THE THIRD PERSON sees everything you've missed.

My Spanish class gathered in the auditorium the next day.

The rest of the graduating class were filling in the seats and my nerves were getting the best of me. I had told Ryan it would've made me feel better if I could've seen his presentation. We didn't share it to each other the entire time we worked on it and it made me uneasy. He promised to leave certain things out but he assured me "you'd still like it." I pouted. He kissed me. I gave in. Right when I was going to ask him again (he could easily unlock his phone and show me his notes), a guy from the front of the class asks Mrs. Diaz why the other seniors were here.

A friend of his, who I'm guessing was his partner in the project, punched him to keep him from talking. "Presentations, my boy. The scholarship opportunity? Where you been? It ain't just our class!"

"Yeah, thanks for the reminder," I muttered from my spot in the back.

Ryan gave me a look like he was expecting more from me. Squeezing my hand, he brought my attention to his face. Ugh. I looked away while trying to hide a smile.

"You can do it. We've practiced and I promise I won't let anyone laugh at you because they won't."Ryan bumps his head on my shoulder. "You'll be fine, Julie."

"Julie?" I scrunched my nose in response. "I liked Robot better, Ryder."

Ryan is about to tell me what he thinks of me calling him names that aren't his when he makes eye contact with Jesus Maxwell from across the auditorium. Maxwell's eyes slide to mine and I tense. I flash a small smile and give Ryan a side glance. Unlike the friendly smile he usually gives people, he nods in acknowledgment while being stone-faced. I try to relax in my seat. Ryan kisses my knuckles. I lean back into my chair and close my eyes to try to calm my nerves.

"No death glare?"

"I'm trying to be nice."

I smile, eyes still closed. I hear a tapping like someone was testing the microphone.

"We start." Our Spanish teacher's voices booms around us in a horrible echo only public schools can have. I felt my nerves skyrocket again.

I can do this. Breathe, Julianna.

"We have Georgina and Derrick." At the sound of their names, two students got out of their seats with flashcards and headed to the stage.

Ms. Diaz motioned to the computer on the podium that was linked to the screen. The lights turned off and the white screen dropped down. It was blue before it showed a picture of a young boy who looked like Derrick with a little girl.

Ryan taps me on the shoulder. He leans in to whisper to me while the two set up on stage. "I'm glad you're here."

I kiss his knuckles this time.

Derrick speaks into the mic, the way we've been practicing. I notice part of his hair was purple. The rest of his hair was hard to see with the lights. "My name, for those who don't know, is Derrick Thompson." Derrick introduces himself and continues to explain our project as if we don't know. "This project was given to us in order for us to learn the struggles of our classmates. A project that gets close and personal if you ask me."

"We didn't bother to ask each other math and Bio grades." Georgina interrupts her best friend. "Cuz that's one of the struggles."

The students laugh. Ryan chuckles. I do too and I'm grateful for them going first. It eased some of my nerves. While I think Georgina going to crack another joke, she goes behind the computer and starts typing. I glance at Ryan and see him watching everyone's reactions around us. She pulls up her video of Derrick and I realized how much this project benefits everyone. It shows the life of an everyday person that you've been passing in the hallways for four years.

"Everyone will understand and they'll love you," Ryan whispers to me.

I shake my head. "Nice try. I'm still nervous."

"Hey." I hear to my left.

For a second, I almost jump out of my chair in surprise at the sudden voice but, when I see it's Lizbeth and her boyfriend, I relax.

"Hey." I respond. "You guys can sit here if you want." I move my messenger bag from the seat to the floor by my feet.

She smiles and I nudge Ryan to get his attention. He was listening to the projects. Lizzy thanks me and takes a seat. She settles in as quietly as she could. She asks me if I'm one of the last students to present. I tell her that I am and that we should be called up any minute. Ryan snaps out of whatever trace he was in and waves.

Lizbeth looks at our hands (Ryan still didn't let go and that made me happy) and she blinks. A slow smile spreads as she asks him,"How are you, Ryan?"

Ryan whispers across from me so she can hear, "Everything's great. Glad we're skipping Calvin, that's for sure."

Lizzy nods her head and I wonder how bad that class is for her to be so enthusiastic about skipping it. Micheal laughs at his girlfriend's enthusiasm and Ryan introduces himself to him. After Ryan introduces himself, they whisper about video games and I hear 'Fortnite' being passed by and forth. I smile.

He's a dork.

Then, as if to fast forward my life, I'm standing in front of the entire class of 2017. Oh joy. If I didn't think I was going to pass out coming up here then I guess I better think again.

Ryan introduces our project to the audience and I hide behind the computer screen. Ah. Home sweet home. Ryan gives me a smile, knowing this is probably my limit. He respects that. I love it.

He tells the crowd, "Awesome idea for a project, huh? Great time to have an assembly."

The crowd seems to know he's talking about skipping class and the audience cheer in agreement. He raises his hand and I multitask between opening our presentations and watching Ryan. "I'm Ryan Miles, lover of video games and taking pics."

I let a laugh slip but my mouth closes shut when I feel eyes on me. Goodness.

The slides are up when Ryan motions for me to introduce myself. Ha. Like I wanna do that.

I pick up the microphone next to me, thankful that there isn't feedback. I move my hair out of my mouth (I wore it down to hide my face) and I say, "Hey, guys. I'm Julianna Jones."

I'm pretty sure this is the first time most of the people in this room have never heard my voice.

The world doesn't end. The school doesn't explode.

Ryan gestures to his slides. Instead of making a video, Ryan said we should do slides. "Julianna Beatrice Jones was born on August 19, 1999. A few starting points: she loves art, she's hard-working, and..." Ryan pauses. "She is nothing like people say she is. Here's why. "

Ryan goes on to tell them about my family history. He leaves certain things out (like the parasite who lives at my house) because I asked him to. I know a few of my classmates already know. As promised, he kept the real story of what happened freshman year a secret. Ryan finishes by saying I was not a bank robber, contrary to popular belief, but I did steal his heart. People seemed to listen to Ryan when he explains my life story in the easiest way possible.

I hear a whistle from the entrance of the auditorium. For some reason, the whistle is what I hear over the awe's of the girls in the room. I see Grey and Stacy. Grey is smiling proudly and Stacy had her hands over her mouth in surprise. She wasn't looking at me. She was looking at Ryan's slides. I step downstage to get a better view.

As his last slide, he put a picture of us. it was the picture the woman took of us at the boardwalk. It was right after I took a picture of him with his hands in the colored sand. I look at Ryan and am thankful that he's here with me.

I blushed and hid behind the computer screen again. I gave him a shy smile and picked up my mic. "Just watch. Next, he'll mention how I'm too sarcastic."

I don't know why I said it, and I don't know why I said it so everyone could hear me, but the audience laughed.

Despite what I thought, they laughed with me instead of at me.

While I present my project, Ryan makes little comments that make me smile like the lunatic.

Then I am hit with so many realizations at once. I spent so much time worrying over this. I already got into the college with my choice. I spoke up to Amy and cleaned out my art studio so she couldn't threaten me anymore. I passed my senior year with high scores and I had nothing to worry about when it came to this presentation. Ryan would have made sure everything went perfectly no matter what. Most importantly, I have Grey's support. Plus, I have Ryan. So since I already got into a college with a full scholarship, I let Ryan crack his jokes. Let another kid who needs it get the money. I crack a few jokes and Ryan laughs along with everyone else. When the slide of Ryan's baby picture shows, he blushes and asks me how I got it. I swear the loudest laugh came from Grey in the sound booth. Ryan nods as if he'll get his revenge later.

When presentations were over, Lizzy and Micheal came up to me to tell me what a great job I did. Another girl that had a locker near mine tells me she found herself saying "Same" to almost everything I said. It wasn't the whole school but a few students who've never approached me before asked me where I was going next year.

While I answered, Ryan gave me a look. "I told you so, Julianna."

At that point, the rest of the class finished their projects and one guy yelled "Next up is graduation, Homies!"

I laughed. Wow. I'm a freshman again. I'm going to be a freshman in college.

Grey shooed the remaining students to get back to class. He said that Ryan and I were no exception. He laughs, guiding out Stacy by the hip. Ryan gives me a sly smirk. I push him and head out.

What can I say? Being invisible has its perks. If I didn't keep to myself, opening myself up wouldn't have been such a story. Maybe things were supposed to end up the way they are. It wasn't a happily ever after but it felt like things were good for now. No matter what happens tomorrow or next week, I know that it's for a reason and better things are on the way.

And who knows? Maybe being invisible has its perks.

Now, I think it's time to enjoy them.