June 11 5:45 p.m
Angelo’s Team got kicked out today.
After another round of judging and looking over their building, the three judges decided it didn’t fit their expectations and one of the other Italian teams was kicked out. Which only left our team from Miami and the Esposito twins standing. Alfonso kept bragging about how he’d win the contest and Francesca gave him a death glare as she smiled grimly at our team. Since then, I had tried to talk to Angelo, but he ignored me when I knocked on his door.
I called Matt and told him about how crazy these few weeks had been and as always, he told me about how things had been a bit crazy in Miami too.
“Has Ilsa called you yet?”
“No, she hasn’t called in a while and I thought she forgot.”
“She’s at the hospital Ayden. They admitted her a couple of days ago because…” he trailed off and I held onto my phone like a lifeline.
“What did they do to her?”
“She… tried to kill herself, Ayden. Marissa and Flynn found her while Dad went to the grocery store and Flynn drove her to the hospital. Marissa ran to my house and we called your dad about it. She’s been in observation since yesterday. I think… the bullying became too much.” I sat on my bed, the tears threatening to crash down.
“I-Is she okay?” my voice cracked and I had no idea if he was nodding, or shaking his head… or even still with me.
“Let me pass it to her so she can talk to you okay?” I nodded and waited desperately for a hint of that lovely little voice. When Ilsa finally answered, her voice so sad and softer than usual, I finally cracked.
“Ilsa, w-why?” I cried to her on the phone and I heard her sobbing on the other side.
“I-I just couldn't anymore, Ayden. I’m sorry I stopped calling, I thought I was being a bother and I-”
“Don’t you dare think that you’re a bother, Ilsa Rose Carrington. You are my sister. You are our highlight and I don’t give two shits about all those other people that make you feel small. If I could beat them all up for you, I would,” she cried more as I brushed my tears away and she coughed.
“I realized that I do like Marcie. I know I was doubting at first, but… after the argument, I realized I needed to make up my mind. To explore that confusion and once I did… we started hanging out more. I hadn’t told dad about it because I didn’t want to freak him out but then the bullying got worse and I tried to pretend that it’d be okay, but when one of the girls outed me to the whole school via the announcements, I knew it was enough,”
“Enough? Killing yourself was enough?” I yelled at her on the phone and I could hear Marissa cursing on the other side as she quickly answered in her place.
“Frate. The hell is wrong with you? She barely made it out alive and you’re yelling at her?!”
“Marissa, she almost died. Of course, I’m going crazy! Everything seems to be blowing up in my life and I don’t want to lose my little sister too!” I told her and her voice cracked.
“A-Ayden… she hasn’t told you the worst part. M-Mom’s here. In Miami. That pushed her over the edge,” she finished and I heard a quick scuffle before Ilsa spoke again.
“M-Mari told you what happened right? Mama’s back and… Flynn left the house. Dad was already gone and Marissa and mom had a huge fight and I-I locked myself in the bathroom. I grabbed the pills that Mari uses for sleeping and I just…” she trailed off and I wanted to wrap her in a hug, to just tell her that we’d always love her no matter what. I had no idea what I could tell a fourteen-year-old to make it all be less confusing, or more okay.
YOU ARE READING
Between Perfect Strangers
RomanceWhen model student Ayden Carrington gets hungover at a frat party, he wakes up on the same bed with a beautiful girl who he falls in love with at first sight. But he has no idea who she is and when she knocks him out... all traces of her are gone. ...
