Author's Note: So I know this is my first update in like a freaking year. I completely lost motivation for this story and about three pages of this chapter were written. But I finally got around to looking through my old files and found this and suddenly, I was inspired to write more. I hope you enjoy this short chapter. I promise to continue to write more of this story J
And I decided I wouldn't use any season in particular. I am going to make up original characters and maybe use different photo shoots and challenges from various seasons. Hope you guys don't mind! Nothing is set in stone so if you do prefer a specific season, let me know!
"My name is Leah Clearwater and I live on a small reservation called La Push."
"It's always raining here, and its absolutely miserable."
"I've never really known what I wanted to be, career wise."
"I've never really know who I wanted to be, either, you know…as a person."
"My life doesn't center around my dreams or goals because I don't have to time for that. Ever since my father died, I've had to take care of my mom and my younger brother. I had to be the strong one."
"Where I come from, it isn't good enough to just be yourself. You have to contribute to the pa-to the family, bring something to the table. Otherwise, you are useless. I'm not saying my family is horrendous or anything…some people like it that way, a lot actually. But it's not for me. I don't have a place here."
"I know that I am probably not like many girls who are auditioning. I'm not bubbly and I can tell you that few people have seen me smile in the past few years. I don't consider myself depressed. I don't consider myself sad. But I don't consider myself normal either. I guess you could say I'm just…broken."
I let out a long sigh as I excluded myself from the other girls in the hotel lobby. Yesterday, I had been on a plane that had taken a few hours to arrive to California-Hollywood to be specific. To be honest, I rather have ran here. It would've taken me less time. A bus picked me up. I was the only girl from Washington. There were some other girls on the bus, giggling and laughing as I walked in. They paused to look at me, and some gave him a friendly, but forced smile. I tried to smile, but it probably looked like a grimace. I sat down near the front, away from the girls and aware of the camera watching me. But I wasn't here to make good TV. I was here to escape.
I heard her before she was even in the bus. Her footsteps fell in a shuffle, as though she was dragging her feet. When she stepped inside, her head was down and her long hair covered her face. She was tall, of course, thin, obviously, and she held herself in an awkward manner. She was shy, I could tell. I also knew that vacant expression and the careful breathing, as though every breathe hurt your heart. I had been there, done that…and on occasion, you still do it.
I don't know what compelled her to sit next to me. I knew I looked far from friendly, and there were plenty of bus seats open. She hardly looked at me but she did for one second. She had pretty blue eyes and a unique nose that was prominent on her face. Her hair was a light shade of blonde and it came down past her shoulders.
"Sarah." She greeted, finally sitting up. Good, I didn't want to deal with some shy bitch.
"Leah." I said back, crossing my arms over my chest.
"So have you taken claim to being the bitch on this season?"
That took me by surprise. I clearly misjudged her.
"I'm not anything." I replied, "I'm not here to be a part of some kind of sorority house. I'm here to be a model."
"Good, I like you."
I growled, "I wasn't looking for your approval."
Sarah just smiled a bit, and I felt myself ease up. I decided I liked her.
"What happened to your hair?" She asked after a few quiet moments went by.
"I cut it." I replied.
"It looks like shit." She said, "Why didn't you go to a salon?"
"Didn't feel like it."
"So you just cut all your hair off yourself?" She asked, "Why?"
"Just…felt like it." I said, "Needed a change."
"Well, it was a stupid change." She smirked, "Tyra will probably put extensions on you."
Great, that's just what I needed, I thought to myself, fake hair.
When I didn't reply, she continued the conversation.
"She's probably going to cut all of mine off." She said with a bitter tone.
"Why do you say that?" I asked, not really curious but not wanting awkward silence either.
"She always cuts off at least one girl's hair." She said, "She claims it makes them look edgier."
I looked her over. Sarah was anything but edgy. She actually looked like a little girl, as if she never fully grew into her looks.
"Got a last name?" I asked.
"Callahan." She replied, "You?"
"Clearwater."
"I figured you were native American."
"Oh really? What gave it away?" I asked, completely uninterested.
"Your broad shoulders, dark skin, and wide nose." She said.
Well thanks, as if I didn't feel manly enough, I thought to myself.
Our conversation was cut off as the girl in front of us turned out, a bubbly but completely fake smile on her face.
"Hey there, I'm Brianne." She said, her voice covered with a southern accent.
"Sarah."
"Leah."
The girl looked a little disheartened by our lack of enthusiasm, and turned back around to talk to some other girls. Sarah glanced my way and rolled her eyes. I sighed in annoyance and looked out the window.
What had I gotten myself into.
But then I thought of Sam and Emily, and the whole pack and suddenly it felt as though a weight was lifted off my shoulders. I wouldn't have to see them for almost a year. I would not have to endure the loving looks on Sam and Emily's faces every time the say each other. I wouldn't have to deal with Jacob constantly complaining about Edward and Bella. I didn't have to deal with Paul's hurtful and annoying words. I didn't have to see the look of disapproval on my brother's face every time I got in a fight with someone in the back. I didn't have to deal with the stares that clearly told me I wasn't wanted. For once, I was completely on my own. I didn't know anyone and no one knew me. They didn't know Sam, or Emily, or the tribe. I could be whoever I wanted. I wasn't a disappointment anymore. I wasn't an outsider. To them, I was unknown.
And for once, that was all I wanted.
The bus started pulling away from the curb and I realized it was completely full. Sarah quickly filled me in on how we were going to a hotel to do our last final audition in front of the actual judges.
I felt nervous, which took me off guard. It had been so long since I felt anything but sadness. I was nervous because I wanted to make it to the next round. Not because I wanted to be a model. But because I didn't want to go back.
Soon we pulled up to a nice, fancier than anything in La Push, hotel called the Hilton. We all got out of the car to wear we were put in a ballroom where we would wait until our names got called. I sat with Sarah at a table with two other chicks who looked less than happy that we were sitting with them. I ignored them. I could see I was getting a few stares. I could hear them talking about me, but I ignored that as well. I was use to things like that. But for once, their whispers weren't filled with fake pity about the Sam situation, or talking about how much of a bitter harpy I was. So, in a way, I embraced it.
I could hear her foot steps before she even opened the door, hear her breathing, and I could smell her. So when the entire room erupted in screams, I was not surprised as Sarah was.
Tyra Banks was beautiful. Her smile seemed genuine but I could tell there was something a little more behind her eyes. She greeted everyone excitedly and told us auditions were starting soon. She gave everyone a small pep talk, telling us to just focus on being ourselves. She told us to make sure we had heels to walk in and a bathing suit to change into. I had brought my mothers heels, that I had miraculously fit in, and an old, plain black two-piece bikini.
Sarah was called in about thirty minutes after Tyra left. She looked like she was going to be sick, but I didn't worry about her mainly because I could care less if she did well or not. I knew I would be up soon because they were going by last name.
"Leah Clearwater."
Crap, I didn't think it would be that soon. I nodded and followed the person who called my name. They sat me in a chair outside a door and told me to wait there until they called me in. I noticed Sarah come out from another door in her bathing suit. She barely looked at me as she went in the door I was sitting outside of. Ten minutes later, she walked back out and the lady told me to go inside.
Sitting at a table at the front of the room as Tyra Banks, a black man, and a tan man with white hair.
"Hello, there." Tyra said, a welcoming smile on her face. I tried to smile back but I doubt it looked pleasant.
"Leah Clearwater." The man on her left said, his tone light, "Native American."
"Yeah, right down to the bone." I said.
"Why don't you tell us about your heritage?" Tyra suggested.
I nodded, "I live on a reservation called La Push, in Washington. My ancestors were part of the Quileute Tribe. I've lived there my entire life. it's a small reservation and everyone pretty much knows everyone. They know your life, your story, your secrets."
"Speaking of stories," The man with the white hair cut in, "Tell us why you were so eager to get away from all of that."
I sighed. I didn't particularly want to tell them about Sam, but I figured I should do what they say and hopefully I would be cast.
"I fell in love with this boy on the reservation. His name is…Sam." I had a hard time saying his name, "We're were so in love and we both knew that one day, we would get married. We were the power couple of La Push. I was never just Leah. It was always Sam and Leah. Then one week, he started to act strange. He disappeared for a while and I was worried. But then he came back and everything seemed okay. He never told me where he went or what happened, but I guess I was so desperate never to lose him again that I just forgot about it. My cousin, Emily, was visiting one day and I really wanted her to meet Sam, the boy I was in love with. When he saw her, everything changed. He ended things with me and now…they're engaged."
"So, the boy you loved left you…for your cousin?" Tyra exclaimed. I nodded. No tears were forming, I didn't feel sad…I just felt numb.
"And that's why you want to get away?" She asked, "Because you can't bare to see them together?"
"That's not the only reason." I said, "On the reservation, everyone has to contribute to the family. If you've got nothing to bring, you're worthless. My dreams and my goals never fit in with the rest of my tribe. So they all deemed me as worthless. But I know I have something more to bring. It might not help them in anyway, but its MY dream. I want to be a model. I know I can be a model."
I also know how to spew a lot of bullshit I don't even believe myself.
"Your story is very empowering, Leah." Tyra said, "Why don't you go get in your swim suit and heels and come back in."
I nodded and left the room to change. I could still hear them talking about me from the other room.
'She definitely has the look. Those cheekbones are magnificent.'
'But I'm worried the only reason she's hear is to get away from her past.'
'You heard what she said, I do think she truly wants to be a model. And maybe her desire to get away is only going to add to her determination.'
'Maybe you're right. I guess we'll just see how she photographs.'
'And we really need to do something to that hair.'
By that time, I was already dressed in my bathing suit. I put on my heels and after stumbling a little bit, I walked back to the room.
"Welcome back." Tyra smiled, "Wow you have an incredible body."
"Walk forward a little bit." The guy on the left said. I tried my hardest to walk the best I could in heels. I was not use to them.
"How tall are you?" The other guy said.
"5'10" I replied.
After a few more questions, they sent me on my way. I changed back into the clothes I had come here in and went to take my place in the ballroom. Four hours later, the interviews were all over and we had to get pictures taken so the judges could see what we looked like on camera.
We were told to touch up our make-up and to change into anything as long as it had no logos on it. I had a few shirts with me, but not that much so I just kept on the one I had brought. I had no idea how to apply make-up, so I didn't touch that up either. One by one we were called over to go into another room to take a head shot. Finally I was called after Sarah again and I made my way into the room. I noticed the guy from the other room with the white hair first. The photographer was looking at the photos that he had probably just taken of Sarah so I didn't get a chance to see him.
"Girl, why aren't you wearing any make-up?" The white-haired guy said.
"I uh, don't know how to apply make-up." My cheeks tinged a little red with embarrassment.
"What girl doesn't know how to apply make-up?" He exclaimed in shock, "Girl you better learn soon. But I suppose we'll work with what we got right now."
He told me to back up a little and face the guy holding the camera. The guy finally stopped flipping through the pictures and turned to start taking pictures of me. I barely met his eye, and in the one millisecond, everything changed.
It was as though the ground had shifted and I was completely on another planet, in another dimension. An electric power surged through my veins and all I could see was him. My heart started beating at an abnormal pace and all I wanted to do was grab this man and hold on to him for the rest of my life. Nothing else in the world mattered. It was just him. I wanted to whisk him away, somewhere we'd be all alone. I wanted to kiss him, hold him, love him. I wanted to just breath in his scent, run my fingers through his soft hair, touch his glistening skin. I needed him. I wanted him. He was mine.
I didn't even realize he was snapping photos of me as I stared at him. I didn't even realize that the guy with the white-hair was trying to instruct me a little bit. All I realized was that standing right in front of me, was my soul mate. I never knew this moment would come. Ever since I changed, I had been an abnormity. No one believed I would imprint. I didn't believe I would imprint. But here I was, staring at my soul mate. At my future. I was in love. I was so in love that at the moment, I couldn't even comprehend what was going on. I was so in love that for once, I didn't even remember what sadness felt like. All I could feel was this passionate, unadulterated love. It seemed to ooze from every fiber of my body, consuming my mind, tainting my soul. Love, the one thing I never thought I'd feel again. I was in love with this stranger.
"Done, Nigel?" The white-haired guy asked, bringing me back to the present.
"Yeah, we definitely got the shot." He said, looking a me, with some curiosity in his eyes.
"Okay, Leah." The guy said, "You're done. You may go outside and wait with the rest of the girls."
But I didn't want to leave. All I wanted to do was stare at this beautiful man, be with this beautiful man and never leave his side. When I didn't respond, they both looked confused.
"Leah?"
I jumped a little in surprise, and blushed red.
"Yeah, go outside, right." I muttered and exited the room.
Once he was no longer in my sight, I felt so empty, so incomplete. I wanted to run back in the room, profess my love, and just kiss him. But I know I couldn't. So I sat there. Feeling perhaps more incomplete than I did when Sam had left me. But there was hope because just a few feet away, in another room, was my soul mate.
Nigel.
A/N: So there ya' go. I hope you liked it. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING. Leave a review and tell me what you think!