Free Two-Faced by Mandasue Heller

end of the dream.
    ‘All right,’ she conceded. ‘You’ve only got a few months left, so I don’t suppose it really matters. But if you’re going to miss your exams, you’d best be ready to put everything you’ve got into making a success of the modelling ’cos you’ll stand no chance of getting a good job if it goes wrong.’
    ‘I’ll just have kids,’ Mia retorted sarcastically. ‘Then I’ll get benefits, like you.’
    ‘Don’t make out like I had a choice,’ Kim snapped. ‘I had ambitions once, you know. But I made the mistake of getting involved with your flaming father. And what was I supposed to do when he left me with two kids to fetch up by myself?’
    ‘All right, you don’t have to go on with yourself,’ Mia muttered, rolling her eyes. ‘I was only joking.’
    ‘Yeah, well, think before you start handing out your insults in future,’ Kim warned her. ‘And me agreeing to let you stay off school doesn’t mean it’s going to happen, by the way. If there’s any trouble from the authorities, you’ll be going back whether you like it or not, ’cos there’s no way I’m going to court over it.’
    ‘They can’t force me to go back if I’m injured,’ Mia reminded her. ‘And the nurse thinks I’m much worse than I really am, so they can’t say I’m faking it.’
    ‘Yeah, well, make sure you don’t tell anyone any different,’ Kim told her firmly. ‘From now on, you don’t trust no one – and especially not your mates, ’cos they’ll be the first to stab you in the back when they see you’re doing better than them.’ Reaching for the cup of tea that Michelle had just carried through for her from the kitchen, she added, ‘And that goes for you, an’ all. Anyone asks about her, you don’t tell them nothing. Got that?’
    ‘Don’t worry, none of her friends ever talk to me anyway,’ Michelle murmured, heading up to bed.
    ‘God, she does my head in,’ Mia sniped as soon as she’d gone. ‘I don’t see why she’s always got to have a face on her.’
    ‘She’s just jealous of all the attention you’re getting,’ Kim said, gazing thoughtfully at the door. ‘And that worries me, ’cos if she gets pissed off and says something, it’ll be me who ends up copping for it.’
    ‘She’d better not,’ Mia retorted sharply. ‘But if you’re worried, just don’t tell her anything. She can’t tell what she doesn’t know, can she?’
    ‘Yeah, maybe you’re right,’ Kim agreed. ‘Anyway, she doesn’t need to know any of the details, ’cos she’s not really involved, is she?’
    ‘Not at all.’ Mia smirked. ‘We’ll just keep it between you and me, eh, mum?’
    Looking at her, Kim shook her head. ‘You’re a right one, you.’
    ‘Yeah, but that’s why I’m your favourite.’
    ‘Oi, less of that,’ Kim scolded quietly. ‘And we’ll have less of the arguing in future, an’ all, and more concentrating on making you famous, eh?’
    ‘Fine by me,’ Mia said, slipping her shoes off and throwing her feet up onto her mum’s lap. ‘Give ’em a rub, then. It’s hard work, this having your photo taken lark.’
    ‘You’re not a supermodel yet, lady, so don’t be giving me your orders.’
    ‘I will be when we get the pictures back, so I might as well get the practice in.’
    Relieved that Mia already seemed to have forgotten about the boy, Kim smiled as she started massaging her daughter’s feet.

4
    Just over a month later, the cosy little scene of togetherness and optimism that Kim and Mia had shared that night was all but gone, and it was beginning to dawn on Kim that the future might not be quite as bright as she’d thought.
    The portfolio had arrived a week after the session, and she’d been thrilled with the results – although, considering how much it had cost, she still didn’t see why they had only been allowed to choose fifteen out of the hundreds of pictures that had been taken.
    Still, they looked really professional in their faux-leather