Addicted

4

It took a few hours, but I finally made it back to the city, it was in the late evening hours but I wasn't sure the exact time. The sun was setting between the jungle of buildings, and I finally felt the warmth. I felt so cold, and uncomfortable since I went around them. I was in the middle of hundreds of people walking by, and I was looking around to see if I could see anyone I known to take the subway with.

"You! Right there! You look amazing!" I heard someone yelling out, and he was walking towards me. I looked around, and then back at him, pointing at myself to see if he was really talking to me, cause if so what in the hell is wrong with his eyesight?

"Me?"

"Yes you! So radiant against the sun, your messy hair, and those eyes!" He said grabbing my arms and walking around me in circles, looking me up and down. He looked like one of those fashion people that walk around in New York with their Yorkie dogs and big scarves on, adding all types of fabric to clothing and saying it's 'brilliant.' He was a tall and slim guy, wearing tight jeans and a coat with a weird hair do, but he looked like his taste was expensive.

"Oh wow, are you partially blind? I never think of myself like that." I said looking at him like he was crazy.

"You are perfect! You've never modeled before? I could make you international so fast!"

"Oh, I don't know. I'm not in a good place-"

"Don't worry about any of that! Please at least just take my card, if you call me in the middle of the night, I will answer." He said still looking at me. "You know what, no I'm taking you now." He said grabbing my arm and pulling me towards the building where he worked at. It was one of those tall buildings, with a bunch of windows. I knew little to nothing about the fashion world.

"Listen I have stuff to do!" I yelled out and he brought me onto the elevator with him.

"Your plans can wait." He said pulling me out the elevator and making me sit in front of a mirror. "Look at your face. Throw some make up on the imperfections and you can make great money! You could make us rich." He said starting to put make up on my face. I was looking like a cleaner, healthier version of me because of Carla, so decent that I guess it caused a fashion junkie to love my look.

"But I hate this stuff, and I don't live the right life to even be a model."

"There is no right life. Stay here, take some pictures with me and I'll give you a thousand dollars. Just for an hour of your time." I was almost sketchy, because usually in deals like this it was fake, or someone would just attack me. But it felt different this time, plus this guy was as gay as they come, which I have no problem with. But a thousand dollars?

"All that money just for an hour?"

"Oh yeah, my models are paid the greatest."

"Then I might have to take you up on that offer." I said closing my eyes as he put all that junk on my face. Once he was done, he immediately put me on out in front of the camera. Everything was so new too me, and moving so fast, I knew little to nothing about fashion and make up, or posing and modeling but for $1,000 I'm damn sure gonna try.

"You are perfect!" He said taking close ups of my face, and more of me. "I'll have these ready in a few days, see how fast that was? I can't wait to show you off, here's my number, and your money. Spend it wisely girl." He said smiling and he rushed off to the computer with all my photos.

"Do I keep this outfit?"

"Anything you want is yours, please make sure you call me cause these pictures are amazing!" He said pulling me into a big hug. These fashion people were too jumpy and loved to just hug on you at random moments which was something I wasn't used too. I walked down the stairs and as I was on my way out, but some guy stopped me. He was tall, and attractive, he looked like he belonged on the cover of a magazine, or the photo shoot i just left from. He was tan skinned and had light hazel eyes, with short curls just on the top of his head.

"Wow, hi. You're beautiful." He said looking straight into my face, which made me uncomfortable. I looked to each side just to make sure he wasn't mistakened.

"Are you talking to me?"

"Yeah, why are you so surprised?" I just shook my head and smiled, and brushed right by him and out the door. Today was something else, I was so used to disaster and bad that I don't know how to handle when decent things happen. "Hey! Wait, why are you walking away? You aren't a fan of compliments?"

"I'm not a fan of me, I'm my own worst critic." I said as I kept walking but he stood in front of me causing me to stop.

"You should realize how beautiful you are, you caught my eye soon as I walked in the building. Why aren't you a fan of yourself?"

"I'm not exactly the ideal girl, I'm not a professional model I know little to nothing about the modeling life. Please don't stand here and try to convince me, cause you'll be wasting your time with this one."

"If you aren't a professional model, you should be." He said staring at me again for a few seconds. "Why haven't I seen you before?"

"You probably have, but I take subways and walk around on more drugs than I can count. I'm really not your ideal girl." I said walking off and I could feel him watching me, I couldn't tell if he believed me or not. I wouldn't want to pretend, or act like I'm this glorious type of girl. I wish I was normal, but I'm not.