Project Runway: Parts I - III

[Dimitri Demetropolous]

Early Saturday morning Dimitri Demetropolous awoke with a start. The sound of a howling wind still rang in his ears. The smell of salt water and rain still lingered in his nostrils.

He fumbled around in the dark and felt his glasses lying on the table next to his bed. He put them on and stood up. He could hear the slow and steady breathing of his room mates as they slept soundly in their beds. He wondered what dreams were going through their minds.

Dimitri dressed quietly and exited the room. Before he closed the door he looked over to the right of the room. Dimitri could just barely see the outline of his body in the moonlight as it reflected brightly off the sheet. He shook his head and sighed.

The day passed quickly for Dimitri. He made up a Trigonometry test. He then went to the library and checked out three books on Communism. At an early age, he’d been gifted with true eidetic memory. He could read pages just by glancing at them. He was no savant, but the memory with words was impeccable.

He read the books and began working on his paper comparing the differences between the ideals of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin. He took off his glasses and set them down. He rubbed the back of his neck because his could feel a tension headache brewing.

“There is no contrast to either of their ideals…they had the same concept.” He muttered. He put his glasses back on and looked at the clock. He had plenty of daylight left to burn, but nothing to do. His thoughts began to drift back to the night before at Pocket D.

It was the first time that he’d actually ventured out into this Interdimensional Dance Club on a busy night. He’d heard rumors that Friday nights were the best time to go. As he thought about it now, he was almost sorry for the main reason he went. He did manage to make several new friends and got to interact with several students. But the main reason he went…it was too ridiculous to even think about now.

But someone saw what happened the night before. Dimitri wasn’t completely sure, but it was just he look on the guy’s face that made him uneasy. That smug grin that Dimitri found so annoying. Besides he also wanted to talk to him about other things as well. If the rumors were true then he might be able to get some answers and Dimitri knew just where to find this boy…

Some twenty minutes later Dimitri made a soft landing on the sidewalk in Steel Canyon. He’d only been to this shop once before, and it was to update his Super Costume. This was where he first met Rocco Ritchie, and where he received his first lesson in high fashion. Dimitri took a deep breath and opened the door. The shop was not as busy as it was the first time he’d been. There were a few people chatting back and forth pointing at different costumes. Dimitri always felt awkward in clothing stores. He’d never had the best taste in clothes. He walked past a mirror and looked at himself. He thought he looked ok. He was wearing a sweater of deep cranberry, and dark blue denims. Dimitri never felt that he was unattractive, in fact he didn’t realize just what a catch he was until he came to Paragon City.

“Nope! NO! Wrong…it’s all wrong! You did NOT, I repeat did NOT wear that sweater in public. Dimitri Demetropolous, you are violation, of Paragon City’s Dress Code 319, you have the right to remain dressed, any and all clothes that can be removed will be burned in a pile on the lawn.” Said a very loud rustic voice.

Startled, Dimitri looked to his right and saw the tall buff figure of Rocco Ritchie approaching him with great haste.

[Dimitri Demetropolous]

Startled, Dimitri looked to his right and saw the tall buff figure of Rocco Ritchie approaching him with great haste.

“Hey Rocco, how ya doin?” he asked.

“I am doing all right I reckon. But you’re in desperate need of a make over. Serge! Serge! We’re gonna need the Vanguard for this one!”

A squat man began to walk over. He had a certain air in his step that gave him an almost gliding walk.

“Oh jes, I zee what you mean Signor Rocco. Eet is definitely horrible. Girls? Oh Girls?” He said in his thick fem accent, snapping his fingers. Two very beautiful girls came running up behind him.

Before Dimitri knew what hit him, he was being hauled to a dressing room and stripped of his garments.

He felt hands all over his body as he was being redressed into a silver robe. Everything began to move in a blur for Dimitri. It was a brand new experience.

“Serge! We need music…and Coca Cola….Light on the ice… and with a twise of lemon! Dimitri you like Coke don’t you?” Rocco asked.

At first Dimitri just wanted to decline everything but then another pretty girl entered the room she was wearing a dark grey cocktail dress. She was tall, thin. Dimitri knew he’d seen her before.

“Thanks Romilda,” Rocco said. The young lady, Romilda gave Rocco a mischievous wink and left.

“I know her.” Dimitri said.

“Yeah well I think you should. She and I were just on the cover of last month’s ICON Teen magazine. We did that shoot in Boomtown. Lea Moreno was our photographer, she wanted to combine destruction with desire…something like that.” Rocco said sipping on his Coke. Dimitri then realized that Rocco was in the same kind of robe as he. There were two young men at his feet massaging them and cleaning his toenails. Dimitri choked on his second sip, trying not to laugh.

“What? You’ve never seen a pedicure before? Dimitri, you have GOT to get out more! My God, Serge?”

“Signor Rocco?” said Serge as he scurried into the room. He was carrying a tray that several bottles of chemicals. He was accompanied by a young man with slightly long dark brown hair. He had clear blue eyes, and sunken cheeks. Despite is sullen appearance, he was strikingly handsome.

“Oh, Dimitri, this is Andrew. He’s going to do something about your hair. Inga and Hilda will do something with your nails and when the twins are done with my twins, they’ll take care of yours!” Rocco said bobbing his head to the unmistakable voices of ABBA playing above.

Dimitri just sat back. He let the music play above him. He looked to his left and could see how much Rocco was enjoying himself. He now understood why the boy spent so much time on the dance floor. Even now just sitting in a chair getting his feet massaged, sipping a soda, he still had an aura of absolute pleasure about him.

“Rocco, I needed to talk to you.” Dimitri finally said.

“Oh yeah. I’ve been wanting to talk to you too. I never did thank you for that help with my English essay. Honestly, Milton of all people she could assign, she assigned me Milton! I would have much rather done a paper on Gunn. He’s far more intriguing.”

“Robert Gunn?” Dimitri asked immediately thinking of the Dutch Poet.

“No, Tim Gunn.”

“Who is that?”

Rocco was taken aback. Almost as if Dimitri had said something foul and offensive.

“Tim Gunn…the biggest Fashion Expert in the country! Meats and Cheeses Dimitri, what rock do you live under? Project Runway, Bravo, Reality TV? Dimitri seriously!”

“I don’t watch too much reality TV. I got hooked on that one show about the guy who claimed to be a millionaire but didn’t have a dime to his name. But that’s about it.”

“Well you’d love this.”

Dimitri had always pictured Rocco to be the arrogant type. And he was to an extent. But Rocco was more than just a pretty face. He did not lack intelligence. And from what Dimitri had heard, Rocco had a humble beginning.

Dimitri and Rocco spent the day at ICON. Rocco was giving Dimitri the latest scoop about the goings on in Paragon City. Dimitri sat there debating how he was going to approach the subject that was itching at him. He knew that Rocco had seen something, what he’d seen, Dimitri did not know.

“Hey Rocco?” Dimitri asked.

Rocco was bobbing his head as Anastasia worked on his nails.

“What’s up?”

“I wanted to talk to you about something. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I’m gay.”

“I know. Why you’re telling me, I have no clue. I don’t care though. You’re all right.”

Dimitri knew Rocco would be ok with it. That wasn’t his concern.

“Well, I need some advice. And a favor.” Dimitri said.

Rocco raised an eyebrow.

“I think I’ve had my first crush, and first heartbreak.”

“And you’re telling me because?” Rocco asked.

“I know you saw us last night.”

Rocco smiled.

[Dimitri Demetropolous]

“And if I did?”

“I’d appreciate if you kept quiet about it. I made a mistake about him. I was wrong. And I don’t want people thinking the wrong thing.”

“Dimitri, don’t worry. I’m not going to say anything. I do want to ask you a question though.”

“What’s that?” Dimitri asked.

“Why’d ya do it?”

“Kiss him?”
“No, why did you think that you were in the same league as him?”

Dimitri looked at Rocco for a moment. He didn’t know exactly what to say. He’d expected Rocco to be a jerk, but he didn’t expect him to be downright cruel.

“Rocco, you ass. That was mean. That…really hurt my feelings.”

“Well I’m sorry but it’s true. You are from opposite sides of the tracks. You, are nice. Sweet, caring, all that. He on the other hand is arrogant, pompous, and an ass.”

Dimitri leaned back.

“You know Rocco. You’re not as bad as I thought you were.”

“Well that’s what ya get for thinking! Might hurt yourself so be careful.”

Dimitri smiled. Rocco smiled back. They spent the rest of the afternoon getting pampered and groomed by Serge and his team. Dimitri was finally enjoying himself for a change. He and Rocco talked about all sorts of things. Dimitri learned a little of Rocco’s past while returning the favor.

“Wow.” Rocco finally said as Dimitri finished telling him about Backbay. “It sounds like it was a great place. You’re dad sounds cool. Sounds to me like he was a genius. You should be proud of him.”

“I am. I just wish I knew what went wrong. He was so determined to prevent things like Katrina from happening.”

Dimitri was silent for a moment. He gave a soft laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Rocco asked.

“I was thinking about something. ‘I am become Death. Destroyer of Worlds.”

“What’s that mean?”

“Oppenheimer said it when he invented the Bomb. He said it when it was first tested.”

“Deep. I mean, yeah, that’s deep.”

There was silence between them. Dimitri stared at the floor as Margot was finishing his hair.

“So have the two of you talked?” Rocco finally asked breaking the silence.

“No not really. I think it’s best we avoid one another. I don’t want things to get awkward.” Dimitri replied.

“They’ll only get awkward if you let them. Apparently you like him. He obviously likes you, although he won’t ever come right out and say it. But have you asked yourself if waiting for him to snap out of it is the right decision. You’d be letting life pass you by you know.”

“I guess you’re right Rocco.” Dimitri said looking into the mirror examining his new hair cut. “It’s…well…wow. It’s different that’s for sure. Do you think it’s me?”

“Dimitri, Dimitri…I’m the Famous Fashion Police…and I say, it's you..."