- for the future that's beginning to look bright.

✰ ✰ ✰

SEPTEMBER 7, 2018
3:44 PM

"Who the hell ate my food?" I yelled, slamming the refrigerator door shut. I walked into the living room and Shay and Trevor had their hands up, innocently.

"You better go talk to your little sister," Trevor said, pointing towards Zahra's room.

I rolled my eyes and marched to her room. I threw the door open and she looked up from her bed. "Ramon-"

"Did you eat my quesadilla?" I cut her off, angrily.

"Yes."

I groaned, tipping my head back in annoyance. "Really?!"

"I was hungry! And mom didn't want to make me lunch!" she defended.

I took a breath, calming myself down. "You know what? I forgive you."

She looked at me, surprised. "Really?"

"Yes. I'm turning over a new leaf," I told her, walking over to the bed and sitting next to her.

"Okay, who are you and where have you put my sister?" she asked.

"I'm right here and I'm better than ever," I announced, leaning back and putting my hands behind my head.

It was the truth. I felt so much better than I did five nights ago.

The day after, I called Cam and we cried together about it all. I even told her about James and she was so supportive and understanding. She kept repeating to me how much they deserved it and that I saved so many girls from being hurt. That mixed with the quote about starting new really pulled me out of the dark. There were some moments where I would feel guilty, but then I'd just remember Cam's words and assure myself it was for the better.

I know down the line the guilt will come back to crush me again, but right now I was good. That was all that really mattered.

"Looks like Cam is, too," RaRa said, holding her phone up to me.

"I'm happy she's having fun at her new job," I smiled as RaRa pulled her phone back. "At least I could pay her back in some way after burning her dress."

RaRa looked at me, confused. "Why did you burn her dress?"

Oh, fuck. I didn't tell RaRa what happened. Cam was the only one besides Oscar who knew. She was so young and she was worried about her friends and school, I didn't want to stress her out even further.

It was my burden to bear.

"Because it caught on fire at the party," I rushed out.

"What? How did it catch on fire there?" she asked.

"They had a guy there doing fire tricks and I was standing too close," I lied. I felt so bad. You might as well just rip up the Sister Pact into little pieces, Mona.

Her eyes widened. "Whoa! That sounds so cool! What kind of tricks was he doing?" she asked, completely interested in the make believe story.

My phone began ringing and I looked at the caller ID to see it was Chris. I turned back to Zahra, "You know I would love to answer that question but gotta take this!"

I quickly hopped up from the bed and ran into the hallway, shutting the door behind me. I pressed accept and brought the phone to my ear.

"Chris, hey! What's up?" I asked, happily.

"Hey, Mona," he greeted, "Listen, there's an emergency meeting at DNA at four-thirty. Make sure you're there. It's about David's missing persons case."

A couple days ago Nicolette reported her brother missing and authorities had been on the look out for him since then. They even questioned everyone at the party, asking if we saw anything or if anyone seemed strange. I, of course, pretended I didn't have any idea what happened to him.

I nodded. "I'll be there."

"See you then. Goodbye."

"Bye."

The line went dead and I walked into my room, taking my keys and rushing outside to my motorcycle, waving bye to Trevor and Shay on my way out. I started it up and kicked the kickstand back before taking off down the road.

✰ ✰ ✰

SEPTEMBER 7, 2018
4:27 PM

I pulled into the DNA parking lot right before the meeting time. It felt so weird walking inside and down the same hallway I was in five nights ago with David's dead body. I hadn't been back since then and I underestimated how just seeing these same walls would bring back those haunting memories so clearly.

Everyone seemed to be going towards the auditorium we had just beyond the lobby. I followed the busy crowd of the usual business men and women along with their celebrity clients. So many well known faces that I had seen on TV and in magazines sat in the same room as me. Not even this many famous people were at the party. Everyone was here.

The auditorium was huge. It had five sections of eighteen rows and a balcony up top with the same ratios and almost every single chair was filled. The walls were a navy blue with a giant projector at the forefront and a podium next to it on the stage. I saw Tallula and Kalia sitting in the middle section and I weaved in and out of people, quickly swiping the seat on the other side of Tallula.

"Hey, guys," I greeted, sitting down.

Kalia looked over and smiled. "Aye, KKK! How you been?"

"More like how have you been? You were pretty fucked up the other night," I changed the subject.

"You ain't seen shit if you ain't seen me on Xanax," she winked, sitting back in her chair. "Just kidding. That shit is for white girls. Hey, have you ever taken it?"

"I'm black, actually," I corrected. She looked at me, confused. "My mom is black."

"Oh, shit," she laughed. "You're like one of those mixed people that get the unseasoned genes! So because your white parent had the more dominant chromosomes you come out looking white as rice, even though you got a little culture in you."

"I don't think you used the right vocabulary in that sentence," Tallula criticized, taking a swig from her water bottle.

Kalia waved her off. "Whatever. You know what I meant. Basically, Mona's dad's chromosomes fucked her over."

"His chromosomes aren't the only part of him that fucked me over," I scoffed, leaning back into my chair.

Tallula shook her head, disapprovingly. "That is definitely not the correct term."

"Hello, everyone!" a feminine voice came over the speaker. We all looked towards the front and saw Nicolette at the podium. There were a man in a suit as well as two cops standing alongside her. "Please take your seats. We're starting soon."

Everyone shuffled into the closest seat and I sniffed the air. "Does it smell like Vodka to you guys?" I asked, continuing to sniff.

"That's Little Miss Alcoholic over here," she nodded towards Tallula.

"I'm not an alcoholic!" Tallula defended. "I just knew I was going to need a drink to be able to sit through this shit."

Sadness washed over me again as I looked at the girl next to me. She didn't know I knew what David did to her. I wonder how she was feeling knowing he was missing. I wonder how she'd feel if I told her he was dead. I hoped she'd be relieved because I did plan on telling her soon. She deserved to know. Everyone of his victims did, but I couldn't tell them all.

"Okay, we're ready to start!" Nicolette said and the auditorium quieted down as we all looked at her. She cleared her throat and began, "I know with David's disappearance everything has been really hectic around here. Thank you all for bearing with me and our partners as we decided on what to do in this troubling time."

Her voice was breaking as she spoke and I could tell she was only moments away from crying. It was her brother after all. "David is still missing and these lovely detectives are still looking for him," she gestured to the two officers next to her. "But just because he isn't here doesn't mean DNA can shut down, so in his absence, I will be taking on his responsibilities and instead of Co-President, I will be acting as the full time President. Any problems, paperwork, or grievances come to me only and hopefully they'll find him soon," she broke into tears at the very end and the other man in a suit wrapped his arms around her and pulled her away from the podium as he stood behind it.

"For those of you who don't know me, I am Scott Richards, Nicolette's husband and one of DNA's agents," he introduced. "David is my brother in law and I want nothing more than for him to come home. I ask that if you know anything you consult with Detectives Jamenson and Rodriguez. We will continue to miss such an integral part of our agency, but we must make him proud by working hard to keep DNA up and running and successful. We grieve in his absence, but we work harder in his spirit. Thank you."

Everyone began clapping and Tallula began to gulp from her water bottle until it was empty. Kalia shook her head and mumbled, "Bunch of fucking idiots."

There was a short Q&A before everyone was dismissed. We all piled out of the auditorium. Some agents returned to their offices, some stayed outside to speak with their clients and some clients were just standing around speaking to each other. The last one applied to Tallula, Kalia and I who were standing outside in the parking lot as the crowd of people buzzed around us.

"Hey, you whores wanna go get some lunch?" Kalia asked, nodding towards us. She looked at Tallula. "Bitch, have you eaten anything today?"

Tallula looked at her, almost falling over as she shielded the sun from her eyes with her hands. "Does an iced coffee count?" she slurred.

Looks like the Vodka is finally kicking in.

"Yeah, you're definitely getting food with me," Kalia turned to me. "What do ya say, KKK? You joining us?"

I wanted to answer, but when I opened my mouth nothing came out. I was in pure shock. Kalia King - multiple time Grammy and Oscar winner - wanted to hang out with me. Can someone please just knock me out so I can make sure this is real?

She snapped her fingers in my face, pulling me out of my daze. "Hellooo? Are you in or not?" she asked.

I went to nod, but Chris approaching the group cut me off. "Hello ladies! How are we doing?"

"I'm hungry, she's drunk and she can't speak," Kalia filled him in, pointing to each one of us respectively.

"Interesting," he laughed. He turned to me. "I have some business to discuss with you."

"Like gig business?" I asked, hopeful.

He smiled wide and nodded. "Something like that, yeah."

I had to physically keep myself from screaming as I turned to the girls. "You guys can go without me. We can reschedule for another day."

"Okay, give me your number," she pulled out her phone and I listed off the digits as she typed them in. Kalia King has my number in her phone. She stuck it in her pocket before saying goodbye and wrapping her arm around Tallula's waist, pulling her away. "C'mon girl, you're finna drink hella water."

I laughed as she sat her inside of her (very expensive) car and slid in the drivers seat, honking and yelling at everyone to move out of her way as she exited the parking lot.

"So, I got you a modeling gig," Chris said and I engulfed him in a hug.

"Oh my God, I love you so much!" I screamed and he laughed.

I pulled away, a giant smile still planted on my face as well as his. "Love you, too, Mona, but don't you want to know what company it's for before you give me all the praise?"

I shook my head. "It wasn't necessary, but please tell me. Tell me, tell me, tell me!"

"It's for the clothing company Elysian Apparel - have you heard of them?" he asked.

"Yes! 'Feels like sunshine in your hands and sunshine on your back'," I quoted their catchphrase. "I'm very familiar."

"Good, it always helps to know about the company before going into the job. The pictures they take of you will appear on their social media posts for their new winter line as well as their website and they even got a two page spread in the newest issue of Teen Vogue. Your face is going to be seen by many people - future employers who will want your face on whatever they are selling."

This time I didn't try to hide my excitement as I jumped up and down. Chris laughed at me and when I finally calmed down I returned back to the conversation. "Where's the shoot?"

"It's an outside shoot because of the winter line. It'll be in Santa Monica. I'll send you the address. It's tomorrow at two-thirty, don't be late!" he reprimanded.

I nodded. "I'll be early. Trust me, I will not fuck this up," I promised.

"I believe you," he said before hugging me. We pulled back and he had a big smile on his face as he looked down at me. "You're going to do amazing."

"Thank you," I blushed.

Chris' support meant the world to me. The fact he believed in me wholeheartedly with just barely knowing me meant everything. I suddenly felt bad because he was investing so much into me and I literally killed his boss. If people found out his career would probably be over (or at least severely damaged) because of me. He didn't deserve that.

"I'll call you after and see how it went. I can't wait to see your face on their brand!" he said, happily. "I'll see you later, Mona."

"See you later," I gave him a small smile and he turned and disappeared into the crowd.

As I stared after him, I was starting to think maybe I was just like Oscar; a cloud of shit always following me and storming on everyone I came into contact with.

✰ ✰ ✰

SEPTEMBER 7, 2018
7:09 PM

I had Cam's location and saw she was at her mother's bakery, so I went directly there from DNA. As I rushed in I was surprised to see all the fam was there with her. They were all at a table sharing some kind of cake. Zahra instantly perked up as she saw me approach the table.

"What was the meeting about?" she asked as I sat at the end of the table betwen Ruby and Cam. "Was it about your missing boss?"

"Did they find him?" Jamal piped up.

I shook my head. "Nope, still missing." My eyes met with Cam and we gave each other a knowing look before I turned back to the kids. "But that's not what I'm here to talk about! Chris got me a modeling gig!"

"WHAT?!" all of them shrieked at the same time.

All except one of them.

"You're a model?" Olive questioned, clueless.

My eyes shot to her, annoyed. "I am now."

"I didn't know that," she said.

"Maybe because you don't know me," I fake-guessed and she frowned.

Cam kicked me under the table and I glared at her. She was always getting onto me about being nicer to her and I couldn't. I just didn't like her vibe. She seemed sneaky and she just wasn't like the others. She didn't fit in with them and the only reason she wiggled her way into the fam is because she was Ruby's 'cousin'.

I cleared my throat and retrained my thoughts. "Anyways, my first job is tomorrow. It's modeling for Elysian Apparel!"

"Oh my God, I love their clothes!" Olive stated, happily.

"Who asked you?" I snapped and she sunk back into her seat. Cam shot daggers at me and I shrugged.

"So will your face be on billboards and stuff?" Monse asked, excitedly from beside Cesar.

I shook my head. "No billboards, but it will be on their website, their social media and even in Teen Vogue!"

Everybody began chattering about how cool that was and I told them everything Chris told me. They were all super happy for me and their love and support made me feel super happy inside. Things were finally beginning to look up. It was only blue skies and light breezes from here on out.

I stayed with everyone for a couple hours as we just sat and talked. The fam filled me in on their high school lives so far and apparently there was a dance coming up that they were super excited about. Then, Cam talked about her job and all the amazing people she was meeting and all the designer friends she was making. I was super happy for her; she deserved this.

We talked way past sunset before everyone parted their separate ways. Jamal to his house, Olive and Ruby to Ruby's house, Monse to her's, Cam and her mom to their house and Zahra and I to our house.

When we arrived it was empty because Trevor was on another haul and Shay was staying late at her salon. Fridays were always super busy. Zahra stayed up with me for a little bit as we talked about tomorrow, but she eventually passed out on my bed around two.

As she was asleep next to me, I laid in my dimly lit room scrolling through Instagram. I hadn't checked it basically all day and when I came up on Kalia's post I smiled, scrolling through the comments.

Those girls were really something else.

✰ ✰ ✰

SEPTEMBER 8, 2018
3:03 PM

"Would you like some water, Miss Moore?" one of the assistants on set asked me.

I looked at her through my dressing room mirror and smiled. "Yes, please."

I turned around and grabbed it from her, thanking her before she exited my tent that was acting as my personal dressing room. They were still setting up the lights and cameras outside and I was about to get my makeup done. Then after that they were going to show me what outfit from the rack on the far side of the room they wanted me in first.

I was sitting in my robe at the vanity that had all kinds of makeup sitting neatly on it as I texted Zahra.

RaRa🎨
iMessage
Saturday, September 8th
3:03 PM

they just gave me
some water with lemon

ooooooooh
they fancy

lemon water is
fancier than regular water?

bitch, do u see water
with lemon at our house?

....no.

my point exactly.
we drinkin from the tap &
they got lead free water

wait, the sink water has
lead in it?

yes. u can't taste it?

BITCH NO.
fuck i'm supposed to
know what lead tastes like??
oh my god, they really tryna
poison us lower class mfs

i mean... lead is in
like most sink water

you've been spending
too much time with
ruby, smarty pants.

thats common knowledge
mona

OBVIOUSLY NOT BECAUSE
I DIDN'T KNOW IT

smh

My tent opening caught my attention and I saw a middle aged black lady that I recognized as the makeup artist. Her name was Danielle - she introduced herself to me as soon I got here. I locked my phone and tucked it away as she walked over to me.

"Aren't you just gorgeous?" she complimented, standing in front of me.

I smiled. "Thank you."

"It's a good thing because for today's shoot they're going for a raw, bare faced look," she told me, grabbing a primer. "It's to match the winter theme."

"Makes sense," I shrugged.

"I'm gonna give your hair that 'messy, but still cute' look," she said, beginning to mess with my loose hair, flipping it in all kinda of directions. "I can see why they chose you. You fit the image we were going for perfectly."

"What image is that?" I asked as she began to apply primer to my face.

"Real," she answered, simply.

"Look down at the flower! Right there! That's perfect!" the photographer, Ryan, instructed me.

We were on a street in Santa Monica. So many lights were trained on me to manipulate the lighting of the sun. I was in a half yellow-half jean jacket from their line along with some regular jeans and a simple t-shirt.

My hair was messy, like the wind got ahold of it and I never bothered to fix it. My face was bare besides a little foundation, mascara and the shading of my eyebrows.

We had been shooting for a couple of hours by now and this was my last outfit to model. I was honestly having so much fun with it. I felt comfortable in front of the camera. I always knew I belonged in front of one and that was obvious to the photographer and everyone else around set as they watched me model.

"Try holding the flower close to your face and look at the camera," he told me and I did so. "Stare into the lens like it's a soul, Ramona. Don't be afraid to be intimate. Feel with your eyes!"

I readjusted and did as he told me and he nodded. "Amazing! Just amazing!"

It took me some restraint not to laugh at his eagerness. I did a few more poses in a couple different locations before Ryan called for wrap.

I finally took a breath, twisting the yellow flower in my fingers as he walked over to me. "You did really great today, Ramona," he said.

"Thanks," I smiled.

"You really haven't done this before?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No. Not professionally, at least."

"You have a gift," he told me and I couldn't wipe the smile off of my fave even if I tried. "It was a pleasure working with you. I wish you well."

I said goodbye before returning to my dressing room. I changed back into my regular clothes and rode home on cloud nine. It was happening; it was here. I had finally made it. I got my dream.

I was so happy - so, so happy. But I couldn't submit to my joy completely because I couldn't stop thinking about Oscar - and how he couldn't relate.

-

∰

↓ kalia sitting through the meeting having to listen about david ↓

↓ drunk tallula falling down the stairs ↓