Page 27 of The Spotlight Effect

I’m glad she’s owning up to her, but I just can’t see her right now.

By the time eight p.m. rolls around, I finally get out of bed and close my computer from watching Grey’s Anatomy. I get up to use the bathroom but notice an envelope on the floor by the door. I go over and pick it up and open it.

It’s a letter from Golden Star. I read over the letter, and it confirms that Lia did in fact tell them she stole my song, and they are taking it down and re-announcing the winner for the sweepstakes, and this time, I’m the winner. I’ll be the person getting all the perks, recording my song, getting the feature in Starstruck magazine.

I’ll get a head start in Hollywood in my music career, which I’ve always wanted. This is everything I could have ever dreamed of. Alexia Kirby is going to be a star.

THE SCENE

GRAYSON

Monday was supposed to be our day off from sweepstakes duties while they enjoyed a tour of Golden Star and did whatever else they wanted, but imagine the turmoil of everything when we received a call from Emerson telling us she received a call from Aaliyah saying she stole Alexia’s song to enter and sent in proof.

We had to rework everything.

We already completed the shopping spree, but Emerson would offer for Alexia to go again. We did the day with Noah and me, but we have to redo the interview with StarStruck. Everything else we would change to Alexia doing it and change the website to Alexia’s submitted picture and song title, announcing it was a mistake.

Today is going to be a busy day, especially with the start of shooting the scenes. The winner is supposed to be in this season of RedCreek.

I walk into the kitchen to see Charlie up making pancakes. This isn’t normal for Charlie to be up this early, maybe Shawn and Kenan but not him.

“Man, I thought you’d never wake up,” Charlie says, like he’s been waiting forever. I look at the clock to see it’s only eight a.m. Only an hour till I have to be on set. Hopefully father time will do me a favor and make time go by slowly.

“Oh please, you normally wake upwayafter me,” I say, and grab an apple out of the basket, taking a seat on a stool. “Plus, four others live here,” I add, pointing out he could have woken them up.

“Yeah, but today Scarlett wanted to see the sunrise, so I woke up early enough to take her, and Shawn is on his early morning workout and Kenan is at Nevea’s,” Charlie informs me.

“It literally feels like I’ve been up for hours,” Charlie drawls out as he spins on the stool.

“I bet,” I say.

“So after filming is over, we are rehearsing,” Charlie says.

“Alright,” I reply.

I think about my day while I gather some eggs from the refrigerator. I wonder what shooting will be like with Alexia today, but then I have that stupid kiss scene with Marina today. Ugh, I hate her more than I dislike this “crush” on Alexia. I’d rather kiss Alexia than Marina.

God, kill me now.

As I’m cooking my eggs, I find myself wondering what it would be like to kiss Alexia. One full day with this girl and I wanna know what it’s like to kiss her.

How soft her lips could be.

How she could taste.

This has to stop. I hate that stupid picture. I should have never looked.

“Hey,Alexia is here for filming and the set tour,” Noah says.

“Don’t worry. Emerson is giving her the tour, we just have to shoot the scenes,” Noah finishes. I sigh in slight relief and get up. I know what’s coming next. It's a kiss scene with Marina. I want to do anything but kiss her, but this is an opportunity. Maybe I can get Alexia out of my head. Now, I’m not going to go off-script and do anything crazy. I have to kiss Marina anyway, but I think kissing another person may be just what I need.

I make my way to the set; that’s my dorm room.

“This is simple. There are no lines, all you need to do is kiss your Daniella,” Garner tells us. I almost threw up at the ‘my Daniella’ part. There’s no way I would ever want this girl to bemyanything.

“Action!” Garner yells and a loud beep rings through the air. Marina gives me some sort of seductive look that makes my stomach twist the wrong way. I hate this. I hold her face in my hands as I slowly lean in to kiss her and I try so hard not to back out as I lean in.

Why is this so hard?

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