Between Perfect Strangers

Chapter 9 - Number of Broken Hearts - Ayden

May 5 2:30 p.m

If someone would have told me two years ago that I’d end up in a career full of numbers and calculations, I would’ve told them that it was a load of crap.

But as I stared at my team who was steadily working to bring my idea of the bamboo palace to life, I realized that I could’ve practically married all the numbers since they were literally stuck everywhere. Including on my watch which told me I had to get going to pick Ilsa up.

“Ladies and Gentlemen… I’m leaving Elaina and Kat to lead the team. I have to go-”

“Pick up your sister, we get it pal. You do your thing and we’ll do ours,” one of the team members, Bruno said while waving the ruler at me.

“You guys are the best. Tell you all what… how about we eat out on Friday? The food’s on me,” the team visibly brightened as they rattled ideas of places to eat and I gave Kat and Elaina a look.

“We’ll survey the people. You can go now,” Kat assured me and I gave her a quick hug.

“Thanks, I owe you big time.”

“That’s what friends are for, Ayden. We stick together,” She said softly, her eyes lingering on me before calling everyone out.

Friends. It had been a while since I had found a niche of friends that didn’t include the people that I went to high school with. Matt, Angelo and Vanessa were all my friends from before, but I had never really made friends in college until now. I also had never been pushed to become a leader for something so big and while it was scary, the team seemed to count on me. 

I was leaving the classroom when I got a phone call from the principal of Ilsa’s school. I quickly answered the call.

“Hi, Mrs. Merriweather how are you?”

“Hello, Ayden. I tried calling your house but no one answered and the emergency contact was you. I am calling because I am here with Ilsa right now.” I smacked my head and my heart started pounding harder.

“What happened?”

“Your sister got into a fight with some girls and while they’re sitting in my office, I wanted to talk with you in private,”

“Did she start the altercation?”

“No, no she didn’t. It’s just that… she fought back,”

“Well of course she’d fight back. Are you contacting the parents of those girls too or is my sister the only one to blame here?” I fired at her, realizing my rudeness a fraction after she began to answer.

“I understand your frustration, Ayden and you know very well that you were an exemplary student here.”

“Give me five minutes, I’m nearby the school,”

“Very well,” she hung up on me and I quickly drove all the way to Ilsa’s school. I swear to god if those girls from Ilsa’s dance class were bothering her, I’d make sure to make them pay dearly for hurting her like that.

When I arrived at the school, a bunch of students looked at me while some of the upperclassmen recognized me. I quickly waved to them while walking to the office, knowing my way around here as if I had left yesterday. 

Principal Carmen Merriweather was a tall and elegant woman, always wearing some type of ruffled shirt as if she were stuck in the victorian times, but as I stared at the three girls that had bullied my sister and my sister in a corner, I looked at the principal and she let me in her office. One I entered inside, the girl’s parents were there too and I gulped, seeing them all here.