CHAPTER ELEVEN.
the melancholy blues
MIDSUMMERS HAPPENED TO be the last place Nova Van Kirk wanted to be right now, the very thought of being stuck in a place surrounded by people who stared at her with sad smiles and looks of pity in their eyes. The girl swore that if one more person came up to her and offered their condolences for her brother's death one more time ( considering it was four months late ) then Nova would slap the fake sympathy out of them herself. God, this entire party was enough to make Nova want to blow her brains out. Did that sound a little eccentric? Absolutely. But she meant every word and every bitter thought that crossed her mind.
This was exactly the reason why Nova didn't want to attend Midsummers in the first place. The young blonde knew she would be forced to endure several hours of complete strangers expressing their sympathy for her and the rest of the Van Kirk family because this was the first Midsummers since Riley's tragic passing. Many people would describe Riley as the life of the party, but that was because he would sneak so many booze into his system that he would end up dancing on top of the tables by the end of the night.
However, if all these strangers knew Riley like Nova did, then they would know the boy hated Midsummers more than life itself, and thought getting intoxicated was the easiest coping mechanism, because attending the extravagant event sober was no option for someone like Riley Van Kirk. Nova always used to believe her brother was insane for not enjoying Midsummers the way she once did, but now Nova understood her brothers burning hate for the event, because it took him dying for her to realise it was just an excuse to play dress up and party whilst the rest of the world outside of their perfect bubble fell apart.
It was moments like these that made Nova need a coping mechanism of her own, her skin crawling with agonising discomfort, an insatiable craving on the tip of her tongue, her body yearning for some kind of release from the intolerable feeling scorching across her skin. It was a kind of feeling that Nova wanted to put an end to, but she knew the only way to do that was to go after the one thing she had been trying to run away from, and if she slipped up, even if it was just once, then her parents were going to send her away, and that was the last thing Nova wanted.
But what her parents didn't know wouldn't hurt them.
So, Nova Van Kirk brushed past a few strangers inside the large and extravagant venue of where the party was being held, her silky pink dress that hugged her curves perfectly making Nova almost feel suffocated at times after every step she took through the room. On her way out, Nova noticed a waiter from the corner of her eye holding a tray of glasses filled with sparkling champagne. This caused for Nova to swallow thickly, before she stretched out her hand and discreetly snatched one of the glasses from the tray.
Nova continued to walk ahead with the glass of champagne held tightly in her hand, so tight that she really did think it was going to shatter underneath her touch in a matter of seconds, before she stepped outside onto the patio to see the sun was beginning to set, a light orange hue painting across the summer skies. The sight of the breathtaking sky hanging over her was enough to ease some of the discomfort prickling at Nova's skin, but it wasn't enough to cure the cravings she felt in the pit of her stomach.
The young blonde then looked around the crowd of people, hoping to find a friendly face that wasn't her parents because if they caught her with a glass of champagne in her hand, then she might as well kiss her precious freedom goodbye. That was until Nova's gaze landed on none other than Pope Heyward, who was talking to Kiara Carrera, the dark skinned girl dressed in a beautiful purple dress that matched her complexion, her curls tied up with a flower crown placed on top of her head. The sight of the pair was enough to make Nova smile, before she brushed past a few strangers whilst she walked down a couple of steps and out onto the large patch of greenery.
"Hey, guys." Nova greeted them both, her familiar voice being enough to make Pope and Kiara turn around, smiles of their own forming across their lips when they saw the beautiful blonde approaching them.
"I'm surprised this is the first either of us are seeing you." Kiara said to the girl, almost like Nova's vacancy from the party was an unexpected shock.
Nova shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, I'm doing everything in my power to stay hidden. There is nothing worse than stuck up Kooks offering their condolences for your dead brother when it's four months too late." She explained, her voice sounding bitter whilst she spoke.
Pope shrugged his shoulders. "Why did you come then?" He inquired, staring at the blonde with a curious look.
He wasn't exactly wrong either. Nova did have all the power in the world to tell her parents that she would be staying home instead of attending a party for fascists and ignorant assholes. However, standing up against her parents wishes was getting a lot harder, especially since Rafe Cameron told them about her recent endeavours with drugs and ongoing battle with addiction. So, if Ethan and Allison Van Kirk wanted Nova to attend a party like Midsummers, then the girl had no other choice than to abide by their rules.
"Because my parents dragged me here." Nova answered, "I also wanted to speak to Juno, and, you know, apologise. But I can't find her anywhere. I thought she would have been here by now." She inferred, hoping that one of them would know the whereabouts of the O'Connell girl.
"She's not coming." Kiara deadpanned, her words causing for Nova to glance over at the Carrera girl with a puzzled look burning in her eyes, her brows furrowing in confusion.
"What...why?" Nova questioned. It wasn't like Juno to miss Midsummers. The girl loved the party more than Nova ever did, so it was definitely a surprise to hear she was no longer attending the festivities.
Kiara sighed and looked down at her hands. "JJ got himself into some trouble and I think Juno is just looking out for him." She told the girl, the sudden mention of JJ's name being enough to make the blonde stare at Kiara with a worried look, especially when she realised he had gotten himself into trouble. . . again.
"What did JJ do?" Nova interrogated further, sounding almost worried for the blond boy.
"The cops found out about what I did to Topper's boat." Pope announced, glancing over at the blonde. Nova's breath hitched, dreading the worse. Except she shouldn't be all that surprised. The Thornton's would have used all the money humanely possible to prove someone had tampered with the boat, so to hear the boy's got caught shouldn't have come as a shock. "When they came to arrest me this morning, JJ took the blame and the cops took him instead. Juno's just worried, like the rest of us. JJ did tell you about his dad, right?" The boy elaborated, his words making Nova fear for JJ and his safety.
Of course, Nova knew all about Luke Maybank and what horrors he inflicted on his own son. Nova was aware of how violent the man could be towards JJ in the midst of his drunken rage, and would often see JJ with a fresh bruises dotted across his sun kissed skin whenever they crossed paths over the years. The whole island knew how cruel and spiteful Luke Maybank could be towards his flesh and blood, but no one talked about it, or did anything to help because no one tends to care about a poor unfortunate soul from The Cut.
It reminded Nova of something her father once said when Riley and him were in the middle of a heated argument about The Cut needing power after another violent storm, and that he had the money to provide that.
And Ethan Van Kirk simply told him ignorance was bliss.
However, Nova knew that just because the entirety of Figure Eight were ignorant to the less fortunate living on the south side, it didn't mean she ever was. She always felt pity for JJ when she found out what kind of person his father was, and whenever she saw him covered in fresh cuts and bruises, Nova wanted to approach him and offer to help clean him up. But she never did because they didn't even know each other back then, and she thought it would be weird for them to associate with each other back then.
But things between Nova and JJ had changed drastically over the past week, and now, she cared about the boy more than she cared to admit. The very thought of him being punished by his father for getting himself thrown into jail left a feeling of disgust and overwhelming worry to erupt in her veins, the girl's stomach churning whilst she continued to dwell on the frightening thought. She just hoped he was okay.
And it seemed that both Kiara and Pope had noticed the worry plastered across Nova's face, causing for Kiara to gently nudge the blonde, snapping Nova back to reality as she turned her head to glance at the Carrera girl. "JJ will be fine. He can take care of himself. He's done it many times before and he's not going to stop now." She reassured her, despite feeling a twinge of worry for the Maybank boy herself.
Suddenly, a chorus of cheers was more than enough to catch Nova's attention, the girl staring ahead to see the Cameron family had made their grand entrance. At first, her eyes focused on Rafe who wore his bright blue suit with pride as he entered alongside the rest of his family. The sight of her ex boyfriend in all his glory was enough to make Nova release a shaky breath past her lips, before she shook her head and allowed her attention over to Sarah Cameron, the blonde girl wearing a simple, yet, beautiful white dress, a flower crown placed on her head whilst she entered the party.
Seeing the girl again was enough to remind Nova Van Kirk that she had a lot of making up to do, especially after the hateful words she spat at the blonde beauty in the midst of her intoxicated state a few nights before.
Nova sighed, staring down at the champagne glass in her hand. "Well, I should head back to the party. There's a long list of people I need to apologise to." She informed the pair.
"Sarah Cameron?" Kiara scoffed, an amused expression washing over her face whilst she continued shaking her head. "Whatever apology you think you owe her probably isn't worth it."
Nova shot the girl a disapproving stare. Everyone knew Sarah Cameron and Kiara Carrera used to be best friends, but then, one day, they weren't anymore. No one exactly knew the reason why, but Nova never bothered to question it either because she didn't exactly care at the time. She barely liked, or even knew Kiara back then, so she didn't think it mattered at the time. Maybe she was curious to find out the reason why now.
But it was a story she would have to wait for.
"Well, she's still one of my best friends and she deserves an apology after how I spoke to her the other night." Nova retorted, swirling the champagne around in the glass, before she sighed again. "I just need some liquid courage first."
In that moment, Kiara and Pope finally acknowledged the glass of champagne clasped tightly in Nova's hand, the golden sparkling liquid being enough to make them realise it wasn't exactly apple juice. "Are you sure you should be drinking that?" Pope asked, frowning at the sight of the glass in Nova's hand.
Nova nodded her head in response to Pope's words. "Drugs were the problem remember? I think one glass won't hurt." She reassured the boy, before she lifted the rim of the glass to her lips. However, Nova didn't even get a chance to take a single sip, or even feel the tang of the fizz on her tongue, before Kiara Carrera snatched the glass always from Nova.
"Just because it won't hurt doesn't mean you should have it at all." Kiara admonished.
Nova stared at Kiara for a brief moment, before she sighed and walked away from the pair, the girl setting her sights on Sarah, who was being greeted by a few other rich Kooks none of them really cared about. Nova then walked back up the steps and began to approach the blonde girl, forcing a small smile across her lips, before she stood in front of the Cameron girl, Sarah's heartwarming smile faltering when her eyes locked with Nova's.
"Nova..." Sarah trailed off, staring at the girl awkwardly. "Hi." She greeted her friend, but Nova knew she was just trying to be polite in front of a crowd of people. There was no denying that if they were alone right now, just them two, then Sarah would have simply told Nova to fuck off and stay the hell away from me.
That's why Nova could see past the facade and notice how much Sarah resented her.
"Hey, Sarah." Nova replied, her smile fading from her lips before she leaned closer towards the girl. "Can we talk?"
Sarah didn't even try and put up a fight. Instead, the blonde nodded her head, before the pair made their way over towards the railing, looking out over the large patch of greenery and the breathtaking sight of the ocean only a short distance away. It was quite calming actually. It made Nova feel at peace for a short moment, easing her nerves whilst she prepared herself for a well deserved apology, knowing this was the moment she could win over one of her best friends, or lose her in the process.
"I...uh, I just wanted to say I'm sorry." Nova informed the girl, her eyes flickering down to her shaky hands.
Sarah rolled her eyes and nodded her head. "For calling me a stone cold bitch or practically slut shaming me?" She questioned, folding her arms over her chest in the process. Nova could practically hear the bitterness laced in her voice.
"For all of it." Nova answered, swallowing the thick lump lodged in the back of her throat, before she parted her lips to speak again. "I want to blame it on the drugs and say that I was high and that was the only reason why I said all of those things. But there's no excuse for how I spoke to you at Topper's party. You were just trying to be a good friend and I threw it back in your face. I was a terrible person that night and I will completely understand if you don't forgive me. I just wanted to try and make things right because we're best friends and I'm clean now. I'm getting better. But if that's not enough then that's okay too because if I was in your position I would totally punch myself in the face by now—"
"I'm not going to punch you in the face, Nova." Sarah reassured the girl, cutting her off and putting an end to her rambling. "Trust me, it's pretty tempting. But it's like you said, you were high and said some shit that you didn't mean. I get it."
Nova then frowned. "So, does that mean I'm forgiven?" She inquired, a hopeful look glimmering in her eyes.
"I don't want to stay mad at you anymore. I've kinda missed having you around anyways." Sarah confided, a small smile forming across her lips. "Besides, I really need a friend right now." She added, her words causing for Nova to furrow her brows together in confusion.
"Why?" Nova paused, a puzzled look washing over her face. "What's wrong?"
Sarah sighed and turned away from Nova, before she casted her sights on the view displayed in front of her, a nervous expression plastered across her face. "You were right when you said that I would cheat on Topper with the next guy who caught my attention." She confessed.
"Oh..." Nova trailed off, appearing surprised.
"Yeah..." Sarah nodded her head, her voice barely above a whisper, before she locked eyes with Nova once again. "You can say it, you know? That you told me so."
Nova shook her head. "I'm not going to judge you for it, Sarah. Sure, maybe I'm a little pissed since Topper is my friend and cheating is never okay. But maybe Topper just isn't the one for you, and that's okay. There's nothing wrong with that. But whoever this mystery guy is, you know, the one who's got you wrapped around their little finger, if he's the one then you should do the right thing and break up with Topper." She explained, offering the girl some friendly advice.
"Yeah, you're right. I'm going to break up with Topper tonight." Sarah replied, nodding her head in agreement, before a thought quickly crossed her mind. "As for the mystery guy. It's John B." She confessed, staring back at Nova nervously again.
Nova almost felt like her eyes were going to pop out of her skull when she heard those words leave Sarah's bright, pink lips, a gasp leaving her lips in the process. It was definitely a surprise. Nova would admit that. She never in a million years would have guessed the Sarah Cameron — Kook Princess, was hooking up with John B Routledge of all people. Sure, John B was hot and Nova didn't have a problem admitting it, but him and Sarah were polar opposites, so to hear they were together was a surprise like no other.
"No way!" Nova squealed in excitement, causing for Sarah to shoot her friend a look, sending Nova a clear message to keep it quiet so no one else listened in on their conversation. "Now I need details, like, come on, how the hell did that happen because the last time I checked, you and John B are so different." Nova pressed, her quiet voice practically demanding answers at this rate.
Sarah smiled in response to Nova's words, her soft cheeks burning red whilst she blushed, the girl shrugging her shoulders before she parted her lips to speak again. "I don't know. Our paths just crossed yesterday when he needed help most, and we took a ferry to the mainland, and, oh my god, I had the time of my life yesterday. It was like I could be myself around him, and the day ended perfectly with a kiss. Everything was just. . . perfect." Sarah was starting to ramble at this point. Nova thought it was sweet.
Nova had seen her friend head over heels for guys before, but the girl could see that this was the first time Sarah Cameron had ever been in love. It was something Nova hoped she would feel someday.
"You don't hate me, do you?" Sarah then questioned, causing for Nova to frown at the blonde. "Topper's your friend and I know how you feel about the Pogues, and—"
"Sarah, I'm happy for you." Nova interjected, cutting the girl off, before she placed a comforting hand on Sarah's shoulder. "John B seems like a good guy, and as long as you're happy, then that's all that matters to me." She then reassured the girl, causing for Sarah to sigh with relief.
"Thank you, Nova." Sarah replied, expressing her gratitude for the girl's friendly advice, before a quick thought crossed her mind. "And since we're on the topic of mystery guys, maybe you should spill the beans about yours."
Nova glanced at the blonde to see her small smile had quickly turned into a sneaky smirk, a twinkle of mischief burning bright in her dark, opal eyes. Nova continued to stare back at her friend with a surprised look washing over her face, before she began to shake her head, laughing nervously whilst she turned her attention elsewhere, wanting nothing more than to avoid the conversation all together.
"I don't have a mystery guy." Nova denied, laughing in the process.
"Oh, come on." Sarah exclaimed in a quiet voice, staring back at Nova in amusement. "You keep looking around this party like you're hoping a particular person shows up. And I know you and my brother broke up...thank god, because I never liked you two together, so whoever this new guy is, I hope he's better than him."
Nova shook her head, shrugging her shoulders. "Sarah, there's no mystery guy." She argued, hoping the girl would drop the subject all together, especially since there was nothing to discuss. At least, she didn't think there was.
Sarah simply nodded her head, humming in the process before she brushed past Nova, but she quickly stopped in her tracks and leaned closer towards her friend, her lips parting so she could speak. "I would believe you if you weren't blushing right now." Sarah informed the girl, before walking away and leaving Nova by herself.
Nova scoffed and raised her hand, pressing the palm of her hand against her cheek to feel the heat igniting against her skin. This caused for Nova to chuckle quietly before she lowered her gaze to stare down at the beaded bracelet gifted to her by JJ himself, her heart swelling in her chest when she thought about the boy, hoping he would stay true to his word, and that she would see his face before the night was over.
━━━━━━━━
authors note.
So Nova is finally apologising to the people she fucked over in the earlier chapters, and that will continue to happen because ✨ development ✨ you know? But we got some more interactions between Nova and the Pogues and I'm so happy to finally have Nova and Sarah on good terms because they're a powerful blonde duo and I can't wait for them to team up as the story continues.
Also this chapter would have been longer, but it was already at 6k and I still wasn't done, so Amara convinced me to split Midsummers into two separate chapters, and the next one should be published tomorrow so I hope you guys are excited for jjnova content.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter!!