Young But Real (5 YA Short Stories)

In Which She's A Model

"Spread your arms, palms facing to the front!" The photographer commands enthusiastically. I open my eyes a bit to look at her. "Close your eyes, Kira!"

Geez. This lady needs to learn how to have fun on the set. I wink at her before I obey.

"Perfect! We're done!" She yells again yet it sounds warm and relieved. I don't need to open my eyes to know that she's happy and proud of her art.

I get the cream silk robe which is hanging on my PA's arm and walk towards Jennifer Vanderhart, the photographer and designer of the peach two-piece high-waisted swimsuit I am currently wearing. I peer over her shoulder, smiling at how beautiful and sexy I look.

"No one, as in no one, makes me look better than you do," I say, startling her.

She chuckles before turning around. "I love my babies on your body. They're adorbs," she pokes the bulging exposed tummy which miraculously is hidden in the photo. Fine. It's not a miracle but Jennie's talent. "in your killer and voluptuous figure."

"Curvaceous, you mean, literally," I chuckle. Curve courtesy of bulging tummy. Curves in the flabby arms and heavy legs.  "Yes, at 79.3kg, I could crush those skinny guys in school."

She laughs while tying my robe to cover my sexiness. "Oh dear, they should know very well not to get on your bad side." She tugs on the robe and pulls it to smoothen the surface. I utter a thank you. "Or to stand behind you. You know," she paused, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "if ever you lose your balance and land on top of him."

"That sounds dirty from every angle."

Her eyes are widening. She must pick-up her jaw from the floor. "Wow! Is that the effect of losing your virginity three days ago?"

"Shit! You're so loud!" I search the studio and sighs when I can't see my PA. "Dammit, Jennie! My brother will kill the guy if he knows and will surely gate-crash every party I'll attend."

"Sorry." She says flatly before turning around to wipe her another set of babies, the camera and lens.

Jennie has been my friend and older sister from another mother since she convinced me to be the model of her swimsuits. At first, I didn't understand why she wanted me. Come on, I love my body but I admit that it's far from the society's definition of a model body. Jennie's swimwear collections aim to discard the differences in body types. In other words, her swimwear is for everyone, regardless of whether you're skinny, voluptuous, hour-glass...etc.

"You're not." I hand her the lens she used while tucking the newly polished ones she's holding.

"Of course. Your brother should accept that you can have sex now. You're seventeen. I lost mine when I was sixteen." There's a faint bitterness in her voice while she stares at her lens longingly, making me wonder if there's a juicy story between her and the guy who popped her cherry.

"Mind telling me why you stare at the lens like it took your virginity?" She snaps her head towards my direction with a panic expression. Bingo. She just walks into it. "I might tell you mine."

Lie. I don't kiss and tell.

She blinks and smiles as if I didn't catch her emotion. "No story," she shoves me towards the changing room, "and you have to change now. Jace won't be happy if we'll be late at Eloise's birthday party."

I pout but seeing the big camera lens wall clock, we only have thirty minutes before the party starts. I drag my heavy feet towards the changing room to the left. I have a bad feeling about this party. On top of that, I haven't met the birthday girl either.

Jennie closes the black heavy curtain but I slide it open. "You know what,  get a boyfriend to bring to parties."

She snorts, "Says the girl who doesn't know what boyfriend is."

"Hey! I know what boy—"

She chuckles and close the curtain again, "See, boyfriend's not a what, he is a who—"

"Geez, I know. I'm seventeen, almost eighteen, so of course I kno—"

"You don't get a boyfriend just so you have someone to bring to the party. Boyfriend is someone you see yourself growing old with."

I roll my eyes even though she can't see me. "You're a hopeless romantic. As much as I love myself, it's difficult to get love from someone else, other than my family and friends." I look at my reflection in the mirror and quickly cover my body with the ripped jeans and sleeveless red crop top.

Who would want a heavy girlfriend, probably even heavier than him? I like myself but I don't believe that someone will sincerely love me to the moon and back. I'm enough.

I'm rich. Maybe, he'll just after my money.
I'm fat as fuck. Maybe, he'll make a bet with his friends if he can make me fall for him.
Guys are nightmares dressed like a daydream.

The sound of a soft hand tapping my cheek brings me back to the lady in front of me.

When did she enter the changing room?

"I know what's going on with your insecure mind." I sigh looking at her blue eyes. Sometimes I feel like Jennie can see through the deepest part of my brain. "When I say killer body, I mean that you are attractive, Kira." She smiles and looks at me from head to toe. "Sure you have unwanted curves."

I scoff, "Thank you very much for the reminder."

"I'm not yet finished, Kirabel."

"Don't call me that," I say, glaring at her. "It sounds so...princessy."

I'm my family's princess but I don't like it. It sounds weak and vulnerable, like I need a Prince to rescue me just like in the movies. Well, except Merida. I love Merida, a princess, a strong one who doesn't need a Prince in her life.

She ignores what I say and continues instead, "You're charming, attractive, and oozing with confidence," she tucks a few strands of my rose gold hair behind my ear. "You know that and don't let your brain bring you down."

"Hey, I'm entitled to be insecure as well."

She blows air out of annoyance. "Fine, I'll rephrase it. Be insecure sometimes," she emphasizes on the last word, "but don't make it a habit."

I'm not insecure. I'm just being realistic. Like I said, I'm enough. I look at her and she has changed into a plain pale blue midi dress with a slit that reaches her middle thigh.

"You look beautiful and younger."

"Don't change the topic!" She says, glancing at her phone. "Shit! We only have fifteen minutes." She grabs the leather jacket on the hook and drags me outside the changing room. She commands her assistant to bring the camera back to her office before we sprint towards the parking lot. Luckily, I am wearing chunky buckle black boots. On the other hand, the blondie on my right is running in her four-inch silver high heels. How she can run with that killer footwear is beyond me.

"We're taking your motorbike."

"What?! And let the perverts feast on your legs?!"

"Let them watch. They can't have them."

I shake my head but smile. That's why we click. We don't give a damn what others will think.

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Hello, dear readers! What can you say about this chapter?

Next chapter will be with Harrison so, see you there.

Thank you for giving this book a chance. If you like it, add it to your private library to be notified when I add a new chapter.

Lovelots,
Alya