The Troubled Billionaire

Chapter 24: Yeah, Frogs

The next few days were kind of a blur. It wasn't as tedious as I expected, considering how we really went on with our plan of befriending Sapphire. It wasn't as easy as we made it out to be; she's one hard girl to crack. I even think she kind of has a clue that we're just trying to get some information out of her.

It's Friday today and it's already November. It's getting colder now considering how Christmas is already a month away. October was starting to get cold too but I don't think we really felt how cold it was since my brothers were still able to swim in the pool a few weeks back without freezing their ass off and getting hypothermia.

I pulled my coat closer to me as I listened to my friends bicker back and forth inside a cafe we decided to hang out in. "Dylan, seriously, give it back!" Sophie exclaimed, trying to reach Dylan wcross the table who laughed and had Sophie's phone in his hand while trying to keep his arm away from Sophie's grip.

Paige rolled her eyes at her brother's petulant action. "Soph, if I were you, I'd stop that while you're still sane."

"Yes, I totally agree." I said, eyeing Dylan and Sophie with mirth.

Austin took a sip of his drink. "Remind me again why Ian, Stacy, Hannah and Shane aren't here with us?" He asked, getting all of our attention.

"Foursome." Blake replied with a wicked grin on his face.

As we all laughed, Drake said, "You sure are something, Borton."

"Aw, I'm touched, Anderson." Blake said as he looked at Drake with faux adoration.

Laughing, Chase said with an amused grin, "Ian is getting ready to go to Stacy's home later because Stacy's mom invited him over for dinner and Stacy is helping her mom whereas Hannah and Shane are out on a date."

"Well speaking of dates — and I mean the literal meaning like numbers and calendars and stuff — Amber's and Aiden's birthday are just two weeks away!" Paige exclaimed excitedly.

Oh yeah, we're both turning eighteen soon. Aiden groaned. "Don't remind me. I'm not ready to know what Mom has in store for Amber and I."

And it's true. Mom goes over the top when it comes to birthday parties. Even I don't want to know what Mom will do during our birthday because knowing Mom, it will probably end up with the whole place being filled with something extravagant.

"Same here." I chorused.

"Oh come on. Your mom throws a great party." Chase said with a grin on his face.

"Yeah not really." Aiden said, a look of worry crossing his face. He turned to look at me. "We should really tell Mom to stop with giving us over the top parties for our birthday."

"We should." I agreed. "In fact, we should do it later when we arrive home since there's still time for us Mom to stop whatever it is she's planning."

Drake shook his head at us as he crossed his arms. "You're both mad."

"By mad, do you mean mad mad or mad like what you Brits call crazy?" Austin asked casually as he took a sip of his drink yet again while Paige, Sophie and I stared at him in disbelief, Aiden and Chase laughing loudly at Austin's undoubted stupidity, Dylan trying to look like he's not choking at the drink he's drinking and Drake eyeing Austin with mirth.

Well, for what it's worth, he's kind of making sense.

Paige sighed. "Sometimes, I don't know if I should laugh or punch you for your stupidity." She said, earning a look of mirth from Austin. "Mad like bat shit crazy, dumbo."

"Yeah. You know, like what us Brits call crazy." Drake added, the mirth in his eyes not wavering one bit.

Just then, my phone started ringing. I answered on the second ring, seeing Alyssa's name flash on the screen. I pressed the phone against my ear. "Hey ski mask." I said with a grin, enjoying her reaction every time I call her that.