"Armin. Armin, wake up!" Armin groaned and turned over. "Armin, I am going to be making my debut as a stylist today and you are not going to miss it!"

"Dude, let me sleep, the sun's not even up," he moaned into his pillow and I huffed in annoyance.

"Some brother you are. You better be at school to see her!"

"Mmm," he mumbled noncommittally. 

Only a second passed before he was already snoring again. I turned both my alarm and his phone's alarm on, leaving them on either side of his head.

"Let's see you sleep through that," I said wickedly before leaving him behind.

Grabbing my backpack, I quickly walked the short distance to Opal's apartment. When she had brought me there for dinner last night I was thrilled to see we lived so close. Her aunt was pretty much the coolest human being on the planet. I couldn't believe how much she knew about the fashion industry and when she had offered to introduce me to a stylist... I'd never had an adult accept me so completely in so little time.

I tried to keep my excitement under control but ended up taking the stairs up to their apartment two at a time. When I rang the doorbell, the door opened almost immediately. Opal was standing in the doorway, covering a small yawn, and I marveled at her perfect features. Big eyes, small nose, high cheekbones, the most beautiful fair skin I have ever seen, and a nice body shape. Not to mention she was kind and went along with anything I suggested: A stylist's dream.

"Oh, sorry, Alexy. Come on in."

"Thanks. So, I was wondering, how well does your hair hold a curl?" 

Opal shrugged while rubbing her eyes sleepily before she smiled at me and mumbled through a yawn, "I'm not sure. I haven't ever tried to curl my hair." 

My mouth dropped open in shock. How could a beautiful girl like this not experiment with different hairstyles?

"Then... do you own a curling iron?" I asked with worry.

"I do." 

I looked up with a relieved smile to see Ms. Sato come out in a red silk robe holding a curling iron and a small white box with five drawers all holding different kinds of makeup. She grinned at me and I gazed at her in awe.

"Most stylists don't do the makeup and hair, but I want to see what you've got. Let's get started."

"Awesome! Opal, go put your dress on."

When Opal came back in the dress, Ms. Sato clapped and nodded in approval. We then guided Opal into her bathroom and sat her down in front of the vanity. Ms. Sato sat on the counter and gave me an encouraging look.

"May I?" I asked while pointing to Ms. Sato's makeup.

"Of course! The bottom drawer has foundation and blush that will match Opal's skin tone."

"Auntie! When did you buy that? I don't even use makeup." 

I barely kept my surprise from showing as I looked at Opal's nearly flawless skin.

"You don't need it, sweetheart, but I bought it just in case there is a special occasion... like you get asked to a dance or something." Ms. Sato interrupted Opal's retort to ask me, "So what colors are you going to use?"

"I was thinking purple and if you have any sparkles...?" 

Ms. Sato grinned at my open-ended question before opening the top drawer and pulling out a small tube of liquid sparkles. I placed it on the counter reverently and opened the bottom drawer. Honestly, I didn't have much experience with doing makeup, but I had watched tons of youtube tutorials.

As I began applying the base I was amazed at how smooth Opal's skin was and I wondered if I'd ever be able to work with such a blank canvas again. Ms. Sato gave me some tips and even took over some parts of her makeup, showing me how to blend the colors better and how the best way to apply the mascara was. The final touch was a shimmery lip gloss just a shade darker than her natural color.

With a feeling of accomplishment, I stepped back and examined my work. The light blush gave her face warmth and the dramatic purple eyeshadow with a small sprinkle of sparkles made her green eyes pop and glimmer like they were emeralds.

"You did good, Alexy. Now let's see what you do with her hair. Do you want to use the curling iron?" I looked at the curling iron and nodded slowly, still unsure of what I was going to do. "Well, I need to get ready too, so I'll be back to see the end result!" Ms. Sato said, walking out of the dressing room.

"Is there anything you want me to do?" I asked Opal and she smiled up at me, now fully awake.

"You can do whatever you want." 

I grinned and picked up the purple hairbrush on the counter. First I brushed her hair, getting a feel for its texture, and I slowly started seeing a vision of the perfect hairstyle to go with her dress. I parted her bangs to the side so that they fell across her forehead and slightly into her right eye and then quickly did a small braid that circled around her head so that it looked a little like a crown. Using the curling iron, I softly curled the rest of her hair so that the curls were mainly on the bottom and I arranged it so that she had a few long strands over her right shoulder and the rest hung majestically down her back. When it was done, I stepped back and admired the overall effect.

"Opal, stand up and give me a little twirl." 

She did as I instructed, rising with the grace of a princess and slowly twirled while looking down. As she twirled back to face me she slowly raised her eyes and if I had been straight I was pretty sure that that one look would have made me fall in love. As it was, I felt a fierce wave of pride and accomplishment. I had transformed Opal, who had already been a natural beauty, into a delicate and entrancing goddess.

Suddenly Ms. Sato burst into the bathroom. She had changed into a white silk blouse with a large pink belt and a black A-line skirt. The most alarming difference to me though was that she was now taller than me. I looked down to see her wearing black, open-toed heels with a bow detail across her toes that must have been at least six inches tall.

"Oh, Alexy, you did wonderfully! Sweetheart, I've never seen you look so radiant!" 

I blinked in amazement when she started to tear up. Opal looked worried as she walked over to her Aunt.

"Auntie, don't cry!" Ms. Sato laughed and turned Opal to face the mirror.

"Just look at yourself, Opal!" 

I watched Opal's expression closely as she studied herself in the mirror. She cocked her head to the side, turned one way then the other, and then touched her hair lightly. Finally, she smiled and blushed, causing her cheeks to turn rosy and she held her hands in front of her face.

"I didn't think I could even look like this. Is it what you were hoping for, Alexy?" she asked, turning to me. I nodded energetically.

"Of course! You are my masterpiece!" Opal laughed and Ms. Sato clapped her hands before turning to me.

"You definitely have talent, Alexy! I need some pictures. Go stand in the living room for a second, Opal, I'll be right back," Ms. Sato instructed before dashing back into her room. 

Opal glanced at me and smiled softly before leaving the bathroom and standing in front of the closed blinds of the living room windows. Ms. Sato came back wielding her cellphone and proceeded to take several pictures from different angles.

"Auntie, have you taken enough yet?" Opal asked, obviously feeling slightly awkward.

"I just want the perfect picture to send to Aaron. I'm sure he's been missing you lately," Ms. Sato said while scrolling through the pictures she had taken.

Wondering who Aaron was, I glanced over at Opal to ask. My voice caught in my throat though when I saw Opal's radiant face masked with an expression filled with pain and what I could only describe as guilt. Before I could get my voice back, Opal shook her head and the look was gone, replaced with an understanding smile as Ms. Sato looked up to show her the picture she had chosen to send.

What was that about? I wondered, thinking that I must have imagined the look after all. Ms. Sato finished sending the message and glanced over at me with a broad smile.

"I'm going to go make us some fruit smoothies for breakfast. Opal, take the lip gloss Alexy used with you and re-apply whenever you need it," Ms. Sato instructed, pointing towards the bathroom before grabbing my jacket sleeve. "Come with me Alexy, you can help me."

"Oh, I can help..." Opal started to say but Ms. Sato interrupted her.

"You are going to go put your shoes and jewelry on and show me what they look like. But make sure you gather all your books and everything, you and Alexy have to leave in about fifteen minutes."

"What!?" Opal gasped. I showed her my cellphone which said 7:22 am and Opal dashed out of the bathroom. 

Ms. Sato then pulled me into the kitchen, glancing down the hall as if making sure Opal wouldn't hear.

"Alexy, I have a proposition for you," she said conspiratorially while pulling a Magic Bullet blender from against the wall and opening the freezer.

"Okay, how can I help you?" I asked, feeling my excitement grow. I loved being in on secrets.

"I really want Opal to start dating..." Ms. Sato began, sending a concerned frown towards the hallway. I felt myself going pale and I looked away awkwardly.

"Uh... I'm actually... umm...." 

Ms. Sato started to laugh and I looked back at her, utterly confused.

"I didn't mean you, dear. I know you're gay." My mouth dropped open in shock as she took both my hands in her soft, warm ones. She raised one eyebrow and said, "Come now, Alexy, I work in the fashion industry. But, as I was saying, I have a plan and I need your help."

Ms. Sato's eyes sparkled with mischief and I found myself grinning broadly. I had lived in a very small town before this and when I had come out as being gay all of my friends had turned their backs on me, telling me I was unnatural and wrong. Ms. Sato's acceptance of me felt like I had won an award!

"I'd love to help you, Ms. Sato." She squeezed my hands and smiled kindly at me before turning and pulling out a bag of mixed berries and some frozen yogurt from the freezer.

"Call me Yuki," she said over her shoulder.

"I couldn't..." I started to say when she turned around and cupped her hands around her mouth, effectively cutting me off.

"I don't usually let young men call me by my first name, but if you're going to be my partner in crime then you've earned the right," she said with a wink and I laughed, nodding my agreement.

"Now," she peeked into the hallway one more time before dashing to a cupboard and taking down a small camera the size of my palm then bringing it back and placing it in my hands, "There are four boys that I am very interested in for Opal, but I need to make sure they are right for her. I'm not going to let her fall for some pervy guy that only cares about her body, but I also don't want a guy who doesn't appreciate true beauty. So... how sneaky are you?"

"How sneaky do you need me to be?"

"I want you to take a picture of the guys' first reactions on seeing Opal all dolled up." She began pouring things into the blender, adding some actual yogurt, a banana, and half-and-half to the blender.

"And which guys are you thinking of?"

"Do you know Castiel, Lysander, Nathaniel, and Dajan?"

"I know the first three, but who's Dajan?" 

She whipped out her cellphone and showed me each of the pictures Opal had sent her of her and the boys. As I looked through them she pushed the blender button, releasing a loud whirring noise. Once it was all mixed together she flipped it off and glanced over at me.

"These are great pictures. Opal is so photogenic."

"Isn't she so adorable? I had to almost blackmail her to take them though," she said with a trace of guilt, "Anyways, I want you to make it so that you take a picture of the boy's face right when he sees Opal." 

She opened a cupboard and grabbed some honey, squirting a small amount into the blender and pushing the button a final time. 

I scratched my head slightly. "How am I going to do that?" 

She opened her mouth to reply when Opal rushed in.

"Auntie! We need to go soon, it takes fifteen minutes to walk to school!"

"Calm down, sweetheart, you'll make it in time. Here." She poured the smoothie into three cups and handed one to Opal. "Drink up. And don't you dare get it on your clothes!" 

Opal rolled her eyes and sipped the smoothie, instantly breaking into a grin. "I love your fruit smoothies, Auntie. They're delicious!"

"Glad to hear it," she said, handing me a cup and taking the last for herself. I sipped mine cautiously, not being a huge fan of bananas, but was surprised at the gentle sweetness with a hint of tang that flooded my taste buds. I quickly gulped down another swallow.

"Opal, you usually see Dajan on your way to school, right?" Yuki asked. 

I looked up and found her staring right at me with wide eyes and could almost hear her voice in my head saying 'It would be a chance for you!'. I nodded slightly as Opal shrugged.

"Yah. He, Brandon and Troy live near here I think," Opal said in between gulps of her smoothie.

 Yuki glanced over at me again and I furiously tried to come up with a plan for how to pull off her request. How am I going to get the pictures without the guys noticing?

"Sweetheart, you're going to give yourself a brain freeze, slow down," Yuki chuckled and Opal swallowed her last bit of smoothie with a small smile.

"No worries, Auntie. Alexy are you almost done?" 

I looked at my half-full glass and swallowed another mouthful, relishing in the taste.

"Let him enjoy it, Opal, you still have five minutes before you have to leave." Opal blushed slightly and smiled embarrassedly.

"Sorry, Alexy. Being late makes me nervous," she explained.

I took another swallow, allowing my cheeks to balloon out as I nodded in understanding. Opal and Yuki both laughed and I swallowed, grinning. I finished my smoothie and followed Opal out the door with Yuki right behind us.

"Have a wonderful day, sweetheart!" Yuki said, bringing Opal into a hug. She then reached out and smoothed my hair affectionately. "You too, Alexy dear. Come by anytime, okay?" 

I nodded happily and waved with Opal as she turned toward downtown.

"Let's go, Alexy," Opal said with a sweet smile and I nodded, falling into step with her. 

She walked confidently in the orange wedges that I had found for her and her small red bracelets jingled against each other as we walked down the street. I grinned, inwardly congratulating myself for finding an outfit that matched her image so well.

"Auntie seems to really like you," Opal commented and I grinned broadly.

"Yah, she's awesome."

"I think so too!" she said with a happy smile. "Oh, there's Dajan and the boys."

I looked up with a start, seeing the broad backs of three guys wearing basketball jerseys. Their arms were muscular and the dark-skinned one had an air of authority that was obvious even from back here. I inwardly slapped myself, ordering myself to remember Yuki's request.

"Say, Opal, let's play a game!" 

She blinked up at me in surprise, her eyes widening innocently. "A game?" she repeated and I nodded vigorously.

"Yah! It's the walking backwards game. Walk right in front of me, close your eyes, and walk backward without losing your balance." 

Opal raised an eyebrow and looked at me like I was crazy.

"Aww come on, it'll be fun!" I said desperately. 

Shoot, we're catching up to the boys! I thought frantically, but then sighed in relief when she shrugged and flipped around so that she was walking right in front of me. She closed her eyes and carefully walked backward. I pulled Yuki's camera from my pocket and adjusted the settings so that I would have a close-up shot of Dajan's face without flash, then I took a deep breath.

"Hey Dajan!" I yelled.

The dark-skinned boy stopped and turned around just as Opal opened her eyes in surprise and turned to face Dajan. I snapped a shot of his face and then widened the frame and took a shot of the two boys flanking him. Dajan looked surprised but the other two boys were regarding Opal with obvious expressions of awe, completely ignoring me. The black-haired boy that was a bit shorter than his friends pointed a finger at her.

"Sato, what happened to you?" he asked in amazement and Opal looked back at me. I quickly stuffed the camera into my pocket, trying to keep from looking guilty.

"Umm, I had a stylist help me with my look," Opal explained with a small smile at me before looking back at the boys. "Do you not like it?"

"Of course, we like it, Sato. But I can't put my arm on your head with your hair all done up like that," Dajan said teasingly and Opal laughed. 

I watched the exchange, not really feeling any flirtation vibes coming from either of them, but they were obviously close. And man do they look good together. They would be the kind of couple that made people turn their heads as they walked by, I thought with a grin, understanding why Yuki shipped them.

"Who's this?" The tall brunette on Dajan's other side asked gruffly, shooting me a menacing look.

I blinked in surprise and raised an eyebrow at him. What was this guy's problem? Totally unattractive, I thought with an inward huff.

"This is Alexy. He moved here recently and he's my friend." 

I noticed that Opal took a small step closer to me and didn't quite meet the jerk's eyes as she answered. Dajan quickly took a step towards us, stretching out a hand for me to shake.

"Nice to meet you, Alexy. I'm Dajan and these are my teammates, Brandon and Troy." The black-haired boy smiled and waved but the brunette just folded his arms and low-key glared at me. Dajan turned to Opal and gave her a teasing look.

"You know, you're making my job as your bodyguard harder when you dress up so pretty," he said and Opal wrinkled her nose at him.

How cute could one person get? I thought jealously. I'm going to have to start taking notes.

"I don't need protection, Dajan. I can take care of myself," she replied primly and I smiled at her spunk. 

The brunette gazed at her with an expression that was part anger and part longing and I almost threw up. This guy needed a life. I took Opal's wrist lightly and smiled at the boys.

"It was nice to meet you, but Opal and I have places to be. Let's go, Opal!" 

With that, I dragged her after me at a quicker pace toward school. I had a plan for getting the pictures of all the guys on Yuki's list but we had to be the first ones in the classroom. I looked back once to see the brunette sending an icy glare at me and I stuck my tongue out at him. No way was I going to let Opal hang out with someone like him.

I led Opal towards the school and was almost about to lead her in the doors when I noticed a familiar face in the courtyard. I turned and saw Castiel leaning against a large tree in the courtyard. His eyes were closed and he seemed absorbed in his music so I quickly changed direction. Opal squeaked in surprise, almost losing her footing from the abrupt turn.

"Alexy, where are we going?"

"Oh, umm, I think I saw Armin. I'm going to go check it out, why don't you talk to Castiel for a second?"

"What? No, he's busy. I'll just go on ahead."

"No!" I said loudly and she flinched slightly. Oops, I thought, obviously stealth isn't my middle name; time for a new plan. "To be honest, your aunt kind of gave me a mission." 

Opal's eyes narrowed but her lips twitched in a small smile. "Oh, really. And what was this mission?"

"She wants me to take a picture of the guy's reactions to you all dressed up." 

Opal's eyes widened in shock and her cheeks turned crimson. "But... but I just got pictures with them the other day! Why does she want more?" she asked with a look of embarrassment. I shrugged, feigning ignorance.

"She just said that if I didn't do it she wouldn't introduce me to her stylist friend." 

Not true, I thought to myself with guilt, but I could see the sympathy in Opal's eyes and I figured a little white lie wouldn't hurt.

"Please, help me out?" Opal glanced over at Castiel nervously and sighed.

"What would I say?"

"Just say good morning or something." 

Opal gulped slightly and looked up at me with pleading eyes. "Alexy..." she said helplessly.

I made my own puppy dog eyes in response. She sighed again and nodded hesitantly, taking a deep breath as if to gather her courage. She then slowly started walking towards Castiel.

I took out the camera and walked around casually until I had the perfect shot lined up. While Opal made her way to him I took a before picture with his eyes closed and then I waited. Opal walked up and stood in front of him. She then looked around, finally finding me and giving me a worried look. I gave her a thumbs up and she slowly turned back to Castiel.

She nudged his foot and I immediately snapped a picture. His face was actually pretty scary, it looked like he was about to yell at her.  I kept snapping pictures though and the more I took the more I smiled. I watched as his gaze turned from irritated, to confused, then to disbelief, and then I actually got a picture of him blushing and turning away.

I slowly lowered the camera and watched the short exchange that took place next. Opal seemed nervous around him and she ended their conversation quickly. Stuffing the camera back in my pocket as she walked toward me, I kept watching the redhead on the ground. Castiel watched her go and I watched with fascination as he hit the ground with a frustrated look. Opal walked towards me and then passed me without even sparing me a glance; I had to jog to catch up with her.

"What happened?" I asked curiously and she shrugged.

"I just said good morning. He seemed annoyed at being interrupted so I made an excuse to leave. Nathaniel is probably in the student council room if you need a picture of him; I don't get why Auntie cares though. It's not like putting makeup on will make my friends see me any differently." 

She muttered the last part so I wasn't sure if I heard her right. I was about to reply when she stopped outside the student council room.

"So how are you going to take a picture without Nathaniel noticing?" she asked me with a resigned sigh.

I chewed my lip in thought. I started opening the door, placing a finger over my lips to signal Opal to be quiet. I peeked in and saw Nathaniel on the far side of the room, absorbed in filing a stack of folders.

"Go in and stand in the corner opposite of him, I'll stand behind the door so he won't notice me, but I'll be able to see his face," I whispered. Opal sighed but slipped quietly into the room.

I watched her with admiration. Even though it was obvious she was uncomfortable, she cared more about me and my future dreams than her own discomfort, even though she barely knew me. I readied the camera, praying that Nathaniel would be too focused on Opal to notice me in the doorway.

From behind the door, I heard Opal say, "Good morning, Nathaniel."

Nathaniel straightened, turning towards Opal with a smile. Then his mouth dropped open and his eyes widened to the size of silver dollars. I snapped a picture, then another and another as he continued to stare at Opal. I was impressed that for the first five seconds his eyes never wandered from her face. I heard a small noise from Opal's corner and Nathaniel's entire face went pink. I snapped pictures like crazy as he looked towards the file cabinet, stammering,

"Ah, g-good morning, um, Opal. You look... very... nice today." 

I wished I was invisible so I could have seen Opal's reaction, I was sure she was blushing crimson red right now.

"Thank you. Ummm, you look nice as well." 

Nathaniel laughed nervously, rubbing his neck. "W-was there something you needed?"

"No. I just... uh... was checking up on you, I guess," she said awkwardly and I snapped a picture as Nathaniel looked up at her with a happy smile.

"Yah? Well, it's always nice to see you. Did you want to help me with the filing?" I rolled my eyes and mentally chided Nathaniel. 

What is he thinking, asking a girl to do something so boring?

"I'm sorry, Nathaniel, I still need to get my things together for class. I'm running a bit behind schedule today." 

Nathaniel glanced at his clock and his eyes widened. "Wow! It's that time already?"

"Yah, but if you still need help I can come during lunch hour." 

I snapped another picture of his surprised look but wanted to kick myself when I missed his excited expression right afterward.

"Sure! I always eat in the student council room so you can come whenever you finish lunch if you want."

"Okay. Well, I'll see you in Government," Opal said.

Not wanting to be caught, I quickly got out of the doorway.  I was leaning against the wall casually as Opal came out, and I cocked an eyebrow at her when she blinked up at me.

"What?"

"You offered to help him with filing?" I asked in disbelief and she shrugged.

"The principal gives him a lot of extra work, especially with the orienteering race coming up. He needs the help." 

I shook my head and led the way to Government. Opal followed me but insisted on stopping at her locker before going to class. I tried not to tap my feet with impatience even though I knew we would make it before the first bell rang.

We walked into Mr. Schiess's room and I sighed with relief when I saw that only Mr. Schiess was there. He looked up from his computer screen and smiled kindly at Opal.

"Why, look at you. You look lovely today, Opal." 

Opal blushed and ducked her head, mumbling a thank you. Mr. Schiess went back to his computer screen and I steered Opal towards the window.

"Okay, so for this plan to work Lysander has to be the first one to walk through those doors. What do you think the odds of that are?" I asked Opal who simply shrugged. "Well, just face the window, I'll stay in the back corner. When you hear the door open wait for three seconds then turn around, okay?" 

Opal rolled her eyes then looked up at me with a smile. "You are just like Auntie. I can't say no to you."

I grinned, feeling a rush of happiness course through me at the compliment. I double-checked that her hair was laying right then went into the back corner of the room, hoping desperately that this would work.

The first bell of the day rang and I crouched down, training Yuki's camera on the front door. It opened almost immediately and I almost fell over in shock. It was Lysander! I seriously wondered if Yuki was somehow in the school coordinating everything to make sure I got her pictures. 

Bringing myself back to the present I kept the camera focused on Lysander. He had a quiet elegance and his sense of style instantly captured me when I first saw him. If he and Opal didn't start dating I might consider him potential for myself.

Right on cue, Opal turned around slowly, locking eyes with Lysander. I quickly pushed the button as Lysander's eyes widened slightly and he slowly looked Opal up and down before smiling gently and walking up to her.

"Kate, you look different this morning. You don't usually wear makeup."

Opal blushed and looked away. "Does it look weird?"

I frantically snapped several pictures as Lysander shook his head and slowly reached his hand out, placing a finger under her chin to lift her face up. It was like I could see Opal's heart rate start to race and I quickly took a picture of her shocked face. I moved slowly so that I was at a better angle to get a picture of Lysander's face as he studied her. He let go of her chin and took a step back.

"You look like you're ready to go on stage."

"A stage? Why would I go on a stage?" Opal asked, her voice unnaturally high.

Just then Nathaniel walked in. I ducked behind the desk to try and hide my obviously suspicious posture. He walked over to the two and they talked for a little while before taking their usual seats with Nathaniel and Opal in the front row and Lysander behind Nathaniel. 

I continued crouching down and watched with interest as Castiel walked in nonchalantly and it took every ounce of self-control I had to not yell at him when he ruffled her bangs briskly before sitting down behind her. I stayed where I was until a few more students came in, then I slid into the desk I was behind and slipped the camera into my jacket with a smile. 

Mission accomplished.

A/N Kehehehehe I absolutely adore Alexy XD I hope you enjoyed the chapter. It was a little on the silly/filler side but still fun