#hod6

"Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!" Holly kept on repeating that phrase as though it was a mantra. Crossing my arms over my chest, I just stared at her until she got over herself. She was pacing in front of her car like a man would when he was to have his first child. Facing me, her expression was a mixture of confusion and glee. "Why didn't you tell me Dylan asked you out?" She leaned back on the hood of her car, her hands crossed over her chest. "He did not. He just asked me to wait for him," I defended. "Why didn't you wait for him then?" "Why do I need to? I'm hungry. I needed to eat." "That could wait! Oh my God, Cera! Like seriously, any girl here would kill to have that chance." "Like you?" I joked. But when she frowned at me, I cleared my throat and said, "And F.Y.I. I'm not like any girl if you're forgetting." She pondered for a moment before a grin broke to her face, "Touche. But still, you could have told me and I could have fangirled over Dylan asking you to wait for him." I gaped at her. Didn't she like the guy? It wasn't even a day when she was heels over head for him. "Why? I thought you like the guy?" She rolled her eyes, "Come on, Ces. Do you really think I stand a chance with him? He's Dylan Ford! And for the record, I never wanted him to be that way with me, I would lose all the feels when I get used to his presence." She got to her feet and stood up beside me, wrapping an arm on my shoulders, "But you my friend-" "Best friend," I corrected her. "Uh yeah, best friend. You have a shot to have Dylan on his knees." "Woah." I removed her arm around me and faced her, "Why does it seem like marriage proposal to me?" "Because it is. You could make that man settle down, I could feel it deep down my heavenly body," she said with a nod, feeling satisfied of her conclusion. I threw my hands up in the air in frustration. My best friend had completely lost it. Her eyes were glossy as she stared at nothing in particular. For sure her mind was already somewhere in wonderland probably thinking of my "wedding" with Dylan and her being my stunning maid of honor. I shook my head and walked towards the passenger door to find it locked. "Halloway! Cut if off! Let's go!" I shouted. It startled her for a second before she regained her composure and grimaced at me. I gave her an innocent smile, "Door please, Holly." She pressed some keychain on her hand and it beeped twice before the locks clicked. I slipped inside the passenger seat as Holly took her space in front of the wheel, a scowl still on her face. I shook my head and let Holly be as she pulled out of the parking lot. For the nth time this month, we found ourselves again in the function hall. But unlike before, there were only thirty of us making the room look so spacious and eerily empty at the back. Today was the scheduled session with Mariella, the trainer, for our formal modeling lessons. Who would have thought that I'd be here having lessons on modeling when a couple of weeks ago I couldn't even walk on heels? Definitely not me. Things have gotten really fast. Just two days ago, we were normal students aiming to graduate in college with the hope of landing on a decent job once we enter the real world. And now, we were a bunch of lucky girls which were given the chance to shine. It was like an overnight popularity-elongated. "Hello, ladies," A woman, probably on her late thirties or early forties came out from the backstage. She wore a simple red t-shirt with the words 'Swish and Flick' printed in golden yellow ink. And I wanted to fangirl over her shirt and ask her for it. I had been a potterhead ever since the first book came out. I was gonna love this lady. When she got to the center, she looked at each and every one of us and I couldn't help but smile. She's a potterhead! She should be right? Or she won't be wearing the shirt. Only those who knew Harry Potter would know where that phrase was taken. "You should know me by now since Rita might have told you I will be your trainer for this session. But in case you forgot young ones, my name is Mariella and I have been working at Maxwell since it started ten years back." Someone pushed inside a white dry erase board and placed it just behind Mariella. "Since you were chosen to be here, I'm pretty sure you know something about modeling. But your knowledge may be either enough or lacking. In which case, none of them are acceptable in the real world. You need to know more or all if that's possible. But given you lovely young ladies are still flower buds in this industry, you need to learn how the most sought after faces do their work." She scribbled something on the board. "Confidence. Sometimes, no matter how great you are, you tend to fail the things you aim for because you don't have this," she said, tapping on the board for emphasis. She blabbered on about confidence for a good five minutes and everything seemed to go inside my left ear and go out on my right. There wasn't really much to listen to. We needed confidence. That was enough explanation to it. I didn't need all the other things she said. "If you understood that part, we could proceed to the formality. Or not really. These are mainly the things you need to consider when you walk down the runway. So that you would understand it better, I asked a good friend of mine to be with us. He was so lovely to do this so let's welcome him with a round of applause. Come on Dylan!" I sank deep on my seat as Dylan walked inside with a scowl on his face. I didn't need to be a genius to know that doing this was against his will. Holly had been elbowing me and I didn't even want to think what she wanted to tell me. "So ladies, I'm pretty sure you will remember everything by the end of this session. Just remember how Dylan does it and you'll do great." Dylan muttered something incomprehensible to us but it made Mariella chuckle. "Okay let's start. Our guy here is so eager to do this," she said making Dylan frown more. She dragged Dylan towards the front of the stage, just a couple of feet away from the edge, to give us a better look. "First thing you need to remember is that it doesn't matter whether you are comfortable or not. They can make you wear anything and make you look as foolish as it can be. But you don't complain. You go out there and go on with it." As Mariella talked her heart out, Dylan stood by her side looking bored than ever. His eyes were looking everywhere inside the room as though studying it. He was shifting his weight from his left foot to the other and the process went on as he tapped his foot impatiently on the wooden floor. He looked like a child brought to an auction house by his parents and he looked funny like that. It was something the Dylan Ford on the billboards and magazines wouldn't show anyone. But he was here with all his guard and his facade down. Just Dylan. Plain Dylan. "So you step one foot in front, literally. If it wasn't so obvious that you need to do that, you need some serious help, dear," said Mariella. The chuckle and giggles of the girls brought me back to reality. Dylan was demonstrating the things Mariella was saying. As what she said, his left foot was in front of his right. "I really believe you don't like him, Cera. I really do," Holly whispered, amusement lacing her voice. I turned my head and frowned at her, "I appreciate that. Thank you very much." "You're welcome." She gave me a grin before focusing on Mariella's lesson again. I shook my head and tried to focus on the things our trainer was saying but found it hard to do so because of Dylan. I didn't even know why I can't focus out my attention on him. Every time I look on Mariella, my eyes would automatically sway and glance at him. It was really freaking me out. "Next thing you need to know is that you have to make sure is that you always look straight and you have capture the essence of the clothes your wearing. Your expression should mirror what you wear. Just imagine what the audience would think if you have an expression contradicting what you wear. A little weird right?" Mariella raised her right hand and told us to follow. "It's a natural reaction to fidget when you're under pressure but make sure you don't. Now open and close your hand and exercise it. You need to be able to control it when you're walking." She let down her hand and tapped Dylan on the shoulder. Dylan started walking on the stage as though walking like that was a natural to him--or maybe it really was. "You should be relaxed at all times even if you're seriously crumbling inside. Your hands should not be balled to fists nor opened but trembling manically. It doesn't look good so watch out." The girls were intently listening to everything Mariella was discussing and they were taking down, even Holly. I felt so out of place. "Let's try to put it to action. I will choose one of you to get up here and show us what you've learned." Dylan's face turned to a smirk and I had a bad feeling when he whispered something to Mariella. "Good luck, Ces," Holly teased. I let out a deep sigh. Even Holly noticed what Dylan was up to. Not that I was sure of it, but I knew in my gut that he could do that, he would do that. He was an asshole in the first place. "Cera? Are you here?" Holly jostled me and I sat straight on my seat. Raising my hand, I said, "Yeah, I'm here." Mariella smiled at me and wriggled her pointer finger telling me to come. Reluctantly, I stood up but didn't feel like walking. Holly had to push me slightly before I went to the stage. As I dragged my feet, I looked up the stage and glared at Dylan when I saw him grinning from ear to ear. Mariella wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me closer, "So are you ready? Dylan here will guide you so you don't have to worry." The more reason I should be worried. I thought. She clapped her hand and told the girls to watch closely. Not that I needed that. Standing here in front of them was enough humiliation in itself. I didn't want them to watch me as I trip. That would not just be the most embarrassing situation in my life-ever-but would also be my greatest nightmare-reenated. Dylan held my arm and I squirmed under his touch. Pulling my arm off him, I walked towards the back as Myra had instructed. "Don't worry, babe. I got your back," He said when we reached the far wall. His hands were on his jeans pocket as he stood lazily beside me, a cocky grin plastered on his face. Myra signaled us to start but neither of us moved. I looked at him and found him doing the same thing. A corner of his lips turned up and he laid his hand in front of me but I ignored it and turned my head from him. "Come on, Cera. You can do it. And Dylan, you're supposed to guide her, you idiot!" Myra growled. She was about to approach us when Dylan took my hand and jerked me towards him making my body collide to his. His arm slipped on my waist and his lips brushed my ear so slightly but it sent tingles down my spine. "I said I got you. Now, follow me." He faced Myra and smiled like nothing happened. But I on the other hand was too stunned to move. I looked at the audience but the girls glared at me like they wanted me dead right here and now. Everyone except Holly wanted that. My best friend was clearly enjoying the shame I was put into and it was all thanks to the jerk standing beside me. Or rather, the jerk who had his arm around me. "Move," Dylan ordered, his arm stil around me. I nodded absent-mindedly and started to walk. Dylan's arm slid along my arm and held my hand. He started to walk beside me the same way he does during his shows. Yes, I had seen his show and way more than my liking. It was all because of Holly and not my own free will. I never really had the hots for him. I never wanted any guy in the first place. As we walked across the stage, which wasn't really that long, I couldn't bother thinking of how Dylan held my hand tightly, or how cocky his walk was, or how sloppy I look beside him. All I thought was I should make it right. I needed to make it right. At the end of our mini runway walk, Dylan pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around me. He looked me straight in the eyes and gave me a his insanely cute boyish smile which seriously made me melt. The way his hazel eyes glistened as he looked at me, how the corner of his lips tipped up, and how his arms were wrapped around me made my knees felt like giving up under my weight. It was so whipped and I could not think how a single look from him made me feel this way. Fine. You're cute okay. I admit it now. I thought to myself. "Perfect! Just perfect! You two looked so cute together!" Myra gushed and went towards us, encloseing us in a tight hug. When Myra let us go and started talking to the other girls about how perfect we executed it, how perfect we look together, how perfect, just perfect we are, Dylan leaned down and whispered on my ear, "Told you I got your back." His voice was sort of husky and sexy in a way and I wanted to slap myself to even considering that thought. "Can you get any more conceited?" I snapped. "I'm not. I'm just stating a fact." "Right." "I am," he pressed. "I said right, right?" I walked away from him and went back to my seat. I didn't even wait for Myra to finish her speech. She acknowledged me after she was done talking and blabbered again about the perfect crap. I rolled my eyes and slumped on my seat. "You two looked perfect!" Holly gushed, too. Obviously, she was just teasing me. "Yeah." "Seriously, you guys are. You should see how he held you right there, how he looked at you on that last part and how sweet you two looked," my best friend said dreamily. I shook my head and let her dream whatever fantasies she had. I never even listened to Myra. All I did was to stay quiet and looked at the back of the girl seated in front of me. Somehow, I found it more interesting than any other thing happening inside the hall. When everyone stood up, I got to my feet, too but Holly was still seated beside me. "What are you still doing sitting there? Let's go." She looked up at me and smiled in a creepy way, "I'm resting." "You can rest at home. I want to go home now. Come on." I pulled her up and she didn't complain or even struggle. "Okay," she responded a little too happily and it made me nervous. When we got out, Holly went straight to her car and I slipped on the passenger seat. Her smile was still not gone and I was starting to have a bad feeling about it. "Spill it out, Holly. You're smiling like an idiot." "What? She asked innocently. "Are you up to something?" "No!" She defended. "I mean, no. What would I do?" She pulled out of the parking lot and out of the school. "I'm just happy okay?" "I don't believe you." "Then don't. I'm just really happy. I can see a love story starting. And it's right in front of me." "What?" I asked, confused. "Nothing. But babe, really. Don't mind me. I'm just happy. Okay?" I didn't bother asking her more. Since I knew I wouldn't get the answers I wanted. But love story? What? Was she talking about Dylan and me? Oh please! Sure I find the guy cute, but that doesn't mean we would go down that path. He was Dylan Ford and I'm just Cera Ward. How could one of the most famous models today fall for some normal student like me? It was so absurd if you think about it, and it didn't even cross my mind. For Pete's sake I never had crush since God knows when! "But seriously, you guys are perfect," Holly said as she took a turn. Ugh! Please. Can't the word perfect leave me for a second?