This Is Me Famous

Chapter 1

                                       

Everything I owned was packed away. All eighteen years of my life fit into eight cardboard boxes ready to ship to LA. Tonight, I'd graduate high school, and tomorrow, I'd be on a flight to start the next chapter of my life. I looked around my room, the walls and shelves now empty, dust outlining where my posters and trophies used to be. I couldn't believe I was leaving for the last time. 

Next week, my mom and little sister would move into an apartment two towns over, where mom had gotten a new job. I'd grown up in this house, moving in with my mom when she married my stepdad. I'd been five when she met Daniel, and he was the only father I'd ever known. Shortly after my sister Kiera was born, he'd been in a fatal accident. It was all mom could do to not loose the house. It's been three years, and the insurance money ran out six months ago, she didn't have a choice but to leave. 

I could have moved with her, stayed and helped with my sister, but I'd been given another offer. One that my mom wouldn't let me turn down. I'd been given the chance to not only hang out with my best friend on the set of his current film project, like I had done for the past five years, but I'd been told I could be an extra in the movie. It was a great way to jump start my career in acting, something I'd been working towards since I was three. My mom joked that I was the one that gave the acting bug to Hayden, but I know that's not true. 

Hayden Christensen had been in my life since I was exactly four days old. My favorite picture was of him sitting in my mom's hospital room holding me, looking down at me with a look of total awe. He'd been like my big brother, and now, he was going to help me make my dreams come true. 

He was the reason I was getting to be an extra in the final Star Wars movie. He'd pulled a few strings, and emailed me from Queensland, Australia to give me the good news. While my boxes went to his condo in LA, I'd fly to London to start prepping. It wouldn't be my first time on a Star Wars set, I spent three weeks watching the previous film getting made. It would be my first time donning Jedi clothing, though. 

A knock on my door stirred me from my thoughts, and I looked up to see my mom standing there, my graduation gown freshly pressed. She inhaled deeply and looked around with a sadness in her eyes. 

"This is it." She sighed. 

"Yeah, this is it." I said with a nod. I stood up, the hem of my silk black dress kissing my ankles. I took the gown from her. 

"The hat's downstairs, with a surprise." She smiled. I tilted my head as I pulled the red robe on and gave her a quizzical look. "You'll see." 

She zipped up the unflattering gown and draped my cord around my shoulders. I was the Valedictorian of my class, and my mom couldn't be prouder. I followed her downstairs, where I found a room full of people. 

"Dave! Alie!" I said with surprise, letting them each pull me in for a hug. "You guys came!" 

"Of course we did." Dave beamed. "You're family, we couldn't miss this." 

"I promised Hayden we'd take lots of pictures. He's so sorry he couldn't come." Alie frowned. 

"He's busy, I get it." I replied. Having his parents here was enough. I looked at the rest of the room, clearly, they hadn't come alone. Tove and Hesja, his older brother and sister were the next to hug me. I was then bombarded by the youngest Christensen child, Kaylen, who was about eighteen months younger than me. 

"Now that you'll be in LA with Hayden, I see no reason for you to not visit when he does." Tove said with a smile. "I haven't seen you in three years, and look at you, smartest girl in your class."