I stop scrolling when I come across a video. It looks familiar, so I put the phone on mute and press Play. My heart drops. This is not happening to me. This can’t be a coincidence. First the file and now this? People are talking around me but I can’t make out the words. It’s all just mumbled-together sounds.

The chair I was sitting on tips over as I stand, and I think I get yelled at for making noise while they’re live on air, but I don’t care. I need air.

Somehow, I get through the building without actually seeing anything I’m looking at or processing the signs. Once outside, I lean against the sturdy brick wall and take a few big, deep breaths. I hold out the phone in front of me, turn the sound on, and press Play.

It’s a video shot inside a high school, my high school, of Kaitlyn and me going at it in our first big fight. My face is clearly visible. My voice is clear as water. There’s the Go Lions! mural in the background, even if it’s just in the corner of the frame.

It’s me. Online. The very place I’ve been trying so hard to avoid.

I think back to when this video was taken. I went to Ethan Moore and tried to get him to take it down. He refused. I had to trick him into a locked closet and steal his phone and laptop, only to be told by Aiden that he’d already taken care of it.

Aiden said he’d taken care of it.

Then why is it still here? Why is my face still on the internet?! Has it been here the whole time? Has Tony already found it? Is he on his way here? The door opens, and Aiden steps outside. He looks around then spots me leaning against the wall.

“Hey, are you okay? You ran out of there.”

“Have you been lying to me this entire time?” I ask.

“What are you talking about?”

I wave his phone erratically in front of his face, my heartbeat loud in my ears. “Have. You. Been. Lying. To. Me?”

Aiden’s expression gives nothing away, his voice annoyingly calm despite my outburst. “I heard what you said. Would you care to elaborate?”

My throat closes. How can I elaborate? There’s a video of my face and location on the internet! All I can do is shake the phone in front of him. He reaches out to gently stop my flailing hand and takes the phone from it. He unlocks it and watches the video that’s already on his screen.

I find my voice. “You said it was deleted!”

I can’t believe this. How long do I have until Tony finds me? Does he already know?

Aiden’s face turns hard. “I did delete it. Ethan didn’t post this.”

“Then why is my face still online?!”

My head pounds. I have so much to lose. After all I’ve been through, this is what’s going to take me down? Kaitlyn’s going to win after all.