Part One

Chapter One

I stood as still as possible, a slight smile curling my lips a touch, trying not to look directly at the camera. Modelling, my heart loved it, I loved it, it was my life but if my head could pretend like the camera wasn't there I wasn't going to freak out. It wasn't that the camera made me nervous, it just blocked the way I moved. With my hands, I held my woollen hooded scarf in place, holding a comfortable standing position with my feet a shoulder width apart to keep my balance. Just all part of the natural look we were going for this winter. I loved the make-up they had chosen for this shoot and the artist had been truly amazing but I never let anyone touch my hair or face unless it was my sister, my personal assistant or my best friends, Claire and Jasmine. Of course, the artist had insisted on being in the room while I got my face on after she had finished explaining to Stephanie, my assistance, the look, in great detail, and she had been a loud up to the point where she gave senseless, annoying remarks on Steph's techniques. That was it, she wasn't putting up with it and neither was I; Steph threw the young lady out of her own studio.

Standing in comfortable, warm heeled Ugg boots, I tried not to worry about that or the dramas in dressing. Someone had gotten the sizes between Claire's and my outfits mixed up. They put her sundress in oranges, browns and yellow in my size four with adjusted wast and leg length. While the off-white jean, blouse and jacket I was supposed to wear with the hook and boots were in her size eight with adjusted shoulders and leg length. The poor darling hated my tiny waist but she had legs that went forever but shoulders that were slightly too narrow to level out good hips. I was the perfect hour-glass figure. Matching hips and shoulders with the high, tiny waist but I was a massive short-ass. The poor baby got me into modelling and already I was almost as big as her, not that it seemed to bother her. When I start to get noticed on the street and she doesn't, that'll be when she brings up her problem. I love Claire, like a sister. She was standing behind the camera, far enough away that she wouldn't get in the way but close enough that she could whisper praise to me about how well I was doing.

"Perfect, Rose – darling, I need you to look at the camera. Connect with the audience, tell them to buy the product" the indifferent tone of the photographer threw me.

I moved, shifting my weight and placing my left hand on my waist, trying to not let it be imposing but I had never had a guy be so indifferent towards me. Wow, it was hard not to let it get to you, though I tried with my best efforts. This was impossible, he's probably seen hundreds of girls, and he's learnt how to keep himself out of trouble. My story calmed me down enough for me to realised what I was doing looked odd. I shifted my pose again, leaving the photographer alone. I didn't need him anyway. After a few minutes, Claire was called in to pose with me. They took the hooded scarf and fluffed my hair, quickly retouching my lips with clear lip-gloss. Everyone rushed around like it was the last few moments of the world, like we had to get this done quickly. I couldn't help myself; I loved the tension between shots then the relaxation when the camera flashed.

At first the shots were awkward between Claire and I because we both didn't quite understand the others rhythms or what the photographer wanted. A few shots later, Claire hugged me and while we were messing around few flashed blinded me. The photographer got his pictures. I wonder how the pictures would look like; we were both wearing totalling different outfits. How had we'd both gone together? I couldn't say which shots I thought were the best, I needed to see the photos and anything could have happened during the messing around. I smiled one last time and ruffled Claire's hair before the photographer called the shoot to a close.

"Thanks girls, Mary, send in the band" he barley glanced at us this time.

"Band?" I whispered to Steph as she gave me my trench coat.

"Short Stack," she must have read something on my face because she gave me a look that was twisted between pain and shock, "As in 'Heartbreak made me a killer' or you know your Australian when Short Stack is a band not pancakes?" she started to look worried.

I gave her my best blank look but whether it worked or not – I didn't get a chance to known. Suddenly, the main door burst open and a tall guy wear tight, black jeans and a red jacket walked through the double doors flanked by two others that dressed completely different. Wow, this magazine took randoms? I must have had the wrong idea about these guys because Stephanie was no longer beside me and there was a lot of screaming from outside ringing through to the backroom, here. I didn't take a second look at them, not even the blond angel with gorgeous blue eyes that brushed shoulders with me as I pushed my way to the front rooms of the building.

"Short Stack!" one cry rung out over the rest but I still had no idea what I was in for when I went for the door.

I swing the door open before completely registering how many people were outside or how I was going to made it to my car. The people got louder and rushed towards me, as soon as the door was opened enough for people to get through. The first few people were upon me before I knew I was going to get crushed – a pair of hands enclosed around my waist before I knew I was going to get crushed.

"Andy!" a chorus of voices nearly deafened me as I was pulled back inside the building and the doors were shut by two tall guys in dark suits and big, mirrored sunglasses.

"Jesus Christ! That just may have changed my mind" I turned and met the blue eyes of my rescuer for a second before blushing and pushing his hands away.

"Yeah, that usually enough for someone to think twice about going outside without back-up… I would volunteer but… yeah; I seem to be the problem" he gave me a smile that didn't match the lip piercing or the cocky attitude.

"Oh no, I meant that it would change my mind about wanting the whole world to know my name" the urge to apologize started to grow in the pit of my stomach.

Suddenly, everything that was there before was gone. His face lost all confidence it had before and I was left feeling guilty. What are you doing Rose? He was just trying to be nice – whoever he was. Andy, I think the crowd had screamed.

"I'm Rose, I suppose it's thanks for kind of saving my life" I held out my hand.

"Andrew Clemmensen – Andy, as you heard" he wrapped a hand that was about half my hand bigger than mine around my hand and shook, trying to give a smile by the looks of it.

I looked at him for a moment, just staring at his face, trying to think of something to say when someone called out my name. I turned automatically to see Steph running towards me. Her eyes got wider when they locked onto my hand in Andy's. I swear she could almost faint, I swear she would if she wasn't so proud. When she stopped beside us, her eyes lock on our hands was when I realised I had been holding onto his hand too long. I looked back to him, meeting his eyes again; giving a weak smile that mirrored his previous one and gave his hand a quick squeeze before letting go. I fought to rub my hand on my jeans; I didn't want to be rude but the warmth of his hand hung over mine and it was all too familiar. I didn't need this at the moment. I didn't need a warmth that I could come to need every day; I wasn't looking for a relationship. I wanted to get my name out to the world.

"Oh my God Rose! Bradie here was telling me this really funny thing-" Claire walked into the room, hanging off the arm of one of the guys that had walked into the shoot only minutes ago.

"Yeah, Bradie, what was this really funny thing?" Andy looked towards the man walking towards us with Claire.

"Oh nothing, just that Shaun's mad that you ran out in the middle of a good picture" Bradie met my eyes and smiled, oh my God that smile was amazing.

"Well go back in there and tell him I had better things to do – I'll be there in a minute" Andy gave me a sideways glance but I think it was more to tell Bradie something than to look at me.

"Nah, not going to take the fall for you – even though I love ya" he shook his head slightly then started to lead Claire back the way they had come, talking about her sitting in on their shoot.

"Pussy" Andy coughed.

"Meow" Bradie looked over his shoulder, smiling deeply – almost laughing.

It left Andy, Steph and I alone. My nerves threatened to get the better of me, I almost let them. 'Breathe Rose, you can deal with people looking at your face in magazines and judging you, you can deal with your assistant and one person' I tried to calm myself. What was wrong? I'm a confident person; no one threw me off – no one! I glanced at Steph – trying to tell her to leave with my eyes but she just stared at me with a smug look on her face.

"I hope you weren't planning on walking out there in those" she spoke quietly, as if she didn't trust her voice.

"Almost..."

"Andy! Get your ass in here, we need to get this done soon, practise is important you know" someone shout before I could finish my answer to Steph.

I smiled at Andy again, waving weakly, letting him go. I wouldn't want to get anyone in trouble. He flicked his fringe out of his eyes and stepped to the side blocking my view of the door into the back room, where the voice had come from. He held out his right hand. I thought he was going to shake my hand again but when I placed my hand in his, he pulled me into a hug and whispered as address into my ear.

"What?" I pulled back, almost too quickly.

"Seven o'clock" he called as he turned, running towards the back room.

"Seven o'clock?" Steph questioned, raising her eyebrows slightly giving me a look, just more emphasis on the problem she had with missing things.

I didn't answer her, I rushed to look for a pen – there was always one somewhere. I had to write the address and time down before I forgot. Not that I was going – not at all. I didn't need this; I have to work towards what I want. What do I want? My name in lights. My name out there. Someone to notice me. People noticing me as I walked down the street would be nice. I wanted what was just on the other side on the wall.

But which wall?

An… no, I wanted the big crowds. I wanted people screaming out my name when I walked through the street or when I got out of my car. I craved it the way a caffeine addict wanted coffee in the morning as soon as they woke up. I wanted what Andy had, what the whole band seemed to have. Everyone calling for their attention. Reaching for them so they could go and rave to their friends, claiming they had touched practically royalty. That kind of fame, the need for that kind of fame was what woke me up in the morning; that was my dream, almost my every thought. It was my every thought around the drink orders I tried to take for my day job at the Coffee Emporium.

When I finally found a pen I wrote the details down on my hand, trying to keep my writing as neat as possible. It was the least I could do – right? Even if I wasn't going – yeah, maybe I will. I gave one last look at Steph and started to walk toward the back room. I had to go through the set to get to the change rooms. I rolled my eyes, wrapping my arm through Steph's and joined her in walking away from the crowds. 'Goodbye, my lovelies, I'll be back soon' I called to them in my head, almost tempted to wave to them.