C H A P T E R F I V E

Abi's POV

"Bye, Chris! " I yelled out behind me, not waiting for a response.

I ripped open my backpack, pulling out my house keys. Fumbling with the keys, I finally managed to find the right one, and turned it to open the door.

Grabbing an apple, I sped up the stairs. I flung open the door to my room, to find Zora and Alicia chatting on my bed.

The sunlight pouring through the window perfectly glowed on the walls, the shadows and highlights complementing the colors that made up the room.

"Finally! I thought you ditched me!" Alicia exclaimed, exasperated.

"Hey, sis." Zora greeted, grabbing my apple.

"Hey! I was gonna eat that." I grumbled, as Sage strutted over, rubbing her cheek on my ankle.

Ugh, I love my cat.

"Well, if your going to be working in the model industry, your gonna have to be as skinny as you can get." Zora replied, shrugging, while I picked sage up.

"Uh, I have abs." I pointed out, stroking the cats sliver fur.

"Wait, really?" Alicia asked, intruiged.

I nodded. "Yep, track, basketball, and a ton of workouts. Coach can be a monster." I answered.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, can I help you guys get ready?" Zora pleaded. "I want to help you with the one thing you don't put effort into, which shows by the way."

"I know, right!" Alicia said. "She has so much natural beauty, she could look so pretty if she jus-"

"If I tried, yeah, I got that. Now, are you two gonna to keep criticizing my makeup choices, or can we get started?" I asked, rolling my eyes.

"Jeez, fine, lets go then" Alicia replied, laughing. "Oh, and yeah Zora, you can help."

"YESSS!" Zora said, punching the air in victory.

"Before you say anything to try to convince me." I started, putting Sage down so I could feed her, "I am not wearing a dress."

"Ughhh! Abi, dear, I know you hate dresses, but we ki-" Alicia lectured, but was cut off by Zora.

"Actually, I just got an idea." She was looking me up and down, like a detective searching a crime scene. "You look pretty good in the vintage shirt you got there." Zora complimented, pointing at the shirt.

"Wait, really?" I asked, surprised. Zora never compliments me, especially not on looks.

"Yeah!" She responded enthusiastically. "It's actually really cool how you can pull of vintage looks like that. So on that note..." She paused, rummaging through my closet.

"How about this?" She finished, holding out a vintage purple shirt with the word fighter written on it, along with a black skirt.

"That's your definition of vintage?" I asked, unimpressed.

"Whatever. Just wear it." she responded, flinging the outfit at me.

Angrily mumbling, I made my way over to my closet, closed the door and changed.

"Whoa, Zora was right, that looks great on you!" Alicia cheered when I walked out. "You really should dress up more often, you look great in skirts. "

"Seriously? But I can barely move in it!" I complained. It was true. I mean, I felt like I was in a mini cocoon or something. I preferred the freedom of being a caterpillar.

"I'll do your makeup, Alicia you can get changed now." Zora instructed.

"Jeez, who named you dictator?" I argued.

"I'm the experienced one here so shush and listen, kk?" She rebutted.

Groaning, I closed my eyes so she could do the eye shadow. Once they fluttered open again, I was actually amazed.

"Whoa, you did good sis!" I applauded. The purple brought out my eyes as well as the shirt, and the glitter added a secret touch to the whole outfit, finishing it off perfectly.

"Well, I didn't go to beauty camp for nothing." she chuckled, while Alicia came out fully changed. She wore a pink and white striped summer dress, white sandals, and a cool feathery necklace which gave off a tropical vibe.

"Uhh, why are you wearing a bathrobe?" I asked amused.

"Um, excuse me! This here is a very beautiful summer dress." she declared, her hand over her heart for a dramatic effect.

"Really?!? Shocking." I shot back laughing.

"Oooh your makeup is amazing! My turn!" She sang, rolling her eyes at how much of a child I was.

Laughing, we switched places so she was getting her eyes done, while I pulled on the same boots from before.

Time to dominate the model industry.

~THIRTY MINUTES LATER~

We finally stopped at a large white building, with the word Aurora across the top. It was quite large, and fairly secluded. All around it were thick, luscious trees And a giant fountain as a centerpiece. I craved the cool blue liquid spewing from it, hence the Texas heat.

If sure didn't look like an ordinary building.

"This is the place?" I asked while getting out of Zora's car, doubt evident in my voice.

"Yup." She replied, popping the P.

"Ooooh, I could get used to this place." Alicia practically sang.

I laughed, shaking my head at her excitement.

We waved Zora off, and walked into the luxurious building.

This was NOT in my comfort zone whatsoever.

My eyes wandered along the walls of the building once we made our way in, the cool air smacking me in the face.

I admired the pictures hung up on the wall. Each photo was taken perfectly, the angles, light, colors, and shadows comforting the eye.

"Hello, girls! What can I do for you?" A nice lady sitting at the desk asked. She had thick golden hair, and glasses propped up on the arch of her nose.

"Hi! We're here for the interview." Alicia exclaimed, obviously excited.

"Great! Follow me." she instructed.

She led us through a moderate sized hallway, into a large room with lights, cameras, a stage, and endless racks of clothes.

A tall, handsome man stood in the middle of the room, sorting through the racks of clothes.

"Mr. Ford! These ladies are here to interview." she clapped.

"Hmm." He muttered, studying Alicia.

It creeped me out how it was normal to stare at people like that here, but there's no turning back now I guess.

"Not bad."

He switched his gaze from my friend to me, while Alicia shot a grin my way. I returned the smile, while switching my focus back to Mr. Ford.

I put my confident face on. I hate it when I can't do something, and especially when people can tell. Fashion was definitely not my forte, and I wasn't about let him know that.

When his eyes landed on me, his expression completely changed. He scrunched up his eyes brows, like I was a math problem he had to figure out. Later, his mouth formed a smirk, and he lifted an eyebrow.

"You know, I can't quite put my finger on it, but you're something quite special aren't you?" He said, before turning to the lady. "Bring in Drew Siena. And Lola as well."

Haha... what?

"On it sir!" She responded, pulling a phone out from her back pocket. She scrolled through it before clicking on the screen and putting the device up to her ear.

"Hello? Yes Drew, Mr.Ford..." She started, but walked away until I couldn't hear her anymore.

Alicia turned at me, her eyes wide. "Go Abi! " she mouthed. I chuckled.

"So, tell me about yourselves, girls." Mr. Ford ordered sternly.

"Well." Alicia started enthusiastically. "I'm five foot six, I play volleyball, and I love rap music." She answered. "I have a pet chinchilla."

"Wonderful! And your name?" Mr. Ford asked.

"Oh, it's Alicia, sorry!" She answered, gracefully facepalming.

Now I've seen it all.

Mr. Ford turned to me, once again, chuckling. "Your turn."

"So, Name's Abigail Syger, but you can call me Abi." I waited for him to nod, and continued. "I'm five foot four, I can play two instruments, I run track and play basketball, I've got a cat named Sage, and let's just say I'm more fighter than princess." I finished, smirking on the last fact.

"Feisty. I like it." He added with a snigger.

"I'm here, what do you want?" An impatient voice echoed.

We turned our heads toward the entrance of the room, only to be greeted by a cold looking boy and a girl. The boy looked around our age, while the girl looked a bit older. They glared down at us in an effort to intimidate us.

Ha, I ain't going down that easy.

I glared right back at him, earning myself a surprised look from the boy.

"Thanks for coming guys. We got some new models here, and we wanted you to meet them." He said bluntly.

"Oh, kk!" The girl said cheerfully, strutting towards us. She was wearing a lime green halter top, paired with a black skirt. "Lola." She greeted, sticking her hand out towards us.

"Alicia." my friend greeted professionally, while I took a more casual approach.

"Abigail, call me Abi."

"Nice meeting you two!" She exclaimed. She reminded me of Goldilocks from orchestra.

Fake sweetness, but more sincere than Goldilocks.

"Drew, come say hi!" She ushered, while he slowly made his way over.

"Drew Koceap." he sighed, shaking both of our hands.

His eyes stayed on me for an extra second or two.

Creepy.

He stepped back and stood next to Lola facing Mr. Ford.

"So, what levels are you guys thinking?" He asked them.

The two models looked at each other and shrugged. "Let's test them." Drew suggested. Lola nodded, grabbing two outfits off the rack and handing them to us.

Alicia got a navy blue and white striped button up shirt and some ripped jeans, while I was handed a red romper and white flower crown. I frowned at the red in my hands. It clashed with my eye color, as well as my eye shadow.

We soon got changed and walked out of the changing area also located in this room.

Alicia looked surprisingly only okay in her outfit. Her body was more fit for fancier clothing, so I bet she felt real uncomfortable. Her bright fuchsia eyes went pretty good with her outfit though.

"Hmm." Drew uttered, analyzing Alicia. "Level three." He finally said. "Agreed." Lola added.

She looked at me confused, while I just shrugged. Noticing our uncertainty, Mr. Ford came in with an explanation.

"You see, there are five levels here at Aurora." Her explained. "You made level three, which is pretty good. Around average, but a little higher I suppose"

"Got it." Alicia replied, trying to stay calm. I could tell she was freaking out inside.

I turned my attention away from my thoughts and back to reality, to find the models inspecting me this time. Growing impatient, I started to tap my foot on the floor, softly humming along to the rhythm it created.

"Level four." Drew finally said. Mr. Ford and Lola looked at him, clearly debating whether his answer should be final. "I think she should be a level five." Lola suggests. "I picked the red because red and purple clash, but on her, the red just makes her purple more prominent. She also seems to look good in many different styles of clothing."

"But we have to take into consideration the amount of experience she's had. I doubt either of them have dabbled in anything model related." Drew argued.

"But just look at her Drew." Lola pleaded, as all eyes turned to me. "You can tell she's confident in herself."

Analyzing Each answer, Mr. Ford finally made his decision "Level five it is. Congrats for making the highest level Abigail."

"Thanks" I said, smiling. I wasn't all that excited though, I was actually kinda dreading it. Level five meant harder stuff, and I was the kind of girl who could barely go a week without wearing mismatched socks.

"Here" Siena, the lady who greeted us from before said, handing each of us a sheet of paper. On it was a long list of names and phone numbers. "These are the people in your levels" She explained. "Try to get to know them, and use the code at the bottom to join the group chat "

"Got it, thank you" I thanked.

After changing back into the clothes we walked in with, the six of us walked out of them room, working our way back to the entrance. I called Zora for a ride back home, and now Alicia and I waited outside.

I fingered some notes on my thumb, pretending it was my violas finger board. Since I came here to Aurora, I wouldn't have enough time to practice when I got home. A few seconds later, Drew and Lola walked out of the building as well. Lola waved to us, and walked off towards the east, until she disappeared from view. Alicias eyes were glued to her phone, her forehead creased in concentration.

How much longer are you gonna take to get here??? I texted Zora. I was bored out of my mind, and tired nonetheless.

I'll be there in five more minutes, chill 🙄 she replied immediately.

Sighing, I slouched back against the outer building wall. It was evening now, the sky a paler blue which was slowly starting to blend into a purple. I could faintly make out the outline of the moon. It was barely visible, as if it was deciding wether it should come out of hiding or disappear all together.

"Hey. Abigail." A voice echoed to my left.. I craned my neck to the in that direction, to find Drew. "Abi." I corrected. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, I need to talk to you for a sec." He was only about two inches taller than me, but not as short as Liam, who was about my height. His jawline was incredibly defined, and his amber eyes shone in the evening atmosphere. "yeah sure, what's up?"

Just then, Zora's car entered my vision. Alicia eagerly got in, while I was stuck out here with pretty boy. I motioned for her to wait a few minutes, before aiming my focus back to the boy in front of me. "Make it quick though, I gotta go soon." I added.

Nodding, he started. "You ever modeled before?"

I shook my head, as a I knew it look plastered itself upon Drew's face. "You know, your a good actor." He looked me strait in the eyes before continuing. "But don't get overconfident. Know your place and stick to it." His words aggravated me. I wasn't overconfident. Heck, I wasn't Even one bit confident. But I had to look confident. Intimidation is key to winning. And I don't lose.

"Listen here Amber eyes." I stated, crossing my arms for effect. "I do know my place, and I do know my abilities, and might I remind you that you don't know me. Talk about overconfident."

He stared at me, speechless. I smirked, just to get him more on edge. Suddenly, a notification dinged from both our phones. We whipped them out the same time, unlocking them to view it.

It was a text from Dallas, but in a new group chat that hadn't existed before. Including me, there were six people in the chat, though the only ones In my contacts were Chris and Dallas.

Meet at Bluebonnet park at midnight, don't ask questions. Be there. It read. The message was really strange, scary almost, But I trusted Dallas.

Uhhhh okay? Chris replied.

Got it. An unknown person Responded.

"K" I simply returned, and as soon as I pressed send, Drews phone buzzed. We looked up at each other suspiciously. I shrugged it off, twirling around and walking off in the direction of my ride, but not before hearing Drew scoff. Ugh, I hate him already. I got in the passenger seat, closing the door behind me harder than needed.

"So, what'd he say? " Alicia asked, looking up from her phone at last.

"Ugh he's such an prick" I answered, scrunching up my eyes brows in frustration.

"He's cute though" She said, shrugging. I scoffed at her reply. "trust me, he's a conceited idiot"

Shrugging again, she popped he headphones in and I did the same, trying as hard as I could to get amber eyes out of my head.

~BACK AT THE SYGER'S HOUSE~

Once we got home, I ate dinner and skipped up to my room. Usually I shake these types of arguments off, but this one just stuck with me. I just don't get why I can forget every other quarrel but this one. Whatever I thought, walking into my room. As I closed the door behind me, I found Zora lying on my bed.

"Whoa! You know you have your own room, right?" I joked, sitting down next to her.

"I was waiting for you" She said, motioning for me to come sit closer to her. I did, and she pointed to her phone screen. "I just got this app. Everyday it gives you a quote, a saying, or just advice on how to get through you day, or a prediction of your day itself. It's based on your zodiac sign" She said, "oh cool. Lemme see" I said, taking the device from her.

"Mine was, think for once " She grumbled, as I burst out laughing. "Oh my god I need to try this." I said, as she instructed me where to click to get mine. "Gemini:" I said, reading aloud. "If you cant get someone out of your head, maybe their supposed to be there." My mind immediately drifted to Drew. Ugh, no way was he supposed to be there.

"Hmm, anyone been on your mind today?"She asked.

"Just that goon" I replied, rolling my eyes.

"Ooooo"she said wiggling her eyebrows as I sighed. "I ship it!" She clapped excitedly.

"Oh come on!" I groaned. "First Dallas, and now him? You haven't even seen nor met the guy!" I argued.

"I have. The dude's instagram famous you know" She informed me.

"Whatever, he's annoying" I said stubbornly. Then, The memory of Dallas's mysterious text crossed my mind. I needed cover if I was gonna sneak out.

"Hey sis, can you do me a favor?" I asked, trying to look as desperate as possible.

"Depends" She said raising an eyebrow. "What is it?" I shoved my phone towards her, as she read over the messages. "Cover for me?"

"Are you sure you'll be alright? Not much info here." She asked concerned. "Yeah" I nodded. "It's Dallas, I've known the guy since the end of elementary he still gives me mysterious vibes. I'll be fine, I trust him. He's super protective anyway, he won't let anything happen." She nodded back handing me my phone. Leaving my room, she went back to hers.

After she left, I pulled On a black hoodie and leggings, as well as some black sneakers. I tied my hair into a low ponytail, not caring how messy it was.

Time to sneak out.

A/N

Hey guys! Thanks for reading!

Sorry if the chapters are a bit boring so far, but trust me the action will start to pick up soon. It's gonna get intense.

Here are pictures of Zora (gray) and Lola (pink)

But anyway, thanks again :D

| Follow | Vote | Comment |