CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
misery loves company

THE AFTERMATH OF Midsummers still lingered in the back of Nova Van Kirk's mind. Even when she slipped into more comfortable clothing and rested her head against her soft pillow, Nova tossed and turned all through the night, the girl thinking about the events that had unfolded through the night. She dwelled on each waking moment that occurred, the bittersweet memory leaving an indentation in the back of her mind, which caused for the blonde to smile to herself whilst she stared up at her bedroom ceiling because unlike half of the pain riddled memories that haunted the teenage girl, last nights events were filled with happiness and joy.

And the reason behind all that happiness was from the last person she thought it would ever come from — JJ Maybank.

Nova wasn't afraid to admit that Midsummers was an absolute hellscape until the Maybank boy showed up and whisked Nova off her feet, giving the girl a moment of peace during the hellish event she was forced to endure by her parents. It was almost like JJ allowed Nova to be herself in a sea of people who expected more from her — who expected the young sixteen year old girl to be somebody she wasn't just to feed into their own satisfaction. Nova hated every second of it.

But dancing in the arms of JJ Maybank made Nova feel safe in a room full of people that didn't understand her and never cared too. JJ always seemed to understand how she felt and connected with her in ways Nova didn't think were possible, and deep down, Nova always knew they had a connection, which was why she pushed the boy away all those months ago. But now, Nova didn't want to push him away. She wanted to hold JJ close and never let go again because it wasn't every day you find someone worth holding onto.

And even though the night didn't end in the way Nova wanted it to, knowing that the last thing she ever wanted was for Rafe to creep up on her when she least expected it and nearly forced her to relapse when he knew she was trying to get sober, Nova still went home with a smile on her face. Even after hours had passed since her departure from the party, Nova couldn't shake off the joy JJ gave her, the boy being the subject of her every thought.

The circumstances made it impossible to forget, especially after Nova's parents lectured her for a good hour the next morning. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Ethan and Allison Van Kirk were seriously displeased with their daughter's reckless behaviour as the party the night before. They had blatantly told her to keep quiet and she still deliberately disobeyed their instructions. They knew Nova had a good heart and was compassionate beyond comprehension, but they wished she would just listen to them for once in her life.

Now that didn't mean they agreed with how the security guard handled the situation. They felt sympathy for the Pogues themselves, but having their daughter raise her voice and defend a teenage delinquent who was trespassing on private property left many of the other guests scowling at the Van Kirk's, thus embarrassing their family name since Pogues weren't favoured amongst the Kooks. Ethan and Allison Van Kirk knew it would be a night many would complain about at the country club until they got bored and moved onto the next minor inconvenience.

Nova knew her parents weren't angry at her — just disappointed.

Which was why Nova was told to stay in her room for the entire day and not leave the house until they said so. She was already grounded for her recent drug use, so Nova's punishment was being extended just a little longer all because she didn't agree with the mistreatment of her friend ( that's total bullshit ). However, Nova was never really one to be confined to the four walls of her bedroom until her parents gave her the go ahead to leave.

So what did Nova Van Kirk do?

She waited for the perfect opportunity to sneak out of her bedroom window and travel further down the street ( a ten minute walk to be exact ) until she was standing on the front step of Juno O'Connell's house. Nova couldn't exactly remember how long she had been standing in the same spot for, her bright blue eyes focused on the red door in front of her, but if there was one thing Nova knew for sure, it was that she didn't know what to do next.

She could blame that on the nerves that ignited in her bones, a violent thunderstorm of overwhelming worries and crippling anxieties pulsating through her veins, whilst her mind was plagued with all the hurtful things she had done to the O'Connell girl: the lies she told, the hurtful words she spat at the girl in the midst of their heated argument, and failing to apologise for it later on when she was in the wrong. They were all perfectly good reasons to why Nova's and Juno's friendship was holding on by a thin thread, and Nova was to blame for all of it.

Now she had to hold herself accountable for her hurtful actions.

Nova believed now was the time to apologise and make up for all her wrongdoings. The only problem was that she couldn't even gain enough courage to ring the doorbell, the girl fearing that Juno would simply open the door and slam it back in her face the second they made eye contact. Nova was scared of losing her best friend for good because after everything else she's lost, Juno was the one person the blonde never wanted to let slip through her fingers.

But Nova had to stop being scared of the unknown.

So, the girl swallowed thickly and rolled back her shoulders, stuffing all her fear and nerves into a box whilst she lifted her hand, applying pressure to the doorbell before a loud chime echoed through the air. Nova then took a step back and waited, hoping somebody would answer the door soon. She knew Juno was home. Both her car and her mother's were parked in the driveway, so either they couldn't hear the doorbell, or they were straight up ignoring her.

All of a sudden, a shadowy silhouette appeared through the glass on the other side of the door, the door swinging open in a matter of seconds to reveal Juno's mother, Vivian O'Connell, standing in front of Nova in all of her ( drunken ) glory, dressed in comfortable clothing with a dressing gown made out of silk thrown over her shoulders. The older woman wasn't even standing anywhere near Nova and the girl could still smell the stench of liquor that radiated off of the woman, the smell burning her nostrils. Nova had to practically fight the urge to hide her disgust.

"Nova!" The woman exclaimed enthusiastically, her words coming out slurred in the process. It was enough to make Nova frown at the woman. Vivian smiled again. "How are you, Sweetheart?" She then asked, now waiting for an answer from the girl.

Nova inhaled sharply and forced a smile of her own across her lips, staring back at the woman with a twinkle of joy shining bright in her blue eyes. "I'm good, Mrs O'Connell, thank you." She answered, trying to paint on a good act to please the woman whilst she was in her presence. "Is Juno here?" She questioned, making an attempt to change the subject to avoid a long conversation.

Don't get her wrong, she used to love engaging in conversation with Vivian O'Connell, and even saw her as a second mother. But ever since Juno's father left and the woman fell into a dark pit of alcoholism, Nova couldn't stand the sight of her, especially since she was very much aware of Vivian's violent actions she had taken against her own daughter.

Vivian O'Connell smiled once again, stepping aside to allow Nova to walk into her home. "She's upstairs in her room. At least I think she is. I can't keep track of that girl anymore." She informed.

Nova simply nodded her head and walked into the O'Connell household, the girl looking around, scanning her eyes over the lounge to see it was littered with empty glass bottles, powered lines and orange pill bottles scattered across the glass table. The sight was enough to leave a lump in the back of Nova's throat, an uneasy feeling growing in the pit of her stomach when she found her eyes lingering on the mess in front of her, a bitter taste on the tip of her tongue that craved whatever contents Vivian O'Connell had to offer.

However, Nova knew better than to give into the temptation, and instead she offered Vivian one last comforting smile before she turned her back on the woman and began to make her way up the spiral staircase. Nova's brief journey up the steps continued until she reached the top, the girl wandering further down the hallway until she found Juno's room, causing for her to suck in a sharp breath before she curled her hand into a loose fist and knocked three times on the wooden door.

In that very moment, Nova could hear pacing on the other side of the door, quiet murmurs filled with cursed words being almost audible from where Nova stood. She even heard the loud sigh of exasperation, followed by Juno's familiar voice. "Mom, I told you to leave me alone—" Juno was quick to cut herself off when she swung open her bedroom door to see none other than Nova Van Kirk standing in front of her, a nervous expression plastered across her face.

A small smile ghosted across Nova's pink lips whilst she stared back at her best friend. "You're mom let me in." She inferred.

Nova's statement was enough to make Juno roll her eyes before she stepped back inside her bedroom, wanting nothing more than to create some distance between Nova and herself. Who could blame her? She had every right to hate Nova's guts after everything that was exchanged between the pair at Topper's party at the start of the week.

"Your mom seems happy." Nova insinuated, trying to break the tension between her and Juno by using small talk. Except the second those words left her lips, Nova was mentally hitting herself over and over again in hopes that it would knock some sense into her and remind the girl to choose her words more carefully next time.

Juno let out a scoff in response to the blonde's assumption. "Yeah. That's because as long as she has a glass of wine in one hand and pills in the other, she's just peachy." She replied, her voice lathered in sarcasm, her bitter tone leaving goosebumps across Nova's skin.

Nova nodded her head. "I'm sorry—"

"Cut the small talk, Nova." Juno cut the girl off, perching herself at the end of her bed, staring back at Nova, who leaned against the desk opposite her bed with a raised brow. "What do you want?" She then asked.

Nova sighed, her eyes softening at the sight of her best friend. "Look, I know I'm probably the last person you want to see right now—"

"That's the understatement of the century." Juno interjected once again, muttering her words under her breath, but loud enough for the blonde to hear.

"But I'm sorry, okay?" Nova told her, her deep blue eyes flooding with sincerity — something Juno quickly noticed whilst Nova elaborated further. "I'm sorry for what I said to you at Topper's party. I want to try and pin the blame on the fact that I was high, or blame Rafe because of how he treated me, but there was no excuse. I should have never said those things about your dad and your mom. It was wrong and if I could go back in time and stop it from happening I would because you're my best friend and I get how hard this is for you."

"You have no idea how I feel." Juno laughed, staring back at Nova with tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "My dad abandoned me and my mom because he couldn't accept the fact that I was bisexual. He would have rather sent me away and thrown money at the problem instead of accept me for who I am. My mom accepted me, but she loved my dad more than she will ever love me so she gets drunk, pops pills and does coke to numb the pain of losing the one person she loved more than anything else in this world." She explained, her words causing for a dull ache to erupt in Nova's chest.

Nova could see Juno was in pain. The sight of her best friend in such an emotional state being enough to make Nova want to run over, embrace her and tell her everything would be okay. But they still weren't on the best terms, so Nova restrained the urge to comfort Juno for now whilst the girl continued to speak.

"And when I try to stop her from destroying herself, she shoves me into walls and smacks me around because she blames me for everything." Juno came to a quick pause, a shaky and harrowing breath leaving her quivering lips. "You know, one time she told me that if I had just kept my mouth shut, then we could have still been one big happy family. She would rather shove me back in the closet to have her husband back instead of accepting that this is what her life is now. I am never enough for her."

Nova felt the tears burning her eyes, her lips parting to speak. "Juno, I—"

"And then I look at you and what you have. Your parents would literally walk through fire for you, Nova, because they love you unconditionally." Juno continued, ignoring Nova whilst she wiped away the salty tears rolling down her cheeks. "So, no. You don't get it." She deadpanned, inhaling sharply to hold back the tears that threatened to fall.

That was when a wave of realisation hit Nova all at once, the blonde wiping away a stray tear that began to roll down her porcelain skin. Juno was right. Nova had no clue how her friend felt and she definitely didn't understand what the girl was going through because Nova always had parents who loved and adored her for being her. The love Juno's parents had was conditional and it left a sickly feeling bubbling in the pit of Nova's stomach when she stared back at the broken form of her best friend.

The kind girl with a heart of gold was slowly withering into darkness, and it took Nova this long to finally see it.

"The pills and the coke..." Nova trailed off, finally breaking the silence between Juno and herself. "How long has that been going on for?"

Juno sighed, clearing her throat. "A few weeks now." She confessed, shrugging her shoulders in the process, deciding to be truthful about her mother's recent habits in regards to her unhealthy coping mechanisms.

That was when Nova realised something. That night when Juno found out about the Nova's ongoing battle with addiction, she reacted in a way the blonde had never seen before, and that was because all of Juno's tough love and desperate pleads to open Nova's eyes to the very obvious fact that she needed help came from the heart and not the head. Juno had lost her boyfriend to addiction months ago, and was already dealing with her mother's deadly habits, so to find out her best friend was spiralling down the same dark path as the both of them made the O'Connell girl react irrationally.

But it came out of a place of love.

"That's why you completely lost it at Topper's party?" Nova inquired, her eyes flooding with sadness and despair.

"I've already lost Riley, and I have to watch as my mom slips away from me too." Juno spoke up, the girl lifting her gaze to lock eyes with Nova once again. "You're my best friend, Nova. I can't lose you too." She choked up, her words causing for Nova to shake her head.

"I'm so sorry, Juno. I've been so wrapped up in my own problems that I never gave a single thought about everything you're going through." Nova apologised again, walking over towards Juno and sitting beside her on the edge of the bed, before she reached out and grabbed Juno's hand with her own, giving it a tight and reassuring squeeze. "And I promise you will never lose me. I've been clean since that night and I have no intention of ever using again. Believe me when I tell you that."

Juno cracked a small smile when hearing those reassuring words leave Nova's lips, a spark of hope igniting in her veins that maybe their friendship was no longer broken after all. "You mean that?" She questioned, wanting to be sure.

"Most definitely." Nova nodded her head, the two girls smiling at one another for a short moment, before another thought crossed her mind, forcing the blonde to part her lips to speak again. "From now on, we tell each other everything. No more lies." She added, wanting to reassure herself and Juno that they could tell each other everything, no matter how dark and twisted it might be.

In that very moment, Juno stared back at the blonde girl with a curious look beginning to glimmer in her eyes, a thought crossing her mind. "Does that mean I can finally ask you about JJ?" Juno queried, raising her brow in the process.

Nova felt her cheeks heat up when she heard the familiar name roll off of Juno's tongue, her face turning a light shade of red that was easily noticeable to the naked eye. This caused for Nova to shrug her shoulders whilst she stared down at the ground. "There's nothing to talk about." She deadpanned.

"Bullshit, Nova Van Kirk." Juno retorted, staring back at Nova with a playful look twinkling in her dark eyes. "Come on, you were the one who said there should be no more secrets between us, and there is definitely a lot of history there that I'm not even aware of. So, come on, tell me." She pressed, hoping to get a straight forward answer from the blonde.

Sighing in defeat, Nova nodded her head and turned her attention back to the girl sitting beside her. "Fine. Do you remember that party you dragged me to, you know, the one at John B's chateau?" She reminded the girl.

"Yeah..." Juno trailed off, the girl furrowing her brows together in confusion.

"Well, that night..." Nova paused, inhaling sharply. "That was the night everything seemed to change."

━━━━━━━━

TWO MONTHS AGO.

The classic tale of Nova Van Kirk and JJ Maybank was truly unforgettable. It was the story of how two complete strangers somehow managed to still cross paths in a sea of chaos — how two broken individuals found solace in each other amongst all the heartbreak they both seemed to share, the pair being brought together by the grief they shared for the same person. One night together was able to make them forget about the two long gruelling months of loss and pain, and instead they created a connection that could never be severed.

Some would say the way they came together was messy, but in the most beautiful way.

Nova stumbled her way through the thin hallways of the chateau, a mix of alcohol and everlasting euphoria rushing through her bloodstream, the girl pushing past many other drunken individuals as an attempt to escape from the party unfolding with every waking second that seemed to pass her bye. There was no denying that the toxins in her body was what pushed Nova to keep going, her drunken state coaxing her body into moving further and deeper into the chateau until she found somewhere quiet so she could be alone.

She didn't even know why Juno dragged her to this stupid party to begin with. She didn't even know or like John B.

That was when Nova found a door. The blonde stopped in her tracks and stared down at the handle for a moment, before she curled her hand around the handle, the girl inhaling sharply when her bare skin came in contact with the cool metal. Once Nova had composed herself, the girl rolled back her shoulders and twisted the handle, hoping it would be empty. However, when she pushed the door open she saw someone was sat by the window with a blunt in his hand, his messy blond hair, sun kissed skin and handsome features being noticeable from where Nova stood, even in the midst of her drunken state.

It was JJ Maybank.

"Sorry. I didn't know anyone was in here." Nova blurted out, becoming embarrassed in the matter of seconds. The last thing she wanted was someone seeing her in such a confusing state. She thought it was better to just leave and save herself from anymore embarrassment. "I'll just go and leave you alone—"

"Hey, you're Riley's sister, right?" JJ questioned, causing for the girl to stop and stare at him with her brows furrowing together. It didn't take a genius to figure out the boy was just as wasted as she was. Not only was he drunk, but he was also high as a kite.

Nova simply nodded her head, a bitter chuckle leaving her lips. "And you're his friend." Nova states, shrugging her shoulders. She was very familiar with JJ's friendship with her deceased brother, especially after seeing them hanging around each other as many times as she has. "Anyways, now that we've got the introductions out of the way, I'm just gonna go." She changed the subject, making another attempt to leave again.

"No, stay." JJ protests, causing for the girl to stop once again, her stern gaze fixated on the boy whilst he continued to speak. "You look like you could use the company."

Nova frowned at his statement before she stepped back inside the room and closed the door shut behind her, the music that blared throughout the house tuning out in a matter of seconds, trapping the pair in a room filled with nothing but silence. This caused for Nova to swallow thickly whilst her blue eyes looked around the room, taking in her unfamiliar surroundings. She noticed the posters that were scattered across the wall and the electric guitar placed in the far corner of the overall messy room. It didn't take much effort to realise this room was the perfect fit for a teenage boy.

"Hey..." JJ's familiar voice was enough to break Nova out of her dazed state, the girl turning her attention back to him to see he was holding out the lit blunt for her to take from him. "Do you want a hit? It's hydroponic...good for the mind and soul."

Nova cracked a smile and chuckled quietly whilst she sat down by the window, sitting opposite the boy with a look filled with amusement plastered across her face. "Do you say that to all the girls you corner at parties?" She questioned curiously, taking the blunt from him and caressing it between her fingertips.

JJ smiled back at the blonde. "Only to the ones who catch my eye." He answered truthfully.

"Smooth." She chimed, a playful look dancing around her eyes whilst she continued to stare at the Maybank boy. "You know, if I was sober I would have left this room already, but I need a good distraction from the world out there. Besides, I think I was seconds away from being dragged into a dance circle with Juno." She explained, placing the end of the blunt in between her lips and taking a drag, her lungs filling with smoke before she blew whatever was left back out.

Nova then took another drag from the blunt, hoping to feel the effects of the drug sooner whilst JJ parted his lips to speak. "I was going to mention I was surprised to see you here. The chateau isn't exactly your type of scene." He inferred.

"And what is my type of scene?" Nova inquired, handing the blunt back over to JJ.

"Country clubs and sipping pinacoladas by the pool." He deadpanned, causing for Nova to burst out into a fit of laughter, earning a confused expression from JJ in response. "What?"

"Being a Kook isn't all about going to the club and sunbathing by the pool." Nova replied, leaning her head against the window frame behind her. "Life as a Kook kinda sucks if I'm being honest." She sighed, her smile faltering when reality began to set in.

JJ raised a brow, taking a drag from the blunt in his hand. "How come?"

The girl shrugged her shoulders, a sad look beginning to flood her crystal blue eyes. "These days it's just people offering their condolences for a kid they didn't know or even care about." She confessed, the mere mention of Riley and his death being enough to make JJ's entire body tense.

Riley's death was something none of the Pogues were ever able to forget about so easily. Riley was the glue that kept the group together in the most uncertain and frightening times. Whenever Pope was telling them a story, Riley would force the rest of them to listen. When Kiara needed an extra pair of hands when organising protests to help save the planet, Riley was the first to volunteer and help. Whenever JJ needed a place to stay after a dangerous encounter with his father, Riley would be there to coax the boy into a safe space. And when John B's father went missing, he was there for his best friend every step of the way, despite how distant the Van Kirk boy had become at the time.

Little did they all know, he was battling his own demons and using drugs to chase them away.

Losing Riley was something none of them ever recovered from. Even after months, JJ and the rest of them were still riddled with grief.

Sucking in a sharp breath, JJ decided to speak. "I know this is probably the most stupid question I could ask you, but how are you doing?" He asked curiously, but Nova could see the look filled with compassion that glimmered brightly in his eyes.

"I...I don't know how to feel anymore." Nova confessed, swallowing thickly whilst she did everything in her power to hold back her sea filled with overwhelming emotions. "It's been two months since Riley died and I don't know how to move on like everyone else. My parents and my friends just sit around and act like it never happened and they just expect me to do the same, but I can't stop thinking about Riley and what he did. Everyone's moving on and I just feel so..."

"...Alone." JJ interjected, his voice causing for Nova to stare back at him with a surprised look evident in her eyes.

"Yeah," Nova nodded her head, furrowing her brows together in the process. "How did you—"

"I know a thing or two about loss, Princess." He cut her off, the strange nickname rolling off his tongue in a perfect manner, his voice sounding like a mix of silk and honey. "It sometimes feels like you're drowning with no way to swim back up, almost like you're dying over and over again." He elaborated further.

Nova nodded again, "Exactly." She agreed, her eyes locking with his own.

In that very moment, Nova Van Kirk felt a surge of relief wash over her, a small sense of understanding igniting in her bones whilst she continued to stare back at JJ. For the first time in a long time, Nova felt as if she had found someone who truly understood her and what she felt. After months of grief and pain, she had found someone she could connect with, and to know it was with JJ Maybank of all people was pretty surprising, but she didn't dare question it because she liked having someone she could relate to, and someone who understood her.

     But that understanding and that strong connection they shared was enough to scare Nova.

     Nova then stood up from where she was previously sat, brushing her hands over her skirt before she turned back to JJ, avoiding his gaze all at once whilst she cleared her throat. "I should go. Juno is probably wondering where I've wondered off to." She spoke up, quickly changing the subject.

     The girl made a second attempt to leave. However, she felt a strong and firm grip snake around her wrist in a matter of seconds, a strong burning sensation igniting in between her skin and JJ's, causing for Nova to turn around and come face to face with JJ Maybank all over again. Nova started to realise how close she was to the boy, their chests touching whilst their faces were barely inches from each other, JJ's hot breath that smelled of cheap beer and weed fanning against her face and sending chills up her spine whilst she swallowed thickly as an attempt ease her nerves.

     "Stay." JJ whispered to the girl, his voice causing for the hairs to stand up on the back of her neck, his eyes darkening. "Please."

     And Nova didn't know if it was the mix of alcohol and drugs flowing through her bloodstream, or the burning desire to feel something more than just pain and grief, but in a matter of seconds, Nova lifted her hand and placed it gently on the nape of JJ's neck. Without giving it a second thought Nova brought him closer to her, closing the gap in between them when their lips finally touched, a spark of insatiable desire igniting between their lips as they began to kiss passionately.

     However, a quick moment of realisation washed over Nova, causing for the blonde to come to her senses and pull back from the kiss, her eyes locking with JJ's once again, both of them breathing heavily in the aftermath of their passionate and irrational kiss. JJ knitted his brows together. "Is everything okay?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

     And in that very moment, Nova forgot all about her past worries and nodded her head, a ghost of a smile forming across her pink, swollen lips. "Everything's perfect." She answered, earning a small grin from JJ in response.

     JJ then lifted his hand to caress Nova's jaw, his cold fingertips sending chills across her skin whilst he brought her closer to him, deepening the kiss whilst their lips continued to move together in perfect sync. That was until JJ pulled away again to remove his shirt, the boy pulling the article of clothing off of his body and discarding it to the floor, before he reconnected his lips with Nova's once again, that familiar feeling of fireworks and thunderstorms igniting in the girl's veins all over again.

All of a sudden, Nova felt JJ remove his hand from her jaw, before his hands began to travel across every inch of her body, his strong grip exploring every curve and crevice, almost like she was a work of art that was dying to be admired by someone who truly appreciated every perfection, and even every flaw. That was until JJ's hands found their way to Nova's thighs, his comforting touch searing its way through the soft material of her sundress. It was a clear indication for Nova to make the next move, the girl using all her strength to jump up and wrap her legs around the boy's torso.

     JJ began to carry Nova closer towards the bed, before he broke away from the kiss and gently lowered her back down, the girl sinking into the soft mattress beneath her whilst JJ crawled on top of the girl and connected their lips again. But the desire to feel closer to the Maybank boy became overwhelming, forcing Nova to use one hand to push JJ away from her for a moment whilst she hooked her fingers underneath her sundress and pulled it over her head, leaving the girl in nothing other than her bra and underwear.

     "Wow." JJ muttered, but in a confident manner, his compliment causing for Nova to blush for a quick second, before she pulled him back down to her, their lips reconnecting for what seemed like the millionth time.

But that only lasted for a short time before JJ began to trail soft kisses from Nova's lips, to her jawline, her neck and lastly her collarbone, where JJ began to suck on her skin harshly. The motion was enough to send Nova into a wave of pure ecstasy, a quiet moan tumbling from her lips as she wrapped her legs around JJ to bring him closer to her, her skin coming into contact with his whilst she dug her nails into his back, and trailed marks down his skin, the sensation being enough to make JJ let out a quiet groan as he continued to bite down on Nova's skin.

However, JJ was quick to pull away and gently rest his forehead against Nova's, shaky breaths escaping past his lips whilst he stared deeply into the girl's desperate eyes. She craved him. He saw that. It was as clear as day. But he had to be sure. "Are you sure you want this?" He asked.

Nova bit down on her bottom lip and placed her hands on either side of the boy's face, a smile forming across her lips once again. "I want this...I want you." She told him breathlessly, and that was all JJ needed to hear before he kissed her again.

     And between the entanglement of their warm bodies, frantic breaths, soft giggles and the incoherent words that left their lips, two broken teens found the perfect escape within each other as they rolled around in the soft sheets, basking in the twinkling shades of everlasting twilight. Euphoria flooded into every pore of Nova's skin, and for the first time in a long time, the girl saw stars.

     By the next morning, golden rays of sunlight began to peak through the window, instantly waking the girl from her deep slumber. Nova used her hand to shield her eyes from the morning sun, but when her eyes adjusted to the sunlight, the girl turned over only to be met by a sleeping JJ lying peacefully next to her. That was when the girl was instantly reminded of the night before, her stomach twisting into knots at the mere thought of what happened between them both.

     How could she be so reckless?

     That same fear — the fear of finding a connection with someone was enough to make Nova act quickly, pushing the sheets off her naked body before she scrambled to get dressed. However, the sudden rush of quick movements were enough to make JJ stir in his sleep before he peeled open his tired eyes only to find Nova was already in her bra and underwear, her eyes frantically searching for her last article of clothing.

"Hey..." JJ spoke up, his familiar voice being enough to make Nova turn around to face him, a worried look plastered across her face, almost like she was a deer in headlights. JJ then stared at the blonde with a confused look glimmering in his gaze. "Where are you going?"

Nova shook her head and turned back around, searching for her sundress until she eventually found it, her quivering lips parting so she could speak. "Home. I shouldn't even be here." She answered, stepping back into her dress and pulling it over her body, brushing her hands over the ends as an attempt to straighten it out.

"It's early." JJ reminded the girl, kicking off the sheets and climbing out of bed, before he found his boxers and pulled them back over his body. "Surely you could stay for a little longer."

Nova scoffed in response to the boy's words, turning around to face him again. "And risk getting caught here. No, thank you." She replied in a bitter tone.

JJ furrowed his brows in response, a puzzled look glazed over his eyes. "What would be so bad about that? You could hang out with the rest of the group. They'll definitely like you." He suggested, his offer being enough to make Nova stare back at the boy with a look filled with disbelief burning in her bright blue eyes.

"What's bad about it, JJ, is that no one can know about this — about us." Nova retorted, her harsh voice being enough to make the hopeful look in JJ's expression falter. "I mean, sleeping with a Pogue? That's downright embarrassing." She blurted out, the girl instantly realising the error in her harsh words.

In that moment, JJ stared back at Nova with a hurt expression washing over his face, the boy nodding his head in response. "So I'm just another mistake?" He inquired, his broken voice causing for splinters to pierce Nova's heart. "That's good to know. I don't want to get myself involved with a Kook just for them to screw me over anyways." He elaborated.

Regret and guilt began to sink in, causing for Nova to approach the boy. "JJ, I—"

"Just go, Nova." JJ interjected, cutting the girl off in the process.

Nova stopped in her tracks when she heard those words leave JJ's lips, a sad expression washing over her face, before she turned her back on the boy and left the room, closing the door shut behind her. Nova then rested her head against the door and released a shaky breath past her lips, a throbbing pain in her chest when she came to the realisation that she had severed her connection to the only person who seemed to understand her.

It would be a regret Nova Van Kirk was forced to live with for the rest of her life.

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"You and JJ slept together, and you didn't even tell me?" Juno blurted out, a look filled with surprise flooding her eyes whilst she continued to stare at her best friend in shock. Nova simply nodded her head in response, causing for Juno to frown. "And you just left him like that?" She pressed further.

     Looking back on that eventful night, Nova knew deep down that what she said to JJ the morning following their long night tangled together in the sheets was wrong. She knew it from the very moment she blurted those words out into the open, but she never apologised for what she said until last night at Midsummers. It took her months to finally own up to her wrongdoings ( she knew the apology was long overdue ) and now that she finally had, it made her feel better, but not completely.

     Maybe it was because she was still denying something. It was almost like a burning truth was trying to climb its way to the surface, but Nova wasn't even aware of the fact that she pushing it down. The problem was that she had no clue how to stop herself either.

     "I'm not proud of it." Nova breathed out. "But even though I apologised to him about it, I still feel guilty. You know, he did everything to help me since I came back from my trip. He got me clean and he's been helping me with this whole mystery between Riley and the Royal Merchant, and I still feel as if I'm hurting him somehow." She explained, expressing how she felt deep inside.

     Juno raised a brow, staring at the blonde with a suspicious look evident in her gaze. "What do you mean?" She questioned curiously.

"I mean that after everything I've said and done to him, he keeps coming back to help me." Nova elaborated, sighing heavily whilst she stared down at her hands. "I just feel like I don't deserve any of it, especially after hurting him as many times as I have. I just feel like maybe life would be so much easier if what happened between us never happened."

"Nova, you couldn't be more wrong." Juno spoke up, causing for Nova to lift her gaze to see her friend shaking her head in a disapproving manner. "Sure, you've said and done fucked up shit, but that doesn't mean you're a terrible person. Now people like Rafe Cameron are terrible by default, and I'm relived you finally saw some sense and dumped his ass." She explained, her words being enough to make Nova crack a smile, the two girls laughing in unison with each other.

Once the laughter began to die down, Juno parted her lips to speak once again. "But what I'm trying to say is that you're human. You're going to make mistakes like we all do, but it's up to you to figure out if you and JJ are one of those mistakes." She elaborated further, taking Nova's hand into her own and giving it a gentle squeeze filled with reassurance.

     Nova continued to stare at her best friend with a grateful look flooding her crystal blue eyes, a feeling of relief washing over when she heard those reassuring words leave Juno's lips. It wasn't enough to erase all of Nova's crippling anxieties about her strange and unforeseen future with JJ, but it was just what she needed to calm her nerves for now at least, a gentle and heartwarming smile forming across her lips whilst she continued to stare into the eyes of her best friend, a single thought crossing her mind.

"You know what?" Nova spoke up, earning a look from Juno in response. "I've missed this." She added, indicating towards the short and sweet moment being exchanged between Juno and herself.

Juno smiled back at the girl. "Well, let's agree to never let anything come between us again." She suggested, earning a nod from agreement from Nova in response.

Suddenly, a loud ding ripped through the air, causing for Juno to look over her shoulder and grab her phone, the girl staring down at the text that had just appeared on her screen. Nova watched as her friend read the message on the screen, a sigh leaving Juno's lips, before she turned her phone off and glanced back at Nova with a mix of dread and burning anticipation burning in her dark eyes. It made the girl wonder who the text was from and why it struck those kind of emotions into Juno of all people.

"We have to go." Juno announced, standing up from the bed. "The others want us to meet them at the chateau to discuss the treasure hunt." She elaborated further, earning a nod from Nova in response.

Nova then stood up along with her friend, a confused expressing plastered across her face. "That doesn't explain why you look like you're about to claw somebody's eyes out." She pointed out, earning a look from Juno in response.

"John B also mentioned that Sarah will be tagging along with the rest of us." Juno inferred.

Realisation then washed over Nova, the girl nodding her head when the mere mention of Sarah joining the rest of them came into conversation. Neither her or Juno were oblivious to the fact that there was only one person who would be against the idea of Sarah Cameron joining the treasure hunt, especially considering their history with the girl, and that person was none other than Kiara Carrera herself.

So Nova rolled back her shoulders and sucked in a sharp breath before she followed Juno out of the bedroom, preparing herself for the chaos soon to follow.

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authors note.
NOVA AND JUNO ARE BESTIES AGAIN GUYS LETS MAKE SOME NOISE!!

Also we finally got a small little flashback to that night between Nova and JJ which I hinted at in the last chapter, and I know some of you were asking for smut but I'm going to be honest with you I'm nineteen years old and I didn't feel comfortable writing a whole ass sex scene between two minors even though they're fictional. So hopefully what I gave you was okay. . .

Anyways look out for more updates over the next two months because my main goal is to write the rest of season one before season two drops, so I hope you guys are excited for the chaos that's coming up!!