Early morning, we go to the venue with all our luggage. The models agreed to meet us there, it's just me and Chris, everything else the production house will provide. Like they're dependable with their management but I can't quit, I refuse to bow to someone I haven't done wrong to.
The spaces we're provided to work in aren't like previous years, we're placed into a hall and divided into small pieces of space unlike makeshift rooms, I guess they're sure no one is going to steal anyone's designs. Good for them...
I have to look for something else for my designing degree though, I feel like I'm too old for this show, this isn't for any particular reason other than the looks I've been getting.
"I feel like they're staring at me."
"Not wrong, they're staring at you." I need a new manager, don't you think?
"Why, what's wrong with my face?" I didn't spend time on it this morning but, this shouldn't attract this much attention - right?
"Hmm, these stares aren't for something wrong with your face, it seems there's a rumour circulating about you." He's right...
Good thing I haven't done anything embarassing lately unless they're talking about my father's affairs, which I doubt have reached the tabloids yet. Hmmm... I've no idea what the rumour could be.
Chris and I have tunnel vision, we'll set a goal and only divert our attention to something else once we've achieved that goal. That's what's happening now, we get busy setting up, they're pointing fingers and murmuring but we do our own thing... Whoever is brave will come up and tell us why we're center of attention.
"I can't believe she really came."
"What else can you expect from someone like her?"
"To chase after married a married man like this though...
"He's her ex after all..."
"If I were Mrs Druid, I'd feel some type of way..."
The chatter goes on like that, Chris and I look at each other, burst out laughing. It's ridiculous, I thought it was something groundbreaking they'd heard but something like this, come one...that woman can't honestly think I'm after her husband? Mr Merwe is alive and well, a million times better than Sebastian too, am I crazy to chase after her husband?
"You're after Sebastian it would seem."
"I have a doppelganger, she's getting me into trouble."
"Tell her to go after better man, single too."
We're not being silent, everyone can hear us. They look at us as though we've lost our minds perhaps they're right, we've all gone crazy. Who started this rumour? Mrs Druid wants to advertise her husband as a catch so badly?
The clock doesn't wait for anyone though, we get busy with our work and everyone stop running their mouths. I'm looking to take a breather after sometime, come face to face with my designs, on the models I was working with in the first place but not me? Huh?
"Chris..." Maybe I'm too tired right, another set of eyes will help clarify my confusion...
"What?"
"Look, look there...doesn't those look like my previous designs to you?" I'm not seeing things, am I?
Chris goes to them but not confrontational, he's next to their station, takes pictures incognito then returns. I take out my sketches and we match them, I'm not wrong, they are my previous designs, they didn't bother to tweak them even a little. Good old fashioned plagiarism - no, taking and using as your own? Plagiarism then. Who's the person?
"Do you know who that person is?" I don't know, besides the models, I've never seen any of them before, what in the world?
"No. I don't but those models, they're the ones who were changed right?"
Is this the reason why Mikayla Druid came to the company that time to check our progress? So she was scouting out whether we were using those designs or scrapped them altogether. How clever.
"They dared!" Why don't you tell everyone, will you? Chris' exclamation grabs us some unwanted attention.
"Calm down, will you? There's still time before we're called for presentation."
These tricks, just because I find the boring doesn't mean I can't play them, don't they know? How unfair, to use me in a game and expect I would watch them without doing anything, am I a puppet?
"Can you get models over?" Since it's come to this, I'll play with them.
"Yeah, I can. What's your plan?" He knows me too well. I'm petty, I'm really petty and don't like to be used, the combination is real eye shocking pettiness. Can't blame me though, people find trouble with me even when I don't know they exist. The world's messed up.
"That station, are they before or after us?" Not like it matters but before would be good, the shock will be more impactful that way.
"After, they're last."
That's good, that's real good then, it'll work perfect with what I have in mind. My fashion show, being ruined by corrupt management - not the show but preview - the point being, the previous years ran smooth and this year, Mikayla woman appeared. How useless...
"Get them here, fast. If she wants to mess with me. I'll give her the best opportunity. It's better to be upfront with enmity, don't you think?"
"Are you planning what I'm thinking?" I should get a new manager, right? All this one knows is money and nothing else.
"What are you thinking?"
"Your designs though, they weren't done."
He's not completely wrong but they're not unpresentable...if I show them, they'll do just fine. I'm not worried about that, what I'm worried about is unsanctioned models. Is there a penalty or not...
"They're fine. Let's get busy."
The make up, the fitting, the styling...
The purpose of the preview is for judges to give advice where they think the designs can be better or the styling, that sort of thing. Each designer will present, numbered from one to ten from today until twenty from tomorrow. The judges get the direction in which the fashion show should follow.
This has been the purpose of the preview all this time, now because of Mikayla and me - mostly because of Mikayla, there's going to be more to it than that, how can I simply watch someone use my designs as their right?
The models I got Chris to call are here, because of the chaos that's happening, people are too busy to notice anything amiss. We get them ready and thank goodness the clothes fit them perfectly, things are looking up.
We get a reminder, thirty minutes left before the start.
Rush hour, after that reminder - people are running from to - chaos.
I've got respect for people who lived in this era honestly - the volume of most these dresses - for someone like me who likes light, I might have died from that alone. Given, I wouldn't have known better. Not the point, looking around the room, I see the reason why this show is held. Honestly, I thought the theme was restricting and I was wrong, there's no lack of variety around at all.
The moment it says go, the first number is called to go on, the models go to the platform and we can see them on the screen backstage, even the reaction of the judges.
I'm number seven on the lineup, today it's one to ten and tomorrow it's ten to twenty. I didn't think I would be nervous, I was wrong. My hands are sweaty and I'm fidgety. I like this event, I don't want to ruin it and what I'm doing is risky, more than that it ruins the prestige of this event. I don't like it. I don't like it one bit.
"I can't do this." I'm so nervous, my whole body is shaking.
"Hey, hey... you're not a pushover. No one is going to dance on your head. We're here already, can't back out now." Not motivational but it does the trick, I didn't start this, I'm just ending it. I think - I can't think.
The models have a patch written the number of their designer, we near the entrance... that's when people start paying attention. Can't be helped, I have six models while they have three...
I can't be bothered by them, it's now or never, our turn will come soon.
Deep breath in. Deep breath out.
I was decisive when I took the decision to make a fuss but now it's show time and my stomach is in knots, I want to abandon it. Argh, I'm not brave as I make myself out to be.
This is an event I've been part of since I graduated, I kind of like it. Tell me, why am I doing this again?
"I can't do this. Isn't it just designs, why ruin it for everyone?" Not that it'll be ruined, at most we'll be kicked out, they'll be kicked out... I don't know. it's not everyday I come across plagiarism...
"Trent, they're going up now. I think it's too late to take it back." What a useless manager, can't make me feel better at all.
I watch in dread, as one model after one finishes their walk, even after model three and everyone backstage gasps, I'm not sure from the clothes or model number four but my fingers are wringing each other. I'm so nervous, model four is the one with my previous designs - the ones that are stolen.
"How do they have more models?" It starts.
"So unfair..."
"Who's team is that?"
People will always wonder.
But the models go on, from four to five to six; the shock has reached a climax now, I'm watching the reaction of that woman with my ex models and designs. I was right - she's panic-stricken, her expression paler than sheet. So I wasn't wrong, they took my designs after all.
What now, will she still go on?
I'm still nervous but I so want to see Mrs Druid's reaction. Nervous and all, it's still fun...
The game is on.