𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐞 | machine gun kelly

36

THE POP MUSIC CEASED TO AN AMBIENCE lo-fi as the last of the models stepped behind the curtains and Zac Posen followed through them, making his grand solo appearance in front of the audience.

The elegant crowd poised around the runway, clad in their own glamour, applauded the designer as camera shutters clicked more rapidly than they were clicking before. Zac Posen stood in the spotlight, the scene making him gleam in his embellished suit.

"Thank you all for another wonderful night," He called, a bright smile on his face as the crowd quietened down. "You are all the glory of my house of design, and I wouldn't be here if it weren't for your support."

"So thank you for being an amazing audience tonight, and for all nights before."

With that being said, Zac Posen raised a hand to the air as cheery applause erupted once again, and then he pivoted and stepped behind the curtains to join the chaos of models, dresses, assistants, and workers running around backstage.

I saw him purse his lips and raise both his brows as the chaos receded for a moment and the participants of the said chaos gave him another round of applause. I was standing outside my dressing room, still in the last dress of the three I had modelled this night.

I didn't realize I had stopped and waited for Zac Posen to end the night. I seemed to be doing that a lot. It was just my anxiety, I supposed. I couldn't get myself to relax even if my changes were over and I didn't have to appear again. Just knowing that the runway was still lit up and ongoing, was enough for me to always be standing by in case I was needed.

Now that Zac Posen had closed the night off, I breathed a small sigh of relief. Watching him shake hands with directors and model managers behind stage, I slipped into my dressing room.

"Valerie," I called, finding the room empty, my hands on my hips.

Seconds later, she rushed in, out of breath and panicking.

"Gosh, I'm so sorry," She bristled, quickly tossing her cell phone aside and approaching the back of my dress, her fingers already working on the intricate snake shaped silver clasps holding the maroon gown together.

"I lost track of time," My personal stylist blabbered, tripping over her words. I felt her fingers fumble over the clasps.

I sighed. Exhaustion had me in a chokehold and I just wanted to dip my body into a hot bath, with no sound in my ears but the slight drip of water and the hustling of the trees in the wind outside of my Manhattan house.

"It's fine, just, get me out of the dress," I managed, and seconds later, I had slipped out of the dress as Valerie quickly brought my silk robe, wrapping it around me as I secured the ties at the waist.

Then, I sat myself down on the seat in front of the giant lit mirror, already feeling my body ease in the thin silk of the gown. Valerie then put aside the dress, having neatly hung it on a rack and ran her hand over the skirts to smoothen it out. She did that a lot, feeling the dress after I had worn it with her hands. It was as though she wanted to know what it felt like, and I doubt she could assume with just a hovering, fleeting, swipe of her hand over the fabric.

Then, Valerie quickly tended to my hair, gently ridding it of several pins and taking up a hairbrush to brush my dark hair through.

I looked in the mirror, exhaustion making my mind wander. It had been days since I'd last been on that skype call with mom. I hadn't even found time after that to call Mickey. Mom had called home though, and she'd gotten to speak to Connor and Mary, since I hadn't been there.

A soft knock sounded on the door then, and as my eyes landed on the wood, it was pushed open to reveal the figure of Zac Posen. His bright eyes found mine, and a small grin encapsulated his face as he led himself in, shutting the door behind him. Raising a hand to stop me from getting up as I stirred, he jogged up beside me as Valerie continued brushing my hair.