• Published 12th Aug 2015
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A Change In Fashion - Kevinltk



A changeling finds love in the world of fashion modeling.

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Chapter 5: Not Expected

Glamour awoke to what sounded like something rapidly clicking on a hard surface. Accompanying it was the soft hum of what seemed to be a motor. It sounded vaguely familiar, but she was unable to identify it, partly due to it being muffled, and partly because she felt like her head had just suffered through yet another instance of floor force trauma.

The good thing was that whatever she fell asleep on was pretty soft, and judging by the warm fabric draped over her body, she had also managed to scavenge a blanket. Ignoring the noise and the reason why she might have a gap in her memory, Glamour adjusted herself into a more comfortable position and returned to sleep.

Glamour only got a few more minutes of rest before she heard a door opening. The noise from before grew louder and clearer, but she still could not quite put her hoof on what the sound was before the door closed and muffled the sound again.

Glamour’s ears perked up when she heard the soft hoofsteps of somepony walking on the opposite side of the room. Deciding that it was probably a good idea to make sure it was not a pony getting ready to do inappropriate things to her, Glamour jumped out of her bedding and onto her hooves.

Or at least, she tried to. All she was able to achieve was a moan and a small shift in her bedding.

A gasp was heard, followed shortly by rapid hoofsteps coming toward her.

“Glamour, are you awake?”

Glamour gave another soft moan and turned her closed eyes towards the source of a familiar voice. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw an eggshell-white blob with another blob of teal on one small part of it.

After letting out a yawn and rubbing her eyes, the blob of color standing before her started to take shape, and she could have sworn that Coco was looking at her.

Opening and shutting her eyes several times, she could clearly see that Coco was looking at her.

Coco was looking at her.

“Coco!” Glamour’s eyes shot wide open as she tried to quickly get up, but her sudden movement got her hooves tangled up in the blanket and sent her over the edge of her bed. She heard Coco yelp when she rolled onto her and sent them both crashing to the floor.

The moans of two ponies filled the room.

With her eyes still closed due to yet another flooring encounter with flooring adding to her current pains, Glamour let out another moan as she slowly sat up on her haunches and rubbed her aching head.

“Uh, um, G-Glamour?”

Glamour opened her eyes, and her attention was drawn to some movement below her. Looking down, she saw a very red-faced Coco.

A very red-face Coco that she was straddled on top of.

“Ahh! Coco!” Glamour quickly rolled off Coco and onto her back, using her hind legs to backpedal her away as she rapidly chanted “Sorry!”. When her back hit the wall, she deemed the room was not big enough to escape the awkwardness.

“I-it’s alright, Glamour,” Coco assured as she slowly got back on her hooves, the blush on her cheeks still burning quite brightly. “I-it was just an accident, and I should not have startled you.”

“N-no, it was my fault, I should have—” Glamour groaned and brought her hoof up to her head.

Coco was at her side in a second. “Are you alright?”

“Y-yeah, it’s just a headache. I just need a bit of rest, and I should be fine.”

“Alright, let’s get you back on the couch. You’ll be more comfortable there.”

Glamour nodded and allowed Coco to help her back up and walk her back to the couch that had been her bed. Now that she was not panicking or putting herself and Coco in awkward positions, she could see that the room she was in was both a kitchen and a living room.

The standard kitchen appliances, a counter, and a door lined the wall on the far side of the room, and there was a small passageway to two more doors to the side. Looking around the rest of the living room, she saw there all sorts of fabrics, yarn, and other dressmaking materials and tools on all the furniture and even the floor. The only place that was free of the debris was the couch she had slept in.

On the opposite side of the door was a sliding door leading to a balcony. There was a fantastic view of the tall building across the street, and based on the daylight, it was sometime late in the morning.

Just as Glamour was about to ask where she was, she saw, in the corner of the room, a ponyquin wearing the familiar white and purple dress that she had worn to the fashion show.

Glamour’s eyes shot wide open. “The fashion show! What happened?!”

Coco sighed and sat next to Glamour on the couch. “What do you remember?”

Glamour thought back to last night and frowned as the memories started coming back. “I know I got really overwhelmed by everything and froze up on stage. Eventually, I was able to pull myself together and tried to salvage the situation. During my walk down the runway, I started to feel dizzy. When I got back in line, it got worse. Everything after that was a blur. The last thing I remember was me saying something to you before waking up here.” She paused to take another look around the room. “Uh, where is here?”

“You’re in my apartment. The medic said you passed out due to exhaustion and just needed a good night sleep. Since nopony knew where you lived, I brought you here to recover.”

“You carried me here all by yourself?”

Coco shook her head. “No, I’m not that strong. I had a friend help me. Oh, we even remembered to get your saddlebag.”

“My bag?” Glamour’s heart skipped a beat. “You, uh, you didn’t look inside, did you?”

“Oh no.” Coco waved her forehooves defensively in front of her. “Since you weren’t seriously injured or anything, I didn’t think we needed to invade your privacy. It’s safe in the closet.”

Glamour let out a huge sigh of relief. While most of the contents in her bag were inconsequential, the picture of the pony she used for Nutmeg was another story.

“So uh, if you don’t mind me asking… What happened to you?”

Glamour’s ears drooped down with disappointment. “I thought I could handle it, but when I saw how many ponies there were… And then all the bright lights and noise… I just…” She let out a sigh, and her gaze look away from Coco and down at the couch. “I’m so sorry, Coco. I messed up horribly, and I dragged you down with me by ruining your display. I wish you never had to get stuck with me.”

“Oh, Glamour, it’s alright.” Coco wrapped her hooves around Glamour and gave her a hug. “Despite your, um, hiccup, you still did the walk and showed off my work. In fact, I think you got my work a bit more attention.”

Glamour looked up when Coco leaned back from the hug,and she saw a small smile on Coco’s face as she continued talking.

“If anything, I actually am kind of proud of what you did.”

Glamour cocked her head. “You’re proud that I made an idiot of myself on stage?”

“Well, you might have had some difficulties at the beginning… and the middle… and maybe also the end…”

Glamour groaned and planted her face into her forehooves.

“S-sorry, um, what I meant was that despite all the trouble you had, you did not give up. You managed to do the walk despite how nervous you were. That took a lot of courage, and I don’t think I would be able to do the same if I was put in a situation like that. Even if things didn’t go quite as planned, I admire the fact that you were able to overcome your fear and finish what you started.”

“Coco, I…” Glamour could tell that Coco was trying to cheer her up, but she could also detect truth ringing in her words. A small smile appeared on her face as she looked back up. “Thanks, Coco.”

“You’re welcome, Glamour. Um, but that wasn’t quite what I was asking about. I was wondering why did you pass out? You seemed fine before the show started. Was it all because of you being nervous, or did something happen when you did that spell?”

Glamour blinked. “Spell?”

“Well, at least I think you cast a spell. I saw your horn flash green for a second a bit before you started walking.”

“Uhh… do you know if any other ponies noticed it?”

“So there was a spell?”

“Uh, no? I’m just asking… hypothetically…”

Coco stared back blankly.

Glamour sighed. “Okay, yes, I did something. So were there any ponies who saw it?”

“I don’t think so. Whatever you did was quick, and I think ponies were more concentrated on you um, just standing on stage. Why are you asking?” Coco’s brow furrowed, and she made a small frown. “Was it something illegal o-or dangerous? Is that why you fainted?”

“Um…” Glamour squirmed in her seat.

“Glamour, please, I just want to know if you’re going to be alright.”

“I just… It’s a little trick I picked up. It’s uh, a bit hard to explain, but basically, I gave myself a bit of a boost to kind of shock my body into moving. It doesn’t last long, and you already saw what happens after it wears off.”

Coco frown grew bigger. “Glamour, that… that doesn’t sound safe.”

“No, it’s fine, as long as I don’t do it too often. Besides, I’m already feeling better, thanks to you.”

“But still, it sounds like something you should not do to your body. No wonder you didn’t want any other ponies knowing about it. Was it really worth it to put yourself at risk?”

Glamour rubbed the back of her head as she looked away from Coco. “Well, you see… um… it’s like…” She went silent for a few seconds. “I-I wanted a new life, and I thought being a fashion model would help me do that. I was desperate. I did try to look for another way, but when I saw how sad you were about my display, I… I just didn’t want to let you down.”

“Glamour, I was not worried about my dress. I was worried about you. I’m really happy that you are willing to go so far for me, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.” Coco sighed. “But please don’t do something like that again. I don’t want to see you getting hurt. You’re a good friend, and I don’t want anything bad to happen to my… friends…”

“The friend you were talking about didn’t show up, did she?” Glamour quietly said upon seeing Coco’s despondent face.

Coco shook her head. “No… No, she didn’t. I asked around a bit while the medic was examining you, but nopony saw her.”

“What… What are you going to do about her?”

Another head shake from Coco. “I… I don’t know. I don’t know much about her, to be honest, but I still see her as a friend. She seemed a bit lost, but she was nice to me and even helped give me some encouragement. In fact, she kind of reminds me of you.”

Glamour coughed and cleared her throat.

“Are you alright, Glamour?”

“Y-yeah, just a little something in my throat.”

“Let me get you some water.” Coco got up and walked to the kitchen area. As she filled a glass with water, she continued talking. “The last time I saw my friend was the day before the show. When she did not get the modeling job, I tried to comfort her, but she said she wanted to be alone. I almost stopped her from walking away, but I was afraid of making her angry or feel worse. I should have at least made sure she was better before letting her go.”

Coco let out a sigh and moved back to the couch to give Glamour the water. “I didn’t even know she wanted to be a model. I could have helped her prepare or something. I could have been a better friend.”

“Coco, don’t blame yourself. From what I’m hearing, it was all out of your hooves. There was no way you could have known what she was going to do. I’m sure she’s doing fine.”

Coco looked down at her hooves. “Maybe… I just hope she’s okay. For all I know, she had ran away and left Manehattan.”

Glamour bit her lip. “Coco, I… I’m sure she’s still around somewhere. If you were half the friend to her that you are with me, she would not at least try to tell you she’s leaving. Not doing that would be just cruel and… and nasty… and mean…” She faked some more coughing to stop her tirade.

Coco let out a single chuckle. “She’s nothing like that, but I think you’re right about the other thing. She’ll contact me when she’s good and ready… Hopefully…”

Silence descended on the two of them. Coco’s crestfallen face was directed down at the floor, while Glamour drummed a hoof on her seat cushion as she tried to think of something to change the subject.

“So, uh, do you have any idea what I should be doing?” Glamour asked a few moments later.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, since I kind of messed up during the show, it’s pretty safe to say Prim Hemline is not going to give me the job.”

Coco’s forehooves suddenly shot up over her mouth, and she let out a loud gasp. “Oh my goodness, I forgot! Prim Hemline told me to send you over to her office as soon as you felt better.”

Glamour blinked. “She did? Did she say why?”

“I’m afraid not. All she did was ask how I think you performed, and then told me to pass on that message. I don’t know why she wants to see you.”

“I see… So, what did you tell her about me?”

“Oh… I um… Well… You did fine?”

Glamour gave Coco a flat look. “Coco, I know very well how badly I screwed up on stage. I promise I won’t be offended.”

“Well… I said that even though things could have been a little smoother, I suggested that she give you a second chance. You showed that you were able to overcome your difficulties, and I thought that you just needed a bit more practice to become a real model. Was that too harsh of me?”

“Actually, that’s more than I deserve, Coco.” Glamour chuckled softly as she leaned back onto the couch. “Thanks for trying to defend me, but Prim Hemline doesn’t strike me as the type of pony who would let a mistake like I did slide. I’m not sure if I really want to go because I’m guessing she just wants to yell at me.”

“But what if she has good news for you? Like maybe another chance?”

Glamour sighed and nodded. “Yeah, I know.” She got off the couch. “Well, it’s not like I have anything to do today.”

“W-wait, you’re leaving already?” Coco quickly got up as well and looked at Glamour with concern. “Are you sure you’ve rested enough?”

“I feel fine, Coco. Besides, I would rather get the meeting over with, so I don’t spend the rest of the day worrying about it.”

“Well, would you at least like to have a little something to eat? You don’t want to get yelled at on a empty stomach.”

“Thanks for offering, but I’ll have to pass. I don’t think I can eat right now,” Glamour replied. While she could have eaten whatever Coco gave her, pony food was not really filling for a changeling. She was also still feeling full from last night.

Despite the side effects of gorging all that adoration, she retained enough energy to last her for quite a while. While she was delighted to see that her dream plan had merit, it still remained to be seen if it would be able to become a permanent thing.

“Are you sure, Glamour?”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Glamour replied as Coco retrieved her saddlebag and walked with her to the entrance. “If I don’t do this now, it’s just going to bug me until I do.”

“If you say so.” Coco opened the door and let Glamour out. “I hope everything will be alright for you. Good luck.”

“I think I’m going to need it,” Glamour replied with a quiet chuckle before giving a grateful smile. “Thank you, Coco. For everything. I’m glad that we’re friends. I hope to see you again soon.” She turned around and started heading for the stairs leading down to the exit.

“Glamour, wait!”

Glamour looked back to see Coco still watching from her apartment door.

“Could… could you promise me something, Glamour?”

“What is it, Coco?”

“Whatever happens with Prim, please promise that you’ll at least come back here and tell me what happened.”

Glamour smiled. “Of course. I’ll see you later.”

Thirty-three.

That was the exact number of windows on the building Glamour was standing in front of. She should know. She had taken the time to count them all, and the number had not changed for the past three times either.

Glamour was not sure how long it has been since she arrived in front of the fashion building. She had been fine during the walk over, but when she stepped up to the entrance, she decided to develop a temporary interest in the building’s architecture.

Maybe it was because she had finally tasted the fruits of her labor and was afraid to find out it was going to be snatched away from her.

Maybe it was because she was nervous that other ponies would recognize her and laugh at her failure.

Or maybe because Prim Hemline was still a scary mare that would probably subject her to an endless barrage of torment and despair.

The latter reason had a small lead at the moment.

As yet another passerby walked by and looked up to see Glamour was looking at, only to bump into the nearby lamppost, Glamour took in a deep breath. She would have to see Prim and accept her fate eventually. On top of that, she had promised to go back to Coco, and if she took too long, Coco would worry about her.

Glamour quickly marched in through the doors, through the lobby, up the stairs, and stopped in front of Prim’s door without giving her mind a chance to change. Throwing caution and possibly her life to the wind, she knocked on the door.

“Enter.”

As soon as Glamour entered the office, she was met with a low growl that sounded vaguely like “You…”

“Uh, h-hi, Miss Hemline. Y-yeah, it’s me. You said you wanted to see me, so uh, here I am.”

“Oh, of course I want to see you, Glamour. I am very interested in the pony who made me believe she was a capable model, only to watch her freeze up on stage like an idiotic nitwit, do one of the worst walks I have ever seen, and faint shortly afterwards.”

“Uh, sorry?” Glamour tried to make a face that could beg for forgiveness as well as safety from any bodily injuries.

“Sorry? Sorry?! That’s all you have to say?!” Prim Hemline stood up and slammed her forehooves into the desk. “You could have ruined the show!”

Glamour backed herself against the door, calculating how long it would take to get to the other side of Equestria.

“You had almost ruined weeks of preparation, not to mention a fortune in bits, with your incompetence! I have never seen such a pitiful display in my entire career!” Prim Hemline’s baleful glare lasted for a few moments before she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and sat back down. “So it is with great reluctance…” She let out a heavy sigh and brought a hoof to her eyes. “That I offer you a job as a model.”

“I’m really sorry, Miss Hemline! Please don’t hurt me! I didn’t mean to—Wait, what?”

“Don’t make me repeat it.”

Glamour’s jaw would have dropped if she did not think Prim would berate her for the lack of conduct. “Miss Hemline, I… I don’t know what to say, except, this isn’t some sort of joke, right?”

“Miss Glamour, I do not joke.” Prim replied in a flat voice with an equally flat glare.

“Uh, right. Well, wow, I can honestly say I did not see this coming.”

“My exact thoughts. Miss Glamour, do understand that you are actually very lucky. One of my associates was with me during the show, and she has taken an interest in you. If she were not such a big influence in the fashion world, I would’ve already personally kicked you to the curb, so I highly suggest you do what she asks.”

Glamour gulped. “R-right. Got it. So, what does she want with me?”

“She wants to do photo shoots with you because she thinks you will be the next big thing. Because you will be under my employ, your success will reflect onto this company.”

Glamour was about to comment that sounded easy, but then she remembered the supposedly easy things involved a lot of tears and pain, so she decided to bite her tongue. After recovering from actually biting her tongue, she asked, “So, who is this associate of yours, and where can I find her?”

Before any of them could say another word, the door suddenly flew open, and since Glamour had been standing right in front of it, the force of the door knocked her face first into the ground.

“I, Photo Finish, have arrived!” Glamour heard a mare with a thick Germane accent announce. “Ahhh wunderbar, so this is the pony I was looking for!”

Glamour let out a yelp as she was quickly lifted back up onto her hooves and was brought almost face to face with a light-blue mare, a light-gray mane, and huge magenta shades with black frames that completely obscured her eyes.

“Uh, hi there,” Glamour said as she slowly backed away from Photo Finish. Now that her vision was not confined to just the new mare’s face, she could see that Photo also wore a black and white-striped dress with a thick magenta scarf around her neck.

Behind Photo Finish were two stallions carrying a platform that she assumed Photo Finish rode in on, and two other mares in fullbody chic outfits, each carrying a suitcase.

“Photo, how many times do I have to tell you to stop bringing your entourage into my office?” Prim Hemline asked with a sigh.

Photo Finish shrugged before facing her ponies and pointed out the door. “All of you. You go!”

As quick as they arrived, the other ponies zipped out of the office and closed the door behind them.

“Glamour, this is Photo Finish. She is one of Equestria’s most famous fashion photographers.”

“No, no, no, Hemline,” Photo Finish chided. “The most famous fashion photographer.”

“Yes, yes, my mistake.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Miss Finish.” Glamour extended her hoof out to her. “I’m very grateful that you—Ack!”

Photo Finish clamped her hooves on Glamour’s cheek and brought their faces uncomfortably close again. “You. You are perfect! As soon as I saw you on that stage, I knew you were the one! You will be the newest sensation in fashion!”

“I am? Why am I so special?”

“Because you, Glamour, are a bumbling buffoon.”

Glamour only had one response. “What?”

“I can wholeheartedly agree with that,” Prim chimed in.

“I-I don’t understand, Miss—”

“Oh, no, no, no, call me Photo Finish.”

“R-right, Photo, I—”

“No, Photo... Finish.”

“Er, right, sorry, Photo Finish. I don’t understand why you want a… bumbling buffoon.”

“We already have all sorts of models who can walk properly and look fabulous. Ponies even complain that they can never look as good as them. But you… you are different. You have clearly shown that you are far from perfect. Regular ponies can relate more closely to you. Not everypony can be a model, but anypony can be a buffoon.”

“I’m not sure if I’m being praised or insulted.”

Photo Finish threw a hoof around Glamour’s neck and made them both look up as she pointed somewhere off in the distance. “Yes, I Photo Finish, can see it now! I, Photo Finish, will make you shine brighter than a star, because I, Photo Finish, am a genius and will use my brilliant talent to make you the next big thing. Ponies from all over will love and adore you.”

“All that love and adoration just for me?” It was difficult for Glamour to not start drooling. “When do I start?”

“Tomorrow morning! We meet at the studio here and start the beginning of a new legacy!”

“I’ll be there, Photo Finish. Thank you for choosing me!”

“Wunderbar!” Photo Finish paused and tapped her chin with her hoof. “Oh, and feel free to choose anypony you want.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“The last pony that I was going to make shine did not understand my vision and quit out of nowhere. I think it had something to do with not using her favorite designer.” Photo Finish let out a scoff. “Some ponies can be such divas.”

“So, you mean I can pick my own designer?” Glamour asked with a growing smile.

“Yes, yes, I know. I’m so generous,” Photo Finish replied, waving her hoof dismissively. “Anypony will do as long as they don’t offend my eyes and can follow my every word.”

“I got the perfect pony in mind already. I just have to ask her if she’s—”

“Just bring her to the shoot. I need to go prepare for tomorrow so that I can work de magicks! So now…” Photo Finish paused for a moment with her chin in the air. “I go!”

And just like that, Photo Finish made a hasty exit out of the office, leaving behind a dazed Glamour who was still half-thinking that this was just some sort of dream.

“Wow, so that was Photo Finish. Is she always that…”

Prim Hemline rolled her eyes. “Yes, she is. She always has to make everything into a performance. I would even bet that after one of her ponies saw you enter my office, she waited and listened behind the door until the right moment. She really has a flair for the dramatics.

“But despite her oddities, she has a keen sense on this sort of thing. If she says you are going to be popular, then you are going to be popular. I strongly recommend that you show her how grateful you are by following her instructions, no matter how odd they may be.”

“I will. Oh, and I should also thank you for hiring me and letting me work with her, Miss Hemline.”

“Oh, make no mistake, Miss Glamour. I’m only doing this because it will benefit me as well. I am still not happy for what happened last night. Until you can show me that you can do better, you will not be walking in any of my shows.”

“R-right, understood, Miss Hemline.”

“Good, you may go now.”

Glamour turned around and opened the door.

“Oh, and one more thing, Miss Glamour.”

“Y-yes?”

“Despite the circumstances, let me be the first to congratulate you on your new job.”

“Miss Hemline?” Maybe she isn’t so bad. Maybe underneath that tough exterior she’s—

“Don’t get any ideas, though. If you mess up again, I’ll make sure you’ll pay for it.”

Just as scary, Glamour finished her thought with a sigh. “R-right. I’ll just be going now.”

For the third day in a row, Glamour left Prim’s office with her head full of thoughts.

She had made it. She was a fashion model.

Although not quite exactly the way she planned it, if Photo Finish could really make her popular, she would never have to worry about love or adoration for the rest of her life.

Best of all, she got to bring Coco along for the ride.

A frown cropped up on Glamour’s face as she slowly made her way back to the lobby. She was excited to be able to work alongside Coco, but she remembered how Coco was still worried over Nutmeg. Now that they were going to be working together, there was no way she could have Nutmeg come back.

Nutmeg was gone, but at the very least, she could give Coco some closure. She just had to figure the best way to go about saying that without having Coco ask too many questions.

Arriving in the lobby, she saw that Grace was behind the reception desk, scribbling something with the pen in her mouth. Watching Grace write, Glamour was struck with an idea.

A letter would let her convey her other fake self’s last words to Coco without giving Coco the chance to ask questions or trace the message back to her. She knew it would not mean as much as a personal visit, but for Glamour, it was a much safer option.

“Excuse me, but could I use a paper and pen?” Glamour asked as she approached the reception desk.

“Hmm?” Grace looked up with a bored face, but it quickly faded away. “Oh, it’s Glamour.”

“You know who I am?”

“Sure do. I helped lugged your sorry butt to Coco’s place. So,” Grace propped up her chin with her hooves and grinned, “what kind of shenanigans did you two get into?”

“Uh, not much? I was kind of unconscious, remember?”

Grace rolled her eyes. “You’re no fun. Anyway, I’m guessing you just saw Prim Hemline. You kind of just marched through the lobby earlier with a weird look on your face.”

“Oh, yeah, I did see her. She made me a fashion model.”

Grace’s eyes widened. “She did? But you stank last night.”

“Gee, thanks…” Glamour said with a deadpan face.

“Hey, I just call it like I see it. To be honest, I half-expected that I would have to haul whatever was left of you back to Coco after Prim was done with you. But hey, glad I was wrong. Congrats to you.”

“Right… So, um, about that pen and paper…”

“Oh, right.” Grace placed the requested items on the desk. “Here you go.”

After thanking Grace, Glamour used her magic to levitate the pen and paper to the other side of the desk, away from Grace’s eyes. Staring at the paper, she scrunched her face up in thought as she tried to think of what to say.

It took her some time before she settled on something simple and quickly penned it out. She returned the pen to Grace and said goodbye to her before leaving the building and heading back to Coco’s place with her letter tucked safely in her bag.

Now that she was getting the hang of how the streets were organized, Glamour had little trouble making it back to Coco’s apartment complex and proceeded right inside, heading straight for the mailboxes lined up on the wall. After finding the box with Coco’s apartment number, she used her magic to levitate her letter in front of her. Glamour stared at it for a few moments before letting out a sigh and slipping it inside Coco’s mailbox.

And with the deed done, Nutmeg had left her last goodbye to Coco.

With no more things holding her excitement back, Glamour rushed up to Coco’s apartment and knocked on the door.

“Hello? Who is it?” came Coco’s voice through the door.

“It’s Glamour.”

The door opened not even a second later. “Glamour, you came back! How did it go?”

“I’m a fashion model,” Glamour replied with a big grin.

Coco’s eyes widened. “You got the job?” Before Glamour could react, Coco had caught her in a hug. “Oh, Glamour, congratulations! I knew you could do it!”

Glamour chuckled. “Thanks, Coco, but that’s not the only thing. Do you know Photo Finish?”

“Photo Finish? As in the famous photographer?”

Glamour nodded. “She liked my uh, unique performance last night, and she wants to work with me. In fact, I have a photo shoot tomorrow.”

“Photo Finish wants to work with you? Glamour, that’s incredible. Everypony she had worked with had become famous, and now that you’re her next project…” Coco smiled. “I’m very happy for you, Glamour.”

“But wait, there’s more.”

“More?”

Glamour was not sure if her grin could get any bigger. “I get to pick anypony I want to design my dresses.”

“That’s great, Glamour. Do you need help finding one? I got a list somewhere, and I can suggest a few ponies I know.” Coco turned around to walk into her apartment.

“Wait, Coco.” Glamour placed a forehoof on Coco’s shoulder. “I already have a pony in mind.”

“Oh? Who is it? Maybe I know them.”

“It’s you.”

Coco was silent, staring at Glamour with wide open eyes. Eventually, she slowly raised a forehoof and pointed it at herself “Me?”

“Yes, you.”

Coco’s mouth opened and closed several times before she asked, “Glamour… I… Are you sure? There’s plenty of other ponies I know who could do better work.”

“But I don’t want any of those better ponies.”

“Um…”

Glamour facehoofed. “What I meant was that I don’t want any those other ponies. Don’t sell yourself short, Coco, you make beautiful dresses. I’m not offering this just because you’re my friend. You’re a really talented pony. You just need to be a bit more confident in yourself and your work.”

“I… I guess if you really want me… Are you sure?”

Glamour nodded.

“Then I would be very happy to work with you, Glamour.” Coco smiled and hugged Glamour again. “Thank you so much for this, Glamour.”

Glamour returned the hug this time. “You’re welcome, Coco. Thank you for being my friend.”

They remained in the embrace for a few seconds until Coco suddenly pulled back. “Oh my goodness, you said the photo shoot was tomorrow. I got to prepare!”

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow, Coco.”

“Bye, Glamour, and thanks again!” Coco waved goodbye before shutting the door.

Glamour walked back through the complex towards the entrance with a big smile on her face. She felt like she was on top of the world. Her plan had took a turn for the better, and her dream was finally coming true. Now, all she had to do was go rest at home.

Glamour’s smile was quickly replaced by a frown and was soon followed by a groan.

Despite all that had happened today, she still needed to find a box to spend the night in.