CHAPTER FOUR.
cryptic messages

NOVA VAN KIRK couldn't stop thinking about the incident at the Boneyard from the other night, the events from that night still lingering in her mind like a deadly disease, images flashing through her mind like wildfire. From her confrontation with JJ Maybank, to her frightening fight with Rafe Cameron, and even the violent brawl between John B and Topper. . . Oh! And let's not forget about the frightening moment when JJ freaking pulled out a gun and pointed it at Topper's skull, before he fired warning shots into the air and even pointed the deadly weapon at innocent bystanders in the process.

Those sudden and chilling events that emerged from a simple kegger was something that seemed to burn in the back of Nova's brain on an endless loop, the girl practically wincing whenever she thought about how the night filled with laughter and moonlit dancing ended with loud gunshots and crippling fear. Well, at least that's what Nova felt when she witnessed her former one night stand baring a violent weapon in his strong hands. The girl believed JJ would have actually tried to kill Topper if he had the chance.

Nova knew the boy was never this reckless back when she met him properly at the chateau all those months ago. He was once the kind of person who knew all the right things to say to ease every bad thought that seemed to plague her mind. He was once gentle, that night she spent wrapped up in his strong arms being the closest thing to comfort since Riley died. Those moments would always hold a special place in her heart.

     Now JJ was the kind of guy who picked fights and pointed guns at people — putting their lives at risk, and it didn't even seem to matter to him. Nova really thought he was a good guy. But if the other night at the Boneyard proved anything to Nova, it was that she didn't know the Maybank boy as much as she once assumed.

The worse part in all of this was the aftermath, a recollection of memories that seemed to taunt Nova in her sleep, and even when she was awake, the girl often finding herself daydreaming and flashing back to that night at the Kegger. And the more Nova thought about that night, the more she began to realise there was bound to be some sort of retaliation from the Kooks for the stupid shit JJ pulled when he whipped out the gun.

And once again. . . The ongoing feud between Pogues and Kooks was ignited.

"—and I was talking to Rafe about the kegger, and I think he's conspiring some revenge plan against those Pogues..." The familiar voice belonging to Topper Thornton ripped through the air whilst he drove down the road, his vicious tone snapping Nova out of her dazed state and back to reality.

Topper turned his head to glance over at Nova with a frown plastered across his face, the boy being quick to realise that his friend was no longer listening to his pointless rambling. This caused for Topper to sigh quietly to himself, his eyes flickering to the road for a swift moment, before he glanced over towards Nova once again. "Hey, Nova, are you even listening to me?" He questioned, raising his brow in the process.

Nova turned her head to look back at Topper, staring back at him with an unfazed look burning in her blue eyes, before she cleared her throat, beginning to sit up a little straighter. "No. I'm sorry. I'm just a little distracted at the moment." She apologised, deciding to be honest, even though it was a rare thing for her to do.

Topper furrowed his brows together, analysing the girl closely. He took notice in her failed attempt to have a good posture, the way she looked out the window with a tired look in her eyes, and considering she wasn't listening to a word he was saying, he could tell something was off about the girl. This made Topper grow concerned for Nova, a worried look glazed over his bright eyes.

"Are you okay, Nova?" Topper asked, turning his attention back to the road for a second whilst he steered the vehicle around a corner. Nova hummed in response and lifted her gaze to glance back at the boy, wondering what must have alarmed him all of a sudden whilst she listened as he spoke once again.

Nova shook her head in response to Topper's prying question. "Yeah, I'm fine." She answered in a defensive tone, clearly unhappy.

"I'm sorry. It's just...you just seemed a little off. I was worried." Topper replied, sincerity evident in his voice whilst he spoke. "You would tell me if something was wrong, right? I mean, I know we're not as close as you are with Juno and Sarah, but you're still my friend and I care about you."

Nova couldn't help but allow a small smile to ghost across her lips, taking notice in the worry Topper showed for her. Not a lot of people shared the emotion when it came to her. Other than Topper, Sarah, Juno, and her parents, no one really seemed to care if she fell apart. Not even Rafe, who claimed over and over again that he cared for her. So it gave Nova some sort of reassurance to know there were still people in her life, even stuck up rich kids like Topper Thornton, who actually cared.

Nova nodded her head, her lips parting to speak. "Of course, I would." She reassured him.

Topper offered the girl a smile in return, before he turned his attention back to the road once again, another thought crossing his mind as steered the vehicle around another corner. "Actually, is there any reason why I'm driving you to the Sheriff's station? You never told me why." He pointed out.

"Well, I didn't exactly want to ask Rafe after everything that happened the other night." Nova informed him, her smile fading away from her lips as her mind flashed back to that night all over again.

Nova was definitely still in shock over the fact that Rafe put his hands on her in such a violent manner. She knew Rafe had a history of getting angry and lashing out, but never in a million years did he ever put his hands on Nova as an attempt to hurt her. It scared the hell out of her and there was no way she was going to ask him for help since seeing his face was the last thing she wanted. The worse part was that she didn't know how to sort the situation between her and Rafe out. She considered breaking up with him when she got home last night, but she knew her parents would disagree, because in their eyes, Rafe Cameron is a sweetheart.

     If her parents had it their way, they would have probably planned their wedding by now.

Clearing her throat, Nova dragged herself out of her train of thought and turned back to face Topper. "I'm sorry if it's an inconvenience. I just really didn't want to ask—"

"Nova, it's fine." Topper interjected, cutting her off with a low chuckle soon following after he had spoken. "Rafe is one of my best friends, but seeing what he did to you last night was out of line. I completely understand if he's the last person you want to speak to right now."

Nova smiled over at the boy once again, feeling grateful knowing he understood her struggles instead of judging her for it. "Thanks, Topper." She spoke up.

     "But just so you know, he does feel bad about what he did." Topper added, his words surprising Nova. "He regrets every second of it, so he says."

Nova didn't say anything in response. Instead, she looked out the car window whilst Topper drove past the many struggling small businesses that were still picking up the pieces after the treacherous storm known as Hurricane Agatha. It was often hard for Nova to see those who are less fortunate struggling to keep their stores going whenever a harsh storm ravaged through the island. It would often force people to shut the place down whilst they scrounged up the money to repair the broken windows and structures.

It always left Nova Van Kirk wishing she could do something to help.

Topper nodded his head in response to the girl's words, before another thought crossed his mind. "So did your mom explain why the Sheriff needed to meet with you at the station?" Topper questioned, sparing Nova a quick glance.

Nova shrugged her shoulders, her lips parting for her to speak. "She found out about what happened at the kegger the other night. She said Peterkin wanted to talk to me about it." She answered, her thoughts being consumed by that frightful night all over again.

"Good. Maybe she'll throw JJ's ass into a prison cell where he belongs." Topper seethed, and Nova glanced back at him to see the anger evident in his features. It was clear to the girl that her friend was still incredibly angered by the events from the other night. Well, anyone would be if they had a gun pointed at their skull, and, so, Nova couldn't exactly dismiss his hurtful words about the boy.

But it didn't mean Nova wasn't hurt  by them either. Nova frowned and shook her head. "He's not that bad." She defended, knowing she would probably regret it later. God, why am I even trying to defend JJ of all people? Nova thought to herself.

"Not that bad? The guy almost blew my brains out." Topper argued back, a blunt tone ringing in his voice as he spoke, before sighing quietly to himself. "I still can't believe Juno is seriously friends with those people."

Nova laughed nervously to herself, almost like it was forced as she plastered a fake smile across her lips. "Yeah. Me neither." She mumbled quietly.

Suddenly, the car comes to a sudden halt and Nova peered out the window to see they had arrived at the Sheriff's station, causing for the girl's fake smile to fade from her lips as a sigh escaped past her lips. "Thank you for dropping me off." Nova told Topper, before she opened the car door, jumped out the vehicle and turned around to face Topper with another fake smile.

"I'll see you later?" Topper asked, a smile of his own forming across his lips.

Nova nodded her head in response. "Probably." She replied, raising her hand and saluting the boy in a jokingly manner, before she turned around and made her way towards the front door of the Sheriff's station.

When Nova pushed the door open and entered the Sheriff's station, the girl was instantly welcomed by cops dashing around the station in a frenzy, most likely because they were still reeling with incoming calls after Hurricane Agatha hit Outer Banks. Nova then looked around until her eyes found a familiar face, the girl plastering a small smile across her lips to see Deputy Shoupe at the front desk, causing for the girl to make her way towards the desk.

"Hey, Shoupe." Nova called out, causing for the man dressed in his deputy uniform to lift his gaze and look ahead to see the familiar girl making her way towards the front desk. Nova then stopped in her tracks and leaned against the desk. "Peterkin wanted to see me. Is she here?" She informed him, beginning to look around in hopes of finding the woman.

Shoupe spared Nova a quick glance, before nodding his head towards the Sheriff's office. "She's in her office." He answered.

Nova offered the man one last fake smile and tapped her fingers against the desk, before she walked past the desk and made her way towards the Sheriff's office, stopping in front of the door and reading the name on the glass for a moment with a sigh slipping past her lips. Nova slowly curled her hands into a small fist and tapped her knuckles lightly against the glass, before she wrapped her hand around the handle and pushed the door open.

However, Nova was left surprised when she locked eyes with none other than John B, the boy sitting down in front of the Sheriff with an obvious sign of frustration and stubbornness glazed over his eyes. Nova even noticed the differences in John B's appearance, noticing the black eye, the harsh bruise circling the underneath of his eye, curtesy of Topper who happened to throw more than enough punches towards John B that night at the Boneyard.

The sudden sight of the boy was enough to make a thick lump form in the back of Nova's throat, a nervous look burning in her bright eyes. It even made Nova wonder why John B was here at the Sheriff's station to begin with, her brain conjuring many theories to why they were. Maybe it was because of the fight at the kegger, or for something else. Nova didn't really know. She just hoped he wouldn't be around for too long.

"Glad to see you finally showed up." Peterkin was the first to speak up, standing up from where she was sitting, before she brushed past Nova and left the office. "Shoupe, come and take John B back to lockup." She demanded in a firm tone.

The second those words ripped through the air, Nova turned back around to face John B with a shocked expression washing over her face. She couldn't believe he was arrested. Sure, Nova knew her enough to know John B was a troublemaker like JJ, but not once had she ever witnessed him get into this much trouble with the law. Nova couldn't help but wonder what he did to have cuffs slapped on his wrists.

Nova then watched as Deputy Shoupe walked into the office and escorted John B out, leaving Nova and Peterkin alone, causing for the older woman to wrap her hand around the door handle and slowly close the door shut. "I've been struggling to get a straight answer about what happened at the Boneyard the other night..." Peterkin trailed off, turning around to face the girl with a suspicious look evident in her gaze.

"Yeah, that was a crazy night." Nova admitted, nodding her head in agreement whilst she raked her hand through her hair.

Peterkin didn't buy the act that Nova was doing her best to put on. Peterkin was Nova's Godmother, and she has known the girl since the day she was born, and looked out for her, especially after Riley died. So it was easy for the woman to tell when she was doing her best to fabricate some lie.

The woman sat down at her desk and lifts her gaze to glance back at the girl with a doubtful look mixing with her suspicion. "I know about the fight and I know about the gun. I also know you were there. I was hoping you would be honest with me about that night." Peterkin deadpanned.

Nova shook her head. "I left early." She lied, not really enjoying the sudden interrogation.

"Nova Van Kirk." Peterkin spoke up in a stern voice, Nova's full name rolling off her tongue, causing for Nova to wince in response. If there was one thing Nova hated more than anything else in the world, it was when someone used her full name. It was a sign she had clearly done something wrong and was seconds away from being punished.

"Fine. My god, I hate it when people call me that." Nova sighed in defeat, biting down on the inside of her cheek for a moment, before she glanced back at Peterkin and shrugged her shoulders. "There was a little fight between John B and Topper, and it got a little...out of hand." She confessed, trying her best to leave out as many details as possible.

Peterkin frowned. "How out of hand?"

"Topper tried to drown John B in the ocean." Nova told the woman, her response being enough to make Peterkin sigh. "And then someone took out a gun to stop the fight." She added, but after being practically family of the Sheriff since forever, she should have known the interrogation would only just continue further.

"Does this person have a name?" Peterkin questioned, clasping her hands together as she pursed her lips into a thin line.

Nova took a seat in the chair opposite the woman with a curious look beginning to burn in her gaze. "Hypothetically, say I did know the person who took out the gun and told you their name...would that person get arrested?" She asked, hoping her hypothetical question had a hypothetical answer.

"I would have to arrest them, yes." Peterkin responded truthfully, nodding her head.

"Then, no. I don't know who took out the gun." She chimed, a much more genuine smile forming across her lips this time around.

Sure, her and JJ weren't friends, and he meant nothing to her, and Nova knew she didn't owe him a single thing, especially not her loyalty. But she wasn't going to get him into trouble, knowing that would only get him into even more trouble with his deadbeat father. Nova, like everyone else in Outer Banks, knew what Luke Maybank could be with his son, so she was doing her best to ensure JJ wouldn't receive anymore cuts and bruises from the one person who was meant to love him unconditionally.

Peterkin glanced back at the girl, and when she realised she wouldn't get anymore answers from her, the woman sighed once again. "Fine. You can go. Tell your mom I say hi." She dismissed her with a nod.

Nova stood back up from the chair she was previously sitting in and made her way towards the door. But a quick thought crossed her mind, causing for the girl to turn back around and face Peterkin with John B's name lingering deep in her mind. "Peterkin, why was John B arrested?" She asked.

Peterkin stood up and walked around her desk, before she approached the girl. "He assaulted a guy at the old Redfield lighthouse." She informed her.

"That doesn't sounds like something John B might do." Nova defended, shaking her head in the process. Riley told her all about the Pogues back when he was still alive. JJ was the reckless one, whilst John B was a little more sensible.

"Well, you barely know him." Peterkin paused, inhaling a sharp breath.

Nova lifted her gaze to glance back at Peterkin, a lightbulb going off in her mind. "Is there any way you could get this guy to drop the charges and bail John B out yourself? I mean, you are the Sheriff." She questioned, a small spark of hope igniting in her chest, the girl clinging onto the smallest molecule of hope that her idea could actually work.

Peterkin frowned once again. "Any reason why?"

"It's just...I don't know him well but John B's dad went missing and he still hasn't turned up. He's had a tough time over the past nine months and I really think he's needs someone to give him a break. I know what it's like to be in his position. I don't think locking him up is going to help him." Nova explained.

"And letting them him walk free without any actual consequences is going to allow him to think he can keep getting away with stuff like this." Peterkin retorted, not agreeing with the girl's idea to help out a criminal.

Nova took a step closer towards her aunt with a pleading look becoming more evident in her gaze. "Please. I'm only asking you to do this one thing for me. Think of it as a welcome home gift." She begged, hoping she could change her mind.

Peterkin stared back at Nova for swift moment, knowing the girl was right and she had the power as Sheriff to make the charges go away. She could even let John B go herself and no one would raise any concern over it. And even though Peterkin believed letting the boy back on the streets wasn't in his best interest, she trusted Nova enough to sigh in defeat, nodding her head in agreement.

"Let me see what I can do."

It took a lot for Sheriff Peterkin to get the charges John B dropped. But one incredibly long and tense phone call later, Peterkin walked out her office and gave Nova the good news that John B would be able to walk out the Sheriff's station with no charges linked to his name. The news made Nova practically jump for joy, the only thing she knew she could was hug Peterkin and thank her for sticking her neck out to help Nova, knowing she was beyond grateful for the woman's help.

The same could be said for John B Routledge. When the boy left his cell and walked out to the front desk by Peterkin herself, and was told the charges were dropped, he didn't think too much of it at first. But when he locked eyes with Nova Van Kirk and saw her leaning against the front desk, a small smile ghosting across her lips, it didn't take him long to realise that the girl played a big part in getting those charges against him dropped. And for some reason that surprised the boy.

And with that. . . John B shot Nova one last look and pushed past the girl, before he made a quick break for the front door, pulling them open and allowing them to close behind him. It was a brief and sudden action that left Nova in a mix of shock and disbelief, her smile fading from her lips the second John B was no longer in her sights, surprised when she realised he wasn't going to be as grateful as she expected.

     Nova sighed in annoyance before she followed John B out of the station, quickly chasing him to stop the boy from getting too far. "Hey!" She called out to the boy, forcing John B to stop in his tracks before he turned around to face her.

"What?" He inquired, lifting a brow.

     "What do you mean what?" Nova snapped at John B, stopping in front of the boy before she folded her arms over her chest, staring back at the boy with a stern look glimmering in her bright eyes. "I just saved your ass from getting serious jail time, and you just give me a look and walk out. You could at least say thank you."

     John B sighed in response to the girl's words and nodded his head, realising she was right. "Look, I'm sorry. I just have a lot going on right now. But thank you for bailing me out. I appreciate it." John B replied, offering a small smile.

"It's no problem." Nova reassured him. "It's kind of the fun part of my mom and Peterkin being best friends. It has its perks from time to time."

John B then frowned. "Just out of curiosity, why did you help me out?"

Nova shrugged her shoulders in response to the boy's question. "I just want to prove I'm not some stuck up Kook like you guys think I am." She confessed, JJ's previous words still burning in the back of her skull.

"JJ didn't mean it by the way." John B spoke up. "He was just trying to hurt you the same way you hurt him."

     Nova lifted her gaze to stare back at John B in surprise for a moment, before she noticed the twinkle in his dark eyes, the girl realising he knew more about her and JJ than she thought. "You know about our history?" She asked him in a rhetorical manner.

     "He told all of us a few weeks ago when he was completely wasted. Well, everyone other than Juno since she wasn't there, but we thought that maybe you would want to tell her yourself since you're best friends and all." John B informed her. "But don't worry, you're secret is safe with me, and, well, all of us." He reassured her, his words causing for Nova to smile.

     And this time it was genuine without the use of drugs to help her be happy.

     "Thanks, John B." Nova tells him with a grateful look glazed over her eyes.

     John B shot the girl one last smile before he made an attempt to turn around and walk into the opposite direction. But he was quick to turn back around to face Nova, a thought crossing his mind in the process. "Do you wanna come back and hang out with the rest of us? Inviting Kooks to hang out isn't exactly a normal thing for us to do, so consider yourself lucky."

However, before Nova had a chance to answer, a jet black truck pulled up around the corner and halted beside her and John B, the tires screeching quietly against the concrete ground. This caused for the girl to furrow her brows together in pure confusion, the low rumble of the engine ripping through the thick, humid air whilst she continued to glance over at the vehicle parked next to her and John B.

Slowly, the dark tinted windows rolled down to reveal a face that appeared to be unfamiliar to Nova's puzzled gaze. She took notice in the dark and deadly look in his eyes, his matted beard, and even the way his face contorted into anger, causing for Nova to grow uneasy, her hands becoming clammy in the process. Nova couldn't explain it, but there was just something about the man staring between her and John B that made the girl think she should run into the opposite direction.

The stranger then focused his attention on John B, a menacing and haunting chuckle leaving his lips. "Times up, boy." He grimaced, his hoarse voice sending chills up and down Nova's spine.

Suddenly, the man lifted his hand and pulled out a gun, pointing the deadly weapon towards John B. Nova felt her eyes widen, her blood running cold and her bones turning into ice, a shaky breath escaping past her quivering lips whilst her eyes continued to flicker between John B and the gun aimed at him. "What the hell?" Nova breathed out in horror.

"Nova..." John B spoke up, swallowing the thick lump clogging his dry and scratchy throat. Nova simply hummed in response, whilst John B reached out and grabbed her hand with his own. "We should run, like, right now." He instructed, his voice beginning to tremble.

Within seconds, Nova and John B begin to run away into the opposite direction, the warm breeze flowing roughly through Nova's hair, her hand latched tightly onto John B's as her heart pounded harshly against her chest. The distant sounds of shouting echoed close behind them, causing for Nova to turn her head and look over her shoulder to see the same guy as before chasing them, his gun clasped tightly in his hand.

"This way!"

Nova turned back around when she heard John B's voice. Nova began to follow him quickly into someone's back garden, using all her strength to keep up with him and make sure the guy behind them didn't catch her. Even when Nova felt herself growing tired, she didn't slow down, knowing that getting caught was not even an option.

The two then halted when John B let go of Nova's hand and attempted to jump over a tall white picket fence. However, when he tried, the fence just fell apart under his weight, the boy rolling onto the ground, making Nova rush to his aid and help him up from the ground, before the pair took off once again, both of them pushing past the set of bushes and fallen down branches in their way.

John B ran ahead into the next road, but when he did, the same black truck came out of nowhere speeding down the road, causing for John B react quickly and slam his hands harshly against the front of the vehicle as the driver slammed his foot on the breaks. The sound of screeching tires ripped through the air once again, and Nova couldn't help but wince at the cruel sound.

John B then turned back around to face Nova, a frantic look gleaming over his eyes. "Come on, we need to keep moving." He instructed in a loud voice.

Nova nodded her head in agreement, before her and John B both took off down the street in an attempt to get as far as possible from the two guys chasing after them. Nova then followed John B around a sharp corner where they reached a dead end, a wired fence blocking their path. But when Nova saw the boy run towards it in an attempt to jump it, she spoke up. . .

"John B, wait—"

Nova was too late to stop John B from latching onto the electric fence, a large and deadly shock erupting from the wires, sending the boy flying backwards, his back hitting the hard concrete behind him with a groan of pain flooding the air. Nova gasped and cupped her trembling hand over her mouth in shock, a mix of horror and worry evident in her ocean blue eyes.

"John B, John B!" Nova exclaimed loudly, rushing over to John B, kneeling down beside him with the crushing fear that the electric shock was strong enough to kill him.

Nova brought her hands towards his face and cupped his cheeks with a gentle touch, fear forming in the corners of her eyes with a sigh of relief leaving her lips when she heard shaky and trembling breath slipping past John B's lips. "Thank God, you're okay." She coughed up.

All of a sudden, the sound of a roaring engine ripped through the air, and when Nova lifted her gaze she saw the same truck parking a short distance away from her and John B, before the other guy came around the corner with a gun held firmly in his hand. Nova swallowed the lump forming in the back of her throat, prepared to do everything and anything to stop herself from dying today.

The stranger chuckled, making the girl shiver. "You gotta watch those live wires after a storm." He chimed with amusement laced in his thick southern accent.

Nova did her best to stuff her fear away, before she stared back at the stranger with a desperate look evident in her gaze. "Stay away from him!" She yelled, her voice cracking in the process.

The man laughed in response to her demand and raised his gun, pointing the barrel of the weapon at her temple. "Your buddy is gonna give me what I want." He seethed through gritted teeth, pushing the gun harshly against her head and applying pressure against her skull.

A shaky and harrowing breath escaped past Nova's lips, lifting her gaze to glance up at the stranger who had a gun pointed at her skull. She was scared. . . No, scratch that. Nova was fucking terrified. It almost seemed like having a gun pointed at her was becoming a part of her daily routine, and she wasn't happy about it. A part of her believed she was going to die.

This was it.

This was how she was going to die. . . Maybe she would see Riley sooner than she thought.

But before the stranger could pull the trigger on her, the sound of police sirens flooded Nova's ears, causing for the man to remove the gun from her temple, before the girl turned her head to the side to see Peterkin coming out of a police vehicle with her eyes widening in horror. However, Peterkin's presence was enough to make the two dangerous men back off as they quickly fled the scene, leaving Nova and John B alone.

Nova sighed with relief, her eyes locking with the woman's with a thankful look burning in her eyes, grateful that the woman showed up when she did. Nova then turned back around and watched as the men sped down the street in their black truck, a heavy weight weighing down in her chest cavity as the sudden rush of adrenaline finally kicked into her system, pulsating through her throbbing veins.

She was safe. . . She was alive.

━━━━━━━━

Allison Van Kirk was far from thrilled when she received a call from her good friend, Susan Peterkin, asking her to come and pick up Nova after she had managed to outrun two complete strangers from the mainland, one who was carrying a gun the entire time. In fact, the woman was in so much distraught that she didn't say anything to Nova until they walked through the front door with Nova following close behind.

Nova's mother was disappointed to say the least. Allison expected this kind of stuff from Riley since he was always hanging around with the Pogues, but never in a million years would she have thought Nova would wrap herself in the same reckless behaviour her brother was previously a part of before he died. Nova even knew it hurt her mother, her words still ringing in the back of her skull like a broken record. . .

     I don't want you getting involved with those kids. You'll end up just like your brother.

     Those words left an uneasy feeling in the pit of Nova's stomach. Not only was she upset that her mother would drag Riley's name into the argument, but after the argument ended, Nova's mother just left because she had to go back to work. Nova understood her mom was constantly busy. She could tell owning a hospital was never an easy job. But to say what she said about Riley and then just leave left Nova feeling angry and resentful towards her mother.

The worse part was that Allison Van Kirk didn't even ask her daughter if she was okay after almost getting shot.

And, so, Nova felt more alone than ever. Rafe and her weren't talking for obvious reasons, her friends were MIA, her dad was still god knows where on his supposed business trip, and her mom was constantly working. And with no drugs in her system, Nova couldn't even force herself to forget about all the fucked up things that have happened during the last twenty four hours.

     She really wished Riley was here right now.

     That was why Nova Van Kirk found herself pushing the door to Riley's bedroom open, the girl hesitantly stepping inside to see it had remained untouched since her mom cleaned up all the mess Riley had left behind when he died. Nova looked around with a small smile creeping to her lips when she saw his nirvana and green day posters covering the walls, the girl shaking her head when she was reminded of the god awful punk music she would often hear rumbling in his room from time to time. Nova would always complain about it.

Now she would rather suffer and listen to his crappy music forever instead of him being buried six feet in the ground, because, truth is, the house has never been more quiet, every room and hallway being haunted by Riley's ghost.

Nova continued to wander around her brother's room for a moment, before she stopped and plopped herself on the edge of his bed, her eyes flickering over to the framed picture of her and Riley placed on his bedside table. Nova smiled at the familiar memory. She was just ten years old, whilst Riley was eleven, at a carnival on the mainland. Riley recalled it being the happiest day of his life because him and Nova cheated their way onto a ride by faking their height and stuffing objects into the heels of their shoes before they left earlier that day.

However, the outcome wasn't so pretty. Nova was a crying mess when she walked off the ride whilst Riley was laughing hysterically, all because she almost slipped out of the ride. But it was nothing cotton candy and a slush puppy couldn't fix. It was the only picture their parents took that day, and one the Van Kirk siblings cherished forever.

     Nova missed those days.

     The girl continued to smile at the picture before she reached over and picked it up, holding the blue frame in her hand for a moment with a single tear rolling down her cheek, whilst she's continued to stare down at the photo. There was never a day that went by since Riley's death when she didn't miss him. In fact, all Nova wanted was for her brother to come bursting through that door and tell her everything was going to be okay.

     But that kind of stuff only happened in fairytales, and Nova's life was far from that.

     All of a sudden, Nova is snapped out of thoughts when she felt something sticking out of the back of the picture frame. This caused for Nova to turn the frame around to see something abnormal was sticking out from underneath the seal, forcing Nova to unlock the edges and remove the back of the frame to see something other than the photo was stuffed inside.

     Nova frowned at the sight and pulled out the object. It was an envelope with her name scribbled across it in Riley's handwriting — it was a letter addressed to her from Riley, but why was it hidden all this time?

A thick lump formed in the back of the girl's throat before she turned the letter around to see a secret message scribbled on the back of the envelope. But not just any secret message. It was in code, one that only Nova could crack since coded messages were always how Nova and her brother used to communicate when they were children. It was like they had their own secret message that they had to decipher.

The message was short. Nova knew that much for sure, and so, it was quick easy to decode. Nova quickly picked up the pen that was also left on Riley's bedside table. It was probably left there after he wrote the letter that Nova was still yet to read. But she had to decode the secret message first.

Nova began to write out the new message in full underneath the coded version, her shaky hand scribbling the new words out as clear as day. Nova then inhaled sharply, the girl dropping the pen back down onto the bed when she realised what it said. . .

Don't trust anyone.

Those three words left an uneasy feeling in her stomach, worry and suspicious pulsating sharply through her veins whilst she reread the same three words over and over again. A part of her hoped that maybe she wrote out the message wrong since it had been years since Nova and Riley used coded messages to communicate with one another. But the secret communicating tool was almost like a second language to Nova. She didn't make mistakes, especially when it came to this.

It made Nova wonder what it meant. It was clearly a warning, but about what? Who was he trying to warn her about and why? Was it connected to his overdose?

Truth is, Nova Van Kirk was scared to find out.

━━━━━━━━

authors note.
AND THE PLOT THICKENS. . .

So the story is finally getting spicy and obviously I know what the secret message is all about hehe, but it's for me to know and for you guys to dot dot dot. Maybe the letter Nova still needs to read has some answers? Find out next time on Glee ( sorry that was a bad joke ).

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I'll update again soon!! Until then, any theories?