Page 68 of The Spotlight Effect

“And if you don’t, I’ll take him,” Astrid says. I grab a pillow and hit Lia’s phone with it as if Astrid will feel it.

“Fuck off,” I say.

“Yeah, whatever, he’s yours,” Astrid says. “He’s too closed off for me anyways.”

I roll my eyes.

For most of the years we’ve been sisters, I’ve disliked or hated her, or at least I used to. Lia used to be one of my best friends. It was me, her and Faith. Till Astrid happened (I guess that’s why I hate her). We slowly drifted apart, got in a big fight and two weeks later found out our parents were dating. Now I knew her dad and my mom were best friends but them dating came out of nowhere. Then before we knew it, we were sisters and we never talked, all we did was argue until senior year of high school. When I tried to kill myself over what happened with Griffin and the trauma I got from that was when we made up from the sixth-grade bullshit, and ever since, we’ve had this minor friendship. We’ve been sisters for seven years now and it feels like a lifetime because I’ve known her my whole life, but I’ve never been closer to her than right now.

“Lex?” she calls.

“Yes?” I answer.

“I’ve missed you,” Lia says.

“I’ve missed you too,” I answer. Maybe life has a way of working things out.

I hope it does. I hope everything is okay, especially with Gray.

RUIN MY LIFE

GRAYSON

I’ve been hiding out at The Fortress for two days.

After the video Bea sent in aired, things got messy, and before Dad got the chance to come in and yell, hit, or throw things at me or Bea, I snuck us out of the house. To say my dad is pissed is an understatement. I’ve even stayed inside just so no pictures of me can be taken and sent to him, so he comes here. I did a big thing by leaving after he hit me, and heaven knows when I eventually have to return it won’t be pretty.

“Gray, you’re spacing out again,” Charlie says, waving his hand in front of my face.

“Sorry. Were you talking?” I ask, coming back to the fact I’m sitting at the kitchen island in front of Charlie, Shawn and Zara.

“He was asking, are you sure you want to go to the studio today?” Zara asks, reminding me.

“I have to. Emerson already told me they need me back,” I explain.

“I’ll drive you,” Shawn says.

“Can I come?” Charlie asks.

“Absolutely not. You wasted Root Beer in my car yesterday and I had to get a four hundred dollar clean,” Shawn says.

“Which I paid for!” Charlie pleads with puppy dog eyes. Those eyes work on everyone, besides Shawn.

“If you promise not to waste anything, you can come,” Zara negotiates, grabbing Shawn’s keys smiling.

“I never said that,” Shawn states, bitterly.

“But he doesn’t mind.” Zara smiles and kisses Shawn’s cheek before jumping out of her chair with the keys.

“And this is why I love her,” Charlie says and gets out of his seat, and follows Zara out of the kitchen.

“There is no fighting this, is there?” Shawn asks me.

“Nope,” I tell him and get out of my chair as well.

He wasn’t going to win anyways, that girl has him wrapped around her finger just as much as he has her wrapped around his.

The whole ride to Golden Star was full of Charlie and Zara singing Disney songs. I’ve worked on ignoring it and Shawn has groaned this whole time. “Are you ready to see Alexia?” Charlie asks.

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