Once Upon a City (#OnceUponNow Top 25)

✶Chapter 6✶

    "Models, this is our cue," said Jaxon. "Prepare your game faces and follow me."

    Valentino handed him a microphone as he led all of the models out onto the catwalk. Though Cindy knew that she shouldn't move her head around too much, she couldn't help but to take a peek of the scenery around her. The lights were blinding and the crowd was enormous! She did her best to keep her composure but underneath her facade, she was jittery from all of the nerves coursing through her system.

    "Hello ladies and gentlemen and welcome to the 26th Annual Charmaine Fashion Show. As some of you may or may not know, I am Jaxon Charming and I am the heir to the Charmaine throne. Today what you are witnessing is a revolution of both pop and fashion culture that was prepared by my own being. With that being said, I haven't failed to recognize that some of you have seemed to take your words very lightly on social media."

    Silence erupted through the crowd. Cindy admired how Jaxon was straightforward and to the point, but still managed to sound professional.

    " I would just like to inform you of the hard work and dedication that is put into these types of events. If you are bold enough to step up to the plate and think you can do it better, then please by all means do inform me. However, I have to say that some of the comments I have seen online are atrocious. They are the truest form of ugly that I have ever seen."

    Shaking his head and taking a brief pause, it was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. After he cleared his throat, he continued.

    "What right do we have to criticise others about the way they look? I want you all to take a look around on the stage. Do you see this? This is diversity. This is taking talented people from all colors, shapes, sizes, body types, and races and combining them into one single, beautiful form of art. Fashion should not be for those of us who are a size two and have blemish free faces. Fashion should not be for the short or the tall, the skinny or the fat, light skin or dark skin. Fashion is for anyone who has a passion for the artform and the intricate process that goes into designing our trends. So I would like you to ponder on this for a moment: Should you be restricted from drawing, writing, painting, or acting just because you look a certain way?  Should you?"

    Jaxon obviously felt strongly about this issue.  For that, Cindy admired the boy. He had the courage to go up on stage and defend all of the models because he cared for their well being. That was showing characteristics of a genuinely amazing person.

    "And on that note, I'd like to pass the microphone to my good friend Valentino Armecelli who co-coordinated tonight's theme."

    Excitedly taking the microphone, Valentino was nearly jumping up and down once again. Cindy couldn't help but wonder how much coffee he had this morning. "Hello ladies and gentlemen. Tonight I'd like to take the time to talk about the theme of our show. A lot of people were iffy about it but when the idea was brought up, I just had to share it. As I was styling a young woman's hair today, she insisted on walking the catwalk without wearing makeup. If I were telling the truth I'd say that I was a bit on the iffy side when giving her approval to go natural, however when I had explained the whole story to Charming he really wanted to do something spectacular with it. So tonight, we decided for our theme to be Makeup Free Me."

After the crowd had given him a round of applause, Valentino continued. "However, I'd like to thank the up-and-coming model who helped to open our eyes to this idea. So if my girl Cindy could give us her fiercest walk, I'd like for her to speak a few words."

    Cindy's jaw nearly fell to the floor as she took in Valentino's words. Reacting quickly, the models moved to the side of the catwalk and Cindy walked between them. Keeping her head held high, Cindy made sure to keep her steps perfectly paced. One, two, one two.

    When she reached the end of the catwalk, she did a twirl which made her dress flow around her for a quick second before the weight of the sequins made the dress fall flat. With a wide grin plastered on his face, Valentino happily passed the mic to Cindy.

    Nervously shaking, she had no idea how she should start speaking. She had no script, no cues, no lines, and she needed to speak up within the next few seconds. Taking a breath in, she remembered Jaxon's advice. Follow your heart.  Squeezing her eyes together, she smiled.

    "Hi. I'm Cindy, nice to meet you all," she started. After thinking that that was the wrong choice of words, she shook her head and continued.

    " I've always thought less of myself because I never fit in with others. All of the other girls around me were obsessed with  covering up their flaws. I, however, was never like that and I felt odd because of it. So today when I was preparing for the show, I thought it would be a real bold step to make my first ever catwalk appearance as the real me: the girl who has tired bags under her eyes and has a few breakouts here and there. It happens to all of us."

    As Cindy's sapphire eyes scanned over the crowd, the microphone began to nervously shake in her hand. " So the point I'm really trying to get across is that you are all beautiful in your individual ways. Your quirks, your flaws, they're all part of you. It's time that society stop judging and criticizing others for what they look like. Everyone is beautiful. We are all unique in our own way, so what better way to start off the show then with a bang."

    Unexpectedly, the fireworks went off on the side of the stage and scared nearly everybody on stage. Cindy had nearly jumped off the stage from the sound of loud explosion.

    "Whew, that was unexpected!" Cindy said as she giggled into the mic. After the crowd laughed with her, she proceeded speaking. "So don't ever think that just because you have acne, aren't a size two, or are short that you can't do anything you put your mind to. You all were created amazingly beautiful, so let your beauty shine from the inside out. Thank you for letting me share my story."

    With that, Cindy gave a wave to the crowd and fiercely walked to the back of the stage. Greeted by a pair of handsome blue eyes, Charming approached her with open arms.

    "Cindy, you were incredible! I think we really got the point across!"

    Giggling, she released the hug and smiled up at him. "I honestly have no idea what I said. I totally blanked out."

    A deep chuckle erupted from Jaxon's chest. " Well then you're a real natural! Oh, by the way there are people already lined up for you just out of that door," he said, motioning to a door that was on the other side of the stage.

    "You're lying," she said in disbelief.  Staring at him with widened eyes, he smiled back at her.

    "I''d like to inform you that I am not lying Cindy. I happen to think you are a natural at this. I think you have a pretty good shot at getting a contract with someone today."

    "Why do you say that? Did you hear something?" She joked while wiggling her eyebrows.

    Smirking, he kept it as vague as he could. "The word contract may or may not have been thrown around a few times. Now go! Go get them hotshot!"

    She turned on her heels toward the door, only for Jaxon to grasp onto her wrist. "Oh, I almost forgot. Would you maybe like to get a cup of coffee sometime?" He asked, a light blush coming over his face.

    "What? Like a date?" Cindy asked, raising an eyebrow. Nervously scratching his head, he smiled.

    "Take it as you may."

    Laughing, she began to walk closer to the door. "I'd love to. I'll text you my schedule."

    "Sounds nice. I look forward to that text," he said as he walked to the opposite side of the stage.

    Taking a deep breath in, Cindy was ready to take the next step of her career. She realized that Jaxon had provided her with the little ray of hope that she was searching for. He had seen her for who she truly was and gave her some very useful advice. So as she turned the knob of the door, she remembered to keep her head held high, her eyes on the prize, and most of all, she remembered to follow her heart.

© Lightning_Stryker 2016

THE END