Barbie and Ken | ✔️

Barbie and Ken [23]

[A/N: Some heavy stuff will be addressed at the very end of this chapter, so please if you don't want something too heavy hearted after you've finished this chapter please refrain from hating. It won't envelope the book, but just be a small climax that begins at the end of this chappie and ends quite quickly. I would suggest refraining from it if you're under thirteen or 'innocent'.]

☼Leila Perez☼

"You can't go to Formal?!" Evie shrieked across the phone.

I winced. I'd held off telling her for as long as possible, because I was nervous of her reaction. 

Evie screeched, "But Leila! It's Formal! You don't get this twice."

"Evie," I chuckled, still sort of worried, "It's also Sports Illustrated Australia!"

Evie huffed for a moment before sighing, "Fine! But you're still helping me search for a dress."

"Agreed," I grinned to myself. 

"We're going to the mall at two p.m. tomorrow!"

Was it only Sunday tomorrow? Wow...

"Sure," I sighed, "That, or I could get Lucy to bring in a bunch of dresses for you to try on?"

"Ooh!" she squeed, "That would be amazing, I love you!"

"I love you too!" I laughed and she hung up.

"You aren't cheating on me with Evie, are you?" Castor laughed.

I looked over to his window and grinned innocently, "How'd you know?"

He smirked, "Are you going somewhere?"

He gestured to the handbag in my lap. I nodded, rolling my eyes, "I have a practice for the fashion show on Sunday. Did you know that this is the first fashion show Victoria's Secret has launched in Australia?"

"No?" he shrugged.

I let out a small laugh, "Of course not."

He glared at me.

I smiled innocently, "See you later!"

He rolled his eyes with a smirk and closed his window. I closed my own when I saw the Lamborghini pull up and I headed downstairs to hop into the car. 

Lucy winked, "You ready, darl?"

"Definitely," I smiled. 

*****

I was so not ready. I was thrust into a room of half-naked string beans ranging from translucent to charcoal in skin colour. I gulped as a blonde model walked past. I could see her bones in her back and could easily count all her ribs. 

She was sickly thin, but maybe that's what models were supposed to look like. I might be number one for Victoria's Secret but I was still a newbie in this business. 

A brunette smirked, "Look what the cat dragged in."

A dark-skinned girl twisted her nose up at me, "She looks like she's drowning in that bikini."

"Just how short is she?"

"Why would Lucy sign with her?"

"How the hell does she expect to be a model with a body like that?"

"You can't even see her hip bones."

"Look at those strange-coloured eyes."

I gulped and blushed furiously. A woman hurried up to me and whispered, "Don't worry. You're the star of the show."

She held out the black halter bikini, "Go put this on."

Immediately the whispers stopped. The brunette growled, "She's the one wearing the star bikini?"

Lucy entered the room on this, "Yes. In fact, Leila's gonna be the closing model."

I am? 

Cool...

I was pushed gently into a change room and I stripped before pulling on the bikini. I stared at myself in the mirror for a fraction longer than necessary.

Were my bust and butt big enough, was my waist small enough, was my skin the right colour for me?

I stepped out, more than a little nervous. Most of the models were throwing me dirty sneers. Lucy cheered, "Beautiful! Now take it off."

"Excuse me?" I squeaked, "Aren't we doing a practice run?"

"Yes, but that's our prized possession, we aren't using it on the stage today," she smiled gently.

"Lucy's too patient with her," the brunette sniffed.

I walked back into the change room and changed into my skinny jeans and baggy tee. I stepped out to the brunette calling to me sweetly, "You might want to lose a few pounds before the show, sweetie."

I blushed furiously.

Someone called out even more sweetly, "Katherine? Leave her alone. She's being amazing for not snapping at you right now."

Thank the Lord for Taylor Hill.

*****

I looked at myself in the mirror of my bedroom and swooped my hair behind my ear, revealing my face. I glared at my eyes like it was a staring match.

Why did they have to be such an odd colour? Seriously, multi-coloured? Couldn't they just be plain grey? 

Why couldn't I see my hip bones? Did I have too much pudge surrounding them? 

Should I diet even further? Maybe cut out the snacks I have between breakfast and dinner? 

Would I look as thin and model-like as the skinny girl I saw before the rehearsal?

Was I supposed to look like that?

I wasn't even aware I was crying until I felt arms slide around me. Castor whispered, "What's wrong, Barbie?"

My knees felt weak and I buckled, but Castor caught me and sat me on my bed, "Leila..."

His blue eyes were intense but wavered in my teary vision. 

I held myself tightly as he knelt at my feet, "Come on, what happened?"

I was fat compared to the other models. My eyes weren't the right colour. My skin didn't suit my hair colour. I couldn't see my hip bones. 

"I'm fine," but I let out another sob.

"Leila," he sighed, "I've spent enough time around my mum to know that 'I'm fine' is a lie."

I just held my arms out and he hugged me, "Tell me what happened."

I sniffed, "D-do you think-k I'm pr-pretty?"

Castor froze and pulled away suddenly. I looked up in shock and wiped my eyes. He was glaring at me, "This is what this is about?"

I shook my head, "I-It was the m-models at the re-rehearsal. Th-they called-d me things..."

"You're the most beautiful female on the planet," he lifted my chin so I was staring at him, "And that is not a lie. That is not an opinion either. It's a fact."

I sniffled, "Th-thanks."

Castor sighed, "I'm going to go get you some chocolate to make you feel better."

I nodded weakly and he crawled through the window. I turned to my reflection in the mirror. I gulped. I couldn't have any chocolate. Chocolate would just make me fatter.

Lose weight.

I suddenly ran for the bathroom and vomited up everything I could until I was panting for breath.

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So I hope you enjoyed :) If you did, leave me a comment, if you didn't, tell me what I can improve on. How are you? Leave me a comment and a vote if you're healthy or sick. If you're sick, I hope you feel better. Shoutout to those that are reading this at 1am.

Sharky.