At times, certain instances appear to be insignificant when they occur.
It's only after some reflection that you can see how—
it changed so many things around.
The vibe surrounding Loid Ainsworth had shifted.
Not radically.
Not enough that all the students would start liking him.
These changes simply made people notice his presence in the room.
And to be honest—
it felt a bit weird.
"Do you want to know what your problem is?" Jay asked while walking along with Loid in the corridor.
Loid looked at him in disbelief. "You."
Jay didn't care about this remark and continued.
"You have finally grown some confidence."
"Is that bad?"
"You bet," said Jay sincerely. "The idea is that you spoil my role of the cooler friend."
Loid sighed.
Somehow—
he had become easier for interacting with these days.
Not less irritating.
Just more familiar.
"Anyway," said Jay casually, "you are going to the party on Saturday."
Loid made a face.
"The party?"
"Were you expecting something else?"
"I never agreed."
Jay looked as if he had been hurt.
"Do you think I asked you?"
Loid looked at him blankly.
"Invitations work differently."
"Not in my case."
Before Loid could respond, someone shouted his name.
"Loid."
He turned around.
Charlotte Vale was standing a few steps away from him.
For half a second—
he lost his train of thought.
"Going to that party on Saturday?"
Loid was taken aback.
"You mean the party?"
Charlotte confirmed with a little nod.
"I am not sure yet."
There was a slight pause before Charlotte made her next move.
"You need to go."
Her words were simple.
Nevertheless, the way she said them was sincere.
Not forced.
Not relaxed.
Almost as if she meant them.
Loid's stare lingered longer than it should have.
"Why?"
The question came spontaneously.
Charlotte sounded a bit shocked at that too.
She turned her head just for a moment.
"I think…it is going to be fun."
Fun.
Loid wanted to laugh in disbelief.
Who—him—fun at a party?
That just seemed impossible.
But Charlotte was calm.
Relaxed.
And it made saying "no" to her far from easy.
"Maybe," he responded softly.
Smiling back at him, Charlotte said:
"That is better than no."
Not waiting for anything else, she turned around to leave the corridor, and Loid was left behind, still standing there.
Jay suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
"You were listening?" Loid asked.
"Yeah, I have my ways."
Loid rubbed his forehead.
"She asked you."
"It's just a party," he replied.
Jay seemed surprised.
Somewhere in his mind—
he figured he knew why it mattered so much.
A few months before—
Charlotte hadn't even approached him before.
And now—
she did.
Without delay.
That really stuck to the back of his mind a longer time than he would have liked it to.
Later that day—
Loid found himself in the library once again with Julian.
This time though—
he wasn't really paying attention to what was being said.
"Looks like you're not focused," Julian said without stopping writing.
Loid raised his eyelids. "Am I?"
"Yes."
That was all he had to say.
However—
there was still this feeling of being unnerved.
Loid continued staring at the notebook.
"Do you believe that people can actually change?" he asked at last.
Julian turned towards him.
"They can change for the better."
"That's not the same thing."
Julian remained silent for a while.
Then he placed his notebook on the table.
"Most of the people don't really change because they believe they have to feel different first."
Loid didn't speak.
"They believe that action comes after getting self-esteem," Julian stated coolly.
"But most of the time it works the other way around."
That phrase stuck strongly in Loid's mind because perhaps—
it was exactly what had happened to him.
"Apparently, there's no way either of us can avoid the fact that we've changed for the better," Julian said next.
Loid raised his head instantly.
Julian never really brought personal issues into their dialogues before.
"What do you want to say?"
"You no longer have the habit of cutting yourself short."
It was a simple assertion.
But very precise.
Loid turned his head away slightly.
Because Julian was right.
There was a time when he would have immediately refused to go to the party.
And avoid any conversation about it.
And run away without standing any ground.
Now—
he was actually thinking over the proposal.
Considering it.
And that—
scared him just a bit too much.
There, far at the other end of the library—
Charlotte was sitting next to Ava by the windows.
Ava noticed her trying to steal glances into their direction almost at once.
"You've invited him."
Charlotte looked down at her book. "…yes."
"Did you?"
"W-what do you mean?"
Ava smiled as if she knew something nobody else did.
"You wanted him to come as well."
Charlotte hesitated for a while.
And then obediently said—
"…may be."
Ava was obviously amused now.
But Charlotte ignored her.
Though she couldn't shake off her feeling inside—
because for some reason every time she talked to Loid it became easier.
Safer.
More opening.
Because it was really different from any other conversation.
And slowly—
she cracked a slight smile.
No matter if she didn't understand why she was happy yet.
And when the sunlight has begun to fill the room through the windows of the library—
Loid turned his eyes down on his notebook again.
But this time—
he was busy thinking about Saturday.
Regarding parties.
As for Charlotte's asking him in person.
And somewhere in the depth of his soul-
something strange began emerging.
Not hope.
Not quite.
Something that has a better grip on things.
As if for the first time-
he started to become someone who could stand next to her.
He now has confidence, charm and luck on his side.
And for the first time in years, Loid was not the kind of person who dropped his eyes when she smiled at him.
The starting boy had no tendency to be silent anymore.
Instead, there was another person who was able to respond to her invitation to hold hands and to be with her.
In fact—
someone who was finally eligible to be remembered next to her.