Chapter 26

Aiden couldn't answer her. He opened his mouth to speak but couldn't find the right words. He felt his heart picking up the speed as a strange and twisted ache settled deep in his chest. 

Why…can't I answer her? 

He lowered his head and his gaze locked onto the ground beneath his feet. His fingers curled into fists as if as if something was slipping right through his grasp.

Do you like Hunter? The question rang in his head over and over, getting louder each time until it was the only thing he could hear. 

Why did it physically hurt to deny that?

He clenched his eyes shut, forcing himself to breathe. His mind jagged, pulling at every memory, every moment they had spent together. And with every memory, it gets clearer that Hunter has always there for him.

When Aiden got into trouble, Hunter was there, dragging him out of it. When Aiden whined about studying, Hunter was there, rolling his eyes but still helping him doing his homework. When Aiden felt like crap, Hunter was there to comfort him.

He's my friend, he told himself. My best friend. But then why—

Why did it feel like the ground had disappeared beneath him when Hunter cut him off? Why did his heart feel so damn restless every time he thought about never fixing things with him? Why was the thought of Hunter leaving him forever more terrifying than anything else?

Aiden squeezed his eyes shut tighter, already hating these thoughts. He had always been carefree, never taking things seriously. Never thinking too deeply. But this…this wasn't something he could no longer ignore.

This was something he had buried so deeply inside himself that even acknowledging it made him feel like he was about to fall apart.

No, he thought desperately. I don't...I can't...I only like him as a friend….right? 

The more he denied it, the more suffocated he felt. His hands trembled on his lap.

"Aiden..." Sophia's voice pulled him back and he blinked up at her.

She was watching him closely, but after a moment her eyes hardened as if she realized something. As if she had found her answer in his silence.

Even when he couldn't say it, even when he refused to admit it she knew. Her eyes teared up. 

Aiden panicked upon understanding that look. "I—"

But Sophia was already standing up. And for the first time since he had known her she ran away from him. 

Aiden's stomach dropped. "Sophia!" He shot up from the bench. "Wait! Stop!"

She didn't stop and kept running. Aiden watched as she disappeared from view, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he stood frozen. 

His phone vibrated in his hand, pulling him from his thoughts. He glanced at the screen—Ethan's name flashed with a text beneath it. There was also a link attached. 

'Dude, have you seen this? Come on see it quickly?'

Aiden clicked it, and immediately, his stomach dropped. The school's online forum was in chaos with dozens of posts and hundreds of comments. His eyes darted over the screen and his breathing quickened when he took in the words.

"Did you see what happened? That Hunter guy is crazy."

"No wonder he got suspended. He deserves it."

"Who does he think he is? Some thug?"

"I always thought he was creepy. He finally snapped Hah!" 

"He did it for that gay boy, right? Are they boyfriends or something? Because who would go this far otherwise?"

Aiden gritted his teeth, his fingers tightening around his phone. He scrolled through the pictures too. Photos of the bullies with their faces swollen, lips split, noses broken, bodies wrapped in bandages. Their uniforms were stained with blood.

Aiden's hands trembled. What the fuck? Did Hunter…really beat them? He gulped wondering how come he knew of this side of Hunter. 

He read the comments under the pics. 

"I heard he beat them up so bad they couldn't even stand afterward."

"Seriously? A single guy did this? He must be a psycho." 

"He's definitely getting expelled. No way the school will let him stay." 

"I feel bad for Casen too but Hunter went too far. He deserves to be punished." 

"Their parents are meeting at school today. I heard Hunter and Casen are gonna be permanently expelled. That means they can't graduate anymore." 

Aiden's breath caught in his throat. His vision blurred for a second before he spun on his heel and ran.

◾◾◾

The principal's office was packed with people but Aiden didn't even hesitate before shoving the door open. Inside, all the bullies were there, sitting stiffly with their parents. The sight of them made Aiden freeze for a split second.

They were barely recognizable. One had his arm in a sling, his lips still swollen. Another had a bandage wrapped around his forehead and his bruised eyes were barely open. The last one's face was so badly bruised that it looked like he had been run over.

They looked nothing like the cocky, arrogant jerks they had always been. They looked destroyed.

And Hunter…Aiden sucked in a breath when he saw him. And his honey-brown eyes were already on Aiden. 

The moment their gazes met, Aiden's heart skipped a beat. He wanted to say something but a teacher glared at him. 

"Get out," Aiden barely had time to react before someone grabbed his arm and shoved him back toward the door. "You are not allowed in here, Aiden. Go back to your class." 

"Wait—" Aiden struggled against the grip. "I need to—"

"Out." The door was slammed in his face. 

No. This isn't happening. I won't let you be expelled. With shaky hands, Aiden pulled out his phone and dialed his mother's number.

It rang twice before she answered. "Honey?" Her voice was instantly concerned. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Mom, just—" His voice cracked, panic thick in his throat. "Come to school right now. I'll tell you everything once you get here. But please get here as soon as possible."

"Aiden, what's happening?"

"Mom, don't ask questions now. Shit is about to go down. If you don't come, I'll do something stupid and give you a reason to come." His fingers clenched around his phone. 

"Alright, alright, I'm coming." 

He sighed in relief. "Thank you. But please come with your badass mommy attitude. Be the merciless lawyer you are. We need it today." 

◾◾◾The principal was a middle-aged man with thinning hair and nervous eyes. He sat behind his desk, sweat beading at his temples. His fingers drummed anxiously against the wooden surface as he surveyed the group before him.

On one side, the bullies' parents, dressed in expensive suits and designer outfits, sat with their arms crossed glaring at the group in front of them. 

On the other side, Hunter sat, completely bothered with a calm expression as if he wasn't under fire. His uncle sat beside him who was stiff with worry. Across from them, Sam was fuming, his fists clenched tightly on his lap, his parents sitting beside him with concerned looks as well. 

The principal cleared his throat, attempting to break the suffocating silence. "Since everyone related to this issue is here, let's address the situation," he let out, trying to sound authoritative but failing miserably. "I hope we can come to a fair solution—"

"Fair?" One of the bullies' mothers, a woman with diamond earrings scoffed, her red lips curling in disgust. "There's nothing to discuss. Look at our children! Beaten to the brink of death by this thug!" Her perfectly manicured nails pointed directly at Hunter, her face twisted in rage. "We're only here out of respect for the school, but make no mistake, if he doesn't get punished, we'll involve the police."

Hunter remained silent and just looked at them boredly. He just want to leave as soon as possible. 

Another father, a man with a gold watch and a sharp suit, huffed in agreement. "Not just him! His friends too!" He turned toward Sam, his gaze dripping with disdain. "They're all involved."

The principal raised his hands in an attempt to calm them. "Please, I understand your frustration. We—"

"Where's the third one?" One of the mothers suddenly demanded. "The other boy, Casen. He was involved too. He should be here to face the consequences!"

The principal's jaw tightened. He wiped at his forehead, his sweat worsening under their collective glares. "We…we tried to bring Casen in, but the hospital didn't allow it."

"What a joke," one of the fathers muttered. "So he gets to sit comfortably in a hospital while our sons are here, barely able to walk? How irresponsible and shameful."

"Excuses," another mother sneered. "Our children are injured worse than he is, yet they're here. But he can't come?" She rolled her eyes. "Pathetic."

"Pathetic?" Sam slammed his fist onto the table, his voice rising with fury. His parents tensed beside him, but they didn't stop him. "Your kids are in bandages because they bullied Casen to the point where he tried to kill himself!"

The room fell silent for a second. Sam turned his fiery glare on the parents, his chest heaving violently. "He's not on a damn vacation—he's in a mental hospital because of what your sons did to him! Are you really going to stand there and pretend like he's the problem?"

One of the mothers rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. That's a lie."

A murmur of agreement spread among the parents.

"Our sons never bullied anyone."

"You have no proof of that."

"You're just trying to shift the blame to save yourselves."

Sam's face darkened with rage. "You're joking, right? Casen tried to take his own life! What more proof do you need?"

The principal cleared his throat loudly. "Please, let's all calm down."

"No." One of the fathers slammed his hand against the desk. "We're done talking. We demand strict action against Hunter. Or we will take legal action."

A nervous silence fell over the principal. His face paled slightly, and his grip on his pen tightened. If the school got dragged into legal trouble, its reputation would be ruined. He turned toward Hunter, frustration flashing in his eyes.

Hunter, who had been silent all this time. Hunter, who sat there with the most unbothered expression anyone had ever seen.

The principal's fingers clenched. This kid…

"Hunter." His voice was tight. "Tell me. Why did you do it?"

Hunter finally looked up at him. "Do what?" he asked simply.

The room exploded.

"You little brat—"

"You think this is a joke?"

"You beat our kids to a pulp, and now you're playing dumb?!"

The bullies looked furious, their battered faces darkening as they glared at him.

Hunter tilted his head. "I never hit them."

"BULLSHIT!" One of the fathers shot up from his chair. The principal tensed. Sam's fists clenched even tighter.

Mark sighed deeply. "My nephew is a calm and intelligent kid. He would never attack these kids like this. There must be some misunderstanding."

The parents' anger only intensified.

"Misunderstanding?" One of the mothers laughed mockingly. "You seriously believe that?"

Another parent scoffed. "I'm not surprised. What kind of manners can he have with an uncle like you?"

Mark's jaw tightened at that. "Excuse me?"

The man's lips curled in disdain. "You people are cheap. No class and no discipline. You don't even know how to raise good kids."

Hunter's fingers twitched slightly. It's obvious where these bullies take from. 

Then, another mother sneered. "That's what happens to kids who don't have parents. They grow up delinquent and violent like him."

The room went silent and Hunter slowly turned his gaze toward her. His eyes, once calm, now burned coldly. Slowly, his lips twisted in a smirk. 

"Is your son an orphan too?" His voice was dangerously soft.

The woman blinked in disbelief. "What?"

"Because he grew up just like me—a thug." Hunter tilted his head slightly. "The only difference is, I'm not a school bully like him."

The woman's face twisted in pure fury. "How dare you talk back to me?!" 

Hunter ignored her and looked away, letting her have an aggressive meltdown. Sam sighed heavily beside him, but there was a hint of amusement in his tired gaze.

The principal, however, was panicking.

Mark's anxiety was increasing by the second. He had been watching this conversation spiral out of control, knowing full well that Hunter was walking on thin ice. He knew he's no match to these rich parents. 

"Hunter will apologize. And I apologise too-" 

"I won't," Hunter cuts him off roughly. 

Mark stiffened worriedly. "Hunter—"

Hunter turned his honey-brown eyes on him coldly. "Why should I apologize for something I didn't do?"

"This insolence!" one of the fathers hissed. "He has no respect!"

The principal's eyes darkened as he groaned. "Hunter, enough! Your behavior is unacceptable. You're suspended permanently."

Mark's stomach dropped. "Wait a minute," he started, but the principal raised his hand.

"My decision is final. And about Sam.."

Mark clenched his jaw, ready to protest, but the principal suddenly turned his hesitant gaze to Sam. Mark saw it. The parents saw it. And they all knew exactly why the principal hadn't said the same about Sam.

Because Sam's parents were top funders of the school.

The unspoken bias was obvious but before anyone could call it out. A sudden sharp voice filled the room. 

"Sorry for being late, darlings!"