Paparazzi//Grayson Hawthorne

Chapter Thirty

As I reach Nash's truck, Jameson quickly jumps in the front seat, leaving Xander and me in the back.

"Are you okay?" Xander quickly asks me as I jump in the truck, struggling slightly to do my seatbelt.

"Yeah, I'm okay, don't worry bout me," I whisper, a small smile sitting on my lips to try to reassure him.

He nods hesitantly before he grabs a scone from next to him, holding it out to me.

"Would you like a blueberry scone?" He quickly asks, a lopsided smile sitting atop his lips.I let out a small, light laugh.

"No thanks, Xander, I'm not hungry," I whisper. He just shrugs and eats the scone himself.

As we arrive at Heights Country Day, I undo my seatbelt, flinching slightly as I move my arm.

I see Xander notice from next to me, raising his eyebrow as though to ask me if I'm okay again.

I smile at him, nodding slightly before I slide out of the truck.

He meets me around the side, matching my pace as we walk closer to the school entrance.

The school day goes about as normal as it probably could have when you've inherited billions of dollars and now go to a rich fancy school with a bunch of rich fancy teenagers.

Up until my last class of the day.

I start to feel weird, feeling slightly lightheaded. I blink, trying to get my eyes to focus on the task more but to no avail.

I look around the class, trying to see if Xander is there.

I spot him a few tables away. He looks like he has finished and is just looking around the class.

He looks in my direction after a few seconds, catching my eyes.

His eyes go wide as they meet mine. My hand moves to my head, rubbing my finger and thumb against it slightly as I feel a headache coming on.

He pulls out his phone, typing quickly before he looks toward my phone on the table.

I pick it up.

It's a message asking if I'm okay.

I shake my head no.

He looks toward the teacher once more before looking toward me, then the time on his phone.

He quickly but quietly walks up to the teacher's desk, whispering something to her before she nods.

Xander then grabs his things, signaling for me to do the same before he moves to my desk.

"Come on. We'll go in the hall," he whispers as I stand, wobbling slightly as I do so.

I reach out, gently grabbing my arm.

As the two of us make it to the hallway, he turns toward me, placing his other hand on my other arm.

I flinch away as he does so.

"Ash," he quickly says, his voice soft, but he's issuing a warning.

"What's wrong? And don't say nothing or that you're fine or anything because that is all bullshit," he quickly says, leading me to another hall quickly.

"Avery got shot at last night" my voice is quiet as the words leave my mouth.

"Avery and Jameson got shot at," I reword my sentence. Xander stops in his place, turning to face me.

"That's why she was injured this morning," he speaks quietly, saying his thoughts out loud.

"You couldn't have done anything to help Ash. They were out when they shouldn't have been, and they're both okay. You don't have to protect her," Xander whispers as he gently pulls me in for a hug.