Invisible To Her Bully Chapter 15

Jessa

The second the laughter erupted, I felt it.

Like every giggle, every jeer, every whispered comment was a knife slicing through me.

“Guess you have to kiss the big girl!”

The words echoed in my head, so loud I couldn’t hear the music anymore. My chest felt tight, my throat closing up as heat rushed to my face.

I couldn’t sit there. I wouldn’t sit there.

Before Noah could even move, before Jackson could reach for me again, I was on my feet, stumbling backward. My voice cracked as I forced the words out.

“I’m done!”

I didn’t wait for anyone to respond. Didn’t look back. I just ran—through the crowd, past the curious stares and poorly concealed smirks, and out the front door into the cool night air.

The sharp bite of the autumn wind hit my skin like a slap, and only then did I realize I was shaking. My breaths came in shallow gasps, my vision blurred with tears.

I hated them.

I hated all of them.

But mostly, I hated myself.

I didn’t stop until I reached the end of the driveway, where the yard sloped down toward the street. My legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the damp grass, wrapping my arms around myself as sobs wracked my body.

This night had been a mistake.

I should’ve stayed home, like I always did. I should’ve worn my baggy hoodie and loose jeans, the clothes that made me feel invisible—safe.

Instead, I’d let Mariah talk me into trying.

Into hoping.

I thought maybe, just maybe, I could show up tonight and not be the butt of the joke.

But of course, I’d been wrong.

“Jessa!” Mariah’s voice cut through my sobs. A moment later, she came running down the driveway, her heels clicking on the pavement. She dropped to her knees beside me, breathless.

“Jess, oh my god, are you okay?”

I laughed bitterly, swiping at my wet cheeks. “Do I look okay?”

Mariah flinched but didn’t back away. She wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a hug. I sank into her warmth, clutching her like a lifeline.

“I knew I shouldn’t have made you play,” she whispered fiercely. “I’m so sorry. That was so messed up.”

“It’s not your fault.” My voice was hoarse, barely audible.

“Yes, it is. I pushed you into it. I told you it would be fun.” She shook her head, furious with herself. “God, they’re such jerks. Jackson, Noah… all of them.”

At the mention of Noah’s name, my stomach twisted.

Noah.

I hated him more than anyone else right now.

But beneath the anger was something even worse: the part of me that wanted his attention.

And that was humiliating.

“I should’ve known better,” I whispered. “I mean, who was I kidding? Look at me.”

Mariah pulled back, gripping my shoulders. “Jessa, don’t you dare.”

“It’s true!” I snapped, tears spilling down my cheeks again. “Why did I think I could come here and fit in? Why did I let you convince me to dress like this? I look ridiculous, Mariah. I am ridiculous!”

“No.” Her voice was sharp, unyielding. “You are not ridiculous. They are.”

I shook my head. “You don’t get it. You’re beautiful, Mariah. You walk into a room, and people notice you. They like you. I walk in, and they laugh.” My voice cracked. “I’m always the joke.”

Mariah’s expression softened, though her eyes burned with anger. “Jess, you are so much more than what they see. But you’ve spent your whole life believing the garbage they throw at you.”

“How could I not believe it?” My words came out in a sob. “Even Jackson laughed at me. My own twin brother!”

The memory sliced through me—the way Jackson had smirked earlier when he told me my outfit was “a bit much.” The way he hadn’t stood up for me tonight, just sat there while everyone mocked me.

“He’s supposed to have my back,” I choked out. “But he doesn’t. He never does.”

Mariah hugged me tighter, rocking me gently. “I know. And that’s on him, not you.”

I buried my face in her shoulder, my tears soaking into her sweater. “I just… I don’t understand why I have to be like this.”

“Like what?” she asked softly.

“A big girl.” The words came out like poison, bitter and heavy. “Why did I have to be the fat, awkward twin? Why couldn’t I be like Jackson—tall, athletic, popular? Why couldn’t I be the one people wanted to be around instead of the one they laugh at?”

Mariah’s grip on me tightened. “Jess…”

“I hate it.” My voice cracked, raw and broken. “I hate my body. I hate the way I feel every time I walk into a room and see people’s eyes go straight to my thighs, my stomach. I hate feeling invisible and too noticeable at the same time. I just—” My breath hitched. “I just want to be someone else.”

The night was quiet except for my sobs and the faint thump of music from the house.

Mariah didn’t rush to fill the silence. She just held me until my breathing evened out. When she finally spoke, her voice was calm but fierce.

“You don’t need to be someone else, Jess. You need to see yourself the way I see you. The way anyone who really knows you sees you.” She pulled back enough to meet my eyes. “You’re smart. You’re funny. You’re kind. You’re beautiful, even if you don’t believe it yet.”

“Beautiful?” I scoffed bitterly.

“Yes.” Mariah’s gaze didn’t waver. “Screw them for making you feel like you’re not. They’re cowards, Jess. It’s easier for them to tear you down than to admit they’re intimidated by you.”

I blinked at her, startled. “Intimidated? By me?”

“Hell yes.” She gave a small, incredulous laugh. “You think Noah Carter makes fun of you because he actually thinks you’re worthless? Please. He teases you because he doesn’t know what to do with the fact that he notices you. Trust me, guys like that don’t waste their time on people they don’t care about.”

My heart stuttered, traitorous and stupid. “Mariah…”

“No.” She held up a hand. “Don’t read into it. I’m not saying he’s good for you. I’m saying he’s the problem, not you. All of them are.”

I swallowed hard, her words sinking into me like a lifeline.

But no matter how much I wanted to believe her, a small, ugly voice whispered in the back of my mind: He didn’t defend you either.

Because Noah hadn’t.

He’d just sat there.

“Jess.” Mariah’s tone was gentle now. “You can’t let them control you like this. Don’t give them that power.”

“How am I supposed to do that?” I whispered.

“By walking back in there with your head held high,” she said firmly. “Or, if you’re not ready for that, then by knowing deep down that their opinions don’t define you. You get to define yourself.”

I looked back at the house, its windows glowing with light. Laughter drifted out into the night, cruel and sharp.

“I don’t want to go back in,” I admitted. “Not tonight.”

“That’s okay,” Mariah said, rubbing my back. “We’ll leave. But one day, Jess…” She paused, her eyes fierce and determined. “One day, you’re going to walk into a room, and they’re going to realize just how wrong they were about you.”

I wanted to believe her. God, I needed to believe her.

But as I sat there under the dark sky, all I felt was the hollow ache of knowing that tonight, I’d been reminded of exactly where I stood.

And how far I had to go to ever be seen.