Wonderland

CHAPTER EIGHT

Ellie follows the address that Adrian gave last night and finds a big villa. Adrian is already waiting outside.

"I thought you are not coming," Adrian says.

"Sorry, I was lost." Ellie smiles.

"No worries, come in!" Ellie follows Adrian into the house, and she finds that the house is much bigger than she thought. "Wow, you live here?" Ellie asks. "Yeah, for three months, it's big right? I lost the directions several times when I first came here." They finally get in the workshop. "Do you want to drink something?" Adrian asks. "Water, please."

Ellie drops her bag and walks through the room. "This photographer might be very famous, so that he can buy a house like this." Ellie thinks. "So what do you do?" Adrian suddenly appears from the other side of the room and that shocks her. "Ugh...I am a college student." It seems that Adrian is waiting for her to say more. "English major." The way that Adrian looks at her makes her a little bit nervous. "So a writer, huh? or a journalist? editor?" Ellie hates that question. Then there is silence. "Haven't decided?" Ellie nods her head. "That's okay! You still got time! Believe it or not, 8 years ago I was in law school, I didn't know what I wanted to do in the future, just like you. Now look at me, I am a photographer! Crazy right? C'est la vie! " Ellie feels relax.

In the next few hours, Adrian shares his life experience with Ellie, telling that no need to worry if you still have not found your life direction. What truly matters is that if you are searching for that. Their talk makes Ellie feel much confident.

"Okay, I think we should start shooting," Adrain tells her to stand under the camera and pose. Ellie has no experience in modeling, so she just does what she saw in the TV advertisements and VOGUE magazines. "Yes, yes, that's right." "Keeping going." "Gorgeous!" During the shooting, Adrian keeps praising her beauty. At first, Ellie feels flattered, because since she was little, she never thought she is one of the girls that is worth of being called beautiful. She always thinks she is the average girl. She is always the bencher girl. But after few hours, Ellie starts getting used to it and enjoy the moment of getting attention. "I love how it feels," thinks Ellie. She always thinks Hedda is the one who wants fame. "I was wrong, I want it too." Ellie smiling, she finally finds her way.

At break time, Ellie stays at the workshop; She doesn't know where Adrian has gone, but he says he will be back soon. Five minutes later, he is back with two bottles of beer on his hands. "Do you want one?" He asks. Ellie shakes her head, "It can help me focus on work." Adrian laughs. "Well, so I was wondering, maybe you're willing to shoot some sexier photos?" "Sexier photos?" Ellie hesitates, it sounds weird. "Yeah, listen! I have an idea, which I think we can do the bathtub." Ellie stared at him dumbfounded. "You know, the tub will be filled with milk, so I won't see your nipples. You go in the tub then I turn around. They will not be nude photos, you don't need to worry..." I won't see your nipples? Ellie can't believe that he just said that on her face.

"No, no I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why?" Adrian stops, he looks a little bit unhappy, and that makes Ellie feel stressed.

"I..." Adrian still staring at her. "I don't know, this is not... not what I was think about, I think today is enough, I think I should go," Ellie says, she is scared.

"That's it? You are giving up now?" Adrian mocks at her, trying to change her mind. "Yeah!" Ellie shouts. Because she is too afraid, all she wants to do now is run away from this place as fast as she can.

"Alright, there's the dressing room." To her surprise, Adrian doesn't force her to stay. Ellie doesn't say a word. when she gets back from the dressing room, she picks up her bag and is ready to go.

"I thought you wanted to make a change." Ellie stops. Yeah, I do want to make a change. Ellie thinks, she doesn't know what to do. Should she stay? If she leaves, will there be another chance? Ellie is helpless, because deep in her mind, she knows the reason why she is here, she knows she loves it.

"I'll do it. I'll do anything as you want me to do." Ellie finally makes a choice. To Stay.
"That's my baby girl!" Adrian smiles, and that smile, Ellie feels uncomfortable with it.