She gives me the green light, and I unlock her phone.
“Hmm.” I look at her last one, and they’re pretty similar.
“What?”
“They changed my meal plan, but yours is so similar to your last one.”
I look over at Helena when she doesn’t answer, but she keeps her eyes ahead.
“What?”
She shrugs in response before stealing a quick glance at me. “Maybe because you put on a bit of weight.” Her words are soft, but they somehow still cut. “And that’s fine; you’re a plus-size model, Sage.”
I only nod in response and put her phone back. We’re quiet for a few minutes, and I feel her stealing a few glances at me, but I keep my eyes fixed on the road.
“Stop overthinking this, Sage.” She places her hand on my thigh, and I turn to her with a forced smile. “You’re our best model—after me, of course.”
She flips her hair playfully, pulling a laugh out of me. She and I are always toe to toe for everything, so I don’t think her words are true, but either way, I don’t see her as competition since we’re best friends.
She looks back over at me, the playfulness gone. “Your weight doesn’t change that, Sage. You’re beautiful.”
I only nod in response with a soft smile and she lets out a sigh. “Just follow my meal plan.” She shrugs.
My brows furrow as I look back down at her meal plan and study how different ours are. “Are you sure it’s okay for me to do that… again?”
“You did it last summer, and you were fine.” She shrugs as I sit in thought. Ididlose weight when I followed her meal plan last summer, but Angie also yelled at me so badly, I freaking cried. She made it such a big deal and was talking about all of these health problems I didn’t even understand or have. I was fine. I was hungry and a bit lightheaded, but I lost weight.
“Yeah, maybe I will.” I nod, more to myself.
“Good.”
I turn to Helena, and she has a bright smile on her face. “You look amazing now, but your summer body last year was literal goals.”
I laugh softly but clear my throat when it comes out weird… maybe she’s right.
We sit in a comfortable silence for the rest of the drive, but as Helena pulls into her parking spot in front of Magic Model Headquarters, a sense of serenity washes over me as my eyes land on the huge glass doors. The gold M handles catch my eyes as we head for the doors, and I let out a content sigh.
“I love it here,” I say, mostly to myself, and Helena agrees as we walk in. MM Headquarters is five times bigger than the studio we were just in, and considering how much time I spend here, it feels like home.
“Good morning, ladies!” The front desk man waves cheerfully before he takes the ID from the girl in front of him.
“Good morning, Cal!” Helena and I voice in sync as we slip into the elevator. The ride up to the third floor is fast, and I feel a smile tugging at my lips when I step off the elevator and hear laughter coming from one of the common rooms.
Turning the corner, I peek into the makeup room where all of the models get ready, and a few heads turn my way. “Sage, hey!” Mel's pretty smile paints her face.
“Hello, pretty. I love your hair!” Seeing it up close, blonde really does suit her. In the corner of my eye, I can see Helena walk away, but I don't comment on it as Mel thanks me. My team quickly stands from their seats and tells me they'll meet me in my room before I tell the other girls I'll see them later.
Helena slips into her dressing room as I make it down the hall, but since we both need to get ready, I head for the end of the hall. Passing by Quinn's room, I pluck the green dry-erase marker from the velcro and write a small message on her board. Next to her door is Nin's room, and I pick out a daily affirmation from the small cup she has outside her door.
You alone, the way you are now, are enough.
I feel myself go still as my brain shuffles through my conversation with Helena in her car. Before I can decide whether or not the universe is trying to tell me something, a door opens.
“Loana!”
My eyes land on Coral, and her smile pulls one out of me. I love that she just calls me my middle name. She and a few of the other girls do that, and I smile like this every time I hear it.
“I heard about the makeup shit show, but I'm running late, so tell me later.” She points at me eagerly as she walks away backward.
