I opened my eyes and mouth wide as I gave Kara an excited smile over the video chat. I couldn’t believe it! She gave me a thumbs-up and used the chat to type “One reason down, two to go!”

With that, my mom pulled into the parking lot of the photography studio, and I signed off with Kara. I didn’t think it would be hard at all for me to smile now.

Mom had explained to me that even though Ashanta had gotten me the job, this one was for a different client, so it would be at a different place with different people. This photography studio was in a similar building, but instead of a green screen, there was a big white background for the photos, and instead of Zane, the photographer was a woman with a sleek ponytail. And while I had hoped that Sabine would also be doing the shoot, I didn’t see her. Instead, there was a girl with curly hair who reminded me of Sabine with her flawless skin. I just hoped she was as nice as Sabine! When I walked in, she was laughing and talking to two boys about my age whom I guessed were also models.

The one familiar face was Ashanta, who greeted us when we came in. “Great, you’re here! Let’s get started. Jennifer, you can take a seat, and I’ll get Devin into wardrobe and makeup.”

“Okay, we know the drill now,” my mom joked as she sat in one of the chairs at the far end of the room. She pulled a book out of her purse.

Clearly, my mom was a lot let less anxious this time around, and I found, to my surprise, that I was too. I knew what to expect now, I’d practiced, and even if I didn’t do things perfectly, I’d give it my best. The game against the Bolts proved to me that mistakes happen. You just have to dust yourself off and move on. Plus, this time I wasn’t missing school or practice.

Still, I was relieved to see Tenshi in the makeup room. She gave me a big smile when I walked in. Today, her purple hair was styled into a fauxhawk, and she had on big, black military boots that laced up to her knees. As intimidating as she looked, I was glad she was there.

“Devin, awesome!” she said. “It’s always nice to see the same faces again.”

I sat in the tall chair in front of me so she could work her magic.

“Ashanta probably already told you, but this is an activewear shoot for the Athlead website and catalog,” she said. “I’ve got a couple of great looks for you. You are, like, a total natural in the fitness wear stuff.”