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supportively

***SO UNEDITED IT'S NOT FUNNY***

"Did you know that ASOS only has two plus-sized models for their online store?" 

"Hello to you too," I replied, feeling tempted to simply hang up the phone. Instead, I tucked it into my shoulder and held it in place with my chin, freeing up my hands so I could work while Zayn babbled away. "I thought we discussed how you were going to stop calling me before my break for no reason."

"I have a very valid reason," Zayn argued.

I sighed, although I couldn't help but feel fond of the whiny tone he used. He'd been like this for the past few days since our date, calling me at random times to chat my ear off about random things. I didn't mind much, although him not calling me during work was starting to be more distracting than the call itself. I'd spent a good hour thinking about why he wasn't calling not twenty minutes earlier. "Go on, then."

"Right," Zayn agreed. "ASOS only has two plus-sized models for their online store. They have seven petite models and ten tall models, but only two plus-sized models. How dumb is that? And so when I found out about that, I started scrolling through their website and Penny-- you have to go look at this! All the other girls are the exact same size! Where's the variety? Where are the varying skin tones and heights and weights? What the hell?"

"Are you going somewhere with this?" I asked, keeping my tone light, but trying not to let on how truly fond I was of him. I couldn't get used to him calling me three times a day without fail; how was I supposed to move on when the phone calls ended forever?

Zayn cleared his throat. "I want to change it. The online store idea is for consumers to see what the product will look like on them without having to go into the store and try it on, right?"

"Right," I agreed.

"But such a small number of people look like those models! That's not what the clothes look like on the average person. The same goes for guys' clothes. Where are the male plus-sized models? If they exist, I've never seen them... and if they don't, why the hell don't they?"

"If anybody can change it, it'd be you," I sighed, giving up on covering up my fondness.

Zayn chuckled a bit. "You mean us, Penny. Together, as a team. If you're up for it, I mean."'

"Pardon?" I replied, nearly dropping my phone from where it rested warm against my collar bone. "Please tell me that I have some sort of selective hearing trouble."

"I'm not a doctor," Zayn reasoned, "but my guess is that you don't. I want you to help."

I spun around in my chair, facing the window insted of the computer screen. Directly outside, a billboard sprawled against the grey sky, a tiny blonde woman in a bikini was trying to sell me a beer with her breasts. I wasn't buying in it. "Just to recap; you want me to help you with your... modeling protest or something?"

"Well, when you call it a Modeling Protest it sounds silly," Zayn joked. "And yes, I do. You'd be perfect for it. You've got magazine experience, you're gorgeous, you're smart, and you're a size ten! Just what we need, yeah?"

My throat went chalky and I choked on my own spit all at once. It wasn't like this was news to me. Zayn said the words with such fondness, you're gorgeous and you're a size ten were actually put into the same sentence. For once, however, neither part of the sentence was kidding.

"You want me to model? For your campaign about people that don't look like models?"

Zayn was quiet for a second before he cleared his throat. "Do you know the reason so many famous men date models? Adam Levine... Niall, even?"