After Kissing

2.

The only time I'd seen her being somehow nice was when my father passed away half a year ago. Wounded in combat.I had to fly home for the funeral, but I was so new as an official reporter that I didn't dare to ask for a leave. I don't think they would have had a problem with it, but I knew we were on trial and that wouldn't speak in my favor. Surprisingly, she covered for me, doing all the work herself and saving me the call.

I thanked her after that, but all I get was a shrug and none of us had spoken a word of it since.

And here we were, another Monday in the advisor's office presenting the possible ideas for this week tabloid. I was sitting on the left side of the large crystal table, my knee bouncing like mad under the table as the and Stella sitting all perfectly collected across from me. Today she had curled her hair and was wearing a black dress, fitted and formal that gave her those vibes of professionalism with heals and spotless make up.

And then there was me, I usually put effort in looking neat as well, but I never feel like I can project it like she does. I discreetly adjusted the waist of my pencil skirt and tucked a strand of my chestnut wavy hair behind my ear. I still have some of the golden highlights at the tips, but they were faint now and my natural light brown was what dominated.

Leroy tilted his chin from the head of the table, adjusting his glasses and looking up from my draft.

"So enlighten us, Hailey. What is this?"

Nerves laced around my throat as always when he analyzed my ideas. I could feel my pulse racing, but I smiled at him determined to sell it. "A campaign about body positivity."

He sighed, brushing his forehead, looking down at the paper once more. "How is this an interesting new? There are thousands of those."

"Well, the point isn't that. This one is fake. And on-going scandal at the moment, specially spreading over Twitter. I've dug a little and the poster they are using had been edited and the women there are using in the image are edited."

His head tilted with a new curiosity. "Edited?"

"Yes, they all darker than they are in real life, making them ethnically different and more like a caricature instead of picking proper models and some have also had their body photoshopped."

"So?"

My fingers twisted the pen before letting go when I notice it was a clear sign of nerves. "So if this is a body positive campaign it makes no sense to alter it when the whole point to prove all bodies are acceptable." I leaned forward and brought the papers closer, pulling one of the lasts up front. "Here. One of the girl that appears, Samantha, is an influencer and has already posted her version online. Apparently they didn't even buy the rights to her image at all. I made a testing approach and she might be willing to let us interview her."

"An interview?" he didn't look as convinced with that and I try to ignore Stella's silent scoff. Her usual reaction when I purpose something that didn't meet her perfect standards. "No, I like it better as an article."

"But the girl-"

"And how about the manipulation of the media through ads?" offered Stella earning like that the attention and shifting forward in her spot. "Instead of making it around a woman whose image had been taken and mistreat, we could talk about the way a cultural movement forced the hand of society. Like, in order to appear inclusive with the new tendency, a campaign proved to be the most selective one, making the very models that they used to prove their motto could be the first ones to suffer from discrimination based on their image. And we could use this girl to get all the background information she is willing to give us."

How is that any different from what I said?

But Leroy's eyes light up. "The dangers of fake body positivity. I like it." he passed me back my papers with that look and we knew he was already picturing the possibilities. "Make it like a 'what not to do'. It is a sensitive topic and if the foundation you've got is true it might stir some readers. Make sure to seize the true meaning of body positivity and how this failed to achieve it."