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The printer spat out the last page of my Debate essay. I had done my essay about if beauty was skin deep or not. My response was: yes.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and saw that it was my friends, Allanna Meso and Mackelle Hardy.

“Hey, Brandi! Let’s go to Brock and Beth’s,” Allanna started. “I heard they have a new mocha that’s just to die for.”

“And we could stop by Urban Outfitters on our way back home!” Mackelle added.

I thought about it for a second. I was going to go home and stare at my Instagram until dinner, but having a mocha and heading to Urban Outfitters was more assuring. I nodded. “Sure! Lets go!” I said enthusiastically. I picked up my papers, stuffed them in my binder and headed out of the school building with Allanna and Mackelle.

We walked down Burbey Avenue and walked up the steps to Brock and Beth’s. The smell of coffee beans and cinnamon buns rushed up my nose when I set foot in the shop. As usual, Marisol (the barista and cashier at Brock and Beth’s) was standing next to the glass food display, with her hair pulled up in a messy bun, stirring at a coffee cup. Once the door swished open, Marisol swished her head our way, and smiled.

“Gi-irls!” Marisol said in her usual sing-songy voice, as we approached the cashier counter. “How are you today? What can I getcha today?”

Allanna answered, “Three of the new mochas please? The Mint Chocolate Chip one?”

Marisol nodded and headed off to the kitchen. Brock and Beth’s used to be a nightclub called Rikki Mama. But then, Rikki Mama got shut down because of a health inspection. Now, it’s a chill coffee place called Brock and Beth’s.

There were black cherry-colored curtains that matched the walls. There were white chairs and tables. I always liked coming here after school or a stressful day because I could just sit at a table with a coffee or fruit tart and read until my mom texted me to come home.

All three of us took a seat near the window so we could see the passersby. Five minutes had passed and our mochas came to our table. It smelled of coffee beans and candy canes had been blended and stirred with their original mocha. It tasted heavenly, though. While we were there, Mackelle had grabbed a TeenThing magazine, opened it and started flipping through it. Mackelle was the one that was most into TeenThing magazines, as it’s the only thing she reads. She looked really interested when she flipped to a page about cool nail designs for L.A. winter nail designs. Meanwhile, Allanna was scrolling down the Naughty Hottie (a makeup store on our street.) home page looking for a new blush. I whipped out my iPhone and saw that I had gotten a text from my mom.

Where are you?

I remembered that I had to text my mom if I was going straight from school to somewhere else. I texted her back.

Sorry! :-(   I forgot! But we’re at Brock and Beths            

I told Allanna and Mackelle that I had to go and I left for my building.

As I walked up the porch steps to my apartment compound, I thought about the things that I had learned during the school day.

“Math,” I said under my breath. “proportional equations and ratios.” I kept reviewing what I had learned over the day until I reached my doorstep. I knocked on the ebony door and immediately, my little sister and brother opened as if they were waiting for me since they heard that I was at the coffee shop. My little siblings are twins. Cole and Colleen. Cole is technically one minute older than Colleen, and he holds it against her as some sort of court file. Like it’s going to matter any time of their lives.

“BRANDI!!!” Colleen yelled out, with her little stubby four-year old feet running towards me. “I missed you so so so so so so so SO much!”

“Hi, Brandi! Guess What?” Cole asked, his smile brighter than the sun.

“What?” I asked enthusiastically.

“I finished the alphabet today, and Mommy took me out for ice cream after school!!”

“That’s Great, Cole, buddy!” I said to him, embracing him in a big hug. “do you know where Mommy is?”

Colleen nodded. “Yup! She’s upstairs on the computer!”

I headed upstairs as I let Cole and Colleen finish building their fort. The office was painted light blue and had family pictures on the walls along with Mom and Dad’s degrees and diploma.

“There’s my beautiful girl!” Mom said in her soothing voice as she embraced me in a warm, tight hug that immediately made me feel warm after walking in the cold fog.
I’m not gonna lie. I am beautiful. I’m not saying this to be narcississt or anything, but I really am! I have very pretty features. I have golden brown, straight hair that shined in the sunlight, long eyelashes, deep blue eyes like the ocean, full lips and perfect eyebrows. I’m too skinny or too plump, just the right size. The only thing that wasn’t perfectly aligned on my face was my crooked nose. I don't complain about it though.

I live in an apartment complex that isn’t very large. It has three bedrooms, one office, three bathrooms, a kitchen, living room and laundry/utility room. Luckily, I have my own room, and the twins share a room. Mom said that after the twins grow up a bit, we’ll move to somewhere closer to everything such as work, school and marketplaces.

I walked into my room and plopped myself on the bed. The walls were painted white with floral patterns that matched the bed set. almost everything was either white, floral, gold or pink. My desk was white, I had a chair that was floral, my closet was painted a light pink and i had a bay window with white cushioning and pink and floral pillows. My shelves were lined, one on top of the other and they were painted gold. I had little pictures of quotes that said, Hakuna Matata or cute Disney quotes like that.

I heard my iPhone buzz and saw that it was a text from Mackelle.

Check your email! I sent u a link 2 something rlly RLLY COOL!

So I did as she had instructed me, went to my desk and opened up my MacBook Pro. I clicked on the email icon on the desktop. Surely enough, there was an email from Mackelle in my inbox. It read:

FROM: macMhardyluv@inmailco.com
TO: brandibaylareneQT@inmailco.com

CLICK ON THIS LINK!!!!!!!!!

teenthing.com/beautybased/LGTUON

I led my mouse to the link and clicked on it. It led me to a page by TeenThing and it said in large, bold letters at the top: MODELS NEEDED! BEAUTY MUST BE NATURAL! Was Mackelle crazy? I could never be a model for such a popular magazine like TeenThing! But I guess……………

TO BE CONTINUED!!