Page 97 of The Spotlight Effect

“Thank you,” she whispers to me.

“I promise this will all work out, just try and focus on you,” Shawn says, and he quickly hugs me like Kenan did.

“I’m totally going to visit you,” Scarlett says as she brings me into a hug.

“I believe you.” I hug her back, taking her long hug which I needed.

“And we expect to see you in the front row at the summer concert,” Raven says.

“I’ll be there.”

“It’s been a pleasure, be safe,” Noah tells me, and I give him a light smile before my final goodbye with Emerson.

“Excited?”

“Yes, I’m so ready to be home,” I answer.

“We love you and you’re always welcome to come, just call and I’ll have a plane waiting,” she says.

“I’ll let you know whenever I want to visit,” I reply.

“We must go, if we want to make it in time,” Fez says.

“I can’t believe the dream is over,” Lia says dramatically. We pack up in the limo as everyone waves at us, leaving from the porch.

Fez drops us off at the airport. “Thanks for everything,” I tell him.

“It’s been my pleasure,” Fez says, closing the door behind us.

“This has been amazing having a limo driver. You’re pretty cool,” Lia tells him, and he nods and walks around the limo to drive away.

The airport is crowded when we enter not only from travel, but paparazzi are also here. They are probably here due to the scandal Mr. Archer put out.

We push through the crowd, and thank God we don’t have to go through bag checks or anything because our bags are already checked in and have tagged, thanks to Emerson. We don’t have to wait long as we are talking about a first and business class only plane and it leaves within forty-five minutes. We go through checks and show our tickets and get seated in first class.

On the plane, I just put in my AirPods and block out the world, not bothering to worry about anything else going on.

It feels sonice to see this house. To be back in South Carolina. Everything is back to normal. Mom cuts off the car while everyone runs out of the house. Faith runs up to my car door and rips it open and I jump out and hug her. “I’ve missed you so much,” I whisper to her.

“Never leave me again,” she replies.

“I don’t plan to.” I don’t. Not anytime soon. I loved being in Hollywood, and acting was fun, so I was recording my song, but I don’t think I will be leaving anytime soon. I want to stay here and go to school and hang out with Faith and go to cheer practice after class.

“I’ve been dying without you here,” Astrid tells Lia.

“No, she hasn’t,” Faith says.

“I can’t believe my Lexi Wexi is back!” Dexter exclaims and hugs me.

“Okay, can we move this reunion into the house after getting the bags,” Mom tells us.

We all break apart and start getting the bags out of the car. After all the bags are in the house, Stephan pulls out some Chinese takeout, and we all sit around the table and eat and catch up.

“So are you going to tell me what happened?” Faith asks as she folds my clothes.

“It’s nothing to say, his dad spread lies around that he was using me and left. Basically using me for the stunt and I don’t want to be a secret and he blamed it on it just being Hollywood,” I explain to her.

I’m not mad that the rumor was spread or a lie about me was put out. I’m mad that he’s letting it happen and he’s just letting everyone believe he’s using me and leaving me and he doesn’t even have the guts to say anything to his dad. He’s blaming it on Hollywood. Now it makes me feel like I am being used.

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