Chapter 6:
Jenna was nervous about the up coming party. Despite Tamara insisting it was because of Matty's presence Jenna knew it was simply because it was a party. With new people, at a new place, doing new things. It was what she asked for, something different in her simple life. But now she had it she started to think of everything that could go wrong.
"Stop stressing out about nothing, TBH no one will even notice you're there."
"Well, thanks for basically telling me I'm an ant."
There it was again, Jenna saw Matty leading his heard of sheep, walking straight towards her and there was nothing she could do. She was stood on an invisible and squished ant.
"At least Matty McKibben knows who you are!" Tamara said as she collapsed on Jenna's bed, kicking her shoes across the room. Jenna flopped next to Tamara and stared at her bedroom roof. It was a plain white roof, nothing really appealing about that but Jenna kept staring at it while a calm silence came over Tamara and that's when it hit her. She wasn't an ant anymore, Tamara was right Matty did know who she was! He was the one who invited her and even if it was just a hello and a smile every now and again she wasn't invisible. If she could be more than an ant in front of Matty McKibben, then she could be more than an ant in front of anyone. It was time to stop overthinking and just go with it.
"Well, I suppose I actually might need to go shopping with you this time T."
Tamara was over-joyed and spent the rest of the night gossiping about the online guest list to Jakes party, explaining embarrassing stories that she heard in the sanctuary about each person attending.
The next day was Wednesday, giving Jenna and Tamara a short amount of time to get everything ready for the party on Friday night. After non-stop attempts from Jenna to get Ming to come, it was a straight up no from her parents. They were always strict. Jenna thought they were over compensating as parents now for not raising Ming into the perfect Asian daughter. Geography time. Jenna took her usual seat, off center. But then something interesting happened. Matty slammed his books on the desk beside her, Jenna watched as Lauren shuffled past dazing at Matty stealing her spot, but instead of look mad or even confused she seemed honored and scooted past to his normal seat in the very back opposite corner. Jenna's brown eyes couldn't help but flicker over to Matty as he organized his books on the small wooden desk.
"You know Lauren is completely out of her element back there, right?"
Matty looked up at Jenna with a friendly look on his face, not exactly a smile but she could see from the look in his eyes he was more than happy to take someone else's regular seat, if it was next to Jenna.
"Just thought I'd try something new, maybe confuse Wick's fragile old mind!"
"Ha-ha, yeah, shouldn't be that hard right." Jenna smiled and looked down to her books getting ready for the class to begin.
"So," But Matty didn't want to end the conversation quite yet. "Are you coming to Jakes party?" he said as he looked down at his desk, Jenna could see the usual nothing but confidence faded from Matty and he seemed the littlest bit shy.
"Yeah, maybe for a little while, my friend's pretty excited though."
"Well I'm glad you're going to be there, maybe we can hang out?"
"I don't see my not." Jenna was happy that it was clear Matty genuinely wanted her there and didn't just invite her to expand the guest list. Matty looked down at his books with a small smile on his face. He seemed accomplished and Jenna saw him continue to smile after there conversation and she felt her stomach flutter.