Paparazzi Girl

26. The End of Everything

The dull day went on. Stella laid low and ignored Mr. Robins as hard as she could. Everything was now public. Everything about Xavier. Everything was exposed. It had been a week since her talk with Mr. Robbins. A week since her mother had entered rehab, looking healthier everyday already. A week since Xavier found out about his parents.

She was struggling to keep her hands from shaking.

She waited sitting, looking at the elevator, awaiting for Xavier to barge in and yell his guts out. Tell her that she ruined his life. Tell her she was just another traitor he met and would never want to see again. Declare that she was going to be thrown out of his life. She waited. And waited. So much waiting.

Isabelle had even asked her what was wrong, but she swore she was fine, and she really wasn't in the mood for anything. She had barely slept.

Without appetite, she felt lifeless. So many things in her life had gone wrong. Her mom becoming addicted to alcohol and cigarettes. Losing Xavier's trust once he peaks into the magazine section. She bit her nails every time she thought about what has gone wrong in her life. She barely had any nails left. She needed a distraction.

Crap.

She felt restless, closing her eyes for a minute, which later turned into five, and then ten. Something shook her, but she couldn't find the will to open anything up. She needed rest, even if it was just for an hour.

"Stella!" Isabelle screamed into her ear, making her jerk.

"Yeah?" she asked, wiping her eyes.

"Someone's here to see you." Stella jumped, feeling her heart loop ten thousand times. Oh, my God. He was here. He was here. Her lethargy flew out the window.

"Who is it?" She tried her best to remain calm, but she was beyond nervous inside. She was a reck. Her life was a reck.

Kill me now Isabelle, please.

"Some young boy. He doesn't seem too happy though. He demands to see you."

Worst nightmare occurring. Why did you have to do something so stupid, Stella? Why? Why couldn't you have just said no and live in peace? Why are you so stupid?

She got up, walking out of the cafeteria room, finding Xavier sauntering back and forth, his hands on his hips, his face pulled down to a frown. Okay, just smile and pretend you don't know.

Stupid, stupid, just stupid-

"Xavier?" She tried smiling, but it didn't come out right.

He clenched his teeth at her, pointed a sharp finger at her, "You - you did this. You actually did this! I can't believe it, I can't believe you! I trusted you, were you aware of that? Of how much I had faith in you? God, I don't think I've ever been so hurt before."

She swallowed, grabbing his wrist, from which he pulled away. She led them both to a vacant office, the whole scene gray and upsetting.

Great, just what she needed.

"Xavier, please let me explai-"

"Explain what?" he interrupted, looking red and hurt, "How you planned this all? How you took advantage of what we had?"

What we had?

She had to fight back. She needed to. She needed to explain herself. Have him understand what we going on, "What did we have, Xavier? That was something I could never figure out. You trusted me, but I didn't ask you to."