My Date with the Frat President

Ch. 18 - The Video

The holiday with Aiden was so special. I feel a lot closer to him after hearing him open up about his dad. He felt so much anger and resentment towards him for leaving because of Akira, that to him, he is dead. I couldn't imagine being in his position, so I understand why he would lie. It wasn't just to me, he tells everyone at school the same lie. It's easier for him.

We have three weeks left of school before winter break, which is a whole month of long distance. I'm going back home and being a plane ride away, I won't be able to see Aiden.

I really want to make sure these next three weeks are great.

There's still an insecurity in the first few weeks and months of dating. I feel it. I feel it when we are at a frat party and girls come up to Aiden. It's not necessarily jealousy, but it's an insecurity. What if he thinks they're prettier than me? Cooler than me?

I haven't really discussed this insecurity with Aiden, despite how vulnerable he has been with me. I've got too many walls built up.

Things are really great right now, and that puts me on edge. Whenever things are really, really great for me, something happens. Something takes away that happiness.

I fear it has come sooner than hoped when Aiden lets out an, "Holy shit."

"What?" I say, peering at his phone to try and see what made him say that.

"Someone leaked a video of our pledges," he says slowly. "It's bad, Brooklyn."

My face goes pale. A video. I take his phone from him to look at the video. My video. How did that get leaked?

"Oh my god," I say, watching the video of the poor pledges being dunked in milk and cereal.

"This is really bad." He says and starts pacing around my room. "Really, really bad."

I don't know what to say. This is my video. It's my freaking video! I deleted it. I swore I deleted it. Who got it?

"I have to go back to the house," he says and kisses the top of my head. "Our movie night is going to need a rain check, babe." He grabs his coat and speed-walks out of my apartment.

"Bye—" I can barely get the words out before he's gone. "Shit, shit, shit, shit!" I whisper-scream, frantically grabbing the laptop.

Deleted. It's deleted. It's not in my trash. It's not on my phone. It's gone.

How the heck did it get leaked?

My heart is racing. I don't know what this video will mean for Aiden and for his frat. And it's my fault. Even if I didn't leak the video, I was the one who took the video! Soon enough, he'll find out.

Oh my god. He'll find out!

There's a knock on my door. It's Sophie.

"Hey, why did Aiden leave so—"

"Someone leaked the video!" I cry out and fall back onto my bed.

"What?"

"The video. Of the hazing. It was leaked, Soph. Oh my god." My hands are shaking. "Sophie... He's going to..." That's when my breathing gets difficult. My chest starts to feel very tight, and none of my breaths are satisfying my lungs. Tears fall out of my eyes. It's uncontrollable.

I haven't had a panic attack in years.

A look of concern falls on Sophie's face when she realizes what I mean. "Oh, Brooklyn." She isn't sure what to do. I've never told her about my panic attacks and how I need to be calmed down. "It-it's going to be okay."