Chapter One: Picking up the Pieces

"Maddie, you don't understand, nobody is going to take someone like you seriously when you act like that!"

"Like what?" Maddie asked trying her hardest to look as innocent as possible.

"Like that! Like your fucking twelve!" Her agent screamed at her from across the large mahogany desk.

Madeleine rolled her eyes, "Whatever. I'm not twelve I don't act like I'm twelve, and I certainly don't look like it either!" She ran her fingers down her body, "Besides, even if I do act like I'm twelve it doesn't really matter, 'cause when you're posing, boys sure aren't wondering about your personality!"

The girl was right, but the agent knew there was more to modeling besides looking pretty and posing. She had to walk too. She had to actually land the job. And nobody wanted a girl like Maddie that didn't give a damn what other people thought.

The agent tried her best to look at the woman in front of her and sound calm. Sometimes Madeleine really took a lot of patience. Throughout the years the agent had had numerous people she had worked with, but none were nearly as trying as Mad. The worst part was, Madeleine didn't even seem to notice all the things she was doing wrong, and how Madeleine's actions were having an effect on her work. Many times the agent would go out and try to find certain designers that would allow Mad to walk down the runway and they would all deny her. Sure Madeleine had a beautiful body, and even more beautiful photos, but when the designers would meet her in person, they would be completely turned off by her lack of work ethic and eccentric personality.

"Come on Maddie, not one single designer wants you, not one! I had to get down on my hands and knees and BEG Victoria Secret to take you! Even then they didn't want you, they just called saying that one girl broke her leg and wouldn't be able to walk. You were their fucking last choice!

"Well, I don't really care because I don't really want them. I never wanted this life path. I wanted to be the designer. I wanted to be the one to dress everyone up in my beautiful clothes. But as it just so happens, no, I'm not that woman. I'm a figure. I'm a figure of sex. That's all." The 19 year olds eye started to shimmer as they filled up with tears.

"But, honey, sweetie, you could be sooo much more, you just won't let yourself. This is a stepping stone and if you don't start here where are you going to start? How are you going to start? You have no chance! You have no connections! I'm telling you, take my advice, just do what I ask, just this once, if you don't like it you never have to put yourself through this again I swear. I'll take up my stuff and leave."

But God, she didn't want to leave the up and coming model. Madeleine had so much to offer the modeling world. Madeleine was a little short for her job but she more than made up for it with her spunk and appeal. She had long dark auburn hair with just a touch of curl and dark teal eyes. Her skin was pale, yet around a bunch of women with deep tans, she stood out and brought the attention to herself, making all the women by comparison seem to be a thing of the past. She had neither freckles nor beauty marks of any kind. Her beauty was not branded- it was just there.

Madeleine looked up from the older woman's dark eyes to the painting on the wall. Maddie really didn't want this, but she had hit rock bottom and knew that there was no other way up. She would be lost. Tossed out of the fashion world like a hair out of juice. There was no other way.

"What do I have to do?" Madeleine asked quietly.

"You just do nothing sweetheart, you stay out of trouble, that's all and I'll go and call up the agency. Go to the hotel get some rest and I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Fine, whatever." The young girl got up smoothed her cotton mini, and walked out.

'Yeah, Fine whatever,' sneered the way too soft agent.