I See You [REWRITING]

chapter 22: full of stars

A few hours later I'm dressed in the outfit Isla picked out for me with gold smoke around my eyes bringing out the blue in them, done by Robyn. She even did my hair, adding texture to my usually wavy hair with a Dutch waterfall braid on one side of my head. My two friends taking pride in my appearance before heading out, demanding that I call them the second I get home from my date.

The person staring back at me in the mirror doesn't look like me, but somehow it is. It's me and I wonder if this will change things. I look like a completely different person, done up and purposeful. And yet, I know it's still me. It still feels like me. My usual style the exact opposite and my thoughts send me spiralling, wondering if Felix will care.

If he'll prefer this version of me.

The picture perfect creation of my friends.

The version with smooth edges instead of cracks.

I wonder if it'll change things for him.

I worry that it will.

"Stevie," Greyson says my name as he knocks on my door, already slightly ajar. "Felix is downstairs."

"Okay," I nod, my heart hammering as I take one last glance at my reflection. I smooth my hand over my outfit, adjusting the fabric that crosses over my chest. "How do I look?"

"You look nice, Vee," he smiles. "You doing okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good," I tell him. "Why? Should I not be?"

"No," he shakes his head. "Ike just mentioned you were a little freaked out this morning."

"I was, but he talked me down," I say as I walk towards the door, grabbing my phone from the nightstand and tossing it into my bag as I put it on my shoulder. "We should give him more credit. He gives good advice."

"I think it runs in the family," Greyson smiles at me and moves his arm around my shoulder when I join him in the hallway. "You've got the gene too."

"I know," I teasingly grin at him when I notice the scene at the bottom of the stairs.

My eyes immediately widen when I spot each of them giving Felix a death glare, telling him if he does anything to hurt me – he's dead. Just without the words and I immediately break away from Greyson's arm to save him from them. Not only is my mom home, but Riker and Isaac are both here rather than out with Lena and Mika. And on top of all of it, my dad's here too.

"Dad?" I ask as I step between them, turning on my toes to face him. "What are you doing here?"

"I wasn't about to not be here to send you off on your first date, little bird," he hums out and my lips curl up slightly, my chest twisting in confusion and happiness over seeing everyone together.

A laugh falls from my lips. "This isn't my first date."

"It's the first one that matters," I hear Riker mutter under his breath and it makes my heart speed up slightly as I ignore the comment and turn around to face Felix. "Hi."

"Hi," Felix laughs lightly. "You look..." He starts to say before surveying the room, choosing his words wisely around the people who mean the most to me. "Wow."

"Wow, huh?" I smile at him before looking over his body and grinning brightly. "You're alright."

"Funny," he smirks before pulling out something out from behind his back and holding it up for me to see. "I was going to bring you flowers, but I figured this might be of a bit more use to you."

My lips curl up into a grin when I see the packages of film he holds in his hand for my single-lens reflex camera. My favourite camera. I reach up and take them from him, running my thumb over the cylinder casings.