White Roses - ReVamped

Chapter One: Normalcy

The world is beautiful behind my camera.

And that's because I have complete control from the lighting, focus, coloring, placement, and in some cases, even the people in front of my lens. No monsters, princes, giants, or anything from a fairytale. It's the real world.

Or at least the Human one.

Well, in the world of fashion photography, there are princesses.

The model sat still in a tub with her hair over her right shoulder as her legs hung off the lip of the tub and her dark, vampire red lips parting as if waiting for a kiss. A warm orange light resembling the morning sun came from a large tungsten light hidden behind an open window. High end luxury clothes scattered across the faux hard wood floor. And in the model's hand, she held a small pink perfume bottle.

I could see the billboard now. The model's face plastered in a magazine, asking the reading, What are you waiting for? Luxury perfume by Gucci.

The real world fluttered behind me with Jorge screaming at the lighting people, lighting people carrying heavy equipment and screaming at the production assistants. Agents glaring over at their models as they talk on their cell phones while discussing numbers too and demands for other clients. It's all a juggling act here.

"Anything wrong Ms. Lee?" The model asked me.

Leaning forward with my camera, I focused on her face.

"Look at me as if you were trying to seduce me." The model raised an eyebrow at me. The model's eyes looked down my face, neck, and down my right arm for a moment. I bit the inside of my cheek to stop the scary smirk that came across my face when I wanted to slap a bitch.

"Look, sweet heart-"

"Rose, my name is Rose."

Breathe. I deserved that.

"Pretend you're looking at a girlfriend." The model kept frowning. "Your friends with benefits. Your high school prom date! I don't know, give me something to work with. I can only photoshop so much."

Rose scowled and I snapped a photo.

"I said girlfriend, not your ex."

"You're no ex I've ever had," she said with a sneer.

I rolled my eyes. "I haven't heard that one before. Now work with me or we both get bitched at by our bosses."

Rose relaxed and started looking at the camera with a look that conveyed want and need somewhat convincingly. Her eyes half-lidded. Her mouth opened and her head tilted back. This felt like a parody of ecstasy to me, but what did I know? Leaning back from the camera to get a different angle, I decided this isn't how someone looks at a lover, but this face is what the ad agency wants. This is what people want.

Would that face really work on someone though? I tried swapping out genders in my head. I picture Lowell without his shirt on, whispering how he wanted me. My face burned at the daydream.

"Alright, let's get some photos by the window." I suggested as Rose got up from the tub and stepped down. I went to follow her with my camera when a loud squeak, a yelp, a giggle, and a thud! happened behind me.

I spun around on my heels to find another model sprawled out on the ground, having tripped on some heavy duty cables. Assistants and a manager ran over to her and helped her back up while she clutched at her nose. Blood leaked in-between her fingers.

"Serves her right."

I looked over to see Rose smirking.

"What?" Rose asked me. "She was throwing up in the bathroom. If she's sick," Rose made sure to put sick in quotation marks in the air, "then she shouldn't be here." The right side of my mouth twitched. "Do you really have time for fainting models?"