The harsh glare of the fluorescent lights did little to soften the stark, institutional feel of the room. A single camera, imposing and unblinking, stared back.
"Hey! You just have to zoom in a little!" Her voice, surprisingly strong and clear despite the echo, sliced through the quiet. Yelled a girl with a cascade of rich, chocolate-brown hair that tumbled past her shoulders, and a pair of startling, almost amber-coloured yellow eyes that seemed to glow with an inner light. She pointed an insistent finger at the lens, a hint of playful impatience dancing in her gaze.
After the camera whirred faintly, adjusting its focus on her slender frame, she gave the unseen guy in the control room a quick, confident thumbs up.
"Okay, hi! My name is Mia-bella, but most people just call me Mia or Bella." She straightened her posture, a shift from her earlier assertiveness to a more professional, yet still engaging, persona. "My best qualities, I'd say, are that I'm reliable, a genuinely good friend, kind, and I work exceptionally well with others." She paused, her smile widening slightly, a touch of wry amusement entering her voice. "Now, I bet you're probably wondering why someone with such a stellar resume is currently sitting in what looks suspiciously like a prison." She gestured vaguely around the sterile room. "First, technically, this is a juvenile detention facility. And as to why I'm here... well," she leaned forward conspiratorially, "that's a story, and it involves a miscommunication with a very stubborn goat and a trampoline, but the short of it is—"
Suddenly, a cacophony of grunts, desperate shouts, and the heavy scuffling of feet echoed down the sterile corridor, growing rapidly louder, cutting Mia-bella's explanation short. Her eyes flickered towards the doorway, a look of familiar resignation, settling on her face.
In burst Duncan, his lean, wiry frame straining against the combined force of at least six truly massive guards. They were like walking walls, clad in dark, practical uniforms, their faces set in expressions of strained determination. Duncan, despite being outnumbered and outsized, fought with a frantic, animalistic energy, his face a mask of furious desperation. His wild black hair was already dishevelled, and a fresh bruise was blooming along his jawline. It took a significant amount of coordinated effort – the guards grunting, their muscles bulging, one nearly losing his footing – but the formidable six of them finally managed to subdue Duncan, practically body-slamming him back into his designated cell with a resounding THUD and the unmistakable CLANG of the heavy steel door.
As the guards collectively exhaled, wiping sweat from their brows, Mia-bella's voice, remarkably cheerful given the preceding chaos, rang out. "Hi, guys!"
"Hey, Bella," all the guards responded in unison, their tones a mixture of weary acknowledgement and surprising affection, a testament to her frequent presence in the facility.
Mia-bella stepped forward, her footsteps light, a concerned frown now replacing her earlier audition smile. "I see you brought him back," she said, her voice softening as she approached Duncan's cell, "but next time, try to be a little more gentle." She cast a pointed, though not unkind, look at the largest guard, who merely offered a sheepish shrug.
The guards, with a collective sigh of relief, began to shuffle out, their mission accomplished. As their heavy footsteps receded, leaving the corridor quiet once more, Mia-bella turned her full, tender attention to Duncan. She walked right up to the thick, unforgiving bars of his cell, her hand, small and delicate, pushing through the cold steel to gently cup his bruised face. Her thumb stroked lightly over the purpling skin along his cheekbone.
Duncan, who had been panting, slumped against the bars and immediately leaned into her touch, a sign of relief escaping his lips. He closed his eyes, loving the unexpected softness and warmth of her skin against his battered face, a stark contrast to the rough hands that had just manhandled him. "Did you have to try and escape again?" Mia-bella murmured, her voice laced with concern.
He opened his eyes, a familiar smirk fighting through the pain on his swollen lips. "What kind of a bad boy would I be if I didn't?" He paused, his gaze drifting lazily past her shoulder, then a mischievous glint entered his eye. "Hey, aren't you still filming?"
"Oh, yeah," she breathed, her cheeks flushing slightly as she pulled her hand back, suddenly remembering the forgotten audience. She spun around, her expression instantly snapping back to her audition persona, though a lingering tenderness softened her eyes. "So, that's pretty much it," she concluded with a bright, hopeful smile, addressing the camera directly. "And I really, really hope you choose me to be a contestant." She gave a quick, enthusiastic wave before the screen went black.
🌹~~~~~~~~~~🌹
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TDI Romance
FanfictionDuncan Nelson is a crafty juvenile delinquent who comes from a long line of policemen and policewomen: his dad, mom, uncle, aunt, grandma and cousins are all cops. He knows many tactics from his time spent in juvenile detention centers. He considers...
