More Than I Ever Imagined

Chapter 1

"Ok, just take a deep breath and I'll pull it off in one go," Claire says as she reaches for my face again. What's on my face you ask? A strip of fake gems. Today for my YouTube channel, I did a gem-based makeup look. It's the first time in quite a while that I did a look that doesn't involve some sort of mortifying wound. Claire, my roommate, is now helping me get these damned gems off. I was able to get most of them off, but the strip of gems just wouldn't come off. Like she said, I took a deep breath and she yanked it off my face.

"Fuck! That stings!" I exclaim as I gingerly poke at my cheek. The sting fades away into nothing after a few seconds.

"Maybe we should've tried soaking it in water or something," Claire says as she examines the strip of gems.

"And why did we not think of that earlier?" I ask and shake my head. "Ladies and gentelmen, Claire and I are absolute idiots," I say as I look at the camera that's set up on its tripod. Once I finish getting the makeup off my face, I say my little outro and turn off my camera. "Thanks for your help man."

"Ah, no problem," Claire replies with a smile.

"Has Sky been fed her dinner yet?" I ask as I pull open my laptop.

"I had just fed her when you called for me," shes answers.

"Oh good. I'm about to start checking my emails from today. "Wanna help? Or do you have work to do?" I ask.

"I can help," she replies and scoots over to my laptop. We then proceed to look through both of my emails. My personal email and my 'work' email. My work email contains emails from YouTube and messages from fans and such whereas my personal email contains emails from family and my college professors, though I'm taking a bit of a break from college at the moment.

"Always so much junk," I mutter. After we finish going through a ton of fan messages in my work email, we move over to my personal email. There's only one new email.

"Who's Sebastian Meek?" Claire asks.

"I have no idea," I say as I open the email. "Hello Ms. Fletcher. I am Sebastian Meek, assistant of Mr. Peter Jackson in the Hobbit trilogy. It has come to our attention that you are an excellent makeup artist. Peter Jackson would like to invite you to New Zealand as a makeup artist for the set of the Hobbit. Email me right away once you have made your decision and I will send you a ticket to New Zealand. Sincerely, Sebastian Meek." I read the email aloud.

"Holy shit Sylva," Claire gasps. "That's so cool! Man, I'd love to visit New Zealand." The words I read slowly process. Once they do, excitement fills my body.

"I've been dreaming of a day like this. I've always wanted to be a makeup artist on a movie set. And to be invited to be a makeup artist on the set of the Hobbit? I never would've imagined that would happen.

"You have to say yes. And when you get there, make sure to send me pictures of everything!" Claire orders excitedly.

"If I say yes, you do realize that I would be away for months, right?" I ask her.

"Well... I can deal with that. And for rent, our friend Emily has been looking for a roommate, so she can stay in that extra room and pay the rent you pay. That way I won't have to struggle to pay rent and you'll still have your room when you come back," Claire says with a smile after a moment, proud of her quick thinking.

"That's... actually a good idea. But what about my Sky? I don't want to leave without her," I say, looking at the cute little Birman cat that's sleeping on my pillow.

"Ask if you can take her. Most planes allow cats to be in a carrier under the seat," she says. I sit and think for a while, contemplating. I just quit my job at Wendy's, my boss was getting far too out of hand lately. I'm on a year long break from college. So all I do currently is work on content for my channel. If I can bring Sky, I would definitely say yes. This could be a great start in getting into the movie makeup artist industry.

"I think I've made my decision." Claire let's out a happy squeal and hugs me tight.

"Fuck yeah! You're gonna be the best makeup artist there!" Claire says happily. "Now reply to that email!" I chuckle at her and begin typing a reply. I got an email back almost immediately after.

"Hello again Ms. Fletcher. Your cat will be allowed. We just ask that if she makes any sort of mess that it be cleaned as soon as possible. We can also allow her on set as long as she's on a leash or you are sure that she will stay out of the way. I'm sure the actors and rest of the crew would love to have your cat with us. Your job will be to be the makeup artist of one of the actors who play a dwarf. Which actor you will be attending will be determined at a later date. You will also be the main wound effects makeup artist as well as one of the few who will follow us to our location sets in case an actor needs any touch ups between takes. Attached to this email is your plane ticket to New Zealand. Your flight will be on the 18th of March and filming will begin on the 21st. You will be staying at a hotel along with the rest of the crew and cast. I, as well as Peter Jackson and possibly a couple cast or crew members will greet you at the airport and bring you to the studio. Afterwards, someone will bring you to the hotel and you will be shown to your room. If you have anymore questions, just let me know. We'll see you then. Sincerely, Sebastian Meek." The eighteenth? That's soon. Real soon.

"That is so awesome. You get to meet Peter Jackson himself!" Claire shrieks.

"Well, with me working for him at the studio and on location, I'm pretty sure I'd meet him even if he doesn't come to greet me at the airport. And meeting him isn't at the forefront of my mind right now. The butch is lucky I ain't got a job. Now, I need to pack and be finished by tomorrow evening so that all I need to do the morning after is get ready and head to the airport," I explain as I get up and pull my two suitcases out of the closet.

"Wait, so how long is the flight?" she asks, looking at the laptop.

"Let's see. The day after tomorrow, the plane leaves Shreveport at 7 and arrives at George Bush International Airport. An hour and eleven minute long flight. Then there's an eight hour layover! That'll be fun. And then at 4:25 in the afternoon, the plane leaves and arrives at LAX at 6. A three and a half hour flight. Then a two and a half hour layover. At 8:30 the plane leaves and arrives in Auckland at 5:30 in the morning. That's a thirteen hour flight. A layover for an hour and fourth five minutes. The last plane leaves at 7:15 and arrive in Wellington at 8:25. That's about an hour long flight. So in total... 31 hours and 25 minutes between the time the first flight leaves and the last flight lands. Sky and I are in for a long journey," I say, reading off of the flight itinerary and then quickly mentally calculating the total time.

"God, that's insane. So you land in Wellington at 8:25 on the..?"

"On the 20th," I finished for her after thinking for a moment.

"Damn. Ok, let's get you packed," Claire says before opening all of my drawers. "You'll be gone for over a year I'd imagine so you gotta take pretty much everything." She then helps me take out and pack my shirts, my pants, my undergarments. "And just in case, bring a couple dresses. At least one formal and one kinda casual. I think these two will do," she says as she pulls out one of my short dresses, not super short, between the knee and halfway, and my one long dress.

"I haven't worn those in so long. Good thing I've been maintaining my wait," I say with a chuckle. "And I suppose I should bring the matching heels for both."

"Yes!" She pulls out two pairs of heels. One, I love, the other, not so much. "And your combat boots. You'll need those if you go on less easy terrain. Hmm a couple spare shoes, and that should be it," she says with a proud smile.

"Sounds about right. We got shoes, socks, undergarments, pants, shirts, dresses, heels. Oh, jackets," I list off each item on my fingers.

"Right! 'Cause you get cold easily. We don't need you freezing out there!" she says and pulls out a coat and a couple light jackets.

"Ok, besides toiletries and stuff for Sky, that seems about it for check bags. I'll organize all the clothes tomorrow. I'll also need to buy a carrier for Sky. And once I'm done with all that, I'll edit videos and then I'll make and post a quick video explaining that I'll be on a little semi-hiatus," I say as I write all of this down on a piece of paper.

"I'll let you sleep. I'll cook tomorrow and Friday so you can just focus on getting ready. Are you gonna let your family? Or are you still not on speaking terms?"

"I'll tell some of them." And with that, she leaves my room and I sit in bed, now going through shock with all that's happened this evening.