Kayden Skylar Irwin, teen model and social media superstar, has climbed her way to the top of the charts and is determined to continue. A house fire leaves her with third-degree burns and horrific facial scarring that could possibly threaten her mod...
Plum-colored lipstick chisels my lips into the perfect pout. A warm contour exaggerates my cheekbones and accentuates my already-bronzed skin. Jet-black eyeliner on my waterline brings out the tiny yellow speckles in my large hazel eyes. A wash of dark green eyeshadow meticulously applied on my lids, with shimmering gold in the corners adds a creative touch to my sleek look. A stroke of blush on my cheekbones brings life to my olive complexion. My thick eyebrows are plucked and perfectly shaped into symmetrical arches.
"Just a bit more here and you're all done, darling!" Ava announces over the backstage chatter. She spritzes my long, dark, bangs with a large pump of hairspray and tucks a couple of strands behind my right ear. "Oh my god, Ava." I rolled my eyes. "It's going to look so crispy and gross if you put in that much." Ava's wide, toothy, grin fades.
"Ava, we're paying you two grand for this." Mom snaps; removing her designer sunglasses, exposing her sharp dark green eyes. "Do the job right, for God's sake. Kayden wants to win Miss Teen USA again this year." She glares at my stylist, as if to say I've got my eyes on you, bitch.
"Looks like my work here is done." Ava puts down the spray bottle and motions for me to stand up. "Kill 'em, tiger." She whispers in my ear, smiling proudly. I stare at my reflection in the full-length mirror, speechless. A strapless black gown with gold detailing on the bodice. A slit in the flowing skirt that exposes my long, muscular legs; toned from hours of weight-lifting and ballet. I'd tried on my pageant dress before, but I hadn't realized how stunning it was with the makeup and everything. My waist length chestnut-colored waves have been braided and twisted into a high bun. A light dusting of fine gold body glitter scattered over my skin and hair pulls the look together.
"Kayden Irwin, you're up." My agent, Joseph, calls from outside the thick velvet curtain of the dressing room. Mom turns to me, a hardened look of determination on her face. "Kay, I know you can do this. You have the looks, charm, talent, and composure." The side of her mouth twitches, as if she is about to smile but is trying hard to hold it in. "All you need to do-"
"Is throw it all together at once." I interrupt. "Mom, you give me this exact speech before every pageant and photoshoot." She bites her lip and stares at the ground, embarrassed. "Darling, I want you to know that I love and support you no matter what. Your dad had the same ambition as you, he wanted to come out on top no matter what; and he gave everything he had." At the mention of Dad, the room falls silent.
He was an cop who went missing during a late-night shift a year ago, when I was seventeen. To this day, his case is open. All that was found was his empty squad car on the side of the freeway, the door ajar and the interior untouched.
Ava clears her throat, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "You should go now, Kayden." She says, grinning awkwardly. Her eyes crinkle behind her cat-eye framed glasses. "See you later, then." I force a smile and Joseph loops his arm through mine. He leads me to the backstage entrance of the runway. Amid the chaos, I can hear the chatter of the crowd. My stomach flutters with anxiety, but I force it to stop.
"All yours." Joseph motions to the curtain separating backstage from the runway entrance. As if on cue, it flutters open; revealing a massive crowd. "MAY I PRESENT, KAYDEN IRWIN FROM AINSLEY, NORTH CAROLINA!!" The host bellows, among the cheers of the crowd. I stand up pole-straight and strut across the long, carpeted runway. My signature side-smile curls across my face, as I pivot-turn at the end of the red carpet. The audience's roar heightens, and I catch a glimpse of a small group of teenage girls waving around homemade signs that have my name painted across them in bright colors and glitter.
"Kayden, eh?" One of the announcers remarks. "Always a fan favorite. She's also the youngest contestant this year!!"
I wave graciously at the audience, and they start chanting my name.
"KAY-DEN, KAY-DEN, KAY-DEN, KAY-DEN!!" A sea of faces, the flashing of cameras, and the fluttering of banners and posters before my eyes doesn't feel overwhelming at all.
I grab the microphone from a nearby stand. "Is it all right if I Instagram all these beautiful people?" I ask proudly, looking to the administrators' panel for approval. "Go ahead!" They respond in unison.
One of the stage monitors runs up the steps and hands me my phone before scampering off. Quickly, I raise my camera and yell "Three, two, one!" The camera flashes, capturing the image of the crowd. My heart swells with pride as I admire the massive sea of faces.
Ever since I started modeling, the quality of my life improved. I morphed from an insecure, shy, girl to a confident, outgoing stage personality. Everyone at school respected me for once, and all the girls who used to bully me mercilessly spoke about me in hushed whispers; as if they were secretly afraid of me. When Dad went missing, it felt like everything came crashing down. If not for the support of my fans, I have no idea how I would have made it.
Looking back on my teenage years, I realized that I had occupied a bubble of utopia.
And it wouldn't be long until it was stabbed.
A/N: An update!! (936 words yeeettt)
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