chapter 10.
A gentle knock on the door drags my attention away from my gawking at how elegant this place is!
"Ella? It's me Ava from the front desk." I have to remind myself that they only know me by Ella.
I open the door, "Hey Ava."
"Hi." She allows herself in, moving past me and a rush of lavender hits me, it smells awesome! Rude much.
"Er, what can I do for you?" I say closing the door and turning to see her looking all at my room with a disgruntled expression. She looks like an angry kitten.
With a sigh she says, "I just wanted to explain a few things to you." She looks as me now, her eyes are narrowed. "My name is Ava Berkley."
So? "Uh ... okay. And?"
She rolls her over-cast eyes and stares impatiently, "Berkley as in the hotel you are currently working and living in!"
Oh. "Ah, so you own this place?" I feel like a total idiot.
"Not necessarily, my mother does. I am the sole heir, and I get what I want. And I want this hotel to be the best hotel their is. I. Will. Not. Let. You. Ruin. This." Wow, she's real passionate about this place.
Her words finally make sense in my head and my temper flares up. "What? So, you think I'm gonna disgrace this place or something?" I spit the words, acid dripping from everyone.
"Yes, yes I do actually. But mommy doesn't agree. So I've taken it upon myself to make sure you don't do anything stupid or reckless." She matches my vehement tone with her own.
I think I might just smack the bitch! "I think its time you get out. Now." I open my door again and hold it out wide.
Ava mock pretends to think about it and then says in the most aggravating tone I've ever hear, "No."
I take deep breaths but they don't do their job. I still feel like smacking the bitch! "Okay, so how exactly do you plan on making sure I don't do anything stupid?" I try to match her tone but not quiet.
"And reckless. Well, for starters, I mean just look at you! You look like some poor, goth, whore who hasn't showered in three months!" Okay, that was a low blow. "I think I could make you look somewhat presentable." This catches my attention, she wants to change my look. Well, why not? This could be good for me, different look, different name, different job, different home, and a little baby boy on the way.
"Alright, I'll let you change my look." I say, trying to conceal my enthusiasm.
"Oh, I wasn't asking but okay. Well, let's get started then." And she walked outside to wheel in a cart chock full of so many make up and products that claim will make one look beautiful.
"Wow." Is all I can say, this is almost as big as Alice's stash.
"I know, right? Now sit down and I'll start off by dyeing your hair. Hmm, maybe the eye brows too." I gulp but hide my sudden fear. What's the worst that can happen right? The thought makes me gulp again.
I sit down in the leather chair that she brought with her in the great big bathroom of my new home.
The vanity mirror before me shows Izzy Hope Sampson. I touch the mirror, Izzy's hand against mine.
"Goodbye." The word comes easily.
With a sigh I sit back and let Ava work on my hair, massaging it with exotic lotions and conditioners. It feels good, relaxing.
"What do you want you hair to smell like? I personally think lavender smells the best." Ava asks. Oh, just like her hair.
"Uh ... what scents do you have to offer?" I ask awkwardly.
"Apple, strawberry, lavender, coconut, Shea butter, green apple, lemon, roses, freesia, baby's breath, vanilla, honey, soft woods, amber, melon, and peach." She counts them on her fingers, saying them from memory.
In Forks my shampoo always smells like strawberry's when I left I switched to this shampoo that made my hair smell like coconut so I tell her, "Apple," since I have always like that smell.
She says nothing as she runs her fingers through my now wet hair and the distinct scent of apples fill the room. It's so noticeable I close my eyes and imagine I'm in an apple orchard, picking bright red apples, and later I'll bake an apple cobbler with them.
"Ella! Ella, wake up you bum!" Ava all but yell in my ear, shaking my shoulder roughly.
Ah, I fell asleep again. How long was I out? I peak out the window and the sun says it must be around 6 or 7 a.m.
"Good now keep your eye still." I freeze when I see the sharpened eye liner pencil in her capable hand. After she's finished with my eye make up Ava applies some stuff to my skin, I really don't know the name, and some stuff on my lips which makes them feel tingly and cool. She steps back and looks at me.
"Hmm ... there's still something missing." She has her hand under her chin fisted, her brow is furrowed in deep thought. "Ah, that's it!" I watch warily as she hooks up some sort of spray. I chill goes through me ... what in the world? "A spray tan and a change of eye color and you'll be perfect ." Ava opens her mouth but then looks at me curiously. "Let me see your teeth," she demands.
My brow furrowed but I comply, smiling widely.
"Oh good, your teeth are moderately white, not crooked either. That's good. I'll give you some mouth wash that will keep 'em like that. Hmm, are those french tips real?" She says taking my hand in hers examining my finger nails.
"Yep."
"Very, nice. And the clear coat I put on them should strengthen the cuticle too."
"Uh, okay." I have no clue what she's talking about; this is embarrassing.
"Your hair came out nicely though, so did your eye brows." She runs her fingers through some now brown hair with blond streaks hair. I gulp, she dyed my hair brown but it doesn't resemble Bella's brown hair all that much. My hair is lighter especially with the blond streaks.
"Er, t-thanks."
"I think you should be thanking me really, but not yet; I'm not done." Ava turns to her cart of beautifying magic and turns around with to small white cases, the label tell me their contact lenses but the rest is french. "Which color do you want? Blue or hazel?"
"I thought blue contacts didn't work with brown eyes." She's shaking her head no before I even finished the sentence.
"Not these contacts. My eyes are naturally blue." Her voice is almost proud.
"Okay well blue then I guess." I'm curious to see how they'll look.
"Good pick. Here you put them in." Ava turns back to her cart and I gently maneuver the small flexible contacts on my irises after taking out the other ones. The contacts feel strange on my eyes, not bad just different less noticeable and more comfortable.
I move to look in the mirror but Ava's small hand suddenly grabs my shoulder and yanks me back out of my reflections view. "Not till I'm done." She says easily.
I nod once, my eyes drooping slightly. How can I still be tired?
"Okay, strip down. I'm not gonna make you go too dark, especially since this is your first time, so how 'bout we just go for a light tan." She glowers at my expression. "Oh c'mon, you said I could change your look. And do you really wanna be so pale?" No, I've always despised my lack of pigmentation and she has a point; I did say she could "change my look."
I swallow louder than I intended and do as she says.
I'm standing here in only my bra and panties and I cannot express in words how self-conscious I am of my swollen tummy right now. I eye Ava's flat stomach ruefully.
"Don't worry about the stretch marks, I have something that you can use once you have the baby that'll make them disappear before your eyes." I know this is defintely not the first time she's noticed my belly but this is the first time she's brought it up. "So, where's the daddy?"
"He's, uh, occupied." I mumble, staring at the shiny, tiled floor. The floor must be heated, I think noticing the warmth under my bare feet.
"In other words, he's married." I'm about to correct her embarrassing assumption but she isn't that far off base. Sadly.
"Yeah, something like that."
"Alright, well, don't worry about it. My kids dad isn't around either." Ava's words make me look up in surprise. She has a kid? She couldn't be older than 23, maybe 24. "She'll be 2 in November." A starry-eyed look came across her face.
"What's her name?"
"June. I have a picture of her if you wanna see." Ava doesn't give me time to answer, she's already pulled out a small picture of an angelic little baby with wild blond curls and doe-like blue eyes. I notice how June's pretty face doesn't hold many features like her mothers and wonder if Ava's real hair color is blond and if her skin is as fair as the young girls in the picture.
"She's beautiful." I say handing the picture back.
That small voice in the back of my head is at it again, going over baby names, birthday parties, tuition... never ending babble. I do my best to ignore it.
"I know." Ava says, taking the picture and placing it carefully in her black, leather wallet. "Okay lets get started. Remember, don't breath in the fumes."
Ava comes at me with a small sprayer attached to God knows what. I freeze at the sight.
After I'm tan, moisturized, dried, and my make-up has been slightly adjusted to my new skin tone, Ava sits me back down in my seat before the mirror but she's covered it with a dark blue satin blanket of some sort.
Ava is circling me like a lioness looking down on its wounded prey. Suddenly she attaches my eye brows with a pair of tweezers, plucking roughly. I shrink back in my chair and when she's done she steps back to study me even more. Then, she comes at me with a cold lotion that she applies gently under my eyes. This goes on for about 30 or so more minutes, Ava circling me and then abruptly making some last minute adjustment. I watch as the sun climbs up the sky, gracing us with its smile.
Finally, Ava steps back without a studious expression on her face but a triumphant one.
"There, now your ... oh wait!" And she rushes over to her cart again. I sigh, is this ever going to end?
She comes back with sometime small cradled in her hand, I don't see what it is, but it turns out to be earrings. She sticks them both though my ear lobes and I flinch at the pain. I haven't worn earrings in years.
"There, now your perfect." And she pulls down the satin blanket with a flourish.
The creature sitting before me is nothing more than a complete and total stranger. Ella Faith Swanson is staring back at me with two gorgeous Sapphire blue orbs. Her pink, soft lips are parted slightly and she gasps delicately. Her light brown locks falls down straight, but still with volume and body, down to her waist. Her slanted bangs have fallen in her face, covering one Sapphire eye. Her light tan skin looks more soft than the silk blanket. Her ears are decorated with small pearls contrasting with her skin and hair.
I can't help but compare Ella with Izzy. Izzy had been pale, dark haired, and flirtatious. Ella here is tan, brunette but a light color, and elegant. Ella is poised.
Izzy had been a deathly fragile glass doll, already cracked and near breaking. Ella seems more like a life-sized sculpure of a beautiful woman sleeping peacefully in a strong, plexi glass coffin. Ella is protected. Ella is strong.
I take deep breaths, letting the fact that I am Ella sink in.
Goodbye, Izzy Hope Sampson.
Hello, Ella Faith Swanson.
I hope you all like this chapter, I know it doesn't have much excitement or drama it so its kinda boring but it sets it all up for the next chapter. This chapter is mainly about the transition Bella makes, going from Izzy to Ella.
Remember to give me your opinions please!
And tell me what you think Ella (Izzy, Bella, whatever) should name her son too. So far, the name Cole is winning. If you don't like that name then hurry up and in a review tell me what name you do think he should have. Thanks.
I'll try and update soon.