Page 9 of The Spotlight Effect

Tati finally hands a key to the house to all four of us before she leaves us all to pick our rooms and says she’ll be back in an hour with Fez.

Entering the room I picked, it smells like Lavender and apples. Not a combination I thought I’d be into, but I like it. The room is the largest bedroom I’ve ever been in with a king-sized bed in the center, flowing green curtains, a bay window, and a seating space across from the bed. I notice a guitar is sitting on a stand beside the window.

I walk farther into the room turning around to see the wall the door is on has two opaque double doors and then there is a smaller door to the right before the living room space. I open the double doors, leading to a bathroom. Then I open the small doors, leading to a large walk-in closet.

Since I know I don’t have long before we have to leave again, I go over to the bed, which has a gift basket on it, and I open it. On the top is a welcome card signed by all the band members. I flip it over in my hands before sitting it down. I can’t believe I held that in my hands. I have to calm the internal screaming down before continuing on. First, there is a hoodie, just a basic one with the band logo on it, and matching sweatpants that have lyrics from their song “The One”on them. Then there’s a red silk pajama set with my initials on the left breast (AK), Chanel perfume, La Roche-Posay face wash and face lotion, and lastly, an autographed CD from The MorningStars.

This is the best day of my life, and I will treasure this forever. I take a picture of the whole basket and send it to Faith, knowing she will want to see it. I’m beyond excited. I hate to admit it, but this is a great start.

I sit the gift basket to the side and begin to unpack because I know I won’t do it once I get comfortable.

“Alexia!” Aaliyah screams my name as she bursts into my room, holding her makeup bag.

“Can I help you?” I ask, annoyed.

“I need you to do a cat eye for me,” Lia tells me.

“No,” I reply and go back to doing what I was before.

“Lex, can you not be a bitch for once and just do me a favor? You do it the best,” Lia says. I sit down my hair supplies I have in my hands and motion for her to sit on the bench at the end of the bed. “Thank you.” She grins. I give her no reply.

After I finish her eyeliner, she bounces out of the room, and I get dressed in a purple rhinestone spaghetti-strapped dress and my leather blazer with platform heels. I fix my hair in a half up, half down and I apply my favorite lip gloss and all my rings. Lastly, I grab my purse and leave the room with about ten minutes to spare.

Fez is already downstairs waiting for us outside the limo. I get inside finding Mom already here, going through the CD selection. “Find anything in there?” I ask.

She jumps back a little and I know I’ve startled her.

“Jesus, Alexia, you scared me,” my mom says.

“Sorry, you look focused,” I state and lean back with my arms crossed over my chest.

“I wanted to find good car music,” Mom explains.

“And you thought it would be on CDs.” I raise a brow.

“No need to judge me, young lady.” She points at me.

“I’m not,” I surrender. That's a lie, I am.

“Liar.” I just shrug at her. I pull out my phone and put in my AirPods to drown out everything while we drive to Rodeo Drive. I definitely do not want to hear whatever my sister and her friend will be giggling over.

We arriveat Rodeo Drive to see Tati Liam standing in front of the Chanel store. “Welcome to your unlimited shopping spree. You have forty minutes to go into any store and buy what you want,” Tati explains as we walk up. This may seem like a lot of time but it’s not, Rodeo Drive is huge, and these stores are too. Of course, whoever won is tempted to go into many stores leaving this to be not enough time. Plus, we still have to check out to see how much was spent so Golden Star can pay. I raise my hand with a question in mind and a bored look on my face.

“Yes, Alexia?” Tati asks.

“What if we don’t want anything?” I ask and look to the side. I can just see the upset look on Lia’s face.

“Just buy something,” Lia pleads. I hate when she whines.

“Fine.” I fake a smile.

“Settled.” Tati claps and holds out four black credit cards.

“Courtesy of Hayden Productions. Now smile for the camera.” I didn’t even notice the cameraman behind her on the side.

A man circles around us, taking pictures, and I try to avoid him, but I’m pulled in by Astrid to take pictures. “Okay, girls, your time starts now,” Tati says.

To sayit didn’t take me long to get what I wanted would be an understatement. I went to one store and then sat on one of the benches for the rest of the time.

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