Havens

nine

*Nova's Point of View*
Thank you, Felix!" Aria yelled as he drove away from the campus. It's been a week since we've all been together. Break was over and Aria was finally back at Dream Wave.
"Aria!" Cari and I yelled running towards her. We both hugged her tight.
"I missed you guys!" She cried. "What's been up?"
"We have another weekend of parties since classes don't start until Monday!" Cari cheered.
Aria groaned. "I don't feel like partying. My dad's been driving me insane with these new Moon Haven orders!"
"That's Okay," I said.
"Are you hungry? We were just heading over to the cafe for lunch!" Cari asked.
"I can eat. Just let me take my bags to the dorm. I won't be long!" Aria said.
"I can take them, if you want?" I asked reaching for her luggage. She pulled the bags away.
"It's okay, thanks anyway!" She said kissing me before she ran off.
"She's so cute," Cari said watching her walk towards the dorm building.
"Hey, I have to talk to you about something real quick before she gets back," I said.
"Uh oh, what's wrong?" Cari asked nervously.
I sighed. "Well I've been thinking about this all week—"
"Get to the point, Nova!" Cari yelled impatiently.
"Something seems weird about Aria's dad," I suggested.
"Artemis?" Cari asked.
"Yea! You didn't get weird vibes from him at dinner last week?" I asked.
Cari shook her head no.
"I don't know. Something just seems weird about him. He definitely didn't like something we did or said which made him kick us out so early," I added.
"I think he was just busy. He is the king of the Moon Haven, you know?" Cari asked.
I knew I wasn't crazy but Cari just wasn't seeing what I was seeing.
"Just forget it," I sighed.
"I'm sorry, Nova," Cari mumbled.
"Don't be," I said.
It wasn't long until Aria came back from the dorms.
As we were heading over to the cafe we were stopped.
"Apollo!" I said. I gave him a handshake.
"Hello friends, how are you? I haven't seen you two in a while!" Apollo said shaking Cari and Aria's hands.
"We've been great, how about yourself?" Cari asked.
"Wonderful. If you would excuse me, I just need to steal your friend for a moment," Apollo said pulling me to the side by my shoulder.
"Go ahead!" Said Aria.
Apollo nodded.

"What's going on Apollo?" I asked.
"I received some news today," he said.
"Good or bad?" I asked.
Apollo hesitated.
"Is it about my dad and brother?" I asked.
"I'm not sure, son. This is why I need you to come with me," Apollo said.
"Yea, no problem," I said.
I didn't know how to feel right now. Apart of me had faith that my dad and brother was okay but then again if they were, I'm sure Apollo would've just said so. I walked over to Aria and Cari.
"Hey I'm not gonna make it to lunch, I have to do something with Apollo," I said.
"Is everything alright?" Aria asked.
"Oh yea, everything's great!" I lied.
"Okay well then just text us when you're free because I really want to spend some time with my boyfriend." Aria smiled. She walked up to me and hugged me. "I missed you."
I kissed her forehead. "I missed you too, and don't worry. I'll be right with you as soon as I'm done."
I waved goodbye to Aria and Cari before walking off with Apollo.

We walked halfway across campus before making it to Apollo's home. He and a bunch of the teachers and staff live right here on campus in the Crescent Condos. We went right to the top to Apollo's suite. When we walked in the room he lead me straight to his office. He picked up his phone and showed me a long message.
"What's this?" I asked.
"It's a message. I received it from an old friend of mine. His name is Astro. I thought he was dead. He was sent to the Light Haven ages ago." Apollo said.
My heart stopped. "He's been in the Light Haven for years and he's still alive?!"
Apollo smiled. "Yes! And it turns out so are a lot of the other people that were sent there!"
"No way!" I cheered. "Angel! My dad! I gotta see 'em!"
Apollo gave me a half smile. "From what he's said, the Light Haven sounds amazing. It just makes me wonder why we don't hear more about it."
I stopped smiling. "You think Artemis has something to do with it?"
"What makes you think he has something to do with it?" Apollo asked. We sat on his couch.
"Well. Last weekend I visited his home and he just seemed like he was up to something. He kicked Cari and I out after calling us family. We didn't even say or do anything wrong. We were just talking about Dream Wave!" I said.
"What did you say about it?" Apollo asked.
"Nothing really. Just how it's a lot of fun but no one takes school serious here and almost everyone is failing." I said.
"Well, with freedom comes choices—"
"Good or bad..." we said in unison.
"If someone decides to have a failing GPA, it's their decision!" Apollo said.
"Don't you think we should do something about it though?" I asked.
Apollo shrugged. 
"Okay...well, what do we do about the Light Haven? How do we get over there?" I asked.
"Well, I'm of high status, so I have access over there." Apollo smiled.
"So why have you never gone? Why hasn't anyone gone?" I asked.
"Well we've always thought of the Light Haven like hell. A place no one would ever want to end up in. Why would someone voluntarily cross over to a place like that?" he said.
"That doesn't seem suspicious to you?" I asked.
Apollo stared at me blankly.
I rolled my eyes. "So when do we go?" I asked.
"Well we can go Saturday, tomorrow morning? Definitely sometime before classes start up again," Apollo suggested.
"Sounds good. Oh! And can Cari and Aria come?" I asked.
"Sure! Just keep this between us though. We don't want too many people hearing about this. We don't really know what's going on yet," Apollo said. I nodded before walking out the door and back to my dorm. I texted Cari and Aria to meet me there when they were finished lunch so we could talk and after about twenty more minutes they were at my dorm.
———
"Hey, we brought you a sandwich!" Aria greeted.
"Thanks!" I said taking a bite of it.
"So what did you need to talk about?" Cari asked. They sat on my couch.
"Well, This has to stay between us, but Apollo heard from a friend that the Light Haven isn't as bad as we thought. Turns out everyone over there is living well and he wants us to come visit. So tomorrow morning, the four of us are going to the Light Haven!" I exclaimed.
Aria and Cari looked at me. They were obviously confused.
"Wait—so my sister is alive? Awesome!" Cari cheered.
"I know! I want to try to meet up with my dad and brother!" I said.
"Guys, I don't know," Aria mumbled.
"You heard him, it's safe!" Said Cari.
"I know but I don't think my dad would want me over there. He always says how it's better for the Moon Haven to stick with the Moon Haven." She said.
"He doesn't need to know," I said.
Aria sighed. "Fine, I guess. If it means you two will see your family again, I'm in!"
Cari and I smiled at each other.
"Hey, since we have some spare time, why don't we hit up a quick party? Val's hosting one in the gymnasium.
"Sure," Said Aria. "I'm not changing though."
"Don't worry about it, it's super low-key anyway."
———
The three of us left my dorm and walked to the gymnasium.
"No drinking, we have a big day tomorrow!" I warned Cari and Aria. They nodded.
"Guys! You made it!" Val yelled after spotting us. She ran over and gave all of us hugs.
"How you been, pretty boy?" She asked.
"Chillin'," I smiled.
Val winked. "Well, were playing uno over there if you guys want to join?"
"Oh I've never played, can you guys teach me?" Aria asked.
"Yea! For sure!" Val said taking Aria to the uno table.
I signaled Cari to follow me. We both walked back outside the gym and in the hallway.

"What now, Nova?" Cari asked sarcastically.
"I've been thinking and I really think I'm right about Aria's dad. Somethings not right about him," I said.
"Can't we just leave this alone and go to the party?" Cari asked.
"No! That's what's wrong with everyone. We've been taught to never take anything serious. All we want to do is party and never think about the future or anything remotely serious. Can you just hear me out. You're smart, Cari. Just listen to me and think." I said.
Cari rolled her eyes. "Go ahead."
"Artemis. He's ruler of the Moon Haven so he has to be smart. He homeschooled Aria for years and she's super smart too!" I said.
"Yea?" Said Cari said.
"So him being apart of some sort of scheme, it's not completely out of the question," I added. "Don't you think it's a little weird that we've been told all these terrible things about the Light Haven?" I asked.
"I mean, I don't know. I guess so," Cari said.
"But like Apollo said. It's amazing over there," I said.
Cari nodded.
"Then why do you think they keep casting us off away to that city as punishment? Why not unite with them? Why are we being told these lies?" I asked.
"Why are we being torn away from our families?" Cari asked.
"What's over there that Artemis doesn't want us to know about?" I added.
"Or what's over here?" she asked. Cari stopped and stared off. I can tell she was taking everything I said into consideration.
"Guys! What are you doing? The party's in here!" Aria yelled out.
"We'll be back in one minute!" Cari yelled.
Aria shrugged then ran back inside.
"Do you think Aria knows?" Cari asked.
"I doubt it. She seems so oblivious to these things. She just goes off of everything her dad teaches her," I said.
"I don't know, man. I hear everything you're saying, I really do. But if Artemis is scheming, Aria has to know something about it. She's his daughter and she's always in training for taking over the city." Cari said.
"Do you think Aria's apart of this?" I asked.
Cari shrugged. "I don't know what to think anymore."
We both stood in silence.
"I guess we'll find this all out tomorrow." I said. "Come on, lets party for a bit since we're gonna have a long day tomorrow," Said Cari. I nodded then followed her back into the gymnasium.