When We Happened

Chapter 27: The Newbie Enemy

Chapter 27

The Newbie Enemy

Remember that joke made by Sir Simon? When he said I could maybe walk for the New York Fashion Week next year? Yup, that one na binago rin niya at dinagdagan nang mas ambisyosong pangarap?

Fortune Models, my official international representation, managed to help me get booked for 5 runway shows for next month's New York Fashion Week.

Hearing the news made me want to call one person, the same one I left at home after spending one night with him.

My person.

I wouldn't see him for a long, long while and I am kind of grateful for that. Hindi pa talaga ako ready na harapin siya at harapin ang friendship namin na sinira ko.

I sighed. Remembering him didn't help my already foul mood. I'm at another go-see and this one is quite different from the others I went to before. This one has a darker, unwelcoming feel. Not from the designers or his staff.

It's from the co-models.

I've been grinding my ass off since I signed with Fortune Models one week ago. Kung saan-saan nila ako agad ako pinapapunta para mag go-see para sa kung ano-anong casting calls. Tama nga ang sinabi nila, ibang-iba nga rito. New York's fashion scene is really a different kind of beast.

Sa Manila, sometimes you have to please a few people to get in the door. Bukod sa agency, dapat may backer ka pa para makapasok. The Padrino system that we all hate. You have to know the right people to get in, someone who put a good word for you to get in. Dito, makakapasok ka nga pero mabilis ka ring papalabasin kapag hindi ikaw ang hinahanap nila, especially now that they are gunning for representation.

Napaka bilis ng proseso. May ilan na isang tingin lang nila sa akin ay hindi na nila muli ako tatapunan ng tingin. May ilan na papalakarin lang ako at mabilis na ibabalik sakin 'yung portfolio ko. May ilan na sobrang tagal na pagsusukat ang ginagawa sa akin, pero in the end, hindi ko rin naman pala makukuha.

I think I've already been to twenty go-sees. After signing that contract, everything was just a blur. Pero so far, nag-eenjoy ako sa proseso. Mabilis man akong nakakuha ng representation dito, hindi makakaila ng kahit sinona pinaghirapan ko lahat ng shows at campaigns na nakukuha ko.

Out of 20 go-sees, I got 5... and I am so happy and proud with those 5 spots that I booked.

Dahil pinagpapaguran ko talaga ang lahat ng iyon. Makikipagpatayan talaga ako para itama ang mga maling assumption nila sa akin at sa mga trabahong nakukuha ko dito sa New York. At uunahin ko itong mga kasama kong models dito.

Akala nila porket mag-isa ako at baguhan, magpapaapi ako? The only one who's allowed to make fun of me is me. Kung sa tingin nila hahayaan ko silang paringgan lang ako at i-bully, aba, nagkakamali sila ng Filipinang binangga.

"Is that her?"

"Is that really her? There's nothing special about her."

"How did she even book this gig?"

"How did her photos even go viral?"

"That's what I'm wondering too. She looks so fucking plain."

I stared right back at them and they instantly moved away from each other. Busted.

I rolled my eyes dramatically. "Are we really going to do this verbal abuse thing? Is it like an initiation or you're just gossiping as if I'm not here? Like I can't hear you?" I asked them out loud.

"And what about it, you little brown hack?"

That's it? Eh, kung murahin ko kaya nanay nito?

I snorted. "Come on, that's so fucking lame. English is not even my first language, yet I can still come up with better shit."