Drugs & Dior

Chapter 13

Angela

"Hello, Miss Diamond," a tall woman with dark brown, slicked back, hair says once I get out of my car with the one bag I have with me. The woman has light brown skin that goes well with her all black outfit. "I am Vanessa. I'm here to personally escort you." She takes her chunky sunglasses off and extends a hand to greet me.

"Nice to meet you," I say, shaking her hand and smiling at her. "It's very nice of you to come out here with me, you didn't have to do that."

"I want you to know I'm serious about this, Angela. You will stay in New York until your sick of it this time. Your last visit was far too short."

I don't know how I respond so I stay silent, Vanessa doesn't seem to mind. She leads me into what I'm guessing is a private jet. She sits across from me in one of the comfy jet couches. There's a white table in between us, where she rests her folded hands.

"Now, I'm going to need you to sign a few things for me, your sixteen right?" She asks. I nod. She pulls out a stack of papers. "Is it possible to get your parents to sign this consent form to move you to New York permanently?"

I bite my bottom lip, panic suddenly setting in. What if they can't sign it? What if I can't leave because of it.  Then I remember.

"I have a paper with their signatures on it, will that work?" I got them to sign it a few months ago so I could send Cooper on the class field trips without bothering them.

"Hm." Vanessa tilts her head to think. "Okay, I won't tell anyone if you forge their signatures using it but you can't say anything outside of this room about it, okay? I could lose my job."

I nod. "Why are you risking so my for me?" I ask. "I mean, flying me out, letting me forge my parents signature, making sure I actually stay in New York , I mean, what's going on?"

"Miss Diamond—"

"Angela."

"Angela. Don't interrupt me, okay?" I nod, suddenly intimidated. "You're one of the most talented models I've seen, it would be a dream come true for me to work with you."

"Me?" I ask, not able to comprehend what it means for someone to actually want me outside of my brother.

"Yes, sweetheart. You."

Tears prick my eyes, I have to swallow the lump in my throat and steady breathing in order to keep them from flowing down my face. I use the paper to trace my fathers signature. Once I'm done, I slide the paper across the table to her. She smiles at me and takes it. I watch as she gently places it in a folder and then places the folder into a long black bag.

"Now, you are officially one of my models." Vanessa sighs happily. "How does it feel?"

"Amazing," I say without hesitation. I'm finally going to be a real model.

She smiles at me and we sit in silence for a while before she starts talking again.

"I hate to break up a happy moment, but we need to discuss the evens of this evening."

"Okay," I say, sitting on my hands and leaning forward. "What's going on?"

"So, there are races in New York. Illegal car races. I've recently started getting my models involved in the after parties of these races, you'll be walking down a catwalk at a street party at one in the morning."