Page 65 of The Spotlight Effect

The scenery is nice, it kind of makes the walk fun but I feel like I’ve been walking for hours. I turned my phone back on and took a few pictures, but I sincerely want to stop and just lay on the ground.

After I woke up this morning, Gray gave me some chips he had in the car for breakfast, and I used the travel deodorant and perfume I had in my bag so I could smell decent. It’s not the best hygiene but we’re stuck in the middle of nowhere.

“If you sigh one more time back there, I will tape your mouth closed,” Gray states.

“I’d like to see you try,” I mumble.

“Don’t tempt me.” I roll my eyes. We continue walking for a while before I end up sighing again.

“Oh my god, can you stop that for like two minutes?” Gray almost yells while stopping and turning around.

“Suck it up, Popstar. You can deal with it,” I reply, looking around.

Right now, getting on his nerves is the only entertainment I have. I think for one moment and then I have the perfect idea. “Race you,” I say and begin running.

The bookbag ends up slowing me down a little but I push through. If I can run with ankle weights, I can run with this bookbag. I run so far until I see a small pond and some picnic tables, and I stop.

Gray isn’t far behind me, and he shows up beside me only seconds later. “I win,” I announce.

“You cheated,” Gray says.

“Maybe,” I reply.

“Come on, let's take a break,” Gray says and goes over to a picnic table. I go over and take out the water bottles for us and hand him one. He nods, thanking me and begins to gulp down his water.

After a while, I decide to lay across the table, and Gray joins me, and we both look up at the sunny sky and clouds with our sunglasses on. “Do you know where we are?” I ask.

“Nope, never seen this place,” Gray replies.

“I think that cloud is a dinosaur,” I say and point at the one I’m talking about. I need to distract myself from being lost in the woods.

“It looks like a car to me,” Gray says.

“Seriously, a car.” I laugh.

“That cloud is a dog.”

“That one is a baby bottle,” I say, pointing to another.

“I think that one is a flamingo.” Gray points to the far right.

“I could see it,” I say.

“Did we really just watch clouds?” Gray asks.

“Yes, and it was fun,” I say, sitting up.

“I beg to differ,” he says.

“Of course you do,” I say, rolling my eyes.

“Come on, we should get going,” I say, jumping off the table.

“Little Miss Tired is actually willing to walk?” Gray says, faking shock.

“Yes, I wanna get back to my big, air-conditioned house as fast as possible,” I tell him and put on my bookbag.

“Well, if you’re ready let’s go,” Gray says and gets off the table as well. I take off my sunglasses and begin the walk forward.

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