Chapter 8

I wake up to the sound of my alarm clock beeping in my ears.

Sunlight pours into my room and my closed eyes.

I turn over to stop my alarm clock so I can sleep for a few more minutes.

My hand suddenly stops midair.

I can't go back to sleep, I think.

I have an important interview today.

At the modeling agency.

I quickly toss the warm blankets off me and stand on my feet.

I turn off my still beeping alarm clock and amble my way to the bathroom.

After a quick shower, I brush my teeth, and wash my sleepy face.

I stumble out of my bathroom and throw on some clothes.

I hop down the stairs two at a time and into the kitchen.

Mom is already there, sipping some coffee from a chipped mug and looking at the window, her warm yellow eyes distracted.

She quickly snaps into reality when she notices me fumbling around the kitchen.

"Good morning, Ashley." She says as she watches me carefully.

"Morning." I mumble as I look in the fridge for some eggs.

"Where are you off to this early?" Mom asks.

"Interview, mom." I answer back.

I crack the eggs on a heating frying pan and watch as it sizzles.

I turn away from the stove and sit beside Mom.

"Mom," I begin, "Did you hear news about Owen yet?"

Mom shakes her head sadly.

"No, not yet." She replies, despondently.

There is an empty silence that hangs in the air with the sound of sizzling eggs.

Even when we found out that Owen was out of town, we still had hope.

Hope that he would come back again.

But, nothing happened these past thirty two years.

We wonder where he can possibly be, if he's still alive.

I put my eggs on a plate and pour myself some of the remaining coffee that was in the coffee jug.

I sit by mom again and eat my breakfast silently.

Mom gets up a few moments later and tells me that she's going to work.

"Good luck on your interview." She says as she closes the front door behind her.

It is silent again.

I finish my breakfast and go back upstairs to get my wallet and lace up my tie leg sandals.

I hurry out the door and into my car.

As I drive out of my driveway, my phone rings.

It's Louisiana calling me.

"Hello?" I say, my phone against my ear, carefully snugged into my shoulder.

"Hi, Ash. Are you going to your interview?" Kelly asks.

"Yeah, I'm on my way." I say, as I turn a left.

"Oh, okay. I was wondering if you want to hang out after?" She asks, her voice indifferent.

"Yeah, sure." I reply.

"Okay, good luck, see you soon."

"Bye."

"Bye."

She hangs up, and there's the heavy, lonely, silence again.

I put some music, to fill in the silence and enjoy the nice summer breeze through my window.

I pull up in the modeling company's driveway.

After I get out of my car, I take a good deep breath.

"You can do this." I mumble to myself.

I start to walk towards the entrance, nervous.

It's quiet with a few people in there.

Probably staff, I think.

The agency is built with clear, glass walls framed with gold.

The floor is made out of white and black marble.

There is a big chandelier hanging in the middle of a pale, white ceiling.

In the middle of the room, there is a registration desk, with a lady clacking on her computer.

Behind the desk are two doors on either sides.

"Hi, I'm Ashley." I say to the lady at the registration.

"Oh, hi, let me just sign you in and then you'll be on your way." The lady says as she clicks on the computer's keyboard.

"Okay, just walk in through that door." She says pointing to her left.

I walk that way, ready as ever for my interview.