Ariella glided gracefully down the school hall, new, improved, and totally unforgettable. Heads turned and eyes fastened to her dress tighter than the brooch pinned to her hip. She felt like a star. Now it was time to act like one.

"Being a fashion designer is such a fabulous life. The cool parties on the yacht, the red carpets, and the screaming fans. It's what we glamorous people like to call 'The Good Life.'" She flipped her boa over her shoulder and smacked a guy in the face. "Sorry!"

"Cut." Mae brought down her camera and looked at Ariella like she was the one with a mouthful of feathers. "What are you doing?"

"Was the accent too much?"

"It's all too much," Mae said, gesturing toward Ariella's getup. "Why are you saying all that stuff that isn't true? The only red carpet you've ever been on had a punch stain on it."

So maybe she was exaggerating a little. If a little meant shooting for an Oscar. The media made up stories all the time. If everything in the news were true, aliens would have taken over the world by now. Along with the zombie apocalypse.

"This is what people want to see. Someone who lives a life of luxury." Ariella lifted her arms to exude an air of grandeur but instead staggered in her two inches too high heels. She quickly regained her balance before the punch wasn't the only thing that took a spill.

"But you don't live a life of luxury. You are nothing like this."

That was sort of the point. If everyone knew that Ariella was just a normal girl living a normal life, they would lose interest. The public loved extraordinary people like Torin. Without all the larger than life stories and flashy outfits, Ariella was just extra ordinary. She didn't want to let her fans down.

"If I want people to remember me, this is who I'm going to have to be from now on."

"The people deserve to know the truth. But if you'd rather live a lie, I'm going to have to find my story elsewhere." Mae turned off her camera and walked away.

She wouldn't, Ariella thought. Would she?

***

Will Ariella's over the top story make the cut, or get cut? Stay tuned to find out!

-Love, Charly