The Portfolio ((G/T))

Chapter Seventeen

((This chapter is dedicated to Actualtrash407 for being an awesome person. I enjoyed our chat!))

"Well, Mr. Edwards it's wonderful you and your model both can be here tonight!" Mr. Fredricks exclaimed excitedly with a happy smile. "But now all we have to do is wait for her yes? And she'll be here soon?" 

"Yes. Ellie is closer than you think." Mark replied with a chuckle, smiling at him. "I'm certain I can go get her, she might be here already." He mumbled with another chuckle, confusing the live audience who seemed very excited to be there.

Ellie was listening from inside his pocket, a hand clamped over her mouth to avoid her giggles being heard. Mark was so calm while that man seemed way too excited, and now and then she had to cover her ears to avoid them popping from the cheers of the crowd watching the interview live in the studio. It sounded like a whole lot of people too. She must've been lost in her thoughts, because large fingers suddenly curled around her and she was pulled out of the dark, blinking at the light in her eyes. Everything had also grown quiet, making her slightly nervous.

When she opened her eyes, the man she assumed to be Mr. Fredricks was eyeing her curiously with a shocked look. Slowly, she turned her head to meet the audiences equally shocked faces. Her heart began to race as fear started to kick in. What if one of them decided to try and attack her? What if they started shouting horrible, mean things towards herself and Mark? Her breathing quickened as tears threatened to brim in her eyes and she clung to Mark's hand.

Mark could tell how panicked Ellie had become and jumped into action. "She seems rather nervous! Why not show her she doesn't need to be huh? Naturally, almost 200 people larger than her would terrify her!" He shouted out to the crowd who then erupted into applause and cheers. He felt her breathing slow in his hand and looking at her, he watched a small smile cross her face. "There you are." He whispered, just loud enough for the tiny woman to hear.

Ellie smiled up at Mark and looked over the crowd of smiling faces then to the stout man and flashed him a bright, polite smile. "H-Hello. I-I was told I was to be interviewed here today?" She spoke timidly as she was suddenly placed onto the table between Mark and Mr. Fredricks.

"Oh, yes of course. It's a pleasure to meet you, little lady! Would you like to be called Ellie or Miss Miller?" Mr. Fredricks said with a smile, lowering his hand to shake before starting to pull it away embarrassed.

Ellie quickly grabbed his large finger with her own tiny hand, shaking it with a polite smile. "Ellie is just fine, thank you. I'm not one for formalities. Everyone normally just calls me Ellie, so, that's what works!" She giggled lightly, basically forcing herself to not be afraid that something may happen.

Mark smiled as he watched, shortly excusing himself to use the restroom. After he had and was washing his hands, he could hear screams and a whole lot of commotion going on out in the rest of the building. His heart jumped into his throat as he ran out of the room and looked around, the halls filled with smoke. 

Using a hand to cover his mouth, he ran by people running the direction away from the stage room where a bright orange light was flickering in from. "Ellie!" He shouted, running towards the flames as his heart raced, fear in his eyes. "Ellie where are you?!" 

He scanned the floor and the tables, under the chairs as he frantically searched. "Ellie please answer me!" He almost screamed as he stared into the light from the large fire, coughing into his hand. It was then he heard a tiny voice. 

"Mark!" It screamed, somewhere in the middle of the flames. His heart raced even more as he ran towards them. 

"Ellie?!" He shouted as he continued to search. "Ellie keep talking, please! Hold on!" He could hear the roof creaking, the floor as well. 

There were loud coughs, and another shout calling his name as he continues to try and get through the flames to her. 

Suddenly, a loud creak and groan of the building and roof collapsed in flames right in front of him, shooting ash and smoke everywhere. But over the sound of the debris, he heard a scream come to a sudden stop when everything hit the floor, and his heart sunk to his shoes. As tears threatened to brim in his eyes, he turned and started running to get out of the building. His heart was aching as he forced himself to continue moving. He could hear sirens and many people chattering, but nothing was getting through to him.

Once outside, he turned and looked at the building before collapsing to his knees, staring at the bright orange light. Throwing a hand over his mouth, muffled sobs echoed in his ears as tears ran down his face. Hands grabbed his shoulders and he turned, staring into Rosemary's worried face.

Seeing the look on his face, Rose immediately knew. "Oh, no Mark. Please no, don't say it." Tears began to brim in her own eyes as she looked at the flames.

"I-It's all my fault! Sh-She was there, I could hear her! Th-The roof then caved in and-" He choked back sobs before burying his face into the palms of his hands, sobbing.

Rosemary sat on the ground, hugging him tightly as fire trucks and sirens echoed around her. She held him tightly, knowing how upset it made him. Not because she was a model he worked with. She was a friend to her and Mark both. "M-Mark it wasn't your fault!"

"N-No it was! I-I shouldn't have left the room, i-if I had been there I could have grabbed her and ran b-but I wasn't!" Tears continued to stream down his face as he stared at the fire. "Sh-She was right there, Rose, she was right there! A-And I lost her!"

Shutting her eyes tightly, Rosemary knew how stubborn he was. And as a paramedic grabbed him to take him to get checked for injuries, she only watched the fire. A model shut down in the birth of a new career. A friend, just learning how to be around other people ripped away from those who genuinely loved her.