His Choice (The Selection)

Chapter Eight

Chris leads us into the room. On one side, there is a wall covered with vanities. Across from it, there are a half dozen sinks and hair dryers. On the back wall, there are racks full of elaborately colored dresses and a screen to change behind.

"Okay, let's get each of you started. Ember, Bexley, go to the empty stations. April, Savannah please go to the wash stations," she orders us. We all go our separate ways and I end up in a seat between two blondes.

I sit there for several minutes, no coming to help me. I tap my fingers on the arm rests of the black chair. The girl on my right looks over at me and smiles.

"Hi! I'm Sarah!" she says very excitedly. I look over at her and take in her features. She has blue eyes and her hair, which seems a much blonder shade than natural, reaches halfway down her back.

"Um, hi," I say back. She leans towards me.

"You're Ember, right?" she asks. I nod. "I have been trying to learn about all of the selected and you were one of my favorites!" I give her a tight smile before turning back to look in my mirror. "Are you excited for your makeover?" she asks. I look back at her.

"I guess. . . But I get them a lot so it won't be anything different," I say. She nods.

"It is so weird for me. I could afford the simple make up but never anything like this. They bleached my hair and added extensions!" she says. I attempt at giving her a warm smile.

"Well, they look very nice,"I tell her, hoping that she will stop talking to me. She opens her mouth to say something else but a man walks up and taps her on the shoulder. They exchange a few words then she gets up and moved towards the wall where the dresses are.

"I'll have to find you later, Ember!" she says as she walks away. Once she is over at the racks looking through dresses I sigh and slouch down in my seat. The girl on my left, a dirty blonde with piercing blue eyes, laughs.

"She was like that the entire ride here," she says. I look over at her and raise my eyebrows.

"We had two like that. I swear I am going to end up hurting someone," I tell her, shaking my head. She nods.

"I am, too. . . But seriously, she knew everything from my interview: how I love singing and I do it professionally, that I enjoy hip hop," she says, shaking her head.

"Well, it shouldn't be easy to get anything by her," I say. She releases a short laugh.

"You don't say. . . I'm Giselle, by the way," she says. I give her a tight smile.

"Ember," I tell her. She doesn't say anything back. I look at my reflection and tuck a few strands of hair behind my ears. I have been sitting there like that for at least ten minutes by the time a bald man with a thick accent walks over.

"Ember, darling! How are you?" he says. I look up in the mirror and recognize the man walking towards me. I stand up and give both sides of his face air kisses.

"Paolo! It is great to see you again!" I say, remembering all the times he has done my makeup and hair for formal events with my family. He smiles at me.

"And it is great to see my favorite client again. Now, I have been hoping I would get you. I have the perfect makeover planned," he says. Trusting him, I nod and let him get to work. He orders me to first change into a robe.

I walk behind the screen and pull a fluffy, white robe around me. I walk back over to him and he tells me to sit down. He turns me around so I am facing the rest of the room, not my mirror. He has people run over and buff my nails and cover them in a beautiful pink shade.