Model Perfect

Chapter 7: Tanya Pennington

It's Friday and that means another weekend is almost here. Weekend are when we live. The teenage years come to life on the weekend. The responsibilities of school and homework are left behind in the classroom. The hallways are crammed full of everyone pretending to be something they're not, with me the Queen B pretending to be above it all. But the thing is I have never been above any of them. I hate that think that I am, I'm not.

If I was average I wouldn't have my life spoken for me. My life wouldn't be planned. Rosa and me could have a sleep over in tents in the backyard and we could do each other's nails. This weekend, like most of them is filled with Model Perfect photoshoots and parties. After awhile, it feels like my days are on repeat. School, party, photoshoot, rinse and repeat. Not that there's anything wrong with a routine.

"Miss Rhodes, you're needed in the principal's office, immediately." A voice from the low speakers says. The onlookers judge me, but I still smile because at my core I am Model Perfect. I stopped being the true Emma Rhodes a long time ago.

I open the door to Principal Mullen's office. The looks and stares remind me that I am in true.

"Good morning, Principal Mullens. What can I do for you today?" I ask trying my best to be cheerful.

"I need an explanation, Miss Rhodes. You skipped class all day. Where did you go? It is reported that you and Mr. Arlo Finch drove away from school and never came back. Is that accurate?"

"Yes, it's true. I had a rough day. He was trying to cheer me up. You know the pressure I am put under," I say appealing to Mr. Mullen's stuff spot for me.

"That's not going to work today, I'm afraid. You are still get a detention after school today. You and Mr. Finch will spend the afternoon writing essays about why skipping school is a bad idea."

Mr. Mullen's doesn't know it, but having more time with Arlo doesn't sound like a punishment. At least he will be interesting to chat with.

"Thanks. I understand. It won't happen again."

"It better not. Otherwise, we will have to notify Freddie and Model Perfect. I'll let you and Mr. Finch off with a warning this time. Don't make me have this conversation with you again, are we clear?"

"Yes sir! Crystal clear." The soft spot Mr. Mullen's had for me is gone somewhere.

I leave the office and see Arlo preparing for his speech. When our eyes meet my stomach sinks. He's in trouble because of me crying under the bleachers. All he had to do was ignore me and go to his doctor's appointment. But I needed that talk yesterday. It was the first real one I have had in a long time.

Rosa finds me in second period. She's the last person I want to see right now.

"What was that big announcement about?" Typical of course she wants to know all the details about my life.

"I have detention after school okay. There was a big misunderstanding. And don't worry I still plan on going to the party later. I just have to write some dumb essay about why skipping school is not a good idea."

Rosa is unimpressed and hands me a lollipop to cheer me up. She doesn't know this but lollipops are gross and there's nothing sexy about them. But now that she's dating Jeremiah Winters, she's desperate for hot passionate s*x.

Jeremiah Winters sits behind Rosa. She gets up from her chair and kisses him for the world to see. Ever since they got together last weekend, she's done nothing but sit on his lap and make out any moment a teacher isn't looking. It's kind of hard to watch. I'm not allowed to be like that, in front of people. The minute I would it would be all over twitter and i********:. Being semi-famous is annoying sometimes.

I also have no desire to make out with Hunter anymore. Hunter is part of my Model Perfect image, we are a package deal. It's unfortunate for me, that Aftershock has a partnership with Model Perfect. We are the 'it couple' and if there is a slip up the partnership is over. Would that be such a bad thing?

The rest of the day is slow and Rosa gives me a new lollipop in each class. Is it wrong to be excited to see Arlo in detention? Maybe he fascinates me because he likes to listen to me, and what I say matters. I've never mattered to Hunter. Maybe at first but not anymore. The bell ends the day, and Rosa stops me before I can head to detention.

"Good luck in detention. And don't let this become a regular thing. That Arlo guys is dangerous. I heard he has detention, too."

"I'll try to remember that," I reply eating one last disgusting red flavored lollipop.

My heart picks it's own beat that a dancer could prance too. I see those deep brown eyes and that damn smirk again. Detention is going to be the end of me.

"Hey, Emma. Long time no see. I was wondering if you wanted to hang out this weekend to work on our photo project?"

I nod. I'm not sure shat to say to Arlo. I still don't know him well enough yet. But that project is the only reason we are allowed to be friends.

"Sure, Mr. Tabula Rasa we can hang out. Maybe you can come to my house."

"Are you allowed to have peasants over?" By the look on my face, Arlo stops teasing me.

"That's not funny. Everyone thinks that I am a rich snob. I'm not, I'm just..."

"A normal girl that nobody listens to."

"How do you know what I'm going to say next?" I ask.

Arlo shrugs and asks like he doesn't know the future.

"I just have a sixth sense about things and go along with what my gut tells me. It used to freak my mother out. I always knew what she was going to say, even in the end when she couldn't form sentences. I knew what kind of drinks she wanted to have or what meal she wanted to eat. It made her last days on earth comfortable."

I write my essay during detention. I'm not focused on my essay at all, I am can think about is Arlo and the mysterious ways he presents himself to the world. He's a mysterious soul that I want to get to know.

Arlo gets up and waves goodbye to me. I'd invite him to the party tonight, but it would only end poorly for him. He and Hunter would get into another scrap over something regarding me or whatever, and I can't do that two weekends in a row.

Rosa meets me and I follow her to her car. It's decided that we will get ready for the party at Rosa's house. Freddie had one of the Model Perfect dresses selected for me and sent over to Rosa's house. It's almost invasive that every inches of me is planned. It's like I'm an actress in a reality tv show and everything I think and feel belongs to them. I don't know who I am anymore, for all I know I'm a Model Perfect conditioned robot.

"Are you excited for the party tonight?" Rosa asks while throwing a purple halter top dress on.

"Definitely. After the worse detention ever, I need the distraction."

"What did camera boy say to you? Nothing I hope."

"He mumbled something about a dead relative. I wasn't really paying attention." I wish I wasn't speaking of Arlo or his mother this way, but Rosa wouldn't understand the connection I have with Arlo. It's a deep connection, one in which he listens to me and knows about my thyroid issues.

Rosa hands me my silver shiny halter top dress. The one that Model Perfect has selected doesn't look good on me. Rosa tells me about Jeremiah and his smile. We have cheering practice starting soon, maybe Arlo could take pictures of the squad for our assignment.

The party starts and I don't even remember how I arrived. The same group of teens from last weekend, crowd Jeremiah's house. We have a rotating party schedule and for once it would be nice to skip out on the whole thing.

Rosa taps my shoulder and points toward the front door. My biggest modeling rival makes her grand entrance. Tanya Pennington, the half-Swedish model with her girlfriend, Lucia Perez. The two of them are holding hands and their blonde hair is flowing down their backs. Tanya is prettier than Lucia, if I don't do things properly Model Perfect might replace me with Tanya.

Tanya walk over to me and her heels click with each step. She puts her hair behind her ear and smirks.

"Emma, darling how are you? Wonderful I am sure." She says as she grabs a large spiked lemonade.

"What do you want, Tanya?"

"I'll make this quick. I want to challenge you to a little competition. With the Paris Winter Collection coming up, they are looking for the best model. I challenge you to enter that contest. If I win I become the new Model Perfect's it girl, and if you win you can stay where you are. Do you agree? Or are you too scared?" Tanya's lips curl and everyone's camera phones are filming us. I am sure we are on someone's live stream.

"I accept. You're on."

"Great. I am glad to hear. Speaking of on, I hope you enjoy having this on your head as well."

Tanya takes her spiked lemonade and pours the whole glass over my head. My dress gets ruined and party guests laugh. Their phones are still on me and I just know I will be getting a judgmental call from my agent, Freddie. I run out of the party, and no one follows me. Not even my best friend, Rosa cares enough to make sure I'm alright.

I open the door of Rosa's car and sit in it. I cry my eyes out. I am soaked to the bone, and completely humiliated. No one on earth cares about the true Emma Rhodes, if they did I would have been taken home by now. Being famous with no friends, really sucks.