I couldn't believe it. Everyone at River Wren High knew that I really did have anorexia and that it was no longer a rumor. It was a well-known fact. My plan was set in stone, tell Aidan it was me who ran away from him, get the notebook back, and possibly win the contest. But then Alexa and Ashley had to ruin everything. I could Aidan's voice in my head repeating that same question over and over again.

Wait, is this you? Just thinking about it made me cry even harder. I didn't care if anyone else was in the bathroom, and they heard me crying. I wasn't going back out there where people were going to taunt me about something I went through so many years ago. I don't know how long I was sitting in the bathroom stall. All I remember was that I cried for a long time before I finally came out and cried into the sink. When I finally managed to stop, I felt like a wrung-out dishrag, and I let out a small shudder as I washed my red face.

Don't know why I run,
Don't know why I hide.
Never let them know
What I feel inside

Don't know why I'm scared,
Just to take a chance.
While I'm just standing here

Like a bird
I'm free to fly
Spread my wings and find my light
Like a bird
I'm up so high out of the cage.
It's my time to shine.

Like a bird
I'm free to fly
So tell me, tell me
Why don't I?

Suddenly, I heard the bathroom door open, and I looked over my shoulder to see Aidan standing near the entrance with a look of surprise spread across his face. "Aidan, what are you doing? You're not supposed to be in here!" I asked. He walked towards me and held out the notebook. "It's you, you're the mystery girl," he barely whispered. I took the notebook from his hands. And I flipped through some of the pages making sure that they were still there.

"You have a beautiful voice," he said, breaking the awkward silence between us. I could feel my cheeks start to turn a bright pink. The guy I had idolized for so many years had said that he loved my voice. "I'm sorry that I put you through so much torture of trying to find me," I said, trying to look away as I thought about what I did. "It's okay. But, answer this, was that really you in those photos?" he responded.

Just thinking about the photos being released to the whole school brought more tears to my eyes. And the lump in the throat came back, so I just nodded my head. When I wiped the tears away, I saw Aidan had a look of shock on his face. I was expecting him to be upset or ridicule me, but instead, he looked sympathetic and sad. "I am so sorry you had to go through that," he said, looking down at the ground for a second. "It's okay, I went through that a long time ago. I am better now," 

Aidan and I talked for a while, and I told him about when Ashley and I were friends at first, and then she started spreading the rumors. "I don't know why someone would do something like that. You're supposed to help them through it, not ridicule them for having a fucking eating disorder," Aidan shook his head in disbelief. I was surprised when he said this, I had only heard him cuss a few times before on the Umbrella Academy, but I never heard him say that.

Aidan could see the look on my face, and he said that he didn't usually say that word, only if he was angry. "I agree with you on the support thing," I nodded as I continued to flip through the pages of my notebook. On the pages where my song was written. I saw there was a small message at the bottom.

Hello mystery girl, I wanted to say that your song is beautiful. And I can feel the emotions of you wanting to be free. I could help you bring the song to life if you want?

- Aidan Gallagher

I looked up at him in shock and disbelief, wondering if what he meant was true. A smile spread across his face, and he nodded slightly. "I also have another question to ask. Would you want to do the duet with me?" I swear my heart stopped the moment I heard those words escape his lips. "Am I dreaming?" I asked. Aidan shook his head and continued to smile. "So, is that a yes?"

"Yes, Aidan Gallagher, I would love to do the duet with you," I answered. He smiled widely, and I could see that his cheeks were turning a bright pink. "Cool, so I'll announce it on Instagram live tomorrow. Maybe if you're available during the stream, you could introduce yourself to everyone," I knew that Aunt Mary would be furious when she found out about me entering the contest, but at that moment, I didn't care.

"That's a good idea," I smiled. The bell went off, meaning that it was almost time to get back to class, but before we left, Aidan gave me his phone number, and he requested to follow me on Instagram. I unlocked my phone, and the notification popped up, and I got onto Instagram and opened the message.

Aidanrgallagher has requested to follow you!

Accept / Decline

I pressed accept, and Aidan and I walked out of the bathroom together, and all eyes fell upon us as we walked past the tables. We then came to a stop at Alexa and Ashley's table. "Hey, Aidan," Ashley said, twirling a piece of her hair around her finger. "Quit with the act, Ashley. I'll never be interested in you, especially after what you did to Serena," Aidan shook his head at them. Ashley's jaw dropped as Aidan and I walked away from her and towards where Vanessa and Ethan were.

"Serena, I'm so sorry this happened to you," Vanessa said. "Look, if you want us to kick Ashley and Alexa's asses, we'll do it," Ethan said with a look of seriousness on his face. "It's alright, guys. They're not worth it," I answered. "We should probably get to class. I'll talk to you guys later!" I smiled as I grabbed my backpack and headed to class with a smile on my face. Knowing that I was soon going to be singing with my idol.