Blade (Watty Awards 2013)

Chapter 9-Santana's POV

Chapter 9- Santana's POV

“I just don’t think it’s smart.” I say to Dad. He sighs again. We are on our way back to the hotel now and this is our second time having this conversation. “What? It’s true. Thomas, need I remind you, you’re on the run? Do you think it’s smart to have our face plastered on magazines? To have to go to interviews that will be aired worldwide?” I nag. I’m in the right mind set now. Finally.

“Santana, you worry too much. I changed my name. I changed my eye color and hair color. And you did too. May I say you look completely different. Authorities know what I look like not you, not Thomas, not Alex, not Santana. It’s not my face that will be in magazines, it’s yours. No big deal.” He says like the roles are reversed and he is my age begging to do something ridiculous like modeling and I’m his age disapproving.

“I don’t like it. Tell Margret Griffin that I can’t that you don’t want me too.” I beg.

He rolls his eyes as we pull up to the hotel. I almost didn’t notice it because it doesn’t have the paparazzi huddled up outside. “I thought 14 year old girls were supposed to be ecstatic to model and shit.”

He opens the door and gets out. I follow his lead.

“If you haven’t noticed I’m not like other 14 years old girls.” I say. We enter the huge hotel. I stop and watch him take everything in.

The place is a bit busy, but through all the chaos a girl around my age stands out effortlessly.

She’s tall and wears a uniform for some fancy type school her hair is waist length long and she’s caramel brown with pretty but sad tear filled brown eyes.

I see Margret griffin go up to her and give her a big loving type hug while a shorter girl takes a picture of it. There embrace last a little longer before Margret Griffin shoves her away like she was on fire.

She points a finger in her face and tells her something before sending the girl off.

“She seems lovely.” Dad laughs in my ear. She spots us and walks up and places a kiss directly on my lips. I cringe a bit at the taste of her lipstick.

“Santana, Hunny. Nice to see you came. Is this your dad?” She shakes his hand and introduces herself, meanwhile the shorter girl, who looks way too busy for one person-with the whole glasses falling off face messy hair and coffee, bag and stacks of papers in her hand.- Comes running up behind her.

“Ah, Mrs. Griffin. Yeah your table is ready.” She says.

I hold out a hand to help her with all the stuff she’s carrying but Mrs. Griffin stops me.

“Ah, No-no Santana, She’s got it. Right Sammy?” She says. ‘Sammy’ Nods and leads the way.

We are having lunch in a crowded, expensive looking restaurant inside the hotel. I feel my palms get sweaty because I’m not well dressed enough to eat at a place like this, I mean come on slacks and a Spongebob and Patrick t-shirt really fancy Santana. Not to mention I don’t even have the money to pay for this kinda stuff.

“So,” Mrs. Griffin starts the conversation. “I’m sure Santana has informed you why we are  here today so lets just get to it.”

I feel like I should be mentally taking notes ‘cause I can tell this is going to be long.

“First of all Mr. David. Santana will need to up hold a certain social profile.” She takes out a folder with is filled with paper. She swings it around towards him. “Who she talks to. Where she goes. What she does. It’s all a part of the job. I don’t like it when I hear shit about my models especially so refrain from trouble please.”

I nod showing I understand.

“And don’t nod so much, use your words. You can’t nod in an interview.” Sammy says quietly.

“Ok.” I say.

“She’ll be traveling a lot so I want her to go to a specific school. No worries I will pay for it all. This way she can miss some days and not worry about having to make it up.” Her eyes twinkle as she smiles. “They offer tutoring so don’t worry about not understanding much.”

“Ok.”

“I’ll take your father to enroll you.” She says.

“Her daughter goes there.” Sammy says.

“I don’t want you to feel pressured; I just like to develop a relationship with my co-workers.” She winks.

“Another thing, How much do you weigh?” Sammy asks.

“I don’t know, About 120-124 when I checked lasted.”

“and how tall are you?”

“5’7.”

“Ok, we need you to weigh 105- 110 anything more than that is unacceptable.” Mrs. Griffin sneers at me.

“And grow about two inches ok.” Sammy finishes.

I feel dizzy and confused. There is no way I’m losing weight with how much I eat and how do I grow two inches. It’s not like I can say, ‘bones grow’ and then they do.

“Drink lots of milk. And don’t eat after 7 pm. Take in as little as possible no more than 300-500 calories a day. If you eat too much you can make yourself throw up.” Sammy explains almost like she’s reading my mind.

“Dad, are you ok with this.” Mrs. Griffin asks my father who is signing off on some school papers.

He nods. “I’m totally fine with it.”

“Ok. Then, Santana you can start school in about two days if everything goes well. However I want your diet to start right now.” She says sternly.

I nod. This was going to be really hard.