Alexia Kirby

"She was one of the rare ones, so effortlessly herself and the world love her for it." - Atticus

The kiss is wet with the water dripping around us but it doesn't last long. Just long enough to shut me up.

The kiss does literally take my breath away, not even trying to sound cliche or anything but when he kissed me I actually forgot to breathe and now that we've pulled away, we're staring at each other. I'm shocked and confused. I finally start breathing again as he says, "Sorry, It's the first thing that came to my mind." I stare at him, processing what he said. " It's okay.......I didn't mind." I tell him. It's quiet again. I don't know what to say and I genuinely think he doesn't either.

"Can I kiss you again?"

I nod "yes" surprisingly.

Gray is still holding my face so we both lean in till our chilled lips are touching. That short kiss was definitely not enough. His hand reaches farther behind my head pulling me in closer and I place my arms around his neck as he grips my lower body. This water may be cold but I'm feeling anything but cold. It's almost like electricity is flowing through us.

"Found you!" Charlie yells and we both jump apart. "You idiot, you aren't it." Gray says. " I know, but Kenan already found me, so I was bored and came to find you." Charlie says, shining the light over on me. " Can you not shine that in my face." I say, covering my face. "Sorry," Charlie replies and shines his light lower to the ground. "Why did you two look like deers in headlights when I came up?" Charlie asks, sitting on the ground in front of us. " Maybe because you shined a light in our face." Gray answers. " Well, what have you two been doing?" Charlie asks us.

Gray looks at me and I look back at him and then at Charlie and then back at Gray. Is he going to tell him we kissed or is this going to stay between us?

"We were kissing." Gray states. And telling Charlie takes the win. Charlie's eyes go wind as his mouth drops and he goes back and forth looking at us shocked. " Oh my god. When? How? Was it good?" Charlie asks all at once. " I don't kiss and tell." Gray answers. " A few minutes before you walked up and I was rambling so he kissed me." I answer, except for the if I liked it question.

"Then we kissed for fun." Gray adds but I splash water on him. " You dumbass. That's no first kiss. You can do better than that." Charlie says while slapping Gray's arm. " Jesus, can you not abuse my arm." Gray says and swats Charlie's arm away. "While I appreciate you considering me a god, I just think you should have chosen a better first kiss moment." Charlie says, simply. "Who kissed who?" Scarlett asks, walking up from the side of the fountain. How do we not hear them walking up? "Gray kissed Lexi but in a terrible way." Charlie says. Scarlett takes a seat beside Charlie on the outside of the fountain. " I need details." Scarlett says excitedly. " There are none, she was rambling and boom kiss. No fairytale." Charlie answers. " He's just disappointed." Gray says. " I am too." Scarlett says, slapping Gray's arm. " Can everyone stop hitting me." Gray says loudly. " Did you at least like the kiss?" Scarlett asks. " I'm not answering that." I answer. I did.

"Do it better." Charlie says.

We sat out here for about ten more minutes before Kenan said the game was over and we all went to the fire pit Noah sang us a song and then Charlie and finally we went inside to watch movies. Me and Gray changed before coming back. The night is as awkward as you would think after someone just kissed one because we've been kept busy but now we're alone and lying down in our room.

"Did you like it? The kiss" Gray asks from across the room. " Yes, did you?" I reply. "Yeah." He replies. The room is silent and all I can hear is the clock ticking and the wind outside. " Do you like me?" Gray asks. The most dreaded question, It's not that I can't answer it but I didn't come to California to leave with a boyfriend, and what about when I leave? We are on two different sides of the country. How would that ever work? I guess I have to see how this goes to find out if it'll work out or not. " Yes, I think so." I answer. " So you aren't sure?" He replies. " I like you, but I don't know if I want to try something just to get hurt." I answer. It's not that I'm not sure of my feelings, no I like him but I'm not sure if I like him enough to risk getting hurt.

I hear covers shuffling and then his steps fill the room before the bed dips and he's lying beside me. " I wouldn't hurt you." Gray states. " You can't be sure of that." I reply. " I can be sure that I'll try not to." Gray says. "I think I can live with that." I tell him.

"So what does this mean?"

"It means we see where it takes us. You still have to take me on an official date pop star"

The rest of the campaign trip went nicely. We slept outside the next night and I shared a tent with Scarlett, we ended up talking most of the time till the other girls joined and we ate leftover S'mores. We returned to work and now there's not much left to do.

I walk into our house carrying Chinese food for my sister and mom since Astrid is gone now. " Guys I'm home!" I yell out, letting everyone know that I'm back. I take everything to the kitchen and sit up things to eat. " Ouuu Chinese. So how was set today?" Aaliyah asks, walking into the kitchen. "It was pretty good today. Tonight we are going to a concert." I tell her, sitting with chopsticks beside a takeout plate. " Ouuuu what concert?" Aaliyah asks. " The Morning Stars of course." I tell her. " What about The Morning Stars?" Mom asks, walking into the kitchen as well. " We are going to a concert tonight." I answer. " Ouu then I shall have myself a mom's night." Mom says and comes over to sit at the table. " What's a mom night?" Lia asks. " I think it's best we don't ask." I tell her and sit down in my chair.

We all eat dinner together before calling Stefan and Dexter and then I take a call with my coach, finally after days of not being able to. I practiced the routines and stunting and then just basic drills before showering and getting ready for the concert.

I stand in front of my closet deciding what pants to wear. Black or white? I'm wearing a striped black and white shirt under a Morning Star tee for layering and now what pants with my red rhinestone belt. I'm thinking white so I slip them on over my purple undies and I put on my black platform loafers.

"Lexi, I need something!" I hear Aaliyah yell from the hall. " What do you need?" I ask, yelling back. "Your leather blazer." Aaliyah states. " You are out of your damn mind if you think you're getting it." I reply. "You're no fun." Lia replies.

Within thirty minutes I'm ready for the concert and Lia and I are in Raven's Jaguar riding to the concert hall. I'm especially excited about this part because I get to go early and see all the backstage things. We enter into the concert hall through the crew door and get special backstage ID passes.

I decide to place all my things in Scarlett's dressing room while they get their makeup done. While back here me, Zara, and Emerson set up VIP seats. We place numbers and cute gift bags and water for them. " So I heard you and a certain guitarist kissed." Emerson says. " Everyone knows, don't they?" I ask, sitting with a bottle of water beside another chair. " Uhmm not me." Lia says. "Her and Gray kissed." Zara states. " I caught that much but when?" Lia asks. "The night we played hide and seek." I answer. " And I'm just now finding out!" Lia exclaims. "Yes because I kinda wanted for me and him to figure us out before I told everyone we kissed then you guys would accept things." I say dramatically. "Too bad I want details." Lia says. " Me too." Zara agrees. " If you say, me three." I say directed toward Emerson. " Okay, I won't but just know I'm thinking it." She says. "Look, there aren't any extraordinary details. I was talking too much and he kissed me." I tell them. "That was a big letdown." Lia says. " I know right." Zara agrees. " I was told Charlie said to re-do it." Emerson says. " Charlie wants him to." I tell them. "It's up to him to do it or not. Can we all move on now?" I say, placing bags down beside the chairs. " Yeah, let's go check on the guys." Emerson suggests.

Being backstage at a concert is a rush.

People are rushing all around and clothes changes are being set up along with the stage setup for the start of the show as people file into the concert hall. "This is more exciting than I thought." Aaliyah whispers over to me. "I know right." I say back. " Where's my guitar?" Gray asks, coming through everyone. I look around and spit his guitar on a stand over to the side. I walk over and grab the guitar from the stand. "Here." I say handing it to him. "Thank you." Gray says, taking it from me. " Are you having fun back here?" Gray asks. " Yeah, one of the most exciting things. Almost as exciting as competing." I tell him. " Being backstage at your favorite band's concert isn't more exciting than taking the mat." Gray says, with fake shock. "Not even close and it definitely doesn't beat flying." I say, smiling. "Okay,  we need you in line up. The concert starts in five minutes!" Austin yells out. "Looks like I have to go." Gray says, briefly turning around to Austin. "Good luck rockstar." I say. Gray brushes my hair back and gives me a slight smile. "I don't need luck as long as you're here." Gray tells me before kissing my cheek.

"Come on Gray, no time for your show of everlasting feelings!" Charlie yells over. "Let's go three minutes!" Raven yells. " You should go." I tell him. Gray smiles and turns away to go line up on the stage, while I walk back over to Lia. " Would have been better if he kissed you." She states right as the concert begins.

We are one song away from the concert ending when my phone starts to vibrate. I look around and find the hall to the dressing rooms and answer the phone as I go down. "Hello?" I answer. "Alexia." The voice says a voice I haven't heard in months. My dad's.

"Dad." I state. " I called to inform you of something." He says. " Get on with it." I reply. "Griffin. He's out of jail, but they are supposed to redo his trial. Considering he has mental issues, I wanted to inform you. They want you to write a letter if you don't want to come to court and testify." Dad says. "I don't and there's no letter. I'm not justifying what your brother did." I tell him and hang up. I don't want this to be real. It can't be real. He can't hurt me.

I may be having hallucinations but he is out of prison. Which is hard to believe; I thought he was convicted of kidnapping, attempted murder, sexual assault,  and arson but now he's out and now he can get to me.

Me and my family.

He's out. The man that haunts my nightmares.

I stumble back to where Aaliyah is shaking and on the verge of crying. "Where'd you go? Are you okay?" Aaliyah asks but her eyes go wide as she sees me. " Lexi, what happened?" Lia asks. " My dad called." I state. I look around a little before spotting the wall and going over to it. "Lex, you have to tell me why?" Lia says, coming over to me. Holding my shoulder. "He said Griffin is out and going back on trial but this time under the condition he was driven mentally insane which means he might not go back to prison." I say, weakly.

I slide down the wall and clutch my knees to my chest as I start to cry. The tears run down my face as I try to breathe through this. I can do this. Everything will be fine. I repeat to myself. "Lexi, it's fine. We will tell mom. Everything is fine." Lia says and runs over to the edge of the stage waving off someone. " Uhm -I'll.....I'll be back, sorry." Gray stutters. I hear a slight pause on stage before Charlie takes over singing his part.

"Alexia, what's wrong?" He asks, crouching down beside me. I can feel his arms wrapping around me. "Her dad called. Griffin is out." Lia states. "Who is that?" Gray asks. " That's a story she needs to tell you. I know I'm involved but she is the only one that can tell you her part." Lia says.

I feel as if my breath is being sucked out of me as my vision clouds and my head hurts. Rushes of the memories from when I was thirteen come back into my head.

I can't do this.

Not again. He can't come to find me, he won't. But deep down I know he may try. After all, he's done he'll try this too.

I look over at Gray with tears running down my face. " I can't do this." I whisper. "Do what?" He asks. My head whirls around and my stomach swirls. With the little energy, I have I stand up and run over to the trash can and throw up the contents of my stomach. "Lex!" Gray yells. "Someone help." Lia says. " Go get your mom." Gray tells Lia.

I don't hear much else of what's happening because my vision fades and I end up fated and all I remember is falling into Gray's arms.