Steps of Courage

Chapter 22

The next morning I woke up to a text from Aiden. 

Aiden: You're going to ace this test, okay? Just remember to breathe, remember what I told you and you'll be okay. Once you're done, you'll hand it up to your professor, he will grade it and give it back to you. You're going to get an A, and then you'll open the doors of the lecture theater and I'll be standing there waiting for you ready to celebrate. See you then, you got this.

I smiled and prepared for the test. As I left the house I hearted his message. 

I walked into the lecture theater, my heart pounding with nervousness and a hint of excitement. The weight of mom's expectations and the strong desire to prove her wrong hung overhead in a cloud of determination. I took my seat and stared at the blank side of the test paper, trying to calm my nerves. 

"Okay, class, you may begin." my professor says. 

I took a deep breath as I flipped over the page, I wrote my name at the top and I recalled the study session with Aiden the day before. I dove straight into the test, and with each question I answered, my confidence enhanced. 

Time flew as I plowed through the questions. The anxiety that had been messing with me the whole time leading up to the test had now fully morphed into confidence. I finished my last question, and I got up to hand in the test. My hands were shaking as I passed it to the professor. 

I sat back down and waited for everyone to finish, the anticipation lingering in the air. Finally, the final paper was graded and he handed them out to everyone. My hands began to shake again as I flipped through the pages to find my grade. 

A

My eyes widened in joy, and I felt a surge of excitement course through me. I could hardly believe it. I couldn't wait to share the news with Aiden. A smile slowly spread across my face. 

"I did it." I whispered to myself. 

I couldn't wait to show this to mom, to prove to her I was smart and that I could stay at college. I burst through the doors, grinning from ear to ear. Aiden was leaning against the wall but when he heard me he put his phone in his pocket and met my gaze. 

"Well? How'd it go?" he asked me.

"I did it!" I said, excitedly, "I got an A!"

Aiden grinned back at me. 

"Hell yeah you did! I knew you could do it!" he said, and I glowed with happiness. 

He put his arms around me and pulled me into a tight hug. I wasn't sure how to describe it in a way that made sense, but he smelled like a spring morning. I squeezed him tighter, and he copied. 

"Aww, you two are so cute together." a girl comments, stopping beside us. 

Aiden let go, laughing and rustled my hair. 

"Nah, she's my best friend," he said. 

"Well, you're an amazing duo no matter what you are." the girl says, before walking away. 

"Did you call me your best friend?" I asked, shocked. 

"Well, you don't have anyone else so that makes me your best friend." he says, smirking. "And you're the person I hang out with the most and I tell you EVERYTHING, so that makes you mine too."

Despite my initial surprise, I was glad we had become so close. I smiled as I thought of how if he hadn't seen me in my worst state for the first time all those months back, we wouldn't've ever become friends. I was glad of the outcome, and struggled to think of what would have happened if he hadn't found me, and I had to work through the panic attack alone.