"His secretary picked up, she said he's not going to pick up the phone, he's in a plane going here. He got anxious of waiting." Valerie explained what the secretary said.
"Mr. Trevino didn't like the idea of letting you go himself, he's on the way here for a reason. I can't allow you to go walk in that stage." The bodyguard pleaded for my cooperation.
"Call my mom please, just do it." I told Valerie since Aileen is no use, she's just stress eating.
"If Mr. Trevino doesn't like the idea, what kind of response are you expecting from your parents, they're your own blood, they won't let you do it. " The bodyguard again pleaded his case.
" You don't understand, we are models. This is the highest achievement we could ever have, if she turns her back on the brands now, they would never forgive anything that she's got to say." Sapphire rebutted for my sake. Danica and I are already through with this bodyguard, he's just won't quit his principles.
" I hear you, but is your career more important than your life? " He asked which really made me furious.
" Yes! Yes it is, this career is the reason I lost my dad's company. This career is the reason why I got back on my sleeves. This career makes me feel good about myself. This career is my happiness, this it is my life. If you take away this, you're already killing me. " I deffended myself. My approach to this situation isn't childish, but it's merely showing courage, something that I lacked when I tried to handle dad's company. I believe I gathered too much courage just to speak up to that guard, he's not scary, but I am intimidated by his presence.
"I hear you, but you're someone important not just to your fans, but to your family. In behalf of all the people who admire you and supported you at your career, I'm telling you that you don't need to risk your life just so you can please people, you already have many supporters, those brands Will beg you to come back if that's what bothers you the most. " The guard calmly stated, he must've sense that I was tense while talking to him.
"Why don't you just come with me? Scatter outside, if you really say that you got my back no matter what, why don't you prove it by keeping me safe on that crowd. " I tried to persuade him.
"Please don't put your life in my hands, as a fan, it'll crush me knowing I let my Idol down. " The guard explained. Oh? He's my fan? I didn't know I had muscular fans, what an honor.
"Saving my life is better than crushing my dreams. " I said before going inside the comfort room to undress, I need to wear my robes and get ready to change soon.
"I'll call your parents." Danica suggested and I just gave her a smile and a nod, which made her jump in success.
"I'll call the gang, I'll inform them of what's happening, don't worry El' the guards aren't the only ones who got your back." Sapphire left me a very assuring and calming message before she went back to her room to get ready too.
"Thanks Sapphire," I thanked her.
As I unbutton my polo shirt, I noticed that my hands were trembling. I'm scared, Im afraid of dying like any other human woud feel like if they know there's a shooter ready to shoot them. I'm trembling because I might die tonight, and I'm also scared because what if I stumble in the stage? Haha I know death is worst than stumbling, but I mean if I stumble the whole world and the internet would know, so yeah it is pretty scary thinking people will laugh at your mistakes.
My white satin robes were already hanged behind the door, it's customized with my cursived name knitted on it. I wore the leg-long robe and looked myself in the mirror, I'm pale, probably because of the fear feeling I've been thinking about. So what I did is kinda slap my cheeks a little by little until it looked red, I started singing my favorite song to help me calm down and stop the trembling, I'm pressing my lips unto each other to kinda provoke it's redness. After I guess five minutes of doing that and finishing my favorite song, I then smiled at myself in the mirror.
"You got this El'." I cheered myself and had a huge breathe before going back outside the comfort room where all the yelling people are, I must maintain my peace and try to forget about the danger ahead.
"Oh El' your done, your mom had already answered the video call." Danica approached and immediately gave me the Ipad.
"We are Very sorry madam, but we really need to dress you right away." The staff from Saint Laurent Marched back inside again with Beryl on their back.
"I'm really sorry El', I couldn't hold them much longer, they're all yours now. By the way, you looking hot on that robe, makes me wonder what's it like to be your robe." He said, he winked before leaving the door close.
The staff immediately went on looking for the perfect designs for me, I have a very huge mirror in the room where I look at myself.
"Hey darling! It's mom, is everything alright?" Mommy asked curiously, she sounds very anxious though.
"It's okay mom, nothing to be worried about." I answered while checking out the other designs hanged on the rack.
"Mrs. Del Acosta, Selene is on the crowd, she's seated in one of the front row seats. I'm trying to convince Miss El' to backout and just keep herself safe." The bodyguard tried yelling so mommy would hear, he's at the very back corner of the room unable to go pass the staffs who are working their miracles on me, and he also cannot look because I'm trying to get dressed.
The background is very noisy because there are numerous amount of people talking on the background. The staffs are debating on what I should wear, Danica and the bodyguard is Explaining things to mommy and also debating on the decision, Aileen is ordering for more lollies, Valerie is scraming her lungs to try to warn the staffs to stop moving my face because she's working on it, and lastly the other bodyguards' radios are constantly talking because they're monitoring each moves Selene does. So yeah it's pretty chaotic right now, more chaotic than the usual chaotic were experiencing during normal fashion shows.
"Honey I get that this is the peak of your career but does it really need to happen now?" Mom asked sarcastically, sounds pissed at the timing.
"It's not my career's fault dad's ex- secretary is trying to murder me, I mean you should call her and tell her to plot this on the other day, I won't even budge, I'll just make it easier for her." I sarcastically told mom, but she didn't laugh it means she didn't like the idea at all.
"We didn't have a proper conversation before you left, I'm expecting to hear from you again, so please do as your bodyguard says." Ash Ron's voice echoed in the Ipad, but his face was not seen, maybe his somewhere in the background.
"Who's that?" Danica immediately asked and tried to peek on the Ipad she was holding.
"Did you see who that was?" Danica asked someone but everyone is busy so nobody responded.
"Who was that?" She curiously asked again.
"Calm down boss, that's my Best friend." I lied, which is something I'm going to regret soon. Ash Ron will never forget me for denying him.
" Yup! Just a best friend from the Philippines, I just got back, " he then added, but I can't figure out if he used a mocking tone or a sarcastic tone.
" Why are you very interested in my daughter's friends all of a sudden anyway, can we get back to the topic please? " My mom's intimidating voice immediately scared Danica, so she eventually stopped asking, the topic was turned off easily.
"Mom they'll keep me safe, don't worry, I've got Australia's best guards ever." I still persuaded my very nossy mother.
"Please don't let her do that!" The bodyguard was almost not heard from all the rambling inside the room.
"El' please listen to your mother." my heart almost stopped beating when I heard my father's voice. I immediately looked at the Ipad to see if it wasn't just made up or a hallucination created by my brain.
Then suddenly the connection got lost, I didn't even got to speak to him. Was he really awake? Did he spoke to me? Was I hallucinating?
"Bravo! I think we have our Winner, what do you think Miss El'? " The staff excitedly asked.
"Finally you stopped talking." Valerie immediately worked her magic when she was able to focus without anyone bothering me.
"Uh I don't know." My brain was a little pre- occupied because of the sudden appearance of my dad's voice.
"I think it's pretty." Danica complimented.
"I think it makes your boobs look bigger," Aileen added.
"I think it you look like a lady boss," Valerie then said.
"I think it screams I'm rich, I'm talented, If you want me scream for me baby!" The gay assistant of the woman added jokingly which made everyone laugh.
"It's set then, this should be the show starter dress." I agreed to their pick. It's a baggy trouser like pants that also looks like a skirt when you're just standing straight, it's an earth-tone colored pants with very interesting hand-sewn wave designs on the bottom. The top is a white cropped, corset-like shirt that looks like a tuxedo, it's neckline and sleeves are designed to look like a tuxedo or blazer.
"Chop! Chop! People, we need to get Madam out of here." The staff commanded her people that immediately took off and left the room one by one, Danica also took all the things she's going to need inside her bag and motioned me to follow, Aileen and Valerie who's holding her make up kit are walking behind me.
As I pass the door the bodyguard was looking at me very dissapointed at my decision, but what is he going to do? It's not like he can tackle me to stay you know. He closed the door behind him and followed us all.
Sapphire and Beryl's team also started going out as we enter the elevator. "We'll take the other Elevator, you have a massive clothing support there," Beryl joked, then Sapphire pinched his shoulder for it.
"That isn't nice! You know what's happening, you can't just comment on someone else's business." Sapphire sort of tried to prove something and educate Beryl.
"It was just a joke, you're not even the one eho received it-" the elevator doors closed before I can even finish Beryl's rebut.
While at the elevator Valerie released my hair from the bun which made my hair very messy. "Wow! It's really tight in here." Valerie commented not being able to move freely to brush my hair.
"That's okay! Her hair is suppose to be messy anyway." The staff stopped Val' before she can even brush my messy and sticky hair, she sprayed hairspray earlier to avoid the hair getting into my face.
"When you're guarding someone's life it's not usually very crowdy." The bodyguard said sarcastically to let me know that the amount of people who we don't know and are inside the elevator is major threat to my life as he say it.
"Calm down! This people are innocent, probably haven't touched a gun yet." I said trying to convince the guard to be less tense.
"I've touched a gun, hunting is very famous in our family." The gay assistant exclaimed but he instantly regretted it as all the people inside the elevator looked at him with dagger eyes.
"Sorry, probably a wrong timing to tell you that." He apologized and went silent. The elevator doors opened seconds after he apologized.
The stylists on the Backstage went close as soon as I arrived they've re-done my make up into a very nude but dramatic look, they've also deisgned my hair to be more edgy. "Give me El Del Acosta please!" One of the organizer team yelled as the program or show already started, they're about to open the show already.
"El' your mom is calling again." Valerie said before they grabbed me to the side of the stage.
"Tell her not now, it's really not a good timing," I answered. I can hear the camera flashes and the people slowly getting quiet as the speaker introduces the first brand, which is Saint Laurent.
"El' don't go on that stage, young lady!" I heard my dad's voice again, but this time I was certain it was him, because I saw his face in the screen. My mind went blank for a minute but the organizer's brought me back to my senses.
"Sorry daddy, don't worry about me please, I'll be fine." The Organizer motioned his fingers giving to say it was time for my walk.
As I enter the middle back of the front stage cameras immediately went flashing, it was all very cinematic in my opinion, it's something that I have imagined in my mind for so long now, but today is different, because it's not an imagination, this is really happening.
As I gracefully walk with swag and maintaining my elegance, the crowd cheered for me. It's something that they do for Runway Starters, to set up the mood. I maintained my blank face as I was trained not to smile while in the runway even in my happiest hour.
I turn my back so that they could see the back of the design, I faced them again and gave them a very fierced look, the crowd cheered, I heart the photographers scream my name begging me to slay even more. As I walk back I see Sapphire coming right after me, she's also slaying her body-huggint tight business jumpsuit. She winked at me as we went passed each other, I just gave her the minimal look of smiling and went back to my blank face again.
When I was in that stage I felt really powerful or superior, it was as if everybody was rooting for me. "El! Your dad-" Valerie went rushing to me as the clothing staff prepared me for my next batch of designs.
"Your dad hanged up, shut up Val' you're going to ruin her mood. She already started it, she can't leave now." Danica looked Valerie in the eye as if she was threatening her or something. Valerie didn't budge but sighed in deafet as she looked at me. I was wondering what those two are arguing about, anyways I guess everything is fine, so far I haven't seen Selene in the Runway, where could she be?
The next outfit is a red tube jumpsuit that has a flare design at the bottom, it's tube is cut out in a heart shaped way, they also added silver shining gloves, and let me were silvery high wedges. They curled my hair, make it have a massive volume, like those hairstyles in the seventies.
They now introduced the next brand which is Givenchy, their designs are much matte than the Saint Laurent designs, they're serving sexy colors like red, black, grey, and white. "El Del Acosta you're up darling!" The Organizer yelled from the side stage
"Coming!" I yelled back and hurriedly went to his direction.
It took us about three hours before finishing, it was a very hectic night, but hey! I survived, and I didn't die. Was Selene really here a while ago? I really didn't see her at all, was she just scaring me?
"El' I can't take it anymore, now that you're done with this, I need to tell you." Valerie almost cracked a voice while confessing something.
"What is it?" I smiled and asked curiously.
"It's your father El', you didn't hear him yell your name when you started Saint Laurent, right? He was so stressed that he had a heart attack, we haven't heard from your mother again, last we could see was your mom and Ash calling for doctors." As she explained what happened it all sinked in to me, my dad just had a heart attack, because of me.
My heartbeat just started raising, the adrenaline rushed inside my veins. The thirst of knowing whether my dad is okay, running through my mind like crazy. I couldn't take it all there, I ran and Ran until I reached the doors of the building.
When I got out many reporters started asking me questions and flashed their cameras at me, that made me uncomfy, but there was a strong pull that took me away from all the interrogations. It was Mr. Trevino "Are you alright El'? What happened there? It's not like you to be camera shy." His voice was so low, or I think it was me who was unable to hear it clearly. It's like I have a remote control and I can switch everyone's loudness to low or high.
Before he can even close the door of the building a very sharp and painful thing pierced the upper left of my back, and another one in the lower right of my back right there in the waistline. I was Still wearing the bloody red colored heart jumpsuit from Givenchy which they gave me a while ago, I found it very interesting than the other clothes, that the other brands gave me.
There was so many commotions in the background, there were french people yelling, people screaming, and most of all there was people crying. Despite all the commotion there were still camera flashes in the area, I see Danica yelling in her phone, both my assistants crying while I lay on the floor, and Mr. Trevino sitting there keeping me together with his hands press against the parts that hurts.
"I think I was shot." Is the last thing I said before losing consciousness.