Masterpiece [h.s]

ten

Carter isn't usually the one to get all 'dolled up' for interviews, or for anything really. She loves the edgy and the grunge look and she doesn't care all that much about appearances. But today is important and she doesn't want to risk being turned down for any reason at all.

She deliberately put on some nicer clothes and dimmed her makeup down just a touch so that it didn't look too dramatic. If it goes well, today can easily be the start to the best days of her life. She needs this to go well.

The weather, however, isn't in a very chipper mood. Outside, dark clouds blanket the horizon and thick, heavy raindrops descend upon every uncovered surface, drenching everything that they can get their greedy hands on.

Carter feels rushed because of it and she isn't very patient with, well, anything. Harry calls her the moment that she opens her umbrella and she almost throws her phone into the brick of the building. She's anxious and irritated already and he certainly isn't helping.

"What? What do you want?"

Harry flinches on the other end. She's never been so hostile with him before and he doesn't know what he did.

"I...uh...sorry. It isn't important. I'll text you later if you still want to know."

Carter sighs heavily and pinches the bridge of her nose, her umbrella clutched in her other hand as the rain threatens to claim her at any moment. "Right. Okay. I have a very important interview and I'm really stressed about it, so please wait until a much later hour. Goodbye, Harry."

Her heels click far less noisily than usual against the sidewalk as she hurriedly walks through the wall of rain. Its volume is so loud that she feels like it's rushing in her ears, much like the 'sounds of the ocean' when one places a shell to their ear.

Everything is setting her on edge. She's never been so nervous in her entire life. Just getting told that she's being considered for the show is such a massive deal. Only twenty people are going to make it through and so many have entered that it's overwhelming just to think about.

Carter doesn't care about becoming famous or being on television, she's concerned with the art. She wants to be known for her works and the emotions that she puts behind them. Money isn't ever a problem, even when her business is struggling, her concern has always been about the masterpiece.

She arrives at the building that she's supposed to meet the judges at twenty minutes early, which really impresses everyone except herself. Despite the fact that she's early, she's still itching for things to go well and to get things over with. Just to have the opportunity to show her art to a wider spectrum of people is astounding.

One she makes into the actual interview her tension is set free. It's like being in the room with these three renowned artists/judges was all she needed to be her calm, professional self.

"How long have you been tattooing?"

Carter beams even though the question makes her nervous again. Most people think that she looks older than she is and it tends to worry them when she tells them that her experience isn't a super high number of years. "Almost nine years now. I started a bit young, really, but you can't hold back passion."

The judges look impressed and she almost sighs in relief.

"Really!? Only eight years? Your work is so clean and brilliant; it looks like you've got at least 12 under your machine."

Carter laughs and relaxes again, "So I've been told."

"I would hope so! Well, it looks like we've got everything that we need. Do you have any questions for us before you go?"