Eight-Where's Aiden?

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Kelly and I hung out at the park for a while. Once it started to get dark, Kelly called Jenna to come pick us up. I convinced her that I was okay walking back home by myself and that she could just go straight home.

So here I was, at eight 0'clock at night, walking down the sidewalk to my house with Sassy right in front of me. The cool air felt good against my skin as I walked. I closed my eyes and breathed in. I love nights like these. It was so peaceful and calm.

But that peacefulness was shattered when I heard angry shouts. My eyes popped open and I glanced around me. There was no one else on the sidewalk, so where was all that shouting coming from? I frowned but continued to walk. That's when I realized that the shouting was coming from a house.

More specifically, Aiden's house.

I hadn't noticed that I was passing by. I told myself that it was none of my business and continued to walk. I heard a door open then.

"Get back in this house now Aiden!" Someone shouted. I assumed it was Robert.

"I'm fucking done talking to you!" Aiden yelled back. He slammed the door behind him and started down the driveway.

Again, I told myself that it wasn't any of my business. I stared straight and focused on getting home.

***

I left the library before lunch was over so I could stop by my locker to switch out a few papers from my binder. While I was at my locker, I noticed Ryan walking by with Nicole Sanders hanging on his arm. They stopped by the girls restrooms and Nicole went in, leaving Ryan standing by the door.

I was shutting my locker when I noticed him walking towards me.

"Hey Riley." He said casually.

"Hi." I said skeptically. I don't exactly count him as a friend, so I was still uneasy around him.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Have you heard from Aiden?"

Why would I know anything about Aiden? "No. Why?" I asked curiously. There has to be a reason why he's asking about him.

"Kelly didn't tell you?" He asked. I shook my head. "Aiden got into a huge fight with his dad and ran off."

So now I feel guilty. I should have talked to Aiden last night and convinced him not to run away anywhere. "What were they fighting about?"

Ryan rolled his eyes. "Aiden doesn't exactly like that his dad is getting married to my mom. He's always fighting with his dad when they're together."

"So, he just got angry and took off?"

Ryan nodded. "Yup. And he's out of the wedding. It wasn't like he was going to go in the first place though."

I wonder why Aiden doesn't want his dad to marry Anna. She seems like a nice person.

I was going to respond to him, but Nicole came out of the bathroom and saw Ryan talking to me. I noticed her sneer at me then start walking in our direction.

"And who are you?" She asked me as she laid a hand on Ryan's shoulder.

"She's one of my mom's bridesmaids." Ryan answered for me.

Nicole stared at me. "Whatever. Let's go Ryan."

***

After school, I was walking home with one earphone in my ear and my music turned up a little too loudly. But I didn't care though. I passed by the Callaway house, which was silent. I couldn't help but wonder where Aiden had run off to.

When I arrived at home, I was once again greeted by Kelly. My mom had let her in earlier. Kelly and I went up to my room and we were sitting on my bed.

She was talking about some boy at school when she sat up right. She yanked her phone out of her pocket and sighed when she looked at the screen. "Hold on." She told me. "Hello? Aiden?"

Aiden might not like that his dad is getting married to Anna, but I'm certain he has a small soft spot for Kelly.

"Where the hell are you dude?" She asked him, frowning. "Aiden, everyone is worried sick about you. Can you just come home?" Her frown deepened. She then held the phone out to me. "Here. You try to knock some sense into him."

I slowly grabbed the phone and put it against my ear. "Aiden?" I asked awkwardly. I don't really do well on the phone. I'm usually so awkward.

"Where's Kelly?" He demanded from me.

"She's sitting right in front of me but-"

"Listen. You tell her that I'm done talking to everyone. I'm fine on my own." He said angrily.

I sighed. "Aiden, there are people who care about you. The whole world isn't against you, you know." Maybe I could convince him to go back home.

"People like who? You?" He laughed dryly. "You're not exactly my type. Besides, we're not even friends. So stay out of my business and-"

I handed the phone back to Kelly, not bothering to hear what else he had to say, and she frowned. "Aiden, just go back home. What would your mom think of you right now?" I heard shouting from the other end of the phone and my eyebrows rose. That's when Kelly hung up on him while he was still yelling at her.

She looked at me. "I don't get that boy sometimes. I thought he'd listen to you."

"Why would he listen to me?" I questioned her. "Besides, we're not even friends." I quoted him.

***

Friday night, I had Aiden sitting on the couch with a black eye and bruised knuckles. He groaned when I handed him a bag filled with ice. I sat on the other end of the couch and stared at him.

"Take a picture. It'll last longer." He snapped at me.

I rolled my eyes. "That's original."

"Then stop staring at me."

I took a deep breath. "If you continue to snap at me, then I'm kicking you out. It's my house and I won't take this crap from you. And I'm even trying to take care of you. The least you could do is appreciate this. It's not my fault you decided to be stupid and get in a fight."

Let me go back to this afternoon, before this happened.

Kelly invited me to a party. I tried to refuse, but it was kind of hard with her. She had already brought clothes for me and a huge briefcase that was filled with who knows what. My mom had told me that she would be working late.

Apparently, Kelly had told my mom that I would be spending the night with her at her house, so I would have to go to the party.

Sneaky that girl, let me tell you.

I also refused to wear a dress. I don't like dresses and dresses don't like me. So I reluctantly decided on black jeggings, a denim cut off shirt, and some light colored ballet flats. Kelly slipped on a short blue sparkly dress with one sleeve. She put loose curls in her blonde hair while my brown hair got put into what Kelly called beach waves. I complained to her then how I didn't want to go to the beach and she rolled her eyes at me.

A friend of hers met us at my house and we all made our way to the party. My hands were sweaty in my lap as we drove there. I was extremely nervous, not only because this is my first party, but because I had a bad feeling about tonight.

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