Invisible To Her Bully Chapter 34

Jessa

I stood in front of my mirror, arms crossed, staring at my reflection like maybe if I glared hard enough, the girl staring back at me would disappear and someone else would take her place.

My hair was still freshly styled from yesterday, thanks to Mariah’s cousin, but even with the soft curls framing my face, I couldn’t see what Mariah saw. She swore up and down that I looked “amazing” and “so different.”

I just saw me.

The same round face, the same curves I hated, the same body that felt like a punishment.

The same girl Daniel had called a fat nobody.

My throat tightened at the memory. His words had sunk into me like hooks, and no matter how many times I told myself to let it go, they wouldn’t stop tearing at me.

I blinked hard, willing the sting of tears away. No crying. Not tonight.

There was a knock at my door. “Jessa, you ready? Mariah’s here!” my mom called from the kitchen.

“Coming!” I shouted back, my voice shaking more than I wanted.

I grabbed my bag and headed out, pausing in the living room when I saw my mom standing there. She’d traded her nurse’s scrubs for her at-home sweats, but her hair was still pulled back in a messy bun, exhaustion etched into her features.

“Wow,” she said softly, giving me a tired smile. “You look… beautiful, honey.”

The compliment hit me square in the chest. She didn’t say things like that often — not because she didn’t care, but because she was always working, always moving, always trying to keep things afloat.

“Thanks, Mom,” I said quietly, hoping she couldn’t tell how fake my smile felt.

Mariah’s voice floated in from outside, cheerful as ever. “Let’s go, girl!”

Mom hugged me quickly. “Have fun tonight. And stay safe, okay? Jackson said he’d keep an eye on you.”

The mention of my brother made my chest twist. Jackson would definitely keep an eye on me, but not in the way Mom thought. He didn’t know how much the teasing hurt. He didn’t know what Daniel had said today — or how deep it cut.

He just knew I was his twin, and that meant he’d step in if someone went too far.

I wished that was enough.

⸻

Mariah’s beat-up Jeep idled at the curb, her head poking out the window like an impatient puppy. “Come on! Bonfire night, baby!”

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped me. Only Mariah could make something sound so exciting when I wanted to crawl into bed and disappear.

Sliding into the passenger seat, I buckled up as she immediately cranked up the music. Some pop song with a driving beat filled the car, and Mariah started drumming on the steering wheel.

“Okay, first of all,” she said dramatically, eyeing me up and down, “you look incredible. The hair? Chef’s kiss. The jeans? Fire. And that top? Girl, you are serving.”

I flushed, tugging at the hem of my shirt. “You have to say that. You’re my best friend.”

“No, I have to be honest,” she corrected, swerving a little as she pointed at me. “And honestly? You’re a total smoke show. I almost feel bad for Noah Carter because he won’t know what to do with himself when he sees you.”

My heart stumbled at his name, and I stared out the window quickly. “Please don’t bring him up right now.”

Mariah groaned. “Ugh, you’re still hung up on what happened last night, aren’t you?”

Last night.

When it had just been Noah and me outside, the firelight flickering between us.

When it had felt like something might actually happen — like he saw me, really saw me — and then he’d opened his stupid mouth and ruined everything.

I clenched my hands in my lap. “He just… he doesn’t get it, Riah. None of them do. They don’t know what it’s like to walk into a room and feel like everyone wishes you weren’t there.”

Mariah’s grip on the wheel tightened, her playful expression dimming. “That’s not true. I want you there. And Jackson does. And… okay, maybe not Daniel because he’s a flaming jerk, but who cares about him?”

“Apparently everyone,” I muttered. “He’s popular, he’s on the team, he’s—”

“He’s an insecure loser who peaked in eighth grade,” she snapped. “And you? You’re better than him. So why are you letting his words dictate how you feel about yourself?”

I stared at her, stunned by her sudden fierceness.

“Jessa, listen to me.” She flicked her blinker on, slowing at a stop sign. “You are strong. You’re beautiful. You’re funny and smart and, yeah, okay, a little dramatic sometimes—”

“Riah!”

“—but that’s part of your charm!” she finished with a grin. “You have to stop letting these guys, Noah included, have so much power over you.”

Her words sank into me like stones dropped into deep water.

Part of me wanted to believe her.

The other part — the louder part — whispered that Mariah only said those things because she had to. Because she was my best friend, and that’s what best friends do.

I swallowed hard, focusing on the road ahead. “I just… I don’t want to regret going tonight.”

“You won’t,” she said firmly. “Trust me. You’re going to walk in there looking like a queen, and they’re all going to eat their words.”

I didn’t answer. My stomach was too tangled, my nerves too sharp.

⸻

We turned down the dirt road leading to Schneider’s Field, and the glow of the bonfire appeared in the distance, flickering orange against the night sky. Cars lined both sides of the field, music thumping faintly as voices and laughter carried on the breeze.

Mariah whistled low. “Looks like half the school’s already here.”

“Great,” I muttered, sinking lower in my seat.

“Hey.” She reached over and squeezed my hand. “You’ve got this.”

I wanted to believe her. I really did.

But as we parked and I saw Noah standing with Jackson and the rest of the team, my pulse kicked into overdrive.

Even from a distance, he looked unfairly good. His dark hair was damp from practice, his fitted hoodie clinging to his shoulders like it had been made for him. He laughed at something Jackson said, but there was a tension in his stance, like part of him wasn’t really in the moment.

I told myself not to care.

I told myself tonight wasn’t about him.

But as Mariah and I stepped out of the Jeep and started toward the fire, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the night was about to get complicated — and I wasn’t ready for it.

Not even close.