Lauren recognizes two of the models

Lauren wrapped the beach towel tightly around her midsection and fluffed-up her long, silky hair with her hands. She took a deep breath and examined her reflection in the hotel window: She still looked... amazing! Somehow, her flush cheeks gave her complexion a heathy, full-colored hue, and her (stuffed) bikini top clung perfectly to her chest. And with the towel wrapped around her abdomen, she was just as much of a flawless head-turner as any of the "professional" models!

With her nose in the air, she strutted up to the photographer, her cute tush swaying behind her:

"Good afternoon. My name is Lauren, and I'm the Vice President of Operations. And you are...?"

The photographer looked up. He was a young, bespectacled man in his 30s.

"Oh, hi. I'm Red. Red Smith. Senior photo editor for the paper. Listen, this photo shoot is running way too long; we're short one of the models and our sunlight is quickly fading. See those clouds? In another 15 or 20 minutes, the lighting just won't be conducive for outdoor photography. If the last model doesn't get here in the next few minutes, I'm gonna have to cancel the shoot."

"You won't have to cancel anything," Lauren purred with a confident smile. "I'm filling in for the missing model. Just let me know where to stand, and we'll still have a great photo shoot!"

"You?" exclaimed Red, thinking it over. "Well, you are very cute... and I'll bet you have a kickin' figure beneath that towel... yeah, I suppose that could work. Sure, why not. Have you ever modeled before?"

"No, but how hard could it be?" Lauren laughed. "I've met enough models in my life to know they're not the smartest people in the worl-"

And on cue, an old voice from Lauren's past reemerged:

"Lauren! Is that you? It is! It is!"

The hotel VP recognized the voice at once: Patty Peters.

Her archenemy from high school.

Patty and Lauren fought over EVERYTHING: Boys, the prom crown, senior class president... you name it! Lauren was shorter (but with her stuffed bra, bustier), whereas the tall, blonde Patty was much more athletically proportioned. Half the boys preferred Patty; the other half preferred Lauren. For most of high school, Lauren had effortlessly outmaneuvered Patty, but halfway through their senior year, Patty stole Lauren's boyfriend.

Kirk King.

Kirk was a lanky blonde surfer-boy who adored Lauren, but after three years of dating - and not even getting to second base - he found happiness in the arms (and legs!) of Patty.

Lauren NEVER forgave either of them.

That was several years ago. She hadn't seen or heard from Kirk or Patty since... and now, Patty was acting like they were Best Friends Forever!

"Lauren! OhMyGod!! It's me! Patty! Like, what are you, like, doing here?!"

"Patty, how wonderful to see you!" Lauren cooed in a sickly-sweet voice. "What am I doing here? I'm the VP of this entire hotel! The youngest VP in the history of the hotel, as a matter of fact."

Suddenly, Patty's smile seemed plastic and fake: "You don't say. That's, like, so awesome. Congrats, Lauren!"

"Aw, thanks!" Lauren grinned. "So, what are you doing here? Let me guess: You're in Harvard! No... Yale! Wait: You're getting ready to apply to law school, and staying at the hotel for a little rest and relaxation between semesters?"

By now, Patty's smile was looking so fake, it belonged in the WWE.

"Nooo... none of the above."

"Hmm... well, give me another guess," Lauren teased, pretending she was thinking hard. "Medical school?"

"No, Lauren."

"Well, surely you're not STILL wasting your time modeling... right? 'Cause let's face it, modeling is just about the most brain-dead job in the whole wide world! Ha! I mean, I'm a volunteer model for this photo shoot today - because when you look as good as me, modeling is just soooo easy!"

Patty was still smiling, but her eyes looked like they wanted to KILL Lauren!

"Yes, I'm still modeling. Thanks SO MUCH for asking. In fact, we're both still modeling."

"Both?"

Kirk King stepped forward and held Patty's hand. Lauren's heart was doing flip-flops: He still looked so adorable!

"Hi, Lauren," he said.

His monotone voice revealed little, but there was animosity in his eyes... and oddly enough, this made Lauren feel better.

Because it meant that he still felt... something for her.

"Kirk! So nice to see you, too!" Lauren cooed. "Congratulations to both of you on your ultra-successful careers as minimum wage fashion models! Way to go! Keep on reaching for those stars!"

And with that, Lauren turned her back and walked away - laughing uproariously at her two former classmates.

Patty and Kirk looked at each other. Then they looked to Lauren. Then they looked back... and nodded in agreement.

"Okay, models!" bellowed the newspaper photographer. "I need your attention! It's time to begin the photo shoot! Everyone get together!"

Unbeknownst to Lauren, Patty and Kirk were right behind her... and they had a plan.