CHAPTER ONE.
paradise on earth

NOVA VAN KIRK would often find herself wondering what death would feel like.

The girl would always find her mind drifting to dark and lonely places where the thoughts of a young teenage girl shouldn't even be. Nova would often think about what it must be like to have your life taken away so suddenly, without warning and with so much uncertainty of the afterlife — if there was one. She would also think about the fear one must feel when they are staring death straight in the eyes, the paralysing and desperate look that one gets when faced with death, and how they fight for the life they don't want to desert and leave behind. She would even wonder what it must feel like when death has its hand wrapped tightly around your throat, choking the air out of your lungs as you thrash and do your best to cling onto that last desperate breath of fresh air. Then she wondered what it must feel like as your body finally stops moving all together and the look of life that once burned so brightly in your hopeful eyes becomes nonexistent and is replaced with a blank and lifeless stare, before your wandering soul is trapped in everlasting darkness tarnished in chaos and emptiness.

Nova would even think about the various ways one could die. She could list thousands: sickness, murder, suicide, drowning, accidental overdoses. Nova could go on and on, the girl thinking about what it must be like to lose your life to a natural disease, the flowing ripples of the tide from the ocean, an addictive drug that made everything brighter, or the way death lingered on the sharp tip of a knife or the barrel of a gun. But it wasn't exactly a friendly topic to talk about with friends or at the dinner table with the family. Maybe she should see a therapist and talk about it then, but the girl didn't want people to know how utterly fucked up her curious mind was.

Another thing Nova would often find herself thinking about is how it must feel to die. Now, just to be clear, she doesn't mean it in, like, an I'm broken and want to kill myself kind of way. Nova was just an imaginative teenage girl whose curiosity was sparked by the idea of life and death. The girl would find herself staring back at her reflection in the mirror and asking herself how am I going to die? She wondered if it would be peaceful, like, in her sleep, or if it would be painful, like, a tornado twisting and thrashing her body around until she finally gave up.

However, despite the burning questions Nova continued to ask herself, the girl got nothing but silence in response. That was always the worse part — the not knowing.

Nova always preferred to know things in advance, what she's going to have for breakfast the next morning, what books did she need for school. She could even vouch that her homework was always done a week before it's due date. But if there was one thing Nova was always desperate to know, it was whether she would die today, tomorrow, or years from now, and more importantly, how she was going to die. Nova wanted to know her fate, but life and death was always like an open book, because you can't just skip to the ending. You have to live through every laugh, every heartbreak and every bittersweet memory first.

It's like someone once said, Without your past, you could have never arrived — so wondrously and brutally, by design or some violent, exquisite happenstance. . . Here. That 'here' was what Nova continued to cling to, the girl waiting for her chaotic life shaped into the form of a hurricane to allow death to walk through the front door.

Now, Nova wasn't the type of girl who should be having those type of thoughts. The girl was pretty much the definition of perfect. Her and her older brother were both raised by two loving parents in Figure Eight, the rich and wealthy side of the Outer Banks. Nova's family were friends with the well known Sheriff of the island, which made the girl insanely popular since everyone wanted to be her friend, but she always knew that was because people thought she could pull favours and get them out of trouble. The girl never minded though, especially since she was a good judge of character and could separate the fakes from the people who were genuine and kind. That was why Nova surrounded herself friends, who made the girl smile until her face hurt and laugh until her chest ached.

There was Juno O'Connell. Nova's childhood best friend since birth. From sharing a cot together as newborns, shared toys and bubble baths as toddlers, to sleepovers as preteens and then being each other's shoulder to cry on, the pair were more like siblings than friends. Through every tough obstacle and heartbreak, they were there for one another, holding each other's hands through it all. Then there was Sarah Cameron, Kook Princess and just like Nova. . . a girl that had everything served to her on a silver platter. There was also Topper Thornton, Kelce, and her recent boyfriend, Rafe Cameron. Not the greatest bunch, but some were better than others.

But like it was said before, Nova Van Kirk was meant to be the definition of perfect. . . Until she wasn't. You push all these things aside that made the girl perfect, and at the end you'll see nothing but a broken and fragile girl haunted by a deathly curse.

Shortly after her sixteenth birthday, Nova's brother, Riley Van Kirk, passed away due to an accidental overdose. That day started out as any other day for Nova, that was until it wasn't. When Nova came home she didn't expect to find her brother barely clinging onto life, surrounded in a pool of his own bile and blood. Nova did everything she could that day until the paramedics arrived and took him away to the hospital to be treated. She thought her first aid training from the year before would have been enough to save him, but by the time Nova and Juno had gotten to the hospital, her mother delivered the devastating news that Riley Van Kirk didn't make it.

Words could not describe the roar of emotions Nova felt the day when she was told her brother, the boy who promised to never leave her, was dead and gone. It was enough to make Nova crumble into a million tiny little pieces. The death of Riley Van Kirk was a tragedy that remained the talk of the town for a while, but after the funeral, Nova was just expected to move on like everyone else.

However, her brother's death left a vacancy in her chest where her heart should be and a burning rage deep within Nova's withering soul. And because of the hollow grief Nova tended to feel every day after his body was discovered, the girl left one, two many mistakes in her wake. The girl began to drown her sorrows in a bottle of liquor, snort white power up her nose just like Riley did months before his death, his deadly habits becoming her own.

These days. . . sex, drugs and rock and roll seemed to be the only cure for the void Nova Van Kirk felt deep within her broken heart.

The thought of her brother and the trail of devastation he left in the wake of his death was something that seemed to plague Nova's mind more often than normal, which was why she turned to drugs in the first place. And where did all that havoc lead her? Well, when Nova's parents started to notice the odd change in her behaviour, they sent her way to live with her aunt in Malibu in hopes that the girl would get over her grief, unbeknownst to the fact that her problems were all because of the toxins circulating through her bloodstream.

One month later, Nova was finally returning to the one place she had ever called home, Outer Banks — paradise on Earth. Well, that was what the sign said as her mother drove past it. However, if you were to ask Nova, she would tell you her home was anything but a paradise.

You see, Outer Banks was divided into two different sides of the same island. There was Figure Eight, which was the rich side of the island and home for the Kooks. The place was drenched in all the finest things the world had to offer; gold, diamonds, and an easier life where they didn't have to worry about a single thing. Then there was The Cut, the south side of the island, and home of the working class, also known as the Pogues. A place notoriously known for being the rough side of town filled with people desperately trying to keep a roof over their heads by doing everything and anything they possibly could.

Luckily for Nova, she was a Kook.

Whilst her mother drove down the road, Nova looked out the window with a heavy sigh escaping past her lips, watching as they passed all the various and incredibly large houses in Figure Eight, making the swift journey to her own home. But Nova didn't see it that way. In her eyes, Outer Banks was just a constant reminder of the place where her brother died.

However, Nova still liked the idea of being back. She did miss the people she left behind when she was shipped off to live with family she hasn't seen in years to a place where it was a lot harder to score some drugs.

"Nova." Her mother's familiar voice brought the girl back to reality, causing for the girl to turn her attention away from the window to glance back at her mother. "Are you listening?" She then questioned.

Nova blinked a few times, before she shook her head. "No. Sorry." She deadpanned.

Allison stared back at her daughter with a concerned look for a brief moment, before a sigh left her lips, her attention flickering back to the road displayed in front of her. "Well, I just hope you're excited to be back. Your friends really missed you, especially Juno. She wanted to come with me to pick you up, but I thought it was best she stayed behind since we have something planned." She explained.

"Mom..." Nova trailed off, a sigh filled with annoyance leaving her lips as she raked her hand through her long blonde hair. "I told you I didn't want a welcome home party."

Allison nodded her head, almost like she understood as she turned the car around a sharp corner, beginning to drive down the road where they lived. "I know, but Juno insisted she gave you one since you've been gone for so long now." She retorted in response.

Nova knew she shouldn't be surprised that her best friend was planning a welcome home party for her. Juno was and still is her childhood best friend. The two have been through everything together. When Nova was always, her and Juno would talk on the phone everyday and each call would end with a explosion of excitement from Juno about all the things they were going to do when Nova came home. So it was completely understandable that Juno would give her a big welcome back just as summer was pretty much beginning — for Nova that is.

"Typical Juno." Nova mused, sarcasm laced in her voice, before she stared out of the window once again.

Nova then heard her mother chuckle quietly to herself, the girl beginning to listen whilst the woman spoke. "That girl cares a lot about you, you know? You should be grateful to have a friend like her around." Allison reminded the girl, a heartwarming smile tugging at her lips as she occasionally threw a glance in her daughter's direction.

"So I've been told." Nova grumbled quietly under her breath. She was always grateful to have Juno in her life, knowing she was the only friend from their inner circle that actually had her back through thick and thin. But there were times when she wished Juno didn't have to feel so. . . obligated to be the greatest friend she could possibly be.

The pair were then lapsed in silence, nothing other than the low rumble of the car engine ripping through the thick and humid summer air, and the gentle melody of the song playing on the radio from within the car. But the song was occasionally interrupted by static, the irritable sound being enough to make Nova cringe. She wished her mother would say something — anything to drown out the silence and the irritable sounds that accompanied the quietness surrounding the pair.

And as if right on cue. . . her mother broke the uncomfortable silence between them both. Allison turned her head to the side and spared her daughter a quick glance, her eyes softening at the sight of her, before she turned her attention back to the road. "You know, I'm really happy you're better...and that you're coming home. It's been really lonely in that big house all on my own without you and your dad. Those business trips are a pain in the ass. He would have been here too, but work comes first."

A sigh filled with irrigation left her lips. "Don't you find it oddly suspicious that he started taking business trips after Riley died. He's a D.A. Surely that doesn't require leaving the island once a month." Nova pointed out, her words being enough to make her mother tense for a moment. Something Nova noticed from the corner of her eye, but she didn't bother to question it.

"What happened to your brother took a toll on all of us, Nova. Your dad is just coping by drowning himself in work. But he'll be back in a few days and we can all be a family again." Allison interjected, shooting her daughter a look filled with reassurance. "This summer is going to be a good one. A fresh start for all of us. I can feel it."

Nova didn't say anything in response to her mother's promise to her. Instead, she simply plastered a fake smile across her lips and nodded her head. She wanted to believe her mother's words were true. Except, deep down, Nova overwhelming grief for her brother told her things would never change for the Van Kirk family, because they could still pretend to be perfect and go to fancy parties, but it will never change the fact that Riley was dead.

All of a sudden, the car came to a quick stop, causing for Nova to jolt forward slightly, before she looked out the window and lifted her gaze to see her home towering over her, standing in all of its glory. Her house wasn't exactly as big as what the Cameron household was, considering they were probably the most wealthiest family in all of Outer Banks. But the Van Kirk's were almost as wealthy. At least, they had enough money to afford a big and fancy house.

It was weird. After the month she spent in Malibu with her aunt, Nova dreamed of coming back. But now that she was looking up at the place she was meant to call home, it was almost like the tall house was taunting her with the memories of the horrors that occurred that one night.

The girl could see it all now like it was unfolding right in front of her.

     Her brother's weak body.

     The red and blue sirens.

     Riley being taken away.

Those painful, vivid memories seemed to play on a constant loop, almost like a broken record, deep in the back of Nova's mind. It made her wonder if they would ever stop. Truth is, she knew it would once she got her next fix.

So Nova sighed quietly to herself and removed her seatbelt. "Home sweet home." She chimed in a hushed voice, before opening her car door and climbing out the vehicle.

When Nova closed the door behind her, her mother instantly handed the girl one of her bags, which the girl gladly took, before the two made their way up the steps and to the front door of the large house. Allison turned to glance at her daughter. "You ready?" She questioned.

Nova simply nodded her head in response, and watched as her mother wrapped her hand around the handle and pushed the door open, the two stepping into their home together. And when Nova lifted her gaze, she was surprised when she saw a large banner that read welcome home hanging from the ceiling, along with her friends who cheered and set of a collection of party poppers, loud pangs echoing through the house.

The girl plastered another smile across her face, dropping her purple duffel bag down by the door. "Guys, you really shouldn't have." She told them. Nova actually meant it too, already believing this party was a complete waste of everyone's time, especially her own.

Juno was the first to approach Nova with a bright smile forming across her lips, before the girl embraced Nova with a sigh of relief leaving her lips. "Of course, we did." Juno replied and pulled away from Nova, staring back at her best friend with a loving look glazed over her dark eyes. "I missed you, Nova." She then added with a nod.

Nova smiled back at her best friend. She didn't exactly want the big welcome home party, or the attention. But she did appreciate that Juno made the attempt to make her first day back in Outer Banks the greatest it could possibly be, and that meant more to Nova than she cared to possibly admit. "I missed you, too." She replied, pulling the girl in for another tight squeeze.

"You've got to let me get in on this." A familiar voice spoke up, causing for Nova and Juno to pull away from each other to see Sarah Cameron approaching them with a large grin tugging at her pink lips.

Nova rolled her eyes and opened her arms for the blonde, before the trio shared one big group hug, squeals of excitement leaving Sarah's lips as the girls continued to hold onto each other. Then when Nova pulled away from them once again, she turned back around to see a few more friendly faces such as Topper, Rafe and Kelce. Sure, she wasn't close with all of them, but she appreciated that they made the effort to come.

However, the sight of Rafe made Nova smile again before she walked over to the older boy and stopped in front of him, before she pushed herself up onto her tiptoes and pressed a short and sweet kiss to his lips. A favour Rafe gladly returned as he kissed the girl back, smiling into the kiss before he pulled away from the girl, a smirk plastered across his face.

     "Welcome back." The boy mused.

     Nova giggled and leaned closer towards the boy's ear. "I hope you came here with more than just a welcome back." She whispered and pulled away to see him nodding his head.

     "Don't worry, I never leave home without it." Rafe replied quietly, gesturing to the coke hidden deep in his back pocket.

     Maybe coming back wouldn't suck after all.

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There were many things Nova missed when she was away in Malibu with her aunt. Sure, sunny beaches and cute boys were definitely worth the trip ( not that she would act on those urges since she was in a committed relationship ) but her time away was a reminder of all the things she had missed since leaving. One of those things was the drugs. For Nova, her supplier was Rafe, who got his drugs from Barry, the well known dealer in Outer Banks. So, not having a lot of connections in Malibu was an issue for Nova. She couldn't wait to get her next fix. The second thing was all the juicy gossip Juno failed to mention to her during their phone calls.

This just happened to be one of those cases. Nova quickly gawked at her two friends in complete shock and disbelief, her wide eyes flickering between Sarah and Topper with a puzzled look glazed over her ocean blue eyes. "Wait, wait, wait...you two are together now? As in boyfriend and girlfriend?" The girl questioned, a small smile ghosting across her lips.

Sarah smiled back at the girl and nodded her head whilst Topper draped his arm over his girlfriend's shoulders. "Yeah. It just happened, I guess." Sarah replied.

Nova was surprised to say the least. Sarah was one of her best friends and she was close with Topper too, since their moms were good friends when they were kids. But if you were to ask Nova, she would say her friends were complete opposites and shouldn't be together, knowing it was probably a relationship that was doomed from the start. However, Nova could also see they were some-what happy, and that mattered more to her than her own thoughts on the newly paired couple.

So the girl bit down on her tongue to prevent herself from speaking her mind, knowing she had the common tendency to be brutally honest when it wasn't necessary.

The girl then shrugged her shoulders and looked around at her friends. "So what else did I miss? One month is apparently plenty of time for the world to turn upside down." Nova inquired, raising a brow in the process.

"You'll never guess who Juno ditched us for this year..." Rafe chuckled from beside Nova and snaked his arm around her waist, pulling the girl closer to him. A lot of things had clearly changed since Nova had been gone, but her relationship with her boyfriend wasn't one them. Rafe laughed once again, the amusement evident in his eyes. "The Pogues."

Nova shot her best friend a shocked look. Everyone knew who the Pogues were. They were an infamous group of kids like themselves, who consisted of four close friends, all of them living life on the edge and getting themselves into plenty of trouble over the years. Nova had grown up seeing them around, but she never associated herself with the group, because of one very important rule she had grown up with over the years. . .

Kooks and Pogues don't mix.

Well, other than Riley. Nova knew her brother was friends with the group before his untimely death, and it shouldn't even come as a surprise to her either when she learned Juno was hanging out with them now too. Especially since Juno and Riley were dating before he died, so she had been dragged to see the Pogues from time to time too.

     And there was also that one time Nova went to a party at the chateau and got wasted, but that was a whole other story for later.

"Juno, you're still hanging out with the Pogues?" Nova interrogated, a curious look dancing around in her bright eyes.

Juno nodded her head and simply rolled her eyes, parting her lips so she could speak. "Yes, okay? You know, the Pogues are actually not that bad once you get to know them." Juno pointed out, shooting everyone else a playful look in response.

"Oh, come on, Juno." Rafe's voice broke through the silence, the boy smirking over at the girl. "We both know the Pogues are good for nothing low-lives. You could do a lot better." He laughed, his words earning a high five from Kelce in response.

Juno smirked back at Rafe and flipped the boy off, earning an echo of oohs from the rest of the group in response, before the girl walked around the counter that the group were stood around and grasped Nova's hand with her own. "Now if you don't mind, we've got some catching up to do. We'll leave the rest of you to it." Juno announced.

Nova smiled back at Juno with a relieved look washing over her face, before she wriggled out of the grip Rafe had around her and walked away with her best friend, hand in hand, as the two girls began to make their way towards the back garden. Nova then turned to face Juno with a grateful look evident in her eyes. "Thank you." She whispered to the girl.

Juno nodded her head and let go of the girl's hand. "I know you were feeling a little overwhelmed in there, so I thought I'd be your knight in shining armour and save you." She chimed.

Nova laughed in response to her friend's amusing words and pressed her hand to her chest. "My hero." She fake gushed, earning a chuckle from Juno as the two girls walked outside.

When Nova walked outside, she felt the beaming summer sun against her pale skin, the girl beginning to soak up every ounce of it. A sigh then escaped past her lips as she tilted her head up and lifted her gaze to stare at the bright blue sky above her, and even though it was just for a swift moment, Nova was grateful to the golden rays of sunlight that shined down on her, a reminder that she was still alive and kicking when there were often times when she believed she was dead and the person she was now was just a ghost of the person she was meant to be.

     Nova then turned back to face Juno with the same curious look as before burning in her gaze, quirking a brow in the process. "So, can I ask...why did you become friends with the Pogues? I mean, I know you would hang out with them because Riley, and then there was that time you dragged me to one of John B's parties, but why keep hanging out with them?" Nova asked. She didn't actually have a problem with it. She was just curious to know how her best friend ended up in the situation to begin with.

     Juno's smile quickly faded when she heard Nova's innocent question leave her lips, a gentle sigh ripping through the air as her joyful gaze was replayed by a mix of sadness and guilt. It raised a lot of red flags for Nova, causing for the girl to furrow her brows in confusion, wondering what was going on with her friend that she didn't know about.

     "After Riley died, I felt really guilty for it. I knew that he had a problem and I didn't tell anyone, not even you until you practically forced the truth out of me. He promised he was going to get better and he didn't." Juno began to explain, trying her best to avoid Nova's prying gaze.

     Nova shook her head. "It wasn't your fault, Juno." She reassured her. She hated seeing her best friend blaming herself for something that was completely out of her control.

     "I know, but it was how I felt at the time. Then I had to deal with my own family's crap, and I just went into a really dark place." Juno continued to explain, lifting her gaze to finally lock eyes with Nova. "One night, I went to a party at the Boneyard and I got really wasted. And out of nowhere, Kiara sat down with me and invited me to become a permanent member of the gang."

     Nova continued to listen closely as her friend spoke, taking in every last sentence and word with a wave of guilt washing over her. Juno was still hurting because she blamed herself for what happened to Riley. She loved him and she wishes she could have done more to save him from his addiction. And now, Nova was spiralling down the same rabbit hole as Riley, living her life in the form of a twisted reality because of the poison she was putting into her body, and Juno had no idea.

     "And everyone is just so great to be around. Kiara, John B, JJ and even Pope..." Juno trailed off, the mention of a familiar name being enough to make Nova tense.

JJ fucking Maybank.

That was a name Nova Van Kirk hasn't heard in what feels like forever.

Long story short, he was a secret she would rather keep buried for all of eternity. If anyone ever found out about what happened between them that night at the chateau, then she might as well kiss her good reputation goodbye. Well, her reputation wasn't exactly perfection. But if her parents and friends found about what she was doing prior to her brief departure from Outer Banks, it wouldn't be good.

Nova could imagine the headlines vividly in the back of her mind, almost like a distant echo. . . Kook Princess hooks up with Pogue to make herself feel better about her incredibly fucked up life. Yeah, pretty much the definition of embarrassing for the Van Kirk family name.

     "So you're not mad at me for being friends with the Pogues?" Juno asked, her voice breaking Nova out of her thoughts.

     Nova shot her a puzzled look, shrugging her shoulders. "No. It sounds like they've been really good to you since I've been gone. But if they start stealing you away from me, then there will be problems." Nova answered, the two girls bursting into laughter soon after she had spoken.

However, the laughter quickly died down when Juno heard a low rumble of an engine erupting from just a short distance away, causing for the girl to turn her head to the side and see none other than JJ Maybank mowing Nova's back lawn. Juno then gasped in surprised, and out of instinct, she slapped Nova's arm in excitement.

"Ow! What?" Nova exclaimed, glaring at her best friend.

Juno nodded her head into the opposite direction, and Nova turned around to see JJ pushing the lawnmower across the large patch of green. The sun kissed boy was wearing a thin white tank top and shorts, his skin covered in beads of sweat that shimmered in the sunlight, the sight of him being enough to make a thick lump form in the back of Nova's throat.

"How long has JJ been there?" Juno piped up, a curious look burning in her dark eyes. "And why is he mowing your lawn?"

Nova shrugged her shoulders in response. "I don't know. My mom did mention she hired someone for the summer to keep the lawn looking nice. She didn't say it was him." She elaborated, seeming just as confused as her friend.

Suddenly, Juno clapped her hands together with a large grin forming across her lips, before she wrapped her hand around Nova's wrist. "Let's go and say hi." She suggested, her words making Nova shake her head in response.

     "No. Juno, I really don't want to go over there." She begged, wanting nothing more than to head back inside.

     Juno looked over her shoulder and spared her friend a quick glance as a chuckle left her lips. "Come on, Nova. When did you lose your outgoing spirit?" She questioned.

     I haven't. I just don't want to speak to my stupid drunk mistake, Nova thought to herself, rolling her eyes in the process.

     However, despite Nova's constant pleads, the girl still found herself walking closer and closer towards JJ until both her and Juno eventually stopped in their tracks. It didn't take long for JJ to notice their presence either, causing for the blond to switch off the lawnmower and turn around to glance at Juno with a smile forming across his lips.

     "Does my eyes deceive me, or is that Juno O'Connell in all her Kook glory?" JJ chimed in a joyful tone, shooting the girl another playful glance.

     Juno simply rolled her eyes in response. "Cute, Blondie." She joked, gently shoving the boy backwards, earning a low chuckle from him in response to her gesture.

     JJ's eyes then flickered over to Nova, the boy looking her up and down as he folded his arms over his chest, flexing his biceps, almost like he was trying his best to taunt Nova. "Hey, Nova." He greeted the girl, a taunting smirk ghosting across his lips whilst he stared back at Nova.

     Nova swallowed the thick lump lodged in the back of her throat, and laughed nervously. "Hey, JJ." She replied, trying to be as polite as possible since there were prying eyes around them right now.

     Juno continued to glance between the two with a suspicious look glazed over her eyes, before she sighed and nodded her head. "Okay, well, we should head back inside with the others. I just wanted to come over and say hi." Juno suggested, directing her words towards JJ.

     "Yeah, sure..." JJ paused, licking his lips for a brief moment. "Hey, the gang are hanging out later tonight if you want to join us. It's like a pre-agatha get together."

     Juno nodded her head with a smile. "Sure. I'll see you then." She replied and began to walk away.

     However, despite how much Nova wanted to head back inside, she couldn't bare to put one foot in front of the other until she at least talked to JJ after months of silence between them. Nova had to get a few things off her chest before she started fresh for good. But she couldn't do it without finally facing her number one problem head on, and he was standing in front of her with a smug smirk tugging at his lips.

     "Hey, Juno!" Nova called out to the girl in a loud voice, causing for Juno to turn back around and face her. "You go in without me. I'll be there in a second."

     Even though the situation was incredibly suspicious, Juno decided not to question it and began to walk away, leaving the two individuals alone. Once they were alone, a deafening silence erupted between both Nova and JJ, the time mostly consisting of the two staring back at one another with death-like glares glazed over their eyes.

     "Are you fucking serious?" Nova was the first to break the uncomfortable silence between them both. "What the hell are you thinking? Showing your face around here when I told you to stay away from me?"

     A bitter chuckle left JJ's lips, before he stared down at the shorter girl with an amused look replacing the glare in his bright eyes. "Unlike you, I need the extra cash to pay rent. So how about you leave me to do what your mom is paying me to do and go back to your little party." He argued back, his voice barely above a whisper.

Nova folded her arms over her chest. "You can't tell me what to do, Pogue." She spat.

"Typical, Nova." The boy mused, a taunting smile remaining plastered across his lips. "Stubborn as always."

     "You don't know shit about me." She retorted, narrowing her eyes into a sharp glare once again.

     JJ laughed again, shrugging his shoulders. "I think we know each other pretty well if you know what I mean—"

     "Fuck you." She grimaced, cutting JJ off.

     JJ remained silent at first, the boy leaning closer towards the girl with a smirk ghosting across his lips, his hot breath fanning against Nova's skin and sending chills up and down her spine, ting goosebumps forming across her bare skin. "The last time I checked, you already did that, Princess." He replied, a hint of amusement laced in his voice.

Nova scoffed in disbelief. "You know, I'm trying to have a civilised conversation with you, and you're treating it like some joke. Well, I have better things to do then be taunted by the likes of you." She fired back, before turning on her heel and walking back towards her house.

"Hey, hey, hey..." JJ called out of the girl quietly, his familiar voice causing for Nova to stop in her tracks before she stared back at the boy suspiciously. "Look, I'm sorry. How about you tag along with Juno and hang out with the rest of us tonight?"

Nova quickly noticed the way his eyes softened, almost like there was some sincerity in his apology, but that didn't seem to change her mind. "Thanks, but I'll pass." She answered, a small smile of her own ghosting across her lips. "You missed a spot, by the way." She stated, indicting towards a large spot of overgrown grass in the distance.

     Nova then turned back around to see Rafe watching her and JJ from afar. This caused for the girl to hurry back to him, the boy draping his arm over her shoulder and pulling the girl in close to him, a twinkle of suspicion burning in his eyes. "Why were you talking to that Pogue?" He asked her.

"Who, JJ?" Nova questioned rhetorically, the girl pulling a face. "I was just telling him to do a good job. My mom is paying him a lot of money after all." She lied through her teeth, hoping she could paint a good facade to fool her boyfriend.

"Yeah, make sure he doesn't steal anything on his way out. He's the type to do that." Rafe warned. A sigh then escaped past the boys lips, followed by a smile. "Anyways, how about we get this party going?" He asked before pulling out a small clear packet of white powder from his back pocket, holding it in front of Nova's eyes, tempting the girl a little more.

Nova smiled back at Rafe. "Lets go somewhere more private first." She told him, the two going back inside to get the fix they both desperately craved.

From afar stood JJ Maybank, the boy watching as Nova and Rafe walked back inside the house, his blood running cold when he saw the bag of white powder in Rafe's hand. It didn't take a genius to figure out what Nova and Rafe were going to do next, and JJ Maybank would do everything in his power to prevent Nova Van Kirk from ending up like her brother.

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authors note.
The first chapter for my new and improved JJ fic is here!! And I can't wait to write this new version, and I've pretty much planned all of season 1 after going back and rewatching the show and I've planned a huge plot twist for the ending of the first season, and I've already left a clue about what that might be and there's more to come, so I'll hopefully put out regular updates and give you guys some good content.

Until then. . . What do you think about this story so far? Thoughts on Nova and Juno? Let me know!!