Invisible To Her Bully Chapter 37

Jessa

Tuesday mornings were usually the worst — dragging myself out of bed, rushing around, barely having time to grab breakfast before school.

But today?

Today felt… different.

I actually woke up smiling.

The bonfire from last night replayed in my mind in little bursts — the crackle of the flames, the buzz of voices and laughter, Mariah dragging me around to meet people, and, of course, Noah.

My cheeks warmed just thinking about him.

The way his hand had brushed mine.

The way his voice had gone low and rough when he’d told Daniel to back off.

The way, for one heart-stopping second, I thought he might actually kiss me.

Spoiler alert: he didn’t.

But he almost did, and that almost was currently wreaking havoc on my brain.

I groaned and buried my face in my pillow for a second before forcing myself to get up.

It was going to be hard enough facing him today without looking like a complete disaster.

When Mariah pulled up in her Jeep, she was practically buzzing with energy.

She leaned across the seat as I climbed in. “Okay, spill. I need every detail from last night, and don’t you dare leave anything out.”

I rolled my eyes, trying not to laugh. “There’s nothing to spill.”

“Oh, please.” She waved a hand dramatically. “You and Noah had a moment. I saw the way he was looking at you.”

“You also see romance in, like, everything,” I said dryly, buckling my seatbelt. “You thought Liam and Hannah were secretly in love just because they passed each other a pencil.”

Mariah gasped. “That pencil pass was intense, Jessa!”

I burst out laughing, shaking my head.

Mariah had this way of making even the most stressful mornings feel lighter.

And honestly? After last night, I needed that.

The second we walked into school, the hallway chatter hit us like a wall.

Everyone was still buzzing about the bonfire — who said what, who was seen with who, who snuck off into the woods together.

Normally, I’d be on the sidelines, just listening.

But today… today, people were actually looking at me.

Some even smiled.

It was weird, but not entirely unpleasant.

“Dude,” Mariah whispered, elbowing me. “You are so the talk of the day.”

I groaned. “Please tell me you’re joking.”

She grinned. “Would I lie to you?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, fair point,” she admitted with a laugh. “But seriously, people are impressed. You roasted Daniel in front of everyone yesterday, then showed up at the bonfire like you owned the place. Total queen behavior.”

I wasn’t sure about queen behavior, but I couldn’t deny there was a tiny thrill in hearing her say that.

When we reached our lockers, Jackson was already there, spinning his combination lock.

He looked up as we approached, a frown tugging at his brow.

“Hey,” he said, his voice softer than usual. “You doing okay today?”

“Yeah,” I said, surprised by how easily the truth came out. “Actually… I’m good.”

Some of the tension in his shoulders eased. “Good. Just making sure. You know, after… last night.”

He didn’t have to elaborate.

Last night’s showdown with Daniel — followed by Noah stepping in — was definitely still fresh in everyone’s minds.

Jackson shot me a little smile before heading off to class, and for the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel like a burden to him.

Just… his sister.

As we headed toward homeroom, I spotted Noah down the hall, leaning casually against the wall with a couple of his friends.

He was laughing at something one of them said, his whole face lighting up in a way that made my chest do that annoying fluttery thing again.

“Uh-oh,” Mariah sang softly. “There he is.”

“Don’t,” I hissed, though I couldn’t stop staring.

As if he felt my gaze, Noah’s head turned — and his eyes locked on mine.

For a moment, the crowded hallway seemed to fade, and it was just the two of us, standing there with last night’s almost-kiss hanging heavy in the air.

His lips curved into a small, knowing smile.

And just like that, my knees went a little weak.

“Girl,” Mariah whispered urgently. “If you don’t go talk to him, I might.”

I tore my gaze away, my face blazing. “Mariah!”

“What?” she said innocently. “I’m just saying, if you won’t shoot your shot, someone has to.”

I shoved her playfully. “Go to class.”

She laughed all the way down the hall, leaving me standing there with my racing heart and a whole lot of confusing feelings.

⸻

As I slid into my seat for first period, I caught myself smiling.

Yeah, there were still problems — Daniel being one of them — and yeah, Noah was a confusing mess of almosts and maybes.

But for the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel small.

I felt seen.

And maybe, just maybe, today was the start of something new.