The first model that came in complaining of being stabbed with pins, I apologized as much as I could and took them out. The second, repeated the first action. When more and more models came into the Wardrobe, so many that Maggie had to help me take pins of of jeans, jackets, shirts, and scarves, as well as bandage the wounds, I knew something was very, very wrong.

Lilian marched in while I was bandaging the back of an older model.

"Miss Cyrus, what are you doing? Why are the clothes filled with pins?"

"Ma'am I promise you I have never left a single pin in any clothing. I don't know what's-"

She whirled on Maggie. "Are you doing this?"

Maggie didn't look up for the longest time, but when she did her eyes were full of fire. She stood from her place at the table, dropping the buttons she was arranging all over the floor. "I have worked here for decades, Lilian! You think one day I'd just decide to stick pins in everything?"

"I don't know half of what's going through your mind every day, Maggie. If it's not you, then it must be Christelle."

But I knew I hadn't used any pins any time prior, and I told the seething photographer. She pointed a finger at me. "Are you saying the pins magically appeared inside every article of clothing in this wardrobe?"

"No ma'am-"

"Then you'd better get me some answers, Miss Cyrus. If one more model leaves this room with pins in their clothing, it's going to be your job."

With that, she stalked from the room, leaving me to pluck pins from the clothes with as much haste as possible, filled with anger. How dare she accuse me of something I didn't do! If I could have told her off I-

"Hey..."

I looked up, and back down to the jacket I worked on de-pinning, and then back up again. James stood shirtless, holding out a coat with a smirk.

"Pins?" I asked. He nodded, and I snatched it from him.

"Hey now, watch it. I could report you, you know."

"Shut up. How bad is everyone talking about me out there?"

He pulled up a chair. "Not at all, actually. Despite what you think, everyone has a soft spot for you. I've heard many refer to you as 'the cutest thing'. They're just scared to put on any more clothes."

I paused. "Cute? I don't even talk to half of them."

He shrugs. "Doesn't matter. They see you. Especially now, with your new clothes. Neil has had to warn more than a few guys to back off. He enjoys it though, you can tell."

I handed him the coat, and went went to observe another rack of clothing for pins. They were everywhere. "Bring me the pin bucket please. Has Neil gotten stuck yet?"

He passed it to me, and shrugged into the coat. "Yeah, got a nasty scratch on his shoulder. But that's it. Everyone is being careful now."

"I have no idea how this happened. It doesn't make any sense."

He lowered his voice, leaned closer, glancing back over his shoulder. "Do you think Maggie..."

"No. She wouldn't do this."

"Maybe not on purpose, but Chris she's getting up there. She may not remember."

I hated to think about Maggie like that. She wasn't crazy. A few screws could be loose, at times, but she was in her right mind. "No, don't believe that. Hopefully it doesn't happen again."

"If so, we need to report her."

Sighing, I shrugged, and waved him away so I could finish.

* * * * *

Neil held the umbrella as we crossed the parking lot, taking our time in the rain.

"So now we might have to report her. I don't think she did it, though. Maggie's not crazy, you know?"

He nodded, frowning. "Yeah, I don't think she did it either. You're sure nothing weird had been happening? No strange visions on your part, or seeing things-"

"Neil."

He laughed. "Alright, I know you're not crazy either."

I chewed on my bottom lip. "Lilian said if it happened again, I'd lose my job."

"You won't. Lilian's bark is worse than her bite. She was just pissed the shoot kept getting delayed."

In the car, he turned the heat on, and I shed my coat, and my shoes. Jenna had forced me into buying some sort of sneakers that had heels in them. They didn't hurt my feet, even after a day of use, but I didn't like balancing on them. I was lucky she'd let me buy some "work" clothes. Even then, she banned my use of t-shirts and baggy jeans, making me get "blouses" and "skinny" jeans. I argued that if you're fat, or "curvy", as Neil called me, there shouldn't be skinny jeans for you. It's a bit of an insult. They both rolled their eyes and kept going.

I'd been wearing my new clothes for a few weeks, and Neil made it quite clear he loved it. If he was attached to me before, it had almost doubled. There were always kisses and taps when we crossed in the hallways, and he kept hold of my hand when we went out like someone would snatch me away from him. It was funny, on one hand, but then it wasn't. I'd gone through a change, albeit a small one, and had stopped looking at myself in such a harsh light. I didn't think I was beautiful, but I was okay; Neil was proof of that, if nothing else.

Neil rubbed my hand between both of his as we waited for the car to warm up, and flashed his bright-white smile at me. "Hey."

"What do you want?"

He chuckled. "My parents are throwing a party on Saturday. It's for my uncle, he just got his PHD in... something. I pretty much have to go, and I was thinking-"

"Not going to happen."

"Come on, Chris-"

"Parents and I? We don't get along. The parents of the couple friends I did have in elementary school told them to stop hanging around me, and you know about me and my own parents. It's not going to go well."

He stopped rubbing, and just held my hand. "My parents are so relaxed. They'll love you. My whole family will."

"How will they feel about my skin color?"

He blinked, mouth hovering open. Hie blue eyes showed his confusion. "My parents have nothing against any race."

"Are you sure? Have you ever brought home anyone of another race?"

"No, because I've never brought anyone home, period. You'll be the first."

I don't know why I was shocked, but I had expected him to have brought home tons of girls.

"I may have dated a lot, Chris, but I knew they weren't serious. This is serious. I'd like for them to meet you; it's a great time."

Was it? I chewed on my lip some more, wincing as my teeth broke the skin, and Neil put a thumb on my chin, slipping the abused flesh from between my teeth. "Stop that, you're hurting yourself. Just think about it, okay? The party is in five days. If you say yes, I want to buy you a dress."

"Neil, I have enough dresses..."

"One more won't hurt. I love seeing you in new outfits. James and Brandi are going too."

Of course he'd invited them. He knew that was the only way to make me go. I rolled my eyes, and he grinned. "I know that means yes."

I didn't respond, and leaned over to rustle my hair. I pushed him away, and we ended up in a childish tussle of sorts, until my phone went off. James wondered where I was, as he'd left earlier. I texted him that we were on the way, and Neil pulled out of the parking lot.

"How is Macyn doing?" Neil questioned.

I shrugged. "Haven't seen her much. She seems to be backing off. I don't know if that's a good thing or not." The pins crossed my mind, and I frowned. But Mace didn't have access to the keys to the wardrobe. That would've taken her all night. She wasn't that cruel, to make people suffer.

"That's good. No more visiting your house," Neil joked. His black eye had healed in a few days, even though he did get a severe reprimanding from his makeup artist, who made him stay home for a couple days. Since then he'd sworn off talking to Macyn, though it's not like she's been showing her face often enough FOR talking.

"Yeah... it is good."