Beauty Under the Lens

CHAPTER 3

Amanda's POV

I groggily reached for my cellphone while still half-asleep. I felt a bit tired as I struggled to grasp my phone on the nightstand.

"Hmm..." I answered, accepting the call from an unknown number.

I abruptly heard the call end. I opened my eyes. How annoying! Tito Boy was interviewing me in my dream! I had such a great response prepared!

Unregistered number.

Seriously, out of all the numbers in the Philippines, they had to call me by mistake. But it was already 5:30 in the morning, so I was somewhat thankful for the call. If I enjoyed my dream too much, I might end up late again. And I didn't want another sermon from Asher. Rose might murder me if I interacted with him again.

Taking a shower was such a struggle. The aircon was cold, and suddenly I had to bathe with cold water because the hot side of my shower was broken. After changing into my uniform, I went to my vanity. Should I bring this new set to show Astrid? I also felt like putting on some light makeup just to look a bit glamorous, even just for a day, like Aria. Rose was right; it would be embarrassing for our Velarde family name if I showed up looking unkempt.

I applied primer, vitamin-enriched face base, concealer, eyebrow pencil, brushed my brows upwards with a spoolie brush, did minimal contouring, added bronzer, skinny mascara, blush, and finally lipstick. There! I looked natural, as if I didn't use any cosmetics. I managed to enhance my appearance just slightly. I still couldn't compare to my sister's beauty. But I was happy for Aria; she never had to worry about these things.

As I headed to the dining area, I saw Mama, Papa, and Aria having breakfast together.

"Good morning, princess!" Papa greeted me with a big smile. I ran to him and hugged him, resting my head on his shoulder.

"Papa!" I buried my face in his neck. "I didn't wait up for you last night, I fell asleep."

"It's okay, dear. I know you're tired from school."

I pouted. "But you should have woken me up when you arrived," I said softly with a hint of affection.

"Alright, I will do it next time. Okay?"

I removed my gaze from Papa as I heard Mama clear her throat. I stood up from hugging Papa. I was closer to Papa compared to Mama. When I was with Mama, I tried to be as prim and proper as possible. That's how Mama was—quite uptight when it came to me.

"Do that later, Casimir. We're about to eat," Mama said in a cold tone.

I gave Papa an apologetic smile and sat next to Aria. She seemed bored.

"Good morning, Aria."

Aria gave a small smile. "Good morning, sister."

She was usually like this in the mornings, but she'd become more lively and communicative in the afternoon.

"By the way, Casimir, I heard that the movie project was given to Sandy Lim instead of Kate Roxas," Mama mentioned, taking a sip of her coffee and looking at Papa.

Papa nodded thoughtfully. "She deserves the role; she fits perfectly as the lead."

Mama furrowed her brows. "But the movie has a great storyline! And you're giving it to an outdated actress? It will go to waste and won't get viewers! You know Kate has a larger fanbase than Sandy!"

"Exactly! The story is great! And it will be wasted if you give it to an actress who can't handle the role!"

Mama rolled her eyes. "You always do that, Casimir. You always help the underprivileged," she emphasized. "You're willing to give to those below us, even if it doesn't benefit us."

"What are you implying, Asteria?" Papa's voice rose slightly. "Is this all about money for you in the media and entertainment industry? About how much we can earn? Asteria, the company values the actors and how we tell the story. Its essence. We're not just seeking fame!"

"You're being sentimental, Casimir. You're a businessman! If you let emotions rule your filmmaking, you'll fail. You should be practical! Money is a vital part of business!"

Mama's expression hardened. She seemed to resent Papa. Really? Just because of this argument?

"Your call, Casimir. Watch your actress face disappointment with fewer viewers."

Papa looked irritated. "Yeah, and watch your actress get criticized for poor acting."

"I'll just wait for Aria to grow up more," mama relaxed as Aria’s name slipped from her lips. "She will surely save the business."

"Mama, I'll start with modeling first before becoming an actress," Aria smiled sweetly at her mother. The two of them were closer.

"You seem to be blooming today, dear," commented dad.

"Oh, I just put on a little makeup," I replied. Mama shifted in her seat.

"Isn't it prohibited in your school?" Mama raised an eyebrow.

Dad waved his hand. "Let your daughter be, Asteria. She's already in senior high school. She should start fixing herself up for school. She has the talent."

Aria nodded. "Yes, mama. Ate (big sister), can you put make up on me too?"

My heart felt warm hearing their compliments about my talent. Maybe, I'd choose to be talented rather than more beautiful any day.

"Alright, do you want me to put some on you now?"

"No!" Mama quickly intervened, which abruptly ended my temporary bliss. " Aria’s face will only get ruined if we put makeup on her. Besides, she's beautiful even without makeup."

I bit my lower lip, nodded, and quietly continued eating. I might get late at school.

"Wow! What's that?" Jasper brought his face close to mine, as if examining my entire face.

I couldn't quite decipher the expression Jasper showed me. He seemed to be on the verge of crying and laughing at the same time. He covered his mouth.

"Hey, Jasper! You look like you're about to poop! What's-" Astrid just arrived and paused at the doorway, then slowed her walk as she approached me.

"Whoa!" Elara covered her mouth. "Is that makeup, Amanda Callie? Amazing!" She dropped her bag and sat next to me.

Axel whistled. "Can I court you, miss?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Crazy!" I playfully smacked Axel. I turned to Astrid and pointed to my face. "Can you tell I'm wearing makeup? I might get in trouble."

"No! It's amazing because you look so natural," Astrid still couldn't hide her amazement at my face.

"Yes, if I hadn't seen you all my life, I would think that's natural. But sadly, I know your face."

I playfully hit Jasper. It always seems like nonsense comes out of his mouth. I'm not offended though. Only my friends have the right to tease me.

"Wait, hold on, why does your skin look lighter?" Axel touched my arm.

"I put on sunscreen, so I won't look like a pot bottom."

"Tss! We're just teasing you," Axel said but quickly retracted, "but there's some truth to that."

I sat back in between Astrid and Elara. Since Jasper and Axel were behind their chairs, the five of us were closer. This spot between Astrid and Elara is often vacant. The person who sits here is always absent on regular school days, then suddenly, he shows up for exams.

I arrived early today, around quarter to 7. It was exactly 7 am, and we still had 30 minutes to chat.

I looked around and searched for Asher. Our grumpy class president seems to be absent! Good. Wait, why am I even looking for him?

"Who are you looking for, Callie," Astrid teased with a knowing grin. "Is it Asher? Yieee!!" She poked my side. I pushed her hand away and placed a finger on my lips.

"Shh!" I glanced at Rose, who seemed oblivious to Astrid’s teasing. "If you don't want to find my body in the bushes tomorrow, never utter those words again," I whispered.

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Why? Is it him you're looking for? Are they together? They just interact."

"Why? Are Asher and I a thing? And I don't like smart guys. I always lose when we argue," I chuckled.

"You have a point there," Astrid nodded in agreement. I dramatically placed my hand on my chest, pretending to be offended that she agreed I would likely lose.

"Put make up on me too, Callie. I want to look as natural as you," Astrid pushed her hair aside so it wouldn't cover her face.

Remembering my father's words about my talent, I became more enthusiastic. I showcased the new release makeup set of Aura Lux Beauty. It is a company owned by the Alvarez, which is the business of Elara. They are number one in the cosmetic industry.

On the other hand, Astrid’s family has a clothing line. Astrid and Elara’s parents are in the same friends circle as my mom, so we know each other.

"You beat me to it, huh? I was planning to buy that later this afternoon," commented Astrid.

"Wow! Supportive best friend," Elara noticed what we were doing so she approached us. "Is this what you used?"

I nodded. I lifted the dropper and applied the vitamin C drop on Astrid’s face. Then I applied the moisture surge. I put primer on my hand. I was just about to apply it on Astrid’s face when the whole class suddenly fell silent. Terror passed through Astrid and Elara's faces. I paused and lowered the primer. I looked to see what they were staring at. I almost recoiled because standing right in front of me was the person I knew all too well.

"Good morning, Ms. Velarde."

"G-good m-morning.... Mrs. Medrano," I swallowed. Oh no! Why did the school principal have to do rounds at this moment?

With her stern look, she scanned the entire room, looking for something.

"Who is your class president, 11-ABM?" Mrs. Medrano asked with a hint of arrogance.

" Asher Rowan Ledesma, ma'am," my classmates all answered in unison.

"He's in the meeting room, ma'am, and the journalism team is having a meeting for the upcoming intramurals," added Anne, our class treasurer. She was immediately given a dirty look by Rose, as if implying that she should have been the one to say that and not Anne.

Mrs. Medrano turned to me. "To my office, Ms. Velarde," and she walked straight out. My heart pounded. Will the principal call my parents for this? I don't want my mom to be even stricter with me than she already is. Mrs. Medrano held the makeup set I brought as I followed her. What a waste! I just bought that and now it will be confiscated. It was also my mistake.

"Mr. David," Mrs. Medrano called out to a random student we passed by. "Please call Mr. Ledesma, he's in the meeting room at the library." He first bowed to Mrs. Medrano before heading to the meeting room to fetch Asher.