*Charlie's P.O.V*

If Harry had met Autumn in St. Johns, he doubts they would have been in the same room, breathing the same air.

And he would have expected anyone else at his hostel. Heck, even his mother would have been better, not a teary-eyed ex.

"Autumn -"

She had hugged him. After two minutes, he couldn't get her off. He had thought of pushing her, but then she would make a ruckus. So he had to wait till his phone buzzed.

"Hey, hey, let me answer -" He had halted because of Kean's profile picture. Picking up, he had to remain stoic as Kean asked about his welfare.

Meanwhile, Autumn had had enough. Snatching the phone, she had to push Harry and make him retaliate.

Four hours after a scuffle had ensued, Harry had mumbled, "Oh, shit, what have I done?"

At that time, their clothes had been sprawled on the floor. Autumn had fallen asleep beside him.

His phone had to invade his trance. Sil had to call and ask him to send money.

"I think the guy I brought home stole some of my stuff," Sil had lamented.

Harry had facepalmed and bent over for his jeans, not wanting his ex to interrupt again. However, the jeans weren't his, and he had furled a leg out only for Autumn's burner to fall.

He quickly had to turn back and then mutter, "Sil, I'll call you back."

Trying his birthday as the password, the phone had unlocked. And that's what led Harry to find out where Autumn had been all that while.

***

When Leo got out, there were so many cheers. All, except Mia and Charlie, came.

Harry drove him with a scowl.

"What's the matter?"

"Autumn."

Leo gasped, "She's been found?!"

"She came to me."

"Oh. Are you ok?"

"Ya, I messed up. Again." Harry scratched his head.

"How so?"

"Like... Okay, the point is, I found her burner, which had the number of the guy who hired your dad. I think?"

"Jawl?" Leo glared.

Harry nodded. "The guy left an angry voicemail, saying that he didn't rescue her from her batch so she could romp around. She should do her job."

"What job?"

"I don't know, but I found a plane ticket in her stuff so that it could be in... I saw Moscow."

Instantly, Leo bursts, "Did she have a gun or something?"

"No."

"What else was there?"

"She woke up, so I couldn't check further," Harry muses, "but there were scars all over her body, and when I asked about them, she cried. I woke up later, and she was gone."

There's a moment for Leo to reflect, and he yelps, "Please, tell me the camera is still with you!"

"Of course." Harry spun his wheels.

"And everything is in there?"

Again, his response was affirmative.

"Thanks, Harry. Let's call Mia."

But when they called her, Cynthia picked up because Mia was in the shower.

"Ok, tell her that when Mia comes," Leo starts talking hastily, "she should check for flights from the US, and like, I don't know, find Autumn?!"

"Ok. Is something bad happening? Is it about the uncle -"

"Harry, fuck the uncle. Autumn is going on a suicide mission!"

"A what?!"

*
*

"So you're going to Russia?" Harry asked him.

"No."

"Why not? You said Autumn is in danger."

Leo did not respond.

"Why?" Harry grumbled, "You don't trust me?"

"I don't trust your cock."

"Herh -"

"Don't talk to her again. Focus on your music a-and college -" Leo fumbled, "s-stay safe."

"You don't trust my ... Oh, wait, it makes sense now," my bestie muttered.

Ignoring him, Leo fled to a taxi with his camera and a suitcase.

"You're going to meet Charlie, aren't you?" Harry reckoned. When Leo turned back, my childhood bestie pouted, "I'll come too."

"Sure, after you fix your girl dramas." Leo pointed across the campus. Some girl Harry had made out with once glared. When she stormed over to lambast Harry for not writing a song about her, Leo left.

So Harry forgot to ask about Igor.

*
*

When I make it to my last fitting, my heart is in my throat. I feel many hands and eyes scrutinise me and repeat, "Perfect. Perfect."

There's nothing perfect about me. I want to tell them so, but Leo's grandparents are here too - they are nodding.

Afterwards, they take me around a market, teaching me how to say things in Japanese. We reach their flower farm when someone yells, "He is here!"

Immediately, the grandparents run. I freeze. Jubilant cries fill my ears.

"Leo?" My ribs shiver. I hear his voice first, then his feet trampling weeds at a crescendo.

"CHARLIE?!" He heaves into view.

I think about Sydney telling me to stay away from him. I think about Igor and the cartel and still run to him.

"Leo!"

"Where are you?!"

"Leo, I'm here!" I jump.

Leo spins. His eyes stay on me.

The ground feels wet under my trousers. At least it's not blood. No more blood, please. It's like I fell from the roof, and he was watching. He was so scared. He was just a boy. We were just boys.

And now I don't even know what we are.

"Charlie," he catches me. My knees grind leaves as he wipes my face. "Hey, hey-"

"Leo-so-s-sorry -"

"Hey, enough of that." He pulls me up. "You- you stood before everyone and said I deserve love. Don't fucking apologise -"

"But I stuttered-"

"Those- those criminals, they wanted me gone forever. They wanted to silence you. They thought you were weak, but-but when you stood there, Oh God, when you -" He hiccups. "You were real- and you were bigger than everything. You made me bigger than everything. You gave me what I wanted. You gave me a reason to be myself. They said I was broken, and you-you made a fool of them. Charlie, you made people laugh at the lawyers and the judge, and everyone knew that they were fucking jokes. Losers. You made them losers -"

"I left you."

"You had to. I'm not angry about that." Leo steps back to say.

I rub my eyes when he exhales and touches my hair.

"Why did you dye it black? It makes you look like a sassy baby."

"Seriously?" I stop crying. A moment of confusion later, I bypass him, so he yells, "Oh, come on, we were having a moment!"

"You should have thought of that before calling me sassy."

He catches up with me, saying, "Let's be honest though -Aw!" I pinch his arm.

When we head inside, everyone eats to their hearts' content. A tinge of pride swells when Leo asks what his grandparents are like. He didn't even know them till his mom's death.

"They are nice," I mutter at dawn.

Leo scoffs. "But I remember my mom had to leave this country because of them."

"Hey." I hold his hand.

"Charlie," he sighs, "I know you said things to make them like me, despite ... everything."

"I just told them the truth," I say, leaning back. "That you are amazing. They know none of it was your fault."

Silence flows.

Then Leo giggles, though his eyes give him away. "What?"

"I don't know much ... but they are proud of you. Like your mom would."

"For what?" His lip twitches. "It's all vanity. Everything I did, all my hard work, was for nothing. Everyone has gone to college or started something. I don't know where I'm going from here. And then there's the carte -"

"You are going with me."

"Huh?" Leo meets my gaze.

I whisper again. "You are going with me." Then, I rise. Yanking out the new camera I bought before my birthday, I smile. He stares at me for what feels like an eternity. I break away first, heading outside.

When Leo joins me, I point to the sky. "Want to wait for the sunrise?"

He lifts his new camera. However, as it clicks, I realise he has tilted towards me.

"Na."

*

In the evening before my show, someone sleeps on us. Upon hearing him singing, I grouch, "... Harry?"

"This guy?!" Leo startles so fast, the bed shudders. Our beloved intruder, however, swings his leg over backs. Leo whispers, "Wait ... Is he singing in his sleep?"

"It can happen when he's extremely happy."

"Well, if he doesn't get his fucking leg off me, I will make him unhappy."

"Language." I scowl. He rolls his eyes.

After half an hour though, I have to agree with Leo - Harry is almost squishing us to death. As soon as we push him off, he falls heavily and yelps, "Charlie! ... Why, don't you like my voice anymore?"

"We all do," I assure him. Leo and I share a look as Harry buffs to a stool.

"Who let you in?" Leo yawns.

"Your grandma. Why are you guys communicating with your eyes?" Harry pouts at me. "That's our thing!"

"Urr..." I turn to Leo, and he mimics, "That's our thing!"

"Charlie!" The unannounced boy wails again.

"Hm?"

"He's teasing me."

"Leo, stop teasing him," I scold, only for him also to yell, "Charlie!"

"Charlie, he's teasing me again -"

"Ok, both of you, stop," I grunt, "I need my beauty rest. Harry, sleep in an appropriate position. Leo, stop teasing and - where are my earmuffs?"

They instantly start searching.

Having fallen into oblivion, the sun is up, and my earmuffs are on when Harry wakes me. He washes my hair while Leo prepares us breakfast.

As we eat on mats, Harry mutters, "I wish I was famous so I can watch you."

"You are famous," I say.

"Hm. Not enough for a Prada event."

"I'll fix the intso we can watch." Leo slurps his ramen.

I sigh at them. "We can meet afterwards, and go sightseeing -"

"Won't there be a party after or something?" Harry cuts in.

I shrug because I probably won't be invited. My call time is at 8:30, so I dab my face a little, use some eyeliner and prep while Leo takes pictures. I cringe as he and Harry whoop.

*
If Leo says my black hair is sassy, what will he say about it being red?

I wonder this as the hairstylist blow-dries my gelled red hair. Other models twist and turn in their chairs, wondering different things, like: "Wow!" "Hey, look at the kid", "Bruv, that's fire," and so on.

Checking it out in the mirror, I don't find much difference in my appearance. I still have the baby face.

According to emails, my hairstyle will depend on my outfits for the fashion week. For my first day, I am wearing a black leather cropped jacket with red part skirt-part jeans, chunky boots, and the bag and so on, so the red is somehow necessary.

After two days, it should be blue and for the last day, black again. I practically force a friendship with the hairstylist, so he treats my hair like gold.

When I find Tim, he gasps, "Bruh!"

"I know right, so there are many people here! Imagine falling, and they are watching, and the audience as well-."

"Champ, just have fun. You're going round in loops, so take your time but also be smart. And if you mess up, own it."

"Ok."

"Charlie, you'll be great," Tim quirks, "Let's go for rehearsals."

*

We are going to walk on ice - well, glass on top of ice. I stare at the dancers and other performances as they do their thing. Meanwhile, my heart is racing.

Everyone has a breeze, like it's not glamorous, like we are just chilling, and I'm just walking, and walking and smiling...

I'm freaking out inside.

When we go for our outfits and touch-ups, I realise celebrities are here. I wonder if my mom would have recognised them if she were here.

*

*Mia's P.O.V*

I'm staring angrily at space when Cynthia runs in to blurt, "The show is starting!"

"What show?" Autumn squints.

I bend to her level, say, "We'll talk more about Igor. Don't leave," and then run out with Cynthia.

When we barge into my room, Anton is smirking at the screen. "Is that Amanda Muphy? Oh! See -"

"Ya, ya." I know who I want to see.

And when I see him, oh boy -

"Red hair! ... Did he just wink- Oh screw him!" This should be a crime. What he is doing should be illegal.

*

*Charlie's P.O.V*

"Please take your seats..." We hear through the speakers.

Some photographers take us while someone fixes my beaded choker. I feel the air conditioner all the way from behind the curtain.

When the show starts and the opening model flashes on the screen, I gulp. This is really happening.

Moving cameras follow her, so we get a good view of her dress at all angles.

Before I know it, it's my turn. I mutter a prayer and relax my face. Then I remember when Caleb told me to use a certain face only seen necessary.

That's the face I make.

I don't look at anyone or anything.

Just stomp. Sway. Stomp. Sway. Stomp. Spin around. Lift chin a little. Release your lips a bit... Stomp. Dead eyes. Keep the dead eyes. Then more expression. Take off jacket. Spin...

I don't know if my subconscious is right, but I just follow. Turing to the moving camera in a split second, I wink.

Leo will be so proud I mustered his wink.

Once I am off the runway, someone helps change me quickly, while others gawk.

*

"Mr. Hunt?!"

"MR. HUNT! THIS WAY!"

I turn in the direction of the voice, only for flashes of light to target me. When the attention moves to another model, I slip on my sunglasses, texting my friends. I'm about to exit when a designer beckons me.

"You are related to Sydney, urr... the lady from Mr Hopson film, right?"

"Yes, please."

"Ah, I knew I recognised that wink," the designer chirps, "So you've been in the industry a while?"

"Not really." I smile.

The woman sips her champagne and says, "Well, you did spectacular. You're coming for the after party right?!"

Oh, my.

I open my mouth but nothing comes out. She giggles. "Oh, you are a star after all. You can't just leave!"

"Urm, I -"

"You might need to change a bit, though -"

"Please, I am afraid I have to meet my friends."

The woman stops talking. I smile, although I have blown a chance. As she tips her head close, I await her insults.

"You don't make it in this industry through that behaviour. Go ahead. Invite them here," is her response, however.

*

Authors note: Two more to go.