Jenna walked out of the party – walking sideways and backwards, and she couldn't balance on her heels. The E has taken more affect than she had thought, and the alcohol could have had something to do with it as well.
Images of Collin and Angelique flashed through her mind, and she swayed on her feet as she shut her eyes and shook her head to clear her mind.
She needed a ride home, and quick. She thumbed through her phone, knowing she couldn't call her parents. She swiped past Tamara, and Ming, and Jake. She knew more than likely they would pick her up if they knew she was in trouble, but she wasn't going to call them. She couldn't.
She reached Matty's name in her phone and her finger hovered over the call button.
She knew for a fact she could call Matty without feeling like an asshole, but a wave of guilt washed over her as she remembered how she had treated him. She had hurt him and she knew it. She didn't want to put him through the half hour drive of silence and awkwardness.
She let out a long sigh and locked her phone. She couldn't call anyone, so she was stuck walking. She dreaded it. It was a half hour drive, but even a drugged and drunk Jenna knew it would take at least two hours to get home, if not longer. She sighed and took off her heels. There was no way that she was going to be able to make the walk wearing them.
She started walking, hoping no one would stop her because of the way she was wobbling.
She hated Collin right now. No, hate was too nice of a word; she loathed him.
After about a half hour of walking Jenna had to sit. She leaned against a fence that was in front of a building. Looking around, she hadn't realized where she was walking until then. She was in the bad part of town, and after a few moments she started walking again; starting to freak out, looking over her shoulder ever few minutes.
When she heard a car slow down behind her, the only thing she could think of was this was the end; this is how she would die; some asshole was going to pick her up and murder her. She didn't get to say sorry to her parents, or her friends, or… Matty.
She started walking faster, the car was still following her. She was on gearing up to start running for her life – ready to drop her purse and shoes if she had to – when she heard a familiar voice.
"Jenna?"
She gasped, froze, and turned around slowly to see…
Matty's truck.
Matty had rolled down the passenger window, and he was leaning over the center of his truck to get a better look out the window.
"Matty?" Jenna asked, pretending she didn't recognize the truck or the boy inside, or that he hadn't just scared the shit out of her. Matty pulled up next to her and put the car in park.
"Do you need a ride?" Her heart sank at the worry in his voice. He shouldn't have to worry about her anymore.
But another part of her? Another part of her felt better knowing that SOMEONE worried about her.
"Um, no. No, I'm all right." She badly wanted a ride. She quickly checked her phone. Two in the morning, at this rate should wouldn't make it home until at least four.
"Where are you headed?"
"Home?" Jenna made it sound like a question, she wasn't sure if she'd make it there.
"Jenna, that's a two hour walk. Let me drive you home; it'll only take a half hour. Come on, get in the truck." Matty actually sounded like he was pleading with her.
"What are you doing around here anyway?" she asked, ignoring his pleas.
"I wanted to pick up some beer, but my fake apparently isn't a very good one." Matty laughed but it was a nervous laugh. He was uncomfortable and she could tell.
"Oh, sorry to hear that." She cleared her throat and turned back to the sidewalk; starting to walk again and ignoring Matty's calls. She heard his truck start moving, and she lookedover to see Matty's truck was moving with her walk.
"Get in the truck, Jenna; you could get kidnapped out here!"
Jenna wanted to laugh, but the thought had crossed her mind more than once. But for some reason she just didn't want to accept the ride. She didn't want to make him feel worse than how she had already made him feel.
"Matty, I'm fine; I don't need a ride," she called as she kept walking. Matty ignored her and kept driving next to her.
"Where's Collin?" he asked and she could hear the hatred dripping from his he said Collin's name she stopped walking abruptly, making Matty pass her and have to back up so he was next to her again.
"I left him at the party. He's… he's not the person I thought he was, okay? You guys were right! All of you! I'm a fucking idiot and you all were right," she yelled in anger at Matty's truck. Jenna couldn't really see him but she was ninety percent sure he had flinched at her anger.
"Jenna, you're not an idiot. I mean, if you don't get in the truck you are, but you're not an idiot. People date the wrong people. People make mistakes."
"You mean like you did with me." It was a low blow, really, but that's how she felt. She felt like Matty's mistake.
"You were never a mistake, Jenna," Matty said, almost too low for Jenna to hear. Her heart sank; once again she was wrong.
"Matty, I don't need a ride, and I'm not getting in your truck so you might as well leave."
She heard Matty huff. "Well, Jenna, I'm just going to follow you as you walk to make sure no one takes you, so you might as well get in the damn truck!"
She wanted to argue back, but she knew that there really wasn't any point. With a sigh, she walked over to the passenger door. She peeked through the open window, half expecting him to be staring at the road and avoiding eye contact. But, once again, she was wrong and he was staring right at her.
"Get in the truck, Jenna."
Jenna sighed and hopped in the truck. "I'm only agreeing so you don't follow me like a creeper."
Matty laughed and resumed driving. It was awkward for a few minutes with Matty asking if she wanted him to stop and get water, or something light to eat. It got silent when she declined. This was what she wanted to avoid: the awkwardness, the sinking feeling that Matty was regretting his decision.
She looked over at the cup holders and noticed an earring. Her heart sank as she picked it up. She knew she had no right to be jealous, but she was, and she was upset. She didn't know if it was from the drugs, the alcohol, or maybe it was just her feelings showing through, but she started crying. She knew they were close to her house so she just had to hold it in until she got home, but she was busted when Matty looked over and noticed her holding the earring.
"Hey, hey, it's just an earring." Jenna wanted to cry harder when she heard the comfort in his voice.
"But it's not mine," she cried out. He looked at her for a second before grabbing her hand and squeezing it. She thought maybe there was something there but a second later he pulled away, taking the earring from her.
"Look, it was earlier. Before I dropped her off she dropped it. She doesn't want to see me anymore, that's why I wanted to get drunk." Jenna knew who he was talking about and he obviously didn't want to say her name.
"Why not?"
He pulled over then and Jenna realized that they were at her house.
"She said she thought she was okay with me not being over you, but she realized that she's not okay with it. So she dumped me, okay?" Matty sighed. "Is there anything else you need me to do?"
Jenna thought a minute about what she wanted to say. She knew what she wanted to say but she didn't know if she could. When Matty raised his eyebrow she decided on saying it and getting it over with.
"Can you hold me?" She looked at her hands, waiting for him to say it wasn't a good idea, or even a straight no. When he didn't say anything she looked back up and saw him staring at her.
"Yeah," he whispered before leaning over and wrapping his arms around her. She followed suit and it felt so right. Matty was warm in ways no other guy was. His hug felt like the only thing holding her together at the moment.
"Thank you for being my hero," she said, meaning every word. Because he was. Matty was her hero.
"It's all I ever wanted to be," he whispered. She pulled away from the hug and looked him in the eyes.
"Matty, I am so sorry for everything. I was an asshole and I hope one day you can forgive me." She climbed out of his truck and looked back through the window. "Goodnight, hero."
Matty smiled. "Goodnight, J-town."