Fighting For Life (published)

Miserable dinner -Aiden's POV

Aiden's POV-

You know, I understood Aubry's apprehension to coming to dinner at my family's house. It was the same apprehension I felt at the idea of anyone coming over. With Aubry, however, I felt nothing of the sorts. I wanted to get to know her better and be her friend, no matter what rules I had set in my mind against doing just that. We would be discreet and I would give no one any inklings that I cared about someone.

I knew that I sounded like I was protecting myself and my reputation more than wanted to be friends with the girl, but it was quite the opposite actually. I couldn't be seen caring for Aubry in any capacity to protect her. I had already seen what happens to the people I care about... I didn't want anything like that to happen again.

That's why, when Bridget came to the door and my mother invited her to stay, I had to get Aubry out. I knew that it seemed superficial, but that wasn't my intentions at all. I was purely trying to care for Aubry. I knew that if Bridget caught Aubry at my house, which I wasn't sure how Bridget knew where I lived, that she would spread lies and gossip all over town. I couldn't have that happen to Aubry, it wasn't safe.

It was sad because my whole family seemed to really be loving Aubry. Even Bri liked her, and Bri never liked anyone new. So instead of having Aubry for dinner, since the whole situation had to be messed up, they were stuck with Bridget. No one was going to like her.

I would have kicked Bridget out instead of getting Aubry to leave, but my mom had already invited Bridget to stay. I knew that if I tried to make Bridget leave then she'd make a big deal and my mother would kill me for being rude to a 'guest.' It wouldn't matter that the 'guest' was uninvited.

Aubry, however, I knew wouldn't put up a fight. It was a messed up thing, the girl who didn't make a big deal out of things was the one being thrown out. It was backwards and messed up, but that was life.

I couldn't put Aubry at risk. No matter how much I preferred her company to psychopath Bridget's. No matter how much it pained me when she told me that she wouldn't be friends with me behind closed doors. No matter how much I wanted to just take my words back after I said them. It was what was best for her. I had to keep reminding myself of that.

I didn't want to hurt Aubry. Heck, I actually found Aubry to be rather likeable, after you got past all of her rough edges, but I couldn't put her in danger just because I liked her. I couldn't put her in danger just because I had a weird pull to her. In fact, that pull was even more reason not to care about her. He would see right through that pull and figure us out if we weren't careful. Yes, things were probably better off the way that they were playing out.

Minus Bridget being at my house. That whole factor was creepy. I thought that I had made myself clear to her about being done? I hadn't ever had anyone but B, and now Aubry, over from my school, so I wasn't sure how the girl knew my address. She was becoming a stalker. I needed to nip that in the bud before it escalated to even crazier proportions... again. My mind quickly berated me for letting another girl become too attached.

I led Aubry out of the room that I had shoved her into. I wanted to ask her to stay, or at least let me explain, but I couldn't... I couldn't explain anything to her and that fact made me feel even worse. That was what was best for us though. I needed to look like an asshole to her for her to understand that she needed to not be my friend. I was awful, and I was not a good friend to have.

As we walked down the hallway she pointed at a picture, "Aiden, before I go.... Who is this in this picture?"

My breath hitched when I saw the picture that she was talking about... my dad. "That's um- that's my dad, Jeremy Clark." I turned back around speedily, so she couldn't see the hurt in my eyes and began walking again.

I saw her eyes widen, but she said nothing at my revelation. She just followed me with a blank and somber face. When we got to the door I felt horrible for all of this. This was bullshit. I'm such an asshole.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

She said nothing to me and walked out of the door with that same blank look on her face.

I leaned my head on the closed door and watched her through the door window. I felt so bad.

I went back to the kitchen and Bridget was sitting there with my family talking about herself. Everyone looked uncomfortable. My mom came to me and asked quietly, "where's Aubry?" I shook my head at her and she looked disappointed.

Brandon told me that Brianna excused herself from dinner before Bridget even came into the kitchen, she could tell who that shrill voice belonged to before she saw the face. She didn't like to deal with Bridget in school, much less out of it. Somehow, I had led one of her biggest bullies to one of the only places that she considered safe. I sighed at that, I continuously kept hurting my little sister... I never kept her safe and just kept hurting her. I was awful.

I sat down quickly next to Bridget and felt horrible for how the whole situation had turned out... all due to my bad choices. We all ate dinner quickly. Both, Cece and my grandpa asked about Aubry. Thankfully, I stopped them before they could say her name and brushed off the questions shakily.

I just wanted the stupid dinner to be over and done with. It was miserable to say the least. No one liked Bridget, and all she did was talk about herself. She complimented my mom's cooking, but yet she only ate a bite or two of it.

When I finally got her out of my house, without being directly rude to her in front of my mom, it was pretty late. I told her that if she ever came to my house again that I'd file stalking charges on her. I wanted nothing to do with her, and by the time I was done explaining it to her, she had hurried off on her own. She was angry, but I think she took it better that Amber ever had... thankfully.

By the time she left everyone was exhausted, and didn't want to talk. I definitely didn't blame them. The girl was a disaster. My mom could barely look at me once again. Although, that time, I couldn't tell if it was the disappointment because of Aubry or the usual... because I looked like my dead father.

I went into my room and laid down. Aubry was all I could think about and I felt like a complete dick. That had to be the shortest friendship ever... Less than a day, I was such a mess up that I couldn't even be friends with a girl that had no friends. I had literally no other friendships or comparisons to compete with and I still mucked it up. Why was I like that, such an asshole?

A/n-
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-KAF❤️