Invisible To Her Bully (Jessa and Noah) novel Chapter 116

The locker room didn’t sound like a locker room.

No trash talk. No music. No laughter.

Just the sound of metal lockers clanking shut and the low shuffle of cleats on tile.

Everyone knew what was coming.

Coach had seen the videos. The fight, the party, Daniel running his mouth online.

And of course – the one of my sister, Jessa, kneeing him so hard he folded like a lawn chair.

It was everywhere. TikTok, school chat threads, even the local gossip pages.

And now, we were all about to pay for it.

The door slammed open, and Coach Daniels stalked in like a storm cloud in a Ridgeville hoodie. His face was red, jaw tight, the clipboard already in his hand. He didn’t even need to blow his whistle. The entire room froze.

“Everybody shut up,” he barked.

Not that anyone was talking.

He scanned the room, eyes cutting through each of us one by one. “I’ve been coaching this team for fifteen years. Fifteen. And I have never been this disappointed.”

Nobody moved. Even the guys who usually acted like they owned the place were sitting straight up.

“This isn’t just about football anymore,” Coach continued, pacing slow and deliberate. “This is about character. About the name on your jersey. You think what happens off the field doesn’t matter? You think recruiters, parents, and alumni aren’t watching? Wake the hell up!”

The clipboard slammed down onto the bench so hard it cracked. A few guys jumped.

Daniel flinched.

Coach pointed straight at him. “You think you’re funny, Young? You think humiliating classmates online makes you some kind of legend? You embarrassed this entire team. You embarrassed me.”

Daniel shifted uncomfortably, muttering, “Coach, I-”

“Shut it,” Coach snapped. “You’ve done enough talking for one lifetime.”

His

eyes swept the rest of the team. “And the rest of you? Laughing, sharing, posting–you’re no better. Every single one of you who watched that crap and said nothing is part of the problem.”

The tension in the room was suffocating.

Then his gaze landed on me and Noah.

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Chapter 116

“And you two,” he said, pointing between us, “Lombardi. Carter. You’re my captai the tone. And instead of leading, you’re out there fueling the fire–fights, drama, vi supposed to hold the line, not torch it.

I swallowed hard. “Coach, we didn’t—”

He cut me off with a glare. “Don’t defend it. Not today.”

Noah stayed quiet beside me, jaw flexing. He looked angry, but mostly at himself.

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Coach exhaled, shaking his head. “You’re not little kids anymore. Some of you will be in college next year. And if you keep acting like this, no one’s going to want you–not scouts, not schools, not anyone.”

Silence.

Even Daniel wasn’t brave enough to answer that.

“Everyone else field, now!” Coach barked. “Helmets on. Warm–ups. Go!”

–

The team bolted for the door, no one daring to say a word.

But then came the hammer drop.

“Not you three,” Coach said sharply. “Lombardi. Carter. Young Office. Now.”

The walk to his office was brutal – not because it was far, but because the tension was thick enough to choke on.

Daniel grumbled something under his breath, but I didn’t even bother looking at him.

Coach closed the door behind us and leaned against his desk, arms crossed. He didn’t sit. Didn’t even breathe for

a few seconds.

“You three are the center of this circus,” he said finally. “So we’re going to straighten it out right now.”

He turned to Daniel first. “You’re lucky you’re still on this roster. The only reason you aren’t suspended is because the school’s handling the disciplinary side. But you so much as breathe wrong near another student, you’re off this team. Permanently.”

Daniel muttered, “It was just a joke-”

“Carter. You’ve got fire. Always have. But your temper’s becoming a liability. Throwing punches at a party matter the reason – makes you look reckless. And when you’re a co–captain, that reflects on everyone.”

Noah lifted his head slightly. “I was defending Jessa.”

no

Then Coach turned to me.

Coach finally leaned forward, his tone lowering just a notch. “I know this crap’s personal for you, Jackson. What they said about your sister was disgusting. But you can’t let it break your focus. You handle it like a leader–not a brother with a grudge.”

That hit deep, because he was right about that, too. I’d been angry for days. Not just at Daniel, but at myself for not protecting Jessa sooner. For letting it all get this bad.

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