A/N: Thanks for all the alerts. BIGGGGGGG thanks to the people who have reviewed. A special thanks to Wanderer for giving me a tip on how I can make my story better. I hope I have I have improved with writing conversatons, facial expressions and tones.
This chapter was difficult for me. It hasn't progressed the way I had originally planned, but these characters are becoming more and more real to me. Veronica is being difficult. I hope she isn't too OOC for you all.
The room was black when the alarms went off. Krystal practically jumped out of bed, turning her alarm off straight away.
"Veronica, Mac. It is time to get up!" She called out.
The only response she got was a grunt from Veronica and a muffled curse from Mac. Veronica's hand had poked out from beneath her blankets and turned off her alarm, but it had quickly retracted back under. Mac's alarm was still blaring.
"OK. How about I have my shower first and one of you orders room service." She said as she set Mac's alarm for snooze.
There was no response from Mac but Veronica's blankets moved. A sly look appeared on Krystal's face, which if Veronica had seen it would have reminded her of Lilly.
"I'm pretty sure I saw waffles and bacon on the menu last night, I hope they don't run out."
Veronica sat up, her short blond hair sticking up in all directions.
"Waffles?" she practically drooled. She grabbed the room service menu, all traces of sleep wiped from her eyes with the thought of food. Mac is not swayed and if possible moves further under her blankets.
Krystal just smirks and heads into the bathroom. She pokes her head out and requests orange juice and toast.
Veronica spends a few minutes trying to get an answer out of Mac regarding what she wants for breakfast but gives up after not getting any repeatable response.
She calls their order down to the kitchen. As she waits she surreptitiously glances around the room, and when she realises that there is no one watching (Krystal is in the shower, singing 'Raindrops keep falling on my head' in a surprisingly good voice, Mac is still snuggled into her bed and Danielle's bed has not been slept in) she moves to the floor to ceiling length mirror on the far wall. She starts to pose, hands on hips, one hand on her hip, head tilted to the side and putting her hand through her hair. She varies the poses slightly as she practices. It is when she tries out a pose that looks slightly like a move from the nursery rhyme 'I'm a little teapot' that she starts giggling. In her head she can hear Lilly.
"I'm a little teapot, short and thin, here is my hair toss, here is my grin" she sings.
Veronica blushes, glad no one else but her dead best friend witnessed that. She is relieved when she hears a knock at the door.
"Breakfast is here." She calls out to Krystal and Mac as she answers the door. She startles a little bit when she sees the camera operator and boom operator behind the waiter.
"Hi... Veronica?" asks the boom operator, checking a bright pink clipboard. She looks tired and stressed. She is tall and thin, with long mousy blond hair pulled up in a tight bun and a mole near the corner of her mouth.
"Yes, that's me. Is something wrong? Veronica asks nervously, biting her lips with worry.
"Oh no, we just want a few 'bites' of what you think of the competition, who you are, that sort of thing." The woman says reassuringly. She smiles at Veronica. "So, let's start off easily so you get used to talking on camera. What are you having for breakfast?"She motions for the waiter to take the cart inside and she and the camera operator follows him into the room.
Veronica tries to straighten her pyjamas and smooth her hair. "Umm, I am going to have bacon and eggs and waffles with fruit".
The camera operator and boom operator look at Veronica in astonishment.
"You are going to eat all that? Get this on film."
Veronica looks unsure of herself. She starts to question herself. Her thoughts show on her face.
"Oh hon, we didn't mean to make you feel bad. It is just that the last room we were in we got to have a 'stimulating' conversation with a girl about her grapefruit diet." The camera operator's voice just drips with sarcasm. She is a short, plump woman with short curly brown hair and lots of laughter lines around her mouth and eyes. "It is just nice to see a normal girl actually eating." She grins at Veronica.
Veronica can't help but grin back. "I believe in enjoying food. I'm lucky though, I have two methods of staying thin."
The camera operator raises an eyebrow.
"One, lots of meals to stimulate my naturally fast metabolism. Two, get a naughty pit bull puppy you need to chase after whenever you try and walk him."
She starts to eat her breakfast, now completely at ease with being on camera.
"What's his name?"
"Backup. What are yours?"
The boom operator shares another look with the camera operator. Veronica doesn't know it, but she will be on camera a lot in the future as she has just become these two's favourite. They have been filming girls since early yesterday morning, with only a four hour break for sleep, and this is the first time anyone has asked their names.
"I'm Gwen and this is Lucy", the camera operator answered, gesturing to the boom operator.
"Hey Veronica, I am finished in the bathroom," Krystal called out as she exited the bathroom. "Oh, I didn't realise we had visitors. I'm Krystal." She introduced. She was wearing a cute pink skirt, a white floaty blouse and pink heels. Her hair was pulled up into a high pony tail.
"This is Gwen and Lucy," Veronica introduced. She spooned the last of her bacon and eggs into her mouth. "I'll finish off my waffles later. Do you guys mind if I have my shower? You can interview Krystal?"
"No worries. Krystal, how are you enjoying your time so far? What do you think of your room mates?" Veronica heard Lucy ask as she grabbed her things and moved into the bathroom.
She quickly got in the shower and washed her hair. She was out very quickly... she really wanted to finish her waffles. As she blowed dried her hair she examined her reflection. She still couldn't see why she had been chosen to be in this contest. True, her skin was smooth and clear but she was very pale. Her eyes were a pretty blue. Even Logan used to comment on her eyes. Veronica shook her head in disgust. He now talked about how skinny she was, how she was flat chested, that her nose was like a ski slope and how no one would ever find her attractive.
"Oh please, it is like he is back in kindergarten. He is just pulling the hair of the girl he likes to get her attention. The reason he is so mean to you is because he is so attracted to you. If I wasn't dead, I would be so jealous."
Veronica pretended to gag as she switched off the hair dryer. Lilly had to be crazy to think Logan liked her. She gave a wry smile. Or the person having this conversation with a dead girl was the crazy one.
Veronica did her make up quickly. She had decided last night with Krystal's help that a natural look would be best. They had also decided on denim jeans and a pink t-shirt (A/N: this is what she is wearing on the front of the DVD).
A scream from the next room had her running out the door. There she saw Mac on the floor with wet hair. Krystal was standing over her with a now empty water bottle. Gwen and Lucy were trying to stifle their giggles.
"I warned you Mac. You don't have much time left to get ready and eat breakfast. We have to be downstairs soon. I'm sorry I wet you and pulled you out of bed, but I did count to 5 before I did it." She said apologetically.
"She even did the mother count." Gwen added. The girls looked at her in confusion. "You know, four, four and a half, four and three quarters..."
Veronica couldn't help it. She started giggling as Mac stomped her way to the bathroom. She sits on her bed and starts to finish her waffles.
A radio on Lucy's belt crackled to life. While Veronica and Krystal couldn't understand a word that was said, Lucy and Gwen obviously could. Both heaved big sighs.
"Well girls, it has been fun but we need to go down stairs to get ready to film the first challenge." Lucy said. They head towards the door.
"Any hints?"Asks Veronica.
"I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you," jokes Gwen as they head out.
"I reckon it is a walking challenge." Guesses Krystal. Veronica looks at her. "Look, I have watched every episode of these types of shows. They will have the very 'camp' ex model make us show him how crap we are walking in heels down a runway so he can make bitchy comments about it. Oh my god! What if he hates my walk? What if I fall? I haven't had time to practice." Krystal's face contorts into an expression of absolute panic.
"Ummm." Veronica was lost for words.
Mac came out of the bathroom. She had dried her hair straight and is wearing no makeup. She is wearing jeans and a blue shirt to go with the blue in her hair.
"Practice what?" she asks.
"Walking." Exclaims Krystal with a wail.
"Well, you are how old? 18? I thought you would have finished practicing when you were 2."
Veronica starts laughing, and a few seconds later Krystal does too.
"I meant practising my runway walk!" Krystal laughs. Mac joins in.
"Well if we fall, we fall. At least we will give each other a laugh." Veronica laughs with a large grin on her face. "Now let's get going!"
Veronica doesn't know it, but she looks happier than she has in months, with her eyes sparkling and a wide grin on her face. The housemaid they pass on their way downstairs will report back to her dad that Veronica has already made two friends, and looks like she is going to be OK.
A/N: Please review and let me know what you think. I will take on board what you suggest.