Sixteen-year-old high school student India gets signed to one of the most elite modelling agencies in town. Her non-identical twin sister, the spunky, smart-mouthed but responsible Stevie is convinced this is no good for her dreamy, influential sister. Starting work in the no-adult-supervision-required world of modelling quickly introduces India to the agency’s top clients: the brooding bad boy Jet, his long-term party-crazy girlfriend Loki, and Jet’s slacker best mate Ryder.
Characters:
Jet, 18: Wounded, clever, cynical bad boy. Our arsehole heart breaker who falls for India. Modelling from a young age and from a comfortable family background. Secretly is a bit ashamed of being a model, but it pays the bills (and then some). Aspires to be a musician, or something ‘serious’: singer/ songwriter, but lacks talent.
India, 16: Spiralling susceptible dreamy girl; a delicate, doe-eyed beauty. Wants to live life/ fall in love/ lose virginity in a way that is magical, mysterious and meaningful (not a realist). Believes beauty comes from within and she gets work because she is connected to her soul. Spontaneous and unreliable. Twin, non-identical sister (and best friends) with:
Stevie, 16. Spunky, out there, bisexual, smart. Whereas India is off with the fairies, Stevie has a smart mouth, is quick with quips and is more of a tough girl. She’s ambitious, politically active, and creative (but India actually has a true visual eye for ‘cool’). She’s an intellect and the voice of reason, something she comes to resent.
Loki, 17: Outspoken, passionate fun girl. High drama, high stress. Up for enjoying the ride, when she’s not in the middle of a massive drama. Life of the party. Lots of energy. Her theory is ‘Go along for any ride’. Slightly flakey, flirtatious, charming, on the go. Loves labels, brands, the best parties, being seen, being fabulous.
Ryder, 17. Laidback slacker boy. Blonde surfer looks, blue eyes, cut. Not used to trying, being smart. Not a deep thinker, but not a bad person. Skater. His apathy is challenged by Stevie. Surprisingly family orientated, gives him a real warmth. Someone who we peel layers back from, after initially seeing in cliché. Wants life to be easy and fun.
Sean, 17: The musician. Serious, talented, worked hard to get where he is. Sean works as a sound mixer/ engineer, for Jet’s band and others. He’s genuinely a good guy, and a bit of a nerd, but he’s not a doormat. Hates himself for being in love with India when he can see she wants to be with Jet. Sandy hair, green eyes, glasses. Vegetarian.
Story:
Loki and Ryder hook-up, leading to the break-up of Jet and Loki. Loki will emerge a swinging single gal with one thing on her mind: FUN. She helps India spiral into the decadent, no-holds-bar, perks-and-parties aplenty world of modelling, which leads to India eventually dropping out of a school, much to Stevie’s chagrin. Was it the right thing to do?
After breaking up with Loki, Jet goes on a bender, ending in a brawl, which the media has a field day with humiliating his conservative politician father. He ends up being kicked out of home, and has to go stay with Ryder. He decides to give up modelling and concentrate on music, but his father has cut him off and he has to start ‘turning tricks’ again. Ryder and Jet talk, and make up.
Ryder hits on Stevie: first she fabulously turns him down but eventually the pair start dating – opposites attract. She encourages him to start tutoring a Russian student as a volunteer English teacher. He does – and hooks up with her, threatening his relationship with Stevie. After a big wake-up call from Stevie – she won’t come when he clicks his fingers – Ryder has to mine his own emotional depth to get her back.
Jet and India will develop their star-crossed lovers attraction to each other but as Jet is emotionally retarded, India will start seeing Sean, the sound mixer in Jet’s “band”, who will start his own very successful band as lead singer, much to aspiring musician Jet’s humiliation. He’s just a bit too ‘real’ for India to really fall for – she gets off on Jet’s darkness and their star-crossed lovers trip – but when Sean’s band starts doing well, everyone sees him in a different light – including India… and Stevie.
Journeys/ questions
India: Our eyes for a journey into being the It Girl. How far is too far? When does experimentation become dangerous? Who is the right guy for her – Sean or Jet?
Stevie: Challenge to love her sister despite her overnight success for having good genes, and the fact they don’t connect completely – they are very different people, even though they are twins. When to have fun, when to work? Who is the right guy for her? What does she want to do with her life? Is her sister’s success a blessing or a curse?
Georgia Clark
Georgia is a Writer 