Project Apollo: Book Two ✔️

Chapter Twenty-Five

Jason Archer

"I'm a pretty princess!" Axton hopped around the room while I open-mouthed stared at him. "Look at me! Look at me!" He twirled around. "Someone get me a wand! I want to be a fairy princess."

Celine nodded along with Axton's babbling. "There is too much glitter on his face. It should be illegal."

"It's his fault," I commented as I stared at Axton jumping around the room. "I told him we should stop, but he begged for more."

"That's what she said." Celine snorted. "But even though it's a lot of glitter, you somehow made it work, Jason. You're talented. So talented. I mean," She turned toward me, showing off the look I'd given to her. Purples and blacks. They suited her style. "Look at me. I might have opted out of the glitter, but you did a fabulous job."

Aurora dropped beside me, shaking her head. "I've never felt more beautiful. No one tell Declan–his man feelings might get hurt."

Dylan snorted. "You're not wrong. He's a very sensitive man."

As they went on to discuss Declan's feelings, I looked into the mirror. I'd done Aurora and Celine's makeup, and then Axton's. His took the longest because he kept complaining about needing more glitter, and moved around far too much. At one point, I almost called for Alaric to come upstairs to keep him in the same spot, but I persevered. But as for me, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do.

I wasn't sure if I was ready to try.

I kept telling myself I needed to take steps. I told myself that only my friends were in this room, and they wouldn't judge me. And I told myself that I was safe. No one in this house was going to hurt me for wearing makeup. The one I was terrified of finding out about my love for makeup was the one currently wearing himself out by jumping around the room.

However long I sat there was enough time for Axton to sit beside me where Celine used to be. He looked at me through the mirror, no longer in a playful mood it seemed. I'd been so lost that I didn't notice he'd stopped running around. I filtered out the sound and only heard my thoughts.

All the glitter.

Just...so much glitter.

"No matter when you do it, those thoughts will still be there. But if you aren't mentally ready today, that is okay. No one is going to make you feel like a lower person because of it."

I blinked as those blue eyes trailed over my face–searching for any signs of distress. But there just...wasn't any. The idea of doing it didn't scare me as it once did. Was I still scared? Sure. But it felt...quieter now. The demons were still coming out to play, but they were a distance away.

I turned to face the mirror and then my friends did the same. All of them were studying me closely–I knew they were worried I'd collapse within myself, but I didn't feel a breakdown on the horizon. The last time I was caught putting makeup on, Axton reached for my pallets and put them back on my vanity. He talked me down from a panic attack at another point. He told me it was okay. The one I was scared of finding out told me my interests weren't shameful.

No, Axton validated me, and it took me until now to realize how much he did. How much everyone did. In this room, I was safe. In this house, I was safe. I was safe. My friends wanted to support me, and if I couldn't do it now, when would I be able to?

Without looking away from the mirror, I held my hand out. "Hand it over."

Celine squealed. "Yes!" She handed over three different pallets before she dropped down next to Aurora, and her boyfriend settled behind us. "We are right here if you need anything."