Page 56 of The Spotlight Effect

“Always.” Grayson smirks. There’s a small pause of silence that passes by before I talk again.

“Yes.” I reply.

“What?” he asks.

“You asked if you look like a Greek god, my answer is yes,” I reply.

There's another pause, this time I end up turning to leave when he speaks, “Athena.”

“What?” I ask, Grayson steps forward.

“If you were a Greek goddess, you’d be Athena,” Grayson clarifies.

“Why?” I ask.

“You’re intelligent, brave, confident, beautiful,” Grayson answers, naming off traits.

“You think I'm beautiful?”

“So beautiful that Aphrodite should be jealous.”

The movie Zarapicked isJourney to Mysterious Islandfor movie after dinner. Everyone is already sitting in their own little space as the movie begins. Over dinner, I’ve found Mr. Hayden is pretty chill outside of work. He tells really bad dad jokes though. He occupies a leather arm chair with his popcorn, Zara and Shawn have the small sofa to the left of him, Scarlett and Charlie are cuddled on one of the large couches with Kenan in the other leather chair and then Me and Grayson are at one end of the big sofa that Scarlett and Charlie are on while, Raven is in the middle and Emerson and Noah on the other large sofa.

Throughout the movie, I’ve noticed Raven is very serious when it comes to movies, like when they start, she is all in paying attention. No one near her better talk or else they will be getting a serious hushing.

Throughout the movie I’ve drifted closer to Grayson to where now my head is on his shoulder and I’m breathing in his cologne. He doesn’t seem to mind, he just moves the popcorn out the way, so I don’t accidentally knock it over. Normally I’m not big on physical touch but I don’t mind right now.

For the first time since I’ve met Grayson Archer, I feel like we’re somehow in the same world. For a moment I feel like ourhearts sync and our eyes meet and everything is perfect but It’s only for a moment.

LITTLE RED AND WOODY

GRAYSON

Iwalk through the door onto the indoor basketball court and find Bea practicing tumbling on a blue mat. Bea tries throwing a back tuck but when she lands, she falls. She gets up, and groans and sits on the ground. “You know you have to try again to get it right,” I say.

“It’s hard,” Bea groans.

“Well, you won’t get right unless you keep trying,” I tell her as I walk down the steps to the court.

“Do you want me to move my mat over?” Bea asks, ignoring my advice.

“No.” I only need half the court anyway.

“How was dinner night at Emmy’s?” Bea asks.

“Good, how was your photoshoot and tutoring?” I ask, dribbling my basketball.

“The shoot was fine. My issue of teen Vogue should come out within three months and tutoring was boring. I miss realschool,” Bea answers, while going over the prepping steps for a tumbling pass.

“When do you go back?” I shoot the ball, and it goes in the net perfectly and I run to get it.

“Dad said I should be able to go back once break is over. This time for more than two weeks,” Bea answers and then I hear her tumbling.

We carry on like this till it's time to meet our dad in his office for our bi-weekly family meetings. They are supposed to be weekly, but it doesn’t happen like that. It's more like whenever he needs to announce something and make its importance to him known. I make sure to freshen up and put on a different outfit before I enter his office.

I’m the last one here, as normal. Bea sits in one of the left leather chairs in a floral dress while dad leans against his desk. “I have called you both here today to discuss your career plans I have made,” Dad states and hands Bea a folder. He throws a file at me, and I catch it. “First things first, this showed up today,” Dad says, and I open the folder. Inside is something I knew would show up eventually. It's just what people assume is going on with Alexia being around so much. It’s a Starstruck Magazine and on the cover is a picture of Alexia and how the winner of the sweepstakes has been changed and who she has been hanging out with recently. “I don’t want this kind of stuff showing up anymore, she is to be left in the dust,” Dad tells me.

“We agreed that you do my career, not personal life,” I say and toss the folder to the floor while taking a seat.

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