Kali

my first short story.

To Siran, walking the runway was like jumping off a cliff. Hovering behind the glass divider, with her toes pinched and curled, she could see the strobe flash of spotlights and cameras. The first step was always hard, but she tried not to think about it anymore. And once she jumped, she was flying. The wind machine twisted her hair behind her head and ballooned the ends of the chiffon around her bare legs as she glided across the tiled strip. She was bathed in a white glow, sprinting in slow motion through a blur of faces. Chin down, shoulders back, she swung her hips low. Prominent bones rippled under the tight bronzed skin of her shoulders and legs, her vertebrae cascading smoothly down her back. Fifteen steps pause, turn and glare. Her bright eyes pierced the air above the sea of heads, and she wished she could stay like this forever, flying, heart pounding to the beat of the music and the flash of the lights. But all too fast the ground clouded her vision, fifteen steps and she crashed back into a chaos of hairspray fumes, half-naked models, and fire-eyed managers screaming into their earpieces. 

 

The life of a model wasn't as glamorous as she had hoped when she first walked into Andrea's modeling agency. She was sixteen, with sapling legs and small waist. Andrea had told her to find a different agency, she was “completely booked”, but Siran being a stubborn teenager decided that she would wait until a spot opened. Andrea realized she was there to stay when she almost trampled the blanket clad Siran, who had brought a sleeping bag and camped out in front of her door. Andrea agreed to sign Siran, and in a matter of months her life had become a blur, a constant wave of motion that smeared her periphery with Technicolor. While the exhilaration and ecstasy carried her through the first shows and shoots, and fancy dinners, the bliss faded away, flaring up only at the flash of a camera and the turn of a catwalk. She was tired.

 

She remembered her first day at the agency. That was the day she’d met Kali. Kali had been with Andrea’s company for two years when Siran first joined. Andrea had been laying out multicolor forms for Siran to sign, spreading them like a card deck across her wooden desk. Siran remembered reaching for one of the monogramed pens in Andrea’s cup holder when Kali walked in. Tall, with olive skin and inky black hair, she walked into the office with a grace that left Siran speechless, arm still extended toward the penholder.

“Hey Andy, Mark wanted me to tell you to fax him my schedule for March, he needs--Oh hi!” Kali said.

Siran snapped her mouth shut and quickly directed her stare to a point on the wall behind Kali’s head. There were a few seconds of silence as Siran pressed her lips tightly together.

“Quiet one huh? Mark’s gonna have a field day with her. My name is Kali by the way.”

Siran eyes flickered momentarily to the right and she noticed how perfectly straight Kali’s two off-white rows of teeth were. Kali gave a small laugh and after grabbing some papers from Andrea, strode quickly past the frosty glass door. Siran watched as the flesh toned jumbles of color danced across the glass, slowly fading back to a grayish blue.

Kali never failed to remind her of that moment.

“Jesus I thought you were going to faint or something. I’m not that intimidating am I?” And Kali would claw at Siran, brows furrowed and teeth bared in mock anger. That was the great thing about Kali. She never seemed to take herself too seriously. She was a natural charmer, even Genevieve, the cold hearted Norwegian girl, managed to crack a smile whenever Kali burst into the room.

“Boo!”

 “Jesus Christ!” She clutched her chest as she tried to shake the Kali off her back.

“Guess what today is!” Siran peeled Kali’s arms from around her waist and stared at her with a raised eyebrow.

“Monday?”

“No�"well yes, but more importantly, today is your two month mark! I didn’t think you’d make it, but here you are. And I got you somethi�"S**t. Where did I put it?” Siran stared curiously as Kali patted her pockets, and rummaged through her bag. Finally Kali pulled out a velvet blue box and got down on one knee

“You haven’t taken a drag in over two months. The ashtray on the table has remained unused. And I no longer have to Febreze the room every three days. I’m so proud of you” Kali looked up at Siran with big eyes and a bright smile. A few seconds passed.

“Am I supposed to say ‘I do’” Siran asked amusedly.

The smile dropped and Kali huffed, pushing herself into a standing position.

“Way to ruin the moment a*****e. Anyways, here,” She held out the blue box. Siran gently lifted a thin gold chain out if the box’s creamy interior.

“I didn’t have enough money for a charm. Maybe I’ll get you something if you make it to ten months.”

Siran nodded quietly.

About a year after Siran had met Kali. Kali had officially left home and they had both thrown themselves into an intense training regimen. Since Kali didn’t have a place of her own, she stayed at Andrea’s, and wherever Kali was, Siran wasn’t far behind. They took over Andrea’s small loft, settling into a somewhat normal, hectic, routine.

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The strawberries smoothed out into a creamy pink as the blades of the blender rotated. Siran didn’t believe in drinking coffee. She’d read somewhere that it caused water retention and bloating. Needless to say Andrea was pissed to find her expensive java blend replaced with cans of wheatgrass shots.

“Remind me again why my coffee is missing?” She asked as Siran moved around the kitchen, pouring the creamy mixture into three glasses. The tall girl strode over and placed a glass in front of Andrea, using her free hand to poke ate her manager’s belly .Kali snickered as she shuffled into the kitchen, pulling up her pajama pants as the fabric slid down her hips.

“That’s why.”

Andrea glared at her and Siran, then slowly took a sip of her shake. “See, isn’t it good?” Andrea merely grunted. “Well excuse me miss ‘don’t eat stuff that’s bad for you’”, Siran bent her fingers at Andrea. Kali grabbed the other glass and sat next to Andrea who looked thoroughly disgruntled.

“Like you two ever listen to me.”

It was true. Andrea had always been incredibly strict with their diets, especially once the duo started catching the eyes of higher level designers. Siran would be good. She’d limit her diet, record her calories, and cut the sugar and fat…when she was with Andrea. Kali on the other hand ate whatever she wanted. As a “senior” model, she knew when and where to get the best chips or the biggest Snickers bars, and was Siran’s main source of junk food. They almost never got caught, though the last time they cut it pretty close. It had been earlier that week, after a long cardio session with Mark. They were exhausted and panting, hands placed on bony knees as they struggled to get air. Mark’s sessions were brutal. Kali had said the only way to actually recover from them was to replenish all the salt and calories they had burned. When they left the studio, they took a shortcut past Clarkson Avenue, which ran directly across from a McDonalds. They hid the loot in their totes and snuck through the back of the agency’s building. There was a closet on the fourth floor where they usually stashed their stuff. They had just finished the burgers when they heard some voices and footsteps. They quieted immediately, staring at each other. A few minutes passed.

“I think they’re gone.” Kali nodded and they stared at each other for a moment before dissolving into quiet giggles, bodies relaxing into each other as the greasy yellow plastic between them crinkled. Kali

“Oh my God that was close!” Kali mumbled around a mouthful of fries. Siran had chuckled as she tilted her head back and tapped the bottom of the bag to get the rest of the potato bits.

They ate until the flat expanse of their abdomen formed a slight curve. Then they waddled into the bathroom. Not bothering to lock the door behind them.

The first time had been hard for Siran. She’d almost given up, but Kali had cheered her on, back pressed against the plastic door of the stall.

“Try it again”

Kali looked at the girl bent over the toilet, toothbrush in hand.

“C’mon Siran, just stick it down farther and wiggle it a bit, it’ll work this time.” Siran twisted her hair back and braced her elbows on the commode. She stared at the end of the cheap plastic toothbrush. There was a bump in the plastic that kept scratching against the roof of her mouth. Kali poked her and gave her a pointed look. Siran took a deep breath and pushed the thin plastic down the back of her throat. She moved it around once the back of her thumb hit her lip. Kali smiled proudly as Siran’s lunch mixed with the chemicals in the toilet.

“See, I said you could do it didn't I?" You’ll definitely make the cut for John’s show this time.” She opened her arms and Siran melted in to them, legs bent across the cheap linoleum floor.

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It was Paris fashion week and she had been asked to open for The John Calliano Summer collection. She stuck her head around the side paneling of the runway and watched the men drag chairs into parallel lines next to the runway. A sick fluttering in her stomach greeted her, and she let her tongue trace the smooth surface of her teeth. It was a bad habit. Kali said her teeth would stick out if she kept on doing it. But it was the only thing that could calm Siran, besides the soft touch of Kali’s hand on the small of her back. Kali wasn’t here though. Since she was closing the show, she had been summoned by the Andrea to go over last minute details. Kali had given a Siran a quick a hug and a small fist pump as the crew put finishing touches on the backdrops and okayed the audience seating arrangements. Suddenly Siran’s body was suddenly screaming for air.

Walking briskly through the halls, she pushed past coordinators and dodged crew members as they steered tall racks of rainbow tulle and sheer nylon.  She pushed open the side entrance to the building, propping a brick between the door and the wall. Plucking a cig from her pocket she watched as the end glowed orange. She licked the back of her teeth and took a drag. It was quiet outside and her eyes followed the shadows as they dripped down the side of the building. It was funny really how quickly she took to the little white cylinder. It hung perfectly from the side of her chapped lips. She’d always hated the smell of smoke, hated how it seemed to cling everywhere, like an invisible gray fog. When she was little, her father used to drive her to school in his beat up Honda, and she’d keep her face close to the cracked window, breathing in the cold air. He’d cough a quick goodbye and give her a kiss, watching as she’d jump out of the car, palm rubbing the smoke stains off her cheek. There was a slight commotion behind the door and Siran pushed herself off the wall, grinding her second stub in to the gray pavement before slipping back into the hazy hairspray commotion.

 

Siran listened to the music. It was a colorful techno track and she tapped her heel, waiting for her cue to walk. Between her, Siran, and Genevieve was a young model named Johanna. With fair skin and bright pink hair, she stood around the same height as Kali; if she straightened up maybe she would be an inch taller. Kali turned watched as Kali motioned to the black clad crew member who held up two fingers. Kali gave him a thumbs up and turned to Johanna. "Straighten up, and don't swing your hips. I saw you walk for John. You looked confident. Do the same here. Pace yourself and when you get to the end, turn slowly." Johanna looked startled to be the subject of Kali’s interest and Siran was equally mesmerized as Kali put her hands on Johanna’s shoulders. "Our concept is summer. Summer equals fun and that's what you have to sell. Look lively and don't glower, remember this is not couture. And remember to smile. Can you do that?" Johanna nodded slowly, and after a pointed look, let her red lips stretch across her teeth. Siran was momentarily stunned by the whiteness of her teeth. God she was young. The music changed pace and the girls shuffled back into order, Kali stepping behind Siran. The guy across the wall started a silent countdown. 5. 4. 3. 2. And Siran took her first step, gliding down the aisle, stopping momentarily to give the audience a playful smirk, lips closed tight over yellow, acid-worn teeth.

 

 

The final walk had gone fairly smoothly. Johanna had tripped over Genevieve's train, earning her an icy glare, but it was towards the end of the runway, so she was able to stumble away quickly behind the curtains. Siran saw Kali grin, and laughed to herself as Johanna lightly patted her flushed face, peeking around for any witnesses to her blunder. She gave Johanna a quick smile and rounded the corner to her vanity. After shimmying out of her gown, with a little help from a passing stage manager, she wrapped one of the embroidered event robes around her thin frame, and sat on the cushioned stool in front of the vanity. The lights were bright around the mirror, momentarily blinding her before she could focus on the reflection. The concept for the show had been summer neon, and Siran commended the makeup artists. An orange rose blush bloomed across the tops of her cheek bones, almost melting into the bright purple geometrics that stemmed from her eyelids. Lifting her chin and twisted her neck, she decided that she looked like an alien bird of paradise. They had bleached her eyebrows for this show, and she was still caught off guard as the strange creature in the mirror stole a glance at her. As much as Siran loved the concept, she thought it best to remove the art that had been so carefully painted across her face. It was muggy outside, and she hated the feeling of foundation dripping down her neck.

"Hey."

She jumped at the sudden voice in her right ear. Turning she was met with Andrea’s face. Siran quickly started to wipe away at her makeup; the twitch in Andrea's left eye and the steady drumming of fingers on her shoulder gave her a five minute warning. There was a dinner event at ten; a fancy event where she'd adorn the arm of some high strung, black jacketed something-or-other who had just made a name for himself in the business world. "It's good for your image," Andrea had reassured her last week, as Siran had picked at her salad. She scrunched up her nose and scoffed as she rubbed the mascara from her lower lashes. Nagging about photo shoot schedules she could deal with. Arguing about cosmetic contracts? No problem. But when the conversation turned to her personal life? No way in hell.

 

Siran dragged her tongue across the back of her teeth as the car pulled up to Andrea’s place. As much as she was not looking forward to the dinner, she was glad for an excuse to get out of the apartment. Andrea was all about appearance, and her apartment looked like it came out of an Ikea magazine. Unfortunately, her furniture was not designed for comfort, especially the couch. Siran liked to come back as late as possible, so her exhaustion could drown out the twinge in her back and the strain in her neck. Hell, the couch in her own apartment, well the one she shared with Kali, wasn’t even as bad as Andrea’s. Even though it was a floral piece of s**t, she remembered sprawling across it, legs tangled with Kali’s as they caught up on the latest episode of Top Model. Siran dragged her fingers through her hair. She’d take twenty minutes of Tyra’s bitching over a date with this pinstriped douchebag any day.

The cab dropped her off at Andrea’s after the party, around three in the morning, and she pulled herself up the steps, heels slipping in her stilettos. It took her a good ten minutes to fish the key out of her purse, and another five to get in into the lock. When she finally managed to push open the door, her long legs raced for the bathroom.  Her knees made a sickening thud as they hit the tile, and she put her hands on the side of the commode to steady herself. Her stomach rolled and she watched the toilet fill with her half eaten appetizer and a couple shots of vodka. Wincing she lifted her head, only to put it back down when another wave of nausea hit. She heard the bathroom door open, and turned her head away. Steady hands pulled her up, and grabbed the bottle of painkillers, which had been kept in the forefront of the cabinet. She could feel Kali’s thin frame strain to pull her up, and they both stumbled as the she maneuvered them to the couch. She made out a soft rattle and clink as the pills were set on the coffee table with a glass of water. Shifting, she turned to face the back of the couch, and faded into the black leather, numb to the sharp corners and uncomfortable edges.

 

They day they got the news, both of the girls had been extremely tired. After the success of their last show, the agency had been pushing them harder. They had barely endured another one of Mark’s cardio sessions, and all hopes of a snack break had flown past them as they were hurried to walking practice. Siran abs were killing her as she twisted her torso, crossing her feet as she moved forward. Kali had just finished her walk, and was slumped against the wall, a bottle of Dasani dangling from her hand. Just as Siran was about to make her final turn, Andrea stormed in, waving a piece of paper in the air.

“We did it!” She did a little victory dance as Kali turned to look up at her, cheek balanced in her palm.

“What exactly did we do?”

“John has personally requested you,” she turned to Siran, “Both of you to open for him at the Venice Fashion show. This is huge!” there was a moment of silence, as both girls attempted to comprehend the situation. Kali was the first to react, though her words were vaguely incomprehensible. She pushed herself up from the floor and skipped to the stage, almost tripping on the edge of her sweatpants. She wrapped her arms around Siran’s legs and lifted her off the runway; the both clung to each other Kali rubbing the other Siran’s back as she started to tear up.

“We did it” she whispered burying her face in Siran’s sweaty neck.

 

They had flown into the San Marco airport around three in the morning a month later. Ray Bans covering puffy eyes, she, Kali, and Andrea collected their bags and slept most of the drive to the hotel. It was almost four in the afternoon when Siran had finally woken up. Andrea was still sleeping, earplugs blocking the soft buzz of the Italian soap opera that had Kali entranced. When she saw that Siran was awake she mouthed “Let’s go” and pointed out the window.

The streets were overflowing with laughter, lights, and the smell of dirty water. Above her, stretched rows upon rows of balconies, adorned with flowers and drying laundry. It was almost six and the two girls were slowly making their way back to the hotel. There was a yell and a few men, followed closely by two police officers, ran past Siran with tarps full of cheap purses slung over their shoulders. Their plastic sandals slapped across the cobblestones and she watched as their figures melted into the crowd ahead. She wanted to chase after them, but settled for disappearing into the crowd, letting it embrace her as she held tightly to Kali’s hand. They walked past a gelato shop three floors below their balcony. Next to the gelato shop there was a mask store, and Kali was transfixed, dragging Siran behind her through the glass doors..

 

The store smelled like plaster, old paper, and paint. The man behind the counter yelled something at them in Italian and Siran nodded politely, holding back a laugh as Kali imitated the man. She walked to the other end of the shop, turning to peruse the rack of masks. There were some with hooked noses, and grotesque grins; she edged away from them just in case they tried to snap at her. The masks farthest from the counter caught her eye. She picked up a black one, made of wire that had been coated in a generous amount glitter.

“That would look amazing on you. Actually no, wait,” Kali rifled through the display “Try the red one.” Carefully Siran wrapped the fiery wire around her face and stared at her reflection in the screen of her Blackberry.

“That looks hot. I’m getting it for you.” Siran sputtered in protest, but Kali held up her hand, “Nope nope nope. I’m getting it end of story. The next one’s on you though.”

She brought out her wad of money from her passport pocket, stowing the small bag safely back in her blouse.  Siran started to untie the back but a slight resistance stopped her. The curved swirl at the edge had caught in her curls. She quickly glanced at the storekeeper and then at Kali and panicked. She tried to work the mask out of her hair. Finally with a tug it came loose, but the force threw her elbow back and knocked over a row of purple feathered eye masks.

“S**t” She felt a slight tremor in the wood beneath her and looked up to see the red-faced storekeeper storming in her direction.

“Look at sign. No touch.” The bulky man paused to take a breath and stare at them. His drooping cheeks lifted though when he noticed the tight chunk of euro notes that Kali held tightly in her fist.

“Ah, ah, you want mask? Here I wrap it for you free of charge. I give best price. You no find anywhere with better price.” The two girls looked at each other and went towards the counter. As they left, they heard the man say “Scicco straniero”.

“Remind me to look that up when we get back.”

They laughed about it later when they found out it meant “stupid foreigner”.

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It was ten in the morning. The venue was packed with energetic staff members, and tired models, running through their last fittings with the designers. Siran excused herself to the bathroom, eager to find reprieve from Andrea’s incessant chatter. They had been running through the order of events for the third time that morning, though she knew the routine well. Siran walked down the marble hallway, past a few men dressed in dashing maroon and gold uniforms. She had to admit the venue was nicer than her previous show here. Kali loved the ambiance of the hall, with it’s the golden accents on the crown molding, the thick red carpet, and the blinding crystal chandeliers. Andrea had to almost physically drag her to the dressing rooms. Siran let her fingers catch on the corner of the wall as she turned towards the restrooms. The light dimmed to a soft orange glow as she entered, and She turned as the door opened again, and saw Kali walk in.

“You okay”

“Yeah, just a bit nervous.” Siran started her pacing but Kali hand pulled her to a stop.

“That’s not going to help, trust me. I know a better way to relax. First take off your shoes”

“Why do I need to take off my shoes?”

“Because it’s fun.” Kali said, picking up one of the hand towels, “And those heels look killer.” She waved the towel under the faucet. The water was cold, and after wringing out the towel, she brought it to Siran’s face. She could feel the lines on her forehead relax under the cool terrycloth. After a few moments. Kali pulled the cloth off of Siran’s face.

“Better?”

Siran nodded

“Good, now it’s time for me to offer my prayers to the porcelain gods.”

“Idiot, you should’ve done before going to Hair and Makeup.”

“Yeah yeah whatever just hold it back for me. I really don’t want to hear the hairstylist’s life story again. I literally thought I was going to die of boredom. Like you don’t understand, I could feel my heart shriveling in my chest.” Kali continued her complaints as she bent down in front of the toilet. Siran rolled her eyes and gently pulled back the girl’s teased black locks while she emptied her stomach. After Kali brushed her teeth, both girls headed back to the dressing area, bracing themselves for the commotion and drama that was sure to come.

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A loud crash came from Kali’s dressing room. Siran jumped and looked over to see her storm out of the room, robe flaming behind her, with a long piece of ivory fabric trailing from her fist.

“What the hell is this?” A few startled staff members fumbled towards the tall girl. One of them, an intern probably because Siran didn’t recognize her, asked in a small voice,

“I l-left it in your room miss, on the rack. It’s y-your dress for�"“

“I know what my f*****g dress looks like, but please explain to why this doesn’t fit!”

“I-I’m sorry, I don’t, I�"I “ At this point the intern was wringing her trembling hands. Siran didn’t blame her. Kali looked like a banshee, eyes glittering, hair teased into an inky black halo. Siran opted to stay in her chair. She knew how bad it was to be on the receiving end of one of Kali’s tantrums.

“Just get me another dress. And so help me if it doesn’t fit like a glove…”

Siran waited a few moments as Kali cooled down, watching the intern’s small form scramble between the maze of dress racks.

“That was a bit harsh. Didn’t you give your measurements to John a couple weeks ago?”

Kali sighed, her face relaxing into weary lines.

“Yeah. It was probably just a mix-up” She stared at Siran for a moment before excusing herself to the bathroom.

Siran waited for Kali to return. Andrea had just about gone into hysterics, nearly crying when the Kali finally stumbled out of her dressing room. The relief was short lived when Siran noticed something off. Kali’s eyes were slightly bloodshot, and as she got into place in front of Siran, she swayed unevenly, her designer heels barely finding purchase in the floor. Starting off on her left foot, Kali stumbled onto the runway half a beat behind the music. Siran felt Andrea and the other models tense behind her, eyes trained on the flickering figure striding unevenly across the TV screen. No one breathed as Kali approached the end of the runway. She was supposed to pose, tilt her chin and put her hand on her hip, just like in rehearsal. They all watched as Kali’s hand slowly crept up her chest, clenching the gauzy beige fabric. And then she fell.

The light murmuring of the crowd escalated into cries of surprise as Kali dropped, limbs cascading sharply onto the cold tile of the catwalk. Three people in orange vests ran past Siran onto the stage, yelling loudly over the music.

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“Sbrigati! Dammi l’ago.

“Passare il atropina”

Siran couldn’t even hold Kali’s hand as EMTs tripped over themselves in the back of the ambulance, throwing around clipped sentences, vials, and needles. With each bump of the tires over a jutted piece of cobblestone the EMTs grew more frenzied. Siran could only watch. Like the first day they met, she was silent, frozen as Kali’s chest rose and fell with each pump of oxygen.

There weren’t many people in the waiting room. An elderly woman sat in the corner, her heavy chin rested on her chest. Near the counter a young man sat watching a child, maybe his brother, pushing colored blocks along curved wire. The older boy paused occasionally to peek at the nurse behind the counter. Andrea met Siran in the ICU, face gaunt and blue under the flashing “Pronto Soccorso” sign.

What’s going on? She asked Siran.

“She’s under intensive care. They won’t let me in”

“S**t.” Andrea ran a hand through her flattened hair. There was a moment of silence and Siran closed her eyes, resting her head on the faded blue wall. The wallpaper crinkled a little under her hair. She fiddled with her gold chain. The coarse metal chafed against her skin as the clasp travelled towards the nape of her neck, and she shivered. She felt the plastic bench move as Andrea took a seat next to her. The waiting room remained silent, punctuated only by the sound of blocks knocking together. Slowly the day began to gnaw at her consciousness, and she slipped quietly into darkness.

Siran was jolted awake as a sharp pain bloomed across the side of her face. She blinked her eyes couple time, pulling her head back sharply when she realized how close her face was to the metal arm of the bench. She rubbed her cheek and turned to look for Andrea, frowning when she found the space next to her empty. She got up, pressing her hands to the small of her back; a few cracks resounded through the room. There a was soft whirr as the automatic doors opened, and an empty gurney was pushed towards the ICU by two nurses in pale blue scrubs. After they passed, Siran peeked through the doors. She saw the orange sleeves of Andrea’s coat move animatedly towards a man in a white robe. Their soft whispers were quickly cut off though, as the door clicked shut. Siran turned back to the rows of plastic benches. Another half hour had passed before Andrea came back through the double doors. Her pupils were dark, blood vessels branching out towards the corners of her eyes. She walked stiffly towards Siran, hands laced tightly in front of her chest.

“The doctor said Kali was suffering from an electrolyte imbalance. She was severely dehydrated. They put her on an IV drip but apparently her body was too malnourished. Not enough iron. She was having pul-pal-palpitations”

The slight stumble of words was all it took for Andrea’s mask to break. Her hands started to shake as she continued.

“They, they did everything they could. They used the defibrillator. They shocked her. They---

Siran slid to the ground. Her knees smacked the cheap linoleum as she buried her head in her forearms, hands clenched tightly in her hair. Her body shook and she could barely make out the sound of Andrea’s words. The older woman’s voice was thick with tears, but she continued to speak.

“Her heart wasn’t strong enough. I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry.”

Kali gasped and lurched towards Andrea, reaching her arms out to cover Andrea’s mouth.

“Stop. Please just stop. I can’t �"“ Siran’s voice caught and she sank into Andrea’s arms. They held each other tightly, kneeling on the cold floor. The nurse secretary gave them a pitying look before resuming her typing.

The drive back to the hotel was short. They had managed to sneak past the reporters, quickly shuffling into a black cab.  Faces crusty with salt tracks, they sat, suspended in silence. The room was in the same disarray they had left it in. Siena’s suitcase lay open on Siran’s bed; she had been throwing clothes around trying to find her cardigan. Siran picked up a blouse that had been tossed onto the pillow. Kali had worn it in the flight; it smelled faintly of perfume and sweat.

When they returned home the reality hit. Siran remembered watching Andrea fill out a stack of paperwork, brought by a stern man in a black suit. She wanted to go in when the older woman burst into tears, but held herself back. She didn’t open her computer, or turn on the TV. She knew that her smiling face would beam back up at her, with straight yellow teeth. And it terrified her.

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Siran walked out to the balcony. The sun heated iron dug into her forearms as the leaned across the twisted bars, and she could feel her nose twitch. It had been autumn the last time she had been in Venice. She remembered walking past the canals with Kali, hands woven together, hair frizzy in the cool evening dampness. Now the flowers were in full bloom, threatening to pour onto the bronzed passersby below. She pinched the stem of a red flower, watching as the green darkened and moistened her fingertips. Its petals were soft and thin and open, offering little resistance as the plucked them from the center of the bloom. She let them drift down as she took in the city, eyes stopping momentarily as she spotted a new shopping mall, a familiar statue, and the pizza parlour Andrea had almost taken her and Kali to. “They have the best pizza in town. Bellisimo”, Andrea had said in a crappy Italian accent which had sent the two girls over the edge, small frames shaking with laughter.  Andrea was usually pretty strict with their diets, but she had promised to take them after their show because to hell with it, they were in freakin’ Italy.

Siran sighed as she tossed the stem over the ledge, and made a note to try out the pizza later. The sounds of the busy streets rose up, swirling around her as she looked at the people below. She could make out an angry street vendor shaking his fist at an equally riled up local, a lady in a Venetian costume stopping to take pictures with tourists, and a young woman staring through the window of the mask shop. Siran’s breath caught as she stared at the woman. She had olive skin and her inky black hair fell in thick waves down her back. The woman paced in front of the store a few time before disappearing back into the crowd. It was getting late; the sky had begun to fade from orange to a dusty blue. Siran closed the balcony doors behind her, letting the cool air conditioning wash over her skin.

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It was ten minutes before the first walk. Siran stood behind the curtain, hands over her stomach as she took a deep breath. The lineup was the same as Paris fashion week. She and Genevieve were lined up, wary of the empty space between them. There was a slight shuffling, and Siran turned to see a young blonde woman hovering around a tall girl with bright pink hair. Siran looked at the clock. Eight minutes. She quickly glided over, putting her hand on the blond lady’s shoulder.                               

“I’ll take it from here.”

Johanna looked up at Siran, eyes slightly red. She opened her mouth to speak, painted lips revealing acid worn teeth.

“I can’t do it.”

Siran’s chest burned a little as she stared into her bloodshot eyes, watching them slowly shine with salty tears. Johanna took a few steps forward, stumbling as she shuffled closer to Siran.

“What do I do?” Johanna gestured wildly, dingers trying to form the sounds she couldn’t make on her own. Siran, alarmed, gently wrapped her arms around the frail woman.

“I can walk for you, don’t worry. I’ll call one of the nurses. No one will hate you trust me. I’ll talk to John.” She spoke soothingly into her ear while gesturing to one of the on hand nurses. The short lady pried Johanna from Siran, and shifted the model’s weight across her tiny shoulder. Siran watched as the two walked towards the back room, where the nurse would give Johanna an IV. She sighed and returned to her place in the line.

“Where’s Johanna?” Genevieve asked.

“Getting an IV drip, she wasn’t feeling well.” Siran couldn’t place the look in Genevieve’s eyes, but let it go when the rhythm of the music changed. After one last glance towards the backroom, Siran stepped onto the runway.

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Andrea had scheduled their flight in the evening, giving Siran a few last hours to roam the city. She walked past the canal, nose stinging from the stale breeze as gondolas and speedboats passed. She walked in to the plaza she had from her balcony. It was big, cobblestones extending in a circle until they hit stone archways. Siran walked around the fountain in the middle, turning to the corner of the plaza where young men and women sat on wire chairs, relaxing in the shade of red umbrellas. She set her plastic bag on a table, careful not the break the contents, and lifted her hand to catch a passing waiter. She gave him her order, pointing to the menu as the young man scribbled in his little black book. They nodded at each other and he returned a moment later with a champagne glass and a bottle of Pellegrino. She twirled her straw in the glass, watching as little bubbles raced to the surface, popping and fizzing. A breeze lifted her hair, and she turned as her nose was met with a rich, tantalizing smell. The waiter set a large round plate in front of her, and she carefully lifted on of the triangles. A burst of tomato, basil, and fresh mozzarella danced across her tongue. “Andrea wasn’t lying” she said to the empty seat across from her, catching a string of cheese as it swung form her lips.

 

 

Author's Note

I'm curious to see what you think about the sequencing of this story. It jumps around quite a few times, but I hope it doesn't take away too much from the overall flow of the story.

Reviews

[Kiwi]

Okay so.
Firstly, when I started reading and realised it was about models I thought "Oh dear, this is not going to interest me in the slightest." However, I thought I might as well see how far along I could read. As it turns out, I've read the entire thing!
Along the way I noticed small errors of punctuation/spelling here and there, but nothing too great that was going to put me off continuing to read so that was fine.
But honestly, I -really- love the way you write. Your use of vocabulary is incredible which made it all the more enjoyable to read even despite the fact that my first instinct was to read another story.
I'm glad I read this though and you have a wonderful way of describing and wording everything, which made my reading experience all the more enjoyable. I noticed that yes, it did jump around from time to time, but it works for the story so I wouldn't worry about that too much.
Overall, well done on creating such an interesting story!