"Lacey, you are going to do so awesome," her best friend and dorm mate, Iesha Keshawn told her. Iesha was beautiful with brown hair that she wore in beaded braids, chocolate brown eyes, and a smile that made her look a million dollars. Iesha's major was biochemistry, as she had come all the way from South Africa to live with her father in Toronto for the school years, while Lacey had come down from Hamilton, Ontario for lersity. Her major was Elementary Education.
"Thanks Iesha, but I am so nervous," Lacey replied, as she combed through her long, wet hair. "I mean, John didn't even tell me who's video it was. I can just imagine who's it is." John Prescott was the owner of the Prescott Modeling Agency which he had created in memory of his wife, who had so suddenly died of cancer, three years before.
"Hanson?" Iesha suggested with a teasing smile. "Or...yumm..Usher."
"Usher would suit me just fine," Lacey answered smiling, as she threw
her wet hair back in a scrunchie. "Well, I'd better get going because
the supposed limo is picking me up in two minutes. Bye Iesha. Thanks for
all your support. I'll tell you all the details tonight."
"Good luck Lace," Iesha replied, as Lacey ran out the door. She ran down
the hall, and out the front doors of her residence, to see a white,
stretch limo pull up.
"Wow," Lacey breathed, pausing for a minute, taking in the beautiful =
limo.
"Hello Miss," the limo driver said, stepping out of the limo and opening
the door.
"Hi, thanks," Lacey replied, as she stepped into the limo to see two
other models sitting there. One was Japanese with silky black hair that
was a deep shade of red in highlights, she had beautiful brown eyes, and
a square jaw, and a very thin body. The other girl had blond hair that
was cut in perfect layers framing her petite face, green eyes that were
obviously contacts, and a smile that showed she was friendly.
"Hi, I'm Keiki and this is Lin," said the blond haired girl. "And
you're?"
"I'm Lacey," she replied, shaking Keiki's hand, as Lin seemed a little
snobby.
"So, is this your first video shoot?" Keiki wanted to know, as Lin put
on Energy 108.
"Yes, I am very nervous," replied Lacey smiling at her.
"What's there to be nervous about?" Lin rolled her eyes. "I mean, it's
just the Backstreet Boys. Who cares about them?"
"The Backstreet Boys?" Lacey said in shook. "I'm going to be in a
Backstreet Boys video."
"Yes," shrieked Lin in a high-pitched squeal. "Get over it. How old are
you? I mean, this is just a gig where five, can't sing, no brain males
try to romance us, by singing to a bunch of little girls. What the heck
is that?"
"Well you didn't have to take the gig Lin," Keiki snapped at her. "So,
Lacey, how old are you?"
"I'm 18," replied Lacey. "You?"
"16," replied Keiki as they pulled up to where the video was being shot.
"This is my fourth video shoot."
"How long have you been modeling?" Lacey asked her, the limo driver
opened the door for them.
"For most of my life," Keiki answered, as she stopped at the front door.
"Just follow me and I will show you all the ropes." Lacey nodded in
agreement, as she spotted several people everywhere doing everthing
theythey could to get ready for the shoot. She followed Keiki into a
room where there was clothes everywhere, as well as a hairstyling and
make-up application station set up.
"This is so awesome," Lacey commented, as she stood back, admiring
everything.
know, eh?" Keiki replied, as she grabbed Lacey's arm. "Come on, we
ave to be ready in fifteen minutes."
"Who cares?" Lin muttered, as the director sailed by, as she said her
comment.
"I care, honey," he snapped and Lin gave him a dirty Look. "Well, Lin
Cheung. What do I owe this honour?"
"Well, Sandro, you have no honour, so how can I owe you one?" Lin
snapped slyly, and Lacey gasped.
"Geez louise, why do they book these girls?" Sandro Alessandri, the
director screamed, as his assistant scurried to his side.
"Is there a problem Mr.Alessandri?" she asked urgently.
"Not yet," he snapped, glaring at Lin.
"Wow," Lacey whispered, as Lin smirked at Sandro. "How can she diss the
director like that?"
"Lacey, let's get one thing straight, you mind your own business today,"
Lin threatened her. "Do you understand?"
"Yes," Lacey replied and Lin stomped off, arguing with the hairdresser
before she even sat down.
"Lin Cheung is the biggest witch in the business," Keiki commented, as
she was whisked off to get her outfit.
"Larissa Callahan?" someone said her name, and Lacey turned to see a
short woman smiling at her.
"That's me, you can call me Lacey," Lacey smiled back at the woman. "How
are you today?"
"Wonderful dear," the woman replied. "I'm Cathy and I'll be putting you
in your outfit today. I think you are going to be wearing a long skirt
with a nice matching cardigan and turtleneck. How does that sound?"
"Great Cathy," Lacey answered, as Cathy handed her the outfit, and she
showed her the dressing rooms. She saw Lin, and two other models,
getting changed in one of the large rooms, so she went to the next room,
and opened it, to see the five Backstreet Boys by themselves, eating
McDonalds and Tim Hortons, as they watched some tv. "Omigoodness, wrong
room. Sorry." She shut the door quickly, as she heard the guys laugh. She
disappeared into the dressing room, relieved Lin wasn't in there
anymore.
"Did you go in the wrong room?" one of the models asked her and Lacey
nodded. "Don't worry. We've all done it. I'm Nichole and you are?"
"I'm Lacey, nice to meet you," Lacey replied as she changed. Nichole was
pretty with long dark hair, brown eyes, and a friendly smile. She
noticed she was very tall, and Lacey guessed she was going to be set up
with Kevin, Nick, or AJ.
"Same here," Nichole answered. "How old are you? Because I'm 21, and
Bree who was just here is 15. Lin's 17, and Keiki is like 16."
"I'm 18," replied Lacey, as she put on her cardigan. "Is this your first
video shoot?"
"Sort of," Nichole replied, as they both walked out of the room, to see
AJ and Howie stepping outside of their room at the same time.
"Hi guys, remember me?" Nichole asked them smiling.
"Of course Nichole," AJ replied, as they hugged each other. "Who could
forget that beautiful face?"
"Well, this is Lacey," Nichole introduced her. "She went in the wrong
room."
"Hey, nice to meet you," Howie winked at her.
"Yeah we know because the Look on your face was prize winning," AJ
teased her and Lacey went red. "Anyway, so, what's up?"
"Nothing much," Nichole answered as they walked down into the wardrobe
room as AJ grabbed a Coke, and passed four to them.
"Where are you from?" Howie asked Lacey.
"Well, I'm from Hamilton, but I go to university in Toronto," Lacey
answered as she sipped her Coke.
"What's your major?" AJ asked her and Lacey smiled.
"Elementary education," Lacey answered as she saw Cathy rush over to
them. "I'm sorry. I'm just a little nervous."
"You don't have to be nervous around us," Howie told her. "I mean, we're
just guys."
"She knows," Nichole said, as she set her Coke down. "Need us Cathy?"
"Yes I do," Cathy replied frantically. "Hello AJ and Howie. Mind if I
steal these two?"
"Of course not," AJ replied. "See ya later Nic and Lacey."
"Bye," Nichole and Lacey said, as they followed Cathy over to get their
hair down.
"Did I just talk to AJ McLean and Howie Dorough?" Lacey asked Nichole
and Nichole laughed whole-heartedly.
"Yes you did," Nichole smiled. "Don't worry. I was the same way when I
first met them, but now I am good friends with them, mostly AJ. We have
the most in common. How about you? Who's your favourite?"
"Probably Nick," Lacey admitted, as she sat down to get her hair down.
"You have beautiful hair," the hairdresser told Lacey. "I'm not doing
anything with it. I'm just going to leave it down because Mr.Alessandri
has the guys running their fingers through your hair or something."
"Oh really?" Nichole asked her. "Sounds good to me." Lacey laughed, as
Nichole's hair was wrapped into a sosphicated upsweep.
"Nichole, you're needed right away," Cathy said to Nichole. "And Lacey
you as well." Nichole and Lacey got off the chairs, and practically ran
after Cathy. They walked into a room to see Lin, Keiki, and Bree
standing there.
"When they decide to hire a fat girl?" Bree whispered loudly to Lin.
"I don't know Bree, but she's going to ruin the whole video," Lin
whispered back, smirking at Lacey.
"Shut up you two before I kick your butts," Nichole threatened them.
"Oh Nic, why don't you?" Lin replied back. "I mean, you are 21 and doing
a Backstreet Boys video. How pathetic is that?"
"Not as pathetic as your face," Keiki snapped at her.
"Keiki, don't even go there," Lin answered back. "I mean, you were just
picked because your daddy is the producer. Your ugly face couldn't get
on the cover of any magazine. And Nic, you were chosen because well, who
knows why you were chosen? And Lacey, you were probably chosen because
there wasn't one skinny model left, so they had to start looking for fat
chics."
"I'm warning you Lin," Nichole warned her and Lin laughed.
"Leave me alone," Lacey cried and she turned, and ran towards the
washrooms. She heard Nichole calling after her, but she kept on running,
and she felt herself run into someone. She toppled backwards onto the
floor, as the person went the other way.
"Ow," the male voice said and Lacey tried to stand up.
"I'm so sorry, are you okay?" Lacey asked, looking over to see Nick
Carter standing there. He was wearing Tommy Hilfieger overalls with a
white t-shirt underneath, and a nice jacket over it.
"Yeah I'm okay, why were you running so fast?" Nick asked her standing
as he looked at her for the first time.
"I-uh, was-um," Lacey muttered and Nick laughed.
"That's okay," Nick replied. "I understand." Lacey looked at him
puzzled, as a stray tear cascaded down her face again.
"I have to go," Lacey whispered, as she turned and disappeared into the
washroom.
"Are you okay?" Nick asked her concerned.
"Yeah, just a stuffed nose," Lacey yelled back and she heard him walk
away. "Well Lacey. Not a bad beginning to your day. First, you walk in
the wrong dressing room and now you just fell butt first in front of
Nick. What else can be worse? Oh yeah. Lin." Lacey made sure she fixed
her make-up, until no more mascara streaks were evident.
"Lacey? Come on," said Cathy, as she opened the bathroom door. "What's
wrong?"
"I had something in my eye," Lacey replied as she followed Cathy outside
of the washroom, and back into the large area where they were going to
shoot the video.
"Lace, are you okay?" Nichole asked her concerned and Lacey nodded, as
Mr.Alessandri started ordering instructions.
"Okay, each of you will be set up with one of the guys,"
Mr.Alessandrisaid, as Lin gave him an evil Look. "Here it goes, Lin, you
are with Kevin. Bree, with Howie. Keiki, with Brian. Nichole, with AJ.
And Lacey? with Nick."
"Mr.Alessandri, you can't stick that cow with Nick, what will everyone
think?" Lin protested.
"Lin, that was a totally out of line comment," Mr.Alessandri scolded
her. "I suggest you treat Lacey with respect, or you are going to have
to leave the set. Understood?"
"Whatever," Lin replied shaking her head....