reaching out and running my hand through his hair.
"Here" he said, up on his feet " let me help you up" I stared up at him and bit my lip.
" Considering the fact that balance literally repulses me, I don't think that's a good idea"
" Come on" he said, chuckling " I won't let you fall" I won't let you fall. That sounds like the cheesiest line from a romance book.
I slipped my hands through his soft palms and he hoisted me up with one pull, biceps hard as granite. There and then I took in his full look. Tall, olive skinned, hunky and well built, not like a gym obsessed body-builder but like a guy who takes his work-outs seriously. even in a casual, no doubt fashionable hoodie and denim pants, he looked… hot. God Daisy! You've never talked to a boy before and now you're having crazy fantasies about them? Way to go madam nerd, way to go.
A few designers in the weirdest outfits pranced up to the stage, moving us down and away from the crowd and models pranced through the runway with their faces cold and icy. I moved away to give them room to touch up on Justin's make-up. Tori slipped in beside me while Maddie held her phone up in my face, laughing and making faces. She took a picture that startled the lights out of me and I blinked. She cooed over her phone, laughing.
" Just look at how horrifying you look daisy" she held out a picture of me, hair piled up high like a rat's nest " just when I thought your hair couldn't look bad it just got worst, dorka!"
" She only fell" Justin said, coming to my rescue. As soon as he spoke every girl within a ten mile radius went dreamy. " Its not her fault"
" Oh absolutely Justin" Maddie said, brushing my hair down. I tried to slither out of her vice-like grip and she held me even harder " oh daisy are you ok? You poor thing. I'm so sorry" Tori rolled her eyes and I gaped at her while she twirled a lock of her hair around one finger. " By the way Justin, what do you say to some coffee after this. It must be really bad, falling off the stage that way" She held my shoulder and dug her fingers through my jacket " Daisy and I were going to grab a cup of coffee. Care to join us?"
" Umm… sorry but I have stuff to do" he smiled, sending bolts of electricity burning down my skin.
A man in stilettos danced his way up to us, eyes puckered up in lashes 2 inches long and God was he literally wearing a DRESS?
" OMG Justinalima darling are you ok?"
" Sure harry." He said. A full on make-up crew dabbed powder all over his face, patted his hair and pranced all over his clothes. " I'm fine" he shot me a smile and I smiled back, making harry spin round to stare at me. I shuddered, holding out my hand in apology. Justin chuckled quietly.
" I'm really, really sorry sir I really didn't mean to and I know I've ruined this for you, you can call the police cause my dad'll be probably watching his clothes dry than pick up the phone when you call him and…"
" Oh zarling hush, hush!" He yelled, waving his hands over my face. He peered at me with this silly smile etched over his face. " my, my, mama mia." He ran his eyes through my dress " impeccable fashion sense" Maddie coughed, laughing hysterically.
" Fashion sense?" She snickered " she looks like a duck"
" The ugly duckling" cherry added, chuckling. Harry shot them a look and tori held onto my arm, squealing.
" OMG daisy that's harry!"
" am I supposed to know who he is? Apart from the fact that he's going to be the one taking me to jail"
" Don't you ever listen to me when I talk? That's harry Hanover, top fashion designer, agent, you name it. He's scouted models for Gucci, Versace, Royce and dolls, you name it" she leaned hard on me, nearly toppling me over " he could be my big break to success!!" so there's really a silver lining to every cloud?
Tori did a little skip up to harry, holding out her hand.
" Hi. I'm Tori Beckman and your next new sensation!" She looked at me and I gave her a thumbs up. " I've been modeling for like forever and I heard of this campaign you're doing and I know that you're scouting for models right now and I can assure you I am the perfect fit."
" You don't say?" Harry asked, left hand on his hips and the right held high in the air. He kept staring at me. Then at Justin standing backstage and then back at me. Tori rattled on and on about fashion history and all while I stood there, trying to blend with the color of the table behind me. My hair gave me out.
" Oh there you are, dorka" Maddie's hateful voice said, popping on from behind me. I stared at Tori anxiously but she went on rattling at harry who didn't seem too interested in what she had to say.
Gotta face them on your own daisy. Come on daisy. You can do this. Just stare at her and act dumb. You can do that.
" Yeah. Here I am. And considering the fact that the word dorka doesn't exist maybe you should moderate it. Like by actually calling me by my real name. Daisy." OMG did THAT come out sounding like a speech or what?
Oh daisy you're still such a GEEK!
" Oh me, oh my" Maddie chortled, placing her hand on her chest with a soft laugh " I mean that's how you brits say it. Oh is it limey? Ohhh! Yeah I think its… what's the word meg… geek!" Megan and cherry giggled along and I shrank into my skin, powerless.
" You're such a shame daisy. A shame. I mean of all places to fall and topple through, you had to pick the runway? To infect America's heartthrob with your total geekiness and wave of uncool?" She tugged at my shoulder " Chill girl. Good thing Justin got away from you quick or we'd have been mourning a great loss to the fashion world. I mean imagine Justin in cargo pants and puke green jacket. Terrifying right?" she laughed, looking at her minions for support and they cackled along. She shoved me back with a quick glare. " geek"
" Yeah" Cherry piped, blowing a super large bubble in my face " geek" it popped splat right in my face and I gasped, drawing back and holding back the tears as they chanted geek in my face like an anthem. I staggered back, weaving my way through the crowd and heading to the door in a frenzy. I pushed the swirling doors open and leaned against the ice cold panels, heaving, wheezing. The tears came in long slow lines across my cheek. I reached into my bag pack for a tissue when a word scribbled across it in red felt pen caught my eye. Four simple letters.
GEEK.