Love Don't Change

Chapter 8

3 weeks later...

"Yes. I love the poses" the photographer tells me. I put on a serious face throughout the photos. Keith and I are at our phototsoot and we're excited. It's our first time doing a photoshoot together and we're doing pretty well. "Umm, can we get a little more powder on her please" the photographer says. I sigh very loudly. "Calm down" Keith whispers in my ear. This is like their 5th time they put powder on my face and I'm pretty sure I don't need anymore. The makeup lady come towards me, but I grab the powder from her hands. "This is like your 5th time putting powder on me. I don't need anymore" I say. "It's just a lighting problem" he replies. "No it's a color problem" I say. "Please just put more on. The lighting isn't very well Miss. Brook" he tells me. "Are you serious? Do you seen my face right now. Y'all are too focused on my skin color instead of actually taking the pictures" I say. I hand the woman back her powder. "You should be glad that I'm still here tryna take picture with your 50 dollar clothes budget" I say. I walk away from the camera and grab my things. "Can someone bring her back please ?" The photographer says. Keith nods his head and follows me. "You ok ?" He asks me. I shake my head no. "Look can you please just come back please ?" Keith asks me. I give him "are you serious" look. "Are you crazy ? Do you know what he's tryna do to me Keith ?" I say to him raising my voice at him a little. "Lower your voice" he tells me. "No. I thought you would at least know where I'm coming from, but I guess you don't" I tell him holding back tears. This is so sad how he doesn't understand what the photographer was trying to do to me. "I'm leaving. I just can't right now" I say. I grab my clothes and leave.

Keith

I shake my head at Bre as she leaves the photoshoot. She is really being a baby right now, he literally just fixing you up. I thought she looked good with the makeup, but I guess she didn't feel the same way. "Umm, I guess we're going to cut this shoot short" I tell them. "She's not coming back?" He asks me. I shake my head no. "I'm really sorry" I tell them. "No. It's ok. Lupita did the same thing when she came here. Shouting and screaming about how we're guilty of the act of colorism, but that's not true. They always complain about the same thing when they come here. It's normal for us, don't worry," he tells me. I scrunch my face up a little and grab my things and go. I see Bre inside the car waiting for me. I walk towards the car and hop in the driver's seat. "Hey you ok ?" I ask her. She slowly nods her and doesn't respond. "Talk to me B" I say to her. "You'll never understand" she says. "Help me understand" I say.

Brelyn

"It's the fact that you really tried to tell me to calm down, but you know how it feels to be called "too dark." He tried to lighten my skin because he felt my color wasn't as good as yours or good at all for the picture" I tell him. "But you looked good" Keith says. "I looked good ? So I look better as a lightskin is that what you're saying to me right now ?" I say. "Man you're overreacting" Keith says. "Don't tell I'm overreacting because it happens to many girls my skin tone. Can't you see I'm not my regular color anymore or maybe you like it like that don't you ?" I say. "I don't care about your skin color" Keith says. I keep quite. "Let's just go home" I say with a tear strolling down my face. Keith stares at me and shrugs his shoulder. I wipe my tears away because I don't need to be crying over a stupid white guy that doesn't understand the beauty of black. And I don't need anybody trying to argue about this issue when we all know what was really going on.