CHAPTER SEVEN.
the art of starting over
NOVA VAN KIRK fucked up. She knew that much for sure. From the very moment she caved into the temptation and snorted the white powder filled with many toxins up her nose, the girl's night ending with her seeing stars that shined brighter than ever before, she knew she had royally screwed up like she always did. A small part of her guessed it was bound to happen sooner or later — that her intoxicated state would force the girl to act in a way that allowed her to get caught. Nova just didn't expect her night would end in flames the way it did.
The worst thing was that Nova Van Kirk knew she had brought it all on herself. She decided to attend Topper Thornton's party knowing she was in a bad place and shouldn't be going to a party to begin with. She was the one who decided to sit down with Rafe, even though deep down she knew he was a bad influence on her. And she was the one who decided to take the dollar bill from Rafe's hand and snort the toxins up her nose to numb the pain she has been feeling since the moment she found out her brother was dead and gone.
And because of her highly intoxicated state, Nova lashed out on her best friends, who were only trying to look out for her ( a total bitch move if you were to ask her ). Of course Nova didn't mean a word she said that night, but she was out of line with what she said, especially when Nova dragged Juno's parents into the argument and practically slut-shamed Sarah, which was out of line, even for her. There was no justifying her actions either. Nova Van Kirk knew she had fucked up in more ways than one, and now she had to live with the consequences.
One of those consequences also happened to be an excruciating headache, a scorching pain pulsating through Nova's skull the second she jolted awake as the girl inhaled a sharp breath of air. When Nova's eyes fluttered open, she was instantly welcomed by warm rays of golden sunlight peaking through the gap of her velvet curtains that illuminated the darkest corners of her shaded room, creating a more warm and inviting feeling compared to how Nova felt in this very moment right now.
However, when one of the warm rays of sun hit her face, Nova groaned in annoyance and quickly rolled over, turning her back on the sun shining through her room before she stuffed her face into the pillow. A stray tear rolled down the side of her warm cheek when she became reminded of last nights horrifying events, each heartbreaking and harrowing memory from the moment she made the foolish decision to go to the party in the first place flashing through her mind. The things Nova said and done plaguing her every thought and making her spiral.
What made it even worse was knowing she had to get up and face another day whilst being aware of all the things she had done in the past twenty four hours. Maybe it would be for the best to leave her house and make things right with the people she had fucked over. But the mere thought of facing her problems that threatened to swallow her whole left Nova wanting nothing more than to stay in bed, shut the world away, and allow the darkness to swallow her whole until she had built up enough courage to make amends for all the hateful things she did.
Unfortunately for Nova Van Kirk, no matter how much she wanted to run away from her problems, her problems would never run away from her. So Nova huffed loudly and rubbed her temple with her thumb and pointer finger before she opened her eyes once again, looking around her vacant room as a sense of loneliness flooded the air. Nova always hated waking up alone. It always seemed to be a gentle reminder that there was some sort of vacancy in her life that was just waiting to be fulfilled.
Sighing to herself, Nova pulled the duvet off her body and stretched out her legs over to the side of the bed, the girl sitting upright with a wave of nausea and tiredness washing over her. Another reminder to why drugs were so bad for the girl — they make you feel good at first, but once they wear off, you feel like wallowing alone in a dark room until you're well enough to chase that next euphoric high.
Nova buried her face into her hands for a moment, a sense of dread building up in her chest before she finally stood up from the bed and back onto her feet. Nova then walked around her bed and over to her window, her hands brushing against the soft fabric of her curtains before she pulled them back and welcomed the daylight into her room. At first, the bright sunlight was almost blinding, but once Nova's eyes adjusted to the day, it became some-what bearable.
The blonde continued to peer out of her window for a little while longer, a sigh leaving her lips whilst she steps back and walks towards her door, pulling it open, before she makes her short journey from the comfort of her bedroom and then down the stairs. When Nova reached the bottom of the stairs, she turned her head to the side to see her mother standing in the kitchen, packing up her work bag. This caused for Nova to roll back her shoulders and force a small smile before she walked into the kitchen.
"Hey, Mom." Nova greeted the older woman kindly, but her tone gave away how tired she actually was. Let's not forget about the raging hangover Nova was burdened with either.
Allison turned around to see her daughter taking a seat on one of the stools set up in front of the kitchen island, a disapproving look glazing over the woman's eyes when she saw the state Nova was in. "You got in late last night." She stated, a type of bluntness laced in her voice that made Nova cringe. The girl was very much aware that she was in deep trouble.
"Yeah..." Nova trailed off, trying her best to come up with the best possible lie in hopes of fooling her mother. "I was hanging out with Juno and Sarah last night. We lost track of time, I guess."
Allison shot her daughter another look, a sigh escaping past her lips before she stood on the opposite side of the kitchen island in front of Nova. "Your first mistake was lying to me, Nova." She deadpanned, causing for Nova to stare back at her mother with a look filled with defeat plastered across her face, before she made an attempt to speak, but Allison was quick to interject. "You know I have no problem with you going to parties and having a few drinks. I was a teenager too once, so I know what it's like. But you have to remember that a few drinks can—"
"Can turn into more. I know, Mom." Nova cut her off, being forced to relive the same old speech her parents gave her shortly after Riley died. It was always an attempt to ensure that she wouldn't end up six feet under like Riley did all those months ago.
"I just don't want you to end up like your brother." Allison explained, a sad look glazed over her eyes when her son was brought into the conversation. "I've already lost one child. I don't need to lose another."
All of a sudden, Nova felt a wave of guilt wash over her, a flutter erupting in the pit of her stomach when she noticed the sadness and grief in her mother's eyes. It made her think back to last night when she almost lost her life to an incoming vehicle speeding down the street. She remembered how she froze in place, her drunken state overpowering her and forcing her to stop in her tracks with no escape. She remembered how her entire life flashed before her eyes. If JJ wasn't there to save her when he did, then Allison and Ethan Van Kirk would be grieving for two of their children instead of just one.
It was another gentle reminder of why she had to get sober. She couldn't put her parents through the pain of losing a child like Riley did.
"Mom, it was just a few drinks." Nova reassured her, lying once again. She was making an attempt to get clean, so what her mother didn't know wouldn't hurt her. "I'm not going to end up like Riley. I promise." The girl then plastered a fake smile across her lips, wanting her ease her mother's worries in any other possible way.
Upon hearing those words, Allison smiled back at Nova and inhaled sharply, holding back the salty tears that threatened to fall, before she parted her lips to speak. "Okay. Well, I have to get to work. So be good and stay out of trouble." Allison told her daughter, her voice laced with authority, before a quick thought crossed her mind. "There's some aspirin in the medicine cupboard if you need it." She reminds the girl.
Allison walks around the kitchen island and plants a gentle kiss onto the side of Nova's head, before the woman makes her way towards the front door with her work bag hanging loosely over her shoulder. Allison then wraps her hand around the handle of the door and pulls it open, but stops in her tracks, a smile forming across her lips, causing for Nova to furrow her brows in confusion. She wondered who was standing on the other side of the door to make her mother seem so happy.
"Rafe." Allison beamed, the mere mention of the boy's name being enough to make Nova's heart sink, the girl wanting nothing more than to slam her head into the kitchen counter with the necessary amount of force to kill her. Maybe that was a little eccentric, but totally justifiable. However, before Nova could protest against seeing her boyfriend, her mother decided for her. "You don't need to stand out there. Come in, come in." She then ushered.
Nova watched as Rafe stepped inside the house, a small grin ghosting across his lips as he walked past Nova's mother. "Thank you, Mrs Van Kirk." He replied, being as polite as possible. The sound of his polite words were enough to make Nova want to scream at him, knowing he was doing and saying all the right things to stay in her parents good graces, because they didn't know the real him — Nova did.
"Please, you've known me long enough to quit the formalities." Allison laughed, an amused look twinkling in her eyes. "Just call me Allison." She told him, earning a shy nod from Rafe in response.
All Nova could do was glare at her so-called boyfriend. She hated that he was playing the role of mr nice guy in order to impress her mother and paint himself as the good guy to avoid the fact that he was a nasty piece of work underneath the surface. Nova wanted to scream at her mother and convince her to open her eyes and see the real person Rafe was without his little act. The only problem was she doubted that her mother would believe her.
And so, Nova forced a smile, her eyes flickering between her mother and Rafe whilst her mother spoke. "Well, I should get going. Be good...both of you." Allison warned the pair, before she stepped out of the house and closed the door shut behind her, leaving Nova and Rafe together. . . Alone.
The second Nova knew her mother was gone and that she was alone with Rafe, Nova was quick to stand up from the stool she was previously sitting at, before she made an attempt to escape from the boy, ordering a few words along the way, "Get the hell out of my house."
"Oh, come on, babe." Rafe exclaimed, reaching out for the girl, but the second Nova felt his touch against her skin, she was quick to retract her arm away from him.
"Don't you dare touch me." She snapped at the boy, a look of anger and fear evident in her eyes. She was more than just angry at him — she was fucking furious. "Now do me a favour and leave me alone." She added, nodding her head towards the front door. She just hoped he would listen to her and leave.
However, Nova should have known better than to think Rafe Cameron of all people would listen to her, because it didn't take long for him to protest against her demands. "Babe, please, just let me explain." He begged, a pleading look evident in his eyes.
"What is there to explain, Rafe?" Nova fired back at the boy, staring back at him with a wave of emotion glimmering in her bright blue eyes. Rafe could see she was clearly upset, and he couldn't exactly blame her because of the reasoning behind her sudden disarray. "You tried to take advantage of me. I told you to stop and you didn't, and I was fucking terrified the entire time. So, no. I don't want to hear your half-ass explanation, because there is no justifying what you did." She elaborated further, before making an attempt to walk up the stairs, but Rafe's voice stopped her once again.
"You're right." Rafe blurted out, causing for Nova to slowly turn around and face the boy once again. "Okay. I fucked up and I'm sorry. I was drunk and I was being a complete idiot, and I hate myself for what I did because it's not me. I'm not that kind of guy."
Nova sighed, shaking her head. "Rafe—"
"Let me make it up to you." Rafe interjected, cutting the girl off in the process, before he reached out and grabbed both of Nova's hands with his own, rubbing his thumb gently across her knuckles. "How about we do something today — just you and me?" He offered, a small and seemingly innocent smile forming across his lips.
Nova thought about it for a moment. She knew that the last thing Rafe Cameron of all people deserved was her attention and love after everything he did the night before. However, the more Nova thought about it, and the longer she stared into Rafe's eyes that glimmered with innocence, she couldn't help but feel herself slowly start to give into his tempting offer, and when he cracked another smile, his sincere words echoing through her mind, she couldn't help but sigh in defeat.
"Okay..."
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When Rafe Cameron told Nova Van Kirk that he was going to treat her to a day out — just them two and no one else, Nova thought that maybe they would hang out at the beach or catch a ferry to the mainland, especially since there was much more interesting activities to do there. However, going to the country club to play golf with Topper Thornton was the last thing Nova expected in terms of a date. It was suppose to be just her and Rafe, but instead he dragged out to the country club ( a place she hated by the way ) to hang out with Topper of all people.
And despite the fact that Nova and Topper were friends, she wasn't exactly in the mood to see the boy or his frosted tips on this day.
Maybe Nova's gloomy attitude could be blamed on the fact that she was going through early withdraw and was already feeling many of the symptoms — irritability and exhaustion being just two of them. It almost felt like her skin was on fire, a burning sensation erupting underneath her skin whenever she heard Rafe and Topper's mindless chatter whilst they conversed back and forth about the party the night before. She wanted nothing more than to scream at them both to shut their mouths and be quiet, before going home and spending the rest of the day in bed.
All Nova wanted was to sleep the day away and wallow in darkness.
But here she was, trailing close behind Rafe and Topper whilst they talked back and forth, stopping when they both came to a sudden halt on the golf course, folding her arms over her chest as she watched Rafe get ready to set his golf ball down on the perfectly mowed grass. The boredom was practically torture at this point. Nova fully believed blowing her brains out would be much more fun than watching the two boys have a game of golf, but you would never hear her admit that out loud.
However, Nova's boredom was quickly something Rafe picked up on, the boy looking over his shoulder to look into his girlfriend's direction. When he noticed how fed up she looked, Rafe sighed quietly and excused himself from his conversation with Topper, before he walked over to Nova and wrapped his hand around her upper arm, pulling the girl aside for a moment. Nova shot her boyfriend and irritated glance, a shocked expression plastered across her face whilst she listened to him speak.
"Okay. What the hell is your problem?" Rafe asked her, his sharp tone practically demanding answers from the blonde.
Nova sighed frustratedly, shrugging her shoulders in the process. "Well, when you said we were going to have a day to ourselves, I didn't think you meant following you and Topper around the country club all afternoon." She answered truthfully, a bitter tone laced in her voice whilst she spoke.
Rafe inhaled sharply upon hearing those words leave Nova's lips, the boy bowing his head with a quiet chuckle leaving his lips soon afterwards. Nova could tell she had gotten underneath his skin with only a few words, the girl watching as Rafe's eyes locked with her own. "It's because you haven't had a fix for what? Twelve hours now?" He retorted, causing for Nova to swallow thickly, the girl shifting around uncomfortably when she realised what Rafe was referring towards.
Rafe quickly picked up on how tense Nova had become, causing for him to smirk before he leaned closer towards Nova. "Hey, just one game of golf then we'll get out of here and have some real fun back at mine?" He offered, his words coming out in the form of a hushed whisper.
It didn't take a genius to figure out what Rafe was referencing towards. Nova knew Rafe had a stash back at his place and he was probably dying to have some more just like she was. In full honesty, Nova knew that if she hadn't suddenly made a lifelong commitment to sobriety the night before, then she would have painted on a pretty smile and accepted Rafe's offer. But she had made a promise to herself that she would get clean to avoid ending up like her brother.
So, no matter how tempting Nova's craving for her next fix became, she had no other choice than to deny her desire for drugs, even if it was the last thing she wanted to do. This caused for Nova to shake her head, her bottom lip beginning to quiver whilst she spoke, "I don't want any." She denied, trying her best to stay true to her word once and for all.
Rafe couldn't help but scoff in response to Nova's words, an amused expression plastered across his face. "Since when do you say no?" He inquired, raising a brow, and when Nova didn't respond, Rafe only continued to push. "Oh, come on. We both know you're dying for that next fix. You can't deny it either. Come on, you know—"
"I said I don't want any, Rafe." Nova snapped at the boy, cutting him off in the process with an agitated look evident in her crystal blue eyes whilst she stared back at him.
Rafe was taken back by Nova's words wrapped in a venomous tone at first, the boy blinking back in surprise for a few seconds, before he licked his lips and shook his head. "Your loss." He told the girl. Rafe then turned his back on Nova to resume his game of golf with Topper, but it didn't take long for him to be distracted by a familiar face once again.
When Nova glanced over at her boyfriend, she saw him pat Topper's shoulder, telling him to look ahead. This caused for Nova to stare into the same direction as the boys to see none other than Pope Heyward walking down the sandy pathway, groceries and a box of beer in hand. It didn't take a genius to figure out the Pogue boy was doing deliveries for his father, knowing that Heyward was notoriously known for his delivery business, which many rich Kooks ( the Van Kirk family included ) would pay him for.
But that wasn't what concerned Nova. What truly worried the blonde was the fact that Rafe was suddenly so intrigued by the idea of Pope being on their side of the island. Judging by the look of mischief glimmering in her boyfriend's eyes, Nova knew he was planning something, and like many of Rafe Cameron's plans, they always ended in disaster. And she wasn't the only one to think this, because Nova quickly noticed that Topper was trying to talk his friend out of doing anything stupid and reckless.
However, even Topper constant attempts to descalate the situation wasn't enough to stop Rafe because it didn't take long for the boy to storm his way over towards Pope. This caused for Nova to sigh, before her and Topper exchanged a few looks, knowing they had to stop Rafe somehow, forcing the both of them to follow him. "Hey, how much for one of those beers?" Rafe questioned, standing in Pope's path.
Pope lifted his gaze to lock eyes with Rafe, a look filled with fear and worry glimmering in his dark and luminous gaze. "They're not for sale." He deadpanned, trying to push past Rafe.
"Oh, wait, wait, wait." Rafe retorted, standing in Pope's way once again. "You can give us one, then, right?" He repeated, speaking to Pope in a demeaning and intimidating tone. Nova knew that tone all too well.
Nova then approached the pair and stood behind Rafe, the blonde reaching out and placing a hand on his shoulder, tugging him backwards. "Rafe, come on. We can just go and get a drink at the bar." She reminded him, trying her best to diffuse the situation before it got out of hand.
Rafe then turned around to face Nova, staring down at the girl with an intimidating stare that almost felt like he was burning holes into her skull. "Back off." He grimaced, causing for Nova to cower away from her boyfriend, watching as he turned back around to face Pope once again. "Now you're not listening to me. You've got so many, bro, and we've got nothing." He told the Pogue, followed by a few words of encouragement from Topper, which surprised Nova, especially since he was making attempts to stop Rafe from engaging in a conversation with Pope only seconds ago.
What else should Nova expect? Rafe was shaping Topper into being just like him regardless of whether she liked it or not.
"They're not mine." Pope replied. "They're already paid for."
"Already paid for?" Rafe muttered underneath his breath, before he creeped around Pope and peered carefully into one of the grocery bags. "You probably stole them, right?" He accused menacingly, using the golf club in his hand to break the bag, its contents falling to the ground, glass shattering in the process.
Nova stared in disbelief, a feeling of anger and disgust igniting in her veins when she saw the way Rafe was treating Pope unprovoked. Maybe she would have a different opinion if Pope had added fuel to the fire first. But this was under different circumstances. Those circumstances being that Rafe was targeting Pope, his only excuse for his hurtful actions being that he was bored and didn't like Pogues wandering around Figure Eight, because in the eyes of Rafe Cameron, Pogues from the wrong side of the tracks didn't belong here.
"What the hell?" Pope exclaimed in an angered voice. "You owe me for that." He snapped, but Rafe was quick to respond by using the golf club clasped tightly in his strong hand to knock the other bag out of Pope's hand, the groceries inside flying out across the golf course.
"I don't owe you shit, Pogue." Rafe sneered, before approaching Pope in a manner that seemed threatening.
Suddenly, in just a matter of seconds, Rafe and Topper both begin to hassle Pope into giving them the box of beers that he still held tightly in his arms, whilst Nova watched with a pained expression plastered across her face. She wanted nothing more than to put an end to the endless torment both Rafe and Topper were inflicting harshly onto Pope, wishing there was something she could do before someone got hurt, that person most likely being Pope at this rate. But Nova felt only weakness in the moment somebody needed her help most, and she hated herself for it.
Nova was then forced to watch as Rafe shoved Pope to the ground, the box of beers flying open and cans rolling out everywhere across the sand, whilst Rafe and Topper laughed at the sight of Pope lying across the ground helpless. However, it didn't take long for Pope to scramble to his feet, before he turned around and attempted to throw a punch into Rafe's direction. A huge mistake on his part because Rafe was quick to retaliate by hitting Pope with the golf club in his hand, once in the face and the second into his back.
Nova clasped her hand over her mouth, horror beginning to burn brightly in her ocean blue eyes whilst Pope fell to the ground, wincing in pain. "Stay down, bitch!" Rafe yelled harshly, towering over Pope, whilst Topper tried to push his friend away from the Pogue. And when Nova thought it couldn't get any worse, Rafe made an attempt swing the golf club down on Pope again, except it plummeted into the sand instead. Rafe then crouched down beside Pope. "We don't want you here. Got that? Stay off Figure Eight, Pogue." He spat, standing up once again.
That was when Nova had enough.
The blonde was quick to storm over to Rafe, a furious look glazed over her eyes, before she pressed her hands against his chest and shoved him back harshly, wiping his smug smirk off his face in seconds. "What the hell is wrong with you?" She exclaimed, a kind of grit laced in her voice that only added to the anger in her sharp tone.
"Oh, come on. Since when did you defend this Pogue?" He scoffed, staring back at Nova with amusement twinkling in his eyes. The only problem was that Nova didn't have a response, the girl staring back at him in silence. "That's what I thought. Come on, let's get out of here." Rafe told her, both him and Topper already vacating the premises.
"I'm not going anywhere." Nova announced, deciding it wasn't right to leave Pope after how Rafe and Topper had treated him minutes before. Her declaration caused for Rafe to glance back at her in disbelief, causing for Nova to narrow her eyes at him. "Just go. I can't even look at you right now."
There was a moment when Rafe Cameron stared back at his girlfriend with a look filled with hurt washing over his face, his smile faltering in the process, surprised to hear that Nova was picking a Pogue she barely knew over him — her boyfriend. But instead of fighting the girl on her decision to stay with Pope, he spared Nova one last glance before he turned his back on her, him and Topper leaving Nova and Pope behind.
When Nova turned back around, she was quick to kneel down beside Pope with a concerned look glazed over her bright, deep blue orbs. "Hey, are you okay?" She asked Pope. Nova could see the bruising already forming in the corner of his forehead and the blood painted across his face. It made her feel guilty for not putting a stop to Rafe and Topper's evil ways sooner, knowing she could have. She was just afraid of what would happen to her if she tried.
Pope grunted quietly whilst he pushed himself back up from the ground beneath him, grains of sand sticking to the fabric of his shirt. "Yeah, I'm fine." He groaned, before Nova slowly helped the boy back up, resting one hand on his back with a comforting touch, whilst she used the other to grab onto his hand, assisting him back up onto his feet.
Once Pope was back up on his feet, Nova took a step back to allow the boy to have his space after what had previously occurred. She then watched as Pope began to look around worriedly, muttering a range of cursed words underneath his breath whilst his eyes scanned over the mess caused by Rafe and Topper, earning a confused look from Nova in response, the blonde knitting her brows together in the process. It was clear something was troubling the Heyward boy. She just didn't know what it was.
"Oh, shit." The boy cursed, a pained expression washing over his face whilst he looked around at the clutter of mess surrounding him and Nova, caused by Rafe's and Topper's endless torment. "I'm going to get in so much trouble for this. My dad is going to kill me." He mumbled to himself, but loud enough that Nova was able to hear his worrisome words.
All of a sudden, a quick thought crept into the deepest parts of Nova's head, an idea crossing her mind, the girl swallowing thickly, before she parted her lips to speak, "Hey, don't worry about the mess." She reassured him, knowing it was nothing to worry about.
"Easy for you to say." Pope told her, signing in exasperation, whilst his gaze met her own. "When the guys from the club don't get their delivery, they're going to call my dad, and that means I'm going to get in trouble—"
"Pope, don't worry about it." Nova interjected, speaking to him in a reassuring manner as an attempt to ease the boy's worries and overwhelming anxiety. A small smile then formed across Nova's lips, her eyes flickering down to the mess surrounding her and Pope. "I'll go up to the front desk and explain the situation. You and your dad won't get into any trouble, I promise." She explained further, her words surprising Pope at first.
Pope knitted his thick brows together curiously, "You would do that for me? Are you even sure they'll be okay with it?" Asked the boy.
Nova nodded, "Of course. Pope, I'm a Van Kirk. My father pays a lot of money to this place. Being rich has its perks, you know." She reminded him.
Pope then chuckled nervously, a grateful smile playing across his lips whilst he spoke, "Uh, thank you, Nova." He replied, sharing his gratitude towards the blonde's sudden and surprising attempt at kindness. Pope didn't know Nova well enough to ever judge her. All he knew about the girl was from the mouth of Riley Van Kirk and Juno O'Connell.
Nova's grin only widened, glad to see the boy crackling a smile, even if it was barely visible, especially after the hell he was forced to endure at the hands of Rafe and Topper only moments before. Nova meant what she said when she made the decision to turn over a new leaf and get clean. But not only was it a promise to herself to stay clear of the toxins that led her deep into temptation. It was a promise to make an effort with Riley's friends, and even show kindness towards them. Maybe. . . just maybe they could be her friends too.
Nova was quick to snap herself back to reality, the girl inhaling sharply, before she spoke once again, "Well, I'm going to go to the guy at the front desk and explain everything that happened here. Are you okay to head back on your own, or do you want me to tag along with you? I get that what happened must have been difficult to deal with." She offered.
"Uh, I'll manage, but, thanks." Pope answered, before he picked up his cap from the sand covered ground, brushing some of the grain off the hat and placing it back over his head. Pope then walked past Nova, but the boy was quick to stop in his tracks again, turning back around to face the blonde. "Riley was right about you."
Nova tensed at the mention of her brother's familiar name, her smile faltering for a second, whilst a dull ache pulsated harshly through her chest. Nova knew she could get clean, and even reinvent herself into a better person, but the harsh reality of what happened to Riley still remained, like an open wound that may never be destined to heal. However, Nova sucked in a sharp breath and rolled back her shoulders, forcing a faint smile across her lips, before she turned around to face the boy again.
"And what did Riley say about me?" She inquired, her voice lathered in curiously, whilst her eyes twinkled with a sprinkle of suspicion.
"He told me that once you break down those walls, you're actually one of the nicest people anyone could meet." Pope confessed, his words surprising Nova at first. It made her think about Riley, and all the things he must have said about her to the Pogues. She wondered what else he had said without her knowledge.
Nova chuckled quietly and tucked some of her golden blonde hair behind her ear, before she nodded towards the boy. "I'll see you around, Pope." She told him, the pair sparing each other one last glance, before they parted ways.
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Nova Van Kirk was exhausted — she knew that much for sure. Shortly after the entire ordeal that occurred between Pope, Rafe and Topper, the girl wanted nothing more than to go home and lay her head against her soft pillow and drift off into a peaceful slumber. However, the only problem was that despite how tired she may have felt, all Nova could do was toss and turn in her bed until the girl became fed up and left it again. She was tired, but also restless at the same time, the blonde's mind plagued with thoughts of the toxins she craved desperately.
And since Nova was hellbent on staying clean, she tried finding other ways to distract her hyperactive mind in the midst of all her dark thoughts. But her only other option to keep herself occupied was laid out right in front of her on the kitchen island, the girl staring down at the suicide note left behind by her brother in the aftermath of his death. Her eyes seemed to dart across the paper multiple times, her gaze scanning over every word, whilst she did her best to piece together the mystery left behind by Riley Van Kirk.
Nova sighed quietly, her eyes flickering over to the Latin words scribbled across the paper, Sic semper tyrannis. It was a funny saying, but one Nova was easily able to translate back into English. But what did it mean? She resented Riley for making it so increasingly difficult for her to figure out.
Maybe it was just a load of nonsense Riley had written in the midst of his drug induced haze. Maybe he had no clue what he was talking about. But a quiet voice in the back of Nova's mind told her that Riley would never write a warning in the form of a coded message on the envelope, followed by a note explaining why he had to die, for no reason. Nova didn't know what the reason was, but she was determined to find out, even if it took the rest of her meaningless life to solve the mystery. Because Nova needed closure, and maybe there was a possibility that the closure she wanted was in this letter somehow.
Suddenly, a loud knock at the front door snapped Nova out of her train of thought and back to reality, the girl jolting upwards in surprise. Nova groaned in annoyance due to the brief fright, before she hopped off the stool and made her way towards the front door, clasping her hand around the silver handle and pulling it open to reveal that none other than JJ Maybank was the culprit on the other side.
"JJ?" Nova questioned, a puzzled look evident in her bright blue eyes. "What are you doing here?" She interrogated further, curiosity igniting in her veins.
Nova noticed a small smile form across JJ's lips, the boy nodding his head, before he parted his lips to speak, "I was, you know, in the area, and I wanted to stop by and say thank you for what you did for Pope." He informed her, earning a nod from Nova in response. JJ cleared his throat, "I mean, it's very unlike you, but it was a nice thing for you to do." He added, his words earning a quiet giggle from Nova in response.
"Well, I'm trying to be a better person. Sobriety is one thing, but I think after how I spoke to Juno and Sarah last night, I wanted to improve as a person too." She admitted, feeling as if she could only be honest with JJ without the fear of being judged. It was strange that only JJ could make her feel this way, but it was better than having no one at all. "It reminds me of something my dad would say whenever something bad happens in the family. He calls it the art of starting over." She mocked.
JJ chuckled in response to the blonde's humorous words, causing for Nova to smile again, a thought crossing her mind, before she glanced over at the blond with suspicion once again. "So, is there any other reason why you're on my doorstep? Or are you just, you know, in the area." She inquired.
"Yeah, about that..." JJ paused, running a hand through his messy blond hair. "I just wanted to see how you were doing." He confessed.
Nova nodded, "Well, I'm doing okay. I haven't taken anything, if that's what you're wondering. I'm just trying to distract myself from doing something I'll regret." She explained, shrugging her shoulders.
"Well..." JJ trailed off once again, learning against the doorframe. "Is it anything I can help with?" He asked. At first, Nova was ready to decline and reassure him she was fine. However, this was something Nova no longer wanted to keep to herself.
"Actually, there's something I wanna show you." She told him, grabbing the blond boy by the wrist and dragging him inside her house, closing the door shut behind her, before she let him go and lured him into the kitchen. "Okay, so a few days ago, I found this letter addressed to me from Riley in a place that only I would know about. I didn't really think much of it until I read what he had written on the back of the envelope."
JJ nodded, "What did he write?"
"When Riley and I were kids, we invented our own language. We would think of a sentence and jumble up the letters, then we would have to decode it and write out what the sentence was. It was kind of a way to talk in secret behind our parents back." She admitted, her words earning a small smile from JJ in response. "I decoded the message on the back and look what it says." She said, showing him the envelope next to the letter.
JJ glanced down at the envelope displayed in front of him and read the three words that left the boy in a state of shock, a shaky breath escaping past his lips. "Don't trust anyone?" He inquired, his eyes flickering over to meet Nova's eyes again.
"And it doesn't end there. The letter he left me wasn't just any letter." Nova spoke up, dread building up in the pit of her stomach when she prepared herself for what she had to tell JJ. "It was a suicide note." She announced.
JJ's breath became hitched in the back of his throat upon hearing those words leave Nova's lips. "Riley...he killed himself?" He questioned, hoping he had misheard Nova, but judging by the girl's face, he heard her loud and clear.
"Yeah, it turns out his accidental overdose wasn't so...accidental." Nova deadpanned, a shaky and harrowing breath leaving her lips, whilst she did her best to not crumble apart. "Anyways, uh, it took me a couple of days to get the courage to read it, and yesterday I finally did. In the letter, he talks about having no other choice because he couldn't live with what he did, and that there was dangerous people with a lot of power and money forcing him to keep a secret he didn't want to keep, and then there's this..."
Nova showed JJ the letter, placing her pointer finger underneath the words written in Latin, causing for JJ to take a closer look, raising his brow in the process. "Sic semper tyrannis." He read out loud.
"I didn't really pay much attention in my Latin class back at the Kook Academy, but I'm pretty sure it means 'thus always to tyrants,' which roughly translates to that a tyrant will get what's coming to them." Nova elaborated further, before coming to a quick and sudden pause, a quiet sigh leaving her lips. "And I just don't know what it means. All of this because of that stupid shipwreck — the Royal Merchant."
The second those words left her lips, Nova lifted her gaze to see JJ backing away with his a dumbfounded look plastered across his face. She could have even swore she heard a shaky breath leave his lips. All of this because of a famous shipwreck. That's all it took. Nova only had to mention the Royal Merchant and JJ was left in a state of bewilderment. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the Pogue boy knew more than he was letting on, and Nova was determined to get a straight answer out of him.
"You know something about this, don't you?" Nova insinuated.
JJ nodded again, "Do you remember the Grady-white that was found at the bottom of the marsh?" He asked her.
"Yeah, that Scooter Grubbs guy — the man who died — it was his boat. At least that's what I heard." She answered, shrugging her shoulders.
"Yeah, well, me and the rest of the gang found the Grady-white first, and we stole some scuba gear to search it, and we found a compass that belonged to John B's dad." JJ began to explain, and Nova suddenly became intrigued by the boy's story, listening closely to every word, whilst he continued. "Inside the compass, Big John...he left a coded message that led us to the cemetery where we found a package left for John B. He left coordinates for John B to find the Royal Merchant and finish what he never could achieve."
"Okay..." Nova trailed off. "But what does this have to do with Riley, other than that both him and John B's dad were obsessed with the Royal Merchant?"
JJ glanced at the girl again. "It's what you said about dangerous people looking for the Merchant too. Big John said the exact same thing in a recording he left for John B. What if they were talking about the same people?" He told Nova, the very thought being enough to send a shiver up the girl's spine, before JJ continued. "Which makes sense. Those guys who chased you and John B through the street — we call them square groupers. They're after the Merchant too."
"So, let me get this straight. John B's dad was obsessed with the Merchant and went missing trying to find it. He then left a bunch of clues leading you guys down the exact same path he walked down before." Nova paused, trying to piece together everything JJ had told her. "And now you're all going on a treasure hunt, pretending to be what exactly? The knockoff version of The Goonies?"
JJ stared blankly at Nova for a moment, the blond boy processing everything Nova was saying back to him, before he nodded, "Yeah, now that you say it out loud it kinda sounds ridiculous." JJ grumbled quietly to himself, before a quick thought lit up inside his mind like a lightbulb. "Hey, tomorrow me and the others are going on a boat to find the Merchant. If the coordinates Big John left behind mean anything, then we could have a shot at getting the gold for ourselves. Come along with us." He offered the girl.
The second those words left JJ's lips, Nova frowned in response and shook her head. "JJ, no—"
"Come on, why not?" JJ scoffed, furrowing his brows together.
Nova sighed, raking her fingers through her wavy blonde hair. "Because looking for a shipwreck that's been missing for hundreds of years sounds like a wild goose chase." She deadpanned. "Besides, I doubt your friends would want me there." She added.
"Hey, hey, hey. Let me talk to them." JJ reassured her, causing for Nova to part her lips again in an attempt to protest against his decision for her to tag along with him and his friends. But JJ was quick to beat her to it. "Come on, Nova, it's four hundred million worth of gold on that ship—"
"Four hundred mil?!" The girl exclaimed in surprise, cutting the boy off.
JJ nodded, "Now I know you probably don't need a cut of the findings, since you have all this." He replied, gesturing towards the large and lavish house he was current standing inside of. "But this was something Riley was invested in, and he left you this letter for a reason, right? So, how about to tag along and do what he never could? Maybe that's what he wanted when he left you the letter." He elaborated further.
Nova stared back at JJ for a moment, contemplating whether or not it was a good idea for her to join JJ and his friends on their quest for treasure. At first, Nova thought it was the worse idea JJ had ever come up with, but the longer she dwelled on the idea, the sooner she began to realise that maybe there was some truth to his words. Maybe he was right in saying that Riley left her the letter for a reason, that reason possibly being to finish what he started and help find the Merchant.
And so, with uncertainty weighing heavy in her chest, Nova sighed in defeat. "Okay, I'll think about it." She told him.
JJ smiled back at the girl with achievement glimmering in his crystal blue eyes. "I'll take that as a victory." He replied, clapping his hands together in the process.
Nova rolled her eyes in response, before she gently shoved JJ forward, the pair heading towards the front door. "Okay, now get out of my house so I can get some rest. This withdraw crap is kicking my ass." She told him, opening the door and allowing the boy to step back outside again.
JJ was quick to turn back around to face the girl. "I'll see you tomorrow at the docks, Van Kirk." He stated, making an assumption that Nova would turn up like he hoped.
"In your dreams, Maybank." She retorted, watching as JJ vacated the premises, leaving her alone.
However, watching from afar inside his car with a look of burning hate and jealously burning through his bloodstream, electric thunderstorms filled with rage igniting in his veins, was no other than Rafe Cameron. The rich Kook watched as a cheery JJ left the Van Kirk household, his eyes then flickering over to see his girlfriend reciprocated the same joy as the Maybank boy. It left an overwhelming feeling of anger in the pit of Rafe's stomach, and if left untamed would only cause pain and chaos in its wake.
Because if there was one thing Rafe Cameron knew for sure, it was that he had no problem burning Nova's precious reputation to the ground.
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authors note.
What is Rafe planning? 👀
Anyways, this chapter was so long, and I'm so sorry, but there was so much to include in one chapter, so I hope this is okay. And the incredibly long chapters are only going to happen like once in a lifetime. I won't get into the habit of it laksjsjsbd.
But we finally got some Nova and Pope crumbs ( amara you better appreciate it because it was written in just for you ). And Nova is finally getting in deep with the treasure hunt, and I dropped a few more clues about Riley's involvement in the mystery, so comment anymore theories you might have!!