Mask of A Legend

by Stephen Andrew Salamon

  “Did you think I would miss this? I wouldn’t miss this for the world. But did they have to make it so early?” Jenny laughed. “When does this thing start?” She gave Legend a hug and walked into the room.

  “It starts in about an hour. How did you know I was here? I mean, my room was next door until that jerk so rudely took it from me.”

  Jenny sat down in the center of the room. “Well, I knocked next door and Stephen Drakson answered. He told me the whole story, Legend, and personally I think you’re crazy for giving up a chance to sleep in the same hotel room as him. My God, this place is huge!”

  “Listen, he is a jerk. He didn’t even offer to leave himself, so I had to leave. I’m telling you, men just aren’t what they used to be back in the olden days. But luckily, Angelica took me in her room.” Legend then walked into the master bedroom and began looking through her backpack. She noticed her backpack was empty, and that’s when she noticed all of her things on the ground. She showed confusion on her face, an eerie sentiment because she dreamt about her dumping her things on the ground. Spooky. But she forgot about the confusion. “My God, my photos are missing!” Legend looked through her pile of stuff, yelling out again, “My photos are missing?” Jenny came rushing in the bedroom, Legend’s frantic figure on the floor, searching through her stuff. They searched the entire room, plus every other room, but there was no sign of the photos.

  “Maybe you lost them, Legend. Even if you did, you could still walk on the catwalk.”

  “I know, but every single girl is going to have their photos with them. Plus, Angelica was going to buy me a portfolio today, but I don’t have any photos for it. I knew something wrong was going to happen, I just knew it.” Legend was hysterical. She looked at the time on her watch. “Great, we’ve been spending thirty minutes looking for them, the model search begins in half an hour. I look like crap!”

  Jenny pulled out a small Polaroid camera from her purse. “Legend, calm down, let me take some pictures of you now, that way you won’t be empty-handed.”

  Legend began wiping the acne cream off her face with a yellow rag, trying to calm down, feeling her blood pressure pulsating through her temples.

  “No, Jenny, that’s gonna look so cheap to the agents. I’m sorry, but it will look unprofessional.” She wiped off most of the cream from her chin, and still tried to calm herself.

  “You know what, your mother brought some pictures of you with her, I’ll go down and get them.” Jenny ran to the doorway.

  “My mother’s here? Why did she bother coming?”

  Jenny opened the hotel room door. “Listen, Legend, your mother feels bad for what she did. She listened to the tape that you made of her when she was drunk, and now she wants forgiveness. I mean, she didn’t come up here, because she knew you would be angry with her. Which she was right about,” Jenny said with sincerity in her nature. Legend folded her arms and stomped her left foot on the ground. Perhaps she was suddenly converting back to being a child again when she heard the news about her mother. But the stomp was followed by another.

  “Where is she now?”

  “She’s in the ballroom, waiting with all the other parents. Listen, while I’m getting your pictures, you get ready: this event starts in about twenty-seven minutes.” Jenny immediately raced down the hallway.

  Legend turned around and saw the Polaroid camera. She closed the door, wiped all of the acne cream from off her face and walked over to the camera, fiddling with it. Suddenly, the flash went off in her face and she dropped the camera to the floor. The picture slid out of it, but Legend rubbed her eyes with pain, not even noticing the white photo.

  She walked over to her room and pulled out a wrinkly, but beautiful white, flowered evening gown and then put her hair up in a bun. After she slid into the gown, she headed over to the bathroom doorway. But, before she entered it, the Polaroid picture came into her sight, and she was hesitant on whether she should look at it or not. Legend walked over to the picture and grabbed it from the ground. She turned it over.

  Her mouth grew a smile. Her heart started to race, and her eyes widened far beyond their natural form. “I don’t believe it!” She stared at a beautiful girl who lay in the picture, beautiful, blonde hair and gorgeous cheekbones. She headed over to the bathroom, but still kept her eyes on the photo. Legend looked into the mirror and saw acne that filled her face. But, when she looked back at the photo of herself, she saw nothing but beautiful skin. Legend became baffled at her image, she didn’t know whether she was crazy and delusional, or just plain out lucky. “It wasn’t a dream after all, it was real. The wish was real!” A knock came at the door and Legend put the photo in the crack of her breasts. She ran to the doorway: her self-esteem began to show through her smile. Legend opened the door and Jenny gave out a scream.

  “Legend, what happened to you?” asked Jenny, staring frantically at Legend’s beauty. “You’re beautiful . . . you’re, you’re beyond beautiful!”

  “Oh, um, um, it’s just the acne cream that I used. I guess it works wonders like they say.” Legend then entered the frigid hallway.

  She closed her hotel room door, when Jenny said, “Yeah, I guess it does!”

  “Come on, we have to go now,” said Legend. They darted down the hallway and Jenny kept on staring at her.

  “Legend, did you even see yourself yet? I mean, you’re beautiful and you’re not acting surprised like I am,” said Jenny. Two men walked past them and both looked at Legend’s face.

  The two men walked up to them as one of the guys grabbed a rose from a vase that stood in the hallway. Corny. “Excuse me, miss, but I just wanted to give you this,” one of the men said, handing Legend the rose. Legend took the beautiful rose while showing a smile to the gentleman. Normally, if her ugly mask was worn, she wouldn’t have had a rose given to her. But, because of the physical appearance that she wears now, the appearance of beauty, that triggered her smile to grow even more. “This rose is for you, you’re soulmates,” the man added. The other man grabbed three roses from the vase and walked in front of Legend.

  “Ma’am, take mine instead, these roses symbolize your beauty,” the other man said. Legend and Jenny couldn’t help but giggle.

  “Why thank you,” Legend said. She walked past the guys, holding four roses in her hand. “You know, Jenny, I could get used to this. . . .”

  Chapter Eleven

  Smoking a cigarette, watching the rain as it fell, Stephen’s mind couldn’t wait till he left this hotel. Boredom. He sat in the foyer of this palace and girls of all ages walked past him and entered the ballroom. He looked at them as they passed and said, “No, not pretty enough!” He was doing his own judging on the female preference as these beautiful girls combed their hair while they passed him. They entered the ballroom and sat down in their seats. Stephen put out his cigarette and lit up another one. It seemed like every girl who passed, Stephen would put out a cigarette, and light a fresh one. Every drag of his cigarette he took, a new girl would stare at him, passing him. The last girl walked into the ballroom and Stephen’s disappointment showed by his mouth forming a literal frown. He put out his eighth, half-smoked cigarette into a crystal ashtray when his father approached him.

  “Come on, son, it’s just about time for the main event to begin,” William said. Stephen got up from the red, cushioned couch and walked with him. A dog on an invisible leash, perhaps.

  “Father, I don’t even know why I still have to be here. I already did my speech yesterday to these girls, I just want to leave already. I saw most of them, and they’re not pretty enough for you or our agency.” His father stopped before they entered the ballroom, and glared at him.

  “Listen, Stephen, I’m one of the top modeling agents in the world, and you’re one of the top male supermodels. I want these girls to know that I treat all of my clients like my own children, like a family member. Also, I want you to see if you can find that special someone here. Without you, Stephen, I wouldn’t know who to pick as my client
ele, your preference for beautiful women is the reason why I have the top modeling agency in the world, and you know that already,” William explained. Stephen and he stood by the doorway of the ballroom.

  “Number one, I am a family member, I’m your son, for crying out loud. Number two, I’m eighteen years old, and you’re in your forties: this is your agency, not mine. I’m sick of coming with you to these damn model searches and helping you find clients. This is what I was telling you on the airplane ride here. Every client that I find for you, I go out with, and then she breaks my heart. I’m sick of it. After today, if I find girls for you or not, I am going to stick to my own modeling . . . Case closed!” His father became embarrassed, noticing a few parents were staring at them.

  So the brat wants a challenge.

  “Please everyone, take your seats, the search shall begin right now. All the girls with name tags ranging from 1 to 300, please line up on the side of the stage,” Paula announced over the speaker on the stage. The girls lined up immediately. “We shall now introduce the agents,” Paula announced. The agents were beginning to form around William and Stephen. But William didn’t care. His rage toward Stephen was so immense that keeping up appearances was the last thing on his agenda. “Alright, the first agency is the second top modeling agency on the East Coast. Please give a round of applause for the Swisher Model Agency, Mr. Peter Swisher,” she announced. An older man passed by William and Stephen, walked down the center aisle that led to the catwalk-like stage and stood there like a statue. He looked over at all of the 2,000 people in the room, made up of models and parents, and they all clapped their hands for him.

  “Please, Stephen, don’t embarrass me here. Let’s just get this over with,” William said. Paula introduced another modeling agency.

  “Well first, I have to go to the bathroom,” said Stephen. He headed away from his father and all the other modeling agents. His father chased him and approached the bathroom, arguing with him about the way he’s acting. Before Stephen entered the bathroom, he said, “Listen, Father, I’ll be right out!”

  At that point, William heard Paula announce, “Finally, the tenth modeling agency here is one of the top agencies in the world. Please give a round of applause for the Drakson Modeling Agency, William Drakson and his beautiful son, Stephen Drakson!”

  William shouted toward the bathroom door,” Stephen, she called our names, come on, we have to go now!” He realized he had to go without Stephen, because Paula called their names a second time. So, he ran toward the ballroom entrance and slowed down to a walking motion as he entered the room. People began applauding louder for William, but the audience looked baffled as to where Stephen was. William sat down in the center of the room, where agents of all kinds sat in a circular formation that surrounded the stage, and started looking down the aisle to see if Stephen was entering the ballroom. He then pulled out his notebook from his briefcase and Paula looked to the side of her and saw that the girls had correctly lined up.

  “Alright, let the first girl be shown,” Paula announced. The first girl walked onstage and dance music came on. Degrading, but this how the search ran it.

  William watched the girl, but didn’t know whether to choose her or not. He was so used to his son doing the choosing that he lost all of his instincts for this business, all of his talents.

  Meanwhile, Stephen exited the bathroom and lit up a cigarette, staring at the doorway that held dreams of modeling to girls of all ages. He turned away from the doorway and looked toward the foyer for the crystal ashtray. He searched for the ashtray for one minute, until his eyes finally fell on it. As he walked over to the crystal tray, his eyes turned for a moment toward the elevator that was right next to the foyer, and watched it open. His black eyes widened, and his teeth showed like they never showed before, as a beautiful woman walked out of it. He dropped his cigarette on the red carpet of the foyer when this beautiful woman walked over to him. All he saw was her beautifully formed legs, his eyes coming up to her thighs gently. He searched her entire body and he finally laid his eyes upon her beautiful smile. “Hello, are you a model here?” Stephen asked. She walked up to his ear.

  “Why yes, I am,” she whispered. He crouched over while a thought came up, embarrassed but still mesmerized by her looks.

  “I was thinking, um, what’s your name? I mean, you’re gorgeous, and I usually know the names of all beautiful women,” Stephen flirted.

  “My name is Dina, Dina Monroe.” He walked with Dina toward the ballroom, grabbing onto her small, gentle hand, and guided her into the room, showing a permanent smile toward her. It was a smile that meant he was in love with the spoiled, silver spoon.

  Chapter Twelve

  Legend’s teeth jittered. “I’m really nervous.” The elevator door opened to the sight of the foyer. This was it, her moment to shine for what she thought was going to last just for the day.

  “Don’t worry, you’ll do fine,” Jenny said. She looked at Legend’s beauty and still was dumbfounded by the transformation. This was indeed a metamorphosis that only miracles could perform.

  Jenny and Legend were used to the negative side of life. They were. Nothing good can happen to me? I wish, I want, I deserve, thoughts like that which never had “I am” attached to it.

  “What happens if I trip on the stage?”

  “You won’t!”

  “I will!”

  “You won’t, Legend!”

  “How do you know, Jenny?” They meandered toward the ballroom entrance.

  “Because I just do. You’re beautiful, Legend, and as soon as we enter that room, I bet everyone will turn around just to look at you.” They approached the ballroom entrance and watched the girls walk on the stage, like lifeless products that were being sold at auction; not too far away from the truth.

  “My God, it’s already begun,” Legend said. She pulled out her name tag from her white purse. Not even the air-conditioning from the hotel could cool off her sweat.

  “What number are you?” Jenny asked. Legend handed her the name tag. “Alright, you’re number 304. All we have to do is find out what number they’re on now.”

  Jenny did her best at calming down Legend’s beautiful face. Jenny spotted Legend’s mother in the distance, so she grabbed onto her clammy hand and guided Legend to her.

  “Hello, Legend,” her mother said. She attempted to give Legend a hug, but she backed away. Too soon.

  “Hello,” Legend said. She held a straight face, stern and in control toward her mother when suddenly her mother dropped down to her seat, realizing Legend’s beauty. “My God, Legend, what happened to you?”

  Legend put her name tag on the chest part of her white, flowered evening gown. She didn’t answer her, the anger was still inside, and building by the second. So, Jenny helped with, “Oh, it was some cream that she used for her acne, it says it works wonders!”

  “You bet it does,” her mother said. Legend turned to her with fury in her blue eyes. “What the heck was it, a new type of acid peel?”

  Legend said, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Her mother swallowed saliva in loudness. “It just means that it works wonders, that’s all I meant by that.”

  Legend turned away from her. This was her moment and she didn’t want or need to deal with her mother’s mind games.

  “No, you meant that I was ugly before, and this cream did a miracle of some kind,” Legend argued. The last girl walked up onstage and wore a name tag that read ‘300’. Four more to go.

  “Listen, Legend, please don’t give me the third degree, I’m trying here. I want you to forgive me for what I’ve done before. I was drunk, and I know that’s no excuse, but I’m really, truly telling you that it was the drunkenness which was talking that day.”

  Legend turned to her mother in a fast motion, the wind almost snapped by her speed. “It wasn’t just that one day, Mother, it was a lot of other days also. Every time you got drunk, which was almost every day, you would do those exact same t
hings to me that you heard on the tape. Did you hear what you called me on the tape, Mom? You called me ‘ugly’, you called your own daughter ‘ugly’.” Legend saw her mother smiling. “This is no time to be happy. Why are you smiling?”

  “Because you’re just so beautiful. It’s amazing, I can’t believe how beautiful you are,” she replied, noticing a piece of hair by Legend’s eye. She reached out to grab the hair, but Legend backed away from her.

  “Don’t touch me!”

  “I was just trying to grab a piece of hair from your eye, it seems like a brow.” She pulled out a mirror from her purse. “Here, you pull it out then!”

  Legend grabbed the mirror and put it up to her face when suddenly the ugly image came into view. After she saw her normal, ugly reflection, she dropped the mirror and broke it. “What’s wrong, Legend?” Jenny asked. She picked up the broken mirror for Legend and noticed Paula coming on the stage.

  “Now, would the girls with numbers 301 through 600 please come and form a line by the stage,” Paula announced over the speaker.

  Legend gave Jenny a hug. “That’s me, wish me luck,” Legend said. She let go of Jenny, turned to her mother and added, “Listen, Mom, let’s talk about everything later on.”

  “Okay, sweetie . . . good luck.” Her mother gave Legend a tight hug.

  “I don’t think she’s going to need luck, Miss Conaway,” Jenny stated. Legend’s mother began laughing.