🇬🇧 Once Upon a Time #Herophine 🇬🇧 (English version)

Chapter 11 - Photoshoot

Josephine

If I had to say, with absolute certainty, one thing I don't like doing, it would definitely be posing for photos.
I hate anything that keeps me still, forced to make an almost sullen face while an obsessed photographer jumps up and down the room, speaking in monosyllables and giving abstruse instructions.
I happened to pose for an Australian magazine and I remember perfectly the very loud music that didn't even allow me to hear my own thoughts.
A photographer shouted "turn around", "look sexy" and other stupid things like that.
I hate photos in general if the subject is me.
Instead, I love photographing landscapes or scenes of everyday life. I like that and it relaxes me.
I have had a blog for a few years, which only my friends can access, and I update it constantly.
I like to immortalize the most significant moments of my days, almost as if it were a virtual diary made only of images. It relaxes me to look at photos from a few years ago and brings to mind moments that I would otherwise have forgotten.

"Josephine, we'll start in five minutes!" Someone shouts at me outside the dressing room.
I snort and look at myself in the mirror.
Whoever chose these clothes must have had a bad day and decided that I should suffer the consequences.
Jenny and Anna welcomed us with an avalanche of different dresses, all to try on and photograph, in order to choose which ones may or may not be suitable for the film, based on how they look on the screen.
I'm sorry to admit that some of Tessa's clothes are really ugly and I fervently hope they won't choose them.
Tessa is a simple and sensible girl, but we don't necessarily have to portray her as having a terrible lack of taste in clothing. You can be simple and dress well at the same time.
I don't imagine Tessa like that and I feel like I'm spiteful to her, wearing this horrible dress.
I look at myself in the mirror again, smoothing out the dress with a million folds in the skirt. I feel like a bad, slightly burnt meringue.
I sigh and leave the dressing room, ready to defend Tessa with all my being.

I won't make her wear this dress!

Anna waits for me outside and frowns at me as soon as I step into the room.
"This in my opinion..." She takes a moment to formulate the sentence, but I can see it on her face that she too is of the same opinion as me: this dress is terrible!

"I would say... no to that?" I'm taking a gamble, trying not to be disrespectful. I know someone definitely worked hard to research these outfits.
So far I have been silent but there is a limit to everything.
Anna laughs "I was about to say the same thing! Tessa would never wear that!"

"That's better!" I let out a sigh of relief. "I just can't see Tessa dressed like a meringue!"
Anna giggles along with me and Jenny motions to the costume designer to remove this dress from my wardrobe.

A girl with short black hair makes a note in a notebook and nods nervously, adjusting her glasses on her nose. I assume she is the costume designer or the assistant perhaps, I don't know.
She approaches me, continuing to read something on the folder in her hand.

"Hey Hello!" I smile at her holding out my hand "I'm Josephine, but you can call me Jo."
She looks up in shock, almost as if she's seeing me now for the first time.

"Oh. Um...hello." She clears her throat and looks at my hand, still waiting for hers.
I keep smiling and wait for her move.
Finally, she holds out her hand and tightens her grip weakly, a look of shock on her face.
"I... Um..." She clears her throat again "I'm Annie, the costume designer's assistant" she says quickly.
I was right then, she is taking notes for this reason.

"Nice to meet you Annie"
She smiles at me sheepishly and tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. She is very nervous and her gaze returns to the folder in front of her.

"What's the next outfit?" I wish I could calm her down a little. Could it be that I'm the one who makes her feel so intimidated? Pfff... That's not possible, right? She'll be around my age by the way!