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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"He fainted?" Nicole exclaimed on the other side of the phone.
"Yes, it happened so fast," Isabella said as her voice shook. "One minute we were talking, he started coughing very dryly, then he said he was going to the restroom, and he collapsed before he even got there."
The ambulance and Isabella arrived at the hospital fifteen minutes after the paramedics placed Aiden into the truck.
He was still unconscious.
"Okay, well, stay there. I'm on my way. Did you call your parents?"
"I tried, but they didn't answer their phones," Isabella answered, eyes welling up with tears.
"Oh my God, I'm coming right now. I'll see you soon."
After ending the call, Isabella pulled the hospital phone away from her ear and put the phone back on the wall. She walked back to the waiting room to sit in her vacant seat, waiting for Nicole to arrive.
She was disquieted about Aiden.
What happened at the café was one of the scariest moments of her life. Seeing Aiden on the floor, not moving, had her feeling like she would lose her mind.
She hadn't thought something terrible was going to happen so quickly. What if his condition had gotten worse? It couldn't happen this soon—it shouldn't happen this soon. She looked in the direction of the hallway where the nurses had wheeled Aiden off and just stared, not looking away.
It had been a long time before a hand touched Isabella's shoulder. She jumped a little, startled. She looked up and saw Nicole standing with fear in her eyes.
"I came as soon as I could," Nicole said, sitting next to Isabella. "Are you okay?"
The young girl faced Nicole, a lump rising in her throat. "No, I'm not. You should've seen him on the floor. He wasn't moving at all and it scared me."
Nicole rubbed Isabella's shoulder in comfort. "Did a doctor come by?"
"No, I don't know when they're coming."
"Okay," Nicole murmured.
As Isabella watched Nicole's face, she noticed that she looked apprehensive. She couldn't blame her, this was her nephew, and she'd raised him almost all his life. He was the only person she had in her life besides Aiden's biological mother, who was not around anymore. Her heart was crushed for him because of his mother's pathetic choices. She doubted that she cared about what her son had become or what he was doing with his life. A mother shouldn't treat their children that way.
Isabella didn't know how Aiden felt about not being with her for so many years, but she knew it was hard for him not to feel loved by his own mother, only to feel loved by his aunt.
Nonetheless, he had Isabella by his side. She would never leave him again for anything, by choice or force.
"Nicole, I want to ask you something. It's kind of about Aiden," Isabella murmured warily.
