Invisible To Her Bully Chapter 17

Jessa

Monday mornings are the worst.

Dragging myself out of bed after the disaster that was Daniel’s party feels like climbing a mountain with no peak. My whole body feels heavy, and it’s not just from exhaustion. It’s from the weight of… everything.

The spin-the-bottle humiliation replays in my head on a loop. Noah’s smirk. The laughter. Jackson’s voice cutting through it all, casual and cruel.

I told myself I’d forget about it by Monday. That nobody would even remember by the time school rolled around.

But deep down, I knew better.

At our school, moments like that don’t fade. They spread like wildfire, becoming the kind of story everyone repeats in whispers in the hallways. The kind of story that defines you.

And sure enough, the second I walk through the double doors, I feel it: the stares, the snickers, the little smirks people think I don’t notice.

My cheeks burn, but I force myself to keep walking, chin up like my mom always told me to do when people were mean.

It doesn’t help.

I spot Mariah by my locker, waving me over. “Hey,” she says, giving me a look that’s equal parts sympathy and determination. “Ignore them. They’re idiots.”

“That’s easy for you to say.” My voice cracks even though I try to keep it steady. “They’re not laughing at you.”

Mariah shuts my locker door for me, a little too forcefully. “Yeah, but I see what they’re doing. And you’re not giving them the satisfaction of knowing they got to you. You hold your head high, Jess.”

“I don’t even want to be here,” I mumble, pulling at the sleeves of my cardigan. “Why can’t I just disappear?”

“You can’t let them win,” she says firmly. “You’ve got this, okay? Just get through today. We’ll survive.”

I nod, but my stomach twists as we head down the hall toward homeroom.

And that’s when I see him.

Noah Carter.

Leaning casually against the wall by the trophy case, surrounded by Jackson and his football buddies like he owns the place.

God, why does he have to be so… infuriatingly good-looking?

His dark hair is a little messy, like he rolled out of bed and still somehow managed to look like he stepped out of a magazine. He’s wearing a fitted team hoodie, broad shoulders filling it out perfectly.

And then there’s that cocky grin.

The one that makes every girl in this school swoon… and makes me want to scream.

Because that grin hides everything.

Every sharp word. Every cruel joke.

Every time he’s cut me down just to get a laugh.

I force myself to look away, but of course, Mariah notices. “Don’t even start,” she mutters under her breath. “He doesn’t deserve a single second of your attention.”

“Like I’d ever give him attention,” I whisper back.

It’s a lie.

A stupid, pathetic lie.

Noah’s eyes find mine across the hall.

And for a second, it’s like the rest of the world disappears.

He doesn’t smirk or laugh or throw out some cutting remark.

He just… looks at me.

There’s something almost soft in his expression, like he actually sees me.

“Jess,” he says when I get closer, his voice surprisingly warm. “Hey. You, uh… made it.”

Made it? Like surviving a Monday morning at this school is some kind of accomplishment.

“Yeah,” I mutter, not trusting myself to say more.

Noah shifts, rubbing the back of his neck. “About the other night…” His voice drops, just for me. “I didn’t mean to upset you. It was just a stupid game.”

My chest tightens.

It almost sounds like an apology. Almost.

Before I can respond, Jackson calls out from behind him, loud enough for half the hallway to hear. “Yo, Carter! You flirting with my sister again?”

Heat floods my face.

I glance at Noah, waiting for him to shut Jackson down. To defend me.

Instead, he laughs.

A loud, easy laugh that stings more than any insult.

“Flirting?” he says, glancing back at Jackson with that same cocky grin. “Nah, man. Just making sure she doesn’t get lost on her way to class. Big girls like her take up a lot of hallway space, you know?”

The group of guys around them erupts in laughter.

Even Jackson chuckles, shaking his head like it’s all harmless fun.

I stand there frozen, my throat tight, my eyes burning.

Noah doesn’t look at me this time.

He won’t.

Mariah grabs my hand and pulls me down the hall before I completely fall apart.

We duck into the bathroom, and I grip the edge of the sink, my reflection a blur through my tears.

“Why?” I choke out. “Why does he do that? One second he’s nice, and the next he’s… like that.”

Mariah hands me a tissue. “Because he’s an idiot who cares more about looking cool in front of his friends than about your feelings. That’s on him, Jess. Not you.”

I shake my head, swiping at my tears. “I hate this. I hate me.”

Mariah’s voice softens. “Don’t you dare say that.”

“It’s true,” I whisper. “Why did I have to be… like this? Why couldn’t I be like Jackson? Everyone loves him. He’s perfect. And I’m just… his embarrassing twin sister.”

Mariah hugs me tightly. “You are not embarrassing. You’re kind and smart and funny and… you’re enough, Jess. They just can’t see it.”

I want to believe her.

God, I do.

But when I close my eyes, all I can hear is Noah’s laugh.

All I can see is the way he looked at me when no one else was watching—soft, almost tender—followed by the way he turned around and crushed me with a single sentence.

How can the same person make me feel seen and invisible at the same time?

By lunchtime, the whole school knows about the spin-the-bottle fiasco.

As Mariah and I walk past the football table, I hear Daniel snicker. “Careful, Carter. Wouldn’t want to get stuck kissing Jessa again.”

The table roars with laughter.

My heart pounds.

Noah shakes his head, smirking like it’s all a joke. “Yeah, man. Lightning better not strike twice.”

The words feel like a slap.

He doesn’t even glance my way.

Mariah squeezes my arm. “Ignore them,” she whispers.

But it’s too late.

Ignoring them is impossible when their voices are the loudest thing in the room.

Later, as I’m walking to my last class, I hear footsteps behind me.

“Jess, wait up.”

It’s Noah.

Of course it’s Noah.

I spin around, arms crossed. “What do you want?”

He hesitates, like he’s not sure what to say. “Look, about what Daniel said at lunch… don’t let it get to you. He’s just an idiot.”

I stare at him, disbelief flooding me. “Are you serious right now? You laughed, Noah. You joined in.”

His jaw tightens. “I had to. Jackson was right there.”

“That makes it okay?” My voice wobbles, but I don’t care. “You say these things like they don’t matter, but they do. They hurt.”

For a second, his mask slips.

Regret flickers in his eyes, raw and unguarded.

Then, just as quickly, it’s gone.

“You’re too sensitive,” he says, stepping back. “It was just a joke.”

“No,” I whisper, shaking my head. “It’s not just a joke. It’s you.”

I turn and walk away before he can see me break down completely.

Behind me, I hear him curse under his breath.

And I wonder if he feels even a fraction of the pain he’s caused me.

Somehow, I doubt it.