Unseen

Chapter 1

I finish straightening my platinum blonde hair and style it how I've been practising all summer. Senior year starts next week, and I'm determined to make my last year my best year. Fuck the haters and the bullies, I'm going to rise above and not let them get to me.

I started hitting the gym with my dad around Christmas time, and it's finally gotten to the point where you can tell. Gone is the scrawny, mousy boy – he's a distant memory. I'm not ripped by any stretch of the imagination, nor do I ever want to be, but I'm toned and have some muscle now. It also helps that I hit a growth spurt over the summer and I'm pushing six foot two now.

Spending more time in the sun lightened my hair to the point that it's practically white and it somehow makes my blue eyes pop even more. I'm guessing my parents used a surrogate with very recessive genes, because I'm the spitting image of Pop with blonde hair and striking blue eyes while Maddie is identical to Dad with light brown hair and hazel eyes.

"Dalton, are you ready to go?" Dad calls from the bottom of the stairs and I sigh as I straighten the stupid tie I'm being forced to wear. I take in the black suit, black dress shirt, and purple tie with a small eye roll. I hate dressing up. "Dalton!"

"Coming!" I double check that my straightener is off before exiting my bedroom and head down to meet the family at the front door. Maddie comes down a few seconds later and my eyes widen as I take in the dress that barely covers her ass paired with a ridiculously high pair of stilettoes. "Christ Mads, it's a gallery opening, not a strip club."

"Be nice," Dad mutters under his breath after he cuffs me on the back of the head, but I can tell with his abnormally pale face and wide eyes that he agrees. "Maddie, go change please. This is a black tie event, I need you in a floor length gown." She starts to whine, but with a single look from Dad, she shuts up and stomps back up the stairs.

"You look so handsome," Pop says as he straightens my tie and picks off a small piece of lint from my jacket.

"Yes, very nice, Dalton. Thank you for not making a fuss about this." I give them both a small smile and nod, leaning against the wall while we wait for the she-devil to reappear. "Maddie, hurry it up! We don't have all night!" Dad is clearly losing his patience as he obsessively checks his watch, but Pop walks over and rests his hand on his shoulder, and you can practically see his whole body relax as a small smile appears. I want what they have one day. My parents are literal relationship goals.

"Better?" Maddie asks as she reappears, looking extremely put out and annoyed as she does a twirl to show the floor length red gown with a low back and thin straps.

"Much, thank you. Now let's go, I don't want to be late." I snort when I see a limo parked out front and raise an eyebrow as I point at it.

"You're fucking with me, right?"

"Language," Dad sighs as the driver holds the door open for us and we pile inside.

"Is this necessary? Why didn't we just take the SUV?" Flaunting our money and being flashy just isn't my thing and makes me incredibly uncomfortable. Maddie lives for spending our parents' hard earned cash, but I much prefer flying under the radar and wearing normal clothes as opposed to normal clothes with a stupid price tag all because of the designer label.

I play with my lip ring while everyone in the car ignores my comment and look out the tinted windows, watching suburbia disappear and the hustle of Los Angeles come into view. You'd think with how many of these things I've been forced to over the years that I'd be used to them by now, but they still make me just as uncomfortable as they always have.

The car pulls to a stop and the driver gets out to come open our door for us. Dad gets out first and holds his hand out for Pop who immediately takes it and steps out after him. They smile and wave at the paps sitting outside the venue as Maddie steps out next, giving the cameras a dazzling smile. I take a deep breath and duck out last, trying to hide behind them so the cameras don't get a clear shot, but Dad being Dad pulls me forward and wraps his arm around my shoulder.