I Think I Knew That Model

Chapter Nine: Natalia

Over 400 reads and 18 votes? That is...a lot more than I expected when I first post this story, aha. So thank you to everyone who's been reading, commenting, and voting! Sorry this chapter took so long to get up. I had writer's block for a few days, and last night this chapter just came to me! Hope you enjoy! 

After that little ordeal with my…mom, I was in a pretty bad mood. Ha, what a joke. I was so mad I drove over to McDonald’s and had my first Big Mac in 3 years. I felt like I was about to blow chunks afterwards. Well, maybe that was combined with the extra large, greasy, salty fries and the Triple Thick Chocolate Milkshake. I feel queasy just looking back on it. Considering I did this just two days before the runway show, it earns a spot on “My Top 10 Stupidest Moves of All Time.” I’d rather not discuss what number one is on that list. Don’t worry, I called up Richard to let him know (he was not happy, to say the least) and we hit the gym right away. But I’d rather not dwell on that. In fact, I’d rather not dwell on the next day, or the next day’s morning I spent wallowing in self pity, unable to go outside and do some shopping. Then I remembered what I had to do on that day when I got a call from Griffin. Oh right. The fashion show.

I used to think that the most blinding lights on Earth could only be experienced in Times Square at night. I had the notion that the most uncomfortable thing I would ever have to wear was the purple scuba diver suit I was crammed into in the 7th grade when I was an octopus for the play “Strawberry Fields Forever.” And I had sworn that the most revealing and humiliating that my life could get was in the 11th grade, when the top bitch of the school, Georgia Grace invited me to her pool party. I should have been suspicious right from the moment she asked me to come. After all, before that, I couldn’t remember the last time she had ever said or done anything civil to me. Of course, I made the mistake of accidentally buying a two piece swim suit that was a bit too big for me. I dived right off the diving board, made a splash in the pool, and popped out of the water, with my bikini top falling off, revealing my almost non existent boobs to just about everyone at the party, for about 3 seconds. You could tell she was just waiting for me to do something embarrasing, because somehow within those three seconds, she had her camera out and had the pictures sent out to at least half of the school. Oh there it is. Number one on “My Top 10 Stupidest Moves of All Time,” which would be not checking the size of my swim suit before buying it. Yeah, the memory has been etched into my brain for as long as I’ll live. I seriously thought that nothing more degrading could happen in my life, until that night.

So back to the bright lights. The minute I stepped foot on the pink carpet, I was bombarded by the paparazzi, with their fast talk, huge microphones, and their cameras, with at least 10 flashes going off every second. The first few really caught me off guard, but by the time I wrestled my way through the photographers, my eyesight had adjusted to it. The first person I recognized was Griffin, who grabbed my hand and led me away from the pests. The next thing I knew, I was standing next to the other Angels, modeling and posing and smiling for the camera, being pulled in for group photos with some photographer’s shrill orders. I felt one of them hook an arm around my waist, and blow a kiss to the camera. I had no choice but to lean in and blow one as well. Then I found myself showing every tooth at the girl next to me for another photo. I stood by myself with my hand on my waist, smiling smugly, afraid I was about to go blind. Then came the obligatory group ass shot. I didn’t think that was very fair, considering I had the flattest ass out of all of the Angels. Then a microphone was shoved into my face and a man yelled,

“Natalia! You’re the newest model to join Victoria’s Secret, right?”

“Yup!”

“Tell us, how does it feel to be here tonight?”

I paused before answering. What I was about to say was about to put an opinion to the face of the newest Angel. I had to think carefully.

“I’m really overwhelmed right now, but so excited at the same time. It’s all so crazy! I love it!”