Page 35 of The Spotlight Effect

“I’m in my college’s theater club, and I’m a cheerleader,” Alexia answers. So that’s how she was good at acting earlier.

“That’s cute, you wave pom poms around,” Charlie says, laughing.

“Actually, I’m an all-star cheerleader. It's much different and it’s outside of college,” she corrects.

“What’s it like?” Kenan asks, which causes Nevea to roll her eyes. Alexia begins looking around as if she is looking for something until she finds her phone. Alexia types something before holding the phone in the middle of us and everyone leans in to watch.

It’s a bunch of girls and even a few guys in white and teal tiny uniforms with sparkly bows on a blue mat with a sign that says ‘Majors’ behind them. The uniforms are sparkly and there's a teal C4 on them. There is tumbling, jumping and some very crazy baskets and stunts. The video lasts for about three minutes and then it goes black.

“What was that?” I ask.

“That’s my cheer team. The C4 Bombsquad,” Alexia tells me.

“You mean you can do that stuff in person?” Beatrix says.

“Well, not the stunts. I can only do a little without a group, but I can tumble for you,” Alexia says.

“Well, show us something,” Charlie says.

Alexia gets up and goes over to the grass patch and starts running, then does a roundoff into a back handspring and then a step out into some weird thing where she comes out looking like she's flying into a back tuck.

I’m impressed.

I don’t know how the fuck that’s even possible. Everyone claps for Alexia, and I’m honestly speechless.

“I’m done!” Beatrix shouts from the house.

“I guess that’s our cue,” Raven says.

“Food time!” Charlie says, jumping up.

“It’s always food with you,” Kenan says.

“Because food is the greatest pleasure,” Charlie replies.

Scarlett hits him across the head and says, “And having sex with me isn’t.” Which causes the rest of us to laugh.

“Of course not, beautiful.” Charlie grabs Scarlett’s hand and kisses her head.

“Let’s grab our things and go!” Raven declares.

“I’m going to put Bea’s bags in my car, then I have to grab a couple things,” I tell everyone as we go inside. I go to the front of the house and grab Bea’s suitcase and duffle bag and take them to my car. It doesn’t take long, and the others have already started to put their instruments in their cars.

Alexia hasn’t come out so she’s probably in the house, so I just go upstairs to my room to grab what I need to. The doors open and I see Alexia just looking around. She’s standing by my music set up by the window, where my guitar, piano and violin are.

This room is very different from my room at my dad’s. My room here feels more like me. It has carpet floors, cream wallswith posters covering the walls everywhere, gray furniture, and a wooden bed with blue covers.

“I love this room,” Alexia says, briefly turning around to look at me. I guess she heard me come in.

“Thank you,” I reply, walking farther into my room. “How did you find my room?”

“I was in the restroom up here and saw the door cracked, I thought you were in here,” she states. Alexia wanders over to the dresser and picks up one of the guitar picks out of the mason jar I have. She sets the jar down and moves onto the tray of rings I have beside it. I walk closer to see which one she picks. She chooses the silver ring with my signature in 2D on top in black. She slides it onto her right pointer finger and admires it. It looks good on her.

“My mom got that for me after my first concert with Golden Star,” I tell her, randomly speaking after the silence.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I can take it off,” she rushes out after quickly turning and looking at it. She’s trying to pry it off her finger when I stop her.

“It’s fine. My signature looks good on you,” I tell her. For once, she doesn’t say anything smart, she just doesn’t reply. I turn on my heels and go over to my closet. At this house it’s just two black double doors with silver handles. My mom insisted I have a mirror on the door, so I do.

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