ROOM 214

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Monday morning ain't even give Westbrook a chance to wake up before everybody was already talking. Nobody cared about weekend parties, nobody cared about football scores, wasn't nobody even studying on how lectures had laid out enough work to ruin two whole weekends. Today was announcement day.

"Nia," Kayla called, slipping her laptop into her bag, "if you refresh that page one more time, it's not gon' make the announcement come no faster."

"I'm checking for updates."

"You checked thirty seconds ago."

"Things change."

"They really don't."

Desire smiled to herself as she packed her notebooks into her backpack. Across the room, Zena sat on the edge of her bed lacing up her white Forces, looking way calmer than everybody else. Too calm.

"You nervous?" Desire asked before she could think twice.

Zena looked up. "A little."

"A little?"

"If I get picked, cool."

"And if you don't..."

"I'm still going to class."

Nia pointed at her. "See? That's why you irritate me."

"How?"

"You too unbothered."

Marcus knocked twice before opening the dorm door. "Y'all ready?"

Jordan was right behind him, carrying two coffees. "Morning, girls."

"You brought coffee?" Nia asked. "Awww, that's sweet."

The six of them walked across campus together, folding into the crowd of students all heading toward the Student Union lawn instead of first period. A giant LED screen had been set up in front of the stage, students packed shoulder to shoulder, phones already up in the air.

"I ain't never seen this many people out before eight-thirty," Marcus muttered.

Desire looked around. "Half the school skipped breakfast for this."

From somewhere in the crowd..."Yo, Z!" Another voice answered right after. "Sophie over there!"

Desire followed the sound. Sophie Carter stood with the cheer squad a few yards away, dressed in a green hoodie, curls pulled into a high puff. She laughed at something one of her teammates said before glancing across the crowd, and her eyes landed on Zena. She lifted a hand in a small wave.

At exactly nine o'clock, Vanessa Phillips stepped onto the stage, and the crowd settled almost right away.

"Good morning, Westbrook."

A loud cheer answered her.

"First of all, thank you." She smiled out at the sea of students. "We received over four thousand nominations in less than forty-eight hours." That pulled another wave of cheers. "The support this campus has shown each other been incredible. Narrowing it down wasn't easy."

Nia grabbed Jordan's sleeve. "I'm nervous."

"You ain't even nominated."

"I know."

"Then relax."

"I physically can't."

Vanessa unfolded a card. "Our first Avanté Streetwear Ambassador..." The whole crowd seemed to stop breathing. "...Sophie Carter."

The cheerleaders screamed before Vanessa could even get her last name out. Sophie covered her mouth with both hands.

"No way..."

Her teammates pulled her into a hug.

"You did it!"

"I told you!"

"You deserve it!"

Sophie laughed through the excitement, still trying to process what she'd just heard.

Vanessa waited for the cheering to die down. "Our second ambassador..." A pause. "...Chase Reynolds."

The basketball team exploded. Students clapped as Chase shook hands with his teammates before heading up toward the stage.

"Our third ambassador..."

Marcus looked sideways at Zena. "You ready?"

"I'm breathing, ain't I?"

"...Zena Brooks."

For one second Zena didn't move. Marcus shoved her shoulder. "Go!"

The students erupted....whistles, applause, people shouting her name from every part of the lawn.

Nia screamed louder than anybody. "I KNOW THAT'S MY ROOMMATE!"

Jordan started laughing. "I think the whole city heard you."

"I don't care!"

Zena let out a quiet breath before walking toward the stage, looking almost embarrassed by all the attention.

Vanessa smiled as she shook her hand. "Congratulations."

"Thank you."

"Our final ambassador..." The crowd went quiet again. "...Maya Bennett."

Another round of applause followed as Maya joined the other three. The four winners stood side by side while photographers snapped pictures.

Vanessa stepped back up to the microphone. "These four students will begin working with Avanté this week. Their first creative meeting takes place Wednesday afternoon, followed by wardrobe fittings and campaign planning."

A photographer raised his camera. "Ambassadors, look this way." Click, click, click. "Perfect." More flashes lit up the stage.

Back in the crowd, students were already running their mouths.

"I knew Zena was making it."

"Sophie too."

"They look good standing together."

"They really do."

Marcus folded his arms with a grin and mouthed the words, "Told yah."

Zena climbed down off the stage and walked back over. "You happy now?"

Marcus laughed. "I've been happy."

Nia threw both arms around Zena before she could even react. "You won!"

"I can see that."

"You famous-famous now."

Kayla smiled as she looked at Zena. "Congratulations."

"Thanks."

Desire stepped forward last. "Congratulations."

For a second Zena met her eyes and smiled. "Thank you."

Before anybody could say anything else, a woman wearing an Avanté staff badge walked up to the group. "Zena Brooks?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm Olivia. I'll be working with the ambassadors this week." She handed Zena a black envelope. "Inside you'll find your schedule. Wednesday is introductions and measurements. Friday is wardrobe fitting. Your first campaign shoot begins next week."

She turned to Sophie, Chase, and Maya, handing each of them the same kind of envelope. "We'll see all four of y'all Wednesday."

Marcus leaned over to peek at the envelope. "You officially got model homework now."

Zena slipped it into her backpack and sighed.