Falling For The Girl I Bullied
Chapter 73

Kyle’s P.O.V.

“You did a great job, kid. You are natural and amazing in front of the camera. You should consider modeling as a career for yourself. You will have a bright future in this profession”, Marshall praised me after I successfully finished my photo shoot without any major problems. The photographer also praised me for being natural in front of the camera. “Thanks, Marshall”, I thanked him briefly and then looked at the watch. “Uhhhh…. If there is nothing for me for now.. then can I leave now?” I asked him when I saw that it was time for my class now. “Let me ask the photographer first. If he is satisfied with the photos, then you can leave”, he said, and I nodded.

Marshall walked away and I sat down on the chair placed for me. I dialed Dustin’s number and waited for him to pick up the call. I was a little late and was sure that I would not reach his house on the time. “Hey… where are you?” I asked him as soon as he picked up the call. “I am about to reach my home. I went to the supermarket to buy some stuff. Did you reach?” he asked me after telling me about his whereabouts. “Uhhh.. no.. I am still on the shoot. Do me a favor, Dustin. Reach Ethan’s home. I will come there directly”, I asked him, as Marshall was now doing something with the photographer.

“Okay, then I will meet you there”, he said and then we both hung up. I fished the phone in my pocket and looked up. I saw Marshall and the photographer coming towards me. I stood up and looked at them questioningly. “Uhhh… Kyle… give me a favor, kid”, Marshall said with a bit of hesitation. “What is it?” I asked him while looking at the photographer. It was a shoot for a clothing brand and I changed almost five times for different photos. “Actually, Kyle….. you have a great physique and in some photos, I felt that they’ll be better if you opened one more button of the shirt”, the photographer spoke this time, telling me what he wanted.

“You want me to show off some of my body, huh?” I asked him in a teasing tone. “Why not? You have a great body to show”, the photographer praised my physique once again. Opening one more button was not a thing that I couldn’t do. “Okay… let’s finish this”, I said with a small smile, and both Marshall and the photographer looked at me in admiration. The photographer, Pheonix, called the makeup artist and asked him to retouch my face. I looked at Marshall, who was looking relieved now. “What’s wrong?” I asked him while raising my brows. “It’s nothing, kid. Actually, Rose told me which family you belong to and I thought that you would refuse to listen to his opinion”, he said with a tight smile, and I smiled bitterly. Marshall was not with me on the last photo shoot. He left me there after introducing me to Phoenix.

“You know my parents, huh?” I asked him in a bitter tone and he slowly nodded his head and then sighed aloud while blowing a breath through his mouth. “You are different from them and the good thing about you is that you are a learner. I saw how you interact with Phoenix and other members of the group. You listened to their suggestion and acted accordingly. Everyone is praising you here”, Marshall told me about everyone’s opinion truthfully. The makeup artist asked my permission and requested me to sit down. “Everyone is here for work, Marshall and I am no exception”, I said to Marshall, and then sat down on the chair.

I was now worried about Dustin’s class. I thought for a while and then asked the makeup girl to wait for two minutes and took my phone out of my pocket again. I dialed Violet’s number while biting my lower lips furiously. This was the first time that I dialed her number and it was about asking for a favor. “Yes”, she said in a low tone after picking up the phone. “Uhhhh… actually… here is the thing… I am still at my shoot and I will be late for Dustin’s class. He is already coming there for the class. Can you take his class today?” I explained her whole situation and then asked her the favor that I needed from her.

“Did you eat something? You went straight to the shoot right after the practice”, she asked me in a timid voice instead of answering me. “Yes, princess… I ate when I reached here. So, don’t worry”, I replied to her. “O… okay.. I will take Dustin’s class. You finish your work without any worries”, she said in a calm tone, making me smile at her effort to put me at ease. “Okay… I will bring pizza for you when I come back home”, I replied to her, and then we both hung up. I signaled the makeup man to start his work. “Girlfriend?” Marshall asked me in a teasing tone. “No.. she.. uhhh.. she is a friend”, I immediately refused but hesitated to call her a friend.

“Are you sure?” he asked me while giving me an amusing smile. I really didn’t know what was the meaning of his smile. “Of course”, I said while moving my shoulders, but kept my face straight because I didn’t want to bother the makeup artist. “But your expressions were saying something else when you were talking with her”, Marshall teased me again and I just looked at him dumbfounded. He laughed aloud and patted my shoulder. He then walked away to Phoenix once again. What was he talking about? Of course, I was smiling when she asked me about eating something. But it didn’t mean that I had any feelings for her, or had I?

“It’s done”, I came out of my trance when the man told me that he finished his work. “Thanks”, I mumbled to him and then stood up from the chair. I headed towards Phoenix. I needed to finish everything here as soon as possible so that I could reach home early. Although Violet could take Dustin’s class but leaving Dustin with Violet was not settling properly in my guts now. “I am ready”, I told Phoenix and he immediately called everyone to start the shooting. He then instructed me what to do now. I listened to him with all my concentration and then signaled him that I understood. I went on the other side of the camera and took a pose according to Phoenix.

After a few shots, Phoenix gave me heads-up. “Can I change now?” I asked him when I reached him. He was checking the photos. “Yes, they are excellent. It’s really nice working with you, Kyle. I am looking forward to working more with you”, Phoenix praised me again with a smile. “Thanks, Phoenix. I also enjoyed working with you. See you on the next shoot than”, I thanked him in a sincere voice and then bid my farewell to him. “Go and change. I will drive you”, Marshall said while patting my shoulder. “Okay”, I said to him, and then went straight to the changing room.

I went straight to the washroom in the changing room to wash my face first. I felt itchy with the makeup on my face for a long time. After cleaning my face, I felt fresh and came out of the washroom to change my clothes. After changing my clothes, I came out of the room after taking my bag and found Marshall waiting for me at the door. “Let’s go”, he said to me. I threw my bag on my back and walked out with him. “I sent you one of your best photos today”, he said to me while walking with me. I looked at him questioningly. “You can send that to your girl. Girls like sexy photos of their boyfriends”, he teased me again while winking at me.

I laughed at his comment. “She is not like other girls. In fact, she always closed her eyes if any boy from the team comes without shirt in front of her. She works with my volleyball team in school”, I told him about Violet. “What? Are you serious? She is so shy?” he chuckled in surprise and I nodded while smiling widely. “Hey… then sent that photo to you. See what’s her reaction”, he asked me chirping like a teenager. “Marshall… she is really not my girlfriend”, I refused him while telling him that Violet is not my girlfriend. “O come on, boy… don’t lie to yourself. Come on… send her… please”, he whined and then started pleaded again.

“Okay.. okay.. it’s not like she hasn’t seen me without shirt”, I surrendered in front of him and then took my phone out. My eyes widened in surprise when I saw the photo. It was the last photo today. I was sitting at the edge of a high stool while looking at the camera with tilted face. All the buttons of the shirt were open. I had bent my left knee a little as I was resting my feet on the step of the stool. I could say that I was really looking handsome and sexy. I just shook my head and then sent the photo to Violet. “Done… happy now?” I said to him and asked him flatly. He beamed and opened the car as we reached the parking area.

We both settled down on the respective seats. I was on the passenger’s seat while Marshall was driving. “I will drop you outside as I have to go somewhere in the same direction”, Marshall said to me and I nodded. I was now playing with my phone in my hand while thinking about Violet’s reaction on my photo. I decided to send her a text but I was not sure whether she would reply or not. I decided not to text because I was sure that she wouldn’t reply. Suddenly my phone rang in my hand. I saw Ethan’s name on the caller ID.

“Where are you?” he asked me when I picked up the call. “I am on my way to home. I am with Marshall in his car”, I told him truthfully. “Violet is taking Dustin’s class. Did you ask her?” he asked me and I narrowed my eyes in confusion. “Yes… I asked her because I was getting late and I had already skipped two of his classes. What’s wrong?” I told him the reason and asked him in a concerned tone. “Uhhh… it’s nothing.. just come early”, he said and urged me to come soon. “I am on my way”, I told him, and then we both hung up. “If she is teaching another student, I assume, she is intelligent too”, Marshall gave his opinion about Violet in a light tone. “She is a nerd…. Straight A student”, I told him about her. I didn’t know why I was talking about her with him but it was feeling good.

“Is she beautiful?” he asked me which made me raise my brow. “Yes, she is… why did you ask?” I asked him in suspicion this time. “well… if she is beautiful and has a good height, then she can model with you. I have some good assignments for a girl too”, he told me his reason in a firm tone. I laughed lightly and then looked in front of me on the road. “She is too shy to face the camera and she wants to become a doctor”, I told him about her dream. “Who says that a doctor can’t be a model, huh? Show me her photo if you have one. Then I will tell you whether she can be a model or not”, he then demanded, which made me take my lower l*p in between my teeth.

“O come on… I am just asking you to show her photo in your phone”, Marshall whined again and I took a deep breath. I did have her photographs that I secretly took one day during our practice session after school. I hesitated but opened the gallery and opened one of them. “Here”, I moved the screen towards Marshall. He looked at the screen when he stopped the car at the red light. “Wow, Kyle… she is really beautiful”, Marshall praised her and it was in admiration, not in another way. “Ask her if she also wants to earn some money”, he said while looking at me this time. “O … I forgot”, he suddenly spoke again while looking at the red light. He immediately took his bag from the back side and then took something out.

“Here”, he raised a piece of paper towards me and put his bag on the back seat again. I took the paper from him and a small smile appeared on my lips when I saw the content of the paper. It was a cheque for fifty thousand dollars, my first earning. “This is your first payment for last week’s photoshoot”, he told me, and I just stared at the cheque, and tears formed in my eyes.