miss sunshine,

When things get way too silly and far too dorky in the makeup room with @emmachasex. 

“Yeah, that shit is terrifying,” She agrees, wrinkling her nose before she shakes a fist playfully at Emma. “Not as many wrinkles as I get tryin’ to make sure you eat. I can swim just fine.”

"Part of my live studio audience - I’m sure I can swing that. We’ll get you a producer’s credit and everything,” she jokes, before shrugging. "Nah, you’re good. I just need you to reach stuff.” She fills both the glasses with ice and some mint, pouring the mixed cocktail carefully into both. 

"There we go - careful, it might be a little strong,” Carmen says, laughing a bit as she picks up the glasses, holding out one to her friend. 

Seb followed her along, honestly wanting to smoke again but respecting the girl’s allergy.

He frowns a little as she points down to the ground. “We lay down? On the ground? It’s… there’s dirt, though.”

Emma glanced over at the man and raised her eyebrows for just a second, before looking back at the meadow in front of them. 

“I’m thirty-two,” Leon answers. “But thanks - for the wishes and for, y’know. Letting me know that I haven’t aged thirty years overnight.”

“Thirty two? That is not old at all, besides, being old is a matter of spirit and something tells me that you are always going to try and keep your spirit young. Sassying our dads is just something that us, daughters, must do at all costs.” Emma laughed, “but you can be sure that you are not old, not even in the slightest.”

Why disgusting? Wish it was you?

Now you’re just joking... I just don’t really like talking about these stuff, I guess. Not to be a prude or anything, I just think that I can easily go without talking about it for the rest of my life.

Not like it’s your fault, so you really don’t have to be sorry about that at all. I tried pretty much everything. Nothing seems to work on me. – Yeah, it does. Which sort of sucks, because my girlfriend… well, I’m not sure if she’s still my girlfriend, but she likes the whole romance thing. So I’m getting along with it, I’m just not a big fan of it.

I’m sorry not because it’s my fault, but I know how lack of sleep turns me into a grumpy monster, I can only imagine what several sleepless or badly slept nights would do. This really sucks. --Oh, she does? The two of you must really be the most unlikely pair, but you know how they say that opposites attract and all of that, right? I suppose that relationships bring a lot of compromising. I hope that you two manage to work everything out... And if you don’t, I guess that there are always other pretty ladies. I hope that wasn’t too horrible of me to say.

You should totally go back to school and get that degree! You’d be doing something that you’re passionate about and you’d be making a difference too. It would be really, really amazing. My favorite food? That’s a big question. I love a really good eggplant parm with vegan cheese. I do kinda miss real cheese sometimes. What about you? What’s your favorite?

It’s a thought, I know that I’m young and everything and with a lot of time to do what I want, but I’m just really excited to leave school behind and getting my life started. Next semester is my last semester and I’m with one foot away from stepping with both feet on the real world --I can do a lot with the Marine Biology degree I have now, I can save animals with this, too. Vegan cheese? I don’t think I ever had one of those, my favorite food could not be more distant from yours, I really love cheeseburgers, they really do keep me sane.

“Course,” she said with a soft smile in her sister’s direction. “I’ll drink your share, too, no problem. The beach bar would be great, actually. I don’t remember when I last went there. It’s been too long.”

Emma laughed when Lizzy mentioned about drinking her share, knowing that it would probably rip off some complaints from their father. “I am always there, but not like this. Oh, I also might have brought you a dress, not so fancy and all, but it’s a pretty maxidress and it’s going to be just to die for on you. Perhaps this is the only part that I can actually get around of, eating gourmet burgers for the rest of my life and trying out the room service from different hotels. Maybe I will end up creating an Instagram and Blog named room service and talk about food. How cool would that be?”

“I’m hoping for the same thing, Emma, I really do. It’s not that I think I’ll forget about him, it’s just not that easy to move on. I’ve already taken a lot of huge steps in the right direction, and I’ll keep going there, because I like the positive side of myself. So I’ll keep going there, don’t worry about it. – Near the sharks? I… yeah, okay, cool. That’d be awesome.”

“I know that it’s not easy moving on and you’re right, you’ve taken a whole lot of huge steps in the right direction and I think that everyone loved the old Raven and everyone is loving to see this new side of you. It’s really nice to see you smiling more than before, you have a really beautiful smile. --Yes, it will be really fun, won’t it? But we wont dive there, we will dive near the reef where we might see some sea turtles and other cute animals.”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to shrink it’s enough for me to know that if you could you would. You’re the best little sister ever, you know? If I ever want to sell something incredibly dumb I’ll try my hardest to get her marketing team. But I mean it might not work since I’m not famous. So first step is getting famous somehow. Well with you walking around in you bikini around town it’s no wonder why you get both kinds of attention. I know I’m the best, but I mean it’s always nice to hear it.”

“You people tell me that every day, it’s going to start affecting my best judgement all around and my head is going to get indefinitely bigger than already is. Well, you’re already my sister, so you’re famous by default, I’m kidding, that would most likely work around Austin, I would say that you could start with a sex tape, but please don’t start with a sex tape or anything involving public sex. Or sex. I have always walked around town in a bikini, Anna, since I was a day old I’ve been out in the world in a bikini, people should have grown used to it by now, Lu revoked the no people without shirts allowed in La Ciudad, because of me. --The Chase’s ego strikes again.”

“Means no one except May who comes around here is looking for me usually,” He laughed. “Shark fin riding? Isn’t that kind of dangerous?”

“Please, you’re just as coveted, be glad that no girls come around to be all up on you, makes the whole relationship thing a whole lot easier, doesn’t it?” Emma shrugged, “it’s not dangerous, thousands of people do it. I took Tristan the other day and we were supposed to go today again, it’s not even with white sharks. So, are you in or are you out?”

So either way there were no problem on either end when you signed up with them, which is great, and definitely her being cutthroat is a very good thing, at least you know if there had been anything wrong in the contract she would’ve gotten it taken care of quickly. Yeah that is true you only just started for a little, but I mean had you decided it was something you wanted to keep pursuing, it would be something to be wary of, even though we already pretty much established that won’t be happening, so nothing to worry about. One of the reasons I prefer to be the designer instead of the model, I mean I wouldn’t mind it per se but it certainly wouldn’t be my first choice of career. The good thing though Em, you’re not in too deep so once your campaign with Guess is done you can go back to just focusing on Marine Biology. He’s been in it for a while now right, so I’m sure he’s just worried about the same things we were just talking about, family support is the best support you can have. It was pretty fun I’ll admit, I have never attempted to sprawl out on the walk of fame before, but it sounds like an experience. –I think six months will go by before you know it, this year alone definitely feels like it has already, if they ask do you know for sure that you will or won’t do anymore with them? Or anyone else? Well I’m sure I’ll probably be excited enough for the both of us so it’s okay. Yes, she actually talked to me a little while ago about wanting to be in the fashion world and learn everything about it, so I took her on as like an apprentice sort of, you know, just teaching her about the industry hands on. And Sally has been helping me set everything up so I think it’s gonna be really, really great. We could always plan a trip to Greece together, at least it wouldn’t seem so lonely with friends. –Oh yeah, a bunch of different food ones too, sounds good to me.

Exactly, I had all of this annoying and hard to understand part taken care of by someone I trust with my life, so I think that it all just went uphill from there, I can’t complain that Jules did it for free, too, I was her little pro-bono case, actually one of the many she picks up. You’re totally right though, perhaps I can’t just discard it, it is an easy way to make money --tiring, but easy nonetheless, it’s good to know that I have other ways to help my father, monetarily speaking. Well, the designer is the real artist and the good thing about photoshoots is that I get to come in contact with this kind of art, it wasn’t my first, I did one of two smaller editorials to pay for part of the college tuition and do some travelling when I was eighteen, the pieces of clothing were just mesmerizing and I always want to take something home, but I wasn’t allowed back then, but I can say that I was able to put on an Alexander McQueen piece and look fierce in it, I always appreciated the designers more than the models, I mean, there are lines for every couple of seasons and the work is just amazing. Yes, that is the ultimate goal, just going back to my animals once this whole thing is done, good thing that my thesis is done and I’m almost graduated, just one more semester to go. Oh, I know, Austin thinks that I’m too fragile for the business, well, I think that he does, at least. Maybe we should go there someday and do so, I took a bunch of pictures while people looked at me like I was the crazy one there. -- I guess that I’ll have to experience the whole travelling around and greeting people I don’t know and stuff like that before making up my mind about anything, part of me just wants to concentrate on the good I can do with being a model and a spokesperson, you know? But I can also advocate being just a Marine Biologist. Ah! It’s going to be amazing, Lori, you’ll see and I’m sure that we’re going to have a lot of fun with everything and getting to see your baby get wings and fly. That actually sounds perfect, I’m sure that Brook would be one hundred percent with us. --Yes, today keeps getting more and more perfect!

Hmm….I like that idea. Except if for whatever reason it’s me, I’m gonna have to request separate hotel rooms. One for you and I to trash one for me and whomever to trash in a different sorta way. 

Ugh, please do not get disgusting on me now.

Really? You must have been doing it all wrong then. Feel free to visit next month if you feel courageous enough, Nic said he may be able to get some time off work and visit for a little bit. Who knows, maybe I could take you to Reims.”

I might have been doing so, I mean there was some fun and Paris is beautiful and all that, but it wasn’t the best city in the world for me. Cloverbrook still holds the trophy. Visit you next month? Are you taking a trip there? Oh, this truly sounds exciting, who knows if Paris in en route of my Guess promotion, I’ll be sure to take you everywhere with me, if it is.

“The first thing Anahera did today was tell me how old I look. Why say ‘happy birthday’ when you can tell your dad he looks old enough to be your grandpa?”

“Oh no, well, for the record, you don’t look like a grandfather at all. How old are you? Oh, happy birthday, by the way!”

That’s good, I know that some brands and designers will push their models to go out so they can advertise the clothing and whatever else however much they can you know? But I’m glad they didn’t try to force you into doing anything you didn’t want. Eh, some are just so used to all the partying that staying in to binge on food and shows seems too boring. Not to mean this in a bad way at all but in a way I’m kinda glad to hear you’re not. Only because I’ve seen and heard what the pressures from this industry does to some girls and it’s sad to know the bad paths they end up going down, and I’d honestly hate for something like that to happen to you even though I’m positive you’re smart enough not to let it. Hey, I’m an embarrassing tourist when I go out there too, I’ve taken pictures where it looks like I’m holding up the Hollywood sign, that’s how terrible I am. Sounds like a fun day you had though. How long is your contract for? That was nice of her, I know it still wouldn’t compare to being home, but having someone close with you should make it a little easier. Are you kidding Em, I think that’s amazing, not embarrassing. You’re telling me driving through they city and seeing yourself up there, you wouldn’t be proud of that? Really, thank you so much, there’s two others already who’ll be modeling with you, Jocelyn and Elena most likely, then I just need to find a few guys and we’ll be set to shoot. I am incredibly excited for this to happen and finally launch my first full line. Well I love it here so I’m staying for the long run. Even if you were kidding I’m sure there’ll be a moment where I do feel extremely single, but I still can’t wait to go. That goes for everywhere else I haven’t been yet. –Actually there is a burger onesie, I remember seeing it from same place I got my pizza one, and I think it’d be very you.

I’m not too good at being forced to do what I don’t want to, anyway, so I think that we’re safe on that, and I got a Julia to assess me in the whole contract so I wouldn’t sign something I didn’t want to -- the perks of having a lawyer for an older sister, she’s a bit cutthroat than the rest of us, but she does a great job. I guess that it goes for the girls that have been in the business for too long, I have been in there for five days and all I wanted to do by the end of the day was that, I was too tired to even think about anything, Lori, this whole standing while people take your picture is too tiring, besides, I would really rather to have the choice of gaining weight without the world judging my choices. Austin told me not to go through with it, and I’m pretty sure that the rest of the family is on my side too, at the end, that’s all that matters to me. That’s not terrible at all, sounds like a lot of fun, I was seen sprawling out on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. --The contract goes for six months, the line is coming out this year, Spring/Summer and until the March or so, I am with the brand for whatever, after then, I get to choose to continue with them or not, if they want me to, that is. Oh God, no, it’s embarrassing, I don’t even spend that much time looking at myself in the mirror, let alone at me on the side of a building. Lena is doing this too? Oh, that just sounds more and more amazing, I love it! I can only imagine how you are excited, please, I would be very excited too! I really wish I could go to Greece and feel very alone in there, but I’m sure that the sights and all the knowing around will just make up for it. --What? There is a burger onesie? We’re going to get it as soon as we’re done eating.

Seb shrugs. “It’s fine. Like I said, I was done anyway.”

He laughs a little at her joke. “Funny,” he says, shaking his head, “No, I’m not a serial killer. If I were I’d probably be the one approaching you.” He shrugs his shoulders. “But sure, I’ll come to your spot. Lead the way, I suppose.”

Emma got up from her seat and motioned her head for him to follow her along, the spot was not very far away from where they were, but it was a little deeper into the woods, another way on a trail she usually took that led to an open space, free of trees, almost with a sky light.