Intermission - Modeling school.

Unlike Oliver and the other girls, Mila’s day wasn’t quite as busy. Modeling school wasn’t exactly a full-time commitment like university was. She had classes, sure, both in the morning and in the afternoon but had some large windows in between.

It made her consider getting a part-time job, like Oliver. After all… she still couldn’t entirely shake off the feeling of inadequacy. Compared to the others, who were studying to be engineers, doctors and lawyers, Mila was… doing very little to be just a model. She’d talked about it with Oliver some time ago, admitted she felt stupid and incapable, but he reassured her that she had skills none of them did, and that those skills were worth honing.

His support meant more to her than he knew, even with his mind reading. And so, Mila wanted to give this her all. If she was going to be a model, she was going to be the best of them all. She’d take her classes seriously, study what she had to, practice what was needed.

That was the motivation with which she started modeling school, but… Something unexpected had been getting in her way so far.

“When we talk about body language, we’re not talking about some sort of hard science,” the teacher said. She was a forty-something woman with very short blonde hair. Small-chested and slim, but fit and good-looking. Rosemary Moore was her name. Mila had looked her up and found plenty of photos of her modeling for clothing stores, had done a few TV commercials and had some minor roles in four movies.

She was standing in the middle of the circle Mila and 19 other modeling students had formed while standing. She walked to and fro, meeting the eyes of everyone she looked at as she continued.

“We’re not talking about reading body language to know when a person is lying, or when they’re nervous or excited. What we’re going to learn is actually closer to acting. You all need to learn to carry yourselves not just with confidence, but in whatever manner the job requires. Learn to portray exhaustion if a commercial demands it, learn to show excitement in a photo with more than just your face. Of course, your facial expressions are important, but your body language is the subtle key to sell emotions and you’d be surprised how many people forget about it. It goes beyond just photos and recordings, too. It affects how employers and the public will see you.”

This all made perfect sense to Mila, and the first person that came to mind when it came to body language was Diana. She always walked with her back straight and confident steps, and it made her give off this aura of self-assuredness and poise that, by her own admission, she didn’t possess.

Mila had her full attention in the lesson and was ready to learn more. Still, she was startled a bit when Mrs. Moore called her name.

“Milana, come here. Let’s see how you’d deal with this situation.”

Mila’s chest tightened, but she nodded and stepped up without hesitation, even when hearing the whispers of her classmates.

“Her again?”

“Why is it always her?”

“Favoritism much?”

Putting aside the venom in their tone, they did have a point. So far, Mila had been called to the front at least six times in the last three days, and this one made seven.

“Milana, you’re in an interview for the public. The video will be uploaded to social media sites. Interact with me with that in mind,” the teacher said.

Mila let out a short sigh, mentally readying herself. “Yes.”

“One, two, three, go. Milana, it’s pleasure to finally meet you!” The teacher’s attitude flipped like a switch. She went from instructor to cheery interviewer in the blink of an eye.

Mila decided to match her energy. She smiled, loosened her shoulders and lightly tilted her head. “Thank you very much. It’s a huge honor to be here. I can hardly believe I’m being interviewed! Hahaha.”

“Please, your career has been on the rise, lately. Some say it’s going a little too fast. What do you think about that?”

Keeping her smile, yet adding a little nervous laughter, she answered. “I admit, it’s somewhat scary.” She moved her shoulders a bit, as if shaking off some discomfort. “I’ve been trying my best, and I’m happy to see people like my work, but the pressure is immense.” Keep it concise, don’t overexplain yourself.

“I can imagine. It seems you’ve been very busy lately. What do you do in your free time?”

Have sex like a maniac, but it was a good thing she didn’t answer that. Mila giggled, adding her shoulders to it while covering her lips in a finger. “Oh, I’m actually super lazy, so if I can stay home and do nothing, I probably will. Though lately I’ve been forcing myself to wake up earlier and stick to a proper routine.”

“Oh, why’s that?”

“Oh, you know, it’s a healthier habit,” Mila said with a casual shrug. Her smile then turned to a bigger grin. “Also, it better fits my schedule with my roommates.”

Mrs. Moore smirked. “Cut. Excellent, Milana. Did you notice, everyone? The subtle movements of her shoulders, the tilt of the head, the use of her hands… It makes her look more approachable and more interesting to look at. These days we’re fighting against being background noise, so every little bit counts. You have a very solid understanding of body language, Milana. Good job.”

Mila smiled, more genuinely this time. “Thank you.”

She returned to her spot, and while some of her classmates clapped and gave her thumbs up, not few of them kept quiet and tried very badly to hide their glares.

The same had happened with the introductions to public speaking and voice projection last week. Mila had been called forward, put in the spot to attempt something, and done it to the level where the teachers praised her for it.

It was… a little discouraging, if she was being honest. She’d come here to learn, to hone these skills that she supposedly had, but they were saying she was already good enough? She told herself that wasn’t the case. A solid foundation and understanding didn’t mean that there wasn’t more to learn, right? It was only the beginning of the course.

…

It sure was breeding jealousy, though.

Patreon.