New Identity ~ MCU/SWCW Story

|<Chapter Five>|

Updated as of: 10/23/21

Enjoy! The outfit above is for her first day of school.

"Look up, to the left... shift your weight to your right leg. But wait! You still need to look at the camera. Ah... perfect! Just stand still for a few moments, just like that."

    Despite the excitement that had come with her first day of modeling, it had been extremely exhausting. Ashley badly wanted to replace her cheery smile with a hardened scowl, though she reined her aggravation into check. Bethany was depending on her to do great, and that was exactly what she planned on doing. Ashley knew that a lasting good impression would be in her favor, especially since she would have no where to go if Bethany decided she had grown tired of the teenager.

    When the photographer finally gave her the signal to relax from her pose, Ashley's eyes immediately flitted to a nearby clock. She sighed in relief as she realized that the end of her shift was coming near. Soon, Bethany would be there to pick her up and grab a couple of things for her school tomorrow. Right now, supposedly the woman was taking care of some matters involving the teenager's adoption.

    "Ms. Tanner! Ms. Tanner, back to work!" The exasperated photographer called out. Ashley offered a sheepish smile and returned her focus back to the stack of clothes in front of her. She quickly grabbed them and rushed off to the changing room, slipping off the skirt and plain blouse she had been showcasing and replacing it with high-waisted flares and a strapless shirt.
   
    An involuntary hiss escaped her mouth as she accidentally brushed her hands against her abdomen. The pain had definitely receded from its intensity the previous night, but it was still no laughing matter. A huge splash of vibrant discoloration adorned her ribs, and there was still that divot that was nestled beneath her chest.
   
    Much to her surprise, she had been lucky enough to showcase clothing that didn't cause the indention to stand out. She had also declined any clothing that displayed much of her stomach, and the staff had written it off as modesty or self-consciousness.

        "Ms. Tanner, you're putting on shorts and a shirt, not a scuba suit. I believe you should be done by now."

    Ashley shook herself back to focus and exited the changing station, sending the photographer an apologetic look before making her way towards the next set she was shooting on. Drake, the photographer, had started out being nice in the early day, but his patience began to wear off as the long hours droned just like her. Hopefully he wasn't as much disgruntled with Ashley, but just the taxing day of work he had put in.

    The teenager got in a random pose where she wasn't really looking at the camera, but more so seemed like she was greatly intrigued by a speck of dust on the turquoise tile in front of her. It seemed weird as heck doing it, but apparently it looked really cool from an onlooker's point of view. She still couldn't understand the whole modeling business. Was it really necessary for the clothes to be displayed on actual people? Or could it be done just as adequately with a mannequin?

    "Last one..." Drake mumbled, then set down his camera and let out a breath of relief. "Well done, Ms. Tanner. You're good to be on your way now. Feel free to take home one of those outfits as a token of our gratitude for your hard work."

    "Thank you, sir. You can call me Ashley, though," the teenager insisted, relaxing from the stance she was in prior.

    Speaking of names though, would she technically be Ashley Tanner or Ashley Everglade now? She slightly hoped it was the former, since her name was one of the few things she had left of her past. She desperately wanted to cling onto whatever remnants from before. Although, if Bethany insisted that she take her last name, then she supposed there wasn't much she could do.