Mean Girl Tendencies

25|"You're going to be a very pretty girl one day."

"Honey I'm telling you he's amazing!"My mother gloats about Francis. "I want him to do everything for you. He's going to make you into a star." Her eyes daze off as she imagines living her dream through her child.

"But mother-"

She sneers at me. "No buts! You will do this, and you will like it. I am you're mother and you will listen to me, you ungrateful little brat." I can feel the spit from her words splatter onto my face, and I don't dare try to remove them.

Once she can tell I won't resist her plan anymore, she smiles at me. The type of smile that I'll become famous for in the future.

"Now sit and wait in this chair for Francis."

Just as she said his name, he appeared. He was a tall slim man who like to wear those muscle t-shirts. I don't know what kind of fashion photographer he is if he wears stuff like that.

He looks a bit startled as he opens the door. "Madmemousiille, what are you doing here?"

My mother beams at him. Probably the realest smile she's given anyone in a long time. "I want you to photograph my daughter." My mother doesn't acknowledge me, but Francis peers over her shoulder to look at me.

Out from behind Francis, a boy is there and he squeezes his way out of the door way and takes a seat in the waiting hall next to me. Well not technically next to me, but a seat apart.

"Hello." I greet the boy and I stop listening to my mothers boring adult conversation. The boy doesn't even look at me. He just keeps his head down. "Hi, I'm Aurora. What's your name?" I persist. My dad always said that making friends is one of the best things to do in life, so if he thought it was good. I didn't want to disappoint him.

"Samuel!" Francis snaps at the boy, and the boy rushes back to Francis.

I get out of my chair and stand next to my mother.

"I'm all booked for today, but I promise," Francis takes my mothers hand and kisses it. "tomorrow. I'd do anything for you and your lovely daughter." Francis smiles at me, which causes me to shift a little in my shoes.

"Is Samuel your name?" I question the boy who looked to be about my age, but I asked very softly as to not disrupt Mothers conversation. She hates it when I do that.

He shakes his head no.

It seemed as if my mother wanted to be more persistent, but she held up her white flag. "Okay, tomorrow it is. Chow, my love." She parts with Francis and struts out of his studio like she owns the place, leaving me to awkwardly trail behind her.

I wave bye, but not to Francis. I wave to the boy, but he doesn't wave back. It's okay. He'll be my friend eventually.

I see Francis at least four times a month now to take pictures. For what? I don't know, but my wretched mother insist.

I don't see the boy all the time, but when I do I try to make conversation with him the best I can until Francis rips him from my grasp. There are other kids that wait in the studios waiting hall, but I never see a lot of kids on the day I see the boy. So when nobody is there, I know I'm going to see the boy today.

And today was that type of day. I was excited. Last time I actually got him to say hello to me, and I see that as success. I've almost turned trying to get the boy to talk to me into a type of game.

I was waiting to see the boy step out of the room, but instead who I saw was a girl. She was much older then me, I think. And she acted the same way the boy did when he exited the room.

"I'll be right with you, Rory." Francis called out to me as he shoved the girl out of his studio and into the brick waiting hall. Francis liked to give nicknames out to the ones he thought were special. Mine was Rory, and I kind of liked it. But he wanted us to call him Franky, which I never did cause it was weird.