November 13th, 2014.The daytime. A photoshoot is taking place at one of the popular modeling agencies in the city featuring quite the famous model. She is posing for photos, which are going to be used for the cover and a few pages in a popular glossy magazine. But her fans will see the result of her work not very soon because the magazine issue will be available somewhere in two or three months, and her photos will be posted on the Internet somewhere at the same time.
Nobody is free now. Every one of them is busy with something and running from one side to another. Some people fix the studio light and make sure it lights up the face of the model, who is being photographed, well. Someone sometimes fixes her makeup or hair in case something is not right about it. A few stylists and makeup artists are on the set, closely watching the model to make sure that she looks good, and change something quickly at the plea of some people from the crew team. They do all of this to get the result that everybody here would be pleased with. To pick up the best photos and send them to someone to get them retouched.
The model that is being photographed for the magazine is also doing her best to take excellent photos. She does not argue with people from the crew team and does everything they tell her, completely trusting them and knowing they would help her look stunning. The name of this girl is Raquelle Cameron. The tall, little skinny beauty has piercing, slanting gray eyes, slim, long legs, gorgeous black hair, and light, clean skin. This charming girl is only twenty-three, but she has already achieved a lot and become famous almost around the whole world. She has many fans, she is admired, she is a role model, she is an idol…
As well as any famous person does, Raquelle also has haters, who do not understand everyone’s love for her and devalue her achievements. But the girl tries not to pay attention to them and listens to those, who are close to her: her family, her friends, and her loyal fans. It really helps her keep a good mood, get pleasure from her work, and never think of leaving her modeling career and doing something different.
The photographer of today’s photoshoot is Steven Appleby, a tall dark-haired man with light eyes, who is a little older than the model. He is quite a famous photographer and Raquelle’s good friend, who has known her almost from the beginning of her modeling career. This man is working with the girl and photographing her for glossy magazines not for the first time. Working with her gives him great pleasure because she managed to examine his wants and always gives him the result he wants to see. And he does know what this stunning beauty can do and does not make her do anything impossible. But sometimes he makes an experiment and tries to discover another side of the girl and suggests she leave her comfort zone. And it almost always leads to the brilliant result everybody likes. The two actually understand each other well and find another opportunity to work together as a reason to relax a little and get an excellent mood for the whole day.
While Raquelle often changes poses and shows everything she can do, Steven does not stop photographing her with a professional camera and does not miss a chance to tell his friend compliments when he especially likes what she does. The dark-haired man runs from one side to another, trying to find a better view that would express the beauty of the model and make him like it much more and taking photos in a sitting, standing, and even lying position.
“Excellent!” Steven pronounces loudly with a wide smile. “Excellent! Yeah!”
Steven takes a few photos in a row.
“Great, keep doing the same!” Steven pronounces cheerfully. “Magnificent!”
Meanwhile, Raquelle looks into the camera with a wide, radiant smile and strikes all of her favorite poses, having a wonderful mood and getting pleasure from this shoot.
“Good, good!” Steven praises and takes a couple of good shots. “Great pose!”
It’s impossible to say that somehow in childhood, this confident, attractive beauty was the one literally the whole school was bullying, believed those, who called her ugly and said she would never be beautiful and reach any great success, and seemed to be an insecure girl. Raquelle was madly shy of her tall height and always slouched to seem just a little lower. She never dressed up, never did makeup, and never cared about her hair. She always wanted to be invisible to everyone.
But working in the modeling business helped her wake up the gorgeous swan that had been sleeping and waiting for the good moment to let everyone know about it and make people gasp. A gasp from admiration. The admiration for this young beauty, who changed a lot at some moment and became very beautiful and charming. Nothing is left of that homely girl, who would have hardly thought that someday so many people around the world would admire her.
Raquelle finds very many good things about working as a model. For example, she can experiment with her hair and try on various clothes that sometimes might be expensive and made by famous designers. Stylists always know how to make her more charming and attractive and choose the best clothes and hairstyles for her. Besides, the girl also loves dressing up and trying on different looks: from a sassy and fateful temptress to an innocent and tender beauty. By the way, for the years of work, she already took some clothes, which she especially liked but sometimes had to pay some money for.
Posing for the photographer does not give Raquelle discomfort, and she feels confident enough. The girl has learned very much for many years, knows her body much better now, and knows when she can always get good photos. When she had just begun her career, the result was not always good. Because she could not find the right pose, felt discomfort in front of a camera, and could not get free for a long time. People the model was working with had to do their best to help her relax a little and get what they wanted.
Raquelle was not always the queen of the runway. The girl fell many times when walking down at some fashion shows and could get really ashamed. It also got her very upset and sometimes made her doubt herself and what she was doing. Besides, the way she walked was not quite good. She was not a gracious swan. So, Raquelle had to work on it for a very long time with people, who were experienced in it.
And actually, the young, beginning model was criticized many times for not being able to pose for a camera and walk well. She was also criticized for having no sense of style or the ability to do hairstyles and makeup. And her skinny body is still the thing people discuss so hard and make it the reason why she is told negative things and blamed for having a bad influence on young girls, who see everything and want to be like her.
All of this undoubtedly got Raquelle upset. However, she always found the courage not to give up and to keep doing what she was doing. The girl was learning a lot, training, practicing, and doing her best to make her work better and better. Now Raquelle poses not worse than any model with many years of work and incredibly walks on a runway, and she is now less criticized.
Steven keeps photographing Raquelle for a very long time, not stopping to look for the best view and taking various photos of the girl.
“Excellent!” Steven encourages again. “Alright… Show me everything you can do.”
Steven takes a couple of more photos.
“Hey, slightly turn your side on me,” Steven says. “Yes, yes, that’s what I need!”
After pressing the button a couple of times, Raquelle changes her pose a little.
“Good…” Steven pronounces confidently. “Okay, lower your head a little. A little bit more! Good! Excellent…”
Steven takes a couple of more shots.
“Alright, now I wanna see your smile,” Steven says. “C’mon, my sweetheart, smile at me!”
Raquelle smiles much wider at the camera, showing her white, straight teeth that she had to make a little better with the help of a dentist because they were not perfect in her childhood.
“Yes, yes, keep doing the same!” Steven exclaims cheerfully. “Give me more fire! C’mon, girl, you can do this!”
Raquelle silently does everything the photographer says and shows everything she has learned through years of working in the modeling business.
“Move your hair aside,” Steven says and takes another shot when Raquelle puts her hair on another shoulder. “Oh, oh, that’s a wonderful pose! Freeze! Don’t move!”
Steven presses the button a few more times, moving from one side to another, while the people on the set are watching the process and making some changes in case they need them.
“Alright, attention, I am taking the last shoot!” Steven says loudly. “And we are finishing the shoot! So… I am taking a shoot!”
Steven presses the button on the camera the last time.
“Alright!” Steven exclaims. “Excellent!”
Steven glances at the camera in his hands.
“Alright, our work is finished!” Steven raises his hand with his head proudly raised. “Everybody can be free!”
Raquelle stops striking poses with a wide smile and slowly goes aside, while the people on the set start running from one side to another again, and Steven having a wonderful mood, is now viewing photos on a computer, to which the camera is plugged with a long cable.
The girl looks around quickly, says a couple of words to some people, and takes a bottle of water from a young girl, who is her personal assistant, comes to all of her shoots and does some little things. After this, she confidently comes to Steven, opening her bottle on the way and taking a couple of drops of water to wet her little dry throat.
“Excellent shoot, buddy!” Raquelle exclaims with a shy smile. “I liked everything.”
“Excellent work, Raquelle,” Steven says with a wide smile. “Well, just like always.”
“Thanks a lot.”
“I can’t be silent that working with you is very nice.”
“I get pleasure when you’re asked to photography me.”
“Oh, I’m ready to photograph you literally every day. Because I literally relax on shoots with you.”
“Really?”
“I am! Sometimes I work with people, who don’t understand even the simplest things. Because of them, working might be something like torture. But you understand me very well and know what I wanna get from you.”
“The secret of success is easy: we just understand each other very well. So, that’s why it’s so easy for us to work together.”
“Oh, yeah, you and I are really a great team.”
“Can’t deny!”
“Give me a five, friend!”
Steven raises a chance, and Raquelle gives him a five with pleasure.
“Listen, let’s look at what we got,” Raquelle suggests confidently.
“I’m now viewing your photos,” Steven replies confidently and moves her eyes to the screen of the computer.
“You took so many shoots this time…”
“This time, you were just especially magnificent. And now editors are gonna have a great problem.”
“Which?”
“They wouldn't be able to pick up the best shots. Because all the photos are just awesome. All of them could be published!”
“Oh, Steven…” Raquelle pronounces shyly with a slight blush on her face.
“It’s true, Raquelle. You just look at how beautiful all of them are!” Steven selects one of the photos and opens it to show Raquelle. “You’re especially gorgeous here. What a pose! You literally radiate confidence. You’re literally ready to tell the whole world you know who you are.”
“And I really like this shoot,” Raquelle confesses, pointing at the photo she sees near that one. “I’ve got a very beautiful face here.”
“Agree. And how gorgeous the curves of your body are.”
“Today, I’m especially lucky with clothes and makeup,” Raquelle notices confidently, fixing her loose hair curled in big curls and slightly pulling down her dark pink crop top with open shoulders and long sleeves, which perfectly fits her light blue skinny jeans.
“You can put on anything, but you would look like a goddess anyway.”
“You make me blush.”
“I’m just telling the truth.”
Steven views the photos for a few seconds with a slight smile on his face, makes some changes, and compares two photos – the original and the result that he gets.
“I hope these photos will be in the hands of professional editors,” Steven expresses hope. “I wouldn’t like them to destroy them with retouching much.”
“Yeah, sometimes editors retouch photos too hard,” Raquelle agrees thoughtfully and drinks some water from her bottle. “I remember someday I didn’t recognize myself on the cover of a magazine. I looked like a plastic, dead doll.”
“Yes, yes, I remember. Your fans criticized the cover to hell. The editors even had to apologize for retouching your photos so well.”
“And how many other celebrities were on a similar cover! I can’t remember!”
“Honestly, I don’t actually like retouching photos too hard. It’s fine to fix colors and clean the skin from acne. No more.”
“Anyway, I can’t wait to see the final result of the work of you and me.”
“Well, you’re gonna see it not very soon…” Steven replies thoughtfully. “You know it’s gonna be possible only in two or three months – some time before the new issue of the magazine is out.”
“I know, but I really wonder to know what the result would be like.”
“Believe me, darling, you’re gonna be stunning on the cover of the magazine.”
“You’re right,” Raquelle smiles widely. “I will shine just as bright as a star.”
“And you’ll always be a star,” Steven replies confidently with his head proudly raised, distracts from the computer, and softly caresses Raquelle’s shoulders. “Despite nothing, you are a role model for your fans.”
“I know.”
“Girls wanna be like you, and boys dream of getting your heart, inviting you on a date, and literally proposing to you.”
“And it’s nice to me,” Raquelle confesses shyly.
“I understand. It’s always nice to get gifts and hear compliments.”
“Thanks to this, I believed in myself and realized I was actually very beautiful and attractive.”
“If I didn’t know your story, I would never believe you. I wouldn't believe that such a gorgeous girl could doubt herself somehow.”
“I wasn’t always like this, Steve.” Raquelle drinks some water from her bottle. “If someone told the little me that I would be very beautiful and want to work as a model, I would laugh at that person.”
“Well, Hans Christian Andersen did write a tale about the ugly duck that grew up and became a gorgeous swan for a reason. It proves that any person could change for the better.”
“Aw, Steve…” Raquelle sighs with a slight smile on her face. “You’ve always known how to encourage me.”
“The man that would get such a stunning beauty, who could make people get the love for her by just looking at them, is gonna be so lucky.”
“I would hardly get a boyfriend in the nearest time.”
“Why not?”
“You know well that I have no time to go on dates and look for a boyfriend.”
“But you have free days!”
“When I have free days, I spend them with Grandpa, who I barely spend not very much time with. I’m busy with work, and he works and always goes somewhere…”
“Wrong! Such a gorgeous, young girl must not stay single!”
“Oh, Steven…” Raquelle sighs tiredly.
“You could pay attention to someone. And give the media a reason to discuss you.”
“The media discusses me enough. Very much.”
“Listen, why don’t you wanna go on dates? It would give you no responsibilities.”
“To find a man is not the main goal of my life.”
“But do you want it?”
“Yes, I do, but I ain’t gonna hang on all men’s necks and beg them to marry me.”
“That’s how!”
“When I meet my man that I would really get interested in, I will go on dates.”
“Do you really like nobody?”
“Alas, there are many men, but nobody gets my attention.”
“Listen, if I didn’t know you personally, I would not believe you’ve never had a serious relationship.”
“Many people don’t believe it, but that’s the truth,” Raquelle smiles shyly and drinks some water from her bottle. “I haven’t had a relationship yet.”
“Many men usually wrap around such beauties as you.”
“And they do wrap around me. I just let nobody get too close to me.”
“Anyway, going on dates is cool.”
“You know, although everybody around says I’ve gotta find a boyfriend, I don’t wanna rush. I’m too young. I’m only twenty-three.”
“Many girls get married much earlier.”
“It’s their choice. I don’t even think of marrying. Now all my thoughts are about my career. Getting gorgeous photos, filming a good commercial, and not falling during a walk on a runway.”
“Yeah, you’ve always been such a careerist.”
Steven crosses his arms over his chest.
“I remember you’ve been the one since you just started working as a model,” Steven adds thoughtfully.
“I’m just doing what I love,” Raquelle shrugs.
“That was clear that you liked it. Remember that you started to work on yourself to reach just something with so many efforts.”
“Yeah, I had to work much. But all my efforts were worth it.”
“You’re a purposeful girl and can reach anything you want. I'm not surprised that you’ve already reached a level like this.”
“But I've not reached everything I could reach,” Raquelle notices confidently. “There is so much I’m trying to reach.”
“The important thing is that you love it.”
“I do like it.” Raquelle looks quickly at what’s around her with a slight smile. “And I’m so grateful to fate for giving me such an amazing chance. A chance to change my life for the better and become more confident.”
“That’s good you didn’t reject it,” Steven replies confidently. “Otherwise, the world wouldn’t have known such a stunning beauty lived.”
“I didn’t even think of becoming a model.”
“Wow…”
“If I, being a child, had told someone I would become a model, they would have laughed at me.”
“Imagining how shocked they are while looking at the beauty that has changed before my eyes for the past years.”
“I have change now. I am very beautiful. But then, I looked by far not perfect and couldn’t make myself pretty. No makeup, no good clothes, no good hairstyles…”
“But now you have learned all the lessons you were given.”
“Yeah, the modeling world got me dragged into all of that like a whirlpool.” Raquelle shrugs. “So, here I am! Absolutely different. Not what I was before. I have many fans around that adore me. I travel around the world a lot, meet new people and do what I love. Besides, thanks to my work, I started to earn good money. Grandfather and I stopped having to save every single cent.”
***
The end of two thousand and seven year.
“The case is that I’m looking for new faces and traveling around the whole of America,” the woman, who caught Raquelle near the university where she is studying, explains. “I watch the girls and then talk to those I liked.”
“What do I have to do with it?” Raquelle wonders, tightly holding the belt of her bag with her fingers.
“Going by this university, I somehow noticed you and watched you for some time. And I quickly realized you’ve got something special.”
“Me?” Raquelle rounds her eyes.
“Yes, you.”
“Come on, ma’am! What kind of model can I be?”
“I am sure you could be a superstar.”
“Do not make me laugh. All models literally swim like swans, and I’m clumsy and stopped!”
“But it’s easy to fix if you work with professional people. You’d be taught to keep your head up and walk beautifully.”
“Everyone would laugh at me if I at least tried to walk on a runway.”
“No, girl, don’t say so,” the woman protests softly. “Everything is possible if you really want.”
“I am ugly!” Raquelle protests. “A clumsy lofty, who nobody would ever look at.”
“Who told you this stupid thing?”
“Everyone talks about it!”
“I don’t know what someone says, but I think you are a very beautiful girl. If you were dressed up and got makeup and a hairstyle, you would steal many hearts of men.”
“Stop, ma’am, please.”
“Remember, if you keep making yourself sure about it, people will never believe in you and will think you’ll not become a wonderful swan.”
“But I am ugly! How could I believe in my beauty if I am not?”
“You just make people think so. Sometimes even an ugly or absolutely homely girl could sell herself so well that she would become a beauty queen. She can be more beautiful than any stunning beauty, who often may be very insecure.”
“Sorry, ma’am, but I will never become a model,” Raquelle shakes her head. “They are all beautiful, talented, and confident.”
“Not always. Models can be different: skinny, thick, and beautiful. Someone of them has some special features that they make their highlights.”
“No…”
“Trust me, I’ve seen many different girls and know what I say. Besides, do you really think all the famous models were so beautiful and knew everything from the beginning? No, my dear! They took a long, hard way. Many of them weren’t also confident, but they changed thanks to hard work on themselves.”
“You reached the wrong address.”
“No, sweetie, I reached the right address.”
“But why do you want me?” Raquelle rounds her eyes. “Why do you want to make me a model?”
“I see potential in you,” the woman confesses softly. “You’re a very beautiful girl that could be a star and a favorite girl of girls and boys.”
“Excuse me, it sounds very funny.”
“You should just work on yourself a little. And you would not notice how you would start catching admiring looks on you. Now people would hardly pay attention to you because you have problems choosing clothes. And it’s clear you don’t care about your hair and have no makeup.”
“I understand nothing about it.”
“It’s okay, you will learn. Any girl should take care of herself and be beautiful. Don’t ignore at least nude makeup and experiments with your hair.”
“Listen, ma’am, you better come to my university. You would see many girls, who are more beautiful than me. Many of them want to become models.”
“That’s how?”
“If you really own an agency, they will be happy to agree on one or two shootings.”
“Maybe, I will,” the woman smiles shyly. “But now I am interested in you.”
“Thanks, I have zero interest in that.”
“I want you to agree to work with me as a model. If you agree, I will arrange a shoot for a youth magazine for you. And if I like your photos, the agency will sign a contract with you, and you will work for more famous magazines and on the best fashion shows in the world.”
“No, no, ma’am, thanks for the offer, but I have to decline it,” Raquelle shakes her head.
“Why?”
“And actually, I have never planned to become a model. I don’t like this profession. And my grandfather would mind it.”
“Well, actually, you decide, not your grandfather. You should do what you like.”
“I’m doing what I like. Studying at the university in the faculty of English literature. I have a dream – to become a writer.”
“But nothing would happen if you just tried something else.”
“I am not interested in your offer at all.”
“I promise I will make you a mega-popular star that will have a lot of fans. You would get a lot of money thanks to shoots. Yes, your agency would take some small part of it, but the other money would be yours. Nobody would cheat on you.”
“No, ma’am. I don’t want to be famous and am satisfied with the life I’m living.”
“Think better about my offer, dear. Do not refuse so quickly.”
“I will not accept your offer. Sorry.”
“Are you afraid I’m lying to you?”
“No, I’m just not interested in it.”
“Believe me, I’m not lying to you and am really being a representative of many famous models. You can open the Internet browser and go to the official site of the model agency my wards are working with. There’s the information about me and all the models.”
“Yeah, I know…” Raquelle says hesitantly. “Read about you in a magazine.”
“If you want to know, my name is Serena Oliverson.”
“No, Mrs. Oliverson, we go in different ways.”
“Alright, I will not make you,” Serena says quietly, opens her purse, and looks for something in it. “But still, I will give you a card with my contacts and the website.”
Serena gives the young Raquelle a small card that the girl takes with no wish and then starts to examine it. She sees the name of the woman she does not know, her mobile phone, and a URL of a website on the Internet.
“If you change your mind and want to try to shoot in a test photoshoot, call me at this number, and we will talk about everything,” Serena says softly. “I’m on the line at any time.”
“I will not call you,” Raquelle replies quietly.
“Think a little longer. Maybe, in a few days, I will come here again and watch other girls. Who knows, maybe, we will run into each other again.”
“Pay attention to other girls. They deserve it much more.”
“Anyway, I’ve told you everything. I promise, if you don’t like it, I will not insist on anything. But still, I hope you will accept my offer.”
Serena gives Raquelle a soft smile, slowly turns upon her, and leaves somewhere for her business, while the girl watches her. When the woman leaves, the young student moves her eyes to the card she is holding in her hands. Despite not going to become a model, Raquelle decides not to throw off the card, puts it in her bag with books, and then goes home alone after another lecture at the university, forgetting about the talk with the mysterious woman some time ago, who, however, seemed to be good to her at first sight.
***
“Thanks to Serena Oliverson,” Steven says amicably. “Without her, you wouldn’t have become what you are now.”
“I will always be grateful to her for that chance,” Raquelle replies thoughtfully, starting to twirl a bracelet on her hand. “I will be grateful to her for making me believe in me. And… Let me know that I wasn’t what I was made to think before.”
“You just surrounded yourself with good people, who wouldn’t say a bad word about you.”
Steven glances at the people, who are carrying everything that was used for the shoot, while Raquelle drinks some water from her bottle.
“Everyone loves and respects you,” Steven adds. “You’re no longer a beginning model that was criticized by everyone. You became quite famous for having a right of voice and working with your condition. You no longer have to obey someone obediently.”
“Right,” Raquelle nods and moves her eyes into the distance. “I was criticized much… Sometimes it ruined my fighting spirit… But luckily, I managed to hold on.”
“Thanks to stubbornness and a sense of purpose. If you want something, you will surely get it.”
“I would’ve hardly gotten something by myself if I hadn’t met Serena. She’s a wonderful woman that I would never thank enough for giving me such a perfect chance to become a star.”
“Gotta agree. Serena has always been nice to those she is responsible for. All the models that work with her say only good things about that woman. No negative word.”
“I see no reason to say something bad about her.”
“Besides, she can always choose good words to encourage. And she can find something good in a person, even if it’s hard for you to do this, and you think you’re the ugliest one in the world.”
“I absolutely agree with you.” Raquelle thinks for two seconds and drinks some water from her business. “That woman managed to talk into me. And also my grandfather. He minded that I worked in the modeling business. Well, that man still keeps hoping I will quit my career, start getting a high education again, and find another job for me.”
“Be happy that he doesn’t ban you from that,” Steven notices amicably.
“Yeah, but Grandfather often talks about it very often. He said he wanted me not to have a life like this.”
“Is your life bad?”
“Of course, not! My life is excellent! And I do really love what I’m doing. What I’m getting good money for. What helps me keep feeling confident. Viewing photos of mine in magazines, I literally fall in love with myself. Even wishing to find something bad, I can’t do this. Because everything is perfect.”
“Anyway, don’t listen to anyone and keep doing what you’re doing.”
“That’s what I’m doing.”
“Hey, I talked to Serena some time ago, and she said you hadn’t visited her for a long time.”
“I know, my blame. Very busy schedule.”
“Visit her somehow for a cup of tea or coffee and talk. She wonders to know how you’re living.”
“I’ll surely visit her. We’ve lately talked on the phone or by email. But I’d like to meet her and talk to her face to face.”
“And she wants to talk to you about some offers of work.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Serena wants to send your photos to a famous company. They want to collaborate with you.”
“Ah, yeah, I know. Serena and I somehow talked about it, but we didn’t discuss all the details because I had very little time.”
“Oh, I also have a very busy schedule,” Steven sighs tiredly. “Alongside the shoot with you, I’m gonna have a few more.”
“I’m sure you can take excellent photos.”
“Maybe. But of course, the best photos are those you were posing for.”
“Thanks, friend.”
Silence settles in the air for two seconds, during which Steven throws a look at the watch he is wearing on his left hand with a shy smile.
“Oh, listen, Raquelle, I’m sorry, but I have to go,” Steven says thoughtfully. “I’m gonna have much work now. I should start getting ready for a photoshoot with some other models.”
“Sure, I get it,” Raquelle pronounces amicably. “Thank you so much for one more incredible shoot.”
“And thank you so much for working well.”
“I hope we’ll meet on shootings very soon again.”
“Gonna be waiting for a new photoshoot, on which I could take photos of you.”
While Raquelle moves her eyes down for a second, Steven suggests she hug him amicably, and the girl does it with pleasure. Two seconds later, they step away from each other and just shyly smile at each other.
“Do you have other work today?” Steven asks.
“Nope, today I have no other business,” Raquelle shakes her head. “So, I’m gonna go home. Spend some time with my grandfather. And tonight, I might probably go somewhere to have fun.”
“Give him a greeting from me and my best wishes.”
“Okay, I surely will do,” Raquelle promises with a shy smile, closing her half-empty bottle of water with a cup.
“Oh, okay, I’m leaving.” Steven claps Raquelle on the shoulder. “See you later, friend!”
“Bye!” Raquelle waves her hand.
Steven turns around and goes quickly somewhere, thinking about something on the way. Raquelle smiles shyly while watching the man and looks into the distance for some time even after the photograph hides somewhere, and some people are still running from one side to another, talking about something and getting another model ready, who is about to come on the set.
“He’s always hurrying up somewhere,” Raquelle thinks. “It would be so great to drink a cup of coffee with him and talk a little.”
Raquelle watches what’s happening for a few seconds with a slight smile. And after she talks about something with her personal assistant, the girl goes to change her clothes and remove the bright makeup she got for this photoshoot. It takes some time. And then she takes all of her personal things and leaves the photo studio where she is now.
***
Since Raquelle does not have other plans for today, she first decides to go home and spend time with her grandfather, Frederick, who decided to stay home alone and do something, while his granddaughter was busy with another photoshoot and working hard to earn more money, which they always lacked before.
The way to the small parking lot is not easy because of the annoying paparazzi, who start taking photos without stopping when Raquelle appears before their eyes. They do not literally the girl go and try to ask her something, and journalists, who spend hours trying to catch celebrities on the streets of the city, ask her to give them a quick interview with the hope of getting some interesting information, thanks to which people would get a reason to talk about her. However, she does not show any kind of aggression and waves her hand at them with a slight smile, acting like a well-educated person that tries not to be rude to anyone.
“Hey, Raquelle, how are you doing?” someone from the men with a camera asks.
“How was your shooting?” another man asks.
“I’m fine,” Raquelle smiles shyly, quietly going to her car. “The shooting was incredible.”
“When will we see your photos?”
“I don’t know, maybe, in two or three months.”
“Hey, Raquelle, would you like to play one more role in a movie?” the journalist asks.
“It would be great, but I’m more focused on my modeling career.”
“But you’ve played several episode roles in quite famous TV shows and movies!”
“I’m just interested in trying to do something new. And I’m getting offers of playing myself.”
“Would you agree to play a starring role if you got an offer ?”
“Maybe, I would. I’m open to any offers, and I would be happy to check out anything.”
“Many of your fans think you could be a successful enough actress.”
“I consider playing in movies just a fun and an opportunity to meet new people.”
“You could meet some famous actor and go on the fate with him.”
“Alas, but now I’ve got so much work that I can’t think about any dates,” Raquelle replies with a sweet smile.
“By the way, yeah, Raquelle, will you make us happy with the news about your new affair?”
“Yeah, when will you show us your beloved man?” the man asks.
“When I get him, you will know everything,” Raquelle smiles mysteriously.
“Aren’t you really hiding anyone from us?”
“No, no, I’m not hiding anyone from you.”
“What if you have a secret affair? What if all your dates take place in a super private place!”
“No, folks, I don’t have any secret affairs, and I will not have them in the nearest time for sure.”
“Such a beautiful girl definitely needs a tough man that would protect the favorite girl of the people,” the journalist notices. “You don’t hide that you don’t use the services of the security and prefer walking in the city without anyone.”
“Yes, it’s true,” Raquelle confirms.
“Aren’t you afraid?”
“No, I’m not. First, by surrounding myself with a crown of people, I’ll get much more attention. And second, I aim to be close to my fans and don’t want to miss a chance to spend some time with them. It’s really important to me to keep in touch with them and know what they think about what I’m doing.”
“Your bravery gets us truly admired!” one of the men exclaims.
“Take care of yourself, cutie!” another man adds. “Someone may start chasing such an attractive girl.”
“Yes, yes, someone must surely be next to a girl like you.”
“So, look for a boyfriend soon and introduce him to everyone!”
“Don’t worry, I promise that I will not hide my boyfriend from people and will introduce him to everyone.”
“Do you want to date a famous person or a working person?” the journalist asks.
“It doesn’t make sense to me.”
“Call us your perfection of the man. Who do you imagine next to you?”
“The important thing is that my man is kind, loyal, and caring. I always want to count on him and be sure that he wouldn’t have anything against my work in the modeling business and wouldn’t tell me to leave it.”
“C’mon, think about this thing and introduce your boyfriend to us,” one of the men says confidently. “We wanna know who will be the luckiest man and who will date one of the most sexual models I’ve ever known.”
“Alright, I will do,” Raquelle laughs shyly.
By this moment, Raquelle goes to her metallic small red car quietly and unlocks it with the keys she takes from her little purse.
“Alright, guys, excuse me, but I have to leave you,” Raquelle says amicably.
“Are you going to another photoshoot?” one of the men asks.
“Maybe.”
“Thank you for answering our questions!” the journalist thanks with a wide smile.
“Have a good day, Raquelle!” another journalist exclaims. “Take care of you!”
“Thank you so much,” Raquelle smiles shyly. “It was nice to talk to you.”
Raquelle gets into her automobile and closes the door for the driver.
“Bye, everyone, see you later,” Raquelle waves her hand shyly, while the paparazzi take photos of her behind the glass of the car. “Have a good day.”
Raquelle starts the motor of her car quickly, presses on the pedal smoothly, and leaves the parking lot carefully not to accidentally hit those, who literally surrounded her, and who keep taking photos of her without stopping. However, the paparazzi are not going to hold her by force and free the way for her to quietly leave the parking lot and go to do her business.
In order not to feel bored in the silence settled in the car, Raquelle turns on the radio and changes a few stations before she finds a good song. Then she changes the speed with a gearbox and presses the gas pedal much stronger for the car to go faster on the free, wide highway, on which everyone is driving at a high enough speed and not bothering each other. On which those, who could easily blind her with the bright flashlights of their cameras.
Somewhere in the way, Raquelle decides to go to the nearest supermarket and buy something she has wanted for a long time. The girl turns her car to the right side and reaches the large parking lot placed near a shopping complex that thousands of people visit every day. After looking around quickly, she finds a very good place where she leaves her automobile. The girl turns off the motor, takes her purse from the passenger seat, leaves the salon, and locks the car with the key. Then Raquelle goes quietly to the main entrance to the shopping center, fixing her hair along the way and checking out what’s inside her bag.
But after taking some distance, Raquelle hears two young girls calling her and coming to her in a quick step.
“Excuse us, girl…” the girl with dark skin and dark curly short hair. “Girl!”
“Are you calling me?” Raquelle frowns slightly, turning on the girl with the dark skin.
“Sorry for bothering you, but are you Raquelle Cameron?”
“Yes, yes, I am,” Raquelle nods confidently with a shy smile.
“Really? Is that really you? Gosh! I don’t confuse you!”
“No, no, you do not confuse me. I am Raquelle Cameron.”
“Oh, my God!” the blonde with long hair pronounces with admiration, jumping happily with a wide smile on her face. “It’s you! It’s you!”
“Are you fans of mine?” Raquelle asks.
“Oh, we do adore you!” the dark-skinned girl smiles widely.
“You are our idol!” the blonde exclaims. “We adore everything you are doing!”
“Thanks, it’s nice to hear it,” Raquelle smiles shyly.
“Listen, can I take your autograph from you?”
The blonde gives Raquelle a magazine with a gorgeous photo of the girl on the cover and a black marker she finds in her purse.
“Please, please!” the blonde jabs excitedly. “Do not refuse to do this for me! Leave your signature somewhere in this magazine!”
“Yes, sure, with great pleasure,” Raquelle agrees amicably. “Let me sign it.”
Raquelle quickly leaves her signature on the magazine she was given and gives it to the blonde, who looks at the cover with the girl’s photo signed by her with admiration in her eyes.
“Gosh, thank you so much,” the blonde thanks with a wide smile. “Thank you, Raquelle! You’re the best!”
“Give me an autograph, as well, please!” the dark-skinned girl jabs excitedly, taking the same magazine as her friend has from her purse and giving it to Raquelle. “Please, Raquelle, leave your signature here.”
“Of course, I will do,” Raquelle nods confidently. “I can’t refuse when my fans ask me about it.”
Raquelle takes the magazine and leaves another beautiful, careful signature on it. Then she gives it to the dark-skinned girl, who smiles widely, looking at the magazine with the autograph of the famous model, who is on the cover of the one.
“Can I also take a photo with you?” the dark-skinned girl asks shyly.
“Of course, you can,” Raquelle pronounces amicably. “I can take a photo with every one of you.”
The friends take a couple of photos with Raquelle on each other’s smartphones, smiling at the camera widely, truly, and not hiding their happiness from meeting their favorite model.
“Thank you so much,” the dark-skinned girl thanks. “You’re so sweet!”
“Thanks, girls,” Raquelle replies shyly. “You’re very nice to me.”
“Say, do you really love your job so much?” the blonde asks with a slight smile. “You say it in every interview with you and make people sure that you’re ready to spend your life doing your favorite business.”
“Yup, that’s true,” Raquelle nods confidently. “I really like my job and am happy I’m doing my favorite thing.”
“Did you really not plan to become a model first?”
“Really. But at the age of seventeen, I met a very good woman, who changed my mind and persuaded me to try to work on my first photoshoot ever. She was too determined in her wish to see me on the cover of the magazine, and she’s now looking for the best offers for me.”
“And who were you planning to become?”
“I was thinking of becoming someone, who had to do with literature. Becoming a writer or something like that.”
“I’m sure your books would be very popular.”
“Besides, you’re very literate and have a very good diction,” the dark-skinned girl adds.
“Maybe, I’ll decide to write a book someday,” Raquelle assumes. “For example, an autobiography. I only need to find time and get a plan.”
“I will surely buy any of your books if you write something,” the brunette says confidently. “No matter what it’s going to be: a novel, an autobiography, recipes, beauty hacks or something yet.”
“I see you like everything I do.”
“We are delighted by your work! Delighted by everything about you!”
“Thanks a lot,” Raquelle smiles shyly. “It’s very nice to me to hear it.”
“Hey, Raquelle, when will you finally get a boyfriend?” the brunette asks. “When would you make your fans happy with the news about having an affair with someone?”
“Someday, I would do. But now I have nothing to say because I don’t have a boyfriend. I don’t have time to pick up someone and go on dates.”
“There are so many handsome men in the show business, who would become a sweetheart to you!”
“Yeah, but nobody has attracted me so far. I know very many men, but I can't say someone could become something more than just a friend to me.”
“Do you actually want to get married?” the blonde frowns slightly.
“Of course, I want!” Raquelle exclaims. “And I’m planning to become a mother one beautiful day. But not now. I think I’m too young to get married and give birth.”
“Maybe, you are in love with someone you don’t know personally yet? Maybe, you have a crush on someone? Maybe, you suffer from one-sided love?”
“No, girls, I’m not in love with anyone now. Even secretly.” Raquelle tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “And as I've said, I don’t have to go on dates. I’ve got a very busy schedule and can barely have time for my friends and close people.”
“Are you not ready for relationships yet?” the brunette wonders.
“Erm…” Raquelle glances aside. “I can’t say I’m not ready. But I don’t make it the main goal of my life. I follow the principle that everything will happen when it wants.”
“Alright…”
“But sometimes I could let myself flirt with guys I might like. And accept flowers or little gifts from them. I see nothing bad about it. It’s nice to get something and know that I’m getting attention. It’s nice to her something good about me.”
“I can imagine how many gifts they’ve already received.”
“Pretty much. And all of them are very cute.”
“Say, Raquelle, have you really never had serious relationships with men?” the blonde asks.
“Not yet,” Raquelle smiles shyly, locking her fingers tightly and bending her arms at her elbows.
“But why?”
“I don’t wanna fall in love with anyone, who calls me with a finger. But I’m sure someday I’ll meet someone that I will want to spend my life with. Well, or someone that I would like to go on a date with.”
“Almost a half of men want to become a boyfriend of you and make you their queen,” the brunette says. “For example, my older brother has a crush on you and says he would die if you became his girlfriend.”
“It’s very nice to me that men express such a great interest in me and make me feel wanted,” Raquelle laughs shyly. “But as I’ve said, I have no time for relationships.”
“But if you have someone, share this information with us,” the blonde says confidently. “We wanna know everything about your boyfriend.”
“Alright, girls, I will tell my fans everything.”
Silence settles in the air for two seconds, during which the blonde and the dark-skinned girl look at the magazine with Raquelle’s autograph on the cover.
“Oh, we are probably distracting you,” the dark-skinned girl assumes. “You were hurrying up somewhere, but we annoyed you with questions.”
“It’s okay, don’t worry,” Raquelle replies amicably. “I don’t rush anywhere.”
“Anyway, thank you so much. Thank you for giving us your time.”
“Yes, Raquelle, thank you,” the blonde thanks with a wide smile. “We really adore you.”
“It was a pleasure to talk to you,” Raquelle says confidently.
“That’s so good the fame didn’t change you at all, and you’re still very close to people and fans, unlike some celebrities.”
“Keeping in touch with my fans is very important to me.”
“Please, always stay who you are. Don’t get arrogant, as many celebrities do.”
“I’m always ready to talk to you on my social networks and answer all your questions. Contact me if you want.”
“Thanks a lot!” the dark-skinned girl exclaims. “We will surely do!”
“Alright, we’re leaving,” the blonde says confidently. “Will not bother you anymore.”
“Bye, Raquelle!”
“Bye, bye!”
“Bye, girls!” Raquelle smiles shyly, waving her hand.
A few seconds later, the happy girls hide somewhere and go to do their business, starting to talk about meeting the famous persona on the way. Raquelle watches them with a slight smile for a long time and then decides to finally go to the supermarket, turning and quietly going to the main entrance.
Talking to her fans has always meant a lot to the girl. She never refuses to communicate with them and is happy to answer all of their questions. But even if she wants to tell some exclusive news that could be published on the Internet or told by friends or familiars, Raquelle does not share what must stay a secret so far. However, the girl always tries to be honest and open to those, who admire her and do appreciate everything she is doing.
***
When walking in the supermarket and buying something, Raquelle does not meet her fans and quietly walks between counters at one of the shops for some time, buys everything she needs, and pays for all of her purchases. After the shopping, the girl leaves the shopping center in a good mood, holding several packs that are full but not too full. After ending up outside, she looks around, breathing in the cold winter air but not feeling any coldness thanks to her stylish, warm coat and knitted hat.
At some moment, Raquelle hears the sounds of an acoustic guitar somewhere far from here. Someone is performing a holiday song, which gives her a nice impression and reminds her that it’s time to get ready for Christmas and buy gifts for her family. Being interested, the girl later comes to the small crown of people, who are surrounding two young, tall men, who are playing guitars and showing good enough vocals. One of them is a very attractive blond with a charming smile, whom many ladies put an eye on, and another is a brunet, who owns piercing eyes and catches the admiring looks of young girls. Although both of them are wearing warm clothes and put on gloves, they preferred to do it without a beanie. By performing here, the men wanted to elevate people’s mood and earn some money, judging by the little can that is placed near their feet. It’s not empty. It already has some banknotes and coins, which people left for them to rate such a harmonic performance.
Raquelle does not stay aside and comes closer to such talented guys, standing shyly next to the company of young girls. The musicians do not leave it unnoticed and look at each other excitedly with wide smiles. They recognize her as the famous model, the fans of whom they have been for a long time, and get a little nervous because of her appearance, literally forgetting how to sing and play. And the men get much more shocked when Raquelle praises their play truly with a shy smile and leaves a large enough amount in the can after taking it from her wallet. The people from the crown also recognize her as the famous persona and start to ask her some questions. The girl does not refuse to take a photo with everybody and sign something. And she has a very nice talk with the two talented musicians. It encourages them to keep believing that they will make their dream of becoming famous singers and releasing their debut album come true one beautiful day.
After she spends a wonderful time with these men and listens to one more song, which everybody likes and encourages them to give them much more money, Raquelle says goodbye to them, reaches the parking lot, comes to her car, unlocks it, puts her packets with purchases on the passenger seat, sits on the driver seat, and goes on the road, on which she drives for a long time.
Good music on the radio makes her way home much nicer, and free roads let her press on the pedal stronger and drive a little faster. Raquelle is really enjoying this time and quietly singing along with some familiar songs. The girl actually loves driving a little faster than usual. And there are moments when she presses on the pedal weaker and drives very closely, wishing to look at what surrounds her much better. She rarely gets to pay attention to that because she is always busy with something and always hurrying up somewhere. So, it would be a sin not to use a chance to distract herself with something interesting. To stop. To take a breath away. To relax. To get a little better.
Some time later, Raquelle arrives at the high building, in which there is an apartment where she is living now. The girl parks her automobile on the special closed parking let made especially for those, who live here, takes her packets and her purses, locks the car with the key and enters the beautiful high building. Although she and her grandfather, Frederick, really love living here, they have lately thought of moving to another apartment that would be a little smaller. And as the girl does not know much about it and cannot give attention to that due to her busy schedule, the man decided to do it on his own.
After taking some distance down long, light halls, Raquelle calls an elevator, enters it, and gets up to the latest floor, thinking about something until she is where she needs to be. When the door of the elevator opens, the girl leaves it, goes down the hall, and turns on the left two times. And some time later, the brunette finally goes to the door she needs. She finds out the door is locked with a key and opens it before she enters the apartment and leaves her packets with purchases in the hall.
The apartment of Raquelle and her grandfather is quite spacious, light, and beautiful. Of course, it’s not as gorgeous as many other people in the show business have, but this place looks not worse. Very much space, much light, a modern and stylish design made in mainly light colors, expensive furniture, a gorgeous view from the window… It’s possible to see a big part of the whole of New York, where life never stops.
When Raquelle enters the apartment, locks the door, and takes off her street shoes, she goes further and looks around.
“Grandpa, I’m home!” Raquelle pronounces loudly. “Are you here?”
After getting no answer, Raquelle decides to carry her packets with her purchases to her room. But at this moment, she sees the man, who is old at first sight, and who is her grandfather, Frederick Cameron. The gray-haired man, who is a little shorter than the girl, with gray, pale gray eyes looks quite good for his old age but has many mimic lines and flabby skin.
However, for Frederick, old age is not a reason to lie on a sofa and read a book or watch TV, waiting for the day to go to another world. Vice versa, this man never stays in the same place, always aims to go somewhere, goes to work, and is not even going to get fired at his wish. There is always order and clearness in his apartment because he always watches it, and is never lazy to regularly clean it, and often checks all of his things to throw off something he does not need and would hardly use somewhere in the future.
“Oh, honey, you’re home now!” Frederick exclaims with a slight smile.
“Hey, Grandpa,” Raquelle greets amicably.
“Hi, my sunshine.”
Frederick takes Raquelle in an amicable hug that she answers back with pleasure. And a few seconds later, they step away from each other and share a slight smile.
“Sorry, I was busy and couldn’t come to you,” Frederick apologizes shyly.
“I thought you weren’t home,” Raquelle confesses.
“No, I haven’t gone out anywhere yet. I was cleaning the apartment and checking my things.”
“Again?”
“What do you mean again? You do know that I closely watch it. I cannot tolerate the life in dirt, and I cannot even see dust.”
“I know, Grandpa, I know.”
“Well, how are you?” Frederick asks amicably. “How were your shootings?”
“Everything’s just incredible!” Raquelle replies confidently with a wide smile. “All the shootings were very good.”
“Got a lot of compliments?”
“Very many.”
“Met your fans?”
“Yup, two young girls. They asked to take a photo, leave an autograph and answer some questions.”
“That’s how…”
“And I said a couple of words to the paparazzi and the journalists.”
“Alright…”
“Everything’s good. Those, who I’m working with, keep praising me, and my fans are still very sweet to me and find me a role model.”
“It’s probably hard to keep your image as a good girl and a role model?”
“Well, nope, not too hard,” Raquelle shrugs. “I do almost nothing to stay a good girl for my fans. I just always stay myself and amiable to everyone – that’s a secret of my popularity.”
“That’s very good you always stay the same,” Frederick replies confidently.
“Talking to fans has always been very important to me. I can’t refuse to talk to them and do something they want.”
“Aw, my kind girl…”
“Even if I have a bad mood, talking to my fan will always be my duty.”
“Keep doing the same. Remember, Granddaughter, the kinder you are to people, the more they will answer you back. By showing kindness, people would start to find you a good person and answer you back. As they say, you get what you give.”
“Just like you’ve always taught me,” Raquelle shrugs with a shy smile.
“Glad you learned all my lessons so well.”
Raquelle smiles shyly, moving her eyes down, and Frederick caresses Raquelle’s cheek tenderly. Silence settles in the air for two seconds, during which the girl takes all of her packets.
“Okay, I will carry it to my room and then wash my hands,” Raquelle says confidently and goes to her room.
“Decided to buy a couple of shirts for you?” Frederick asks, following Raquelle at once.
“Yup, I wanted to buy something I saw in my favorite shop a long time ago but couldn’t find time to do that. But today, I finally found a free hour to go there for a little shopping.”
“Would you show me?”
“If you really want.” Raquelle comes to her room and puts all the packets on the bed. “I will deal with all of that later. Now I wanna eat. I’m terribly hungry.”
“Do you have some business today?” Frederick asks and follows Raquelle, who is going to the bathroom. “Or did you do everything?”
“No, Grandpa, all my work scheduled for today is done. I’m absolutely free.”
After entering the bathroom, Raquelle opens the faucet with warm water and starts washing her hands with liquid soap.
“No shootings today?” Frederick wonders.
“Nope,” Raquelle pronounces confidently. “It means I can use a chance to have a little rest.”
“Okay. Are you going to eat right now?”
“Right now. I didn’t barely eat anything good today because I was very busy.”
“Then we will now cook up something and eat well.”
“Something from my favorite dishes, please.”
“Okay, my sunshine,” Frederick nods with a slight smile. “As you want.”
Silence settles in the air, during which Raquelle turns off the faucet with water and wipes her hands with a towel hanging on a little hook in the bathroom.
“Hey, will you stay home today or go somewhere to have fun closer to the evening?” Frederick asks.
“Honestly, I don’t know…” Raquelle replies thoughtfully.
“By the way, hasn’t Natalia been back from her abroad trip?”
“I dunno, Grandpa. She hasn’t called or texted me for a few days.”
At this moment, Frederick and Raquelle decide to go to the living room and sit on the sofa together when they finally reach it.
“Is she so busy?” Frederick wonders.
“Maybe,” Raquelle throws her hands up. “But I think Natalia is gonna be back home soon. She’s been traveling for one month. My friend said her trip would last like this.”
“Sorry… You could take her with you and go somewhere to have fun.”
“We’ll surely go somewhere when she’s back. But now I have to spend time alone.”
“I understand it… Having fun alone is boring.”
“I could say so. But actually, I wouldn’t mind going somewhere to have some rest. Somewhere at a dance club. To dance along with good music…”
“Go if you really want!” Frederick shrugs. “And your beloved old grandfather would spend the rest of this day all alone.”
“Don’t say that, Grandpa!” Raquelle protests with a slight smile. “You’re not sick and old!”
“But it’s the truth, sweetie, I can’t be forever young and beautiful. My life is coming to an end.”
“Gosh, why do you call yourself old and sick when you always go somewhere like a working motor and never stay in the same place?”
“Right, if I do nothing, it’s like torture to me. I hate staying in the same place and looking at the ceiling.”
“Yeah! Then, why do you call yourself old and sick?”
“Yeah, but my health is not as perfect as it seems at first sight.” Frederick takes Raquelle’s hand and softly caresses it. “Even if I don’t stay in the same place and keep working where I’ve been working since I moved here, it doesn’t mean I have no problems. Vice versa, my back and legs hurt, my pressure often changes, I may get some heart issues, and I always take some cures. Of course, thank God, it doesn’t put me in danger yet, and I regularly visit doctors, but still…”
“No, Grandpa Frederick, don’t even think of it!” Raquelle protests confidently. “I don’t want to hear that you’re literally gonna leave me.”
“I am going. But you should know my time to go to another world will come someday.”
“Yeah, I know you wouldn’t live forever and leave me someday. But let’s not talk about it. Even thinking that you would leave me alone gives me strong pain.”
“You know how hurtful I feel every time I think that you might stay all alone!”
“Grandpa Frederick…”
“I really worry that you don’t aim to create your own family. Don’t meet guys, don’t go on dates with them…”
“You know I don’t have to do this.”
“You must meet a man, Raquelle. You must think of marrying and giving birth to babies. Just like any woman.”
“Please, let’s not start this talk…”
“You’re already twenty-three, my girl. It’s time to hurry up with solving this question because it might be too late to do it later.”
“You say it like I’m already old.”
“Not old, but your time is going fast.”
“Grandpa…”
“I’m very sorry you didn’t get married somewhere at the age of eighteen or twenty. Because that’s the age you must create your family.”
“When I meet a good man someday and understand I wanna be with him, I will surely get married.”
“Yeah, but he would not go to your home. You should get to know guys by yourself.”
“When do I meet someone?” Raquelle sighs tiredly. “I’ve got a very busy schedule. I have some shootings and meetings almost every day.”
“Well, go somewhere tonight! Aren’t there enough places in the city where you could meet guys? Very many! You should just dress yourself up, put on makeup, and go have fun!”
“You’re incorrigible, Grandpa.”
“Oh, Raquelle, what do I do to you?” Frederick shakes his head and takes Raquelle into his hug. “When would you finally make me happy with the news about getting a boyfriend? When will I hold my great-grandchildren in my arms?”
“One beautiful day,” Raquelle smiles shyly. “When a man will get me really interested in him.”
“Is there nobody among your fans, whom you could like?”
“Sadly.”
“No, I don’t believe it. Guys have been paying attention to you since you were studying at the university.”
“Yeah, but I don’t like anyone yet.”
“How I wish everything changed. I wish you started to date a guy and got married to him. My soul would be much quieter for you. Because you would not be alone but with a husband and children.”
“Grandpa…”
“And don’t be afraid. Even if you have your own family, you can keep building your career if you learn to allocate your time.”
“The case is not about fear. The problem is unwillingness.”
“You just need to get married to a good man and give birth to a child. So, you can do what you came into this world for.”
“I shall do it when I have a chance.”
“When you give birth to a daughter or a sonny, you can keep earning money. There will be someone to watch your child. If your husband can’t do this, I will watch them. Since I raised you, I can raise my great-grandchild. Don’t even worry about it.”
“I know, Grandpa…”
“Many women are afraid to give birth. Many of them are afraid of pain and a lack of experience. But it’s okay, everyone gets through it. Everyone is learning to be good mothers. And some ladies even give birth to a second and third child.”
“I promise I will not stay alone,” Raquelle promises softly. “If I understand I like someone, I will have the pleasure to agree to go on a date. And maybe, even agree to get married.”
“I’d like to believe, my sunshine…”
Silence settles in the air for a few seconds, during which Raquelle just smiles shyly. And then the girl softly steps back from Frederick, saying:
“Okay, let’s stop talking about it…”
Raquelle tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.
“You better tell me what about the apartment?” Raquelle asks. “Are there any interesting advertisements for renting or buying an apartment?”
“Yes, I bookmarked some interesting variants,” Frederick replies. “The apartments are not too expensive, but they’re beautiful enough. I’m sure you’re gonna love something.”
“Great! I’ll check them out later and call the owners if I like something to agree to take a look.”
“Of course, I would feel very sad if you lived separately. But it’s kind of wrong that you’re still living with me. I believe it’s bad that an adult person lives with their parents, grandfathers, and grandmothers. But you’re no longer a little girl.”
“No longer a little girl?”
“I had a mission to raise you, and I did it. You have a job, you earn enough money… Yes, of course, not all my dreams have come true. But I’m really happy that you’ve achieved what you have now. I’m glad you don’t aim to be lazy and don’t wait for someone to provide for you.”
“I kind of thought you wanted me to live with you all the time. Because you… Patronized me so hard… You watched me so closely… So, I didn’t do something wrong.”
“No, Raquelle, it’s not the truth. I patronized you because you were a little, silly baby and didn't understand anything. And I was responsible for you and thought I must have made you a decent person, who wouldn’t do a stupid thing.”
“I would never do anything that could hurt me.”
“Anyway, now I think you’ve become adult enough to live separately and think about creating your own family.”
“Listen, Grandpa, maybe, you should come back to Kingston?” Raquelle suggests softly. “And I will live here and keep building my career!”
“Kingston?”
“Why not? It was hard for you to overcome our moving to New York, and you minded it for a long time.”
“Erm… Yeah… Actually… I could… Think about this variant…”
“I wouldn’t like to leave this place because I really love it. And I don’t have too good memories about Kingston.”
“Yeah, but…” Frederick bites his lip. “I’m kind of used to living here. I have a job and friends here… Yes, at first, I didn’t feel comfortable here. But everything got better little by little.”
“Moreover, you say you aren’t happy with the attention from journalists and photographers. And my fans know about you. Remember how you insisted on moving to a humble and quiet neighborhood where nobody could bother us. Where you would live quietly and do your business. And we found a more or less quiet place.”
“But I take it all for you, first of all. You know well that I’m ready for anything for your happiness.”
“You didn’t have to move to New York with me when I decided to do it.”
“No, Raquelle! I could not let you go to another city all alone.”
“I wasn’t afraid to end up in an unfamiliar place.”
“You were only seventeen or eighteen! It would’ve been okay if you’d wanted to live separately. But you wanted to move to another city! Besides, you didn’t almost have money.”
“Everyone starts with something. Many people come to large cities with two dollars in their pockets.”
“No, granddaughter, you and I talked about it when you decided to leave Kingston. I told you clearly that you would not go anywhere, or we would move together.”
“Yeah, but I’ve grown up and made my life much better. So, you don’t have reasons to stay with me in New York.”
“Thanks, Raquelle, but I think I will stay here,” Frederick refuses gently. “Let it happen as it’s happening. I am used to this apartment, this city, and this surrounding.”
“Okay… Then, maybe, we should look for a smaller apartment somewhere far from here?”
“Gosh, but it’s gonna take a lot of strength and time…” Frederick sighs tiredly. “All parts of my body hurt… Remember how exhausting our moving from Kingston was.”
“I want to do what would make you feel better.”
“I would feel much better if you lived separately, earned a lot of money, and spent it on you.”
“I don’t have problems with it. I earn enough to buy me clothes and cosmetics from any brand. I don’t care about the price of the apartment or house because I’m allowed to buy anything. Though, I don’t really care about luxury and high costs. The most important thing is comfort.”
“Please yourself, then. You deserved it like nobody else.”
“One of the reasons why I agreed to become a model is good money. That’s good my agency takes just a little part and lets me have the rest.”
“You know that I’m still a huge hater of everything about the modeling business.”
“Yeah, Grandpa, I know.”
“And I will never stop repeating that this business is very evil, and weak people can’t hold on for long because they fight so hard.”
“I don’t deny that it was very hard. But I got through it. And now I’m one of the famous models that are loved and respected by everyone.”
“And I gave in to you and didn’t argue with you when you showed a wish to try. But it was bad you left the studies for the career.”
“I couldn’t tear myself apart. I had to choose: one or another thing.”
“Your studies were much more important anyway. But I thought that you understood what you were doing. I decided that you were adult enough to take responsibility for what you did.”
“Trust me, Grandpa, I don’t regret anything and am very happy that I chose this way. Thanks to this job, I discovered much about myself and learned to feel more confident.”
“I don’t deny that your work helped us start to live better and get out of poverty. Living only on my salary was impossible. And I could say, I am even grateful to that woman, who made you sure to try to work as a model.”
“I will always be grateful to her for the chance she gave me.”
“Anyway, I don’t put an eye on your money, and I’m happy with what I earn. I’m not a lord, and I don’t make royal claims. But you’re young, beautiful and want something. You must make yourself happy and spend money on your own needs.”
“I don’t limit myself to anything. I just find helping you my responsibility.”
“Don’t do it, sweetie. I have everything.”
“Besides, I can’t make you work because you’re at the age when you shouldn't overload yourself,” Raquelle adds. “I must take care of you. You’re my closest person in the world. Who raised me. Who didn’t leave me when I lost my parents.”
“It was my duty,” Frederick says quietly. “And I think I did it. I need only to marry you off my heart to finally calm down.”
“And now it’s my time to take care of you.”
“You’re doing very much for me.”
“Because this is my duty.” Raquelle puts her hand on Frederick’s shoulder and caresses it softly. “You spent so much strength and money to raise me. You didn’t leave me alone when my mother and father died.”
“You’re my granddaughter,” Frederick smiles shyly. “My beloved girl… The only one, who I have from my family. Who should I give my attention, expect you. Sadly, my son died. And your grandmother has been dead for many years.”
“Anyway, even if I find a good apartment for me and move, our connection will never break,” Raquelle promises confidently. “I will keep taking care of you and helping you with everything I can.”
“You don’t have to spend all your time with me, Raquelle. You should have your own life. Don’t limit it to taking care of me and your job.”
“Grandpa…”
“Although I’m already old, I’m not so helpless. I am able to take care of myself, and I can always get busy with something. Yes, I miss you so much when you’re not near me. But I don’t suffer from doing nothing. I always have a lot of things to do.”
“It’s just very nice for me to help you. It’s nice to take care of my close person.”
“I know, sunshine. But first of all, you must think about how to surround yourself with those, who will take care of you.”
“I’m sure that I’ll always have these people.”
“A person can survive only when they have someone. A weak woman can’t do without a strong man. And a strong man will always need the care of a kind and caring woman.”
“Gosh, here you go again…”
“I will talk about it until I see the wedding ring on your finger and meet your children.”
“It’s surely gonna happen, Grandpa,” Raquelle assures with a slight smile. “A husband, children, and something like that…”
“Every day, I pray that God sends you a good man, who you can finally pay attention to. I pray that you don’t stay alone. That your love for your job doesn’t kill your wish to complete your main mission – to become a wife and give birth to a child.”
“Arguing with you about it is worthless. Because you always insist on what you want.”
“I insist on what is normal. It’s normal when a woman has a husband and children and only thinks about their well-being.”
“Is that bad when a girl does her favorite thing and doesn’t aim to degrade, sitting at home and being surrounded by dirty cans and diapers? When she wanna earn money, discover the world, and get pleasure from life.”
“You’re a silly girl and don’t understand how important it is. When you’re more than thirty, you will understand that I was absolutely right. I understand that you were wrong when you only thought about your career and rejected all the boys, who paid attention to you.”
“Aw, Grandpa Frederick…”
Raquelle kisses Frederick on the cheek with a cute smile and takes him in her tight hug, which he accepts with pleasure, thinking about something at this moment. Because her grandfather is too obsessed with a wish to get her married as soon as possible and insists on going on dates with anyone, who gives her flowers and gifts and invites her somewhere at times, the girl is making much more sure that she really wants to buy or rent an apartment and live separately.
It’s possible to say that these talks are starting to irritate Raquelle and make her wish to do everything differently and stop even looking at men. Well, or at least someone, who would agree to play the role of her boyfriend, so he gets her close person of anxiety for the personal life of the girl, who is much busier with the opportunity to do her favorite thing, talk to her fans, and get attention and compliments from them. It’s especially important for her to keep truly believing in her beauty and forgetting about how everyone talked about ugliness in her childhood once and forever.
***
It’s getting dark outside, and it’s already late evening. At the moment, Raquelle is sitting at home all alone, while Frederick went to a shop to buy something but promised to come back as soon as possible. The girl does not feel bored and is now sitting in her room, sitting on the writing table, and working on her high-costed, modern computer. She spends at least two hours talking to her fans on social networks and publishes some important information, news, notes, or photos from her personal life on her own official site.
At the moment, Raquelle is having a live translation, answering their questions of her fans with pleasure and telling some interesting stories about her life. She aims to do it regularly, even if she never knows when she may have time to talk to people, who wait for it impatiently to try to reach for their crush at least once, get an answer to their question, or rejoice because of her simple “Hi.”
“Can you give us your personal recommendations for TV shows and movies?” Raquelle reads one of the questions, running her eyes over hundreds of comments from those, who are watching her live translation. “Erm…”
Raquelle thinks for two seconds, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Actually, I’m not such a big lover of moving TV shows. Yes, it doesn’t mean I don’t watch them at all. But I prefer reading books much more. I do read in my free time. For example, when I’m getting ready for a shoot. I always have an interesting book in my bag.” Raquelle cracks a slight smile. “Yeah… While others check out their phones, check out their social networks, and send messages to someone, I prefer reading something. Books have been my big love since childhood.”
Raquelle takes a look at the list of comments, recommending some books that she thinks are the best and must be read by everyone.
“What about music?” Raquelle reads the question. “I don’t have any specific preferences, and I listen to everything. Though, I can’t call myself a fan of music. Could you sing a short snippet of your favorite song? No, guys, sorry, but I will not sing because I don’t think I can do it very well. I can tell you one hundred percent that I’m not planning to start a career as a singer. Yes, I like singing something under my nose when I do something. But I only do it for myself.”
Raquelle thanks some fans with a slight blush on her cheeks because they leave comments about her beauty and admire the way she looks without makeup, with a high puffy ponytail, wearing a simple cotton pajama that she loves wearing at home,”
“Thank you so much guys…” Raquelle smiles shyly. “Thank you… Erm… Do you prefer wearing makeup or not having it? I feel much more confident with makeup on my face. I feel like a… Certain fateful woman. I madly like how much it may sometimes change the person. It’s always interesting how makeup artists would love to change me for one or another photoshoot. I like the way I become a different person in front of a camera again and again. To be honest, I never thought makeup could make someone so beautiful. When I just started to try to put on makeup, I could spend hours sitting in front of the mirror, sorting out all those things, and having experiments with my face. Yes, at first, I didn’t do it well, but the situation changed later. And now I’ve got enough experience at this thing.”
Raquelle smiles much wider when she sees a few compliments on herself.
“However, I’ve lately felt great even without makeup. And I’m learning not to be shy about feeling the real me. Because… After learning to do makeup, I couldn’t literally leave my home without cosmetics on my face. Without bright makeup. Now I'm starting to take it much easier. And as you can see, my makeup in real life became much closer to nude. So, girls, I advise you not to overuse cosmetics and to remember that you’re beautiful the way you are. As my grandfather Frederick says often, the thing that can make a woman much more beautiful is a smile on her face and a gloss in her eyes, not a lot of cosmetics.”
At this moment, Raquelle feels that something tickles in her nose. And a few seconds later, she sneezes shyly, closing her mouth with her hand, and apologizes to the people watching her live translation.
“What do you do not to be shy about your tall height? Teach me to stop being shy about looking like a basketball player from the local team.” Raquelle folds her hands on the table. “Yes, I was terribly shy about my height in my childhood. People seemed short to me. I always slouched to seem a little shorter. While many girls dreamed of being a little higher and hoping to get big breasts, I wished I had a short height, because of which I was always called a beanpole. Many clothes looked a little stupid on me. But working in the modeling business helped me. They do need tall girls. I perfectly fit this thing. When I started to work as a model, I started to understand that my height was my dignity. And I don’t need to be shy about it. Also, I comforted myself with the thought that there could be much taller girls. And there are many tall men…”
Raquelle shrugs with a slight smile.
“My advice is just to find something, for which a tall height is a must-have. I found it, and I felt much more confident. I stopped slouching, and now I have the pleasure of wearing shoes with heels. Though, I used to reject them categorically because I didn’t wanna be much taller. Confidence will come with time. You just need to work on yourself a lot. Never stop telling yourself that your shortcomings are your dignity. That you love everything about yourself. And of course, don’t forget to surround yourself with loving people, who would help you get confidence and understand that every person is beautiful in their own way.”
Raquelle reads the new comments from her fans that show up in the chat section as fast as crazy, and thanks everybody, who talks about her beauty, confesses their love for her, and sends some cute emoji.
“Oh, okay, guys, I think it’s time to end the translation,” Raquelle says thoughtfully. “You and I have been talking for somewhere three hours. I truly thank everyone, who has come here, left comments, and made me happy with a couple of compliments. If I didn’t answer your question, I’m really sorry. I hope I will notice you next time. I hope you’ll actually come to my next translation. Again, I don’t know when it’s gonna happen because my schedule is booked up for weeks in advance. But I promise this is not the last meeting of ours. We will meet again, and I will be happy to tell you more news from my life and answer all your questions.”
Raquelle shows a heart with her hands in front of the camera of her laptop, with which she is shown in the live translation.
“Stay strong, brave and happy, dear friends! Don’t forget to follow my accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and follow the news on my official site, where you can regularly see new notes about my job and my personal life. I will be waiting for all of you there and trying to publish the most interesting things. So, I’m saying goodbye to you. Bye, everyone! I kiss and hug all of you! I wish to spend the rest of this day well! Bye-e-e-e-e!”
Raquelle ends the long translation with several clicks and leans back in the chair with a tired moan, massaging her neck and understanding that her back hurts a little. However, talking to her fans elevated the girl’s mood, and she saves the recording on her account with a slight smile on her face to let those, who could not join her, watch it later.
After Raquelle shares a couple of posts on her site and replies to some comments from her fans, the girl shuts her laptop down and thinks for two seconds. Then she decides to take a note in her personal diary, share her impressions about this day, and take a note about everything that happened to her today. It’s for her biggest secrets. She writes all of her thoughts, describes some moments, and shares what she is worried about, almost every day. Although she has people, to whom she could tell everything, there are things that Raquelle prefers to keep secret. The things that the girls talks about in her diary that nobody will ever read because it’s well hidden from everyone. Even Frederick does not know what his granddaughter trusts in the pages of her diary. And he is not used to checking out her things and looking for something that would be the reason why he could swear on her.
But when Raquelle takes a small book with a thick, dark cover from one of the drawers and finds a pen on the writing table, her mobile phone starts vibrating and playing a loud melody. She understands that someone is calling her, even if she does not expect a call at the moment. Nevertheless, the girl puts her plans for the diary aside, takes her smartphone, runs her finger over the screen, and puts it to her ear to answer the call.
“Hello, speak,” Raquelle pronounces quietly.
“Hey, Raquelle!” the cheerful feminine voice says on the phone. “Did you recognize me?”
“Oh, my gosh, Natalia… It’s you, friend…”
“I hope you haven’t forgotten about me there?”
“C’mon, of course, not!” Raquelle tucks a strand of hair behind her ear with a wider smile. “I thought about you some time ago. I wondered why you didn’t call me.”
“Sorry, honey,” the girl named Natalia apologizes shyly. “I was very busy.”
“You can’t even imagine how I missed you!”
“How much I missed you!”
“When will you be back in the USA? I really wanna go out somewhere with you and have enough fun!”
“I am already back.”
“What?” Raquelle rounds her eyes. “Did you return to New York after your trip to Italy?”
“Yup.”
“But when did you do?”
“Yesterday.”
“Yesterday?”
“Yeah, sorry for not calling you. I wanted to tell you about my return, but I got so tired and fell asleep after I went home.”
“It’s okay, I get it.”
“You know how exhausting it is to have a flight on an airplane.”
“I know. I may sleep for a whole day after a long flight.”
Raquelle glances at a window.
“Oh, gosh, friend, I can’t wait to meet you,” Natalia confesses cheerfully with a wide smile. “I wanna tell you everything I saw.”
“I can’t wait to know everything,” Raquelle says confidently.
“So, when do we meet?”
“Listen, go to my home right now!”
“Your home?”
“Yeah, Grandfather Frederick is not home yet. He went to a shop to buy some products. So, you and I could talk and drink a cup of tea or coffee. But if he’s back, we can spend time together.”
“Great idea, but let’s better go out somewhere?”
“Go out somewhere?”
“Yeah. It’s not too late yet. So, we could go somewhere and drink a delicious cocktail.”
“Erm…” Raquelle scratches the back of her head. “I don’t even know.”
“Erm… Well, if you’re busy, it’s okay. We’ll meet the next time.”
“No, no, I ain’t busy. I was just planning to spend the rest of the day at home.”
“Okay, then let me really go to your home, and we'll talk about everything.”
“No, friend, for you, I’m ready to change my plans and go somewhere with you.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, let’s go somewhere to have fun. Moreover, I’ve also wanted to go somewhere to have fun for a long time.”
“Wonderful then!”
“I was waiting for your comeback. Because drinking cocktails without you would be boring.”
“So, we will drink them together!”
“In this case, where do we meet?” Raquelle asks with a slight smile. “Your suggestions?”
“What about our favorite café? We could drink a cup of coffee and eat something sweet…’”
“Our favorite one?”
“Well, we can drink cocktails somehow the next time. Dress up and go to a club.”
“Great! I will go there with pleasure.”
“Would it be okay to meet at seven o’clock?”
“Seven?” Raquelle bites her lip slightly. “Yeah, okay!”
“Do I go to take you, or would we meet at the café?”
“Let’s go to the café. The one, who will come first, will take a table somewhere in a quiet place.”
“Okay!” Natalia exclaims cheerfully. “Then we’re meeting at the café at seven o’clock.”
“Okay!”
“Then see you soon. Gonna be waiting for you with impatience.”
“Bye, friend. See you soon.”
Raquelle finishes the call, puts her smartphone on the writing table, and thinks for a few seconds, putting her finger on her lips.
“Wow!” Raquelle smiles shyly. “I recently thought of Natalia, and then she called me and said she came back.”
Raquelle glances aside.
“So, I wouldn’t have to spend this evening alone,” Raquelle says confidently. “I can take my friend with me, go somewhere and relax a little. Order something tasty and let myself overeat a little. I’m not prone to fatness, and I may not swear to myself for an additional piece of cake.”
Raquelle thinks about something for a few seconds, and then she shakes slightly and decides to start getting ready.
“Okay, what time is it now?” Raquelle asks herself thoughtfully, moves her eyes to her smartphone, turns on the screen, and sees that it’s half past six in the afternoon. “Half-past six… Damn, a little time! I’ve gotta start getting ready, or I might be late. But… Why do I rush? My friend is one hundred percent gonna be late. She never comes on time, and I always have to wait for her.”
Raquelle quickly gets up from the table and comes to the mirror to check how her face looks.
“Okay, I can do nude makeup quickly,” Raquelle smiles shyly. “Refresh the tone of my face and draw thin arrows… And I will keep this tail…”
Raquelle cracks a slight smile at her reflection.
“And I’ve gotta only change my clothes,” Raquelle says thoughtfully. “Then I can go.”
Wasting no time, Raquelle does nude makeup for a few minutes, working with cosmetics so skillfully that she could even do all of it with closed eyes. Then she comes to a big closet with clothes and starts looking for something better than the home clothes that she is wearing at home to visit public places. The girl does not care about it much and takes the first things that she finds. And after putting on what she chose, she looks in the mirror again, fixes her hair slightly, and makes some changes to her makeup.
A few minutes later, after making sure she looks gorgeous, Raquelle takes her purse and puts her mobile phone, the keys from her car, and the keys from her apartment. Then she decides to leave a note for her grandfather, Frederick, so he is not worried about her and is aware of where she went. The girl quickly finds a piece of paper and a pen in one of the drawers of the writing table and writes a short letter for Frederick, which contains the following text:
“Grandpa!
Don’t worry if you don’t find me at home after you come back from the shop. I went to the meeting with Natalia. She recently called me, said she had come back from Italy, and suggested meeting and talking. And I accepted her invitation and decided to go. I will try not to come too late and to come back as soon as possible. Don’t worry, I am going to be okay. Anyway, my phone is going to be turned on. You can send me messages or call me if you wanna tell me something important or find out when I'll be back.
Gonna be back soon. Don’t feel bored without me.
Love, Raquelle.”
After writing a note quickly and reading it to check if there are mistakes and missed thoughts, Raquelle leaves the paper in the best place in the living room for Frederick to see and read it. Then the girl turns off the light in the apartment, takes a raincoat and her purse, quickly looks around to make sure everything is alright, leaves the apartment, and locks it with a key.
Raquelle takes some distance down the hall, goes down in the elevator, and goes to the parking lot where her car is placed. When she unlocks it with the key, the girl sits in the driver’s seat, starts the motor, and slowly goes on the road, going where she needs to be at the nearest time but not rushing because she knows her friend will surely be late.
***
Some time later, Raquelle finally arrives at the small café where she is supposed to meet her friend. The girl leaves her car in one of the free places in the parking lot, turns off the motor, leaves the salon after taking her little purse, locks the auto with a key, and goes confidently to the main entrance, to which some young people are also coming.
After entering inside and looking around quickly, Raquelle ends up in a spacious room that is well lit by the ceiling and wall light. Quiet, unobtrusive music is playing at this place, several abstract pictures are hanging on the walls, as well as posters of some food that people can buy here. There is a small corner table, at which people are drinking alcohol and non-alcohol drinks that are also available here and are highly demanded. A waiter comes to one or another table to accept an order or bring dishes that have been cooked. And visitors at this café are quietly sitting at tables, bothering nobody, and doing their business quietly as they enjoy what they cook here, check out something on their phones, work on their laptops, or just talk with their companions.
And as she expected, Raquelle cannot see her friend, who should have actually come here some time ago, but who is too late for a reason that she does not know about.
“Oh, gosh, she is late again!” Raquelle thinks, sighing tiredly. “I knew it! So, I was not in a rush for the reason. Oh… Why can this girl never come at the right time? She always loves being late…”
Raquelle closes her eyes for two seconds and looks around the whole room again.
“Okay, it’s too late…” Raquelle thinks. “I will wait for her. I think that girl is gonna come here soon. Anyway, I can call her and ask where she is. Now I can just order something for me and just sit.”
After hesitating for two seconds, Raquelle goes confidently to one of the tables that is placed in a quiet corner of the café where nobody could bother her. The girl sits on one of the free chairs, puts her bag on the back of it, and glances at two young girls talking about something cutely with a glass of a certain drink in their hands. Then she looks around for a few seconds and pays attention to a short, cute girl with blonde hair that comes to her table. She was wiping one of the tables with a clean rag, but when she saw a new client, the worker of the café takes a pen and a notebook from her pocket and rushes to accept the order.
“Hello,” the waiter pronounces correctly. “What do you want to order?”
“Good afternoon,” Raquelle greets gently. “A cup of cappuccino, please.”
“Cappuccino only?”
“Yes, at the moment. I will order something else a little later.”
“Maybe, I should give you the menu of the café, so you can examine the items?”
“Yes, please.”
“One second.”
The waiter steps back from the table for a few seconds, takes a small book with a soft cover and bright pictures from the bar table, comes to Raquelle again, and gives her what she asked.
“Please,” the waiter pronounces gently.
“Thank you so much,” Raquelle thanks with a slight smile, opening the first page of the book and starting to examine it closely.
“By the way, we have recently gotten new dishes,” the waiter says. “The titles of them can be found on the last pages of the booklet. People haven’t tasted them enough yet, but they’re paying attention to them little by little.”
“I’m thinking about ordering something chocolate. Something from dark chocolate.”
“We have an incredible cake with a super tender sponge glazed with melted chocolate. Children love it especially much. And adult people order it often enough.”
“That’s how?”
“We have a big choice of desserts: chocolate, mint, lemon, and strawberry .”
“Alright, then I want to order one cup of cappuccino and a small piece of the chocolate cake that you just talked about.”
“Will you order it?”
“Yes, please.”
“No problem.” the waiter writes something down quickly in her small notebook. “Do you want something else?”
“No yet.”
“Alright, I’ve accepted your order. Please, wait for a minute. I will give you your cappuccino and cake soon.”
“Thanks, I will wait.”
The waiter goes somewhere aside with a gentle smile and tells her colleagues that they received a new order, which they start working on immediately. Raquelle watches what’s happening around her with interest, trying to guess how long she will have to stay here before her friend is pleased to show up. She does not notice that the blonde-haired waiter starts to look at the girl much closer at some moment, thinking more and more that she seems very familiar to her. The worker at the café hesitates for a long time and does not find the courage to check if she is right. But then curiosity wins, and she comes to Raquelle determinedly enough and gets her attention shyly by coughing quickly.
“Erm…” the waiter pronounces hesitantly. “Miss…”
“Yeah?” Raquelle moves her eyes sharply to the waiter.
“Excuse me, can I ask you one question?”
“Of course, you can. What’s wrong? Any problems with my order?”
“No, no, we’re working on the order. It’s alright.”
“What’s the problem, then?”
“For God’s sake, I’m really sorry for being probably wrong, but you remind me of someone. Very much…”
“Really?” Raquelle rounds her eyes.
“I can even say who.”
“And who?”
“You’re amazingly similar to the famous model. Her name is Raquelle Cameron.”
“I’m similar to her?”
“Yes, you’re literally an image of her!”
“That’s how…” Raquelle smiles shyly, moving her eyes aside for a second. “What if I say I am really the model, Raquelle Cameron, who you meant?”
“Come on?” the waiter rounds her eyes. “Are you the one? Are you serious?”
“Yes, yes, you heard it right. I am Raquelle Cameron.”
“Oh, my gosh…” the waiter closes her mouth with a hand. “My gosh… I can’t believe it… So, I wasn’t wrong! It’s you! It’s you! Oh, my God…”
“The real one,” Raquelle says confidently.
“Oh, my God!” the waiter exclaims with a wide smile, jumping in the same place. “My gosh! You’ve come to the café where I’m working. Gosh… I can’t believe it…”
“Well, you believe,” Raquelle smiles shyly.
“Am I not sleeping now? Did I really meet my favorite girl? Is this not a dream?”
“No, you are not. I can even pinch you if you want. Or just touch.”
“Bloody hell…”
The waiter reaches her hand hesitantly to the hand of Raquelle that is placed on the bar table and shakes slightly when she touches it with her fingertips.
“My gosh,” the waiter pronounces happily, being happy with meeting Raquelle as much as a child is happy with a desired toy. “It’s you! The real you! Raquelle Cameron! Gosh…”
“As I understand, are you a fan of mine?” Raquelle asks.
“I am!” the waiter pronounces loudly, excitedly. “I adore you! I’ve always been your fan. From the beginning of your career. You’re so beautiful! So confident! You’re amazing!”
“From the beginning of my career?”
“I buy all magazines, in which there are photos of you on the cover or on posters, and read all of your interviews.”
“That’s how…”
“And I’m very active on your accounts on social networks: like your posts on Instagram and Facebook, comment on your posts and tweets on Twitter, and am subscribed to getting news from your site. And in my free time, I re-watch all your live translations. And if I'm lucky, I watch them with pleasure and leave comments.”
“Wow…”
“I also watched all the movies, in which you played. Even if it was a minor role. And you did it very well! You give yourself to every single role!”
“Gosh, you’re making me blush,” Raquelle smiles shyly, feeling that her cheeks start burning from shyness.
“It’s the truth, Raquelle. I follow everything you do and highly appreciate your work. If you didn’t know, many girls have believed in themselves and started to love themselves truly thanks to you. I even heard about cases when your words encouraged someone to stop harming themselves and even stopped them from making a suicide attempt.”
“Thanks, it’s nice to hear it. It’s nice to know that I managed to save someone from such terrible things.”
“Listen, Raquelle, can I take your autograph?” the girl begs with pity in her eyes. “Please, sign something and leave a little wish for me.”
“Of course, I can give you my autograph with pleasure,” Raquelle nods with a slight smile.
“My friends and familiar people wouldn’t believe that I saw Raquelle Cameron herself with my own eyes. But when they see your signature, they will not dare to say that I lie.”
“What do I sign? Do you have a pen and something to leave a signature on?”
“Erm… Yeah, sure, now…”
The waiter gets a little confused at first, not knowing what to give Raquelle so she can leave an autograph for her. But then she exhales sharply, braces herself silently, and quickly finds what she needs in the pocket of her uniform.
“So, take it!” the waiter pronounces and gives a notebook and a pen to Raquelle, with which she usually accepts orders. “Leave your autograph here.”
“Okay, one second…” Raquelle pronounces and takes the pen and the notebook from the waiter’s hands.
“Sorry, sadly, I don’t have a magazine with a photo of you,” the waiter shrugs.
“Erm, miss, could you tell me your name?” Raquelle asks correctly. “So, I know who I should leave a wish for.”
“Grace. Grace Hacksley.”
“Thanks, Grace…” Raquelle nods with a slight smile. “I will write something nice now…”
Raquelle leaves a beautiful autograph and also a little wish for this sweet girl named Grace., who looks at her with a wide smile and eyes full of admiration.
“It’s ready!” Raquelle exclaims. “Please…”
Raquelle gives the notebook and the pen to Grace, who takes them confidently and barely holds her happy whoop when she sees the signature and the short following text:
“To one of my loyal fans, Grace,
Thank you for all the love you’re giving me. Stay strong, brave, and happy whatever happens in your life.
Love you, Raquelle Cameron.”
“Oh, gosh, thank you!” Grace exclaims with gloss in her eyes. “Thanks a lot! Now my friends will surely believe I saw Raquelle Cameron herself.”
“Thanks for loving me,” Raquelle thanks amicably.
“A-a-a, today is the happiest day of my life. I got the autograph of Raquelle Cameron herself.”
“I can take a photo with you if you want.”
“I would be happy, but sadly, I don’t have a phone now. I left it in a dressing room for the staff.”
“So, okay…”
“But if you promise that you will come here again, I will surely take it. And I will tell the guys to be ready, too!”
“I will do it many times,” Raquelle smiles shyly. “I often come here with my friend. So, you and I might run into each other again.”
“That’s awesome! I will remember this! And be always ready to take a photo with you.”
Raquelle says nothing and just nods with a slight smile, while Grace barely holds down her wish to shout from happiness at the whole café and reads the wish that Ms. Cameron wrote for her personally.
“I can’t believe I’ve got the autograph of Raquelle Cameron herself,” Grace shakes her head. “God, thank You for this blessing! I never thought I would meet my idol face to face.”
“Anything might happen,” Raquelle shrugs.
“A-a-a, I’m going to place this piece of paper in a frame and hang it above my bed! The best place! So, everyone can see I have met my idol.”
Grace gets admired by the autograph that she got, but then she throws a look aside because someone calls her very loudly and shakes slightly, closing her mouth with a hand.
“Oh, sorry, I think I forgot about your order…” Grace says hesitantly. “Oh… Got so excited that I forgot about it.”
“It’s alright,” Raquelle pronounces amicably. “Don’t worry.”
“I think everything is ready now. The guys are calling me… Erm… I will give you everything now.”
“Don’t rush, it’s okay. I will wait.”
“Gosh, I’m sorry… I’m such an idiot… It got out of my mind… Gosh… Gosh…”
Grace looks around the whole café for two seconds, breathing a little heavily from excitement.
“Gosh… Gosh…” Grace blunts. “The most important thing is not to let anything fall… The most important thing is not to let anything fall… God… God…”
After coming to herself a little, Grace goes to the table, on which there is already a tray with a cup of hot, recently cooked cappuccino and a plate of a small piece of cake glazed with melted dark chocolate with a senseless pattern from the topping on it. She quickly explains to her colleagues the reason for her such excited behavior, takes the tray, and comes to Raquelle, making them excited about the news about the famous model that is loved by many people coming here.
“Here’s your order,” Grace pronounces shyly. “Sorry for literally forgetting about it… I hope you will love what our chefs cooked with great love.”
With these words, Grace puts the cup of hot coffee and the plate of cake in front of Raquelle.
“Thanks a lot,” Raquelle thanks with a slight smile. “Let’s see what this cake is.”
Raquelle looks quickly at what’s inside the glass and breathes in the smell of the cake, which turns out to be incredible.
“M-m-m, it smells so good…” Raquelle approves.
“The chefs did their best,” Grace replies shyly, folding her hands in front of her.
“Listen, the cappuccino is delicious!” Raquelle exclaims after she takes a couple of sips from her sips and swallows up a small piece of the cake. “I really like it.”
“Were you allowed to forget about your diet for a while? Models should always keep themselves in good shape!”
“Oh, come on! They often tell me that I should gain some weight! Some people think that I’m too skinny. And my managers ban me from keeping diets.”
“You don’t need it,” Grace smiles shyly. “You’re beautiful anyway.”
“Besides, my grandfather doesn’t also allow me to torture myself with starvation and always makes sure that I eat well.”
“That’s right! Starving is bad.”
“You’re right…” Raquelle takes a couple of more sips of cappuccino. “Oh, by the way, I would like to pay for my order right now. Could you give me the bill?”
“Our café is giving you a chance to have fun on our account,” Grace announces solemnly with a wide smile and her head proudly raised.
“What?” Raquelle rounds her eyes. “On your account?”
“It would be an honor for us to serve such a famous person as you. I just told my colleagues about you being here, and they insisted that we should’ve given you this little gift.”
“No, no, come on… I can’t do that!”
“You can order any other drinks from us and pay nothing for them. Yes, maybe, it will impact my salary, but for you, I’m ready to make this sacrifice.”
“No, no, Grace, thanks…” Raquelle shakes her head. “Of course, it’s nice for me that you’re giving me a chance, but…”
“Think it’s a little compensation for making you wait. And for stealing your time by talking.”
“Please, don’t think about it. I’m not rushing and could wait for a little longer.”
“Anyway, let it be my personal apology to you.”
“Oh, alright…” Raquelle pronounces hesitantly. “Then I will just leave you a good tip.”
“It would be great.”
Raquelle says nothing and just drinks a little bit of the cappuccino from her cup with a shy smile.
“By the way, I forgot to tell you that the owner of this café adores you,” Grace confesses confidently.
“Really?” Raquelle wonders truly.
“He is your huge fan. He has absolutely all the magazines with your interviews and photos, and the whole collection of the movies in which you have at least a minor role.”
“That’s how…”
“My boss always wanted you to visit his café someday. So… He would be terribly happy if I told him you came to this café for the first time.”
“Great,” Raquelle smiles shyly. “It’s nice that I’ve got so many fans around the world.”
“And all of them admire you.”
“Yeah… Of course, I have haters, but the love of my fans is so strong that I could easily close my eyes to all the bad things I am told.”
“Is it probably very hard to be known to the whole world and get rid of all of those journalists and paparazzi?”
“It’s hard, I don’t deny it. But I try to take it quietly. But sometimes there might be very insolent people. I barely hold myself down not to tell them everything I think. I have no right to let them know that there are days when I am in a bad mood. I should always smile and be nice.”
“Alright.”
“Anyway, I always stay friendly and try not to be rude to anyone. I don’t let my mood make someone’s opinion of me bad.”
“So, don’t you regret choosing this way and becoming a celebrity?”
“Not at all.” Raquelle drinks some of the drink from her cup. “I’m grateful to fate for such a perfect chance. A modeling career helped me become much more confident.”
“Weren’t you confident?” Grace wonders and sits on the table shyly in front of Raquelle.
“I wasn’t!”
“Wow… I would never believe it if someone else said it!”
“But it’s the truth. I was terribly insecure and doubted my beauty because I was constantly bullied and insulted.”
“Your schoolmates?”
“Yup. They always called me ugly and said I would never reach anything. And I believed it for a long time. Until I got a chance to work as a model and saw the photos from my first photoshoot.”
“But you kicked all those people, who are probably dumbfounded while watching you.”
“Right. And I can imagine what’s happening to my greatest hater. A so-called queen of the school.”
“She was probably jealous of you.”
“I don’t know, Grace, But I don’t see the meaning of talking about it. I don’t talk to those people and am not going to meet them. I don’t care about what they think of me. Whether they actually think.”
“That’s right! You should surround yourself with those, who love and appreciate you.”
“Thanks to this, I believed in myself and realized that I wasn’t actually as ugly as I thought.”
“Trust me, darling, you are not ugly but a very attractive young girl.”
Raquelle says nothing and just smiles shyly, while Grace keeps sitting with her at the table, folding her hands in front of herself, and literally forgetting that she should work and accept orders from other visitors at the café. At some moment, some men and girls come to the table because they recognize Cameron as the famous model and beg her to take a photo with them. The girl agrees with pleasure and answers some of their questions, not being mad that they do not let her sit quietly and eat. And when they leave, she watches them with a slight smile on her face and sits on her chair again.
“By the way, my boss is planning to get a special place where there will be a list of all celebrities, who’ve been here, in the nearest time,” Grace confesses.
“That’s how?” Raquelle wonders.
“Very many famous people have come here so far: actors, singers, models, directors and even popular people from the sports world. If they wished, they could leave an autograph and some wish.”
“Listen, why do you say I came here for the first time? I actually often come here alone or with my friend. Some people already know me, and I memorized someone. But now, I don’t see any familiar people here.”
“Oh, did you come here not for the first time?”
“No. And I must confess that I saw you for the first time. Did you come here to work recently?”
“Yes, I actually started working here some time ago. I came here literally two months ago.”
“That’s how… So, it’s clear.”
“And one guy, who’s been working here for many years, told me this café used to have a different owner.”
“A different? What happened to the previous?”
“He sold this place to the one, who is my boss.”
“So, did this café get a new owner?”
“I heard this place was close to closing due to unpopularity.”
“Close to closing?” Raquelle rounds her eyes.
“Yeah, as far as I know, almost nobody came here, and the previous owner was losing his money. But… My boss bought it and literally got it up. He spent a lot of money on it, and he didn’t fail it.”
“Wow…”
“Now everything is getting better. Many people always come here. Especially at a weekend when my colleagues barely take on such a great load and work too hard.”
“Wow! I didn’t know…” Raquelle drinks some cappuccino from her cup, looking around at what’s happening in the room. “I’ve been visiting this place for so many years, but I heard it all for the first time.”
“When did you come here the last time?” Grace specifies.
“Erm… Well… Somewhere two months ago or a little bit more.”
“So, the café got the new owner somewhere at that time.”
“Yeah… I was probably very busy… I had a lot of work… Shootings for magazines and commercials… Another minor role in the movie… I even had to go abroad… In short, I didn’t have any free time.”
“Maybe…”
“By the way, many things have changed here… Everything was a little different before.”
“You know better. I can say nothing about it because I started working here some time ago.”
Raquelle smiles shyly and keeps drinking her cappuccino from time to time, eating a piece of the delicious cake, and looking around while still waiting for her friend, who is too late. However, she and Grace manage to get into a conversation and talk about something, while the waiter literally forget about her job and acting like she does not care that someone may tell the boss about her, so she gets a claim. Some people come to Cameron two or three times with a plea of signing something, taking a couple of photos, and answering some of their questions, and she has a lot of pleasure from paying attention to everybody and telling something about her shoots and some future projects.
Despite having problems with communicating with people of her age in childhood, Raquelle gets on with everybody well and is not afraid of meeting someone new and talking to them about something. Thanks to her work in the modeling business, the girl has already met many people. Some of them became her friend, she had misunderstandings with others, and she forgot some people after she said goodbye to them. However, among all those people. There are not too close friends, who Raquelle would call her best friends. The exclusion is only fewer people, one of whom is surely the photograph Steven Appleby, who she was working with today.
Time flies fast while having a nice talk. Raquelle does not notice that a blonde, who is a little lower than the brunette and definitely knows everything about fashion because she is dressed up in a very stylish way and knows how to express her dignity, comes to her at some moment. The fabulous cutie could definitely let herself buy good clothes in the best shops, not second-hand, because her clothes look very expensive. The luxury thick, wavy hair beautifully falls off the frigid, gracious shoulders of the blonde-haired beauty, and her good makeup expresses the beauty of her blue-sky eyes.
The body of this girl looks very feminine. She has exciting and attractive curves, and her long, thin legs always get the attention of people. The absolute opposite of Raquelle, who has always been too skinny and does not, for example, have a big breast size. The blue-eyed blonde definitely would get the attention of many men and drive them crazy thanks to her memorable look and nature attraction. And she does know she is beautiful and has expressed it with pleasure in all possible ways.
“Hey, Raquelle!” the blonde girl exclaims with a wide smile.
“Oh, look who’s finally come!” Raquelle chuckles.
“Sorry for being too late…”
The blonde sits at the table in front of Raquelle, puts her bag on the back of the chair, and fixes her thick, golden hair carefully.
“I know it’s a bad thing of mine,” the girl says guiltily. “I invited you, but I came here so late…”
“C’mon, it’s okay,” Raquelle waves her hand with a slight smile.
“I’m really sorry…”
“It’s okay, sweetie, don’t worry.”
Raquelle takes her friend in a tight hug, which the blonde accepts with pleasure, and shares an amicable kiss on the cheek.
“How long have you been here?” the blonde asks.
“Well, not very long,” Raquelle replies thoughtfully. “I played time by talking to this girl.”
With these words, Raquelle moves her eyes to Grace, who has already stood up from the table, and who is now talking in a whisper to the man wearing the uniform of a waiter, who leaves somewhere quickly at some moment.
“That’s how!” the blonde smiles shyly.
“Is this your friend?” Grace specifies amicably.
“Yes, this is my closest friend,” Raquelle confirms. “We agreed to meet here and spend time together after a long separation.”
“After a separation?”
“Yes, she was traveling in Italy for the whole month.”
“Italy? Oh, gosh, I want to go there so badly! And I actually dream of going on the world tour.”
“So, this is the girl that I told you about some time ago.”
“Nice to meet you,” Grace addresses the blonde with a slight smile. “My name is Grace.”
“Same, Grace,” the blonde pronounces amicably.
Grace shakes the blonde, who just came here, by the hand, being gentle to the friend of Raquelle, who answers her back.
“And I am Natalia,” the blonde introduces herself confidently.
“Nice to meet you, Natalia,” Grace nods.
Natalia and Grace break their handshake with a slight smile on their faces, and silence settles in the air for a few seconds, during which the blonde girl, who just came, fixes her golden hair slightly.
This girl has known Raquelle since school times when they were studying together, but they became friends not at once. And the girls were studying together not from the beginning. Natalia went to Raquelle’s school a few years later. The energetic, funny girl, who wanted to have much attention became a friend of almost all the guys, who treated the new person very well. Girls were truly admired for her beauty, accepted her advice on fashion, and tried to find out what she was doing to her hair, which they liked much more and looked too gorgeous at that time.
She did not communicate with Raquelle from the beginning. Not at her wish. Her schoolmates just started to tell her bad stories about the young brunette and made the girl bad for Natalia. All those people tried to make her sure to be a part of the bullying of the one they found ugly and could not take. However, the blonde was never a part of this game and just stood aside silently, wishing not to go against the guys but feeling sorry for the girl, who did nothing bad to be so hated.
***
“Hey, Cameron, why did you become silent?” one of the boys says mockingly and throws a ball made from paper at Raquelle’s head.
“Do not pretend you are not here!” the second boy adds confidently. “We do see you and will not leave you alone!”
“Hey, bag of bones, what kind of crow’s nest do you have on your head?” the girl asks mockingly with her head proudly raised and gets Raquelle’s hair disheveled.
“Aha, don’t ya brush your hair when you leave home?” someone from the boys smirks evilly.
“Doesn’t your grandpa have money to buy good clothes for his beloved granddaughter?” one of the girls smirks, the one from the party of the one to destroy the hair of Raquelle, contemptuously looking at her clothes and strongly grabbing her by the hair.
“You walk here like a scarecrow and scare people.”
“Probably, your grandpa calls you the most beautiful girl in the world. But you are ugly! A fucking ugly folk that nobody will pay attention to. Who nobody will ever love to befriend with.”
Raquelle does not react to all these words and is silently sitting on her desk, slouching strongly and keeping her eyes moved to a schoolbook. That a boy takes away from her later and throws it on the other side of the cabinet. At this moment, almost all the schoolmates of the girl came together around her desk not to talk to her or remember their homework, but to make her feel humiliated and ugly.
“Gosh, how can people actually allow these scarecrows to go out?” the girl that destroyed Raquelle’s hair asks, likely being the leader because many people literally look at the inside of her mouth. “It’s disgusting to me to be with such an ugly person on the same territory.”
“It’s okay, Ashley, maybe, one beautiful day that old man would take her talentless, ugly granddaughter from the school and get out of here as far as possible,” the friend of the girl called Ashley expresses hope mockingly.
“I can’t wait! It's disgusting to me to teach in the same school with this slumdog.”
“Just like it is for us.”
“Are there no other schools in our city? Why did they bring this scarecrow here?”
“Who knows!” another girl exclaims. “But even if she goes to another girl, nobody will love Cameron. Everybody will be bullying her and placing her in the last place if they have to create a rating of the most beautiful girls at school.”
“Ugh, this ugly must not get even the latest place,” Ashley smirks contemptuously. “She does not deserve it.”
“But you will be in first place on that list,” one of the boys says confidently with his head proudly raised.
“Of course, my dear.” Ashley proudly fixes her dark, loose hair curled in small curls. “I am the most beautiful girl at this school! And everyone agrees with me. Nobody dares to argue with me.”
“There’s nobody more beautiful than you, honey,” one of the girls says with a wide smile. “You’re so stylish, confident, popular… Everyone must make you their idol.”
“Hey, Cameron, did ya swallow up your tongue?” the short boy asks mockingly. “Why do you say no word?”
The boy strongly pushes Raquelle in the back while she slouches, looks into the distance, and makes a quiet squeak because of pain.
“Or are you a mute one?” the boy wonders.
“The girl just teaches too much!” one more boy laughs loudly, crossing his arms over his chest. “Nerds embrace books all day long and always study.”
All the schoolmates of Raquelle start laughing loudly.
“Aha, books replace a boyfriend for Cameron,” th third boy laughs with mockery. “Nobody pays attention to her. So, the girl comforts herself in the company of books.”
“You’re kidding me?” the dark-haired girl with hazel eyes smirks contemptuously. “How such a miserable girl could pay attention to even the ugliest guy. Even nerds wouldn’t pay attention to her because she is ugly.”
“Aha, her fate is to wipe her grandpa’s mouth when he’s absolutely helpless.”
The boys and the girls start thrilling with a loud laugh full of mockery.
“Aha, poor, unhappy orphan!” Ashley laughs evilly. “You know, her parents died!”
“Right!” the boy agrees. “They were crushed in a car…”
“So sorry this ugly was not with them. Nobody would feel sorry if she died with her parents.”
“Someone said those people were gonna divorce,” one of the girls remembers.
“And I heard her mommy had mental issues somehow,” another girl adds.
“Come on?” one of the boys wonders loudly. “Cameron’s mommy was sick?”
“Aha, I heard someone from the teachers say that Cameron’s mother was getting hysterical and annoying her whole family. She made them leave her to the fuck.”
“So, it happens that we’re studying with the ugly and skinny fish that could easily be brought somewhere to a mental hospital?” Ashley wonders.
“Imagine!”
“Oh, guys… What a twist! Why were you silent? It’s such a cool piece of news!”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone was sick in her family,” one of the girls says confidently.
“Cameron is surely gonna be in a mental hospital,” one of the boys says confidently. “Force someone to make her go to have therapy.”
“Yes, boys and girls, you better watch out,” another boy adds. “Or you might suffer.”
“Don’t worry, buddy,” the third boy smiles widely. “We can stand for us and would deal even with this ugly daughter of the crazy mommy and granddaughter of the poor grandpa.”
“Look, look, look, Cameron pretends that we are not talking about her!” another boy notices funnily, pointing at Raquelle not reacting to what’s happening and silently taking all the mockeries.
“No, ugly, it’s all about you!” Ashley exclaims loudly. “There is nobody else with the surname Cameron here.”
“How could someone give such a beautiful name to this ugly girl?” one of the girls wonders. “What were her relatives thinking about when choosing a name for this idiot?”
“Oh, yeah, that’s why I will never name my daughter Raquelle if she is born. Because this idiot made it dirty.”
“Why did someone actually give her a name?” one of the boys wonders. “Everyone could just call her ugly, fish, or psycho! No problems!”
“Hey, Cameron, who did come up with an idea to name you?” the second boy wonders. “Your late parents? Or your old grandpa decided so?”
But Raquelle keeps saying nothing and just looks into the distance, barely containing a wish to cry from despair and hopelessness.
“Hey, you look at this bitch!” one of the boys smirks loudly. “The cad is silent!”
“Hey, fish, we are actually talking to you!” one of the girls throws rudely and gives Raquelle a strong slap on the back of the head. “Why are you the fuck showing disrespect for us again? Speak to us when we ask you!”
“She probably does what her grandpa tells her to do,” the girl with hazel eyes assumes. “Say nothing, don’t react, and stay quiet.”
“It’s okay, guys, we will teach her to respect us,” one of the girls says confidently.
“Ar-r-r, how much this nasty girl irritates me!” Ashley growls irritably. “I can’t take such miserable, ugly people!”
Ashley strongly grabs Raquelle by the collar and looks at her arrogantly while that one keeps looking into the distance, saying nothing and dreaming that they leave her alone.
“I would never agree to become a friend of yours,” Ashley says confidently. “Because you are disgusting to me. Standing next to you is madly disgusting to me. You are making me ashamed.”
“She is making all of us ashamed, Ash,” one of the boys says confidently. “Teachers did a bad thing for us when they brought this ugly one to our school.”
“And you look at what she’s wearing! She’s wearing some shreds!”
“I guess her grandpa stole it from an old woman and made her wear it.”
“That’s right, that old man always lacks money,” the second boy laughs evilly. “Did you see what he was wearing?”
“Ugh!” Ashley strongly winces. “I’d better wear something from a collection from the past year than the shreds she is wearing after some old people.”
“Ha, what kind of collection of the past year!” the dark-haired girl with hazel eyes smirks with her arms crossed over her chest. “Her grandpa would have no money even for the one released two years ago! Cameron can wear only what her grandmothers wore in their youth.”
“Oh, my grandmother was hundreds of times more stylish than this ugly one,” one of the girls says confidently. “I don’t like the fashion of past years, but I’d better wear clothes from that era than what this idiot is wearing.”
“What kind of silly pigtails?” Ashley sharply pulls Raquelle by the hair. “What's the thin hair on your head? Are you not ashamed of going out with this shit?”
“Yeah, just look how thick and beautiful Ashley’s hair is!” the second girl exclaims. “She goes to school with new hairstyles every day, and everyone tries to copy them.”
“Yeah, you’re missing some ugly glasses and braces,” the dark-haired girl with hazel eyes smirks evilly. “To complete the look of an ugly girl.”
“Ugh, Cameron is already ugly!” one of the boys smirks loudly. “She needs to do nothing to make people shake like she’s fire.”
“Oh, imagine her really making herself much uglier!”
“I would laugh!” the second boy smirks evilly. “And take a couple of photos!”
All the boys and girls laugh loudly.
“Listen, Cameron, listen,” Ashley says confidently. “And remember our words well. Words about you never being happy. Yes, you will suffer for your whole life. Because you are ugly. Ugly people are loved by nobody.”
“Don’t hope to turn into a beautiful girl many years later,” one of the boys adds. “A tale about the ugly duck that became a gorgeous swan is not about you.”
“Yeah, even if you have one hundred layers of cosmetics, change your clothes and do something to your hair! It would not help you!”
“Never!” one of the boys exclaims.
While some guys laugh evilly, Raquelle closes her face with both hands, still saying nothing and dreaming that a teacher comes here and starts a lesson.
“Hey, I do not understand!” Ashley resents, frowning strongly. “Why are you sitting when I am talking to you? You are silent and sitting at the table!”
“Indeed!” one of the boys exclaims. “Who are you to treat our Ashley like this?”
“Hey, Cameron, did you go crazy?” one of the girls resents and gives Raquelle a strong hit on the back of the head. “Did you become insolent?”
“Hey, ugly, do you think you are the best?” one of the boys smirks evilly.
“You are a bitch…” Ashley hisses through her teeth. “How do you dare to treat me like THIS? HOW DO YOU THE FUCK DARE? I am Ashley Christensen! The queen of the school that everybody must bow to. And you, bitch, dare to sit and not to answer my questions!”
“You must beat her for this!” one of the girls says with her squeaky voice.
“Get up, scumbag! GET UP, I SAID!”
Ashley tightly grabs Raquelle by the collar and makes her get up from the desk.
“So, Cameron, is everything we have done to you not enough for you?” Ashley wonders. “Want more? Want to keep getting hits?”
Raquelle says nothing and just makes quiet sobs, looking at Ashley with pity in her eyes and feeling like a little, unprotected girl, who cannot fight against bad people.
“Hey, guys, let’s show this scumbag who she has a deal with,” Ashley says confidently.
“Let’s take these shreds off her,” one of the girls suggests.
“Come here, cad!”
Ashley starts trying to take off Raquelle’s old clothes from her neighbors that she has to wear because she has no opportunity to buy something new. The poor girl barely holds her tears down and silently prays that all of this is over as soon as possible. The guys are participating in the bullying of their schoolmate, from the desk of whom the boys steal all her schoolbooks, books, and pen, which they throw in the whole office.
And when Raquelle tries to take them, they close the way all together, pushing to the corner at some moment.
“Ugly!” Ashley throws rudely.
“Dead fish!” one of the boys exclaims.
“Clumsy!” one of the girls pronounces.
“Bag of bones!” the second girl adds.
“Botanist!” the second boy pronounces.
“Lofty!” the girl with hazel eyes throws.
“Curse you!”
“I hate you, scumbag!” Ashley pronounces with contempt in her eyes.
“Please, stop!” Raquelle begs with despair, getting sick of these mockeries, which make her barely hold tears down, looking at those, who surrounded her and are bullying her in all possible ways, with her red eyes.
“So, do you wanna be a writer?” the dark-haired girl with hazel eyes smirks mockingly. “Want to write books?”
“Yeah, it was so funny when she said it after we were asked who we wanted to be,” Ashley confesses. “So sorry that the teacher said nothing to her and did not ruin the dreams of this talentless, ugly girl.”
“Ha! Nobody is going to read your talentless works even for free. All Cameron’s masterpieces are going to be thrown in a trash can!”
“I wonder what this brainless chicken could write about?” one of the boys smirks evilly. “About how an ugly girl could seduce a boy? Or how to make a cutie out of an ugly girl?”
All the boys and girls thrill with a loud laugh.
“The only person to read her miserable stories is her grandfather,” the girl with hazel eyes smirks evilly. “He is going to admire them.”
“Gosh, Helene, such an ugly and clumsy girl will never reach anything, no matter how much someone praises her,” another girl says confidently.
“I don’t doubt it,” the girl named Helene smiles slyly, crossing her arms over her chest. “Don’t doubt Cameron would suffer for her whole life and always be alone.”
“Helene tells the truth, Cameron!” the third girl exclaims. “Your destiny is clear! So, you can put all your dreams in your ass and stop thinking everything will change when you grow up.”
“And don’t dare to compare you with Ashley,” the boy says confidently. “She’s a clever and incredibly talented beauty and people person.”
“The whole school wanna become her friend!” another boy adds. “My younger brother from Grade 3 says all of his schoolmates find Ashley a role model. Girls want to be similar to her, and boys dream of dating her.”
“Yeah, my brother from Grade 10 also wants to date her but is terribly shy of coming to Ashley and just saying, ‘hello.’”
“Our Ash will always be a queen,” one of the girls says with her head proudly raised. “She is a queen of the school now and will be a queen of the university. Everyone will imitate her and dream of dating such a wonderful girl.”
“Cameron can’t even dream about it.”
“Ha, literally the whole school hates this dead fish!” one of the boys smirks contemptuously. “Everyone thinks she is talentless, clumsy, and ugly.”
“Hey, guys, do you remember how she got fell down after getting her legs twisted?” another boy laughs.
“Ah-h-h, I do, I do!” one of the girls jabs funnily. “Her skirt raised, and we all saw her grandma’s underwear.”
“Did you really think this ugly girl would wear something good?” the second boy smirks loudly. “It’s incomparable things!”
“She can just make us laugh and roll on the floor with a laughter,” Helene adds confidently.
“I’d be happy to watch this again,” Ashley smiles slyly, rubbing her hands happily. “It would be so good if this dead fish tried to get up.”
“She always tries to make something out of her, but it’s so hilarious!” one of the girls exclaims.
“I would loudly laugh if someone called her beautiful or even attractive and sexual,” one of the boys laughs evilly.
“Oh, I’m begging you, Cameron can’t actually be a sexual girl!” the second boy smirks loudly. “It’s just a log!”
“Yeah, guys, don’t make me laugh,” Ashley smiles widely. “Or I’m gonna ruin my makeup with tears. Tears of laughter.”
“Nobody is going to like her!” the girl says confidently in a squeaky voice. “No boy will look at this ugly girl.”
“That’s right!” the boy agrees. “She is gonna be like my neighbor and spend her whole life alone, surrounded by two or three dogs.”
All the schoolmates of Raquelle thrill with a loud, mocking laugh. Meanwhile, the girl gets sick of this and wants to leave somewhere before the ring calls, and the teacher comes. But a few boys and girls close the way almost at once.
“Hey, where are you going?” one of the girls resents loudly and strongly pushes Raquelle in the back.
“Did you really go crazy?” another girl resents and rudely pushes Raquelle aside.
“You want to get hits?” one of the boys wonders, giving Raquelle a strong hit on the back of her head.
“Stop, please…” Raquelle begs with despair and pity in her wet eyes. “Leave me alone…”
“Who is tweeting something there?” Ashley laughs evilly and pushes Raquelle aside. “Who is trying to say something?”
“Stop… Please…”
“We wanna talk to you, but you’re running away!” Helene exclaims. “What kind of disrespect, Cameron? What did your grandfather teach you?”
“If that old man does not teach you, we will do it!” one of the girls says confidently.
“Yes, folks, c’mon!” Ashley pronounces confidently and loudly. “Let’s show this lofty where she belongs!”
All the boys and girls keep bullying the poor Raquelle too hard. Boys take some things from the girl’s desk and start playing with them like a ball, while girls start rudely pushing their schoolmate on different sides, giving many hits on the back of the head and pulling her by the hair, and not letting her away from the cabinet where a lesson is about to start.
“Leave me alone, for God’s sake…” Raquelle begs with despair, trying to run away from her schoolmates and take her things. “Give me my stuff! It’s mine!”
“C’mon, c’mon, people, don’t stop!” Ashley encourages loudly. “Teach Cameron good manners!”
Raquelle’s schoolmates get more obsessed and bully her more and more. Girls do not refuse to kick her with their legs, and boys raise her knee-length skirt and make everybody literally fall into hysteria because of the underwear the poor girl is wearing.
“Why do I have to take it all?” Raquelle stops holding tears down and sniffs quietly. “Why?”
“Look, look, Cameron is crying!” one of the boys jabs funnily.
“Oh, look…” Helene laughs evilly. “Our girl is crying…”
“What did I do to you?” Raquelle wonders in despair. “Why don’t you love me?”
“Hey, show her grandma’s underwear again!” one of the boys says loudly. “I wanna laugh!”
Some of the girls sharply raise Raquelle’s skirt and start thrilling with laughter along with the others when seeing her underwear. While the girl is crying bitterly, sometimes shouts loudly and begs the guys to leave her alone with pity in her eyes, they get more obsessed with it and bully her as hard as possible, using the fact that the teacher is a little late.
However, not all the guys are bullying Raquelle… Somewhere on the side, a cute blue-eyed blonde is standing, who has said no word and does not participate in the cruel bullying of her schoolmate. The girl has pity in her eyes while watching the poor Raquelle tolerate mockeries from the people, who call her all the possible bad words, throw her things, and even give her strong hits with both hands and legs. The blonde would be happy to stand by the crying girl, who is begging that this nightmare is over with despair, but she does not do it. Because she is afraid to become a victim of this hem that can walk over her without any regret.
***
But one beautiful day, Raquelle decided to talk to Natalia, coming to her a little hesitantly after the blonde said goodbye to her schoolmates and was alone. The young blonde did not reject the girl that came to her and treated her amicably enough, not even trying to leave and avoid a talk with the one that was a reject and could not become a friend of her schoolmates.
The girls started to speak little by little, get closer and closer, and spend their free time together, helping each other with homework or agreeing to walk together somewhere in the city. And somehow, their teachers asked Raquelle and Natalia to make a joint project. None of them minded it, and they started to work on it with pleasure.
Working together got them much closer, and they eventually became best friends. Natalia realized Raquelle was actually a very good and kind girl – not what her schoolmates called her. And Raquelle herself was madly happy that she got at least one person, who really treated her very well and did not even think of judging and bullying her somehow.
After finding out about their friendship, their schoolmates got mad. They pronounced Natalia a betrayal and started to bully her as well as Raquelle, sharply changing their minds and starting to call her ugly. The girls became rejects, who were insulted and humiliated by everybody almost every day. However, the friends decided to ignore all the insults and mockeries and stay together, defending each other as hard as possible. Anyway, they felt better together. Raquelle felt a little better, but she was a little ashamed of the fact that she literally involved Natalia in her problems. However, the young blonde did not regret her decision and was happy she found a real friend, who talked to her for just being a good person.
At some moment, Natalia got sick of the humiliations of her schoolmates, which she did not deserve, and decided to study at home after Raquelle to focus on her studies and get ready for the hard final exams. And teachers also supported her and helped her do everything for that. The two girls breathed out with relief, kept communicating and being best friends, and spent time together, not being afraid someone would have seen them and told the others about it.
When Raquelle decided to become a model, Natalia supported her wish, helped her feel more confident, and taught her some hacks that helped her look just stunning. So, thanks to her friend, the brunette discovered much about clothes, hairstyles, and makeup and learned to express her beauty, which was noticed by more and more people every year.
“Hey, did you order something without me?” Natalia asks, pointing at Raquelle’s cup and plate.
“Yeah, I wanted to drink cappuccino,” Raquelle replies amicably. “And eat a small piece of the cake.”
“Wow… And what do you think? It’s delicious?”
“Super delicious.” Raquelle swallows a small piece of the cake. “Grace told me something about it, and I saw the picture in the menu. I couldn’t resist this beauty. I decided to taste it.”
“M-m-m, I’m already drooling when looking at this tasty thing,” Natalia smiles shyly.
“Do you want to order the same one?” Grace asks.
“Erm… Yes, please…” Natalia moves her eyes to Grace. “I want to make the same order as hers. Cappuccino and chocolate cake.”
“Sure, I will do it now,” Grace nods with a slight smile on her face and writes something down in her notebook very quickly. “Wait for one minute.”
Grace turns around, goes to her colleagues, whom she asks to make one more cup of cappuccino and get a plate of the chocolate cake, and decides to talk to some girls a little, while the order is in progress.
“So, friend, tell me how your trip to Italy was,” Raquelle says confidently. “Which cities did you visit? What did you learn? C’mon, tell everything! I wanna know everything that happened to you.”
“Oh, Raquelle, my trip was just incredible…” Natalia dreamily rolls her eyes up. “The places are so beautiful… The Italian dishes are amazing, and people are so gentle and amiable.”
“That’s how!”
“And God, there are so many hot, handsome men!” Natalia exclaims, putting her hand on her heart. “My eyes were running from one side to another! I didn’t even know who to look at!”
“M-m-m, wow…”
“I must confess that all of them are so stylish and take care of themselves. I really liked the way they dressed up.”
“Yeah, they really know everything about fashion.”
“And don’t miss even little things. Clothes, hair, shoes – everything is so perfect.”
“Which cities did you visit during the time you were traveling?”
“Many!”
“Were you in Venice?”
“Oh, yeah, I went there first! Besides, I really liked riding on gondolas. I gave my money for a one-hour ride for the reason.”
“That’s how…”
“It was so good. If someday I go there one more time, I will surely ride again.”
“Ah, I’d also love to go there as a tourist…” Raquelle confesses thoughtfully and drinks a little bit from her glass.
“You’ve apparently been there…”
“Yes, I’ve been in Italy a couple of times. But I was there only for two days for fashion shows.”
“Sorry. You missed a lot.”
“But I’ll surely go there and examine everything when I have free time.”
“I highly recommend that you go to Rome or Milan. And I literally fell in love with Naples. It’s very cool to be there! Travelling around that city was the best thing.”
“And I’d like to visit Verona. The city where the action of one of my favorite books, ‘Romeo and Juliet’, happens…”
“Oh, I was there, as well. And I liked everything about it.”
“I see you really went to many places.”
“Oh, yeah, for the past month, I traveled almost around the entire of Italy.”
“Good,” Raquelle cracks a smile.
“But I’m sorry that I didn’t make my dream come true and didn’t end up at Fashion Week in Milan. Because it was over, and only special people get invited to that event.”
“It’s okay, if I get invited there, I’ll try to get an invitation for you.”
“Oh, it would be awesome!”
“Well, or agree about an invitation to another famous fashion show.”
“Ah, I’ve always dreamed of visiting a fashion show on an international level. Not only somewhere in the USA but also in Paris or Milan…”
“I promise you’ll surely visit at least one fashion show. You will be sitting among guests with me and watching other models. Or watch me walk on the runway.”
“Oh, I’ve never seen you on the runway. But I really wanna watch you.”
“You will, friend, I promise,” Raquelle promises confidently.
“And if you want to go to Italy someday, I can be your personal guide. I could show you the most beautiful places and tell you what dishes are the best.”
“Well, since you studied everything, I would be happy to accept your recommendations.”
“But I will keep myself under hard control.”
“Why?”
“Because all of those delicious dishes have very many calories. I didn’t even notice how I gained about eleven pounds for the time I was traveling.”
“C’mon, friend, you didn’t get fatter!” Raquelle protests confidently. “You’re still the same reed! Food with many calories doesn’t influence your body.”
“No, Raquelle, it seems to you.”
“Stop, Natalia, you’re the same as you were before going to Italy. You didn’t get your cheeks bigger, and your belly is still flat.”
“Yeah, but today’s morning, I couldn’t put on my favorite jeans that were always a little big for me. And when I put on another pair, I couldn’t sit well. It was hard to breathe, ‘cause everything squeezed.”
“Well, I dunno…” Raquelle shrugs.
“I literally cried when standing in front of the mirror and seeing that I got fat on my hips and belly. And realizing that a bigger part of my clothes was small to me. Because I relaxed enough and ate literally everything. Because everything was really delicious.”
“C’mon, even if you gained weight, you gained just a little bit. But I personally see no changes.”
“Thank God, I have some clothes of a bigger size. I bought them in case I got fat.”
“Oh, Natalia…”
“So, friend, since tomorrow, I’m gonna start a hard diet, literally start living in a gymnasium, and get my former weight back.”
“I don’t think it will be a problem for you. You’ll go to work out for a couple of weeks and bring your body back. Besides, you adore sports and work out regularly.”
“Yeah, but until I get my normal weight back and get off fat on my hips and belly, my schedule is gonna be changed. I will be working out much more and harder.”
“Don’t worry, honey, your favorite jeans are gonna fit you again very soon.”
“I’m glad I’d easily lose four pounds in a short time if I wished to do this. Because I have a wonderful metabolism, it’s gonna be enough to go to a few workouts to become a slim beauty again.”
“You’re beautiful anyway. Even if you’re overweight, it doesn’t make you worse.”
“But I’ll be more beautiful when I lose the weight that I gained because of those delicious Italian dishes.”
Raquelle says nothing and just smiles shyly, holding a cup of cappuccino in her hands and taking a few sips from it at times. Silence settles in the air for two seconds, during which the girls look at what’s happening around them.
“Okay, I always talk about me,” Natalia says thoughtfully, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “You better say, how are you doing? I’m really interested in listening to what you'll tell me. Maybe, something happened to you during the month I was in Italy?”
“Well, nope, everything’s still the same…” Raquelle replies thoughtfully, puts the cup on the table, and eats a little bit of the cake. “I’m still working too much… Getting many offers… And my fans love me so much…”
“What were you doing today?”
“Today, I had a few shots.”
“And how were they?”
“Wonderful. I worked with Steven Appleby at one of the shootings.”
“Your friend?”
“Yup. You know well how much I love working with him. Shootings with him always give me pleasure.”
“Great. When can I view photos of you?”
“I think in two or three months.”
“I can’t already wait to see my friend on the cover of another fashion magazine.”
“Soon, my darling. As Steve said, I’m gonna shine just as bright as a star very soon.”
“Okay… What about your personal life? Haven’t you met any handsome guy yet?”
“No yet,” Raquelle replies shyly. “You know that I have no time for guys.”
“Yeah, but so many men always surround you.”
“Right. And I don’t refuse to flirt with some handsome guys and accept flowers and little gifts from them with pleasure.”
“You know, friend, I think you need to take a little break from working and go somewhere to have fun. Maybe, you’d meet a guy that would make you happy…”
“Natalia…”
“Well, or find someone at a celebrity party! Actor, singer, soccer player, hockey player…”
“My gosh…”
“You always attend some events. I’m sure there are many hot, handsome guys in your surrounding, who would be honored to become a boyfriend of yours.”
“Oh, why has everybody been lately talking only about the fact that I should get a boyfriend?” Raquelle laughs shyly. “And because Grandfather Frederick is literally obsessed with a wish to get me married, I’m starting to look for an apartment to live separately. Because these talks are starting to irritate me.”
“Because you don’t aim to do this. It would be okay if you went on dates and met guys! But you don’t do this at all! You ignore and reject all of them!”
“I don’t want to find someone on purpose. I don’t have a goal to find a man and get married to him.”
“Nobody makes you play a wedding at once. Just go on a couple of dates. If you don’t like it, you can reject a man.”
“I count on fate in this case. When it wants to, it will bring me to the one, who could become my love. You can’t run away from what you’re destined to do, wherever you are. You can live as you want. But if it’s not your destiny, the invisible hand will lead you to the place where you belong, early or late.”
“Well, you know, if you keep working too hard and going nowhere, fate will hardly lead you to the love of your life.”
“There’s nobody in my surroundings that would get my attention. I look at men and can most likely consider them just my friends.”
“To your information, going on dates with men is cool. And dating them is much better!”
“Go then if you have a crush on someone. I haven’t met my man yet.”
“You’re just afraid!”
“Me?” Raquelle rounds her eyes. “Why am I?”
“You just have no experience and are worried you might mess up everything.”
“Not truth! I’m not afraid!”
“But don’t worry, there’s nothing terrible about it.”
“I am not afraid to date men.”
“Remember, Cameron, everyone starts with something. You know how scared I was when I went on my first date with a boy at the age of fourteen. And when I managed to experience my first kiss, I almost died from excitement. But it’s okay, as you can see, I’m still alive.”
“Listen, did you get so excited because of the hot Italian guys that you’re sitting here so funny?” Raquelle laughs, taking a sip from her glass. “Huh, Rochester? C’mon, tell me!”
“You’d get excited if you saw them, as well,” Natalia smiles mysteriously.
“Are they so handsome?”
“Yup, Italian guys are truly handsome men!”
“Wow…”
“And how beautifully they woo and treat girls. Not every guy living here would act like this.”
“And you listened open-mouthed.”
“By the way, many enough Italian guys, whom I managed to meet, liked me.”
“My darling, with such a memorable look, any man would like you. No matter if he’s Italian or Spanish – nobody could resist such an attractive beauty.”
“Oh, I got so many compliments that I literally get blush from shyness.”
“That’s how?”
“I managed to talk to some Italian guys, who spoke English a little. So, they got overwhelmed by my beauty and told me such good things I had never heard from those, who are living here, in the USA.”
“M-m-m, you already got blush…” Raquelle smiles mysteriously.
“Ah, I spent a great time there.” Natalia tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “I even got kind of sad when I had to leave Italy…”
“Gosh, did you fall in love with some Italian guy?” Raquelle wonders.
“I did not feel in love, but I got pleasure from talking to such wonderful people.”
“Honestly?”
“I just flirted with them a little. Nothing more.”
“I did get it well!” Raquelle nods energetically. “You one hundred percent fell in love with them!”
“Hey, I didn’t fall in love!” Natalia slightly pushes Raquelle on the hip, clenching her hand into a fist. “It was just a good conservation. A way to spend a good time.”
“C’mon, friend, maybe, it was your unique chance,” Raquelle laughs shyly. “But you missed it.”
“Not funny!”
“You should’ve asked for a phone number from one of them. Or asked them to give you a link to an account on Facebook. You could start messaging each other.”
“Actually, one of those handsome men gave me his number.”
“M-m-m, wow…”
“That guy wrote it on a little piece of paper that he gave me with saying, ‘Chiamami, bella[1].’ I memorized that phrase well. After the first time.”
“So, what does it mean?”
“I dunno, I didn’t get what he wanted to say. But I took the paper and placed it in a pocket. And then I checked it and saw that there were some numbers and his name. I guess they gave me the number. And that phrase was the plea of calling.”
“And you called?”
“Nope, the next day, I was already gonna leave Italy and forgot about him.”
“I can’t believe it!” Raquelle exclaims.
“That’s how!”
“You missed a chance to charm an Italian hot guy, friend…” Raquelle takes a sip from her cup. “He probably counted on something, but you left him like this.”
“By the way, he wasn’t the first one to give me his phone number,” Natalia confesses confidently.
“Huh?”
“A few more Italian guys had given me a piece of paper with their numbers. And asked me to call them in English.”
“Gosh, Natalia, how many men did you reject? How many hearts of the men did you break?”
“Oh, c’mon!” Natalia waves her hand. “I was actually traveling in Italy not to seduce men, but just to have a rest and visit some places and cities.”
“You know, sometimes your plans might go wrong.”
“No, Raquelle, I’ve never wanted to be with a foreigner. I’m not quite sure about an international marriage… A different mentality, different mother languages, points of view, etc…”
“Yeah, but your grandmother got married to the Spaniard and lived with him until he died.”
“I know, but I wouldn’t personally risk leaving everything to move to another country. Even for the great love.”
“But you can always come back home.”
“I can, but I don’t wanna have to deal with all of this.” Natalia falls into silence for two seconds and shakes her head. “I don’t know, it’s not for me. And I’m sometimes surprised that my grandma got married to the foreigner, stayed to live in his country, and didn’t leave it even after his death.”
“She’s just used to living there,” Raquelle assumes confidently and swallows a piece of the cake. “That woman has lived there for many years, not one year.”
“Anyway, I would hardly fall in love with a foreigner and agree to live in another country.”
“Sorry. You could get a hot Italian guy that would treat you like a queen.”
“Raquelle!”
“What?” Raquelle pronounces funnily. “You’ve always wanted to meet your prince! And you finally did! Even a few princes! But you rejected all of them and gave them no chance.”
“Listen, Cameron, I think you’re too funny and cheerful.”
“Me?”
“Did something happen to you when I wasn’t here?”
“Nothing happened,” Raquelle smiles innocently. “I’m just enjoying my life. And I’m happy that everything happened so well. That I have absolutely everything.”
“Not everything, my sweetie, not everything,” Natalia protests confidently. “When you find a good guy, you can say you really have everything to be happy.”
“At the moment, I’m satisfied with everything. And I don’t want to change anything.”
“Well, at least, I’m glad you don’t say you don’t wanna get married.”
“Of course, I want to get married and give birth to babies. But not now.
“What now?”
“Now I want to focus on my career. If I started to date a man, I might probably have no chance to do.”
“Why? Even if you get married, it doesn’t mean you’ll have to quit your career and stay home. You could still work. Even giving birth to babies wouldn’t deprive you of this chance.”
“I don’t think I’m ready to get married now. I’m only twenty-three. I’m too young and wanna live for me for some time.”
“I understand, but getting married wouldn’t influence your career. You’ll just get a loving man that will not let you feel lonely and will make you happy every day.”
“All in time, Natalia. Getting married is not the main goal of my life. I don’t say I don’t want to. I just wanna delay it and focus on my career. When I’m on the peak.”
“As you want,” Natalia shrugs. “It’s your life. You should decide what to do.”
“Yeah, but I’m starting to get sick of defending my point of view about marrying. Some people think I must get married immediately.”
“You mean your grandfather?”
“He’s one of those people. As you’ve heard, because of his claim of getting married, I’m already looking for my own apartment.” Raquelle glances aside and strokes down her hair. “Besides, Grandpa definitely wants me to quit the career.”
“You think he wants?” Natalia wonders.
“He doesn’t say it openly, but he often loves talking about disliking the modeling business.”
“But he doesn’t ban you from doing this.”
“He does not, but he sometimes shows hyper-care for me. You remember how hard my grandpa patronized me when I was a kid. He literally went everywhere with me. He was afraid to leave me alone.”
“I think your grandfather is just worried about you and can’t accept the fact that you’re no longer a little girl.”
“Yeah, but it’s been so many years since I started to work as a model.” Raquelle sighs tiredly. “But Grandfather can’t accept my choice. He talks about his hate for the modeling business and reminds me of leaving the studies at the university for that job.”
Anyway, Mr. Cameron is an understanding man and lets you decide what you want,” Natalia notices. “Even if he doesn’t like it at all.”
“That’s why I love him,” Raquelle smiles shyly. “But sometimes he gets me upset. For example, by talking about my job. Or trying to marry me off literally to any guy that comes to my life.”
“He’s just worried and wants you to be happy.”
“But I am happy! Even if I have no beloved man. However, Grandfather doesn’t wanna understand it and thinks a girl can’t be happy without a husband and children. It’s kind of what everyone calls her happiness.”
“Don’t be mad at him, Raquelle. He wishes you happiness and wants to know you’re not alone.”
“I am not mad.”
Raquelle starts wrapping her finger around the cup placed in front of her on the table.
“Because I understand Grandfather is worried about me and wishing me the best,” Raquelle adds with sadness in her eyes. “I can’t judge him for that, but I don’t like how hard he’s trying to make me do what he thinks is right.”
“All adult people are the same, don’t pay attention,” Natalia smiles shyly. “They just lived in a time when it wasn’t good. When women thought only of husbands and children and their well-being.”
“Besides, he’s got nobody but me. My grandmother died many years ago, and my father is dead. He has only me.”
Silence settles in the air for two seconds that might be broken only by the sounds of loud music.
“And I have nobody closer but him and my aunt Alicia, who is living in London,” Raquelle adds thoughtfully. “My parents are dead, sadly.”
“That’s why you should be together,” Natalia says softly.
“I ain’t gonna leave my grandfather and will help him with everything I can do. Even if he’s sometimes embarrassed to accept this help from me.”
“He didn’t leave you when you lost your parents. He raised you. And now it’s your time to thank him for his care.”
“You’re right.” Raquelle sighs heavily and drinks some cappuccino from her cup. “By the way, I’m still ashamed of being mad at him because he hid the deaths of my parents from me. Now I understand I shouldn't have done that.”
“I’m sure that he completely understood it,” Natalia says thoughtfully. “And he thought your offense was a way to get through this grief.”
“Yeah… Maybe, it was really my protective reaction. I felt so many emotions and didn’t know how to show them.”
“I get it.”
“Although Grandfather wanted to say nothing to me, I saw that he was hiding something. Because I still remember him sitting in his room and crying while viewing photos of my mom and dad. And he didn’t answer my questions about what happened to them.”
“A close person’s death is always hard. Not every adult person can take it, but to a child, it might be a real tragedy, after which nothing might stay the same.”
“But I was at the age when I understood what that was. And I understood what the phrase ‘to fall asleep and not to wake up’ meant.”
***
March 13th, 1998.
“Gosh, why did you leave us?” Frederick asks himself quietly, sitting on the bed and viewing a photo of the young and happy Elizabeth and Jackson with tears in his eyes. “Why did you die? Why? You can’t even imagine what kind of pain all of us feel. We still can’t come to ourselves.”
Frederick sniffs quietly.
“How could you leave Raquelle?” Frederick wonders. “How? The girl does need her mother’s love and her father’s support. But she will never get it. Never! Her grandparents would never replace her parents.”
Frederick sighs heavily, while Raquelle comes to his room quietly and starts to listen to everything he is saying now. And after hearing some part, the little girl rounds her eyes.
“Ah, and your wish to get divorced…” Frederick sighs heavily. “You were such a beautiful couple! Your family was so happy. What happened between you? Elizabeth, why did you do that to my son? Why did you get him exhausted? Why did you forget about him and your daughter? If you felt so bad, you could always ask us for help. We would’ve done everything for you! You did know we would never leave you and always help!”
Raquelle standing on the doorstep of the room shakes her head with her wet eyes, not understanding why nobody told her anything if it’s really the truth.
“Jackson…” Frederick pronounces in a shaking voice. “Sonny… Why did you reject my help? Why didn’t you ask me to help you save your marriage? You did suffer! I know it! You didn’t want to divorce. Because you loved that woman. Loved the mother of your child. I could’ve helped you. Could’ve helped you solve your problems and kept living happily.”
Frederick sniffs quietly.
“Oh, if I could turn time back upon, I would never let you get divorced,” Frederick confesses through tears. “Even if you asked me not to meddle in your relationship again and leave you alone. I should’ve been much harsher about what I wanted to do. I shouldn't have succumbed to you. Everything would’ve been otherwise if I had been a little harsher.”
Frederick exhales slowly with closed eyes.
“And I would’ve persuaded Alicia to be much harsher about her wish to help her sister and wake her up,” Frederick says confidently. “That marriage should’ve been saved. At least, for my beloved Raquelle… At least for her calm… I shouldn't have let my girl suffer. But I could’ve fixed everything and done my best for her mother and father to be together and not to die.”
Frederick shakes his head, still viewing the frame with a photo of Jackson and Elizabeth.
“Jackson…” Frederick pronounces in a little shaking voice. “Elizabeth… My sweeties… Dears… I miss you so badly…”
Frederick kisses the photo of his son and daughter-in-law and presses it closer to his chest, thinking about something with closed eyes. He does not notice Raquelle coming to his room at some moment and looking inside, not finding the courage to come to her grandfather, who is literally crying and has looked so depressed for a long time. The little girl hesitates for a few seconds and then slowly, hesitantly enters the room and slowly comes to Frederick with her widely open eyes.
“Grandpa Frederick…” Raquelle pronounces quietly and takes two more steps.
Frederick slightly shakes and sharply turns on Raquelle, being terribly scared by the fact that she could hear everything and realize her parents are dead.
“Raquelle…” Frederick pronounces hesitantly and puts the photo of Jackson and Elizabeth on the bed. “Granddaughter… It’s you…”
“What are you doing here?” Raquelle asks hesitantly. “Why are you crying?”
“It’s okay, sweetie, it’s okay…” Frederick quickly wipes tears off under his eyes and sniffs quietly. “It’s okay, my sweetheart.”
“You’ve been sitting in the room alone and crying bitterly for many days,” Raquelle notices.
“No, sweetie, I’m not crying…”
“Grandpa…”
“Don’t worry, Raquelle.”
“But I do worry. Because I see something’s happening to you. As if something terrible happened.”
“No, sunshine, nothing happened.”
“Who were you talking to?”
“Me? Talking?”
“Yup. About my mother and father…”
Raquelle swallows up nervously, looking at Frederick with her widely open eyes.
“I saw you sitting on the bed with a photo of my parents and saying something,” Raquelle adds in a little shaking voice.
“Erm…” Frederick stutters.
“Tell me… It’s… The truth? Is what you said, looking at the photo of my parents true?”
“Me… What did I say?”
“My parents wanted to get divorced and also… Died…”
“R-raquelle, my girl…”
“Tell me the truth, grandfather. What happened to my mom and dad? Where are they now? Why do you say such terrible things?”
Frederick swallows up nervously with horror in his eyes, somewhere deep inside, understanding he would have to tell everything and let Raquelle know the terrible truth he has been hiding.
“Listen, Raquelle…” Frederick pronounces a little hesitantly.
“Please, tell me,” Raquelle begs with pity in her eyes. “Tell me what bothers you. Why have you been crying for a few days? Why haven’t I met Mom and Dad for a long time? What happened to them?”
“Come to me, sunshine…”
Frederick makes a gesture to call Raquelle, who comes to him a little hesitantly.
“What’s happening to you, grandpa?” Raquelle asks softly, caressing Frederick’s cheeks with both hands. “How can I help you?”
“You know, Raquelle, I…” Frederick pronounces hesitantly, glancing aside.
“Is everything you said really true? Did my mother and father die?”
“Honey…”
“Just say one word: yes or no!”
“But…”
“I want to know the truth, grandfather!” Raquelle exclaims. “Why do you, Grandma Tiffany, Grandpa Timothy, and Aunt Alicia not let me call them or write a letter? It’s possible! But you don’t let me do!”
Frederick says nothing and sighs heavily.
“What!” Raquelle pronounces a little louder. “Why are you saying nothing?”
“I see no meaning in hiding something,” Frederick pronounces hesitantly.
“What?”
“You heard everything.”
“Is that the truth? My parents are dead?”
“Yes, Raquelle,” Frederick nods. “Sadly, your mother and father are gone.”
“No…”
“They fell asleep and would never wake up again.”
Not believing what she heard, Raquelle shakes her head and sniffs quietly.
“No…” Raquelle pronounces in a little shaking voice. “It can’t be the truth…”
“But that’s the truth,” Frederick says quietly.
“But why? Why did my mother and father die?”
“The case is that something happened… One bad accident…”
“What accident?”
“Sorry, granddaughter, but I can’t tell you. It’s too early for you to know these things.”
“I can’t believe it…” Raquelle starts crying quietly. “I can’t believe…”
“I understood you’d know everything early or late. But I was terribly afraid to tell you the truth. I was afraid of your reaction.”
“So, were you going to hide it forever?”
“No, of course! I just…”
“You knew everything… You knew but said nothing to me!”
“It was very hard for me.”
“So, was saying nothing much easier?” Raquelle starts crying. “Would it have been better to tell me some things and lie that my mother and father went somewhere?”
“Honey, I can explain everything to you,” Frederick says quietly.
“Don’t explain anything to me!” Raquelle cries with tears. “I know everything!”
“Quiet, quiet, sunshine, don’t cry.”
“How could you do?”
Raquelle sharply steps back from Frederick and starts nervously walking into the room, breathing heavily enough, grabbing her hair with both hands, and barely holding tears down.
“How could you hide that my parents wanted to divorce and died from me?” Raquelle resents loudly, not hiding her emotions and starting to cry bitterly.
“I understand everything,” Frederick pronounces softly.
“You lied to me! You’ve been lying all the time!”
“It was for your best!”
“For my best? So, do you think lying is good?”
“No, but sometimes there are cases when you better lie.”
“I can’t believe… I can’t believe it!”
“Honey, please, calm down,” Frederick softly tries to calm his granddaughter down. “I will explain everything to you now.”
“How long were you hiding this from me?” Raquelle wonders loudly. “How long were you lying to me? How long were you telling me these tales?”
“Your mother and father died at the end of February. And at the beginning of March, your grandfather, grandmother, aunt and I said farewell to them.”
“Ah, that’s why… So, is that why you left me with our neighbor for a whole day?”
“Nobody was going to take you with us at the funeral. You’re too little for that.”
“So… Did Grandma Tiffany, Grandpa Timothy, and Aunt Alicia know everything, too? And said nothing?”
“We were thinking about how to tell you that. We didn’t know how to let you know your life would be a little different.”
“Was it so hard to tell me the truth instead of lying?”
“Not every adult person would easily take someone’s death, and it’s much harder for a child.”
“Now I understand why you didn’t want me to call them. I begged you to let me call Mom and Dad so many times, but you refused.”
“Sorry, Raquelle…”
“Sorry?” Raquelle pronounces loudly and amazingly. “Is this everything you want to tell me?”
“Raquelle, Granddaughter, listen…”
Frederick softly takes Raquelle’s hands, barely containing a wish to cry but trying to hold on so hard and calm Raquelle down somehow and explain everything to her.
“Nobody told you the truth because all of us didn’t want to hurt you,” Frederick excuses himself with pity in his eyes. “We were worried you would find this piece of news shocking. And we didn’t know how to tell these things right.”
“But you quietly told me about my grandmother, Rosella,” Raquelle recalls. “But she is dead, too!”
“Your grandmother died a long time before your birth when your father was too little.”
“Did you hide her death from him?”
“Nope, he found out everything at once.”
“But why did I find everything out now?” Raquelle wonders loudly, breathing heavily enough, and makes a quiet sob. “Why did you all lie to me?”
“I swear your grandfather, aunt, grandmother and I wanted to tell you the truth and didn’t even think of hiding it. But we needed time. Time to get ready somehow.”
“But instead of that, you chose to lie! You wanted to lie to me insolently!”
“I do repeat, we just didn’t want to hurt you.”
“You didn’t want to hurt me?” Raquelle wonders with tears in her eyes. “Did you think I would quietly and carelessly if I thought everything was fine?”
“No, but…”
“What about divorce? Why did Mom and Dad want to get divorced?”
“I swear I tried to prevent that divorce! Your aunt Alicia tried to help somehow. Your grandmother Tiffany and grandfather Timothy did not stay aside. We all tried to save their marriage! But your parents were headstrong and decided to get divorced.”
“I knew something wasn’t right about them. Knew!” Raquelle sniffs quietly. “They always fought and screamed at each other for the reason.”
“Sadly, it happens, sweetie,” Frederick notices. “Sometimes people can’t live together and decide to break up.”
“But why did they want to break up? Why?”
“We don’t understand it, either, honey. Your mother and father started to fight suddenly. Nothing presaged trouble. They seemed very happy.”
“And you all lied to me about fights. You lied insolently! I asked why Mom and Dad were fighting, but you all said it wasn’t the truth.”
“Sorry, Raquelle, but you’re too little to know these things.”
“Stop thinking I’m a little girl!” Raquelle demands loudly. “Stop! Stop thinking I understand nothing, see nothing and seriously believe in your lie about my mother and father living a good life.”
“Listen, sweetie…”
“How long were you going to lie to me? How long? Tell me! How long?”
“Nobody was going to lie to you. We just wanted to wait for a while… To think how to tell you about the deaths of your mother and father.”
“You had no right to hide that from me. You did not have!”
“Raquelle, granddaughter…”
“Don’t say anything!” Raquelle starts nervously walking into the room with big steps. “Gosh… I can’t believe… I heard the lie all this time! You were pretending that everything was fine, but it was not actually the truth.”
“Sweetie…”
“Couldn’t you tell me the truth earlier? Why did you lie to me instead of that?”
“You’re little yet. You’ve got bad mental health. Not the one adult people have.”
“I am not a baby, grandfather!” Raquelle says loudly and confidently. “Stop treating me like a baby! I can already understand many things!”
“Sorry, Raquelle, I’m so sorry.”
“Gosh, I’ve got nothing to say…” Raquelle grabs her hair and shakes her head. “I don’t know how to keep living. I don’t know how to treat you!”
“We will get through this pain…” Frederick promises softly with sadness in his eyes. “Your grandfathers and grandmother are by your side and would surely help you.”
“Seriously?” Raquelle sniffs quietly. “Do you think it is possible? Do you think I will come to myself after what I just found out from you?”
“I know, but you might need a lot of time to do it. But please, don’t forget that we are all with you. We’re ready to support you and do our best to make your pain weaker.”
“Stop!” Raquelle shouts. “I want to hear nothing! Nothing!”
“Raquelle, please…”
“I am disappointed, grandfather Frederick. Very disappointed. Because you lied to me.”
“I couldn’t do anything else.”
“You could! You could do everything! But you did not want!”
“Grandfather, for God’s sake…”
“Alright, I do not want to talk to you anymore!” Raquelle says loudly and makes a quiet sob. “I do not want to see you! I do not want!”
“Don’t be shy about showing your emotions,” Frederick says softly. “If you wanna scream – scream. If you wanna be mad, be mad. I would completely understand it.”
“I do not even want to live with you!”
“What?” Frederick rounds his eyes.
“I don’t want! Don’t want! Don’t want! DO NOT WANT!”
Raquelle quickly runs away from the room with tears in her eyes, not letting Frederick, who gets sharply white from horror, say something.
“Raquelle, wait!” Frederick cries, getting up from the bed and deciding to follow Raquelle.
“Get off me!” Raquelle demands loudly.
“Honey, let me explain everything!”
“I SAID GET OFF ME! I DO NOT WANT TO SEE AND HEAR YOU!”
“For God’s sake, granddaughter, don’t do this to me. Raquelle! Raquelle, wait!”
But at this moment, Raquelle did not go to her room, but actually left home. Frederick sees the little girl sharply slammed the door and stops. The dumbfounded man puts his hand on his forehead, slowly exhaling, blaming himself for talking to the photo of Elizabeth and Jackson so loudly.
“She knows everything…” Frederick pronounces quietly. “Raquelle knows her parents are dead…”
Frederick runs his hands slowly over his face.
“Gosh, why did I do such a stupid thing?” Frederick blames himself. “Why did I not close the door? Why did I say it all aloud?”
Frederick glances at the photo of Elizabeth and Jackson lying on the bed.
“What do I do now?” Frederick wonders. “How would Raquelle take it all? Would she understand that Mr. Thompson, Mrs. Thompson, and Alicia hid the truth for her best? Would she understand we weren’t going to lie to her forever and just found a way to say it as softly as possible?”
Frederick sighs heavily.
“When’s she gonna accept this piece of news?” Frederick asks himself. “When?”
Frederick sits on the bed again, takes the photo of Elizabeth and Jackson, and presses it to his chest with sadness in his eyes, praying that Raquelle understands everything. However, he cannot even imagine how much he would have to worry about his granddaughter, who ran away from home with tears in her eyes and went to nobody knows where.
***
Raquelle sighs heavily with sadness in her eyes.
“On the other side, I understand why Grandfather was silent,” Raquelle adds thoughtfully. “He just didn’t want to hurt me and didn’t know how I would accept it or whether I would find the strength to keep living. He didn’t know how to tell me my mother and father would never come back home.”
“I was also shocked when I found out about the death of my grandmother,” Natalia confesses. “Who I always got on well with. Who I found my close person. I was also almost a baby at that time.”
“And how did you accept it?”
“I cried a lot and couldn’t believe my close person died. But little by little, I accepted that and kept living.”
“You can just accept the loss. But you can never forget the pain caused by the death of your close person. The memories of them will not also die and will break your heart if you want to remember them.”
“At least, my parents didn’t hide why they were so upset, and my mother cried a lot.”
“Sometimes I think if I hadn’t heard Grandfather Frederick saying about my parents’ deaths on that day, he would’ve never told me that.”
“No, I don’t think so. Early or late, Mr. Cameron would’ve told you all the truth. He understood you would find out everything.”
“I don’t know, Natalia, I doubt it.” Raquelle drinks some cappuccino from her cup and swallows a piece of the cake. “But somehow, Grandfather confessed that he went to a psychologist to consult with them. To take it and find out how to help me take that hard time.”
“I don’t know, but if I were instead of him, I wouldn’t hide the truth from a baby,” Natalia replies thoughtfully. “I would try to explain everything in a soft way and let them know I’d always be by a child’s side.”
“If I had to tell my children something like this, I would also hide nothing. Because any person has a right to know even such terrible things.”
“Maybe, because I found out about the death of my grandmother’s husband, and my family supported me, I took that piece of news easier than you took the news about the death of your parents.”
“I guess you’re right…” Raquelle shakes her head, sighs heavily with sadness in her eyes, and looks at Natalia. “I was mad at my grandfather ‘cause he lied to me and didn’t wanna tell the truth. It was hurt that I found out everything at the last moment.”
“I understand,” Natalia pronounces softly.
While Raquelle looks into the distance, Grace comes to them and places a cup of cappuccino and a plate of cake in front of Natalia, who ordered it.
“Sorry for making you wait,” Grace apologizes guiltily. “I should’ve served a couple of clients and helped my colleague.”
“It’s alright,” Natalia thanks with a slight smile. “Thanks, Grace.”
“If you want to order something else, I will be near.”
“I will pay you a little later.”
“Alright, call me when you are ready to do it.”
After throwing a gentle smile, Grace turns around and goes to do her business, leaving Raquelle and Natalia alone.
“Gosh…” Raquelle shakes her head. “It’s been so many years, but the pain hasn’t been gone. Everything literally happened yesterday. I still can’t accept it.”
“I understand you, friend,” Natalia pronounces, looking at Raquelle with sadness in her eyes and caressing her hand softly. “I understand how hard it is for you.”
“Maybe, I can’t almost remember my parents…”
Raquelle runs her hand through her hair, leaning on the surface of the table with her elbow, while Natalia drinks the hot cappuccino, being happy with the taste of it.
“But I’ve got some memories…” Raquelle confesses quietly. “I vaguely remember the love and care that they gave me. I remember some of our walks… We even walked together.”
“Did you know they were close to divorcing?”
“I guessed. Because I remember all of their fights and shouts.”
“How many photos of them do you have?”
“Grandpa has many photos. Thanks to them, I still remember my mother and father. I remember a lot of what was happening to us.” Raquelle looks at what’s happening with indifference in her eyes. “And now I would give much to know they are alive. I really wanna hug them… Say I love them… Ask them for a piece of advice…”
“You can always talk to them,” Natalia says softly. “Your father and mother can see and hear you.”
“Yeah, but I can’t see them. I can’t hold their hands and hug them. Every time I see their names on their graves, my heart is bleeding.”
“But their spirit will always be near you. It’s gonna help you. Protect you. Show you the right way. Your parents will never leave you.”
“I know…”
Raquelle sniffs quietly, getting very sad by this moment and not understanding how to eat half of the cake that she does not want to eat anymore.
“Don’t be upset, Raquelle, I’m begging you,” Natalia says softly, caressing Raquelle’s shoulder to comfort her a little. “You know that it’s madly hurtful for me to see you like this.”
“Sorry for starting to talk about my parents again,” Raquelle apologizes shyly. “But I need it. I need to talk about it with someone to feel a little better.”
“I understand it, friend. But if you need it, your parents will always help you. They do wish you the best, as well as your grandfather.”
“I know.”
“And if you asked them a question, they would surely give you an answer. Show you the right way that would bring you to something you’re dreaming about.”
“Thanks, Natalia…” Raquelle smiles shyly. “You always know what to say.”
“I just don’t wanna see you feeling so upset.”
“Sorry…”
“Don’t apologize, friend, it’s okay.”
“Thanks for always being by my side at the right place, at the right time.”
“I am always by your side if you need it.”
Raquelle says nothing and just smiles shyly and just holds Natalia’s hand for two seconds and caresses it softly. While a young gang goes by their table, being super busy talking about something that is definitely very important to them.
“Oh, okay, Cameron, stop whining!” Natalia pronounces cheerfully and drinks a little bit of cappuccino from her cup. “You got a little upset – that’s enough! Let’s not talk about it and think of bad things anymore!”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Raquelle smiles shyly. “I went on the wrong way.”
“We actually came here to eat something delicious and spend time together.”
“Sorry, sorry…” Raquelle sniffs quietly and carefully wipes tears off under her eyes. “I won’t do this. I promise. I will not do.”
“Okay, get all the bad things out of your head and focus only on good things,” Natalia insists. “Or you’re really gonna go crazy.”
“It’s my trauma that I’ve had to struggle with since childhood.”
“I completely get it, but don’t think about it, and don’t touch your wounds.”
“Yeah, you’re right… I don’t wanna be sad and think of the bad things.”
Raquelle sniffs quietly.
“At least, when I got a chance to spend time with my best friend,” Raquelle cracks a slight smile.
“Excellent then!” Natalia exclaims with a shy smile and swallows up a small piece of the cake. “You apparently got too upset. Let’s better eat this incredible cake and drink cappuccino. Okay, I will have some fun before starting a strict diet.”
“Yes, let’s talk about something else. Talk about something nicer than my childhood traumas.”
“First, I will tell you one story that happened to me in Italy. To your information, it’s about one of those Italian guys I managed to meet.”
“So, what happened?”
“In short, listen! The case is…”
Natalia tells the story that happened to her when traveling around Italy, making Raquelle’s mood a little better and helping her stop thinking of bad things. The girls spend a lot of time talking about the trip to the country where the blonde was for one month. They discuss the amazing beauty of Italy, hot Italian men, delicious food, and the incredible architecture of every single city that Natalia visited.
Although Raquelle distracts from sad thoughts, she does know that there will be a moment when she starts to think of her late parents again. Yes, it’s been very many years, but the brunette is still worried about everything that happened in the past. The case is not only about the death of her father and mother. The case is about everything that happened in her childhood years. Anyway, all of that gave her great pain and a deep wound that has not been gone yet.
Natalia knows it well and tries to support her best friend, even if she understands her childhood trauma is too strong. Anyway, she always finds words to support Raquelle and help her feel a little better, and she never refuses to listen to her if the girl wants to tell her something. However, the brunette does not tell everyone about her problem. Only her closest people know it. Someone like her best friend or her grandfather. They are the only people, with whom she could trust her greatest secrets, share what she is worried about, and tell much more than usual.
However, Raquelle and Frederick try to talk about what happened to Elizabeth and Jackson many years ago as rarely as possible. It’s madly hurtful for the man to think about it, but his wounds have not also been gone forever, and let him know about them when he starts to call the memories of those people. So, he tries not to mention it in talks and not to spend too much time thinking he has only his granddaughter after the death of his only son.
***
It’s about nine o’clock. Raquelle and Natalia talked about everything possible and ate what they ordered with pleasure. Some people came to them several times to ask for the autograph of their favorite model and take a couple of photos with her. Someone noticed that the girl had a bad mood, but she preferred to be silent and said everything was okay, making herself put on a gentle smile. Being busy with the talk, the friends, did not notice how fast time flew. But at some moment, they decided to leave this place. So, they take their purses and quietly leave the café, where they spent two amazing hours.
“Are you okay?” Natalia asks softly, putting her hand on Raquelle’s shoulder.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Raquelle nods.
“Listen, maybe, I should drive you home? Or at least, go after you to make sure nothing happens to you?”
“No, Natalia…” Raquelle moves her sad eyes into the distance. “Don’t do… Go home.”
“What about you?” Natalia rounds her eyes. “I am worried about you.”
“Don’t do, friend, I am alright.”
“How are you gonna drive your car when feeling like this? I don’t want you to crush something and get in a car accident!”
“It’s gonna be okay, Natalia…” Raquelle starts nervously pulling a sleeve of her raincoat she just put on. “Besides, I don’t wanna go home now.”
“What do you mean you don’t want?” Natalia opens her eyes widely.
“I wanna walk a little. Breathe in the fresh air. Stay along with my thoughts.”
“Are you crazy?”
“I will leave my car somewhere and walk on my feet.”
“But where are you gonna go when it’s almost a night?”
“I dunno, Natalia.”
“Gosh, Raquelle, did you check your watch?” Natalia points at the watch she is wearing on her left hand with horror in her eyes. “It’s more than nine o’clock!”
“And what?” Raquelle shrugs.
“What do you mean? Do you know how many criminals are walking now? You might become a very good victim!”
“Now it’s not a deep night yet. So, I can walk a little.”
“Listen, Cameron, do you really wanna ask for trouble and run into a sick person?”
“I don’t want, but…”
“Don’t do stupid things and go back home now! You shouldn't walk in the city at this time.”
“Don’t worry, Natalia, it’s gonna be alright,” Raquelle smiles shyly.
“You should’ve come back home a long time ago. And we should’ve met at the different time. Not before a night. But I missed you so much that I didn’t think about it.”
“Natalia…”
“Oh, listen, Raquelle…”
Natalia puts her hand on Raquelle’s shoulder.
“Your grandfather is probably worried about you,” Natalia adds softly. “He can’t calm down. What if he thinks something happened to you.”
“He knows I’m spending time with you,” Raquelle replies quietly. “Before leaving, I left a note for my grandfather, so he doesn’t worry and knows why I’m not home.”
“So, when did you promise to be back?”
“I wrote nothing.”
“Okay. But you should come back home right now.”
“I’m no longer a little girl to tell him about everything.”
“Do you wanna make the old man worried?”
“I will go home soon. But first, I wanna walk around the city a little. To think. To calm down.”
“But, Raquelle…”
“I’m gonna be fine!” Raquelle pronounces with a slight smile. “Don’t worry about me. I will walk a little and go home.”
“Are you sure it’s gonna be a little?”
“I am sure. I promise.”
Natalia says nothing and exhales sharply with closed eyes.
“Well, okay, do what ya think is right,” Natalia replies quietly. “But, please, be very careful. I’m begging you. Don’t make your grandfather and me nervous.”
“It’s gonna be okay,” Raquelle nods with a slight smile.
“I will be worried until you’re back home.”
“Don’t do. Better go home yourself. Your mother and father are probably worried about you.”
“Okay…” Natalia cracks a slight smile. “I will go home then… Or my parents are really gonna be worried about me… If only they aren’t now…”
“I will call you tomorrow,” Raquelle promises. “Talk on the phone or go to each other’s home.”
“Okay, deal.”
Natalia and Raquelle take each other in a tight hug and share an amicable kiss on the cheek.
“Good luck, friend,” Natalia smiles shyly. “Don’t walk for too long, and come back home soon.”
“I will not,” Raquelle nods.
“Don’t make your grandfather worry.”
Two seconds later, Natalia turns around and comes slowly to her small red car that is placed in front of Raquelle’s one. The girl unlocks it with the key, gets into this one, puts her little purse on the passenger seat, starts the motor, and slowly presses the gas pedal, leaving the café where she was with her friend some time ago and going on a free road lighted up with streetlamps.
Raquelle watches Natalia with sadness in her eyes until the blonde’s car hides somewhere. After this, she looks into the distance for some time, not thinking about what to do or where to go. But then the girl sighs quietly, deeply and slowly comes to her car, unlocks it, sits on the driver seat, gets the key lazily in the switcher, leaves the parking lot quietly, and goes on the free road. Because she does not want to go home right now, she decides just to drive in the city in silence and try to look for a place to walk a little and think about something.
***
Some time later, after driving on the highway with no goal, Raquelle ends up not far from a beach where there is nobody now. But in the daylight, there are usually many people, who have fun, swim, and tan. The endless ocean, soft, light sand under the legs, and an amazing view of almost the whole city. That’s what anyone, who wishes to come here, sees. The girl actually loves this type of place and knows some places where she could go to walk a little and put her mind in order.
After leaving her car somewhere on the road and locking it with a key, Raquelle comes closer to the water and starts walking on the beach in a slow step, enjoying the sounds of the breeze that brings up and brings away big waves. It’s possible to see a bunch of stars in the sky, which are seen just because there are no clouds, and the city is lighted up with colorful lights that are seen from afar.
Raquelle has always loved watching the night city. It seems to be so beautiful and mysterious at this time. But in the evenings, she gets a little sad. She gets obsessed with some negative thoughts, which deprive her of the good mood she had in the morning. The past does not still want to let her go, and it hurts her even many years later. It often lets her know about it and makes her suffer in one or another way.
It’s one of the reasons why Raquelle cannot really be happy, even if she has reached much and is now surrounded by the care of her close people and not deprived of the love of her fans, who truly admire her and aim to imitate her idol somehow. She would really like to forget everything that bothers her, but she cannot do this yet. When staying alone, Raquelle often thinks of everything and asks herself why it’s all happening.
“Gosh, how I wish I could forget everything that happened many years ago…” Raquelle thinks, watching the wind bringing up and away big waves with sadness in her eyes. “The past is holding me tight and not letting me go. It has been doing it to me for many years. And I can do nothing with it. I can’t come back to the past and do something for everything to be otherwise.”
Raquelle sighs heavily.
“I can’t bring my parents back…” Raquelle thinks. “I can’t do anything for them to be near me. I can’t do anything for nobody to humiliate me and hurt me in childhood. I can’t forget everything I had to hear for many years. I can’t fix everything by just waving a magical wand. But I would change everything if I wanted. I really wanna pretend that it’s never happened. I didn’t have to get through those difficulties. Which are the reason why I could be crying in my room for hours. Asking myself why it happened to me. But I still can’t find out why. I haven’t been able to find an answer for ages.”
Raquelle sighs heavily again and looks around the place where she is being at.
“Everything was alright somehow,” Raquelle thinks with sadness in her eyes. “I clearly remember there was light and happiness at our home. My mother and father were happy, and I was loved by everybody. Nobody treated me badly. But then everything suddenly changed! My parents’ fights… Their death… Tears of my grandfathers and my grandmother… Sadness in the eyes of my aunt… My perfect word was literally ruined. It was ruined forever…”
Raquelle shakes her head with sadness in her eyes.
“Why did that happen to me?” Raquelle wonders. “God, why was it me? What did I do? What kind of sins do I have to pay for? Why did You take my parents away from me? What’s their fault? What did they do? Give me the answer! What does it all mean?”
Raquelle moves her eyes down.
“I still can’t feel truly happy, even if I really want to be,” Raquelle thinks. “Nobody but my close people know that everything is not as good in my life as it seems. Because of those events. Because of the shadows of the past… Because of the past, I will hardly forget everything someday. No matter how many years are gone. No matter what happens to me.”
Raquelle swallows up nervously.
“Not just me…” Raquelle thinks. “Grandpa Frederick hasn’t also let it go yet. I do know it. He also keeps suffering and can’t take the death of my parents. Yes, we don’t often talk about it, but that’s the truth. Both of us can’t come to ourselves. And we would hardly find someone to help us find peace and stop living in the past. Start to live in the present.”
At some moment, Raquelle stops holding her emotions down and lets herself cry quietly, not caring about what may happen to her makeup.
“Mom, Dad…” Raquelle thinks with wet eyes. “Grandfather Timothy… Grandmother Tiffany… Why? Why did it happen? How do I break free of the chains of the past? Even being busy with my modeling career, I can’t fully give myself to my job, and I keep worrying at times.”
Raquelle sniffs quietly, carefully wipes off tears under her eyes, and sits on the sand in front of the ocean that brings up and brings away big waves.
“Please, help me…” Raquelle addresses her relatives. “Help me let the past go and focus on my future. On what’s waiting for me. On what I’m dreaming about. I’ve gotta get through this pain and stop thinking about what happened.”
Raquelle closes her eyes for two seconds.
“Please, give a sign that you’re near me,” Raquelle begs. “Let me know you’re near me even after your death. And would really help me when I needed it. I wanna feel your support and know you won't leave me. Please… I need you… Always… Even if everything is alright in my life. Even if there are moments when I’m very happy.”
Raquelle raises her head up with her wet, little red eyes and watches the sky for some time, as if she is looking for a sign or a message somewhere from heaven or the stars shining brightly in the sky.
“I love you…” Raquelle confesses. “Very much. And I will never forget it. Even if some memories were erased with time. Even if I can’t easily call any memories of everything you and I got through.”
A few seconds later, Raquelle sees one of the stars that begins literally blinking at her. And she believes this is a sign of the fact that her late relatives can actually hear her and let her know their spirit is always near her.
It makes the girl smile shyly through tears and get hope that her parents, grandmother, and grandfather will do their best to help her and do everything so she does not suffer and does not feel lonely. So she finally forgets all the bad things that happened to her one beautiful day and focuses on something good that’s waiting for her somewhere in the future.
ns 15.158.61.6da2
