Invisible To Her Bully (Jessa and Noah) novel Chapter 278

Chapter 278

Jessa

By the time I realized how long I’d been staring at my laptop, the sun had already dropped low enough that the light in my room had turned that weird golden color that meant the day was almost gone.

Again.

Another afternoon.

Another few hours spent digging through college websites, financial aid pages, and scholarship listings that all seemed to say the same thing.

Not enough.

I leaned back against my bed, rubbing my eyes.

“This is impossible,” I muttered.

My laptop was balanced on my knees, the same five tabs open that had been open for days now.

Tuition calculators.

Scholarship databases.

Financial aid forums.

Every once in a while I’d find something promising.

Then there would be some requirement I didn’t meet.

Top academic award.

Perfect GPA.

Leadership positions.

Athletic scholarships.

Things that belonged to people who had spent high school thriving.

Not surviving.

My bedroom door suddenly swung open.

“Jess, seriously.”

Jackson stood in the doorway, looking like he’d just reached the end of his patience.

“You’re driving me insane.”

I blinked at him.

“Good evening to you too.”

He walked in and pointed directly at the laptop.

“That thing has been glued to you for like a week.”

“I’m researching.”

“You’re obsessing.”

“Same thing.”

“No it’s not,” he said, dropping onto the chair near my desk. “Research ends eventually. This looks like a full–time job.”

I sighed and closed my eyes for a second.

“I’m trying to figure something out.”

Jackson leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

“You’ve been trying to ‘figure something out‘ for days.”

“College is kind of a big deal.”

“I know that,” he said. “But this whole situation is turning you into a stress monster.”

I gave him a look.

“Stress monster?”

“Yeah.”

“Creative.”

“You’ve barely slept.”

“That’s not true.”

“You fell asleep on the couch last night with the laptop still open.”

“That was a power nap.”

Jackson snorted.

“You drooled.”

I grabbed a pillow and tossed it at him.

“Get out.”

He caught it and tossed it back.

“Jess, I’m serious.”

I sighed again.

“I know.”

He studied me for a second.

“You’re scaring yourself with this stuff.”

“I’m trying to find a way to make it work.”

“And if it doesn’t?”

The question landed heavier than he probably meant it to.

I looked back down at the laptop screen.

“Then I guess it doesn’t.”

Jackson didn’t say anything for a moment.

Then he leaned back in the chair.

“You know you’re allowed to breathe, right?”

“Breathing isn’t solving the problem.”

Before he could answer, we both heard the front door open.

Our mom’s voice floated down the hallway.

“Kids?”

“In here!” Jackson called.

A moment later Mom appeared in the doorway, still in her hospital scrubs, her coat draped over one arm.

She looked tired.

The kind of tired that came from long shifts and too many responsibilities.

Her eyes moved between us.

“Why do you two look like you’re about to start World War Three?”

“We’re not fighting,” Jackson said quickly.

Mom raised an eyebrow.

“You say that, but the energy in this room says otherwise.”

“Nothing’s happening,” he insisted.

Mom didn’t look convinced.

Then her eyes drifted to me.

Specifically…

To the laptop.

She tilted her head slightly.

“Sweetie,” she said gently, “that laptop has practically become part of your anatomy lately.”

I gave a weak smile.

“I’ve been doing college research.”

“I can see that.”

She stepped inside and set her bag down.

Jackson stood up.

“I’m going to go pretend to do homework.”

“Good idea,” Mom said.

He paused beside the door and gave me a look.

“You can tell me.”

“I just really wanted something different.”

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