Roses & Ruin

Chapter 1 (Lexi)

That leaves me a broke girl renting the shittiest apartment in New York City with another model.

I actually had a third roommate not very long ago, which meant I was sharing a room with a stranger for a while, since it's only a two bedroom apartment. If you can even call that a bedroom.

She found herself a little sugar daddy and moved out. Go with God my friend. Whatever works.

        "I think that might be a right of passage in the fashion world, huh? I'm living the broke-girl life as we speak" I crunched up the empty chip bag, handing it to the flight attendant who was collecting trash from the aisle.

"I've only recently been making decent money. I have a successful, fancy, businessman brother who was kind enough to let me live with him while interning and making no money. I think I told you this already" Mia stopped talking when she recalled telling me this before the shoot she and I worked on.

I'd asked her questions to deter her from asking me. She can become distracted and take over the conversation if you do it right. She says she's used to talking because her boyfriend isn't a very chatty man.

"Yeah, you told me" I fixed the damn donut pillow I still have around my neck for no reason at all. I ripped it off and fixed my hair.

        "I hate these things" I plopped the pillow down on my lap. "I know, sometimes I pull down the food tray and bend myself practically in half, just to sleep on my backpack on the tray" she showed me as she bent forward.

"You're very short. I can't fit" I chuckled. I'm a model, I have model height. The long legs, the elegant neck, the thin frame. I can't bend in half and fit between two cramped airplane seats.

"I look smaller next to you, but I'm average height" Mia tried. I laughed this time. "No, you're short" I broke the news to her. "I'm 5'3ish- 5' 4," she informed me. 

"I'm 5'6 and a half, which is actually short for a model, but my frame gives the illusion of seeming taller than that." I watched her green eyes cast down my body and she shrugged like she agreed.

        The ding above us signified the flight attendant coming over the intercom. 

        "If we could have everyone bring their seats to an upright position, buckle up, and be sure any personal items are stored under the seat in front of you. We'll be prepping for landing. Thank you" the voice was too cheery for my tired ears. I yawned to prove it.

"When I get home I'm going to crash so hard" Mia shoved something underneath the seat in front of her before clicking her belt. I hadn't lifted my seat to its upright position yet. I hate the stiff back.

        "Ma'am, your seat." The same flight attendant that'd just been speaking was now coming around with a hawk eye for anything out of place. Honestly, what does it matter if my seat is upright or very slightly reclined? Is it to let passengers out of their seats more easily once we touch-ground? I suppose that probably is why. I'm still cranky about it.

I hit the latch and popped forward. The woman let a wide smile come across her thin lips. "Thank you" she spoke cheerily before being on her merry way. "Whatever she's on I want some" I whispered to Mia. She snorted a laugh, then covered her mouth.

        "Are you going to have a ride home from the airport? I just remembered you saying you don't know many people here?" Mia randomly asked me when she removed her hand. "Uh, just a lift" I shrugged.

"Well, I'm, like, 99% positive my brother's assistant driver guy is going to be picking me up. It's kinda our thing. So if you wanted-" she began offering, but I put a hand up to stop her. "Oh no, that's okay. Thanks, that's kind and all, but I don't live on your end of town" I chuckled at our obvious differing lives.