Nova Space

Chapter One: Alice

I awoke with a jolt, yanked from my nightmare by a strange and powerful force: my stupid alarm clock. Why my aunt had insisted that I use a real alarm clock rather than my phone was beyond me but I knew for sure that the annoying and deafening briiiiiiiiiiiing would drive me to destroy it one day.

With heavy limbs I dragged myself from the bed to stand in front of the mirror, instantly seeing my vest drooping on my body. I'd lost weight again. I blamed the nightmares. I shook my head, trying to erase the nightmare that would likely to be ingrained in my day dreams as well as my night dreams. I then pulled the stuffed bunny I'd shoved under the quilt in my sleep out of my covers and placed him on the pillow with care.

"Nova! Are you up?" My cousin Ellie yelled up at me. My aunt must have already left for work if my bratty cousin was waking me.

"Yes, Ellie!" I called back in annoyance, tugging my shorts down as I began to get ready for college. I actually didn't have any classes today but I chose to go in anyway to see my friends. I quickly sprayed deodorant and got dressed into a white short sleeved T-shirt and pink plaid skirt with braces. I quickly shoved my salmon converse on over my frilly socks and tights and I was pretty much ready. Until I looked at my hair.

It was a bird's nest. Detangling it and putting it in pigtails took twenty minutes. I knew I'd be running to the station if I wanted to see my friends before classes started. I jumped down the ladder from my room in the loft to the first floor, a dangerous task that had resulted in several injuries in the past. I made it without a scratch, however, as I'd become pretty skilled at getting down those rickety rungs. I made my way towards the bathroom, hearing the toilet seat thud.

"Ellie! Are you gonna be long?" I knocked on the door. "I need to get in there!"

"Wait your fucking turn!" She grumbled back. I rolled my eyes, yelling that I needed to brush my teeth and can I at least come in to get my toothbrush and toothpaste?

I heard a very over-dramatic sigh and then the lock click. I grinned and pushed open the door, deliberately staring past the toilet as I grabbed my stuff and rushed out of there. As I made my way downstairs to the empty kitchen, I head Ellie call something done the stairs but she was too muffled to hear. I ignored it, knowing it would just be some petty remark, and continued getting ready in our otherwise empty house.

Fifteen minutes later and I was out the door and running to the station, my bag barely on my shoulder, my keys in my mouth, about to turn the corner to the station when-

"What the-"

I toppled to the ground, my bag in the road, my keys on the ground and my cheek stinging.

"Are you ok?" I looked up. And froze.

The sun shone from behind, casting a shadow over her face but I could see her. Porcelain skin. Long black hair. Baggy t-shirt over a long-sleeved top, a hoodie tied round her high-waisted jeans and converse, the laces tied around her ankles just like mine. I looked at her face and... oh God- I think I melted. She was just so beautiful. Like a doll yet nothing like one; a faint scar ran from above her lip to her chin and the dark circles around her eyes were clearly not eyeshadow- in fact, she didn't seem to be wearing any makeup at all. Being a girl who didn't wear makeup always got me teased in secondary school and I'd never met another girl my age who didn't wear any. Yet she wore her plain face with confidence despite the few red pimples in the corner of her forehead where her fringe was pinned back with grips.

After about a minute I realised I'd been staring at her while she held out her hand to me, quietly chuckling. I quickly smiled nervously, feeling my face heat up, and took her outstretched hand which would have surely started to ache by then.

"H-hi, um, yes, sorry, I went to Neverland there, heh, so sorry to walk right into you, honestly I didn't see you and I was rushing 'cause I'm late and like-"

"Hey, hey," she interrupted me and hearing her voice again caused me to be silent, even keeping my breaths to a minimum to make the most of the sound. "Don't worry about it." She grinned at me, causing me to notice a small mole just above her upper lip. She bent her head slightly to get me to look at her properly and I felt my cheeks heat up again. "Hey if you're late shouldn't you get going?"

At that second I heard my train being called. There was no way I would make it.

I practically saw the girl's ears perk up as she listened to the announcer. I noticed they seemed to be almost pointed at the tips. "Is that your train now?"

"Well, um, yeah but there's no way I can make it... now..." I watched in confusion towards the end of my sentence as she looked briefly left and right, ran into the road and scooped up my bag putting it on her should as she ran back.

"If we run, we can make it!" she said, a shine in her eyes that almost persuaded me. She grabbed my hand and I gasped as I noticed the warmth of it- I'd imagined it would be cool. She began running, pulling me along with her. I stared at our hands for a second before I almost tripped and decided to watch where I was going. I tried to speak.

"B-but wait! I haven't bought my ticket yet!"

"Can you jump?" she yelled, looking back at me. My eyes widened.

"Y-yes, I used to do very well in hurdles but you don't mean-"

"Yeah! We're gonna jump the gate! Come on, run faster!" Her smile stayed on her face as she stared into my eyes and at that moment I felt my determination build up with hers. I nodded and pushed my legs as hard as possible until I felt they would fall off but I kept going. We were approaching the gate and my doubt bubbled back up again.

"Wait, what if-"

"Jamie!" she yelled at the man at the gate. "We good?" The man looked into the ticket booth and nodded, waving us over.

Then all of a sudden we were right up to the gate and pushing our legs over it.

The air blew through my hair and then we were back on the ground, racing towards the train.

"Hold it, please!" the girl called to a man on the train. She released my hand and tried to run forward to get between the doors as the man tried to press the button. But I guess it had already been pressed the maximum amount of times as the man mouthed sorry and the doors slid to a close. I slowed and my legs shook like jelly as I stumbled towards the train. The girl put her hand up in thanks and walked back to me, breathing heavily.

"Sorry I made you run for nothing-" she started but I put my hands up and interjected, my eyes wide in exhilaration.

"No, no! Don't apologise, please! That was so fun!" I smiled, all nerves gone. As I tried to catch my breath I noticed the way she looked at me; almost had me on the ground, something about her eyes. I clenched mine closed and shook my head, thinking I'd imagined it. I didn't find out though as when I opened them hers were laced with concern.

"But look!" she exclaimed, gesturing to my hands which were ready to take my bag. "They're shaking like crazy!" Although they were it was more excitement than fear. I just smiled and she shook her head and we both started to laugh as we walked over to the bench and collapsed in a heap.

My giggles faded as I just sat there, twenty minutes until the next train arrived. I turned to look at her.

"So... I'm Nova." I said.

"I'm Alice."