Style Squad

Photo Shoots and Interviews

Sonja comes running over to us from her position at the refreshment table. "Girls!" She calls with a half-eaten chocolate cupcake in her hand. "Time so start the shoot! My goodness, this is delicious."

I was still shook after how Marcella acted. But as soon as I sat in the light pink, cushy chair on the Style Squad set, all that anxiety went away.
    
"Okay, girls, cross you legs in the chairs and give me sass. A total look of power!" The cameraman said. We listened.

***

An hour later, we looked over the photos. There were the chair power poses; pictures of each of us individually; funny group photos; a beautiful picture of us, arms linked, staring up at a giant, glowing Style Squad logo; and, my personal favorite, a picture of our silhouettes in front of the Style Squad pattern.

Sandra was on the far left, legs crossed in a walking position, arms at her side. Vera was on the far right, hip jutted out, legs in a standing position, arms held out at her sides in a cutesy pose. Lexi was on the inner right, standing normally with both hands on her hips. And I was on the inner left, curls defined amazingly in the silhouette, with my leg bent and one hand on my hip.

"I think we should use this last one as the cover for FFM," Xavier said to the cameraman.

The cameraman nodded. "As long as it's alright with you girls, we'll use the silhouettes as the magazine cover. I think it'd be cool, seeing your silhouettes on the cover and your faces during your three page feature."

We agreed, excited.

"Okay, sweeties, time for the interview with Marcella Diamond!" Sonja announced.

Crud. I had forgotten.

Frankly, I wasn't as excited for the Marcella interview as I was before after her rudeness before the shoot. I had shaken it off so I wouldn't look gloomy in the photos.

But the anxiety came back. I had a tickling feeling in my chest. Marcella can't be that rude...

Right?

***

We were shown to the interview room. There were bright painted circles on one wall. The other walls were white.

Marcella sat on a large, silver couch that ran along the spotted wall. There was a hot tub in one corner, another refreshment table, and green plants here and there. One wall was taken up by a large window with a sliding door going out to a large, marble-decked pool. The camera crew and more umbrella lights were positioned in front of the couch.
    
Marcella didn't even acknowledge us when we walked in. She was typing on her phone. My heart sank.
     
She didn't look up until Xavier cleared his throat. "Ms Diamond, it's time to start the interview.
     
Marcella looked up, flipping a dark lock over her shoulder. She glared at me. "Ugh, it took you long enough! I've been waiting for ages."
     
The camera crew exchanged uneasy glances.

"They're here now, Ms Diamond," a woman said.
      
"Whatever. Let's hurry this thing up, alright? I have a meeting in an hour." Marcella put her phone in her little golden purse and looked at us. Sit the heck down already, her brown eyes seemed to say.
      
And so, reader, we sat.
      
"Okay... rolling in three... two..." The cameraman said.
      
Before he could say "one" Marcella brightened up. Even though this would be an article in a magazine, Marcella acted as if this was a TV interview that could make or break her career.
     
"Alright, let's get started!" Marcella cheered. Why couldn't this have been a "question and answer on this piece of paper" interview? I thought with a nervous tickle in my throat.

***

Holy glitter, that interview was horrid. Things would go smoothly for a bit, but then Marcella would freak out.

"God, could you speak any slower?!"

"Hi, I'm here with Annoyed, Timid, Fangirl, and Loser of Style Fraud!"

"I don't have all day, you know!"

"Ugh, I need a break! CUT!"

"Does it look like I care about how your cat died, Elisa?"

"Ew, your hair is ugly."

"Ever heard of perfume? Phew!"

"Oh. My. Lord! That's so fascinating!"
      
Etc, etc.
      
She called Lexi "Annoyed", Vera "Timid", Sandra "Fangirl"...
      
And me "Loser."
      
Loser Lopez.
      
I walked out of the interview in tears. Marcella was yelling at the camera crew. "Delete that! Delete it now!"
      
We had our makeup removed. Mine was already ruined because of the crying. Marcella is no longer my fave celebrity. I thought she was the bright, bubbly girl in the movies and TV interviews. Her writing in her book was full of positivity and jokes. Her songs were girl-power anthems, like Little Mix and Fifth Harmony. But that girl I just met? A total diva. Worse than Hannah, but probably because I looked up to her.

We got back into the Style Squad limo to go to Lexi's house for a sleepover. Tears were still running down my face.

"You okay, E?" Sandra asked cautiously.

I shook my head and turned away from my friends, closing my eyes. I could feel their stares and hear their concerned whispers. I ignored it and tried to fall asleep.

When I woke up, I was on the pullout couch in Lexi's room. I tried to remember what happened before.

Oh yeah. I cried myself to sleep in the limo. When we got to Lexi's house, I was woken up by Vera. I remember groggily climbing the stairs and falling asleep on the already pulled-out pullout.

I rubbed my eyes. My chest hurt. I couldn't stop thinking about Marcella Diamond. I don't know what could've come over her. I don't know if that was her real personality, or if it was a prank.

Elisa, you idiot. If it was a prank, you wouldn't have walked out of FFM bawling your eyes out.

Lexi softly knocked on the door. "Elisa?"

"I'm awake. Sorry."

She sat on her bed. "It's okay. Feeling better?"

I sighed. "To be honest, not really."

Lexi nodded. "My mom made lasagna. We're gonna start watching Mean Girls for the billionth time, if you wanna come join us!"

I smiled. "Let me change into my pajamas and wash my face. I'll be down there in a sec."

Lexi smiled and left the room.

***

I didn't really sleep well that night, since I had taken a long nap. All I could think about was what caused Marcella to be such a jerk. I tried not to bother a sleeping Vera as I shimmied out from under the sheets of the pullout. I unplugged my phone. It was 1:32 am.
     
I walked down the stairs in Lexi's house, trying not to wake up her large family. I sat on the couch with my phone and Googled Marcella Diamond. The headlines:

Marcella Diamond Interviews Style Squad! FFM.official.com

Style Squad Gets An Exclusive Interview With Marcella Rodriguez Diamond! Gossip.com

Marcella Diamond's New Book Reaches 1 Million Sales Worldwide! Marcella-Diamond-News.com

Clicking on the first link, I read the short article, along with others. No sign of Marcella Diamond being a total diva.

So what happened?