Nova.

Rhett’s taken to not even looking up anymore. He looks more and more uncomfortable around her as time goes on and the poor thing is too busy trying to get his attention she doesn’t even notice that he doesn’t want to be near her at all.

It’s an act, and he gets it, but she’s either a really good actress, or she really likes him, and he doesn’t know what the truth is anymore.

It’s discouraging.



“You need to stop.”

“Stop what?” Delilah asks, blue eyes confused and almost upset.

“This thing you’re doing. The flirting and coming to lunch and—everything. You need to cut it out.”

“I’m supposed to be acting like your girlfriend, Rhett, so your parents and your friends don’t suspect that you’re blowing them all off to go be with that awkward black girl in my art class.”

“How’d—”

“I’m not stupid. I have my ways.” She smiles brightly. “I couldn’t care less, personally. If she makes you happy, she makes you happy. But if I were you, and I didn’t want Roslyn and all my other stupid little friends to find out about my little paramour, I’d suck it up and pretend to enjoy this. I don’t like it either. I’ll try to lay off, but you’re not making this easy. Most of the school thinks that I’m just some desperate little floozy because you act like you don’t even want to touch me.”

Because Nova can see, he wants to say, but bites his tongue and nods.

“I’ll see what I can do.”



A few days go by.

The recital is in three days.

Amelia is going to one of Madame’s grueling practices—but Nova isn’t, which means that Rhett is going to go pick her up and then take her out for pizza (Nova loves] pizza), so it’ll all work out in the end. She ends up getting stuck behind Roslyn (and, interestingly enough, Rhett) in the hallway.

“You need to ask her out already,” Roslyn says, holding her books to her chest tightly like she always does.

“I don’t like her, and I don’t know why you told her I did—”

“Because you obviously do and I don’t know why you’re fighting it so badly,” she says wisely. “It’s okay to like somebody, Rhett.”

Even though he agreed to fool everyone with Delilah, he has his reservations. It’s hurting Nova, he can see it, and he hurts her enough the way it is—their entire relationship does—so he’d like to avoid hurting her anymore if he can help it.

“I’m not fighting anything!” he exclaims. “I just don’t like her.” Roslyn looks up at him pointedly. “Like that, anyway. We’re just friends.”

“You ask her out or I’ll do it for you, and you really don’t want me to do it for you, do you?”

“I’m not—”

“You’re pathetic, Rhett. You’re always moping and you’re always thinking and staring off into space. It’s starting to make me feel bad, okay?” She puts her hand on his arm. “Just go ask her out already! It’ll be good for you.”

Nova walks around them and rushes through the crowd of students, shoving her books into her bag. There are some she doesn’t need but it doesn’t matter because some extra weight never hurt anybody. She just wants to get away. She doesn’t want to hear them anymore.

It’s not fair.

None of this is fair.

She knows it’s not, but that doesn’t make it hurt any less.



The recital is tonight. He’s happy and nervous. He’s happy because he’s going to get to see Nova, but nervous because so are his parents and the rest of the rather judgmental audience. And granted, they don’t know about Rhett and Nova or about what they have or how wonderful it is, and in the event that they did, Rhett doubts his parents would even be here right now. He doesn’t know what people are going to do when they see that the star isn’t white, if they’re going to storm out and be belligerent, or if they’re going to keep calm until they leave the venue and whisper about it amongst themselves. He doesn’t even know if they’ll care. Or notice. Maybe these people are more open minded because they’re artsy.

Who knows?

He sure doesn’t.

They get there early because his parents want seats in the front so they can tape the show easily. His mother tapes all of Amelia’s recitals. They’re sitting in the second row. He’s growing restless and the show won’t start for another forty-five minutes and he has nothing to do. The curtains are closed and the lights are starting to dim.

Rhett’s phone vibrates lightly in his pocket.

Meet me in ten minutes x – nova c:

He frowns, looking up. There’s a small, almost imperceptible slit in the curtain near the edge the stage. She waves at him with a small smile and mouths, “Balconies,” pointing her fingers up at the galleries above them, and then the slit disappears as quickly as it appeared. He glances at his parents, both of whom are busy trying to figure out how the new camcorder they bought especially for this recital works, meaning they didn’t see that. Awesome.

He’s been kind of hyper vigilant lately, mostly because his parents keep asking him if anything’s wrong and he thinks they might know something they shouldn’t. The problem is that he doesn’t know what they know, assuming they know anything, that is. It’s all a mess, so he decides to just be really careful and not let anything slip.

Once the ten minutes are up, he tells his parents something about going out to find some flowers for Amelia, and books it. Outside the auditorium itself, people are milling about, parents talking to other parents, the occasional talent scout here and there. There are flower vendors and candy vendors and the like, and he takes a minute and buys Nova some peonies and a small box of chocolates, just so that he didn’t tell his parents a complete lie.

She likes peonies.

He doesn’t want to look suspicious, so he doesn’t run upstairs to find her like he wants to. Instead, he very casually drifts towards the elevator and gets in. He’s so nervous he doesn’t notice her standing there until she laughs.

He turns around and she jumps on him. He holds her tightly and she kisses him, giggling. She presses the red STOP button behind him and the elevator jolts slightly before coming to a complete stop.

“I thought you wanted to meet upstairs?” he asks.

“I didn’t think you’d find me.” Nova sighs quietly, fidgety. “I just wanted to see you before, you know…the show.”

“Are you nervous?”

“A little.” She looks up at him. “I’m scared that I’m not… I just—I always screw up when I’m nervous and I’m so nervous and scared that I’m going to end up screwing up so badly—”

“Don’t be.” He touches her face affectionately, resting his forehead against hers. “You’re gonna be so great.”

“You think so?” He nods and she closes her eyes, breathing and humming quietly, holding his hands. “There are talent scouts here, from real fancy places like… like Juilliard and Tisch and these people from Philadelphia.” She sighs heavily. “I think they’re here to see your sister and me, I don’t know. I didn’t ask because if I knew it’d only make me more nervous. Madame’s nervous too, so it’s pretty serious.” She sighs again, smiling a little. “Tonight’s the first time Lisa sees me dance, you know? She didn’t know about it, and Drake found out because he’s just so damn nosy, and he told her and she wanted to come, even though I told her how awful I’m gonna be, and they’re here. They’re all here. Can you believe I’m more afraid of what she’ll say about me than what the scouts will?” She opens her eyes, looking anxious.

“You’re gonna be wonderful, and those scouts are gonna fall in love with you, and Amelia too, I guess, and your sister is gonna think you’re great, okay? Stop stressing yourself out.”

“How do you know?” He kisses her forehead.

“Nobody can hold a candle to you. That’s how I know.” She sighs softly and hums. “Bought you some flowers and candy,” he says quietly and she smiles, looking down.

“That’s so sweet of you,” she coos, pinching his cheek with a soft laugh as she takes the gifts. “Madame’s gonna notice I’m gone if we don’t get back, so we need to go.” She hugs him, pressing her face into his neck. “I don’t wanna leave yet, though.”

They stand like that for a couple of minutes and Rhett mumbles sweet nothings into her ear and she flushes, face burning. “The show starts in fifteen minutes,” he murmurs. She curses, pressing the STOP button again and the 1st floor button. He kisses her and pulls away a couple of seconds before the elevator doors open. They stand apart from each other, Nova with a furious blush on her face and Rhett with a small, secretive smile on his. There are even more people than before in the lobby, so they can go off in separate directions, unnoticed.

When he sits down at his seat, his mother asks him about the flowers and he lies about not being able to find any.

The show starts soon after.

Nova’s perfect, like he knew she’d be. There are quiet murmurs of disagreement, but others are silent, looking at her with mixed feelings on their faces. Some are curious, others are confused, and some don’t care. Nobody’s throwing anything, thankfully. Rhett knows it could be worse.

The entire first act is Nova and some guy and other dancers, amongst them Amelia.

Intermission comes.

People talk and it makes him feel sick to hear the things they say, because she’s just a person like everyone else is and she can’t help being talented or people and their ignorance and their prejudices and she doesn’t deserve that, doesn’t deserve to be spoken about like she’s some sort of crazy person off the street. They’re all just people, aren’t they? Rhett doesn’t understand. He has a feeling that the only reason it’s even a problem at all is because people don’t like that Nova and not someone else, preferably someone white, was given the starring role. Even though, in Nova’s defense, she didn’t really want to try out in the first place and did it solely for his sister.

She was honestly doing a favor for someone else, and this was how she was repaid.

It wasn’t fair.

The entire second act is Nova and Amelia and some other guys.

It’s nice, because Amelia looks happy and Nova does too and he just wants them to be happy, regardless of what anyone else says.

If only, he muses, things weren’t like this.



His parents go out of town for a couple weeks because his mother’s youngest sister is having a baby and his mother wants to shower her sister and the coming infant with gifts and affection. She wants more children. His father doesn’t. She’s sad.

His father will be gone for a little over a month because of business or something, he doesn’t know. Rhett makes a habit of not keeping up with his comings and goings. His mother leaves a few days after his father does.

“Don’t do anything reckless, Rhett,” she warns, picking up the suitcases that Marisol packed earlier that day for her off the floor.

“Wasn’t planning on it,” he says disinterestedly.

“I’m trusting you.” He glances at her as she moves some hair out of her face. “Please don’t make me regret it. Marisol’s going to be looking after you guys, okay?” She sighs softly. “I’m gonna miss you.” She plants a dry kiss on his forehead. “Be good. I’ll call after I get to Detroit, okay?”

“Yeah. Have a fun trip, mom.” He gives her half a smile.



Nova doesn’t seem like herself lately.

She’s always kept to herself at school, but it’s been getting worse lately.

She’s silent, like a ghost, and even during their daily rendezvous to the library, she’s distant and cold. He doesn’t understand. Today’s the last day of school for the next two weeks—spring break—and they plan on going out to celebrate by getting something to eat at their favorite restaurant (but granted, every new restaurant they try is her favorite). Nova’s tied up in the library so they don’t leave until after all the buses and students do. Amelia has dance. Nova’s skipping because she’s tired and just doesn’t feel up to it today.

She’s quiet in the car.

“Amelia told me the scouts liked you guys,” he says, trying to get her to talk. She hums in response, biting her thumbnail. “She thinks they’re really interested in you.” She lets her hand fall to her lap, sighing quietly, mumbling a reply. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she says faintly.

“Is everything okay?” She doesn’t answer. They fall into silence again before she speaks up, leg bobbing up and down nervously.

“It’s just… you can say no, okay?” She looks over at him. “I’ll understand. It’s just that I kind of need somewhere to crash for a couple of nights…” She trailed off, lips in a line as she played with the strap on her bag. “And I was just, um, wondering—”

“If you could stay with me?” She glanced at him again, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

“I was actually going to ask you to spot me fifty bucks because I wanted to stay at a motel downtown and crash there because I’m kind of flat broke, but um…” She laughs a little. “I don’t know, I mean—”

“You’re really gonna stay in a motel? By yourself? Really, Nova?”

“Yeah! I mean, it’s not that dangerous and I’m a big girl and I can take care of—”

“Just stay with me,” he says, shaking his head. “What if something happens to you?”

“What about your parents?” she asks quietly, playing with the strap on her bag. “’Cause, I mean, I’m guessing they’re not gonna just let me stay over for the weekend or whatever.”

And she’s pretty sure that it’s not just because she’s a girl, but that it’ll be for another obvious reason that she doesn’t want to point out because for all she knows they could be really great and nice and cool—and it would be rude to assume that they thought like everyone else.

“They’re out of town.” Nova hums.

“You’ve just got all the answers, huh?” He grins and she sighs, staring straight ahead. “I don’t want you to think that you have to or something—”

“I want to.”

“You’re not letting this go?”

“Probably not.”

“That’s what I thought.” She chews on her bottom lip. “Can you take me home so I can get some of my things? It’ll only take me a couple of minutes.” He nods and squeezes her hand. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.”



They sit in front of Nova’s house.

“Just…wait here, okay? I’ll be out in, like, three minutes, I swear. Don’t come inside to get me, I’ll be out soon.” She gets out of the car and runs up to the house through the small shoveled path, snow on each side. She shuts the door behind her, and for a few minutes, she’s out of sight.

He starts to daydream, thinking of the day when he can just take Nova and kiss her in front of everyone and not be afraid of what they’ll all say or do to them. Before long, there’s yelling and the door’s slamming and Nova’s trying not to slip on the ice as she runs out of the house suitcase in tow, Dante at her heels.

“Nova! Get back here!” he exclaims as she climbs in the car, throwing her things in the backseat. “I’m talkin’ t’ya!”

“Drive!”

“Nova!” The car screeches down the street as Dante ran out to the sidewalk, waving his arms wildly.