The plane bumped a little, sending Stella's stomach into a nauseous swirl. She gripped onto the seat hard, afraid the plane would crash and take her along. Just the thought made her want to get up and puke inside the bathroom.
Deep breaths, deep breaths. No matter how many times she had rode on a plane, she always had the phobia of it just falling out of the sky and crashing. It was one fear she couldn't conquer and that one thing that caused her anxiety.
Why did Xavier have to do the movie all the way in New York? Isn't California good enough for him? It sure was enough for her.
She stared out the window, fogs of clouds blocking the window. Directly from the pilot, they were almost about to land. Gosh, she couldn't wait to leave the plane.
"We're almost there," Xavier whispered into her ear. He had been trying to comfort her the whole ride, which kind of worked, but her nerves were still jerking.
"Thank God. I can't take this plane anymore," she furiously responded.
He laughed, sitting back, "You're too adorable."
She tried her hardest not to turn pink, but she lost the battle. That was also other things he had been doing all day. Complimenting her, squeezing her hand. Her cheeks were exhausted.
"Thanks."
Again, the plane descended, until the speakers finally announced that they had arrived. She sighed in relief, unsnapping her seatbelt and grabbing her bags as quickly as possible once the plane came to a complete stop and they allowed everyone to stand.
She ran out, bumping into people before she reached the baggage claim. Finally.
Xavier came behind, chuckling at her as he walked next to her, his arm going over her shoulder without permission. "Are you like this on every airplane ride?"
"Maybe," she informed, ashamed as she looked at the marveled ground.
She watched for her baggage while it circled around, spotting hers after a few minutes. She yanked them out, patting them before going outside with Xavier, Tyler behind, going with Xavier's parents. They kept Xavier what was happening between her and Xavier, but the only response he was able to give was that they had become close friends throughout the months. It didn't seem like they were buying it, but they weren't pushing the subject either. The rest had gone earlier since they had to settle some files, according to what Xavier had told her. He waved for a cab, bringing her in with her when one took the time to stop.
A brown-skinned man took a halt, "Where to?"
Xavier looked at Stella for her response. "Which hotel are you staying at?"
"The Greenwich Hotel, please."
They drove off, leaving Stella spare time to look at her surroundings. Large, tall skyscrapers stood all gathered up, a bridge outlining the scene. As beautiful as it all was right now in the day time, at night was when it all became gorgeous. Many of the scenes were somehow alike to Los Angeles, but she could see the differences.
"You sure you don't want to stay over at my hotel? I mean, I don't want such a pretty lady like yourself being all scooped up alone in a hotel room."
"I'll be fine. I've done this plenty times before. You don't have to worry about it. Plus it's what my company pays for."
"But I want to. I don't want to be a bother."
"Stella, I would love it if you stayed with us."
Her stomach twirled. Ask me again and I won't say no.
"Xavier, I'm here to do my job. I don't want to interfere with yours."
Ask me again. Just one more time. I won't say no.
He sighed and nodded, looking out the window. She slumped into her seat. He wouldn't look at her.
You should've asked me again.
Arriving at her destination in only ten minutes, she left the taxi driver a tip before bouncing out the car, waving goodbye to Xavier, and looking up at the building she would stay at alone as the car drove out of sight downhill. All alone like every other trip to follow Xavier.
But first, she would have to settle in.
She checked in with the representative for her reservation before being handed the key. Her room was on the fourth floor. Chandeliers covered the whole lobby. The design was heavily marble. She went through her room, struggling with her stuff as she forced them through the door. The room was cute. Dark spirited, but cute.
She flattened on the bed, closing her eyes, relaxing for a while before she had to go and find Xavier in the big city like she always did. Maybe she would just text him. Or would that annoy him? She wanted to figure out if he liked her company, but it was hard to distinguish the different sides there were to him. It was bothersome. He could just be trying to be nice.
Her thoughts all rambled in her brain, all trying to speak at once, but before she knew it, she was asleep.
* * *
Cars honked, people kept trying to budge through the little space in between each other, most dressed in businesslike suits. Just like in Los Angeles, the building had a ultimate shadow of sunlight through the windows.
Everything was chaotic. Everywhere you went, there was always traffic with people going the other direction. People who lived here must have gotten accustomed to it, because they just made way without seeming too get annoyed. They just stared straight ahead.
Stella's legs felt like broken twigs of a tree, feeling exhausted. All day she been walking, looking and searching for Xavier without any luck. Where could he be?
She had already rampaged through some of his usual places for lunch or to get a latte whenever he would come to New York City, which was often. Even at the hotel he was staying at. The check-in lady had only informed her that they had left about an hour ago and wouldn't be back till late at night. When she had texted him earlier it had taken him a while to respond which is why she went on such a search, but he had given her a location in the Bronx. Yet she had been running around in circles for about an hour now.
A sigh dripped off her pale pink lips. Where the hell could he be? Stella pulled out her phone to text him again. She ignored the voice that nagged at her telling her she was being annoying. But just like an answer from heaven itself, snaps and flashes became loud to Stella's ear, leading her to look where the noise was coming from. It became louder as she continued to walk.
And there he was. Two teens that appeared to be around his age stood beside him. A dark-haired guy with almost the exact same hair as Xavier stood to his right, sipping at his strawberry smoothie. He wasn't exactly buff like Xavier, but he also wasn't too scrawny. Like the perfect match. But a little smaller. And on the right stood a thin, tall, carmel haired boy who had a small beauty mark on his cheek.
She kept her claim of spot while she took a few snaps of them just talking. She couldn't uplift the guts to walk up to him and his friends. What if they didn't like her? Or they make a funny look at her and made her feel like an outcast? She wasn't a part of his social group. She was an acquaintance - a friendly person who slept with him almost every night. What would that be called?
Trying to confront her fears, her back straight, her chin held high, she didn't take time to hesitate before walking up to the three boys. Xavier turned around just in time to see her park in front of him. His grin was elastic.
"Well, well. Look who decided to show up." His teasing voice made her insides go giddy. "For a moment, I thought you weren't going to show up. You're usually never this late."
"It wasn't my fault that you move around a lot and wouldn't let me catch you fast enough. This city is huge."
"This is my hometown, if you weren't already aware. I pretty much have this whole place memorized like the back of my palm. Welcome to the Bronx baby!"
"Oh, trust me, I was well informed. Especially by the way you wouldn't stay still in one place."
"Okay, then. Anyways, this is Alex," he informed, looking at the boy with the mole.
"And over here is Logan. Alex, Logan, this is Stella. My paparazzi girl."
My paparazzi girl. Every time he said that she would melt. Her heart soared.
She took both their hands, smiling at them. They had genuine smiles. Just like Xavier.
"Really pretty paparazzi girl, I see. You're lucky, Xavier." Alex's voice was dipped in a county accent. It was actually very cute.
Xavier's forehead was drowned into lines, but quickly changed into a plastic smile. She had seen enough of his smiles to know which were real and which were not.
"Yeah, I know."
"Thank you." Stella knew from the silence from Logan, that he was the shy type. He had only nodded at her, and he was busy staring at his shoes. Even more adorable. Just like Xavier when she first started talking to him.
"Okay," Xavier clapped his hands. "Who wants to eat? Because I'm starving."
Both the boys agreed, which led them all on their adventure to find a good restaurant to eat at. They all ended up eating at a burger joint.
"Out of all the places out there, we have to eat here?" Stella heard Alex ask while she searched through the short menu. She bought the number one while the other gathered the largest burger they could get. Boys and their appetite.
They all found a quiet, neat place against the window. The food place was regular paced with people.
"So," Alex began, already flirting off his skill to be talkative, "I've been wondering all day about this. Why in hell are you a paparazzi? There are so many good jobs out there for you to choose from. I mean, you're gorgeous..."
Stella watched Xavier glare at him. Did she imagine that? Her heart fluttered. Was he jealous?
"True," she said slowly, still watching Xavier, "But none of them run in the family. My dad used to be a great paparazzi."
"Used to?" Stella was amazed at his ability to pick up on things like that. Not many people were able to do that. She could say that to one hundred people, and only about three would be able to grapple on the past tense she used.
"He died a few years back."
"Oh. I'm sorry. Must've been hard."
"It was. But it's okay. I can't bring him back just by being apologetic. He's in a better place now."
"I bet he is." He took one of the biggest bites Stella has ever seen from his hamburger. How was he not choking? More than half the hamburger was gone.
"Yo, Xavier. Why didn't you tell me you had such a pretty lady at your feet? You plan on keeping all of the chicks or what? Let me have some"
Again, smile completely fake. "You didn't ask."
"Because you didn't tell me."
He glared at him lightly, almost secretly, "Don't you already have Lia anyways? What happened to her?"
He sighed, stuffing some fries into his mouth before speaking, "She left me for this other guy. It seems she didn't care about me. We haven't spoken since."
Stella felt sympathetic as she witnessed the sour look in his eyes. Now that must be a double ouch. Xavier patted his back, more rough than she would see most people do it. But again, guys had a way of being rough at everything.
"She could've at least broken up with me. One day we were fine, and the next she was all over this other dude. I just don't get it." Alex's country accent seemed to lift more emotion than any voice she had ever heard.
"She just left me like dirt."
"You'll find someone else," Logan waved him off, speaking for the first time since she had met him. He didn't really have an accent.
"That's what everyone has told me."
"Everything happens for a reason," Stella said, hoping she was encouraging him.
"I guess so." His expression was still down in the dumps, less exultant.
"When did it end?" Xavier asked, still eating like he'd been fasting for two weeks.
"It all broke down last week. She'd been getting distant, but I just dismissed it and thought she just needed some time alone. But she was just distracted by that Harry guy."
"The one with a unibrow?" Xavier asked, not far from spitting his food out in astonishment. He seemed to be holding in laughter. Well, it was pretty funny...
And that's how the whole table began cracking up, all except of Alex.
"It's not funny!" Alex groaned. "It actually really hurt me, okay?"
Slowly, their laughs died down, before they turned serious. The way he had announced it had just been heartbreaking. "I'm sorry," Stella apologized, looking at him in sympathy, "I just can't imagine why she would leave just a handsome man like you for some guy who can't even have two separate eyebrows."
That won her even the smallest of smiles from him, before he reached down to press his lips against her cheek. It didn't send anything of feeling like it did when Xavier did it, but it still made her heart melt at how cute he was. You know that feeling when you see a two year old, grinning and jumping with excitement at the same time. It's adorable, right? That's how she could describe Alex.
Stella imagined Xavier suck in a breath, or maybe it was reality, but she couldn't really tell. "You really think so?"
"Sure." She smiled at him before taking some fries.
"So, if I asked you to date me, would you say yes?" Alex questioned, seriousness unfortunately not lacking in his tone.
She swallowed her fries in order to keep them in her mouth at all. He did not just ask that. What could she say? If she said no - he might be all upset, but if she said yes - who knew what he would conclude to.
"I - well - um - I, uh," she stuttered, trying to find a way out. What could she say? She looked over at Xavier, who was just staring down, like he couldn't find the heart to hear her response. Okay, now there she was totally fantasizing it. That's when she felt her cellphone shifting inside her back pocket. And the idea popped into her head.
"Wait, I got a text," she interrupted falsely, while everyone else waited patiently, eating up their meals, but Alex kept still, staring at her with intent.
She quickly flipped her phone open, quickly texting Xavier, hoping he could find an escape for her. "Can you please help me out? I don't want to hurt him but I can't say yes. Please help!"
She stayed on her phone still, looking over as he looked at his phone after it vibrated, smiling down at it. His fingers went in mega speed as he replied, "Anything for you, princess."
Her insides shifted, grinning down at her cell before putting it away. She was about to speak before Xavier interrupted her. She didn't remember ever being as thankful as she was at that moment.
"You guys want to do the Lunatic Stunt?" He asked them.
The previous conversation was completely forgotten.
They all looked at each other with knowing glances, before turning their heads over to Stella. Alex had completely forgotten about his question, his eyes glistening and jumping.
"What's that?"
None of them answered, throwing away their foods and setting their trays on the top of the black trash bins, rushing out like an explosion were about to take place. What were they so excited for?
"Just wait," Xavier said, holding her hand.
"For what?"
He smirked wide, as well as the others as they all ran for their lives. She was even having trouble trying to scramble as fast as them.
Then, all the boys in unison, smiling like the fools they were, "The Lunatic Stunt!"