Considering that she was still growing, I made sure she went to bed at eleven every night and woke up at six in the morning, ensuring she got seven hours of sleep each day.
Sarah looked at me skeptically.
"She's getting a full seven hours of sleep, so why is she still so tired during the day?"
I realized that Sarah suspected I was lying.
I looked at Jessica. Her usually fair skin was dull and sallow, with large dark circles under her eyes, making her look like she hadn't had a good night's sleep in ages.
At that moment, I began to doubt her myself.
"Jessica, have you been getting up to study in the middle of the night? Or is the stress of your studies keeping you up?"
Jessica shook her head and was about to speak when she couldn't help but yawn, a few tears slipping from the corners of her eyes.
"I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow, but I always feel like I can't get enough rest. I'm constantly exhausted."
Sarah looked at the innocent expression on Jessica's face, then at my own confusion, and rubbed her temples.
"You two can go home now. Jessica, you're seventeen years old now; even if you're tired, you should have the self-discipline not to disrupt the class. You may not care about your studies, but other people do!"
The final words were emphatic, and I saw Jessica's eyes instantly well up with tears.
"I understand, Ms. Miller."
Seeing Jessica's hurt expression filled me with both helplessness and heartache. I could only take her by the hand and lead her out.
I knew teenagers were incredibly sensitive, and while I wanted to have a serious talk with Jessica about her attitude towards her studies, I had no idea how to begin.
Our home was just across the street from the school, a ten-minute walk. Jessica kept her head down, crying the entire way.
When we finally opened the door, we were hit by the strong smell of chili peppers.
Mia, Mia Williams, was wearing an apron as she placed the last dish on the table, looking at us impatiently.
"You finally decided to come back, huh? Do you even know what time it is?"
I frowned, looking at the table laden with spicy dishes and then at Sophia, Sophia Williams, who was eating voraciously at the table. A surge of anger welled up inside me.
"Mia, why did you cook a whole table of spicy food again? How many times have I told you, Jessica doesn't eat spicy food!"
Mia glared at me, raising her voice.