JessaThe hallways of Ridgeview High were already alive with noise when I walked in that morning, the usual Monday chaos mixed with extra excitement buzzing through the air. Everyone was talking about two things — the bonfire tonight at Schneider’s Field and Friday night’s game.I kept my head high as I made my way to my locker, refusing to slouch or skulk like I used to. It wasn’t that I didn’t hear the laughter, the whispers, or the way conversations sometimes shifted when I walked by — I did. I’d just gotten good at pretending I didn’t care.But some days, that pretending was a whole lot harder than others.“Yo, dude, this week is huge.”Jackson’s voice rang out over the chatter, unmistakable and confident as ever. I didn’t have to look to know exactly where my twin brother and his crew were. Jackson was always surrounded by his friends like some kind of golden-boy gravitational pull.“Coach said that recruiter’s the real deal,” Noah added, his easygoing laugh following his words.
Noah The second I walked into my house, I kicked the door shut with my heel and slumped against it like it might hold me up. The place was dark and quiet, the way it always was when Mom was working late. Normally, I liked the silence. Tonight, it felt suffocating. Jessa’s voice was still ringing in my ears — raw, broken, impossible to ignore. “I can’t help it, Noah! I’m not like my brother. I hate this body, I hate being me! No matter what I do, I’ll never be beautiful enough.” Her words cut deeper than I wanted to admit. And the worst part? I was part of the reason she felt that way. My fists tightened at my sides. I hated seeing her like that, hated knowing she thought she wasn’t enough — hated myself for all the times I’d laughed along or made some stupid joke at her expense. I wasn’t blind. I’d seen her hurting for a long time. But tonight… she’d said it out loud. And it gutted me. I shoved off the door and paced my living room, raking my hands through my hair. The memo
JessaThe second Noah said my name, my stomach dropped like a stone.My first instinct was to run — to grab Mariah’s hand and hide in my room until he left. But my feet wouldn’t move. My whole body was frozen, like part of me needed to hear whatever excuse or insult he was about to throw at me.Mariah’s eyes narrowed into slits, her arms crossed over her chest like a human shield. “Oh, hell no. Absolutely not. You don’t just show up here after what you did last night.”But Noah didn’t even glance at her. His stormy blue eyes were locked on me, intense and almost desperate. “Jessa,” he said again, softer this time. “Please. Just… let me talk to you.”His voice was low, strained, and that scared me more than if he’d come in yelling.Mariah took a step toward him, her protective instincts in full swing. “No way. She doesn’t owe you a single second of her time.”I swallowed hard, my throat tight, and put a trembling hand on Mariah’s arm. “It’s okay,” I whispered, though my voice shook. “I
JessaBy the time sunlight filtered through my curtains, my eyes were puffy and my throat felt raw from all the crying I’d done. I’d barely slept, replaying last night over and over in my head like some horrible movie I couldn’t shut off.Every word I’d screamed at Noah echoed in my ears, ugly and broken.“I can’t help it that I’m not attractive! That no matter what I do, I can’t lose weight!”“I hate that I’m fat! I hate that I’m nothing like Jackson—he got everything and I got nothing!”The memory burned, leaving a sour taste in my mouth.I rolled over in bed, clutching my blanket tight around me like a shield. I didn’t want to face today. I didn’t want to face anyone. Maybe if I stayed in bed long enough, the world would forget I existed.But then there was a soft knock on my door followed by Mariah’s voice.“Jess? You awake?”I groaned. “No.”The door creaked open anyway, and Mariah peeked in, still in her pajamas but with her curls piled high on her head. She studied me for a mom
JessaI don’t remember how I got here.One second, I was in Daniel’s living room, surrounded by dozens of staring eyes, my heart splintering as the words poured out of me. The next, I was outside, running barefoot down the street, mascara streaking my cheeks and lungs burning.Now, I’m curled up on Mariah’s bed, clutching one of her pillows so tightly it feels like it’s the only thing keeping me from flying apart completely.The room smells like her vanilla-scented candles, soft and warm, but it does nothing to calm the storm raging inside me.I can still see them—Noah’s stunned face, Jackson’s disbelief, Daniel’s uncomfortable shuffle like he couldn’t wait to look away.I can still hear the silence after my outburst, the way the entire party stopped, everyone staring like I was some spectacle.And worst of all, I can still feel it.The way my heart cracked open when Noah didn’t say a single damn word in my defense.“Breathe, Jessa.”Mariah’s voice is gentle but firm. She’s kneeling b
JessaI can’t breathe.I storm through the sliding glass door, my pulse pounding so hard it roars in my ears. My hands shake as I shove past a group of kids near the counter, ignoring their laughter. I don’t even care where I’m going—I just need to get away before I completely fall apart in front of everyone.Behind me, I hear Noah call my name.“Jessa! Wait!”No.Not this time.He doesn’t get to follow me with some half-hearted apology, like a stupid band-aid on a wound he keeps slicing open.I whirl around before he can get too close, the words ripping out of me like they’ve been waiting years to escape.“Noah, shut up!”The entire room goes silent. Heads turn. Someone drops a plastic cup, the beer splattering across the tile. But I don’t care. Let them stare. Let them see me for once instead of looking right through me.“You don’t get to do this to me anymore,” I choke out, my voice trembling with rage and pain. “You don’t get to be nice to me when we’re alone and then act like I’m