"It's a shame, you have a really pretty face. Maybe once you're on tour you'll get out more. Thank you for answering myquestions."
Lucky cringed as she hung up the phone. She knew what the interviewer really meant--you have a really pretty face for a fat girl. It was something she had been hearing a lot lately, and she didn't like it one bit. Pretty was pretty, whether someone was fatornot.
She didn't consider herself fat, but she definitely wasn't skinny. Lucky never thought much about her size until recently, when the record execs made it a big deal. Lucky was confident in who she was, but lately with so much fuss being made about her appearance, she wondered if she was being naive; something she was oftencalled.
Entering a small powder room to the side, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her light brown waves hung down her back, almost to her waist. The length of her hair reminded her that she hadn't had a haircut in years. Her dark brown eyes had the same slight upward slant to them as her mom's, making her look a little exotic especially combined with her highcheekbones.
She pinched her full cheeks then sucked them in, accentuating her cheekbones. There wasn't any point in it. She knew nothing short of a miracle could make her look thinner. She simply needed to get the naysayers out ofherhead.
Smoothing down the boho-style peach tunic she wore over a faded pair of jeans, she hoped one day the looks and words of others wouldn't mean so much. For now though, they did. While she thought nothing could shake her confidence on stage, she was beginning to feel less sure of herself offofit.
Hearing a soft knock on the door, she shook her hair with her fingers. She hoped the musicians arriving for auditions today would be more concerned with talent than if she ever had a boyfriend or what her real name was, but shedoubtedthat.
"Just another minute," Luckyyelled.
"Hey, it's me, open up," said the soft squeaky voice of Jordan Blake, Lucky's bestfriend.
Jordan and Lucky had met on the school bus ride home when they were five years old. Seated next to each other, they put their feet up against the back of the seat in front of them and discovered they had the same shoes on. They had been best friendssince.
Jordan's blonde pixie cut suited her. She was petite, small boned and fragile looking, but her blue eyes heavily lined with black kohl hinted at her toughness. Wearing a pair of work boots with black leggings and an oversized shirt, she looked like Tinker Bellgonebad.
Even though they had drifted apart after high school, they still considered themselves best friends. Jordan had grown quiet over the years and kept more to herself than ever. But Lucky knew she shouldn't take thatpersonally.
Lucky kept quiet about how much Jordan had closed herself off over the past three years. She knew it was better to stay friends than force Jordan to talk about things she didn't want to discuss. Jordan didn't have anyone else to talk to so when she was ready, Lucky would be there. And no one else understood the dynamics of Lucky's home better than Jordan. It went unspoken, but they knew if they didn't have each other, they wouldn't haveanyone.
Lucky knew her best friend had problems at home and would do anything to escape. What she didn't know was how bad things really were for her. Jordan never spoke about it and Lucky knew better than to ask. When Jordan was ready to talk, shewould.
When Lucky got word of the tour happening, she knew Jordan would jump at the chance to go with her. The words had barely come out of Lucky's mouth before Jordan said she would go. She even agreed to join Lucky for bandauditions.
"All done with the interviews?" Jordan asked as she entered. "Did any of them call youOlivia?"
"No. I don't think they even care what my real name is. Everyone's focused onLucky."
"Lucky you," Jordan said with a grin. "Have you heard from your parentstoday?"
"What do you think?" Lucky askedsarcastically.
Lucky showed her her cell phone with multiple missed calls and texts. "I told them I had a busy morning with back to back interviews before meeting the band. They wanted up-to-date detailsthough."
"They should've come out to LA withusthen."
"Noooo," Lucky said, her eyes wide with pretend fear. "Trust me when I say they wanted to. I told them the label said they couldn't, that they'd be a distraction. Do you realize this is the first time I've been away from home?" Lucky shook her head as she thought about her life at home before groaning. "You won't believe this. I told the last interviewer I've never been on a date. I really have to learn when toshutup."
"I can't wait until that interview comes out. I'msobuying that magazine," Jordan said with a laugh. "You've been on a date though, why didn't you tell themaboutthat?"
"Ha! Tell them about being such a loser that for me to go to the prom, my mom had to find me a date? Nothanks!"
"Oh, give me a break, that guy was crazy about you. And if I remember right, he was prettycutetoo."
Lucky rolled her eyes. "That guy had a girlfriend. Plus he wasn't crazy about me, he was just crazy, period. Besides, he was only doing his aunt afavor."
ThreeYearsAgo
"But Mom, Jordan's my best friend. Why can't we share the limo?" Lucky asked, trying to keep the whine out of her voice. She wanted to have an intelligent conversation with her mother and not be treated like achild.
"Lucky, I've told you before, you're not allowed to drink," hermothersaid.
"I'm talking about the limo though. Riding in the same vehicle to prom. This has nothing to do withdrinking."
