The War Of The Angels, Part 5 free porn video

"How- what- why-" Stephanie stammered as the flame-haired Scottish girl looked at her expectantly. "I think you might need to sit down," Lauren giggled. "As I said, I've got a car waiting..." "Umm, okay," Stephanie said, following Lauren to her car in a state of near-shock. "Why- why did you-" "Why did I take the option that was best for my career?" Lauren asked. "Kinda answered your own question there, didn't you? Steph... We've gone as far as we can with out of Heaven. And sure, we've got fans. We've got rich. I'll always be grateful to Joshua for the opportunities he's given me. But The Angels have been cancelled, his projects with the 'Teen Angels' and the 'Sky Angels' were failures and if we don't act soon, we'll be next for the scrapheap." "How- how did you even sign with Spencer and Hall?" Stephanie asked, barely able to process what Lauren was telling her. "I gave them a call," Lauren shrugged. "All of our contracts have buy- out clauses in them, they decided I was worth the money, so here I am! I've already had a rehearsal session with Saraya and Niamh, I'm sure when you meet them you'll love them as much as I already do." "You- you turned your back on people you said were friends," Stephanie mumbled. "The same friends who gave you that fat lip?" Lauren asked, pointing to Stephanie's bruised mouth. "Yeah, that's a friendship we both need, isn't it? Look, Steph... It wasn't an easy choice. As I said, I'm really, really grateful to Joshua for getting my foot on the ladder. But he can only get me- get US- so far up the ladder." Lauren's speech was interrupted by the sudden bleeping of Stephanie's phone, informing her of a new text message. "...Sorry," Stephanie grimaced. "S'okay," Lauren shrugged. "We won't be at the agency for another ten minutes or so, you know how traffic is in the city centre." "...I grew up in London," Stephanie said bluntly. "You grew up on a farm, like, beyond the wall." "Just- read your text," Lauren said, giggling at her friend's teasing. Stephanie snorted with laughter, before trying to suppress her conflicted emotions as she read the text message. 'Hi Steph, thanks for your message,' the text- which was from Stephanie's friend Janet- read. 'Good to see you're making new friends. Since leaving the hospital I've been trying to get out more and meet new friends too. I've joined a support group for LGBT people where I've met another transwoman called Debbie. She's a bit younger than me but she's been very supportive. She's even helped me look for work, no luck yet but I'm getting very positive vibes from the interviews I've attended! Hope to talk to you soon. Janet x.' Stephanie blinked back a tear as she scrolled up to read the message she'd originally sent to Janet, attached to which was the photograph of her, Kayla, Nikki and Sarah dressed in their fancy gowns- a memory that Stephanie would always treasure. "Lauren," Stephanie whispered. "If- if we'd, you know, 'included' you more-" "It wouldn't have made a difference," Lauren said. "In our career we can always, ALWAYS make new friends. But our career won't last forever. We have to take make the most of what we've got while we can." "You're absolutely, absolutely right," Stephanie said. "So you'll sign?" Lauren asked expectantly. "No," Stephanie replied. "Take me home, now." Stephanie allowed herself a smug smirk as Lauren's jaw dropped and her face screwed up in confusion. "Umm, why, exactly?" The Scottish girl asked. "I'm guessing you had to ask permission from Spencer and Hall to be here?" Stephanie asked. "Well, yes," Lauren replied. "They're not going to just let their assets go randomly roaming around the streets." "Even to see people they claim are their friends?" Stephanie retorted. "We ARE friends," Lauren pleaded. "I told you, I recommended you above all the other girls, even Kayla!" "Really, Lauren?" Stephanie asked. "After the way you've shunned me and sneered at me ever since the truth about me came out? What I think happened was that Spencer and Hall tried to smear me- and through me, Joshua- with what Dannii knew, and when that didn't work, they decided to use you to try to get to me. No. I'm not working for some place that only sees me as an 'asset'. Take me home." "Fine, your loss," Lauren shrugged. "I'll just ask Kayla to see whether or not she wants a contract." "Huh, good luck with that!" Stephanie snorted as the car turned around and headed back toward her house. "You really think Kayla will put friendship before her career?" Lauren sneered. "She knows what's most important," Stephanie retorted. "Yeah, yeah she does," Lauren spat as the car pulled up outside Stephanie's house. "See you round, Steph. Maybe at the awards ceremonies, where we're winning them and you're stuck at a table at the back near the toilets." "Fuck you, Lauren," Stephanie spat as the car sped away, taking her former friend with it. The second she re-entered her home, Stephanie got out her phone and hit the speed dial button for Kayla's number, smiling as the phone was answered within two rings. "What is it, Steph?" Kayla sighed. "Just a heads up," Stephanie said, ignoring Kayla's negative attitude. "Our former bandmate Miss McTavish is on her way round to you with the offer of a contract." "Huh," Kayla replied. "Wonder what makes her think I'll be so responsive second time around." "S- second?" Stephanie asked. "Yeah," Kayla said. "She was just here half an hour ago, trying to persuade me to jump over to Spencer and Hall. Wait, wait, has she just talked to you?" "Yeah..." Stephanie replied. "Kinda hinted that when I turned her down, she was going to try to persuade you to go over to them. Also hinted that I was the first member of the band that she'd seen..." "And- and you turned them down, right?" Kayla asked. "Of course," Stephanie replied. "I dunno if you realise this, Kayla, but... You're probably the closest- no, scratch that, you ARE the best friend I've ever had. Sure, I lived with Lauren for months, but- but I just feel closer to you, you know?" "...Thanks," Kayla mumbled. "And you- you also turned Lauren down?" Stephanie asked. "If by 'turned her down' you mean 'slammed the door in her face', then yes," Kayla said, making Stephanie giggle. "Steph, I- I'm sorry the way I snapped at you, okay? I'm just stressed out, the band's the most important thing in my life right now, and to see it fall apart..." "Except it hasn't," Stephanie said confidently. "Adeola will never betray her uncle, Becca will never betray Adeola or her brother, and you and I are still loyal. Loads of bands have gone from a 5 piece to a 4 piece and survived. Take That, One Direction..." "Umm, Steph, they're- they're both kinda boy band..." Kayla said. "Meh, then we'll just be the first all-girl band to do it," Stephanie shrugged. "The first ALL GIRL band, right?" "You said it, sister!" Kayla laughed. "Though, umm, I think Addie might still be a little pissed off at you..." "Then I'll apologise," Stephanie said. "Text Addie and ask to meet up tomorrow, I'll go along, show I'm not too big to get down on my hands and knees." "I will," Kayla said, before taking a deep breath. "...And there's still the Jamie matter-" "If that cunt wants to apologise to me, she knows where I am," Stephanie said darkly as she ran her tongue over the bruise on her mouth. "I'll grovel to Adeola. I am NOT grovelling to her." "...Okay," Kayla whispered. "I'll text Addie and call you back soon, okay?" "Okay," Stephanie said as she ended the call. As she laid back down on the sofa, however, Stephanie wondered whether she'd made the right decision in declining Lauren's offer. The Scottish girl had made a lot of valid points- Spencer and Hall were always a much bigger agency than Heavenly Talent, and almost certainly wouldn't shout at their employees, as Joshua had done to Kayla, or demonstrate incompetence in their management decision as Jonathan had done by calling the morning's 'assembly'. However, unlike Lauren or Kayla, Stephanie hadn't auditioned for the band in an attempt to find fame and fortune. Sure, she wanted fame and fortune, but her primary motivations for auditioning were to prove to herself that she could successfully pass herself off as a woman and find work as 'Stephanie'- and that goal had been achieved a long time ago. Stephanie was entitled to want more, but every time her ambitions threatened to get the better of her, she was ironically reminded of the words of her nemesis, Jamie-Lee Burke- it's better to want what you have, rather than have what you want. ---------- As Stephanie was musing on Jamie's words of wisdom, Jamie herself was sulking as she laid on her sofa at her parents' home, musing on how terrible her birthday had been up to that point. With her fianc? having to work overtime and her best friend not talking to her, the only people Jamie had for company were her parents, and their company wasn't thrilling the twenty-give year old transwoman. "Cheer up," Jamie's father urged as he walked through the living room. "Anyone would think it was your birthday or something!" "Hilarious," Jamie grunted. "Well your day won't improve if you just lay there all the time feeling sorry for yourself," Mr. Travis snorted. "You know you'll apologise to Charlotte eventually, so-" "Tomorrow," Jamie interrupted. "I- I can't face her today. I'll go tomorrow. Huh, I was going to apologise to Stephanie tomorrow, no chance of THAT happening now..." "Because you don't want to apologise, or you think she wouldn't accept it even if you did?" Jamie's father asked. "Both," Jamie sighed. "Well what about your other friends?" Mr. Travis asked. "Give them a call, get them round here to cheer you up." "Mary's still in hospital," Jamie explained. "Krystie will be with her, Hannah and Viks are both at work, Nikki's gone with Hannah today, Sarah's on Stephanie's side... Yeah. No fianc?, no BFF, no friends today." "Stuart will be back in a few hours," Mr. Travis said. "They can't detain him at his studio overnight. In the meantime, I guess I'LL have to try to cheer you up!" "You really don't have to," Jamie said. "You want to be left on the sofa to stew?" Mr. Travis asked. "I want- ugh," Jamie spat. "I don't know what I want. This for all to be over? This to have never happened in the first place? Next thing I know, one of the Angels will defect to Spencer and Hall, and- I genuinely don't know what'll happen if that happens." "Then stop worrying about it," Mr. Travis said, giving his daughter's shoulder a gentle squeeze. And get up and get some shoes on. I know exactly how to cheer you up." "This should be good," Jamie said as she slipped on a pair of flats. "Oh, it will be," Mr. Travis said, smiling smugly as he handed his groaning daughter a golf putter. "Oh, come on, dad..." Jamie moaned. "I sucked at it before, I'll suck now... And is golf really your answer to everything?" "Not 'everything'," Mr. Travis chuckled as he headed out to the makeshift putting range in his back garden. "But I refuse to let you sulk for one more second, okay?" "Okay," Jamie sighed as she gripped her putter, getting the sudden feeling that her day HAD just got worse. ---------- "Well, today was interesting," Nikki quipped, making Hannah giggle as the two of them drove home from a long day at work. "Kinda don't know who or what to believe anymore. I mean, Jamie? And Steph? Actually FIGHTING? I am DREADING tomorrow, working with Jamie..." "Tell me about it," Hannah sighed. "Have you heard anything from either of them? I mean, you're close to both, right? Because, well, you know..." "Not a peep from either of them," Nikki said. "Which is odd, as, you know, it's Jamie's birthday, you'd have thought you'd have seen at least an Instagram post or something, showing off her presents, or something at least from Stuart, but nothing. Is- is Jonathan ordering radio silence or something?" "Jonathan isn't ordering anything at the moment," Hannah replied. "He- well, Viks says... Viks says he's having a REALLY hard time coping. But you are NOT to tell anyone else this, okay?" "Of course," Nikki whispered. "Hope I don't need to polish my CV..." "Never heard it called THAT before!" Hannah laughed, making Nikki groan with embarrassment. "Sorry, sorry, I know that's still a sensitive area for you..." "...Another joke?" Nikki asked. "Wish I could say yes," Hannah laughed. "Seriously, though... You've got to try to keep your pec- umm, I mean, you've got to try to smile, haven't you? A few months from now, we'll probably look back at this and laugh. I hope we will, anyway..." "Doubt Steph will," Nikki mused. "Or any of the other members of the band." "Not immediately," Hannah said, leading to an awkward silence in the car. "What- what have you got planned for tonight?" Nikki asked. "Well the plan WAS going to Jamie's birthday party," Hannah sighed. "That's obviously not happening now." "Yeah, I got that text from Charlotte too," Nikki whispered. "I'm probably just gonna spend the night with Sarah and the girls, assuming they're not too busy doing uni reading or something." "Are Jacinta and Ophelia back from Brighton yet?" Hannah asked, impressing Nikki with her knowledge of her two friends. "This weekend coming," Nikki said. "So just the four of us tonight." "FIVE of us," Hannah said with a smug grin. "...Really?" Nikki asked. "You want to spend the evening in a cramped, two bedroom student flat?" "It'll only be 'cramped' because there'll be other people there," Hannah said. "And I'd rather spend the evening being 'cramped' with my friends than alone in my flat." "But your flat is GORGEOUS," Nikki said as she remembered the rare occasions when she was invited into the lavish four-bedroom apartment. "True," Hannah said with a smug grin. "But it doesn't have you girls in it!" "Aww," Nikki cooed. "Okay, Katie & Lauren's it is, then!" Hannah giggled excitedly as Nikki reprogrammed her satnav to take them to the small two bedroom flat, where they spent the rest of the evening gossiping about their lives, their work and their studies, and made a point of avoiding any talk of the rifts that threatened to irreparably split their 'extended family' apart. Despite Hannah's reassurances, Nikki remained worried about both her future and her friends' futures. With Sarah's help, she'd bonded with Stephanie in a way she'd never managed before, and she'd truly hoped that with her in the middle, she'd be able to bring Jamie and Stephanie back together. After witnessing the two women fighting, however, Nikki believed that nothing would be able to bring them together, and that very soon, one or more of the women would permanently cease to be her colleague- or worse yet, permanently cease to be her friend. As she fell asleep later in the evening, wrapped in her fianc?e's loving embrace, Nikki tried to focus on the positives in her life, specifically the biggest positive of all- her love for Sarah, which had not waned one bit. By trusting in Sarah's judgement, she had regained Stephanie as a close friend, and she was sure that no matter what happened, she would always have Sarah- and that was truly all that she needed. ---------- "Worst. Birthday. Ever," Jamie moaned and she rolled over in bed, barely cracking a smile at the feeling of her fianc? encircling her waist from behind. "Worst WEEK ever," Stuart sighed tiredly. "It's going to take ages to remix all the tracks on the album, and I do have to remix ALL of them." Jamie sighed as she listened to Stuart's woes- the last thing she wanted was to be burdened with Stuart's problems as well as her own, but she knew how much of a burden she had been to him over the past few days, so listening to Stuart talk was the least she could do. However, every time Stuart mentioned Stephanie's name, Jamie grew more and more tense, until her body felt like it was about to explode. "...Jamie?" Stuart asked as he felt Jamie's tension through his embrace. "Are- are you okay?" "No, no I'm not okay!" Jamie whined, tears forming in her eyes. "My career's in pieces, my friends all hate me, I spent all day today-my birthday- playing fucking golf with dad instead of partying with my friends..." "I still love you," Stuart whispers, tightening his embrace. "And your friends don't hate you. You'll be seeing Charlotte tomorrow, right?" "Well- I guess," Jamie sniffled. "After work, anyway..." "Which shows that your career isn't completely in pieces," Stuart said. "And she WILL forgive you, and you WILL have the party you deserve." "I just- I just wish I didn't NEED forgiving," Jamie moaned. "Well, short of hijacking a TARDIS, there's nothing I can do about that, I'm afraid," Stuart said, making his fianc?e snort at him. "Don't try to make me laugh," Jamie sighed. "Well I'm not going to make you more miserable, am I?" Stuart asked, eliciting a chuckle from Jamie. "Was that a laugh I just heard?" "...Yes," Jamie sighed. "What are you doing at work tomorrow, anyway?" Stuart asked. "Been so wrapped up in my own work worries, hardly fair to dump them all on you..." "Endorsing a new brand of fashion tights," Jamie replied. "Just various brands and patterns on people's legs." "I'll- I'll just lay here and nod, pretending I know what you're talking about," Stuart laughed. "Even I did spend a lot of my teenage years trying to avoid my sister's attempts to inflict her sense of fashion- which included her love of colourful tights- on me." "...Becca or Emma?" Jamie asked. "Emma, believe it or not," Stuart laughed. "Yes, the same Emma who spends all day nowadays wearing very serious skirt suits and only wears tights that are a shade of black." "You know," Jamie teased, "if you DID want to try on some of the tights I bring home tomorrow, I wouldn't object..." "Get some sleep, babe," Stuart ordered, making Jamie giggle as she rolled over. Like Nikki, she had her worries, but she knew that she'd always have the support of the person she loved, no matter what happened. When Jamie woke up the following morning, her anxieties hadn't miraculously vanished overnight, but that didn't stop her from wearing a smile on her face as she showered, applied her make-up and dressed in a short, long-sleeved black minidress along with a pair of the fashionable tights she was endorsing, a teal pair with small cat face silhouettes sewn throughout the fabric. "Me-ow!" Stuart teased, laughing as Jamie threw a pillow at his naked body. "People seriously wear those on their legs?" "They will after I endorse them," Jamie said smugly. "Celebrity power, after all..." "And you are, of course, wearing them for the money?" Stuart asked. "Well duh," Jamie laughed. "Really think I'd wear THESE otherwise?" "Good point," Stuart laughed. "When's Nikki getting here to pick you up?" "About 45 minutes," Jamie said. "Want a lift to the studio?" "Please," Stuart laughed, before making Jamie sigh as he pulled on his loudest pair of psychedelic socks, followed by his trademark look of a pair of tatty, black jeans and an old t-shirt with the image of a rock band on the front. "Morning Jamie, hi Stu!" Nikki said with a grin as the couple climbed onto the back seat of her car. "Does this mean I get to claim extra petrol expenses today?" "It does indeed," Stuart laughed. "If you could drop me at the agency, please." "Can do," Nikki said. "While it's still there, anyway..." "Enough pessimism!" Jamie chastised her prot?g?. "You've got work every day this week, haven't you?" "Yeah, I guess," Nikki sighed. "Actually would've liked to have spent some of it with Sarah before she gets back to uni, but, you know, money..." Jamie and Stuart both laughed as the car headed through the packed London streets, eventually dropping Stuart off at his place of work before reaching the TV studio where Jamie would be working. After touching up her make-up in her carefully prepared dressing room, Jamie rendezvoused with Nikki at the edge of the set, along with four tall models, each of whom were wearing a pair of multi-coloured tights underneath plain black leotards. "Ahh," Nikki giggled. "You know, one of these days, you WILL need someone to fill in for one of the models... Kinda feel underdressed wearing black tights, heh." "Underdressed, maybe," Jamie teased. "But girly and gorgeous? Always. I'm surprised we didn't call on you, anyway, normally when I'm reviewing legwear Dannii's our chief model, but I guess we'll have to make do without her." "Ella's much better in that role anyway," Nikki said, making the eighteen year old Australian model blush as she playfully patted her on the shoulder. "Frankly, I reckon we're better off without Dannii." "Meh, you would, given what she did," Jamie shrugged. "...Umm, what is THAT supposed to mean?" Nikki asked. "Umm, what is THAT supposed to mean?" Jamie asked. "That accusation? What, you think I like Dannii more than you? Kinda like the way you now like Steph more than me?" "I didn't say that," Nikki sighed as the troupe of models began to fidget uncomfortably. "Why are you being so paranoid, anyway?" "Go- go and wait in reception," Jamie growled. "If I want you, I'll send for you." "...Yes, ma'am!" Nikki snorted, grabbing her tote bag and leaving the set. Jamie took a deep breath to calm her nerves as the crew began to leave the set. "You saw none of that, okay?" Jamie asked the four models, who all nodded nervously. The twenty five year old transwoman forced a smile on her face as the show's host greeted her with a gentle hug, before leading her and the four models onto the set. "We're just going to talking about your new tights today," Kate- the presenter- explained. "But if there's time at the end, is it okay if we ask a few questions about your recent life as well? I think it was your birthday yesterday, wasn't it?" "Yes," Jamie said with a giggle. "Oh, happy birthday!" Kate laughed. "Well, we'll talk more during the interview, okay?" "Okay," Jamie said, feeling relaxed despite her latest argument as the cameras pointed at her and she began to be broadcast live across the whole of Europe... ---------- "Steph!" Mrs. Abbott yelled, waking her daughter from her slumber. "Stephanie! Get down here! Your breakfast's getting cold!" "I'll be there in a bit," Stephanie grunted as she woke up and the events of the previous day came flooding back to her- the fight, her arguments with Adeola and Kayla and her rejection of Lauren's offer. "No, you'll be here in the next ten seconds!" Mrs. Abbott shouted, making Stephanie roll her eyes as she threw her covers back, pulled on a light pink dressing gown and padded down the stairs, gasping at the unexpected sight that greeted her as she entered the living room. "Hi Steph," Adeola said with a stoic voice as she, Becca and Kayla fixed the transwoman with a firm stare. "Hi- ugh," Stephanie spat, before letting out a long sigh. "Addie... I'm sorry for what I said yesterday, I'm sorry for criticising Jonathan, I know he's got a hard job, I certainly wouldn't be able to do it... I was wrong." Stephanie smiled as Adeola let out a quiet giggle, before jumping up and wrapping her in a tight hug. "Apology accepted," Adeola said with a warm, wide grin. "And thank you. Kayla told me about what Lauren said and did yesterday... I'll be honest, there's a part of me that thought you would actually have gone." "And a part of me that's jealous that I wasn't asked," Becca quipped, prompting giggles from the other girls. "Why does everyone keep saying that?" Stephanie asked. "Reckoning that I'm, you know, a splitter?" "I guess," Kayla said, "because I think if I were in your position, I don't know if I'd be able to stick around people who I thought wanted me gone." "And in fairness, we can't afford to lose ANOTHER member of the band," Becca said. "And in fairness, Jonathan really did screw up yesterday by getting us all in to watch Lauren's vid," Adeola conceded. "Uncle Joshua wouldn't have done that." "Umm, he did for Constellation, didn't he?" Kayla asked. "Well, yeah," Adeola said, "but Constellation affects the whole agency. Lauren splitting just affects us four, so we're the only ones who should have known. Well, we're the first who should've known, anyway. Would've avoided... Well, yeah." "How- how is your mouth, Steph?" Becca asked cautiously. "Sore," Stephanie sighed. "Lauren of course pounced on that the second she saw it." "She couldn't know that it was Jamie who did it though, surely?" Becca asked. "Who else was it going to be?" Stephanie shrugged. "Either her or someone else at the agency... I will admit, I WAS briefly tempted by what Lauren was offering." "Me too," Kayla whispered. "Hell, I think any of us would've been," Becca mumbled. "But you know what? In a way... I'm actually kinda glad that Lauren's gone. And not just because it means that my brother's going to be swamped with work for the next few weeks, heh." "Why glad?" Adeola asked her best friend. "...Because what Jamie said was right," Becca sighed. "When we started the band it was always us-" Becca gestured to herself and Adeola- "and them." "We did- we did feel a bit, you know, 'excluded' at the start," Kayla mumbled. "And not just because I was only seventeen at the time. We- I mean, me and Lauren- we always got the impression that you wanted a band to be like the Angels, like, 'true friends', but- you know- we never got treated that way." "And that was 100% our fault," Adeola sighed. "We should've made more of an effort. Point is, though, you three did kinda outnumber us two..." "Well that's your fault for not being more people, isn't it?" Stephanie retorted, making Adeola roar with laughter. "Ahh... That's exactly the sort of thing my uncle would say," The dark- skinned girl chuckled. "How is he, anyway?" Kayla asked. "A LOT better," Adeola said with a happy grin. "Went to see him before coming here, he was actually sat up in bed, heh. Umm... Didn't tell him about Lauren, though, figured that was the LAST thing he needed right now..." "Well when he gets out," Stephanie said with a confident grin, "he needs to know that, four or five, his band is waiting for him, right?" "Hell yeah!" Becca giggled, holding her hand in front of her. "Out. Of. Heaven." "Out of Heaven!" Adeola cheered, clamping her hand on top of Becca's. "Out of Heaven!" Kayla laughed, adding her hand to the pile. "Out of..." Stephanie said as she placed her immaculately manicured hand on the top of the pile. "Heaven!" All four girls cheered simultaneously, before Stephanie flopped dramatically onto her sofa. A mere twenty-four hours earlier, she'd worried that she'd irreparably alienated herself from her band, but with their visit to her home and their acceptance of her, Stephanie had never felt more loved. What Becca had said struck a chord with Stephanie- ever since she'd revealed the truth to Lauren, the Scottish girl had grown distant, even shunned Stephanie at times. Now that she was gone from the band, it meant that the only people left were all genuine, close friends of Out of Heaven. Lauren had undoubtedly tried to split Out of Heaven apart with her actions, but Stephanie was determined that the band would be stronger than ever- and a quick look at her bandmates convinced her that they felt the same way too. ---------- "This pair, modelled by the lovely Ella," Jamie said as the Australian girl stepped in front of the camera and playfully kicked her legs, showing off the pattern on the tights, "is what I like to call the 'spider web', if you see, the tiny threads woven throughout are actually threads, rather than dye." "They look so cool!" Kate gushed as Ella did a twirl before returning to where the other models were lined up. "They are!" Jamie giggled. "Colourful tights like this are a great way for a girl to express her individuality. Of course, there's nothing stopping any boys from using them to express their individuality, either!" "Ah, of course!" Kate laughed. "I bet you wished you had funky tights like this when you were fifteen, am I right?" "Heh, of course!" Jamie giggled as she crossed one brightly-coloured leg over the other. "Which was, of course, ten years ago yesterday, am I right?" Kate teased, making Jamie giggle bashfully. "It might have been, yes!" Jamie squeaked. "Didn't have as big a party as previous years, just celebrated with my family and my fianc?, all the people I REALLY need with me." "This wouldn't be because of the new 'Constellation' modelling group, would it?" Kate asked, momentarily making Jamie's smile fall. "No, no, we're not worried about them," Jamie said dismissively. "In fact, I'm actually happy for Dannii, she's been a friend of mine for a long time and I'm happy to see that she's doing well." "So the Angels aren't afraid of the competition?" Kate asked. "Not at all," Jamie said with a cool smile. "Well we'll get the chance to hear their side tomorrow," Kate said, turning her attention to the camera, "when we'll be joined by Constellation members Jade and Mia Cooke, as well as fashion & beauty blogger Bella Brittain and rising YouTube star Zelda Malik, so make sure you tune in, same time, same place!" Jamie forced a smile on her face as she waved goodbye to the camera, but the second she was off the air, she turned to the host of the show with a deep frown on her face. "...Sorry," Kate cringed. "Orders from my producer, they wanted to get a soundbite from you about Constellation. You know, a lot of news outlets are calling this whole thing 'The War of the Angels' or 'The War in Heaven... ly talent'." "Yeah, well that's a bit of an exaggeration," Jamie laughed. "If there really was a war, I wouldn't here shilling tights, would I? It'd be Kelly or whatever her name is." "Meh, you're a household name, she isn't yet," Kate shrugged. "Anyway, I promise next time, no talk of the enemy, okay?" "...Okay," Jamie laughed, giving Kate a hug before leading the four models off the set. "You did good out there, Ella. Wouldn't have thought it was your TV debut!" "Thanks!" Ella laughed. "God, need to call my friends, need to call my grandma... Hope Kayleigh-Ann was able to watch this..." "Heh," Jamie chuckled as she left the models to change, before returning to her dressing room to find Nikki waiting outside with a frown on her face. "Here to apologise?" Jamie coldly asked as she walked past Nikki without breaking her stride. "...Seriously?" Nikki retorted. "After the way you spoke to me?" "Umm," Jamie retorted. "Which one of us is the employer and which one is the employee again?" "I'm not apologising for calling you paranoid," Nikki said as Jamie exchanged her multi-coloured tights for a plain black pair. "These last few days... Jamie, seriously, you need help. When was the last time you talked to Sarah's mum?" "I don't need a counsellor," Jamie spat. "I've finished my transition, you don't see Doctor Williamson anymore, do you?" "I would if I was feeling down," Nikki argued. "Please, Jamie..." "One more word that isn't an apology, and you're fired, okay?" Jamie said sternly, silencing the tearful teenager. "I'm- I'm sorry," Nikki whispered. "Wasn't so hard, was it?" Jamie asked, oblivious to how upset she'd made her prot?g?. "Now I guess it's my tur-" Jamie was interrupted mid- sentence by the ringing of her telephone. "...Your mum?" Nikki asked. "She usually calls after-" "It's the agency," Jamie mumbled as she answered the phone. "Hi, Jonathan!" "Jamie," Jonathan said from the other side of the phone, "what the hell was that!?" "Umm... It was a review of a new brand of tights," Jamie replied, confused by Jonathan's hostile attitude. "You know what I mean," Jonathan growled. "Umm... I really don't," Jamie said, her own hostility growing. "Acknowledging Constellation?" Jonathan said. "Saying you 'wish Dannii well'?" "Well what was I supposed to do?" Jamie spat. "Pretend they didn't exist? Spit on their name? Funny, I seem to recall you breaking up a fight yesterday, I'd have thought you'd be happy that I was being more mature!" "That's not-" Jonathan began, but he was not given the opportunity to finish his sentence. "And what's more, they brought it up!" Jamie shouted. "And just for the record, your uncle would NEVER have called up one of his talents- especially one of his biggest talents- just to yell at them, especially after ruining their birthday the previous day! Frankly, Jonathan, I've only had my degree for less than a week and I could a much better job than you of running this agency, because the way you're going, by the time Joshua gets out of hospital, there won't even BE an agency left for him to run!" "Fuck you!" Jonathan yelled, slamming the phone down and leaving Jamie fuming. "J- Jamie?" Nikki whispered in a scared, timid voice. "Shit!" Jamie yelled, hurling her phone into the dressing room's sofa. "I- I'm sorry," Nikki mumbled, earning a long sigh from the blonde transwoman. "No, I'm sorry, Nikki," Jamie sighed. "I shouldn't have yelled at you, DEFINITELY shouldn't have threatened to fire you... God knows none of the Angels would get anything done without you, heh." "Apology accepted," Nikki whispered, exchanging an awkward hug with her mentor. "What- what did Jonathan say?" "Ugh," Jamie spat. "Basically accused me of promoting Constellation in the interview I just gave." "Oh- what?" Nikki replied. "Hardly 'promoting'..." "EXACTLY," Jamie snorted, before sighing as her phone bleeped yet again, this time to inform her of a new text message. "...Jonathan?" Nikki asked. "No," Jamie said, gasping at the identity of the message sender. "...It's from Dannii." "D- Dannii!?" Nikki asked. "What... What does she want?" "Thanks for the shout out," Jamie read the message aloud. "Been a while since we last chatted, call me when you get the time, I might have something you'll be interested in." "What does THAT mean?" Nikki asked. "God knows," Jamie sighed. "...Though I guess it couldn't hurt to hear her out, right? Kinda understand why she split?" "We KNOW why she split," Nikki spat. "Fame and fortune over friendship. You- you're not going to actually call her, are you?" "...I dunno," Jamie sighed. "Gotta speak to Charlotte first." "More petrol miles?" Nikki asked, earning a giggle from her mentor. "Sure," Jamie whispered. "And Nikki? Never think that we don't appreciate you, okay?" "Okay," Nikki giggled as they headed back to her car, which soon whisked the two of them through the streets of London toward Charlotte's vast, imposing house. Jamie took a deep breath as she knocked on the front door. She still had her own key, of course, but following their last conversation, Jamie felt it best that she didn't barge into Charlotte's home unannounced. "I'm coming," Charlotte yelled from inside the building. As she opened the door, however, her face instantly fell. "Oh. It's you." "Yeah, it's me," Jamie whispered. "Here for your birthday presents, I take it?" Charlotte asked. "I'm here for you, Charlie," Jamie whispered. "I- I'm sorry for what I said. I was out of line... I just want us to be friends." "Jonathan called about fifteen minutes ago," Charlotte said coldly. "Told me what you said to him." "Did he tell you what he said to me?" Jamie retorted. "Did he tell you how he spoke to me?" "He's our boss," Charlotte said. "Joshua's our boss," Jamie said. "Jonathan's just filling in for now. And not doing a good job of it either!" "Funny you should mention Joshua," Charlotte spat. "You had the time to give our opposition a shout-out on TV today but no time to give Joshua a 'get well soon'? Or a mention of Mary's new daughter?" "It- it never came up!" Jamie pleaded. "They mentioned Constellation, I commented, they ended the show- what was I supposed to do?" "Show some support to the only father, the only family I have anymore," Charlotte whispered. "I- I don't want to even look at you right now." "Then fine," Jamie spat. "The feeling's mutual. See you later, Charlie." Jamie kept an angry pout on her face as Charlotte slammed the door, though the instant the door shut, Jamie's face fell and tears began to freely flow from her eyes. "Goddd..." Jamie sobbed as Nikki gave her another awkward hug. "Just- just take me home, please..." Nikki nodded as she helped Jamie into her car, and remained silent throughout the whole drive back to Jamie's parents' home, where the twenty-five year old woman flopped onto her sofa and let out a long, pained groan. She could handle having Stephanie as a 'nemesis', but to have her agency call her up just to criticise her, and even worse, to have Charlotte refuse her apology, was something Jamie simply couldn't stand. As Jamie played with her phone, it seemed as though there was only one person in the world who actually wanted her. Jamie paused before dialling the number on her screen, contemplating whether or not she would make her situation any better, or whether she would end up making it much, much worse. "Hello?" The soft, feminine voice on the other end of the line asked. "Hi Dannii," Jamie said with a grin. "It's Jamie, Jamie-Lee Burke." "Oh, hi Jamie!" Dannii squeaked excitedly. "It's SO cool that you called, I almost expected Joshua- or whoever's in charge- forcing you not to talk to any of us, heh." "Umm, you mean like your bosses have been doing?" Jamie asked. "Huh?" Dannii replied. "Never mind, not important. I'm just going to come out and ask, Jamie- how would you like to be Constellation's official mentor?" "...I'm listening," Jamie whispered as Dannii began talking in great length and at great speed about the new opportunities she had been offered. ---------- "No. Fucking. Way!" Sarah gasped as Nikki flopped onto the sofa next to her. "Jamie seriously forced you to apologise? Seriously threatened your job?" "She apologised herself a little bit after, but yeah," Nikki sighed. "I mean, I've seen her stressed before, but jeez..." "That's not just stress, she's a fucking psycho," Stephanie spat, leading to an awkward silence. "I did- I did recommend that she call Beverly," Nikki whispered. "Dunno whether or not she will." "I wouldn't bet on it," Stephanie snorted. "People like her are just pure ego. And I have the scars to prove it." "Hardly a 'scar'," Kayla said, earning a disapproving stare from Stephanie. "Umm... You do have a point, though..." "She wasn't always like that, you know," Nikki sighed. "When we first started working with her, she was always so sweet. It was just a few months after her SRS, it was like she wanted to help the entire world find out who they were. It was like she could actually do it, too." "She WAS cool," Sarah sighed. "Maybe she's just stressed? Maybe she's jealous of all her friends having kids, I know she felt that 'urge' a while ago..." "Either way," Stephanie announced, "there's no point in US worrying about it, right? I mean, Out of Heaven will go on, we're all cool, right?" "Those of us who don't have to work with Jamie, anyway," Nikki snorted. "Well if the worst should happen," Kayla said with a smug grin, "Out of Heaven will always need a good PA, especially now that we're going to have to relaunch all our merchandise now that we're a foursome..." "You already have a PA!" Nikki laughed. "No, we have PAs," Kayla retorted. "More than one, we don't have, like, one girl we can rely on for everything, like the Angels do with you." "You're bigging me up a bit more than I deserve," Nikki laughed. "Hardly," Sarah giggled, giving her fianc?e a tight cuddle. "And I know Becca and Adeola will go for the idea too," Stephanie said. "If you'd like, I can talk to Adeola, maybe get her to talk to Jonathan when he's free..." "It would be good for your career," Sarah said. "The Angels has been cancelled, so you won't be getting as much work there, but like Kayla said, Out of Heaven are going to be really busy the next few months..." "...Okay then," Nikki giggled, earning cheers from the other three girls. "This is going to be SO cool!" Stephanie squeaked as she gave Nikki a tight hug. "And, you know, when I start oestrogen..." "With you every step of the way," Nikki giggled. "Both of us are, right Sarah?" "Of course!" Sarah laughed as she hugged Stephanie. "Who needs the Angels, anyway?" ---------- Jamie had a blank expression on her face as she strolled through the front door of the Krystie Fullerton School of Dance and took a seat in the reception area next to a small group of proud parents, who were watching the lesson on CCTV. Dannii's offer had caught her by surprise, and it wasn't something she could simply accept or decline without giving it a lot of thought. If she joined Spencer & Hall, the monetary benefit would be immense, and not just to her, but to Stuart as well. Dannii- speaking with the authority of her agency- had guaranteed him a high-paying job as well as her, and even though Jamie knew it would be a hard sell, separating Stuart from his sister, she also knew that he could be just as ambitious as she was when it came to his career. However, if she left Heavenly Talent, it would affect more than just herself and Stuart. The Angels- regarded by many as the closest, most genuine and, most importantly, oldest group of its kind- would be no more. But then, this was the same group who were rejecting Jamie, who were treating her like a pariah for expressing her opinions and doing what she thought was right. Jonathan- the husband of one of the Angels- had treated her like she was a naughty schoolgirl, even though he was barely two years older than her. And Charlotte, Jamie's supposed BFF, had looked down on her like she was something she'd scraped off the bottom of her shoe. Jamie asked herself: did she want the forgiveness and acceptance of people who would treat her like this, when she could get guaranteed acceptance and friendship elsewhere? People move on, it was a simple fact of life. Was this Jamie's time to move on? "Oh, hi Jamie!" Krystie giggled as she left her dance studio, several teenaged girls (and even a couple of teenaged boys) in tow. "Sorry, I've already been to see Mary today, think she and Natasha will be asleep by now." "That's okay," Jamie said with a tired grin. "It's actually you I kinda want to talk to anyway." "Huh, okay," Krystie said. "Ash, you go get ready, I'll just be a minute, okay?" "Okay," one of the young male ballet dancers replied as Krystie led Jamie into her office. "So... 'Sup?" Krystie asked, sitting down behind her cluttered desk. "It's- ugh. I'm not sure how caught up you are..." Jamie moaned. "After the fight yesterday, I'm trying to stay as non-caught up as possible," Krystie said in a cold voice. "Yeah... Sorry about that," Jamie grimaced. "It's just- I dunno. Stephanie just- she just winds me up, you know? The way she lied to get everything..." "You're not exactly the fountain of truth either," Krystie reminded her friend. "Are you sure this isn't about Stephanie not taking oestrogen?" ...Maybe, I dunno," Jamie sighed. "And now I've fallen out with Charlotte as well, and Jonathan this afternoon..." "He is NOT doing a good job, trying to fill his uncle's shoes," Krystie sighed. "You try telling him that," Jamie snorted. "Well..." Krystie said. "I guess it IS a stressful job, especially with the wannabes breathing down our neck. Your neck, at any rate- I've always got this place to fall back on should my modelling work dry up." "Yeah, rub it in, why don't you?" Jamie laughed. "I'm just glad I still have one friend who'll talk to me." "Not just ONE friend," Krystie said. "You've got your fianc?, your family..." "Yeah, I guess..." Jamie mumbled. "Krys, I- I'm in a really, really difficult place." "Oh- Jamie?" Krystie asked, her voice softening as she saw tears form in the transgendered woman's eyes. "What is it?" "I got a call from Dannii today," Jamie sighed. "She- she says that Spencer and Hall will offer me a job if I want it. In Constellation, I mean, as their 'mentor', their Charlie to the other girls' Angels, pun not intended." "Are you going to accept it?" Krystie asked. "...Really?" Jamie asked with a laugh. "No 'how dare you'? No righteous indignation about betraying Joshua whilst he's in a hospital bed?" "It's your life," Krystie shrugged. "You have to do what you feel is best. Obviously, I'd prefer it if you remained with the Angels, but I'm not going to try to force you to make a decision." "Um, Krys," Jamie said with a giggle. "Why exactly is it that the only one of the Angels with a pierced clitoris is also the most sensible of us all?" "Oh, I had that taken out AGES ago," Krystie laughed. "Kept getting caught in Mikey's teeth..." "Okay, maybe not the most sensible," Jamie giggled. "Meh, I'm the only one who's a teacher, I have to be," Krystie shrugged. "Speaking of, I have girls to go and teach, but I will just ask this- what do you want, really?" "I- I just want things to go back to the way they were," Jamie sighed as she followed Krystie back out to the reception area, where a group of young teenagers were sat waiting, all eight of whom were wearing the traditional ballet uniform of a pair of soft pink tights and a black leotard. Jamie scanned the faces of the star struck young women and allowed herself a wide grin when she realised that she'd met one of the girls before. "Hi- Laura, isn't it?" Jamie asked, making the fourteen year old girl giggle. "Yep, 'fraid so!" Laura replied, fidgeting excitedly. "And..." Jamie said, racking her memory. "Megan, Nicole, Harriet, Priya, Suriya..." "Mia," one of the girls- a dark-haired girl with pale skin- said nervously. "Ash- Ashley," the final girl said whilst clearing her throat. "Nice to meet you all again," Jamie giggled. "You all getting extra tuition from Krys- sorry, from Miss Fullerton?" "Yep!" Laura replied. "Well, our best girlie Ash is, anyway!" Jamie let out a good-natured giggle as Ashley's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I really want to get all eight of them doing a routine together in our next show," Krystie explained. "Eight's a perfect number for choreography. Also, I think Nicole might be trying to show you something on her wrist..." Jamie laughed as she recognised the shiny blue wristband that the mousy-haired girl kept fiddling with, a wristband that she herself had worn in publicity photos for The Angels' mystery boxes. "Ah, yes," Jamie giggled. "Was that in August or September's box? We get these things so far in advance, you see." "September," Nicole replied. "It's also against the uniform code, isn't it, Miss Wyatt?" Krystie asked, making Nicole blush as she removed the wristband and put it back in her bag. "Well, I don't want to keep you from your dancing," Jamie said. "Thanks for the talk, Krys." "You know I'm free to talk anytime," Krystie said with a warm grin. "Come on, girls." "Oh wait!" Jamie said, making the room pause before they re-entered the dance studio. "Umm, girls, umm... Are you following this, umm, this Constellation thing?" "Ugh, bunch of wannabes," one of the girls, a shorter Asian girl, replied with a light Indian accent. "I kinda like them," Laura shrugged. "Because they've got Dannii Samson, who used to be in Nikki Thomas's Angels. Prefer the real thing, though." "They do have their own transgendered woman though, don't they?" Another girl- a tall girl with glasses- asked. "So?" Laura snorted. "She's probably a wannabe too." "Just because she's in a group that's copying mine, doesn't mean she doesn't genuinely want to transition, same as either of us," Jamie said. "Well- yeah, I guess," Laura mumbled. "I guess I could like her eventually." "And she is Asian," the other Asian girl replied with a thicker accent than her sister. "Much as I like the Angels and the Teen Angels, you are all white." "That's why Out of Heaven were cool, because of Adeola," the first Asian girl said. "Well, and Steph, obviously!" "Yeah!" Laura giggled. "...Even after what came out last week?" Jamie asked. "About her, you know..." "Meh," Laura shrugged. "Made me a feel a little awkward at first. Then I realised that, like, I'm really, really lucky to be able to have hormones when I'm fourteen, even if it isn't, like, PROPER hormones. And some people are lots, lots unluckier than me." "Yeah," Ashley said in a nervous, quivering voice. "Stephanie- she's- she's, umm, really, umm, a real inspiration. Helps me, you know, feel that I can, umm, be me..." "Wait..." Jamie said, staring at Ashley fidgeting nervously in her dancewear. "Are- are you also transgendered?" "Aww!" Mia giggled as she gave Ashley a hug. "You passed, Ash!" "I'm sure you've met Ashley at least once before," Krystie said. "Though SHE was dressed quite differently." "Ashley isn't out in public yet," Laura explained. "She doesn't have a diagnosis yet, but she is out to her parents, thanks to Miss Fullerton, Mademoiselle Renou and Nikki Thomas!" "...You didn't think to ask me to help with the coming out?" Jamie asked. "Didn't want to trouble you," Krystie shrugged. "You had enough on your plate." "And you didn't?" Jamie retorted. "Sorry, sorry, I'm taking up valuable dancing time, I'll see you tomo- huh, guess I WON'T see you tomorrow morning." "Well, whenever we see you, we'll see you," Krystie said, before bidding Jamie farewell with a tight hug. "Bye, Krys," Jamie whispered, holding onto her friend's hug as long as she could before letting go. As she drove home, Jamie mused on her encounter with Laura, Ashley and their gang and realised that if she did leave the Angels, it wouldn't just be her friends and family that she'd affect, but her legions of fans as well. For better or worse, girls like Laura, who were well into her transition, and like Ashley, who had yet to begin her transition, looked up to her as a role model. Jamie could easily tell just how close the eight girls were with each other- possibly even closer than she and the Angels had been at the beginning of their fame. They had probably fallen out in the past, and would inevitably fall out again at some point in the future, but they always returned to each other, just the same way that Jamie had always found her way back to Charlotte in the past. Jamie had difficulty sleeping that night, such was her anxiety about her decision. Her heart yearned to remain a part of the Angels, but her head knew that with Constellation, she would earn more money, she'd be given unconditional respect by her colleagues, all of whom were younger than her, and as her encounter with Krystie had proved, there was nothing that would stop her from informally remaining friends with the other girls if that was what they really wanted. However, the formal events she went to, the launches, the premieres that all six Angels attended would be a thing of the past- but as Jamie knew all too well, all good things must come to an end. Jamie was already awake when her phone rang the following morning, breaking her concentration. Jamie forced a tired smile on her face when she saw the identity of the caller, before taking a deep breath and answering the call. "Hey, sexy," Jamie cooed. "Hey, sexiER," Stuart laughed. "Sorry I couldn't make it back last night, was up until 2am trying to sort out this fucking album." "As long as you make it up to me later, you're forgiven," Jamie laughed. "Stu... There's something I need to tell you, something that isn't easy." "...It isn't- it isn't that you used to be a man, is it?" Stuart asked, making Jamie sigh loudly. "Really?" Jamie asked. "Sorry," Stuart chuckled. "Had that one saved up for the 'there's something I have to tell you' speech for a while now... Figure that you wouldn't tell me you're breaking up with me over the phone, so I'm kinda safe... Hope I'm kinda safe, anyway..." "I- I've been speaking to Spencer and Hall," Jamie whispered. "...Oh," Stuart said bluntly. "I see." "After yesterday, um, Dannii texted me," Jamie explained. "I called her, we got chatting, she put me on to the management there, and they, umm... They arranged an interview for this morning at eleven." "Oh," Stuart mumbled. "I-, umm, I..." "Yeah," Jamie sighed. "Stu- ugh. Look, the Angels are pretty much on their last legs, Charlotte hates me, Jonathan hates me and he'll be in charge of the agency for the foreseeable future... Spencer and Hall have offered me more fame, more money... I'd be stupid not to at least hear them out." "Well, obviously, I'll support you no matter what you choose," Stuart said. "I- no, I'm not going to say 'I wish you'd spoken to me first', I don't want to be THAT type of man." "Thank you," Jamie whispered. "No matter what, even if we work for different agencies-" "Opposing agencies," Stuart corrected his fianc?e. "-Opposing agencies," Jamie continued, "even then, you'll still be the most important person in my life. You'll still be the man I love. After the interview, I want to see you, okay? Face to face, a lunch date, like we used to in the old days." "Umm... I kinda spend lunch breaks at the agency," Stuart mumbled. "Umm... 'inflated', if you know what I mean..." Despite herself, Jamie giggled at Stuart, before sighing loudly. "I'll call you after the interview," Jamie said. "I suppose I'd better start getting ready..." "I'll wait for your call," Stuart whispered. "I love you, Jamie-Lee." "I love you, Stuart," Jamie said, wiping away a single tear as she ended the call and headed into her shower, thoroughly cleansing her body and washing her long, sandy hair, treating it with every conditioner she had until it glistened in the morning sunlight. After drying herself off, Jamie returned to her bedroom to get ready for the day, and it was only as she sat down at her dresser that she realised that she was in the exact same circumstances she was on the first day she became a woman- sat in a haze of femininity, preparing for a job interview with Spencer and Hall that would determine the future of more people than just her. The only difference was that this time, Spencer and Hall were interested in her, rather than Charlotte- and of course, her breasts and her genitals were real, flesh and blood, and not latex prosthetics. The most important difference, though, was that this time, Jamie-Lee truly was a woman. When she'd woken up in Charlotte's bedroom all those years ago, she'd never before imagined living her life as a girl. As she applied her subtle, professional-looking make-up, Jamie realised she couldn't imagine not living life as a girl, not spraying on perfume, pushing expensive gold earrings through her lobes or pulling on a very smart black bra and thong set. She couldn't imagine not pulling on a short, tight skirt that exposed her nylon-covered legs, or buttoning up a smart white blouse that enhanced her feminine figure, or slipping her feet into a pair of high-heeled shoes that gave her three inches of extra height. As she examined herself in her mirror, everything felt right to Jamie. Everything was as it should be- she was a picture of feminine beauty, a woman envied by other women and desired by men. And yet, she felt just as afraid as she had on her first morning in Charlotte's house, and for the same reason- she was alone, taking a step into the unknown. As she walked through the posh, modern reception area of Spencer and Hall, Jamie projected the image of a cool, confident young woman, ready to take on the world. Her look was immaculate, her face inscrutable and her stride confident, but with every step, Jamie felt more and more unsteady on her heels, and by the time she reached the reception desk, it was all she could do not to lean on it for support. "Jamie-Lee Burke, here for my eleven o'clock meeting?" Jamie asked the receptionist, who pointed her toward the stairs. The blonde woman gripped the banister tightly for support as she climbed the stairs, and took a deep, nervous breath as she was confronted with a door emblazoned with the word 'CONSTELLATION' in big, bold letters. Clenching her hand into a fist, Jamie knocked on the door as gently as possible. "Yes?" The serious, deep-voiced man behind the door barked. "It- it's Jamie-Lee Burke," Jamie said. "Come in," the man ordered. "Please take a seat." Jamie nodded as she sat down, taking care to keep her skirt smooth and wrinkle-free as she lowered herself into the chair and slowly crossed one leg over the other. "Thank you for coming, Miss Burke," the man said. "My name is Sawyer, Christopher Sawyer. This will just be an informal chat to answer any questions you may have about Constellation, and the end, I'll also be asking you a few questions." "About- about what?" Jamie asked. "Just about your ambitions," Mr. Sawyer answered. "And about your time with Heavenly Talent." "I see," Jamie whispered as she tried to get comfortable in her chair. "As I'm sure you're aware," Mr. Sawyer began, "Constellation is marketing itself as the new number one modelling super group for the UK. Whilst the group bears similarities to your former group, the Angels, we're not positioning Constellation to be a competitor, or even a replacement, but something entirely new." "But aimed at the same demographic?" Jamie asked. "The target market for Constellation will be girls aged 13-19, yes," Mr. Sawyer said. "The ITV2 television programme will be aimed at an older demographic, women aged 20-29." "I see," Jamie said. "Dannii said- she said you were looking for a 'mentor' figure for the group?" "Yes, that is the role we see you adopting," Mr. Sawyer said. "Acting as an older, wiser, more experienced celebrity. The reality show wouldn't focus on you, but would focus on the four women we see as the 'core' of Constellation- Miss Watson, Miss Cooke- the older Miss Cooke- Miss Witkowska and Miss Nichols." "But- but Dannii isn't one of the core members?" Jamie asked. "Miss Samson is more of a long-term project," Mr. Sawyer clarified. "We hope to keep adding new members to Constellation and rotating the members of the core group. As Miss Samson is the youngest of the nine members, she will need to wait before becoming a member of the core group, as will the younger Miss Cooke." "I see," Jamie whispered. "Will- will I get the chance to meet any of the members today?" "Yes," Mr. Sawyer said. "Miss Watson, Miss Witkowska, Miss Samson and Miss McTavish are in the agency today taking publicity shots." "Kelly's here?" Jamie asked, prompting a smile from the otherwise stoic man. "She is indeed," Mr. Sawyer said. "When we told her we were interviewing you today, she was very eager to meet you." "I'm very eager to meet her," Jamie said. "Well, after this meeting, I'll introduce the two of you," Mr. Sawyer said with a friendly grin. Jamie smiled a genuine smile for the first time during the interview as the middle-aged man moved onto details or her pay- which, as promised, would be far higher than what she received from Joshua- her workload and what would be expected of her, how she would be expected to behave in public as a representative of the agency and, most crucially, limits on communicating with her existing friends, which Jamie was relieved to learn were not as restrictive as she had expected- she'd be allowed to socialise with any of the Angels anytime she wished, but forbidden from taking part in official Angel activities, such as the regular weekly parties or dance lessons. Jamie was forced to agree that it would be a small price to pay for the extra money she would be receiving. Once the 'informal chat' had concluded, Mr. Sawyer led Jamie down to one of the small photography studios in the office complex, where Jamie watched as the four young women- Kelly, Katya, Dannii and Lauren- took turns getting publicity photos taken whilst wearing various different clothes and make-up styles. Jamie was forced to suppress a smirk when her eyes met Kelly's, and the oriental transwoman immediately turned to Katya- who stood next to her- and excitedly whispered in her ear. "I think our presence here has become known," Mr. Sawyer said with a smile. "Come, I'll introduce you." Jamie smiled nervously as she followed the middle-aged man to where Kelly and Katya were stood, giggling nervously. "Kelly, Katya, I'd like you to meet Jamie-Lee Burke." "Oh my god!" Kelly squeaked as she excitedly shook Jamie's hand. "I am SUCH a big fan of yours, I mean Dannii told me that you might be coming in today but I didn't really believe it, I mean, I thought you and the Angels were so tight that you'd never even consider coming over to join Constellation but then I saw you on the other side of the studio and-" A cough from Katya caused Kelly to stop in her tracks and blush at her unbridled enthusiasm. "...Sorry." "It's okay," Jamie giggled, giving the excited oriental girl a gentle hug. "Hi, I'm Katya!" The brown-haired girl stood next to Kelly said in a light Eastern European accent. "I've been a fan of the Angels right from the start, never thought I'd get to actually meet one of you!" Jamie giggled as Katya and Kelly gushed over her, musing that the stories she was hearing from the two girls were very different from the stories she heard on their official introduction videos. "It's nice to meet you too," Jamie said, giving Katya a gentle hug. "Are- are you both professional models?" "Yep!" Kelly said. "Since I graduated two years ago, I got signed to the agency a few months ago. I actually sent a portfolio to Joshua at the start of year, but didn't get accepted." "Our- sorry, THEIR loss," Jamie said with a smile. "I've been modelling semi-professionally for five years," Katya explained. "Up until signing with the agency six months ago I worked at the Playboy club in London." "As- as a bunny?" Jamie asked. "Naturally," Katya said with a smug grin. "And yet she STILL won't let me borrow her uniform," Kelly playfully sighed. "I told you, we're not allowed to keep them," Katya retorted with an air of frustration in her voice. "...Anyway, we know what we're doing for Katya's birthday in December!" Kelly said excitedly. "Speaking of, Jamie, I didn't see any photos from your birthday party on your Instagram?" "Uhh... I kinda, kinda celebrated privately," Jamie mumbled. "Just my parents, my fianc?..." "You and Stuart are SUCH a cute couple," Kelly sighed. "Me and Kurt are also okay, I guess... Kinda early days there, never really dated a transman before but I figure if anyone knows what our journey is like, right?" "Actually I only started dating Stuart after my operation," Jamie said. "We were friends beforehand, but not, you know, lovers." "I would LOVE to hear all about your transition," Kelly sighed. "You know, girl to girl..." "I'd love to hear all about yours!" Jamie laughed. "Mr. Sawyer," Katya said with a cheeky grin, "I think you might need to free up a private office..." "That can be arranged," the middle-aged man replied with a smirk as he led Jamie and Kelly to a small office down the corridor from the studio. "I'll be in my office when you're done, I'll have a contract printed out for you to look over and sign, okay?" "O-okay," Jamie said. "A contract? Already?" "I've already spoken to your manager at Heavenly Talent," Mr. Sawyer said. "He's agreed the terms to activate your buyout clause." "Wow," Jamie sighed as she sat down opposite Kelly. "First of all, I LOVE that suit," Kelly giggled, seemingly unaware of Jamie's shock. "Nothing says 'feminine and strong' like a pencil skirt, right?" "Yeah, I guess," Jamie laughed. "I- I like your dress, though." "Aww, thanks!" Kelly laughed, standing up and doing a twirl in her knee-length red cheongsam. "I've hardly ever worn traditional Chinese dress before, but the 'bosses' thought it'd be cool... And it IS pretty, you have to admi