"You sure you got it?" EJ asked as he opened the car door for Nova

"I can walk, yes." Nova sighed as she got out his car, their matching sweaters on display in the cold air.

"Did you take your pain meds?" he asked quickly, linking their arms and shutting the door.

"Took my pain meds." Nova confirmed.

"So, I crashed my car and almost died after opening night." Nova spoke as she stood in the snow, looking at the camera men, "I got out of the hospital a few weeks ago and EJ has not left my side. And I mean that as literal as possible."

"How are you feeling? We can cut this short if you wanna go home." EJ spoke as he opened Ashlyns kitchen door open, "Up to you."

"I think i'll be okay." Nova gave him a small smile, "Thanks."

In Novas painful recovery, her and EJ managed to put the awkwardness of what happened at the play aside. He took care of her, didnt let her leave the house or drive a car, but took care of her.

"Oh my god!" Carlos gasped as he saw Nova, "You look so healthy!"

"Feeling better finally." Nova said, accepting his gentle hug.

"School feels so lonely without your political debates in history." Ashlyn hugged her next, "Please tell me you're coming back."

"Ugh, yeah, yeah, I am. I'm still a little sore but the pain kills really help." Nova nodded her head.

"Sorry we're so late. I was volunteering at the soup kitchen with the water polo team then had to get Nova." EJ nodded his head.

Carlos snorted as he held his hand out to Nova, "Pics or it didn't happen."

"Hello, party people." Nova smiled as she walked into the living room.

"Nova! You survived." Gina hugged her, "Have you been in the hospital this whole time?"

"Ugh, no, no, I just needed a little bit to regain reality." Nova said as she leaned on the piano, feeling weaker, "The concussion really hit me pretty hard."

"But you're feeling better?" Gina asked hopefully.

"Better. I'm pretty tired a lot of the time but physically am in no pain anymore." Nova nodded her head with a small smile.

EJ's feet hit the hospital floors as he sprinted through the hallways, searching for any sight of Alaric.

"EJ!" the man called when he saw him.

"Where is she? Is she okay?" EJ panicked as he ran toward him, "I shouldn't have let her drive when she was so upset. What happened?"

"She hit another car. She had some internal bleeding and a concussion, they're taking her into surgery right now." Alaric said, his phone ringing, "Give me a second, it's her mother."

EJ paced the hallway, eyes swelling with tears as he ran a stressed hand through his hair.

"Feel okay?" EJ asked as he came to sit with Nova on the couch.

"Just as I felt five minutes ago." she cracked a grin at him, laying her head on his shoulder, "I'm okay, EJ, I swear."

His actions because beyond protective after the accident. He rarely left her side anymore and if he did it was never for long. Nova hated herself for putting him under this sudden pressure and worry from her own stupid mistakes.

"I'm not gonna stop, that's who is am. I'll give it all I got that is my plan. Will I find what I lost." Ricky sung as him and Nini walked into the house together. Nova rose her eyebrows at the dancing boy.

"Some skater boy." she snorted.

"You're alive!" Ricky announced in disbelief.

"I'm alive." Nova said back, throwing her hands up.

"And never will be driving again." EJ added in.

"You can ride a horse to school." Seb smiled as he got on the other side of Nova and nuzzled his head into her shoulder.

"Okay! Okay! Okay! Does anybody not know we're doing High School Musical Two?" Carlos asked as he looked around at everyone.

"We are?" EJ asked as Carlos groaned and fell onto the couch.

"I'm getting a root beer. Anyone want anything?" Gina asked as she stood up.

"Some sanity?" Nova suggested.

Gina gave a snort, "Coming right up."

"So you're feeling better then? This is the first time you've left the house in a while." Nini said as she looked over at Nova.

"After my near death experience, I had a flash of clarity." Nova spoke as she stared at the camera, "Was I mad at Nini for kinda messing up the play? Yes. Was I gonna hold it against her? No. I realized that maybe not getting into DePaul was probably for the best and clearly didn't fall through for a reason."

"Better." Nova nodded her head as she inhaled, "It's taking me a little bit to get over the shock and PTSD but physically the doctor says i'm doing good."

"That's good to hear." Nini said as she rubbed her back, "I mean, when Miss Jenn got the call we all were freaking out."

"It was scary." Nova said honestly, "I just feel bad for pretty much ruining the after party."

"You didn't ruin anything." Ricky said as he jumped into the conversation, "We can eat pizza any time, you only come ones in a life time."

"Awww." the ones around the gushed.

"Okay, listen up. Rules of the game. This is impotent. We need to set intentions and be accountable to one another this year." Kourtney spoke above everyone as she held the glass bowl in her hands.

"This is a terrible party." Natalie nodded her head.

"Hey, watch yourself." Kourt giggled, "All right, resolution number one. Anyone's guess. I resolve to... this is so stupid. I can't."

"Come on, Kourt. You have to read it." Nini encouraged.

"I resolve to remember everybody fondly when I got to Duke and take Nova with me." Kourtney read from the slip of paper, "Any guesses?"

"EJ! You got into Duke?" Ashlyn asked his way.

"I mean, have a technically gotten into Duke? Did my father and our grandpa before him also go to Duke? Guys, I think it's just a matter of time." EJ explained, putting finger quotes around nearly every single one of his words.

"And are you planning on just hiding me in your dorm room?" Nova asked, making everyone around her agree and laugh.

"Of course not, we'll get a apartment." EJ said back seriously, making them laugh even harder, "Why is everyone laughing?"

"Okay. Resolution number two." Kourtney spoke as she dug into the jar, "Oh, I so don't get this one."

"Just read it!" Ricky called out to her.

"This one doesn't say anything except the words my cows." Kourtney read as she turned the paper toward them.

"You guys. I though we were writing down what we were thankful for." Seb spoke as everyone gushed at him.

"A for effort, Seb. A for effort." EJ nodded his hand, hand resting on Novas tight as they sat close.

"Um, here we go." Kourtney announced as she dug in once more, "I resolve to follow my dreams however far away they take me."

"That's gotta be, Gina. Right?" Ricky spoke up as he looked toward the taller girl.

"Nope." she said back with a shake of her head.

"Ugh, it's me, actually." Nini said awkwardly.

"Nins, that's such a cute quote." Nova said her way, sipping the hot chocolate Seb passed her way when it burnt his tongue.

"Back to the game, Kourt." Nini encougwd after the awkward silence rung in the air.

"Okay. Next." she cleared her throat and dug into the jar, "All I want is for our generation to save the planet, and I would also like absolute clarity about my love life."

"EJ again?" Seb asked, making Nova and EJ look his way with red faces, "Oh, maybe not."

"Learn to actually drive a car. Hahah, dark humor." Kourtney read as she turned to Nova, "Oh girl, that's dark."

"Okay, I was hoping to lighten the mood." Nova rose her hands in defense. EJ rubbed her thigh quickly, clearly not finding it funny like the rest of them. Nova noticed and dropped her voice to a whisper, "I'm sorry, that wasn't funny."

"No, if that's the way you are gonna cope, then that's completely okay." he tried to be supportive, keeping his hand placement as Nova placed her hand on top of his.

"Big Red!" everyone gushed as he walked through the door.

"Six pizzas. Two with lactose-free cheese. One with banana peppers for our accident prone. I'm here." Big Red said as he laid them down, "Nova is here!"

"Red!" Nova gushed, standing up.

"Carful." EJ encouraged as he panicked, watching her nearly trip over the coffee table to give Big Red a hug. He stood to take the pizzas, "Good lord, dude, did you fall into a bucket of cologne?"

"It's out with the old and in with the new. Goodbye sky's of gray, hello sky's of blue." Seb sung as he sat down at the piano, "A dip in the pool, a trip to the spa, endless days in my chaise, the whole world according to moi."

"Excuse me?" Nova spoke up as he played a new key, "Thank you."

"I want fabulous that is my simple request. All thing fabulous, bigger and better and best. I need something inspiring to help me get along. I need a little fabulous is that so wrong?" Carlos sang as a few danced around the living room, "Take it, Ash."

"Na, na, na, na." Ashlyn began to sing as she sat down at the piano, "You are the music in me."

"That's my cousin." EJ gushed as Nova wrapped her arms around her waist and leaned on his shoulder, smiling at Ashlyn.

"You know the words once upon a time. Make you listen there's a reason." Ashlyn sung as her eyes set on Gina, "Come on, G."

"When you dream there's a chance you'll find a little laugher, or happy ever after." Gina and Ashlyn harmonized together.

"You're a harmony to the melody." Nini sung from behind them, focusing on Ricky as he strummed his guitar, singing alongside her, "Echoing inside my head. A single cord above the noise. Like a common thread."

"Ooh, you're pulling me in." Ricky sung at the end, "When I hear my favorite song, I know that we belong. Oh, you are the music in me. Yeah, it's living in all of us. It's brought us here because you are the music in me. Na, na, na, na."

The rest clapped for the pair when they ended, standing around as they turned to them a second later.

"One minute till midnight!" Carlos announced as the all cheered. Nova cleared her throat as she walked away slightly, trying to make it seem casual.

"Everybody, all for one!" Big Red suddenly sung, "Our real summer has just begun!"

"Let's rock and roll, and just let go." Kourtney was next and they each took a party blower.

"Feel the rhythm of the drums."

"We're gonna have fun in the sun."

"Now that all the hard work, work is done."

"Everybody one for all, and all for one."

"Ten seconds till midnight!" Natalie announced as they all cheered. Nova met EJ's eye, giving a tight lipped smile and taking a seat on the stairs.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one-"

"I have an announcement!" Miss Jenn announced as she swung the door open, yelling suddenly when she saw Nova, "Oh, my sweet girl!"

"Hi, Miss Jenn." Nova said as she accepted her hug.

"Don't squeeze her too hard." EJ spoke up with wide eyes.

"Um, contrary to rumor, we are not doing High School Musical 2." Miss Jenn said as they all gapped in disbelief at her, "We are doing an American classic. Beauty And The Beast."

Nova gave a odd look, "But we already did that one. I played Belle."

"I know, but you didn't do it my way. And you didn't win the most important award in all of theater." Miss Jenn smiled as she looked around at each of them.

"The Tony?"

"The second most important award."

"The Drama Desk?"

"Everyone, calm down! This semester, we are entering the Alan Manken Awards for High School Musical Theatre." Miss Jenn spoke as she looked around at each of them, "And we are going to win."

Everyone began to cheer together as Nova gave a guilty expression.

"That means beating North High, Miss Jenn. They have a thousand gallon Little Mermaid aquarium." Carlos said her way.

"Then we will have an aquarium too."

"Nova, you did so well as Belle last time." Carlos said her way, "You'll do it again?"

Nova have a guilty look as all their eyes turned to her, "I'm not doing the musical."

"Oh my gosh." Seb gasped, nearly collapsing like Carlos did.

"Nova, honey, what?" Miss Jenn asked with wide eyes.

"Nini can do it." Nova said quickly in hopes of taking the attention off her.

"I'm in if you're in." Ricky annocked toward Nini.

"Nova, you're not doing the play?" Seb worried as he went to her side.

"Ricky, i'm moving to Denver."

•

kylie speaks

sorry this seems so
rushed and bad, i'm
on my period and feel
like shit lmao. but drama
and a lotta affection to
come!