By: Aubrey Chick
Isabelle Rose had always dreamed of becoming a model. She would spend her days in bookstores reading the latest fashion magazines and watching runway shows on her television. A part of her would tell her that her curly brown hair, brown eyes, and round rosy cheeks would never be seen on the cover of one of those magazines, yet another side of her had hope.
Never has there ever been any human more strikingly beautiful than supermodel Caroline Dupree. Caroline stood precisely six feet tall, thin as a piece of paper, and had long black hair that shined like silk in the runway lights. Isabelle just knew she could only dream of even coming close to looking like her. Caroline was "the face" of the top modeling agency in the country, and lived the life that Isabelle had always wanted. At least that's what she thought.
After years of begging her parents to become a model, seventeen year old Isabelle finally convinced them to let her move to New York City to audition for the modeling agency that produced the one and only, Caroline Dupree. She stepped one foot into the city, where the cars whizzed by, the lights beamed into her eyes, and billboards hovered over every street, and she instantly knew she was one step closer to her dream. However, the perfect dream had quickly been jumbled in her mind when she finally met with the agency. She was taken back when the poised, arrogant people demanded that she lose 25 pounds and get cosmetic surgery in a deadline of six weeks. That same part of her that told her she would never be seen on the cover of a magazine spoke loudly once more, but she refused to listen.
Young Isabelle opened one of her magazines to a picture of Caroline Dupree, looked in the mirror at herself, took a deep breath, and knew that everything was about to change. Over the course of six weeks, she dedicated herself to a rigorous exercise and diet, and gave into having cosmetic surgery. All she could think about was the hunger and sleep deprivation she suffered each day. Hesitation was always present, but she assumed that maybe it was all worth it.
After what seemed like an eternity, the day that the new Isabelle appeared in front of the agency finally came. Stepping in front of the mirror that once reflected the Isabelle with round rosy cheeks and curly brown hair, she saw a body she did not recognize. A body with bones protruding out of the shoulders and torso; a body that looked like a skeleton. After the removal of her facial bandages, the doctors praised their fine work, but all Isabelle saw now was dark, sunken eyes and a face she couldn't claim as her own. She said goodbye to who she once was, then headed out the door for the agency.
The agency, surprised by Isabelle's quick and dramatic change, believes she is now their perfect fit. They died her hair a deep black, straightened out her imperfect curls, painted her discolored skin with snow white foundation, evenly outlined her sunken eyelids with dark makeup, and drew red on her lips, as if they were painting a picture. Sooner than she expected, Isabelle saw her face right next to Caroline Dupree's in the magazines that she used to buy. Her appearance matched what she once dreamed of, but that did not matter to her at all anymore. She did not feel alive. She realized that she was now just death in disguise. As the world praised the beauty of Isabelle Rose on the outside, she herself only grieved the true Isabelle Rose that she lost on the inside.
Art by: Gabriela Mendez Ibarra
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