Free Put Your Diamonds Up! by Ni-Ni Simone Page B

when these 34C’s and this camel hump booty are bouncing down the catwalk! Or have you already told them that you planned on dragging your property into some plastic surgeon’s office for reconstructive renovations?”
    Slap!
    My mother’s hand landed on the side of my face, swift and hard. And a fresh gush of tears sprung from my already weeping eyes. I couldn’t believe she’d slapped me. Stunned, I held the side of my face in my hand.
    â€œI know this isn’t the life you asked for! I gave it to you! And, make no mistake, London. Like it or not, this is your life! This is your world! Fashion! The lights, the cameras, and all of the glitz and glamour that come along with it, is yours ! If I seem harsh to you, if I seem cruel to you, it’s what I’ve been preparing you for from the moment you took your first step. Everything I have taught you, told you, shown you, has been to protect you! And hopefully prevent you from making some of the same mistakes I made.
    â€œ You have an advantage over the rest. You don’t ever have to worry about being on the bottom, because I am one of the few on top of the fashion-industry’s totem pole, still racking in millions without stepping a heel on a runway. I’ve paved the way for you ! You don’t want this life... ?”
    She glared at me. “Too goddamn bad! Until you are eighteen, until you are sufficiently able to take care of yourself without getting your hands on one damn dime of the trust fund that your father and I have so graciously entrusted to you, this is the only life you will have!”
    She was about to turn to leave, then stopped. “I love you, London. You are my child—my only child. And the only reason I don’t beat you senseless and have you rolled out of here on a gurney is that you have castings today. You had better work as if your life depended on it. Because it does!”
    I watched my mother through furious slits of rage as she disappeared, her fashion glide still evident in each elegant step she took, slamming the door behind her.
    I blinked, bringing myself back to the present. Screw her! I stared at my reflection in the mirror. Putting her damn hands on me! You want me to be your protégé, your puppet? Then so be it! I reached for a jar of Annick Goutal’s face cream, removed the lid, and gingerly applied the multivitamin moisturizer to my face. I’ll give you exactly what you want and be the model you’ve always wanted me to be! Even if it kills me!
    I glanced at the itinerary my ever-so-efficient mother had set aside for me, feeling overwhelmed. How did she expect me to get through all of this crap with a wide smile when she’d practically slapped my face off and I had so many other things weighing heavy on my mind?
    And right now, the thought of Justice possibly breaking up with me was all I could think about. That and the fact that Rich was blatantly avoiding me was pissing me off. I’d done nothing to that bed-hopping whale to warrant her opening my text messages and not replying back. How did I know this? Because we all had iPhones that indicated when someone opened a text you’d sent to them. And I knew she wasn’t dead because she was constantly updating her Facebook status, tweeting, and Instagramming. So there was absolutely no excuse for this level of rudeness. None whatsoever!
    Glancing at the time. I sighed, and reached for my cell. I’m going to try this hooker one last time. I dialed Rich’s number. Then I’m done calling her . I’d decided late last night in between bouts of crying that I would wait until I got home to address her. What other choice did I have? It wasn’t like she was breaking her neck to fly out here for the weekend like she’d promised.
    Lying beeeeyotch!
    â€œHeeey, Rich,” I chirped into the phone, my tone seventy-eight percent sweet and twenty-two percent nasty. “The least you could do,