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Todos los capítulos de Beautiful All Along: Capítulo 1 - Capítulo 10

10 Capítulos

Chapter 1

The photographer sent over several more unedited shots. None had been retouched or filtered. They were simply photos of me from different angles.I was simply standing there, but there was a light in my eyes that I barely recognized."You have great features. You just tense up whenever you look into the camera," he said.Whenever Ethan photographed me, he'd ask the same question. "Could you at least try to smile naturally?"After only a few shots, he'd lose patience and lower the camera. "Forget it."Then he'd frown and complain, "Why are you always so awkward in front of a camera?"He repeated it so often that eventually, I believed him. The moment someone raised a camera, I'd duck my head or turn away, already certain I'd look terrible.My phone buzzed.My roommate had forwarded me Chloe's social media post. It featured a nine-photo grid of graduation pictures, all taken by Ethan. Chloe stood beneath a tree, the breeze catching her hair perfectly."Graduation photos by the p

Chapter 2

Ethan's face tightened."Without me, you'll never get a single decent photo," he said flatly.I ignored him.At exactly 4:00 pm that afternoon, I arrived at the library's west entrance.I used to help Ethan whenever he had a shoot. While he photographed Chloe, I carried his lenses, held the reflector, brought him water, and kept an eye on the bags.If the hem of Chloe's dress fell out of place, I would instinctively step over and fix it for her. After the shoot, Ethan would have me import the photos.But whenever he photographed me, he couldn't even be bothered to adjust his camera settings.That day was the first time I got to stand in front of the camera instead of helping from outside the frame.The photographer didn't start shooting right away. He had me stand beside the steps."Relax your shoulders and forget the camera is there. Watch the wind move through the trees. Look at anything you want."I raised my head stiffly.He looked at me for a moment. "Nina, the camera i

Chapter 3

I submitted my video on the day entries closed. The whole thing was only a minute long, but I'd watched it at least 50 times.It opened at the library's west entrance. I walked past the steps with an armful of books, then glanced back at the camera.The middle featured the athletic field, the science building, and the graduation photo backdrop.In the final shot, I stood at the campus entrance and said, "I hope that when you come here, you'll find yourself along the way too."My fingers were still trembling after the submission went through.The photographer messaged me. "You did great. Now you can relax and get some sleep."But I couldn't sleep.I'd always hidden behind other people whenever a camera was involved. This time, I'd put myself in front of it.Three days later, the preliminary results came out. The Office of Admissions posted the shortlisted entries on its official social media account.First Place: Nina WildeSecond Place: Chloe LloydI stared at the screen, to

Chapter 4

I headed toward the Office of Communications with my phone clenched in my hand. It kept buzzing the entire way. The posts on the campus forum were still blowing up."She's actually going in to explain herself?""Wait, does that mean something really was wrong with her entry?""An admissions ambassador is supposed to represent the college. If her whole image was staged, how can she represent anyone?""Do you think there's something going on between her and that photographer?"I stopped short.Being called unphotogenic was one thing. This was vile. They weren't questioning my entry anymore. They were attacking my character.Representatives from the Office of Admissions and the Office of Communications were waiting for me, along with the head of Student Affairs.Printed screenshots of the forum posts lay on the table beside stills from my entry video.Ms. Carter from the Office of Communications addressed me in a serious tone. "Nina, a student has come forward and accused you of

Chapter 5

Feeling slowly returned to my fingers as I stared at the message.Ethan saw it too and frowned. "He actually had the nerve to come here?"I ignored him and headed downstairs.A young man in a black shirt stood by the stairs downstairs from the Office of Communications, holding a document envelope.The moment he saw me, he asked, "Are you holding up okay?"My nose stung, and I nodded."Don't be afraid. I brought everything we need," he said.Ethan followed me outside. His face tightened the moment he recognized the photographer."Caleb Grant?"Someone nearby gasped."Isn't that Caleb Grant? He won the Gold Award at the National Collegiate Photography Exhibition.""Didn't he shoot some B-roll for one of the college's admissions videos?"Caleb ignored them and handed me the envelope. "Come on. Let's go inside and clear this up."Back in the office, Ms. Carter looked up. "You're the photographer?"Caleb set his student ID, award certificate, screenshots of our messages on the

Chapter 6

The college released an official statement that evening. "After reviewing the evidence, the college has confirmed that Nina is the person shown in her entry."No commercial production team was involved, and there is no evidence of excessive editing, AI face-swapping, or the use of any unfair advantage or unauthorized resources."The college will continue its investigation and take appropriate action against anyone found to have deliberately fabricated or spread false allegations."The forum posts were quickly deleted, but screenshots had already spread everywhere. The same people who had questioned my integrity suddenly changed their tune."So it really was her.""Caleb was behind the camera? No wonder it looked so professional.""So who started the rumor that something was going on between her and the photographer?"The photography club group chat stayed silent for a long time.Finally, someone sent a message. "Everyone, stop spreading the rumors."A moment later, the private

Chapter 7

The instructions for the final round arrived soon after.The Office of Admissions asked the five finalists to submit a new three-minute video based on the theme "My College and Me."I sat staring at a blank document for a long time.Caleb had helped me slowly figure out what I wanted to say in that first one-minute video. But a three-minute video was different.This time, I had to stand in front of the camera and tell everyone who I really was.Caleb sat across from me in the library and put the lens cap back on his camera."What's the one thing you want incoming students to know?" he asked.I thought for a long moment before answering, "I want them to know they don't have to be afraid of being ordinary."The answer surprised even me. When I first started college, I thought I was ordinary. I wasn't pretty enough, outgoing enough, or good with words. I never photographed well.Then Ethan kept telling me I wasn't photogenic and had no business being in front of the camera. So I

Chapter 8

On the day of the final round, all five videos were screened in the college auditorium.Chloe sat in the front row in a pale blue dress, with Ethan beside her and his camera in hand.At events like this, they always seemed to take center stage. Chloe showed up looking beautiful, and Ethan made sure to capture every moment. I was usually off to the side, watching their bags.But this time, I sat with the other finalists, though my palms were still slick with sweat.From the back row, Caleb sent me a message. "Stop watching the screen. You've done your part. Now it's their turn to see you."Chloe's video played first, and Ethan had done an impressive job.She smiled sweetly as she walked beneath the cherry blossoms, stood by the lake, and posed outside one of the academic buildings. Every shot was beautifully framed.The audience applauded.Someone whispered, "Chloe's perfect for the admissions campaign. She looks like she belongs in a college brochure."I heard them, but this t

Chapter 9

Soon after the results were announced, the college posted an update on its official social media account, with my video featured at the top.Some of the comments read:"She sounds so genuine.""This actually makes me want to apply here.""She may not be the most striking, but she's the one you remember."As I read through them, the tension inside me slowly faded.I finally understood that being seen didn't mean impressing everyone. Sometimes, it simply meant saying something that made another person feel understood.Things weren't going nearly as well for Chloe.The college traced several of the earliest comments stirring up hostility against me on the campus forum to one of her burner accounts.She was disqualified from the admissions ambassador selection, and the photography club stopped recommending her for promotional shoots.I heard she spent a long time looking for Ethan in tears. But this time, he didn't rush to her defense.Instead, he started turning up wherever I w

Chapter 10

The day the official admissions video went live, I was in the library. My phone kept buzzing. My roommate was flooding our group chat with messages."Nina! Check the college homepage! You're on it!"I opened the link.The video opened on the campus entrance at dawn, then slowly faded to a shot of me standing on the library steps with an armful of books. I looked up to the camera.I didn't shy away or freeze up. I didn't force a smile, either.My own voice played over the footage. "I hope that when you come here, you'll find yourself along the way too."My social media feed filled with comments."This admissions video is so comforting to watch.""There's a light in her eyes.""This video makes the college seem so welcoming."As I stared at the screen, I thought back to graduation photo day.Ethan had barely bothered, snapping just two pictures. My eyes were closed in one, and half my face was hidden in the tree's shadow in the other.Back then, I had stood there convinced th

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