‘Come on, Andre,’ coaxed Lyssa as her brother dragged his feet to the bus stop. ‘If you walk faster, I’ll buy you a new train.’
It was Saturday morning and Lyssa was on her way to a photography studio to get her portfolio pictures taken. Since her father was working and her mother was next door with her new friend Sara, Lyssa had been left with Andre.
They finally arrived at the bus stop, and Lyssa checked Dan’s text again for the address. He’d been in contact a lot during the week since he followed her home. Texts to see how she was after they talked. Texts to check she was okay for the shoot. A text to give her the directions to the studio. And now a text to say good morning.
‘Another one?’ asked Emily the day before, when they were 61 on the tram to school.
‘He’s just doing his job. He’s very serious about his work, I think,’ said Lyssa.
Emily made a face. ‘Really? An ex – Yarra College boy who works for his mum is serious about his job? I thought the only thing they were serious about was partying.’
Lyssa stared out the window. She didn’t know whether Dan’s communication was normal or not; she’d never been texted by a boy. Her life wasn’t like Bella’s, with parties and clubbing and fake IDs.
And Dan wasn’t like the boys she knew growing up, with his blond hair and white shirt. His jeans were expensive – Nobody Denim. She’d heard of the brand, but she couldn’t imagine ever owning a pair. She’d noticed his slight tan and the fine blond hairs on his forearms. He was tall – taller than her. He had a strong jawline with no stubble, and green eyes. She’d looked at him more than he realised, she thought after he left. She’d seen the way he wore Converse with no socks. She’d noticed his cologne; its citrus smell reminded her of the beach and oranges.
Now, as Lyssa settled Andre on the bus into town, she sat down and checked her phone again. One text from Emily but none from Dan, which made her feel vaguely disappointed. It had been nice to have little text conversations with someone new. Then her phone buzzed. Emily again.
Say cheese J Have fun 2day. Call me l8tr.
Thanks, green-tea pav.
The bus lurched about as it headed into town and Lyssa felt increasingly nervous as she saw the city skyline in the distance. She hoped Andre would be okay while she got the photos done. It won’t take long, she thought. Just a few photos and then we’ll go home again.
The bus stopped in the city and Lyssa helped Andre off. She flashed a stern, protective look at a woman who was staring at them. People were such idiots sometimes, intolerant of skin colour and religions and disability. The woman reddened and looked down.
Standing on the street corner, Lyssa held Andre’s hand while she tried to get her bearings.
‘Come on,’ she said, leading him gently down the street.
She turned down an alleyway and stopped in front of a large metal door. She pressed the buzzer and waited. Finally, Lyssa heard footsteps and the door opened to a girl with a shaved head and elaborate eye make-up.
‘Lyssa?’ she asked, her face friendly. She gave Andre a wave.
‘Hi,’ said Lyssa, smiling back shyly.
‘I’m Stella, the stylist for the shoot. Come on up.’
Lyssa followed her up the metal staircase, staring at Stella’s chunky black boots as she stomped into a large open space. There was a white screen at one end, and along another wall were racks of clothing and a table of shoes. In one corner stood a make-up station, covered in brushes and make-up of every colour and brand. Nearby was a table of hair products, curlers and hairdryers.
Lyssa stood awkwardly in the centre of the room, Andre still holding her hand. She had never felt so unprepared.
A man was walking about with a camera while another man was checking large lights covered with silver umbrellas. Occasionally a flash would go off, and Lyssa felt Andre tense up.
‘It’s okay, it’s just for photos,’ she soothed him.
‘This is Chris. He’s going to photograph you,’ said Stella. ‘And this is his assistant, Paulie. Guys, this is Lyssa.’
The men turned and nodded at Lyssa, who nodded back.
‘Hi,’ she said, feeling stupid.
Stella took her over to the make-up station. ‘This is Chloe, she’ll do your make-up. This is Brad, he’s on hair. We think we’ll have time to do about six shots today. You cool with that?’
Lyssa raised Andre’s hand apologetically. ‘How long will it take?’ she asked.
‘We should be finished by five,’ Stella said cheerfully.
Lyssa’s heart sank. That would be too long for Andre; he couldn’t handle being all day here without a television. She thought of ringing Emily, but she worked on a Saturday. There was no-one else, and she’d promised her parents she would take care of him.
‘Can you give me a minute?’ she asked Stella, who nodded and walked away.
Lyssa dialled Dan’s number. She didn’t have anyone else’s number at the agency.
‘Hello?’ came a groggy voice down the line.
‘Oops – have I woken you up?’ asked Lyssa.
‘No, no,’ Dan said. She heard him clear his throat. ‘I was just resting. What’s up? How’s the shoot going?’
‘It’s kind of not going,’ Lyssa said. ‘I don’t think I can do it after all. I’m really sorry.’
‘What? Why?’ Dan’s voice rose in pitch.
‘I have Andre with me. I’m supposed to look after him, but I didn’t realise this would take so long. They need me till five and he can’t do all day here. He’ll be okay for an hour at the most but he’ll start to wander. I’m so sorry.’ Lyssa walked over to a chair and gestured Andre to sit down.
‘Wait, stay there. I’m on my way,’ said Dan quickly.
‘What for?’ Lyssa asked.
‘Just start getting prepped and I’ll be down soon,’ Dan said, and hung up.
‘Everything okay?’ Stella asked Lyssa with a bright smile.
‘Not really,’ Lyssa said, feeling helpless. ‘I didn’t know this would take all day. I have to look after my brother.’
Stella nodded. ‘We’ll work as fast as we can. Maybe we can get you out of here by three.’
Lyssa checked her phone. It was ten now. ‘That would be great, but I’ll have to go if he gets cross. He gets upset easily.’
Stella laughed. ‘I’ve worked with bigger divas than him. Let’s just start and see how we go.’
Stella walked to the rack of clothes and pulled out a few dresses. ‘This Prada evening dress would look incredible on you. The marine blue will really bring out your eyes.’
Lyssa nodded while Stella moved on. ‘A Yamamoto skirt and shirt. You could totally rock this.’ Stella’s hands flicked expertly along the the rack. ‘This Dolce corset with these J Brand jeans. I totally have to put you in jeans with those legs. Crazy.’
Stella strolled along the rack of clothing, choosing more outfits, while Lyssa nodded periodically and kept an eye on Andre.
Stella hung the clothes on an empty rack and then turned to Lyssa. ‘How do you feel about them?’
‘About what?’ Lyssa asked, confused.
‘About the clothes I chose for you,’ Stella said, with an amused expression. ‘Do you have any opinions?’
Lyssa looked down at her cheap jeans and Cotton On T-shirt and raised an eyebrow. ‘Do I look as though I should have an opinion?’
Stella shrugged. ‘It doesn’t matter what the label says on your clothes. You have to wear these, so are you okay with what I chose?’
Lyssa nodded. ‘I guess. I don’t know anything about clothes, really.’
Stella laughed. ‘I live and breathe clothes. It’s tragic, really.’ She walked over to the make-up chair. ‘Sit here and Chloe will do her thing.’
Lyssa sat down and Chloe carefully considered her face.
‘You have amazing skin,’ said Chloe, shaking her head as she lightly ran her fingers over Lyssa’s cheek.
‘Thanks,’ Lyssa said, and she felt herself blush.
‘Do you mind if I shape your eyebrows a little? Like, just a tiny bit?’
‘Sure,’ said Lyssa. She kept one eye on Andre, who was driving his train up and down the arm of his chair.
Lyssa sat patiently while Chloe fussed over her brows and Brad started on her hair.
‘Sorry about my hair,’ said Lyssa. ‘It’s pretty crazy.’
‘Are you kidding?’ asked Brad. ‘It’s incredible.’
Lyssa laughed. ‘I’m going to get it relaxed when I save up the money.’
All three handlers stopped what they were doing.
‘Don’t you fucking dare,’ Stella said.
‘What? Why?’ asked Lyssa, trying not to cringe. She hated it when people swore.
‘Because then you won’t be you. You’ve got curly hair. Own it,’ Brad said.
‘I’m happy to own it if I can work out how to handle it,’ Lyssa said.
‘That’s what I’m for,’ Brad said, then went through a list of dos and don’ts for her hair-care regime.
Lyssa found she was enjoying herself more than she thought she would. Then she looked over and noticed Andre was wringing his hands.
‘You okay, Andre?’ she called. But he didn’t look up.
‘All right. Come and get dressed,’ Stella said.
Lyssa stood up reluctantly and followed her behind a rack of clothing. She slipped off her jeans and eased her T-shirt over her head, standing in her non-matching underwear.
‘You’ll have to lose this,’ Stella said matter-of-factly, gesturing to her worn bra. ‘What size are you?’
‘I’m 10C.’ Lyssa knew she was blushing.
Stella pulled a strapless bra off the rack and handed it to Lyssa. ‘Try this one.’
Lyssa turned her back, embarrassed. She slipped on the bra and fastened it at the back, trying not to fumble.
Stella held the Prada dress open for Lyssa to step into, then turned her around and did up the zip at the side.
‘Shoes,’ instructed Stella, pointing at a pair of platform high heels. Lyssa held on to Stella as she stepped into them.
‘God, you’re tall,’ Stella said, as she pushed the rack back.
Lyssa stepped out and then saw herself in the mirror.
Her hair was swept into an elegant bun, with little curls framing her smooth cheeks. The strapless dress showed off her creamy, latte-coloured skin, and the blue accents made her eyes seem bluer than ever.
Lyssa laughed incredulously, just as the door to the studio opened. Dan stepped in, his arms filled with shopping bags.
Lyssa grinned at him, and he stared back at her. His jaw dropped and for the first time in her life, Lyssa felt beautiful.