What was it like? Vince and I had been friends since the beginning of Freshman year (we were nearing the end of Sophomore year at the time) and my friends always said we had a "flirtationship."

I must admit I had sort of a crush on him when we first met and it was rumored that he was planning to ask me to homecoming but chickened out. So whatever we had never amounted to anything. Just hanging out. That time we watched the football game was one of my most vibrant memories of Vince. Of course I hadn't seen him since I moved to New York City two years ago.

We promised we'd keep in touch (doesn't everyone?) but the last phone conversation we had was a few weeks after I moved, and it ended with him saying "talk to you tomorrow." But he didn't. Then again, neither did I.

All these thoughts were running through my head as I crossed the street Friday morning corner a few blocks away from my audition and spotted a familiar face on a nearby billboard screen.

Whatdya know, it's...
The traffic light changed.
Wait, is that....
Everyone starts walking
No, it's not...
Halfway across
It couldn't...
Almost there
Is it?

And as I went to look back for a fifth time the screen changed to an add for red lipstick.

I felt myself become slightly light headed, so I stopped at a hot dog stand to get a bottle of water.

Listen, I thought to myself as I took a sip of water. You have to be on your A game for this audition. So whatever it is you think you saw, snap out of it.

But despite what I tried to make myself believe, I knew exactly what I saw.
______________

I was sitting in the quiet room, waiting for my name to be called when the startling sound of the Mr.Softie theme song blared from my purse.

I fumbled for my phone and apologized profusely to the other people in the room before jogging to the bathroom to answer it.

"Hello-" I started before I was immediately cut off.

"Raelynn!" Luna exclaimed so loud I had to pull the phone away from my ear. Luna was one of my only friends from back home that I kept in touch with. We call, text, and FaceTime on a daily. Plus, her dad lives in New York so she's down here twice a month.

"Jesus, Luna!" I whisper shouted, not sure if anyone else was in here. "I was in the waiting room when you called me." Once I decided I was alone, I put my phone on speaker and set it on the sink. I began to ruffle my hair.

"Don't tell me you still have that stupid ringtone," she groaned.

I laughed. "I like the look people get when they hear it. You'd be surprised at how excited grown men get for ice cream."

"I refuse to discuss this any further."

"Okay, okay," I surrendered. "Hey! You'll never guess what! So earlier when I was walking to my audition I saw this billboard-"

"Omg! Your audition! How'd it go?" Luna interrupted.

"Oh, well, I actually didn't go yet. That's what I'm waiting for."

"Well I know you're gonna crush it!"

"Thanks, Luna, but I'm not holding my breath. It's my first runway show audition. All I've ever done before is magazine shoots and stuff," I confessed, biting my thumbnail.

"That doesn't matter! Once they get a taste of that Raelynn Monroe flare they're gonna be begging you to do their stupid show!" Luna assured.

"Well, it's not stupid, actually. It's Calvin Klein so it could really-"

"Give your modeling career the push it needs and blah blah blah," she interrupted (again). "Listen Rae, my intro to philosophy class is starting soon so I gotta go. Ugh, you're so lucky your parents didn't force you into college."

They tried, actually. I was supposed to start college this year but I told them I wanted to take a year off to focus on my career. My parents didn't approve of this decision, but they didn't have much a choice since I didn't get accepted into any colleges because I missed so many days in high school for auditions and photo shoots and stuff.

"A burden off my shoulders," I replied with a laugh.

"Anyway, tell me how it goes later."

"Of course I will," I promised. "Bye!"

"Good luck!" she wished before hanging up.

I put my phone back in my purse and took a deep breath as I looked in the mirror.

"You're going to need it," I heard a voice say from one of the stalls.

"Pardon?" I replied.

The toilet in the stall flushed and a girl with long blonde hair wearing a red romper walked out.

"I said you'll need the luck," she reiterated as she walked toward a sink and began to wash her hands.

"And you are?" I asked, still confused and offended.

"Cassidy Winters," she replied. "Modeling extraordinaire. And you're Raelynn, as I presume from your rather loud phone conversation."

"Right..." I said in annoyance. "Um, were you in there the whole time?"

"Lady troubles," she shrugged as she turned off the water. "You know what it's like. Or do you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, no offence sweetie, but your like, what, 10?" Cassidy asked degradingly as she dried her hands with a paper towel.

"I'm almost 18," I corrected her as I rolled my eyes.

"Aw, just a baby," she said as puffing out her lips. "Hate to break it to you, but they're looking for a real model, not some amateur."

"They need 12 models, I think I have a pretty good chance," I argued, crossing my arms.

"Wow, you really are clueless," she snickered as she looked in the mirror. "They say they need 12 models when in reality they already have most of them picked."

"Then why did they hold an audition?" I questioned. She began to touch up her hair.

"Well, rumor has it they're looking for one new model. You know, a fresh face to shake things up a bit," she pulled out a pink lip gloss tube and started to apply it. "Not that that really helps you."

"And why is that?" I asked with an attitude.

She rubbed her lips together then turned toward me. "Cause that model is going to be me." Those words left my jaw agape.

Seeing the affect she had on me, Cassidy smirked as she closed her lip gloss and said, "Sorry Rae Rae. But hey, I hear they're always looking for new models at Sears, maybe you should try there. Toodles!" then waved and walked out.