Found

"I'll get the rest of your belongings." Ruby smiled sadly. She placed the last suitcase in the car and looked over at Amore as she conversed with her best friends. She was the first one to be leaving and it was evident that they were all taking it hard.

"I'm gonna miss you a little," Treasure smirked. She wiped at her tears and squeezed Amore's shoulders.

"Sure." Amore shook her head. "Well, I'm gonna miss you. You guys are one of the best things that's ever happened to me."

"Same here." Treasure nodded and stood back. She looked over at Hazel, as she hugged herself tightly and cried. The tip of her nose was red from the constant rubbing and crying.

Slowly, Amore held her arms open and looked over at her. Hazel wasn't good at goodbyes-- in fact she hated them. She was an overthinker and constantly thought about what if she wouldn't see her loved ones again. Amore on the other hand grew to become good at it, she'd been doing it her whole life.

Hazed sniffed and hugged her best friend tightly. They swayed back and forth in an emotional embrace. "I wish that I can just put you in my bag and leave." She whispered to Amore.

"Same," Amore pulled back and smiled lightly. "At least we have our phones?"

"You're right!" Hazel tried to smile brightly to ease the tension. "We'll have our phones, and our laptops, and we can take trips to meet up with each other, and---"

"Stop." Amore's voice broke. She laughed and wiped at her cheeks. "You look like you're going to have a panic attack as you're faking to be okay."

Hazel shrugged and looked away. The three girls were going to be leaving one another and, moving on with their lives. It was either they were going to grow together or outgrow one another, and they were scared to outgrow each other.

"That's the last of it." Roger called out as he slammed the car trunk shut and looked back at Amore. He nodded towards the drivers seat, indicating that he and Ruby would be waiting in the car, along with Keegan in the back seat. Ruby sparked her cigarette and headed towards the car behind her lover.

"I'll see you guys very soon. We'll have a three way call when we all get to our destination."

"We love you," Treasure yelled out.

Amore blew a kiss to them and slipped inside the back of the car. She placed her purse between her legs and looked over at Keegan, who was already staring at her. He smiled and tapped her knee.

"You're really leaving?"

"Yeah." She nodded and closed her eyes. "I can't wait to go." Her head leaned against his shoulder as they continued their journey to the airport.

After a forty minute drive, the car suddenly came to a halt. Keegan roughly tapped Amore's thigh causing her to smack his shoulder.

"Don't touch me." She mumbled in her sleep.

He chuckled and grabbed her purse that'd dropped as she was consumed in her deep sleep. Since graduation, she wasn't able to get full rest of sleep, because she was preparing to leave, signing documents and gathering everything that she would need for her course in Europe.

"We're here."

"Don't tell me she fell asleep." Ruby shook her head and watched as Amore rises from her lying position and sighed heavily. "I'm awake, I'm awake."

"Good. You can get all that sleep that you need when you're on the plane, but I need to spend as much time with you as I can."

It was evident that Ruby was taking Amore's departure harder than anyone else. She'd requested for the teenager to sleep next to her until the day she would leave, planned many activities for them to do up until her departure and never let her leave her side.

Playfully rolling her eyes, Amore grabbed her suitcase and followed the older couple into the terminal.

"Are you nervous?" Keegan looked down at her.

"Yeah--I mean, I'm going to be in a completely different country across the world by myself. But, I think I'm more nervous to meet the coordinator than anything. I heard that she's a bitch, and just by watching some of her interviews, they're right."

"She can't be that bad."

"She told one of her interns that if they don't know what they're doing then they should buy the next ticket and head home instead of wasting their little daddy's pocket money.." Amore frowned and looked up at Keegan. "The intern forgot to take the tea bag out of the cup. She said that over a tea bag, so imagine if I fuck up."

Amore was known for having a snappy attitude and sh didn't take disrespect with a grain of salt. All she hoped was that she was respected as well, so she wouldn't have to take the first flight home and miss such a wonderful opportunity.

Laughing, Keegan gave her a side hug and shook his head. "I've seen your work, Amore. You're not gonna mess up. You didn't even get as much experience as most hairstylists have and you're just as good as them."

"Yeah, don't worry." Roger waved her off.

After walked through the detect machine and getting everything sorted out, Amore was now ready to head into the terminal where the passengers loaded the plane.

"This is it." Amore smiled at her family, her eyes watering by the minute. Her throat began to close in and soon a sob racked through her chest. She didn't know how to feel or what to say, but she knew that she needed to be in her mother figures embrace at that moment.

"Come here--"

Quickly, her arms wrapped around Ruby as they both sobbed with one another. Ruby pressed her hand against Amore's pin straight extensions and closed her eyes tightly, hoping that it was all a dream. Her newly eighteen-year old daughter was going to be living in Europe for a while and she felt mixed emotions. She was ecstatic and glad that Amore took the opportunity to broaden her skills and become who she wanted to be, but she was going to be missing half of her.

"I'm gonna miss you, mommy." Amore whispered passionately.

"Oh." Ruby gasped and held her tightly. She couldn't remember a time where Amore had called her "mommy" and she was more than happy. "Take care of yourself, call me when you land and every single day before you go to sleep and when you wake up. Send me pictures and I will be booking tickets to come over there every single holiday, do you understand me?"

"Baby," Roger laughed.

"I'm serious. Promise me."

"I promise," Amore smile through her tears. She gripped onto Ruby's forearms and chuckled.

"And one more thing... No stealing."

Throwing her head back, Amore laughed loudly along with Roger and Keegan. "I'm so over that...maybe. I won't get caught don't worry."

"I ain't playing with your short self."

"I'm joking." She smirked and hugged Roger tightly before heading towards Keegan. His hands were behind his back as he looked down at her softly. His freckles danced across his nose and cheeks and his eyes were as innocent as a Bambi.

"I'll see you soon?" With a hopeful stare, she gripped onto his arms.

"Of course." He nodded and wrapped his arms around her. "I'll be here when you get back."

"What if I come back in ten years?"

"I'll be here." He nodded.

"Twenty?"

Keegan shrugged nonchalantly and ushered her into the tunnel. As she said her farewells and continued walking towards the exit, she looked back at her family and noticed that Keegan looked as though he was going to say something, but shook his head and waved her off. Her brown eyes scaled around the room, as she looked for that certain someone that she knew she wasn't going to see. She knew that she'd probably never see them again, but she prayed that everything was well.

Her head turned back towards the plane as she made her way inside. It was time for a new beginning.

"Ms. Mercier."

"Give me five more minutes." Amore groaned into the pillow. She pressed the red button on the phone and shook her head. Slowly, she slipped out of bed and began warming up her body with a couple sit ups. She ran her hands over her curls and made her way towards the bathroom for her hygiene routine.

Her hands ran over the granite counter sink and headed into the shower. She was completely happy with the way her small house was designed and wouldn't trade it for a bigger house, although she was able to pay for it. She loved the cozy and warm vibe that her house gave her and would stay inside all day if she could. Her mind trailed off to her family that she'd left behind in America. She missed them dearly and did see them every once in a while, but she'd been so busy over the past few years she couldn't see them physically, but made sure that she got a word with them every month.

Hastily, she slid out of the shower and closed the glass before slipping on her undergarments. Suddenly, her phone began ringing causing her to roll he eyes and press the speaker button.

"Time is money, Amore! We don't have all day." The woman yelled through the phone.

"I'm just putting on my shoes." Amore lied as she rummage through her His & Hers closet. Finally, she found a pair leggings and slipped them on before grabbing a tight t-shirt that reached above her navel. She knew that her outfit wouldn't be approved, but she was rushing in that moment.

Grabbing her kit, she made sure that everything was packed and ran down the short set of stairs before heading out of the house. The scent of the authentic air with a breeze of beautiful sauces was all Amore could smell as she walked off her property and slipped into the back of the limo.

"Are you ready now?"

She looked over at the woman in the back seat and nodded without hesitation. Her fingers tingled at the anticipation of doing her job. She was more than ready to take on anything and everything.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

-

The air was thick and the air conditioning seemed to not be making its way towards Amore as she worked hard in the small space. Sweat was building along her forehead as she curled the hair into itself and made a perfect bantu knot at the front. She used the product of edge tamer that was left on the back of her hand and placed a bit at the front of the model's hair line. Once she was done curling the back and picking it out, she spray her hair with hairspray and took a step back.

"I need my models ready in ten minutes and then I need these beautiful ladies to be touched up before the next segment, please." Amore rolled her eyes at the sound of Sasha's voice, causing the model in her chair to laugh along with her. Her beautiful chiseled hazelnut toned cheeks lifted, as she laughed at the young woman's facial expression.

"Sasha can be a handful." The model sighed with a smile.

"You're telling me?" Amore shook her head. "Try working for her five years."

She could vividly remember the first time they'd met and she felt like she was in hell.

Amore looked around the large city and watched the sign that were written out in Italian with English subs. Her eyes squinted at the sign by the limo that read out her full name. An Italian man stood in front of the limo with a nonchalant facial expression. His beard was cut clean and his hat fit perfectly on his head.

"Amore Mercier?" He spoke up.

She nodded and hesitantly walked towards him. She was nervous at the fact that she was alone in a country that she'd never been to before. But, she was also excited that she was going to make her dreams come true.

Her feet paddled quickly towards the man as he opened the door for her and closed it once she was fully in. He placed her luggage into the trunk and slipped into the passenger seat. Amore tapped her fingers against her bare thighs while the radio played traditional Italian music. She stared at the back of the man's head through the open partition and frowned.

"I didn't get your name, sir."

"Michaelangelo." He simply said.

"Okay, that's a cool name." She nodded and looked out the window. "Is it okay if I call you Mike or Michael?"

He looked at the young girl through the rear view mirror and slowly nodded his head.

"You can call me whatever you want." He simply said.

It wasn't, but she hated when things were awkward. She could tell that the man didn't want to talk, so she leaned her head against the window and watched the cars and houses pass them in the city. Her eyes widened with amazement the further they got into the country. It was utterly beautiful and the people roamed the streets with a smile on their faces, laughing and joking freely with one another. Of course, there were streets that didn't look the best and would be called "the ghetto" in any other country, but overall Amore thought it was beautiful.

The sky was getting darker by the minute and soon it was pitch black, but the streets were louder. Some people looked to be partying, which made Amore wish that she wasn't so tired so that she could party with the unknown people.

Soon, Michael pulled into the house and unlocked the doors. He grabbed the luggage and rested them down and watched with shock as Amore pushed open the door and stepped out. She grabbed her things and stared at him.

"I can open my own door, ya know?" She smiled at him and grabbed her belongings. Her head snapped towards the house before her and her mouth dropped. She couldn't believe what she was looking at. She thought that her old house back home was big until she saw the house in front of her.

"This is it?"

"Yes, this is it." Michael nodded and placed his hands behind his back. He pushed open the door with her luggage in his hands and headed down a hallway, disappearing.

But, Amore didn't pay attention to him, because she couldn't stop looking at the entrance of the house. The floor was clean and marble and so was the ceilings which were decorated with chandeliers and other designs. She walked further into the house and entered the kitchen that was also paired with white, black and gold. Her hands caressed the clean island as she walked around and entered the huge living room that consisted of black couches, and a large TV. And in the next room that had no wall to separate it from the living room, she saw a piano laid out in the middle of the room.

"Ms. Mercier?" She heard Michael call out.

"Yes?" She followed his voice and suddenly ended up in front of a door in a blank hallway that held a couple of pictures. It looked as if she was going to enter a different corridor of the house. Running her hands over her hair, she looked around and stared up at Michael.

"Where are we?"

Slowly, Michael pulled out a key and unlocked the large white door. He pushed it open and waved her inside. Instantly she was met with a large living room that was decorated with different colours, but complemented black. The living room was smaller than the other corridor she'd been in, but it was just as beautiful.

"Whose house is this?'

"This is the guest house, which is now your house. Sasha likes the best of the best." Michael cleared his throat and handed her the key. "I will leave you to your place." His thick Italian accent poured out with his raspy voice, as he took a step back. Before he could close the door, Amore called out to him.

"Where's Sasha?" Her stomach rumbled with excitement at the thought of being able to see the woman that she always looked up to when it came to hair and the drive that she had to become the woman that she was at that very moment. Sasha was very powerful and seemed like she was undefeated--- and if she was, she never showed that side of her before.

Amore released a breath and smiled widely at the view. She looked into the kitchen that was not too far from the living room and shook her head, amazed. Everything was paired off so well, including the white bathroom that had colours of sky blue and yellow. Quickly, she made her way upstairs and pushed open the room door in the middle.

"Holy fuck." She yelled out, jumping on the king bed and sprawled her hands out on the bed. Instantly, her body shrunk into the fluffy mattress.

It was evident that she had a lot of work to do as for unpacking her belongings and making sure that she had her hair products and styling products ready. There was a lot of work to do, but she couldn't help herself when she took a long hot bath in the jacuzzi and then fell asleep while watching an Italian soap opera that she couldn't understand one bit.

Amore snuggled her head into the pillow and groaned quietly. She felt the sun rays against her face and knew that she closed the curtains before she went to sleep. As she turned onto her stomach, she felt a presence in the room and slowly opened her eyes.

"Shit." She yelled out when she saw an average height woman standing in front of her, leaning against the wall. Her hazel eyes were trained on the young lady in front of her with her arms crossed.

"Who are you?" She wiped her eyes and blinked rapidly until her version cleared. Suddenly, her eyes widened and she placed her hands against her mouth. In front of her at that very moment stood the wonderful and talents; Sasha Silva. She stood confident and strong in her gym wear attire as her dark hair was placed into a high ponytail revealing her beautifully structured face.

"Sasha Silva." Hastily, she shot out of her bed and tripped over the thick and comfy duvet that slid off of the bed right behind her.

"In the flesh." She smirked and pushed herself off the wall. "It's time to get up."

"It's seven o'clock in the morning." Amore groaned. She hadn't woken up that early in the morning since school and even then she barely woke up at that time. Looking out at the view, she could barely see the sun rising and frowned back at Sasha.

"It's time to get up. Time doesn't wait for anyone." She snapped her fingers and looked over at the young lady with the dark lion mane that cascaded over her shoulders.

"Chop, Chop!" A smirk laced over her beautiful lips as she watched Amore rummage around her room for clothing. Nothing ended up being unpacked, so she had tho through almost everything out of her suitcases.

"Nice to meet you, too." She grumbled and Where are we going?" Her nervous hands held the sweatpants and sweater in her hand.

Sasha shook her head and clicked her tongue. "I don't think that outfit is appropriate to wear at the gym, love. Nice to meet you as well."

She slipped on her glasses and and swayed out of the room leaving Amore in a trance. If unnecessary early morning workouts were going to occur for the rest of the time being that she was there, then she didn't want to be there.

"Five years of that?"

"Yes, ma'am." Amore rolled her eyes once again. Even when she moved out of the guest house and was able to afford her own place that was a regular sized beautiful villa, Sasha still found her way to nag the young woman.

"Ladies, it's time to line up! Let's get this show on the road, I'm not gonna say it again." Sasha yelled out from the curtains. She ushered Amore to get the model out of the seat. "Amore, slow is not what we're on right now. Get her out of your seat and let's start the touch ups!"

It'd been five years since they started working with each other and it still ticked Amore off whenever she heard Sasha's loud demands. She demanded more than the designer himself that was hosting his own fashion show. She was even ordering him around and he did everything that she said. Sasha had the authority and the voice of confidence that gave off "no questions asked."

"Come on, come on." Amore flinged her tail comb out of her apron pocket and began smoothing the models hair down in the front. She curled the end of her ponytail and held it in a scrunching motion, so that she wouldn't lose the curl. A wave of tiredness began to hit her, but the last thing she was going to do was put her hands down. She was going to continue putting in the hard work that she was known for putting in.

Quitting wasn't in her vocabulary, which was something many people liked about her. It was what Sasha liked about her, but she would never hear that.

"You guys work really well together." The model commented. There were many times when Sasha and Amore were working with fashion designers and wowed the audience with the hair more than the outfits. They were apart of a team that came to shine and Amore grew to love that.

"We do." She smiled and took a step back, indicating that she was finished.

All of the models were finally done and walking in and out smoothly.

Amore ran her hands through her long curls and sighed tiredly. She looked around the room until her eyes landed on Sasha. They stared at each other for what felt like forever before she nodded at her with approval. Amore nodded back and smiled lightly.

When it was good, it was great and when it was bad, it was horrible.