Becoming Friends and Falling in Love with a Pugh x Y/N

Chapter 1 - A fateful casting call.

I woke up, groaning to the aggressive sound of my alarm. Why was it so bloody loud? Why did my phone say it was 4 am, and WHY was my head pounding? As I fumbled to switch off my alarm, the realization hit me. I had gone to the pub for a casual drink with my best friend Amelia the night before, and somehow, one thing had led to another, and we'd stayed out till 2:00 am. Today, I was going to be an extra for a movie shoot in London, and I was violently hungover. Great. I moaned, burying my face into a pillow and cursing drunk me for poor decision-making. I pitied my predicament. Why did I agree to this shit?

Giving the loudest sigh known to mankind, I shuffled my way to the bathroom, violently snorting air through my nose as I passed through the kitchen. My best friend sat at the table, eating cornflakes in the dark, looking like she'd just crawled out of her grave. The hangover was hitting.

"I guess we are making it," I said. She mumbled something incoherent and collapsed her head on her arm, still chewing. "Me too, Ames, me too. Don't worry. I'll make us coffee in a few minutes," I groaned, shuffling the rest of the way to the bathroom.

After a hot shower, I felt much better. We downed espresso shots in a way that was reminiscent of the tequila still on my breath, and I scoffed down some cornflakes. The September weather was warm, and I wore white linen trousers, a forest green button-up, and a brown leather jacket to protect against any early-morning chill. I chose brown loafers and put my short blonde hair in a matching green claw clip. I decided it would be best to wear minimal jewellery, and I opted for a pearl necklace, some dangly green orb earrings, and my favourite emerald-studded ring my grandma had given me. I quickly ran a mascara wand through my eyelashes and dabbed on some concealer to cover a spot on my chin and my under-eye circles. My tote bag was the last thing I grabbed, which I had stuffed with water, snacks, and a box of the all-essential, hopefully miracle-working Panadol.

Feeling more "ameliorated," as I put it, winking at Amelia, we trod yawning out the door, silently making our way to the tube. We had no energy to talk. The filming location was at Notting Hill. When we arrived at the set, plenty of crew milled around, and an "extras this way" sign helpfully pointed our addled brains to our destination. We were ushered under a gazebo, where they began the briefing. Amelia and I were tasked with perusing the flowers on a stand outside a Florist. The leading actor, Sienna, would be coming along the street for a talking flashback scene with her father, and the extras would be positioned in the background as "casual shoppers". The speaker informed us there would be a 45-minute wait before we were required and advised us to wait in the pavilion.

After helping myself to a muffin from the well-received snack table, I began to process what the day would look like. I knew very little. I had arrived in London one week earlier, and everything had been a whirlwind. I'd signed up and sent in an audition video while holidaying in Greece after Amelia (an extra in several movies) suggested it could be fun before I went out and found a "real job" in London. Through travelling, jet lag, and the excitement of catching up with my friend, I hadn't bothered to look at anything other than the sign-up link Amelia had sent me and the "what to bring" information email.

"This seems like a huge movie set", I commented to Amelia.

Amelia nodded in agreement. "Maybe we'll be someone super famous", she joked.

I laughed, "surely!". 

Nursing our hangovers, Amelia and I chatted away, mingling with the extras: an hour and a half passed. 

"I wonder what's happened," I remarked to Amelia and another girl I had met called Jemima, "they said we would wait 45 minutes". They both shrugged, murmuring a similar sentiment.

After a few minutes, a crewman entered, and his eyes scanned the extras. His eyes roved over to me, and we locked eyes. He began to walk in our direction.