Page 69 of The Spotlight Effect

“Yeah, she’s super worried about you,” Zara states. It’s only been two days.

“I am but she has nothing to worry about. I’m fine,” I say.

“Gray, the whole country and maybe the world saw that video and you shut yourself in your room till this morning and only let Bea in and us if we had an update on Alexia because you wouldn’t ask yourself,” Shawn explains.

“Okay, so I’m notgreatper se, but I’ll be okay,” I reply.

We pull up at the front of the building and I get out of the car then bid my goodbyes before walking inside.

“I’m so happy to have you back,” she says, coming over and hugging me as I enter the studio.

“Glad to be back,” I answer. “So why am I here for the last recording?”

It doesn’t seem very necessary for me to be here since this is Alexia’s song and none of the other band members are here.

“I just wanted you to see this, plus Charlie told me you’ve been avoiding talking to her so here we are and after we will all go to the production studio and shoot some scenes,” Emerson explains.

“So this was a setup.”

“Come on, we have a song to listen to,” Emerson says, pulling me by my hand. We enter the elevator and ride up together. Entering the studio, I make eye contact with Alexia for a brief moment before I’m dragged off to sit down on the sofa.

“Conner, Stacy, we’re ready,” Emerson calls over to them.

“Okay, everyone, please stay quiet!” Stacy says. I shift myself back onto the sofa and get ready to listen. Conner counts off and Alexia starts singing. Her voice is like music to my ears. It almost brings me peace to hear her voice.

I listen the whole time and I feel as if I’m staring at her, but I don’t really care, I love listening to her. I could listen to her sing all day if I had the choice to.

“That was amazing. We need to get one more take, and then we will be done,” Conner says. Alexia gives a thumbs up and Stacy starts the song again.

After recording the song is over, I walk over to Alexia to get water from the refreshment station.

“I’m sorry I haven’t talked to you these two days,” I whisper over to Alexia.

“Are you okay?” she asks.

“Not really.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not right now.”

“Gray, Alexia, are you ready to go?” Emerson asks.

“Coming,” Alexia replies.

After shootingthe scene where I find Alexia’s character in the tower is over, we go on break.

“What if we go camping? Only for a weekend. Just to get away,” Emerson suggests.

“I’ve never camped before,” Alexia says.

“I don’t do outside,” Aaliyah says. I was hoping she wouldn’t be here, but Alexia talked her mom into allowing her to come to set after we recorded some of the song.

“We will be in cabins the whole time,” Noah says.

“Who all is going?” Alexia asks.

“The band and me and Noah plus you, Aaliyah and maybe Nevea,” Emerson answers.

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