Way Down We Go

Chapter Twenty One

"If you weren't born with it
You can buy a couple ornaments
Just be sure to read the warning, kids
'Cause pretty soon you'll be bored of it, ha-ha"

"Hey, girl!" a random woman came into my dressing room. I frowned, not recognising this blue eyed blonde in purple, before slowly realising she was a member of management. I cocked my head to the side, flicking long blue waves from my face and adjusting my short white silk wrap around robe. I stared into the mirror for a few moments, prettier by the ring light, before I glared at the blue haired, green eyed woman I saw before me. Who was she?

"Hey," I finally replied. "Sarah." I remembered the young girl's name. She seemed satisfied with that and brought in a few bags, tipping them onto the tables. I frowned. "What are you doing?"

"Didn't you hear, sweet girl?" she said. Why did her voice only now sound southern? What was happening to me to only now just realise it? "Tony's coming around with a couple people, it's gonna be so fun!" she squealed. I frowned again. Judging by the odd pictures of faces and bodies, this would not end up fun at all. What would fun even be any more?

"Have you seen your new maxim magazine cover?" this strange, bubbly girl babbled. I frowned deeper. When did I do that? Who the hell instructed me, of all people, to pose for a glamour magazine? Me, the most self conscious girl in the world?

"No, I haven't." my reply was slow. I turned in my swivelly chair and walked over towards her. Where were my actual friends? Kenna, Greer, Aylee? Who was this strange being who oozed vanity and self righteousness? "What does it look like?" I questioned, confusion melting into curiosity.

"Sexy!" she squealed. Now did I realise she was one of my team that had recently been hired for publicity and stuff like that. "Here, check it out." A magazine was thrust into my hands. "Look how sexy you are on the cover, this is the first one they've printed, just for you." she giggled.

You are far to excitable for not even seven AM. I thought, before looking at the cover.

"Look how sexy you are." It look a moment to realise that the voice wasn't spoken, but in fact in my head. I stared at the magazine cover in wonder. Was that me? Or what they wanted me to be?

I settled on the latter, for this woman was in no way myself. She looked too different. Her hair was black and eyes a sparkling golden, but everything else was off. My skin was too dark, the nose narrower, the cheekbones more prominent. Lips poutier and certain assets larger underneath the soaking wet white shirt she wore, one shouldered and wet, for the woman who couldn't be me was set in a pond in a provocative pose.

"Thats-" I trailed off.

"You," she smiled. "Look how hot you are." she nodded to the picture. I looked down at it silently.

"Sexual, hey girl if you wanna feel sexual
You can always call up a professional
They stick pins in you like a vegetable"

"You wanna what?" I asked, my eyebrows high upon my brow as I looked at the team in white sitting in front of me. They smiled at me patronisingly, speaking as if I was just a little slow. I glared at one of them, but he talked as if I had not.

"It's a really simple procedure, Mrs. Valois." he smiled. "We simply remove any unwanted fat from the cheeks and abdomen and place it upon the buttocks. You know how easy breast augmentation is, it's done multiple times a day with no issues whatsoever."

"It's in your best interest, Marie." another said to me. "Think of the money that'll be gained from this." she insisted. "All the magazine shoots and the insta promotions, it really outweighs the negative sides." The brown haired, violet eyed woman said again. I huffed, fiddling with the hem of my sweater.