☼ Leila Perez☼

"That's beautiful, darling," Fern drawled, "Keep it all natural."

I ran a hand through my long blonde beach waves as I turned my back on the camera. 

"Perfect, darling," Fern said, "I think we can call it a day."

I grinned at her, though I felt exhausted. I'd had a four-hour modelling session this afternoon and I have a maths test tomorrow. 

My agent rushed over to me.

"Lucy," I began, "I really have to get home."

"Okay then," she frowned, "Go get changed into the clothes you came here in and I'll take the photoshoot outfits to your car for you."

"Do I get to keep them?" I asked with wide eyes.

"Yes," she said curtly, "VS is loving you right now, so get changed. Don't you have that exam tomorrow?"

That's why I love Lucy. She makes sure I keep up with my schoolwork too.

I hurried and changed into my light grey skinny jeans, baggy Santa Cruz top and beanie. I slipped into my old pair of Converse and hurried out the door. 

Now, you'd wonder why I'm a Victoria's Secret model but I'm wearing Converse and a baggy top. Well, I try and live in the shadows at school. Otherwise, I'd get pushed around a bit too easily and lose my modelling contract with VS. So I go to school every day with only a light bit of makeup, with my hair in a simple braid, and I wear horrible clothes. No one pays enough attention to me to realise that I'm famous.

Lucy was busy putting the last bra from today in the boot of my mum's Ferrari. I hugged her, "Thanks, Lucy! Got to run."

She closed the boot and waved her hands.

I turned to my mum with a grin, "Hola Madre. Como Estas?"

She winked at me, "Hey sweetie. You know... those things Lucy was putting into the boot looked quite revealing..."

"It's not like I'm going to wear them out in public, Madre," I sighed, "I don't show any skin at school, you know that."

"I know that," she laughed.

My mum used to be a Victoria's Secret Angel, herself. Mum took off on the main street. I was at my home in the Rivers Neighbourhood fast enough.

*****

Each house in the Rivers Neighbourhood has a grey and white monotone. Each street has identical houses, and each street only varies slightly from one another. The only way I know which house is mine is because I've lived there for fifteen years since I was born. She parked the Ferrari in the garage and I grabbed the boxes out of the boot. I covered the car with the black sheet that was almost routine now. 

I rummaged through the boxes with one hand as Mum fumbled for the keys for the house. I had plenty of new coloured and bedazzles bras and undies as well as a few sexy pieces of lingerie. Victoria's Secret was hesitant to sign a contract with a fifteen-year-old at first, but I have a body most twenty-one-year-olds would die for. 

Not to be smug.

Mum opened the door, finally and I walked upstairs, the box under my arm. I called down to her, "I have to study! Call me down for dinner when you're ready."

I walked into my room. I pulled out my underwear drawer and neatly pushed in all the new Victoria's Secret stuff, taking out the things that were more than three seasons old now. I pushed them into the box and walked to my window. I dropped the box into the open garbage bin far below. 

I took out my maths book and started studying. 

If V = drht, where V is 0.01, d is 5, t is 2.5 and h is 3.21, what is r? 

I wrote the answer down neatly on the sheet. 

Solve for x. (x+2)(x-16)=3x. 

This one took a little longer, but I still got it. After an hour there was a shrill, "Leila!"

I jumped in my seat looking up from the chapter of maths I'd just completed. I yawned and stood up. I bounded down the stairs, "Yeah?"

"Dinner's ready," Mum smiled. 

I took in the smell. Butter Chicken. My favourite.

I frowned, "I really really love butter chicken, but what's the special occasion?"

Mum smiled warily, "We need to talk..."

I chewed on some rice and watched her fumble across her words. She'd never really been much of a public speaker.

"Myer's hired me," she blurted out suddenly.

"To model?" I asked, "That's so cool!"

Mum was forty-three. This was one of the first modelling contracts she'd had in two years!

"Yeah," she smiled dryly again, "However... the project's over in Newcastle."

"But that's two hours away!" I jumped out of my seat.

"And it's a campaign... which means it'll last for a month," Mum said nervously, "I don't want you to miss out on school, though, so we're going to have to find a place for you to stay near here."

I'm not going with her? I guess that makes my modelling life easier then...

"Cool," I shrugged, "I can stay at Evie's."

"I've already called Evie's parents and asked, kiddo," she sighed, "They just don't have the room available."

I frowned. It was true, though.

"Then I'll ask Tr--"

"You're not going to stay at Trent's," she said firmly, "You really don't notice how much that boy leers at you."

I frowned. Trent was one of my best friends, but Mum thinks he is sexually attached to me.

"Then where am I going to go?"

"We have a week to sort it out before I leave," she smiled sadly, "Sorry kiddo."

I finished my butter chicken quietly. I washed my plate in the kitchen and cleared my throat, "When you're gone... just enjoy yourself," I smiled brightly at her, "It doesn't matter too much about who I stay with, right?"

*****

Avril Lavigne pumped through my phone and open window as I danced to it. I sung loudly, "Singing Radiohead at the top of our lungs, got the boombox playing as we're falling in love, got a bottle of whatever but it's getting us drunk, singing Here's to Never Growing Up!" I kicked my feet up and giggled as I hit the floor accidentally. 

My eyes fell onto the house next door. Rumour on the street is that a family's supposed to move in tomorrow. I could see the empty bedroom across from mine. Hopefully, I can make a good girl friend that won't tell anyone my secret. Because who else do I want to see me practice modelling in my bedroom in my VS bras and undies... I might have to invest in some blinds...

I heard my mum's shrill voice yell, "TURN THE RADIO OFF AND GO TO BED, LEILA!"

"SORRY!" I yelled back and turned my phone onto mute. 

Did Mum seriously just call it the radio?

I changed into my Peter Alexander pyjamas that I modelled in last week. They haven't even come out yet. I wore a light blue lace singlet top and white lace shorts, my black underwear visible underneath. I climbed into my bed and turned out my lamp. 

✌︎

So I hope you enjoyed :) If you did, leave me a comment, if you didn't, tell me what I can improve on. How are you? Leave me a comment and a vote if you're healthy or sick. If you're sick, I hope you feel better. Shoutout to those that are reading this at 1 am. 

Sharky.