Beth pressed her face against the window, the tip of her button nose making an oily imprint upon the glass. Beyond it was a breathtaking view of the vast turquoise sea, bathed under the chalky glow of the morning sun, but Nora doubted that her daughter was at all interested in the sight.
She's doing this on purpose, that girl, Nora thought with utter contempt. Thank the heavens, the facility was still empty at this early hour.
"Stop that," she scolded her daughter through a clenched smile.
A brown eye peeked through a curtain of brassy curls. "Sorry," came the mumbling reply.
And to think that it was her birthday, of all days! That girl should be so grateful she was getting the present she was getting. Not all girls were so lucky, nor were all their parents so considerate. Even if it cost her every last penny in her purse, Nora made sure they booked this place, and that their appointment was on the dot. Just in time before classes resumed.
Clackety-clack went her heels upon the crystallized glass floor. The creamy scent of coconut and vanilla, mingled with fresh jasmine, permeated the air as they walked past a row of artificial palms. The smell, while pleasant at first, soon grew cloying.
Beth kept dragging her feet. The scowl on her face deepened as they approached the receptionist's desk.
No amount of fixing is going to get rid of that attitude, thought Nora.
"Ah, Mrs. Quinn. Welcome." The receptionist, Nora saw, was an androgynous-looking young man—almost mannequin-like. He wore a gray suit with a mandarin collar, and his slicked-down hair had a plastic sheen about it. "Says here you have an appointment at eight o' clock."
Nora nodded. "That's right."
"However, it seems that you haven't made your selection yet. Our online catalogue has an extensive variety of—"
"We'd much prefer to make our final choice here, thank you very much."
"I suppose it's your first time here." The receptionist glanced once at Beth, an eyebrow quizzically raised. "Ah, your daughter...is that right? Age?"
"She's, ah, just turned fifteen."
"I see."
"Just yesterday, if I may add."
"Ah, yes. I see."
Nora suddenly felt rather uncomfortable. Thankfully, the receptionist said nothing more. He reached underneath the desk and produced a thick book covered in fuschia-rose fabric.
Stamped on the cover was a bold, black monogram of a "C" enclosed inside a diamond. "Property of Chrysalis Studios," read the fine writing underneath the monogram. Nora flipped a few pages, wished the receptionist wouldn't keep his eyes so glued on her and what she was doing. It's not I'm going to tear a page off or anything.
Page seventeen showed the picture of a buxom young woman with smooth ebony skin. She was smiling, displaying a perfect row of pearly-whites.
"Oh!" Nora gasped. "Come and take a look at this one, Beth."
"I'm afraid she isn't available," said the receptionist. "There's been a surge of demand for that particular model. For that reason alone, I wouldn't recommend her, either."
"Oh," spoke Nora, with much disappointment. She flipped a few pages and wet her lips. "How about her? Doesn't she look like your best friend Emilia, though?"
"That one's been around since last year," said the receptionist.
"Ah. That explains why."
"Fifty percent discount. That's already a good bargain, Miss Quinn."
"No. Thank you," said Nora, as politely as she could manage. "I want our choice to be special."
The receptionist dropped his voice down to a whisper. He looked round to make sure that no one else was listening in. "Actually, Mrs. Quinn. We might have something you'd like."
"Oh. Do tell."
"Well, she's a brand-new addition. Not in the books yet. Plus, you might need to pay a little extra."
"And...how much would that be?"
The man gestured the price in a flourish of hands, which made Nora's eyes grow wide with shock. Still, you never know. It might be worth it. It should be worth it.
Perhaps realizing that Nora might not make her purchase, after all, the receptionist pushed further. "This model's debut is set for Spring to Summer of next year. By then, all the clothes in the market will cater to her body type. It'll do you good, Mrs. Quinn. I guarantee it."
"I suppose I still have a bit of cash to spare." She could loan one of Jacob's luxury cars for the meantime. He had enough of them already, and they were all just sitting in the garage, waiting to rust. It was a win-win situation, Nora decided. "Let me take a look."
The receptionist had a smile on his little plastic face as he reached under the desk once more. He dropped another catalogue upon the counter. This one was white, the cover decorated with watercolor brushstrokes of jungle leaves. The monogram was slightly larger now, stamped there in gold lettering.
"Turn to page twenty-four," suggested the receptionist.
What Nora saw made her smile, too. "Perfect."
"So, what say you, Mrs. Quinn?"
"We'll buy that one. Wholesale."
The receptionist sauntered off. "Wait for a while, Mrs. Quinn. I shall be right back."
Nora joined Beth at the waiting area, seating herself upon the Barcelona chair across her daughter. Beth continued to stare outside, kicking at the chair's legs, still pretending to ignore Nora.
"How's school?" Nora asked, just to quell the silence between them.
"Same." A ragged breath. "Still lame."
"What was the name of that cute guy you liked?"
"Ethan. He has a girlfriend now."
"Oh. Well, that's too...that's too bad."
Beth rolled her eyes and continued to sulk.
"It...it won't be so awful, Beth. You'll still be you. Only better."
Beth pulled her knees up to her chin. "How would you know? You haven't done it before." She then nudged her chin forward, rocking on her heels.
The receptionist returned later on, accompanied by two identical women in polished white uniforms. "Beth Quinn?"
Hesitantly, Beth took to her feet. She still looks like a little girl. Same mop of brass hair, same freckles.
As a toddler, she was a feisty one, Nora remembered. Takes after you, all her friends at the Ladies' Club told her. She's got your eyes. Your nose, too.
The women in white led Beth down the hall. She looks like a prisoner being escorted into her cell.
And what a horrible analogy that was. Nora shook away the thought, and approached the desk. The receptionist was just now putting away all the catalogues.
"They'll take good care of her," said the receptionist, in a tone so robotic it was hardly reassuring for Nora. "It will take about five hours at most."
He gestured toward the waiting area. "We have free coffee. If you would, please."
With a sigh, she went back over to where she'd been sitting. After an hour or so, the facility bustled with activity. Mostly women about her age or so, except for a young mother who was accompanied by a little boy in a wheelchair. The boy had no limbs, Nora saw, and was obviously born that way.
Both of them were escorted by the two women who had been with Beth. Nora followed them with her eyes as they disappeared into one of the awaiting elevators.
Hours ticked by, and Nora caught a glimpse of the same woman and the same boy, leaving through a separate exit. The boy stood tall now, still getting used to his brand new legs.
Nora smiled to herself, knowing that she was as good a mother as that one.
Another hour passed. One of the white-uniformed women was walking towards her, carrying a tray, which held curried fish in a claypot, alongside a crystal pitcher of agua fresca.
"A complementary meal, while you wait, Mrs. Quinn."
"Thank you."
Nora caught her own reflection in the pitcher, as she poured herself a drink. How bloated she looked, and there were new lines on her face now where they didn't belong. She wondered if the place had a catalogue for women of her age range. If they could afford it, they should.
A hissing sound echoed in the silence. A statuesque girl in a flannel bathrobe strutted along the hallway. Her skin was a lovely shade of toffee, her nose straight and patrician, her sleek black-brown hair still damp. Nevertheless, she looks exactly as she did in the catalogue.
Nora had her arms outstretched when the girl burst into laughter.
"Mrs. Quinn. It's me."
Nora blinked. "Emilia? Oh! Didn't realize you were here, too."
"What a coincidence, huh?"
"Indeed..." Nora faltered.
"Is Beth here?"
"No. No, she isn't. I've come to set an appointment." Nora studied her from head to toe. "Well, look at you..."
"Do you like it? It's brand-new, they said. Top-of-the-line secret."
"It's—it's lovely."
Emilia said good-bye afterwards, going into one of the cubicles to change. Nora finished up her meal in a bitter mood, when the receptionist approached once more.
"No two models will be exactly the same," he explained, steepling his fingers. "If you must know, we made yours more attractive to the eye. You can see for yourself..." He gestured to his left as the doors slid open.
Out came the same girl with the same appearance as Emilia before her, but the shyness to the girl's manner indicated her to be none other than Beth.
"It's nice, isn't it, Mrs. Quinn?" said the receptionist. "We kept her eyes a light shade of purple so that you don't confuse her with the other. I must say—it makes for a nice contrast with her hair."
"Mom?" Beth asked, in the same little-girl voice that had not changed.
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"What do you think of it? Honestly?" The light from the setting sun shone upon Beth. A sun-goddess. They did a marvelous job.
Nora felt a light constriction in her chest, and a slight quiver in her jaw. She bit down, forced the corners of her lips to a smile.
"Perfect. Simply...perfect."
A/N: Hope you guys liked this little standalone short story! I cooked this up one afternoon after watching a bunch of reality shows.
I'll be updating this regularly from now on, since my schedule is a bit tight. :-) Don't worry, there's more to come!