“Um, well, do you want to tell it, or me?” Stephen asked.
“You say it.”
The table had silence to it as Stephen began his story by saying, “Well, it’s a stupid, mythological story that really makes no sense to me. Wait a second, I take that back, it makes sense, but I really don’t follow it with my work.”
“Just tell them the story already.” Legend and Dina listened closely and watched Stephen’s eyes and lips.
“Alright, my father took me and Mark down to an ice cream shop when we were eight, and that’s when my father first opened up his modeling agency. He already made millions off of it, and me and Mark were curious as to why and how my father made money off of girls’ looks. I mean, anyone could look at a girl and say they’re beautiful, so that means that anyone could open up a modeling agency. And that’s when my father explained or, should I say, told us the story that his father told him when he was a kid. . . . The story mainly consists of a girl who–”
“No, tell us the whole story, don’t do any short cuts,” slurred Legend: the champagne was getting to her.
“Alright. . . . A long time ago, there was this girl, a black girl, her name was Angelica,” Stephen explained. Legend’s eyes widened. “She was a slave in this enormous castle, and she would always wait on the prince hand and foot, and therefore she developed a sort of love for him. . . . Well, Angelica was ugly: she had scars, zits, stringy hair, and everything that would cause a guy to call her beyond ugly. . . . But, even though she knew she was ugly, she still wanted to be in the prince’s heart. . . . So, one day, the King announced that his son was going to get married. It was a planned wedding, and that caused Angelica to run out of the castle, once she heard the news, and go beyond the territory that she worked at all of her life. She was sad. She ran into a vast field, looked up at the sky, and made a wish to this special star. But the thing was, it wasn’t a star, it was Heaven, and therefore her wish was heard. . . . This Angel came down, and granted her the wish,” he explained when Legend interrupted him again.
“What was the wish?” asked Legend.
“Oh, sorry, um, she wished for beauty, she wanted to be beautiful.” Dina poured herself some champagne, but spilt a little bit on the table, due to her drunkenness. “Anyway, this angel granted her the wish, and Angelica ran back to the castle. She found the prince, and he fell in love with her beauty, it was as if he was staring at an angel. As the story goes on, they fell in love together, and then the prince proposed to her, and asked if she would have his hand in marriage. . . . Well, back then, it was practically illegal for a prince to marry a slave, let alone to marry a slave with dark skin. But, her beauty was so incredibly great that he was willing to go against everything that he was taught, such as not marrying a slave, and go through with the wedding anyway.
“Well, suddenly Angelica wanted to take off her beauty, her mask, and allow the prince to fall in love with her real image. Angelica remembered what the angel told her after she made the wish. The angel said she would be back in a year to see if she wanted to take back the wish, or keep it. Well, a year passed, the angel appeared and asked her, and Angelica said ‘yes’. The angel took off the mask of beauty from her, and then, I guess, Angelica ran to the prince and showed her the real Angelica. The prince saw her face, and realized it was the black slave that he fell in love with. You see, he didn’t know it was the black slave at first, when Angelica came to him for the first time with this mask,” Stephen explained before Mark cut him off.
“No, when Angelica came to him for the first time, with this mask of beauty, he didn’t recognize her, but he still kind of knew who it was, only because of her character. Like the way she talked in the past, when she was ugly, and that’s how he knew it was her,” Mark explained.
“Well, anyway, she came to him with the mask off, and he saw her ugliness. Nevertheless, she started crying out that she loves him, and he had to decide whether he should stay with her, or not. He had to decide whether he should still go through with marrying Angelica, or not,” Stephen smiled. “That’s it.”
“That’s it?” Legend said. “Did he stay with her, or not?”
“Yeah, did he still marry Angelica?” Dina asked.
“I don’t know, my father never told me the ending. I guess it’s one of those stories where you have to decide it. But, anyway, my father told us that story, because you have to look at a model’s character and her beauty together. A model can’t make it to the top if she’s a bitch. Well, some models do, as in every profession, but that’s only a small minority. You have to have a good and kind character in order to make it in modeling. I guess my father was stressing that it’s more than looks when it comes to judging if a girl is right for this sort of career,” Stephen explained.
Mark jumped in the conversation. “Dude, tell the myth that goes along with that story.” Legend stared at Stephen with nervous eyes.
“Oh well, legend has it that Angelica grants wishes of beauty to girls, even to this day. She grants them only because she wants a girl to make the same decision she did. I guess every girl she grants it to doesn’t want to take back the wish, and therefore Angelica hunts for a girl, sort of like a mission. And once a girl makes the same decision, Angelica will stop granting wishes, and pass it on to someone else,” Stephen explained. “It’s a bunch of B.S. if you ask me. I mean, when my father told us that, me and Mark laughed.”
“I think it’s a great story, with a lot of meaning to it,” said Legend. She stared at Stephen: it was as if she was falling in love with him. But then Mark turned to Legend, and she turned away from Stephen and looked at him. That’s when Mark grasped onto her lips with his, and allowed Legend’s feelings for Stephen to be transferred over to him instead.
Stephen saw the way she was kissing him, and then said in a fast manner, “Well, it’s getting pretty late, and you two beauties have to wake up early tomorrow.”
“When does this show end?” Mark asked, still staring at Legend.
“Well, the New York show ends on December fourteenth. And then directly after that, Legend has a few cover shoots to do. Plus, I know that Legend and Dina will have another contract given to them. These two girls have a very busy schedule ahead of them, especially Legend,” Stephen replied.
“You have a busy schedule also, Stephen. I mean, you’re in the same show as them, and you also run your father’s business. You should give yourself credit,” Mark stressed. They all got up from the table and walked toward the exit.
“I know, but I mostly concentrate on the girls, they’re the important ones,” said Stephen. They put on their jackets and exited the restaurant. They went back to the hotel, while Stephen and Mark held onto the girls’ bodies, due to them being drunk. Mark kissed Legend heavily on the lips and said his goodbyes to her.
“I had a great time tonight,” Mark said, staring into the depths of Legend’s beauty.
Her drunken body looked up at him, giving out a silent smile, a smile that didn’t have a meaning, because she was so intoxicated. She gave him a tight hug, grasped onto his right hand, and said in a silent way, “Me, too. I had a marvelous time.” She then backed away from him, and looked at his face, adding, “So, when will I see you next?”
“Well, I decided, since my schedule is free up till May, that I might hang around with you guys, if you don’t mind,” he replied. Stephen placed Dina down on a red couch, in the hotel lobby, and stared at them. Stephen stared, and concentrated on their lips: it was like he was trying to figure out what they were saying to each other. “I could even do some modeling out here,” Mark added.
“I don’t mind at all, I mean, I think I don’t mind,” Legend said, staring at Stephen from a distance, causing her mind to become overwhelmed. “I don’t think I mind. I mean, no, I don’t mind at all, I want you . . . I mean, I want you to hang around with us.” She stared at Mark’s blue eyes, and then turned and stared at Stephen’s. She was confused, beginning to grow feelings for Stephen, due to his st
ory, and how he told it with such honesty. But then her feelings were growing also for Mark, due to his outer and inner beauty.
“Listen, I’ll be there tomorrow, watching you become even more famous,” said Mark with a smile.” As a matter of fact, I think I might just be there for your whole career.” Legend began closing her drunken eyes and grabbed onto his shoulder, holding it. “Boy, I think you had a little too much to drink!”
“Mark, do you, well, do you really find me, as well as my beauty, attractive?” She still held onto his shoulder, like she was standing on a balance beam.
“Yes, I find your beauty highly attractive!”
“Which one, my inner or outer?”
“Well, your–”
“Listen, Legend has a big day tomorrow, or, actually, today. So, we’ll see you tomorrow, Mark,” Stephen said. He grabbed onto Legend’s body and started holding her before he walked away. He placed her body down on the red couch next to Dina, and then ran back to Mark in a fast rhythm. “Hey, are you going to hang around with us for a while, or are you going back to California?” Stephen asked, shaking Mark’s hand.
“No, I’m gonna stick around.” Mark stared at Legend’s body from a distance.
“Well, you didn’t get laid tonight like you wanted, and usually you ditch me if the girls I set you up with don’t give out.”
“So, I realized that this one is going to take some time. Who knows, maybe she’s my soulmate,” Mark said. Stephen looked away from him, and then turned to face him again.
“Well, Legend won’t give out, I mean, she’s a virgin.” Stephen wanted to say everything that Mark didn’t want to hear, and that would mean Mark would go away from Legend, and never turn back. But, for some reason, the things Stephen saw in Legend, Mark did, too. For that, Mark wanted to stay by Legend closely, for the attention he’s going to get from her beauty, and for the chance to sleep with a girl who was perfect.
“I don’t care, I’ll find a way. Anyway, I’ll see you tomorrow,” Mark said. He shook Stephen’s hand again. He exited the hotel and Stephen, Dina and Legend walked up the staircase. Legend dropped her shoe on the staircase, due to her feet dragging against it, and allowed her other shoe to drop as well.
When they entered their floor, Stephen balanced Legend against a wall, and walked Dina to her room. She kissed him goodbye, asking, “So, Stephen, do you want a nightcap?”
“I’m sorry, not tonight, I have to take Legend to her room.” He kissed her quickly.
“Well then, come afterwards.”
“Um, well, alright, alright, I will,” Stephen said. He gave her a peck on the lips and walked in a fast rhythm over to Legend. He grabbed onto Legend, and helped her to her hotel room door.
“That was such a nice story, Stephen,” Legend said in a greater drunken way before he opened her door. He saw that Legend was ready to collapse, so he picked her up and carried her into her room. He walked over to the master bedroom and stared into her drunken eyes that were still stunning. “I really like Mark, he’s such a nice guy,” she slurred, Stephen placing her on the bed. “He’s everything I want out of a person. He’s nice, caring, honest, good-looking, honest, caring, nice, rich, famous, kind.”
“Legend, you really should get some sleep.” Stephen covered her with a pink, silken bedspread.
“But I also like you, Stephen. But I know that you only look for beauty, and it’s alright that you’re a pig.” Her drunken eyes were slowly being covered by her lids.
“No, no, I don’t, Legend. I mean, I do, but when I look at you, it’s like beauty doesn’t matter, maybe because you’re so beautiful.” He knew she was drunk, and therefore anything he said wouldn’t matter: she wouldn’t remember it. That’s when he asked, “Legend, when you get drunk, do you remember anything the next day?”
“I love being beautiful.”
“Man, you are plastered.” He stared at her beautiful eyes that were covered by her lids, and came closer to them. “Well, here it goes, Legend. I think I’m falling, I mean, I’m falling really heavily for you. I think I’m falling in–” He paused for a moment. “It’s just, you’re everything I want out of girl. You’re perfect. But I know I’m with Dina, and I know you and I are just friends, but I still feel this way toward you.” It was as if he was going to begin crying. “Legend, you are going to be the biggest supermodel ever. You’re going to be beyond famous, and that’s why I’m going to say what I’m about to say. . . . Legend, somehow, or some way, I don’t know, but, alright, I’m just going to say it. I know you won’t remember anything I say to you now, and that’s what makes it even harder to say. . . . Legend, I honestly, truly believe that I love you. . . I love you so much, that I’m afraid of it. I never felt this way, and it scares me, because I’m afraid you don’t feel the same way about me.”
“I love you,” Legend said, her eyes still closed.
“Who do you love?” He wanted her to answer him, but she was too drunk to say anything else.
“I love you,” she said again. Stephen then kissed her on the forehead and walked away from her. He walked to her bedroom door in a whispering motion and turned around to see his Sleeping Beauty, his beauty that had his heart. He stared at her, and then turned to walk out of the bedroom. He felt a cool breeze rush against his skin, and cause goose bumps to form, suddenly noticing the window to her bedroom was open. So he walked back into her room, lingered over to the window, and shut it. That’s when he noticed the clear sky, and stars that hung from the heavens. He looked up at them, and then looked at Legend. He turned back around, and exited her room once again. As he walked, Legend said in a silent manner, while she was sleeping, “I love you, Stephen. . . .” Checkmate.
Chapter Eighteen
Well, Legend’s fame did grow like Mark predicted. Her celebrity grew higher as each cold day passed, walking the catwalk every day in New York. Her name was growing, rising toward a larger audience and everyone in New York started to hear of a girl with the beauty of an angel. Have you seen her? Who is this? Each day she walked on the catwalk, her legs would move a little bit faster, as if she was beginning to grow confidence on the outside and on the in. Every show she did caused her mask to be more a part of her mind. It was like the mask was her, and she was the mask. But her inner beauty was still with her, and she wasn’t ready to put a mask over that as well. Every flash that came from a camera, or every person who looked at her and smiled, caused her beauty to go beyond its original structure. It caused her mask to go beyond beauty and shine toward many. The cocoon broke, the butterfly soared.
Legend was beginning to forget about her wish and forget about her ugly past she used to wear. She forced herself to forget. She did it by taking down every mirror that she had in her New York hotel room, and banished anything that caused a reflection. Legend wanted to be beautiful to the public, as well as herself, and, for that, she forced her mind to forget about her wish even more.
Mark stood by Legend every day that she spent in New York. He would stand directly next to her, and when a cameraman came up to Legend and took a picture, Mark made sure he was standing right by her, holding her hand. To Mark, Legend was like a rainbow, he knew there was a pot of gold at the end. He loved the attention he got when he’s with her, as well as kissing her beautiful lips and caressing her gentle, clear skin. Yet, to the public, Legend was like a rainbow also, beautiful to look at, and you don’t see them often. Nevertheless, rainbows do vanish, and that’s something Mark knew. He thought that the greater Legend’s fame became, the more she would be distant toward him. He thought about that every day he kissed her goodnight, and every day he kissed her while walking down the street. But he wanted to wait till that day came, and so he waited.
Stephen and Dina became more intimate with each other, but still his heart belonged to Legend, belonged to her soul. He was in love with a mask, a wish that she made real and, even though he was heavily intimate with Dina, he still loved Legend. He did all the things that a guy in love would do to a girl,
such as kiss Dina and whisper sweet nothings. But, he wasn’t in love with her, he was in love with a girl who he never kissed with passion, who he never made love with, and who he never said sweet things to. Every kiss he gave to Dina, or every whisper he said, he would imagine Legend in his sight. This was his disease.
The months passed and Stephen’s feelings were growing toward Legend, and Legend’s feeling were growing toward Mark. But, still, sometimes Legend would look at Stephen in a strange way, and cause him to get mixed emotions. Stephen didn’t know whether she had the same feelings as he had for her. But he didn’t want to mix business with pleasure, even though he used to in the past many times over, he didn’t with her. And so he would turn away from her glances and give up on trying to get the definition of them.
Throughout it all, Legend was at the prime of her career. She already did twelve magazine covers, and signed numerous autographs to fans who grew in number each day. Legend still didn’t leave New York: she was too busy with her schedule consisting of glamorous photo sessions, catwalks, commercials for make-up, and spending time with Mark. Contracts on top of contracts were thrown in her face, and she signed all of them. Her beauty was known to most of the world now, and she did it all from one city. Legend became a regular household name, unlike Dina’s.
Dina became somewhat famous, but she still was behind Legend for the race to beauty, and she realized it. In her shadow. So, Dina became close friends with her, wanting the public to know that Legend’s her best friend. Before, Dina would make fun of her, and call her cruel names. But now, oh no. Now she praises her and constantly gives her compliments. Since Legend needed to forget about her past, she also forgot the cruel Dina, and became friends with her as well. They both were shown on magazine covers together, portrayed as friends, and that’s what Dina hunted for.
Legend’s new life was growing greater smiles on her masked face. More and more young girls would look up to her as an idol, and say, “I want to be just like her!” Her fan letters grew, and so did her fame as a girl named Legend was forced into the public’s mind. She was an angel. She was perfect to everyone: her outer beauty was stunning, and her inner self was marvelous. She did this all from New York alone, and Stephen knew if she traveled to other cities, she would definitely go beyond her fame, and beyond her character, and turn into a goddess to the public.
Mask of A Legend Page 17