Paparazzi//Grayson Hawthorne

Chapter Fourteen

When we reach the dining room, I feel eyes on me.

I see both Libby and Avery on one side of the room. As they see me, as they see my hair, their mouths open in shock.

The others looked slightly confused as if to ask themselves if I had always had short hair.

Only a few actually realize that I, in fact, did not always have short hair. Those being Nash, Alisa, and my sisters.

Grayson walks in not long after us. He's wearing no jacket now, instead just wearing his dress shirt and pants. He sits next to me, Xander on my other side.

I see Nash look over at us. He smiles at me as I talk with Xander.

I think both Nash and Xander are surprised that I have been able to get through to Grayson a bit, even if Xander hasn't really seen it, but I think he knows it's there.

We all eat in silence, no one daring to speak.

Everyone rushes out of the room one by one, not saying a word as they leave.

"Ashlyn," I hear Alisa's voice as I push my food around on my plate.

"Whats up?" I quickly look up at her as she motions her head toward the door.

I quickly stand, following her as she walks out the door and down the hallway.

I see Xander stand up from his seat beside me and stand by the door, about ten meters away.

"Ashlyn," Alisa sighs. She pinches the bridge of her nose.

"What did you do to your hair?" Alisa sighs as I look down.

"Well, I- Xander and I just had the idea too, and well, he tried to make sure it was as even as possible, and he said it looked good, so did Grayson and-" I cut myself off.

"So you and Alexander thought that you would just cut your hair really short for no reason at all?" Alisa quickly speaks. She sounds annoyed, pissed off even.

"It was my idea. I just thought they would suit short hair, is all, and I thought they would like it" Xander quickly runs over, speaking quickly.

Alisa just sighed again, pinching the bridge of her nose once more.

"God, you two need to not do that kind of stuff, you know Xander, that you have stylists for a reason. That does not give you the need to go cutting people's hair as though you are a stylist." Alisa rants.

Alisa moves her hands a lot when she speaks. I focus on that her hands moving to exaggerate her points.

"Alisa, she knows, I know, we won't go around cutting her hair anymore," Xander quickly says, "We're sorry," He adds on.

Alisa sighs before giving each of them a look as though to say that we're let off this time.

"Just call me or message me before you go try to make decisions," Alisa sighs once more before she gives the two of us a wave of a hand, signaling us to go.

Xander and I walk down the halls, "I'm sorry you got in trouble with Alisa" Xander's voice is quiet, but I hear the tint of a smile on his lips."I mean, at least I have short hair now" I smile widely back at the boy.

That causes him to laugh, a genuine, real laugh.

His laugh is contagious. It causes me to erupt into laughter myself.

We walk through the halls, just the two of us laughing.

"Wanna see something cool?" Xander quickly asks me, his smile wide.

"Of course," I laugh before he grabs my hand, running through the halls, bringing me with him.

We come across a theater room, a large screen on one wall with rows of giant, soft couches.

"Thoughts on Marvel?" Xander asks quickly as I turn, looking at each surface.

"I'd watch it any time of day," I laugh as his smile grows wider.

He sets up the screen, grabbing us snacks before he jumps onto a couch in the middle of the room, patting the seat next to him.

We sit there, watching movies the whole night.

We move from one movie to another, watching each one.