AFTER HOURS ✔

79

We walk back out sitting in our assigned seats and saw the crowd being filled in already.

I sit beside Felix and we were in the front row.

I was given a walkie-talkie by one of the security guys.

"Respond when the light is green " he instructs me and leaves once when I nod for what he instructed.

My nerves begin to set in, but it is not too bad though.

Felix notices me and presses my hand gently. I look to see him smiling at me.

" Your mom and Jason are here," he says and gestures his eyes toward the opposite side.

I look in the direction of what he's seeing I see my mom and my little brother I tell them hi with my hands and smile at them.

I notice Filly and Simon here.

I give them the widest smile showing them all my teeth.

I feel so good about myself. I am so glad they all showed up here, it means so much to me.

I would burst out in tears at any moment.

Dad could not show up because of his last moment meeting and I don't blame him.

He was absent most of the time and the current event is no new.
I am not disappointed in him because at this point I am so used to this that I saw this coming.

Felix was drawing a circle on the back of my hand it is doing a good job of calming my nerves.

The music began to set in and the lights were being dimmed down to only golden yellow lights.

The runway was black, the deepest shade of black.

The music was great and was so magical. The first model entered.

She was so beautiful, the dress was like it was made for her. Her face was perfectly highlighted with the right shades of golden and sparkles.

As she took each step, the runway had the visual of cracking, and an orange larva was been seen in the cracks.

Then the next model joined in no time, she was gorgeous.

The dress I designed was perfectly matching the skin tones.

The models were coming and going in an orderly manner of their skin tone.

Black was just the color of everyone

The music was shallow yet with deep engagement.

The models were dressed the way I imagined them to be, their makeup was done in a way of highlighting each of their faces perfectly. Their hair complimented them so well.

The device in my hand had the light which was now green, I put it in my ear to hear.

" I need you backstage right now. I repeat I need you backstage right now " I heard, it was the manager from earlier.

" Yes I am on my way, "I say and make my way backstage.

I hurried my way backstage and met Helen, the manager

She saw me and gave me a wide smile " Now" she said looking towards the professionals who were beside her.

And they made their way toward me and got me to the room assigned to me. I was confused.

" What's happening? " I ask confused.

I notice the dress I took my time to design at Felix's home the other day was here.

" I need you to cooperate with me, " they say and I just nod.

They help me get changed into that dress and one of them scrambles the brushes and does my make-up, while the other does my hair

She put a ton of hairspray, and at this point even a matchstick from a distance if it could get in contact with my hair, would have caught fire.

I was finally done with whatever they were doing.

The dress fitted me perfectly.

" We want you to walk on the runway," Helen says.

I nod without realizing what she said, once when her words sunk into my skull my eyes grew wide.

" What? No!!?"I tell her.

" Yes," she says nodding her hand as if she knows what she is talking

" You are making a big mistake, I don't even know how to catwalk, " I tell her honestly.

She places both of her hands on either side of my shoulder and looks me in the eyes saying " If you noticed anything about today's runway it's everything to be realistic so I am not asking you to catwalk just be yourself " she says and gets me near runway.

There were four people ahead of me.

The lady right in front of me was the one who gave me m&m

She looked at me and gave me a gracious smile.

" You do you girl, just imagine yourself as if you are alone right now and nobody is watching you. Be yourself and have fun.
Make sure you express the happiness you are feeling about the day and the dress " she said and I take in her words.

She is a chirpy young lady with enthusiasm.

" Honestly this runway is the best, all the clothes were so upbeat and not some crazy thing you cannot wear. The best part was models of all skin tones, it touched my heart " she continued to say and gave a smile before she walked out in the frame.

Helen comes near me and says " When she makes a turn that's your cue to go, there will be a beat drop " she says and throws me thumbs up.

I close my eyes calming my nerves.

I exhale and I hear the beat drop, seeing the model turn around.
I step on the runway.

I start taking steps cautiously until I notice Felix.

He looked at me in a way I'd never seen.

A smile forms on my face involuntarily and all of a sudden the runway turned into a piece of cake.

I take every step boldly, the music that was playing right now was just made for me.

The model from earlier gave me a nod and smile on her way back when we both crossed each other.

With every step, I am taking, I just remember how this journey started.

From the day, my teacher informed me, the canteen where I received the mail, the first sketch I drew, the studio, and the clothes I created. The final masterpiece. The good and bad events in between happened. Now the day in no time I reached the end.

I looked back one last time before exiting, everyone started to clap.

This is it.

This is it.

My life.

This would be a day that I would remember for a long time

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