Invisible To Her Bully (Jessa and Noah) novel Chapter 92

Chapter 92

Jessa

56

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Ridgeville High had been buzzing since the final whistle blew. The team won big, and that meant only one thing–there was going to be a party. A loud, chaotic, end–of–week victory bash.

By the time Mariah pulled into my driveway Friday night, the sound of bass and laughter was already drifting down the street from the Ridge Creek neighborhood.

I stood by my window, arms crossed, watching headlights flash and disappear, wondering why I agreed to this.

I didn’t want to go. Not really.

But Mariah had a plan. And when Mariah had a plan, there was no point trying to stop her.

The front door swung open a second later without her even knocking. “Jess! Emergency fashion delivery!” she called out, heading straight to my room.

I groaned. “Mariah, I told you I don’t feel like-”

“Don’t care.” She dropped a Ridgeville–blue shirt onto my bed. “You’re wearing this tonight.”

I glanced down at it. It was a tight–fitting cropped team shirt, the Ridgeville logo painted in sparkly white across the front. My brother’s number, #12, was outlined on the back in silver.

“You made this?” I asked.

“Duh. It’s one of a kind. I made it last night while watching reality TV and eating too much popcorn. Consider it my artistic gift to you.”

I lifted it with two fingers. “Mariah, this is… small.”

“It’s fitted,” she corrected. “And it’s perfect for you.”

I sighed. “You realize this is me you’re talking to, right? Not one of the cheerleaders who live on celery and chaos?”

She planted a hand on her hip. “Exactly. Those girls would kill to have your shape. You’ve got curves; they’ve got angles. Big difference.”

“I don’t know-”

“Jess.” She softened, her tone dropping from playful to serious. “You’ve been through hell these past few weeks. You’ve let people’s opinions cage you in. Tonight, we change that. This isn’t about Noah, or Jackson, or any of them. It’s about you showing up and proving you’re done hiding.”

I looked down at the shirt again. It shimmered a little under the light, bold and bright—something I usually avoided being.

17:08 Tue, Oct 14

Chapter 99

“What if everyone stares?” I asked quietly.

A

“Then they stare,” she said with a shrug. “And you let them. Because for once, they’ll be looking at you for the right reasons”

1 hesitated. Then, slowly, I nodded.

Mariah grinned triumphantly. “Knew you’d see it my way. Now go put that on and grab your confidence. We’re making an entrance.”

The drive to Ridge Creek was short, but my nerves stretched the minutes. The closer we got, the louder everything became–music pulsing, people shouting, car doors slamming. Bonfire light flickered through the trees like the whole town was glowing orange.

Mariah parked in the dirt lot beside the field and turned to me. “Okay, game face. Ready?”

“No.”

“Perfect.” She grinned. “That’s when the best nights happen.”

I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t help smiling a little. Mariah had that effect–she made the impossible seem

survivable.

We stepped out, and the crisp air hit me instantly. The night smelled like smoke, beer, and victory. Kids from every grade were already everywhere–on the porch, the driveway, the yard. Someone had dragged speakers outside, blasting music that shook the ground.

I tugged at the hem of my shirt. “This was a bad idea.”

Mariah linked her arm through mine. “Correction: this is an amazing idea.”

Inside the house was chaos. Music thumped through the walls. Laughter and shouting mixed into one constant hum. Every surface had red cups, every corner had people dancing or talking too loud.

Mariah’s head turned toward me. “Walk tall. Shoulders back. You’re not a shadow tonight.”

I took a deep breath and followed her lead. As we made our way through the crowd, heads turned–some out of surprise, some curiosity. My cheeks burned, but for the first time, I didn’t shrink. I just… let them look.

Mariah grinned. “You’re killing it already.”

“Maybe they just don’t recognize me.”

“Or maybe they finally do,” she said simply.

17:08 Tue, Oct 14

Chapter 92

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We found a spot near the kitchen where the music wasn’t quite as loud. I watched as players from the team. moved around, soaking up attention from everyone. Daniel, of course, was in the center, being obnoxiously loud and showing off like he’d single–handedly won the game.

Mariah rolled her eyes. “Daniel’s ego deserves its own zip code.”

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