Big day

Early that morning, Lucas arrived at a barbershop for a haircut. As he entered and removed his hat, the few customers and barbers present were stunned to recognize him.

"Lucas Knight?" a barber exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise.

Lucas smiled warmly at their awestruck expressions. "That's me. Any chance I could get a haircut?"

The available barber quickly snapped out of his daze. "Yes, of course, Mr. Knight. Please, have a seat," he gestured towards an empty chair.

Lucas nodded and settled in, aware of the hushed whispers and stolen glances around him. After a moment of stunned silence, one brave customer stood up and asked, "Would it be alright if I got a picture with you?"

Lucas chuckled good-naturedly. "How about we wait until after my haircut? Wouldn't want to ruin the 'before and after' effect."

"Of course, of course," the customer agreed eagerly.

Turning to the barber, Lucas described his desired look: "I'm thinking of going for a textured quiff. Short on the sides, but leave enough length on top to style. What do you think?"

The barber nodded enthusiastically, clearly excited about the challenge. "Of course, Mr. Knight. We can definitely make that happen."

As the barber began his work, the shop buzzed with a mixture of excitement and attempts at nonchalance, everyone sneaking glances at the Hollywood star in their midst.

An hour flew by, with customers who had finished their haircuts lingering for pictures and autographs. Finally, Lucas's new look was complete. He examined his reflection, turning his head from side to side, and nodded in satisfaction. "This looks great."

The barber's chest swelled with pride. "Well, the textured quiff definitely suits you, Mr. Knight."

A nearby barber chimed in with a grin, "I think any hairstyle would look good on Mr. Knight!"

The shop filled with soft laughter, while Lucas simply smiled, amused. He reached for his wallet, but the barber quickly protested, "Oh no, Mr. Knight. It was an honor to style your hair. No charge."

Lucas shook his head, insisting, "No, please. Accept it." He pressed a five-hundred-dollar bill into the barber's hand, leaving him stunned.

After settling up, Lucas graciously posed for photos with the barbers and remaining customers before heading out. As the door closed behind him, the shop erupted in excited chatter.

"Can you believe Lucas Knight came to this cheap shop?" one customer marveled.

Another turned to his barber, "I'll have what he's having. Textured quiff, please!"

***

Back at his apartment, Lucas stood before his full-length mirror, methodically trying on various suits for his brother's wedding. He adjusted his tie, smoothed down his lapels, and scrutinized every detail.

It struck him as ironic how much effort he was putting into this outfit. Red carpet appearances usually didn't warrant this level of fussing, but for Melvin's wedding, Lucas was determined to look impeccable.

"Can't show up looking too casual," he murmured to himself. "Melvin's put a lot into this day. It'd be disrespectful to not do the same."

After two hours of meticulous preparation, Lucas slid into the backseat of his car, directing his driver to the upscale venue in Manhattan where Melvin's wedding was taking place.

As Lucas stepped out of the car at the venue, a ripple of surprise passed through the gathered guests. Whispers and double-takes followed him as he made his way inside.

Near the entrance, Lucas spotted Melvin, who looked momentarily stunned to see him. Melvin's face broke into a warm smile as he approached. "Well, well, look who it is. Long time no see, little brother. You've grown into quite the handsome man."

Lucas chuckled, pulling Melvin into a tight hug. "Look who's talking, Mr. Groom. You're looking pretty dapper yourself." He pulled back, smiling. "Congratulations on the wedding, by the way. About time you settled down."

Melvin nodded, his eyes crinkling with joy. "Thanks, Lucas. It means a lot that you're here."

As they chatted, Lucas's gaze drifted over Melvin's shoulder, landing on familiar faces he hadn't seen in years. There was his stepmother Myla, looking uncomfortable but trying to hide it. His father Vince stood nearby, his expression unreadable. Lucas's half-sisters, Katherine and Chloe, were whispering to each other, stealing glances his way. And there were his other two half-brothers, Harold and Jake, looking unsure whether to approach or keep their distance.

Lucas took a deep breath, steeling himself. He turned back to Melvin with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Quite the family reunion you've engineered here."

Melvin squeezed Lucas's shoulder reassuringly. "Hey, it's my wedding. If there's ever a time for everyone to play nice, it's today. You good?"

Lucas nodded, straightening his tie. "Yeah, I'm good."

As Lucas moved through the venue, he found himself relying heavily on the original Lucas's memories to navigate the complex family dynamics. It felt strange, yet oddly familiar.

His contemplation was interrupted when he saw his father, Vince, approaching with open arms. Lucas remained stiff as Vince embraced him, not returning the gesture.

"It's good to see you, son," Vince whispered in his ear.

Lucas felt a surge of bitterness. He pulled away, his voice low and cutting. "That's rich, coming from you. Considering you kicked me out of the house five years ago, I thought you'd be happier not seeing me."

Vince patted his back, laughing softly as if it were all a joke. "Come on, you should be grateful. If I hadn't kicked you out, you wouldn't be a star now."

"Yeah, right," Lucas scoffed, pushing him away. The sarcasm in his voice was palpable.

Vince's smile didn't falter, but his eyes darted around the room. "There are cameras around. Be careful," he murmured, gesturing subtly to the guests sneaking photos of Lucas.

Lucas snorted, utterly unimpressed by his father's concern for appearances. "Wouldn't want to tarnish your image, would we?" he muttered, turning away to find his seat at one of the tables.

As he sat down, Lucas could feel the weight of eyes on him - both from his family and the other guests. He took a deep breath, reminding himself why he was here. 'This is for Melvin,' he thought. 'Just get through the day.'

The reception hadn't even officially started, and already Lucas was feeling the strain of years of family tension. He silently hoped the rest of the event would go smoothly, for Melvin's sake if nothing else.

As the wedding ceremony began, Lucas found himself surrounded by guests eager for a chat or a photo. He obliged politely, all the while feeling a sense of relief when the actual ceremony finally started. The families of Melvin and his bride-to-be, Mary, gave heartfelt speeches that had the crowd alternating between laughter and tears.

Lucas clapped along with everyone else, his mind drifting until the officiant's voice rang out, declaring the couple husband and wife. As Melvin and Mary shared their first kiss as a married couple, the crowd erupted in applause.

Watching their radiant smiles, Lucas felt a complicated mix of emotions surge through him - happiness for his brother, a twinge of envy, and longing.

His reverie was broken when Melvin and Mary approached him, hand in hand. Melvin grinned, gesturing to his new wife. "Lucas, Mary here is actually a big fan of yours."

Mary nodded enthusiastically. "I've watched all your films! 'The Artist' is my absolute favorite. And you know, I've got to say, Jennifer Lawrence looks just like Zubaida Tharwat in it."

Lucas blinked, caught off guard. "Zu- what? Who's that?"

Melvin looked surprised. "You don't know? She's this actress from the 60s who looks exactly like Jennifer. The resemblance is uncanny, especially in the black and white format of 'The Artist'."

Lucas's eyebrows shot up. "Huh, I had no idea. That's... pretty interesting actually."

Mary nodded eagerly. "Oh, you should look her up! The similarity is striking."

Lucas smiled, genuinely intrigued. "I definitely will. Thanks for the tip, Mary. And congratulations to both of you. The ceremony was beautiful."

As Lucas chatted with the newlyweds, his half-siblings Katherine and Chloe approached. After congratulating Melvin, they turned their attention to Lucas.

Katherine's voice was sharp with feigned hurt. "You're acting like we don't exist, Lucas. Completely ignoring us."

"It's quite hurtful," Chloe chimed in, her tone matching her sister's.

Lucas remained silent, ignoring the two fools.

Melvin, sensing the tension, quickly intervened. "Katherine, Chloe, didn't I make it clear there was to be no drama on my big day?"

Katherine's eyes narrowed. "We're not making drama, Melvin. We're just trying to talk to our brother."

The air grew thick with unspoken tensions. Lucas maintained his silence, his gaze fixed somewhere in the middle distance. After a moment of awkward silence, Katherine and Chloe exchanged glances and walked away, their disappointment palpable.

Melvin turned to Lucas, his expression apologetic. "I'm sorry about that, man. I thought I'd made it clear to everyone..."

Lucas shook his head, his voice low but firm. "Don't worry about it, Melvin. It's your day. I can handle a little family tension."

Mary, sensing the tension, quickly changed the subject. Her eyes lit up with genuine curiosity as she asked, "Lucas, any upcoming movies you can tell us about?"

Melvin chuckled, giving his new wife a playful nudge. "You're embarrassing me, Mary. Can't you at least pretend you're not a fan?"

Lucas laughed, the earlier tension melting away. "It's fine, really. Actually, I've got a film called 'A Star is Born' coming out soon."

Mary's eyes widened with excitement. "Oh, I can't wait! I'll definitely be there to support it." She paused, tilting her head as she studied Lucas. "Hey, your hairstyle looks really good, by the way."

Lucas smiled, running a hand through his hair self-consciously. "Thanks. I actually got it cut just for the wedding."

"What's the style called?" Melvin asked, genuinely interested.

"It's a textured quiff," Lucas replied, feeling a bit more at ease.

Melvin nodded approvingly. "It suits you, bro. Maybe I should try something like that next time."