Crazy Child

You Are Cordially Invited...

 A sigh sounded from the girl as she opened the mailbox. Lazily looking over the first two letters she saw they were both for her mother and immediately wished they were for her. 'Why don't I get any mail?' She thought absent minded as she walked back up the path and threw the door open to her apartment and placed all the mail on the table.

"Mom! Mail's on the table." Jessie called out as she saw her mother walk through the door that lead to the kitchen.

"Did your letter come from school?" Her mother asked and walked over to inspect the letters.

"No, I don't really care though. All I did was help with the fundraiser." She shrugged.

"Hon, you raised over two thousand dollars!" Her mother said exasperated. "I don't want those countless nights and long hours to go to waste!"

"I know it's just..." She lets out a sigh. "Never mind. I'll be in my room doing homework if you need me."

Her mother nodded and she made her way up the stairs to her room. Jessie had just barely started her homework when her mother called her name out excitedly.

"Jessie! Jessie!" Her heart jumped at her mother's worried tone thinking something was wrong.

"What?! Are you okay?!" She asked turning on her chair to face the older woman who had come threw her door.

"Here!" She said excitedly as she thrusted her a neatly folded letter. " You must need glasses, this on is for you!" Unfolding the letter, Jessie scanned her eyes over the first few lines.

'Dear Jessie, Wayne Enterprises has received information about your stunning work to help your school raise money. As a benefactor of Gotham Public Schools kids who supports their school make my job a whole lot easier. You raised two-thousand and ten dollars for your school single handedly, which is exponentially greater than any other kid at North Collegiate High.' The letter went on and on about her 'stunning' work and she began to wonder what this was all about and it all became clear by the last line. "In honor of you hard work I personally would like to invite you to represent your school at an upcoming charity ball. The proceeds from the ball will go to schools around Gotham, like yours. You will get the chance to meet kids from Gotham schools and talk with benefactors like me. I would be very delighted if you could attend.' ~Bruce Wayne'

Her eyes widened as she read the last line over again.

"Wha- Mom did you read this." She looked up to see her mother nodding. "This has to be some joke from the other kids at school, I mean why would he care?" She asked and held the letter out for her mother.

"He's a benefactor of the school and I think it would be good for you to go represent your school. You showed such determination and school spirit." Her mother gave her that wonderful motherly smile. "You should go it will be fun and you never know you may meet other kids there." She smiled again and walked out.

"I don't even have a dress to wear." Muttered the teen as she went back to doing her homework.

It took just a few days of persuading before Jessie agreed to go to the ball that Mr. Wayne, though she doubted himself, had invited her too. The first order of business on her mind was to take care of the dress problem. This promptly sent her and her mother on a trip to the mall.

"Jessie what about that one?" She was snapped out of her thoughts by her mother's words. They were standing in the middle of the teen section of some fancy department store that they have never entered before. Her mother was pointing to a black dress hung high up on the wall. Jessie scanned down the dress. It had a sheer sweetheart line neckline followed by a loose flowing fabrics that dropped down to the floor.

"I would try that on..." whispered Jessie. She wrung her hands together fidgeting with her fingers. She was very nervous about the whole affair of trying on dresses. She hasn't worn a dress in ... years. The whole endeavor was very exciting but also nerve wracking.

Her mother smiled softly and asked the shop clerk to take it down so she could try it on. Going to the dressing rooms Jessie went into one of the stalls and started the process of trying the dress on. Once it was on she did a twirl and looked at herself in the mirror before opening the door. She took a deep breath and walked out to show her mother and she did another twirl.

"Jessie." Smiled her mother. "You're going up so fast, look at you my little baby, so pretty and grown up." Her mother chuckled and looked as if she was about to cry. This caused Jessie to blush with embarrassment.

"Mom." She whispered embarrassed, "That's not the point! What do you think of the dress?" She asked fiddling with the fabric, trying to rid herself of the self consciousness that weighed down on her.

"This is it Jessie. You already have heels that match, I have a purse you can borrow, and we'll get your hair and makeup done all nice." Her mother said taking Jessie's hands into her own. "You are going to blow them all away." She said while grinning at her. Her eyes were wet with tears and she looked so happy that it convinced Jessie. Jessie couldn't help but smile and giggle at her mother's excitement. Turning around she went back into the dressing room and went through the whole process of undressing and dressing back into her normal clothes. Her mother took the dress from her and made her way up to the front and started to go through the process of purchasing it. Suddenly a thought hit Jessie.

"Mom what about you and your dress?" Jessie asked worried. She had gotten so wrapped up in the excitement of her trying on dresses she had forgotten about her mother.

"Don't worry Jess, I have a dress already." Her mother assured her. "Alright let's go home." both females left and went to their home.

That night before going to sleep Jessie sat on her bed looking at her dress hanging nicely waiting to be worn. However that would have to wait until tomorrow evening. The longer she sat there the more she started to worry. Thoughts and insecurities began to fill her mind. What if I don't fit in? Is it fancy enough? Why am I even going?

"Maybe I shouldn't go." She muttered to herself and dropped back on her bed. The anxious feeling in her brain that wouldn't go away. It was of atomic proportions consuming her thoughts. She blamed it on being nervous about being around so many people and so many people who had power and money. She decided that no matter what she was going and therefore had to go to sleep, anxious feeling or not.  

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Special thanks to my editor "Iamarkhamasylum" for being awesome and helping me out with all of my errors.