One Night

Chapter 52

Audrey

I stood in the middle of our cramped studio, surrounded by a whirlwind of fabric scraps, half-finished designs, and the frantic energy of my friends. The fashion show was only days away, and we were all feeling the pressure.

“Okay, let’s go over the checklist one more time,” I said, tapping my pen against my clipboard. “Are the outfits all together?”

“Check!” Tina called from behind a rack of clothes.

“What about the accessories?” I called out.

“I’m just putting the finishing touches on the earrings for the second outfit,” Avis said as she waved a handful of glittering jewelry in my direction.

“And the makeup and hairstyles are all decided?”

“All set,” Betty confirmed, gesturing to her overflowing makeup case and her sketches.

I was about to ask about the models when my phone buzzed as if on cue. Frowning, I pulled it out and saw an email notification. As I read the message, my heart sank.

“Guys,” I said, my voice so **e it was hardly more than a whisper. “We have a problem.”

Gavin looked up from where he was adjusting a hemline of a dress. “What’s wrong?”

I swallowed hard and held my phone up. “The models just canceled on us. They both got strep throat, and they can’t make it to the show.”

For a moment, there was nothing but stunned silence. Then, chaos erupted.

“What?!” Tina shrieked.

“How could they do this to us?” Avis wailed.

“We’re doomed,” Gavin groaned, dramatically flopping onto a nearby chair.

I felt like I was going to be sick. I should have known that hiring siblings as models was too risky, because if one of them got sick, then the other would, too. And now, all of our hard work, all those late nights… it was all going to be for nothing if we couldn’t find models in time for the show.

“Everyone, calm down!” Betty’s voice cut through the panic. We all turned to look at her. “I have an idea,” she said, raising her hands in a placating gesture. “Why don’t we model the clothes ourselves?”

I blinked back at her, considering it for a moment. “That… could actually work,” I admitted, chewing my lower lip.

“Are you serious?” Gavin asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Why not?” Betty shrugged. “We know the clothes better than anyone. And it’s not like we have many other options at this point.”

We all exchanged glances. It was risky since none of us had any real modeling experience, but Betty was right; it was our only option.

“Okay,” I said, taking a deep breath and setting down my clipboard. “Let’s give it a try. Everyone, pick an outfit and let’s do

some test runs.

1/3

ᄆ

21:03 Mon, Sep 16 BO

Chapter 52

15%

For the next hour, our studio turned into an impromptu runway We took turns trying on different outfits and strutting up and down the length of the studio floor, critiquing each other’s walks and poses.

“Work it, Tina!” Avis cheered as Tina sashayed down our makeshift catwalk in a flowing sundress.

+5

“Ooh, Betty, that suit looks amazing on you,” I commented as Betty struck a power pose at the end of her walk.

When it was my turn, I felt a mix of nerves and excitement as I stepped out in a sleek evening gown. channel my inner supermodel, but I couldn’t help but giggle as my friends wh**ed and hollered.

I did

my

best to

After we had all had a chance to show off, we huddled together to make our decision.

“I think Tina should be our female model,” I said, and the others nodded in agreement without a moment of hesitation.

Tina’s eyes widened. “Me? Really?”

“Absolutely,” Avis said. “Your catwalk was perfect, and you look fantastic in everything.”

Tina beamed, but then her smile faltered. “Wait, what about a male model? We still need one of those.”

All eyes turned to Gavin, who immediately threw up his hands. “Oh no, not me. I’m not cut out for this modeling stuff.”

“Come on, Gavin,” I pleaded. “Just give it a try.”

Reluctantly, Gavin allowed us to dress him in one of our men’s outfits. As he awkwardly shuffled down our makeshift runway, his long limbs flailing, we tried our best to stifle our laughter and put on our best encouraging smiles. But Gavin was right; he wasn’t cut out for it. He was just too awkward and self-conscious to make it work.

“Okay, okay,” I said, biting my lip to keep from grinning. “Maybe Gavin isn’t our best option for a male model.”

“You think?” Gavin grumbled, tugging at the tight collar of his shirt.

We all fell silent, and the reality of our situation sank in once again. We were so close, but without a male model, we were still in trouble.

Suddenly, an idea struck me. “How about this?” I said as I picked up my new drawing tablet. “I can make recruitment posters and hang them around campus. Maybe we’ll find someone who can help us out.”

My friends gathered around as I quickly sketched out a design. Within minutes, I had prepared an eye-catching poster asking for male models to audition for our show.

“This looks great, Audrey,” Betty said as she peered over my

shoulder.

“Thanks,” I replied, already heading for the printer. “Now I just need to print a bunch of these and get them up around campus as soon as possible.”

We spent the next hour printing and organizing stacks of posters. By the time we were finished, it was late, and everyone was exhausted.

“You guys should all get some rest,” I said, looking at the tired faces of my friends. “I’ll take care of hanging these up tonight.”

“Are you sure?” Tina asked, stifling a yawn. “We could help.”

I shook my head. Unlike everyone else, I had had coffee a bit too late in the evening-and I was still buzzed from a combination of the caffeine and adrenaline. “You guys have done enough. Besides, I could use the fresh air to clear my head.”

After saying goodnight to my friends, I set out into the cool night air, armed with a stack of posters, tape, and a small ladder I had borrowed from the janitor’s closet.

21.03

Mon, Sep

Chapter 52

3

15%

+5

The campus was eerily quiet as I made my way from building to building, hanging posters in every high-traffic area I could think of. The repetitive task and the quiet was almost meditative, allowing my mind to wander.

Finally, I reached the main hallway of the fashion department. This was prime real estate for our poster, and I was determined to get it in the perfect spot. I set up my ladder beneath a large bulletin board and carefully climbed up, poster and tape in hand.

But as I stretched to reach the top of the board, I felt the ladder wobble beneath me. My heart leapt into my throat as I realized I was losing my balance. In a split second, the world tilted, and I was falling.

Posters fluttered around me like oversized confetti as I braced myself for impact. But instead of the hard floor, I felt myself land in a pair of strong arms that caught me with surprising ease

Gasping softly, I looked up, my eyes meeting a familiar pair of stormy gray ones.