"You aren't doing it good enough." Novas mother, Beverly, lectured as Nova stood in the living room, "Do it again."

Nova cleared her throat, "This feeling like no-"

"No, no, stop it." Beverly said in disbelief with a long sigh, "How did you get this part? Where you the only one that auditioned? Do you want to make yourself look like a lazy fool? Do you want to look like nothing compared to the other girls?"

"Of course not." Nova said back as she toyed at her bracelet, "I want to be the best."

"Then start acting like it." she was snapped at quickly, "Everyone in that room is better then you, and you know it. Now, head to school before it is too late."

Nova nodded and headed toward be kitchen, getting cut off by her mother passed her a smoothie, "Liquid, Novalie. You shouldn't have put on those extra three pounds this summer."

Nova had eaten her feelings away when her and EJ split and when her mother weighed her at the beginning of the week, like she always had, Nova had gone up three pounds.

Nova took the smoothie with a small smile, kissing her mother on the cheek and heading to pick up Seb from the farm.

"Um, hi, Nova." a gentle voice spoke up. Nova shut her locker and found Nini on the other side, "Wow, strong arm. You'll nail that baseball scene."

Nova had to laugh, "I played T-Ball back in the day, I think I have this one in the bag."

"Right, totally. And you're crazy good at everything else so.." Nini trailed off as Nova leaned on the locker with a eyebrow raise, "I just wanted to make sure there wasn't any bad blood between us, clear the air. We're obviously going to be spending a lot of time together and I don't want anything to mess up our passions."

Nova gave a odd look, "Why would there be bad blood between us?"

Nini was either intimidated or confused, it was hard to tell, "Well- just with, you know, EJ and I. And you guys use to-"

"Nini, stop." Nova had to laugh as she leaned off the locker, "I don't hate you just because you're dating my ex boyfriend. No matter what you may think, i'm not one of those people. You aren't my problem and never have been."

Nini seemed definitely confused now, "But yesterday in the cafeteria when you shoved me. I just assumed-"

"That I was pushing you because you were sitting right where I use to?" Nova asked, getting a embarrassed nod, "I pushed you so I wouldn't get any of my smoothie on you. EJ was the only target, and I was having a moment. I didn't mean to shove you that hard."

Nini sighed in relief, "Right, totally! Sorry about that. I over think everything and then I start talking without understanding and suddenly i'm in this situation and then-"

Nini was cut off by Carlos calling for the pair. Nova adjusted her bag, "See you in there, Gabriella."

Nini was left with a faint smile on her face as Nova headed inside.

"You unfollowed me on instagram?" EJ asked in disbelief when Nova sat down in her assigned seat, that happened to be next to him, "Seriously?"

"Oh yeah. I did that after you blocked my number." Nova nodded her head, leaning back in her chair with a long sigh, "Seemed pretty fair."

EJ rolled his eyes as he looked uncomfortable in his seat, catching Nova messing with her bracelet. His eyes focused on it, finding the E charm had removed, "You took the E off?"

"What?" Nova asked, following his gaze, "I know no one else with a E, so yeah."

EJ blinked a moment, "Well, I just thought-"

"Though what? That I was gonna mope around and be the weeping ex girlfriend that begs you to get back together?" Nova asked him in disbelief, sitting up better and leaning on her elbow to stare at him, "Is that what you thought, EJ?"

"Can we just forget about this for a day? You don't need to be mad anymore. Everything is over with and in the past." he tried to reason for not only the plays sake, but his own.

"I'm not mad." Nova shook her head with a laugh, earning a smile from him until her face fell to completely seriousness, "I'm wrathful."

EJ's face fell immediately.

"Don't forget to silence your phones!" Miss Jenn called out as she took her own seat, "I realize that you all walked in here as strangers."

"Actually EJ's my cousin." Ashlyn spoke up. EJ shut his eyes in embarrassment as Miss Jenn looked her way, a twitch in her eye.

"But after today, you're a family." Miss Jenn stated at she looked around at each of them, "One tribe, committed to lifting classic film to new heights. Please take your neighbors hands."

EJ looked toward Nova with a huff. She grabbed Sebs before hesitantly holding hers out to him. EJ took her hand in his.

"I don't know what you want me to say right now." Nova said as EJ held her hand across the table, "I thought you wanted to go on that boat trip with me this last month?"

"I do." he said with soft eyes, running his thumb across her hand, "But the theater camp just came up. With you taking summer school classes and then going on the trip, I figured I should do it. It'll be good for me."

"Well, i'm happy for you." Nova said hesitantly as he smiled, "Is it a mixed gender camp or..."

EJ hesitated, "Yes."

Nova scoffed in disbelief and pulled her hand from his, "Makes sense why you want to go now."

"Are we really doing this again?" he asked her in disbelief, keeping his voice down in the pizza shop, "I already told you that you have nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about aside from all the girls at the mall you relentlessly flirt with when i'm looking for a new pair of shoes. Nothing to worry about except all the girls in your DM's that you send hearts to. It still counts if you have no clue who they are and live across the country."Nova began to list on with a knowing look, "Yeah, because that's real trust worthy."

"I only have eyes for you, who cares about other girls? I just like to make people smile." he tried to defend himself, "Why don't you trust me?"

"Because you think it's okay to flirt and then use the excuse you just want to make them smile." Nova went back, opening her mouth to say something else before the waiter laid the large pizza infront of the pair.

"Nova? Ryan? Are you still with us, sweetie?" Miss Jenn called out to the girl. EJ gave her hand a small squeeze, pulling her out of the thoughts and being met with all eyes on her, "Do you need a five?"

"What? No, no. Sorry, just adrenaline." Nova grinned her way with a nod of her head.

"Feel each other's energy." Miss Jenn announced after they all joined hands, "Let the silence speak volumes. In a world full of no, this is a space full of yes."

A silence took over the group as they continued to hold hands. EJ felt Novas finger trace something on his hand, not being able to make out what letter it had been.

"We're all in this together." Miss Jenn began singing, holding Carlos' and Big Reds hands. Everyone looked in either shock or slight fear when she began to sing, "Once we know that we are, we're all stars and we see that. We're all in this together. And it shows, when we stand, hand in hands. Make our dreams come trueeeeeeee!"

Ashlyn began clapping for their drama teacher before realizing she'd been the only one not to. Nova pulled her hand away from EJ's when he didn't write her anything back.

•

kylie speaks

NOVA! GIRL! WHAT
WERE YOU TRYING TO
SAY?!?