GLAM

ADELINE'S POV

As usual, Colton walks into my room to get me ready for the day.

"What weird activity is Veronica making us do today?" I ask him as soon as he walks in. I just finished brushing my hair when he walked in and today, he doesn't meet my eyes. He keeps his gaze down am meets me with an expressionless body language. He doesn't say anything to me. All he does is wait for me to get ready and leave the room with him.

I don't know why I feel bad, but I do. And I hate it.

"So, you're not going to answer me? You're just going to stand there like a statue?" I place my hands on my hips and my voice comes out more frustrated than I like. I hate that I feel remorse for the very person who brought me here but I do and I can't help it. Maybe that's the curse I was born with. Being compassionate even for people who have hurt me.

Does that make me stupid or just human?

"Look you were right, okay?" He finally says after a few seconds of silence. He gazes straight into my eyes and all I remember is him tying me up and driving me here. All I remember is him hurting me.

"I should just leave you alone and that's exactly what I'm doing." He motions towards the door and waits for me to step out of my room. "After you, please."

I swallow a lump in my throat but I don't say anything else. I follow his gaze towards the door and walk out wit my head held high and with an inexplicable ache in my chest. What the hell is wrong with me?

Colton brings me to a different room today. The room is pink with red undertones and there are ten tables with make-up brushes and all sorts of powders and lipsticks on them. I immediately spot Della and make my way towards her seat. Each table has two seats and I'm glad I get to sit with Della instead of the other girls who probably want to see me dead.

"i.HiHiHi…" She beams at me and I gladly return her smile. "Looks like we're learning how to doll ourselves up today. I was never really good at doing make up. I hated the way it felt on my face so I just know I'll have very big problems with Veronica during this class."

She laughs.

I love Della's sense of humor. I love that she still finds a way to make jokes and laugh in a place like this. Maybe it's her coping mechanism but if she's not careful then it can get her in some real trouble.

"Look." I say seriously to her. "You have to try your best to do everything exactly as Veronica says, do you understand? You've seen what she does to a person when she gets angry. You do not want that to happen to you, do you?"

Della slowly shakes her head with fear in her eyes. I know I'm not making her fear any better for her. I have no idea what's going on in her head but I need to give her a reality check. It's the only way she'll survive.

"I just don't know what to do." She says softly. "If I don't joke about it, then it becomes to real and I don't know if I can stand the reality of the situation. If I don't joke about it, then all I can think about is killing myself. The only thing stopping me is hope. I've always been stupidly hopeful, so I'm gaslighting myself into thinking that someone will find me. My mom must have the police looking for me already. I'll get out of here. I know it."

I pat her back gently but before I can say anything else, Veronica walks into the room with a huge man. It's a man I've never seen before and he looks even scarier than all the other men here. What's a man like him doing in a make-up room?

As usual, we all stand up and face Veronica as she scowls at us.

"Today, you learn how to be beautiful." She says glaring at each of us. Yesterday, we were asked not t o leave our rooms today with any make up on. I guess this was the reason. She wants to teach us how to paint our faces like dolls for thirsty men.

"You are no use to this establishment if you're ugly." She barks out and I feel a sting in my chest. I wonder what she does to girls she deems not pretty enough because she's holding us to unrealistic standards. Every girl here is gorgeous but of course, knowing Veronica, who knows what flaw she'll make up just to make us feel bad about ourselves.

"You all have an obligation to look your best every single second. If anyone of you is caught not taking proper care of themselves, then I'll let Rock personally deal with her."

We all look to the big man in front of us and I don't even want to think about what Veronica is saying he will do to us. I don't even want to imagine it.

She starts walking from table to table, examining every gurl like we were specimens in a science laboratory.

"Your hair has dead ends." She says to a girl. "Cut them. And those brows of yours, you are to give then a proper shape. All that has to be done by the end of the day. I will not repeat myself."

She walks further and further up as she continues to taunt other girls.

"Havent I warned you about that mold on your face?" She says to a girl that has the prettiest face I've ever seen. Veroncia grabs a fistful of the girl's face and inspects it for God knows what.

"Answer me you cunt." She barks out.

"It keeps growing back Veronica. I can only hide it so much with make up." The girl defends.

"Fucking useless." Veronica says, letting go of the girl's hair with so much force she almost stumbles back.

"Do you think our clients want to constantly look at that big black and ugly thing you carry around on your face? You know maybe I should just cut it up for you."

"But that'll leave a scar." The girl argues and Veronica lands a slap on her face.

"And where did you leanr to talk back at me?" She asks with venom in her voice. The girl shuts up. She doesn't cry. She only takes back her place standing like a statue. Veronica finally reaches Della and I.

"Those curls are disgusting." She says to Della. "Straighten them. No one wants a bush for hair."

I want to tell Dela that her curls are beautiful. I want to tell her to never feel ashamed of them because of the words from someone as entitled and selfish as Veronica. I want to hold her and tell her to never straighten her hair, but I only keep my mouth shutl I don't want to find out what will happen if I don't.

"And you…" She says examining me. "You're just fine."

When she reaches Silver mist's table, her face falls even deeper into a frown.

"Your roots are showing." Veronica says in a deadly low voice. "Your ugly brown roots are showing Silver. Did I not warn you about this the other day?"

My heart starts beating. I start fearing for Silver mist. I didn't even notice she wasn't a natural red head. I wonder how much damage her natural hair has gone through to make it that red.

"I…" She stutters. "I'm sorry Veronica. I didn't have time to dye my hair."

"You didn't have time?" Veronica almost laughs. She turns her gaze towards the man in the room with us and he chuckles deeply as he stares at Silver.

"Did you hear that, Rock?" Veronica sing songs with a sinister look on her face. "She said she didn't have time. Maybe we should teach our dear Silver mist here about the concept of time."