The Real Me

Again

"Tada~ Our model is ready!" Chase said with a smile. I had no idea how I looked like, in fact, I was really worried about my look. So I stood in front of the mirror and apparently I was the only one who thought I looked okay.

"Do you part time as a model?" The designer asked me.

"No, do I look bad?" Designers are very picky about their models.

"No, you actually look stunning. And you are standing well with those heels." My mom forced me to walk on heels in parties so it was a good thing I guess.

The runway went pretty smooth. I didn't smile or fall. We decided to spend the rest of the day going around the festival. They gave us the ticket to a buffet and I will say, I never ate so much in my life.

"Why do you have to eat so much to the point of not being able to walk?" Chase asked after sitting on a bench.

"Cause it's free food. I'll be fine after sitting here for a while."

"How come you eat so much but still look okay?"

"Good Metabolism."

"Looks like you are used to these questions."

"I get them a lot. But how did you gain interest in makeup? I thought you were more of a music person."

"I like music too but makeup is my main interest. I once went to a fashion show when I was a kid. I looked at the models walking on the runway with a dead face, they looked beautiful but I couldn't see that beauty when they walked on the runway. So I sneaked in to the only staff room and asked the main makeup artist about it."

He seemed to enjoy talking about it. I kept staring at his happy face. His lips, eyes, the face he makes as he talks about it. I liked it all.

"She laughed and said that the models don't know what true beauty is, they are blinded by the beauty industry. All those models thought height, confidence and skills are what makes them a model. But when they stepped into the real world, they realized that beauty matters the most in this field. They start to get neglected if they aren't beautiful enough and they forget why they wanted to be a model. They start hating themselves and rely on their makeup artist. And so the faces I saw that day were the result of years of self struggle turning to self hate."

"What did you say then?"

"So if I become a makeup artist can I make them look extra pretty and happy?"

"I can actually imagine you saying that."

"I know right and then she started laughing. I found out a few years later that models generally don't smile on the runway, no personal reasons are involved. She could've just told me that but she went deep. Maybe she just wanted to talk about this to someone. Whatever it is, thanks to her I found something I liked and I actually started having fun doing it."

"Did you meet her after that?"

"No, I saw her on TV once and she turned out to be Helly Davis."

"Wait- Helly Davis, the professional makeup artist that passed away last year!!?"

"Yes, I was shocked too, and I'm really glad I talked to her."

"And I'm sure your parents don't want you to be one."

"Yeah but I haven't given up yet." He looked really determined. All of a sudden, I spotted Ben from the corner of my eye, he was walking on a crossing, almost about to be hit by a car-

"BEN WATCH OUT!!" I yelled and the car passed by him, barely touching him. It looked like Ben was frozen in place. Chase and I ran towards him and he fell on the ground. He wasn't unconscious but he was shaking and it looked like he went through massive shock.