Some people wait their whole lives to find the perfect friend.
But not Isabella Washington.
She knew she'd be best friends with Aiden Cunningham the moment she set eyes on him. But staying friends through school is easy. It's what comes after that c...
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After opening her gifts and eating the cake, Isabella's parents took her for her "surprise" dinner celebration.
Her father had made reservations at The Cheesecake Factory, so when they arrived at the venue, they were quickly shown to their table.
Marybeth and Bradley sat next to each other, while Aiden and Isabella chose to sit together, side-by-side. The gang sat at their table and chatted, sipping their ordered drinks.
After a few minutes, a waiter walked by their table with a writing pad and pencil in his hand. He seemed young, probably the same age as the teenagers.
"Hello, my name is Matthew, and I'll be your server this evening," he said, smiling. "Are you ready to order?"
Once the waiter took the parents' order, he turned to Aiden. "Uh, me and my friend"—he pointed at Isabella—"will have a chicken sandwich. Also, do you guys do anything special for birthdays? Because it's her birthday today."
"I will place your orders and bring them out when they're ready."
They all said, 'thank you' as he walked away from their table.
Isabella stared at her parents and Aiden, glaring at them. "Thanks a lot, guys."
"I didn't do anything this time," Marybeth defended, lifting her hands in surrender.
"Me neither." Bradley chuckled.
"Come on, Bella, you need attention today. It's your birthday," Aiden joined in, swinging his arm around his friend's shoulders.
"You know I hate getting attention."
"Well . . . now you are." Aiden smiled. Isabella narrowed her eyes, glaring at him pointedly. "Don't look at me like that."
Isabella stuck her tongue out at him, and he retorted by sticking out his own at her.
"You two are childish," Marybeth muttered, shaking her head.
Twenty minutes later, their waiter came back with their food. "I hope you guys enjoy your meal," he said, then faced the brown-eyed girl. "And have a great birthday, miss. Your part of the meal will be on the birthday discount."
"Thank you." She smiled.
"You're welcome." He strolled away to greet a new customer.
"See? It feels nice being noticed, doesn't it? You're welcome," Aiden said with a victory grin on his face.
"Whatever." Isabella shook her head, grabbing the sandwich with both hands and digging in.
꧁ ༄ ꧂
Everyone carried on eating their meals. Marybeth and Bradley talked about random topics while Aiden and Isabella spoke about school. They had to go back to school after being on break for a few days.
As they talked, Aiden's phone rang. He took the phone out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID. His face immediately turned pale.
Isabella watched him, staring at the phone as if he'd seen a ghost. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked.
Aiden stared at her, looking petrified. "I'm just going to take this call. Excuse me." He stood up from the table and rushed to the front of the restaurant.
What's wrong with him? she thought, concerned.
"Honey." When Marybeth spoke, Isabella turned to her mother and saw the puzzled look on her face. "Is Aiden okay? Where did he go?"
"Uh, someone called him, and I guess it's urgent, so he took the call," she answered.
Isabella glanced to the front of the restaurant, finding Aiden talking on the phone. He looked shaken.
Suddenly, he hung up the phone and shoved the device back in his pocket, expressionless.
Isabella was starting to get nervous. By the look on his face, she wondered if something had happened to his aunt.
Aiden lived with his aunt, Nicole. His father died when he was two years old from pneumonia. Isabella knew Aiden was sad that he didn't get to know him. He missed out on having a father, and it left a hole in his heart. His mother was not in his life either, though no one knew why. Aiden hadn't shared that important detail or much information about his family. Without a mother and a father, his aunt was the only family he had.
Aiden slowly made his way back to their table. He sat in his vacant seat, not looking at anyone, only staring at his lap with a blank look.
Isabella could tell that something was obviously wrong. He wasn't as cheerful as he was before, and the look on his face made her heart grow cold. Her parents also noticed the change in Aiden, and the air at the table became tense.
"Aiden?" Isabella spoke softly. He lifted his head and turned to look at her. She looked straight into his eyes and they appeared misty. "Are you okay?"
Aiden didn't answer for a moment. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine," he finally said as his nose scrunched.
Why is he lying to me? she thought, frowning at the predicament.
"It was just something with my aunt, nothing bad." He sniffled, giving her a half-hearted smile.
"Aiden—"
"I'm fine, I promise," he muttered, looking away. He picked up his glass of soda and took a sip. Isabella kept staring at him, trying to figure out what happened. He was happy and enthusiastic a few moments ago, now he looked despondent.
She wondered if he had really been talking to his aunt, and if so, why did it change his mood? Isabella planned on discussing it with him later. The story was not making any sense.
Now, she just wanted this dinner to be over so she could figure out what was going on with Aiden.
