"Nova, you look very boxy." Gina rose her eyebrows her way after Kourtney revealed their costume, Novas being a large, floral designed, wardrobe, "And you don't even have broad shoulders."

"Very square." Nova agreed, waving her arms in the arm holes, "I love it."

"We could pull her hair up, with some flower clips." Kourtney went on, pulling Novas flat hair up in the style she was aiming for, "Yes? No? Maybe so?"

"Yes." Gina confirmed.

"Hello, that is obviously beast fur!" Carlos' yelling caught the threes attention as they looked over at the picture he was showing, "Look, it obviously makes sense. Our mask just happens to go missing on the same day they post this? They snuck in here and took it."

"My baseball bat idea still stands." Nova gave a point.

"I'm with her on that one." Gina agreed.

"I hate to say it, but that did kinda look like a Beast mask to me." Ashlyn spoke up with a nod of her head.

"Classic Beast." Big Red agreed.

"Do you really think they'd steal from us?" Seb gave a look of disbelief.

Gina scoffed, "I would."

Her eyes widened when Nini looked her way, "No, I mean, I used to be that kind of person, before present day."

"Do not say a word." EJ encouraged Nova when her mouth opened.

"We have to get even, right?" Big Red looked around in questioning.

"I like where your head is." Nova confirmed toward the ginger boy.

"Miss Jenn, we have to at least say something." Carlos looked to the woman while the entire room began to agree.

"Guys, guys, guys. Enough. Do you really think North High would stoop so low as to sneak in here, break in, and steal Kourtneys work?" Miss Jenn asked in disbelief.

"Yes." Nova said honestly as they all agreed with her.

"And they just posted something new, captioned, North Highs gonna steal your heart this spring." Seb read over Carlos' shoulder, staring down at the phone.

"Are they a witch? How do you explain these coincidences?" Carlos waved his hands around in disbelief.

"That Lily girl is vibing heavily with a witch energy." Nova nodded her head in agreement, "The bad kind though."

"It's just that, a coincidence." Miss Jenn cut their conspiracies short, "Now, I want you kids to keep looking for that mask and let the rest go. As I learned when I appeared in a regional production of Anything Goes opposite a woman who once sued me for libel, you should never dance with the enemy. Understood?"

"Nova, what?" Carlos gapped as Nova walked into North High with a baseball bat, "This was not the agreement!"

"I dig it." Ricky nodded in agreement.

"It's only Plan B." Nova defended herself.

"Let's maybe make that plan Z." Nini suggested, "Dropping the light is plan -Z."

"The plan is simple. Based on that instagram post, the mask has to be in their costume shop. We know from their instagram overshadows that North High has dance rehearsal today so they'll be in their dance studio." Carlos nodded on, explaining the first half of the plan perfectly.

"They have their own dance studio?" Gina gapped.

"We're raiding their costumes and not leaving until we have our mask." Carlos went on, looking around.

"Isn't this kind of trespassing?" Seb asked.

"Only if you think of it that way." Nova rubbed his back.

"It'll be fine. There'll be people still here after school for clubs. We'll blend in." Carlos nodded with a cheeky grin, "Though, Ashlyn, you may have taken the camouflage thing too far."

They all looked over to see the Caswell girl in a North High hoodie.

"No, today, I am Diane. I play volleyball, and I love North High." Ashlyn shook her head, motioning to herself.

"How'd you even get a North High hoodie?" Gina asked her.

"Nova ex girlfriend goes to North High." Ashlyn nodded her head over toward the girl, "We were friends before EJ, if all of you didn't know."

"Yeah, back when Nova had braces and was an awkward freshman." EJ gave a snort, getting looks of disbelief, "Not that she wasn't precious back then."

"Diane, is it? How would you feel about dating a guy from East High?" Big Red teased Ashlyn with a nudge.

Ashlyn gasped, "Oh, a forbidden romance."

"Focus! Who's gonna be the lookout?" Carlos spoke up quickly.

"I'll do it." Gina suggested, "I mean, just take Novas bat in with you so it doesn't look totally suspicious. If you leave me unsupervised with their costumes, I cannot promise I won't go all Gina 1.0 in there."

"Just stay calm, and act natural, okay?" Carlos nodded as he looked around, "You got this. Everyone ready?"

"Okay, give me this." EJ took the bat from Nova, "If we can't have Gina 1.0, we definitely do not need Nova 1.0"

"Nova 1.0 would have already set their cars on fire, i'm doing great." Nova defended herself as they all headed into the costume part of the theater, "I really liked the announcements this morning. You and Gina make a good team."

"Yeah, we've gotta pretty close since Carlos' party." EJ nodded, "She's really cool."

"Definitely cool." Nova agreed, feeling her pockets, "Oh no."

"What?" he gave a worried look.

"I think I forgot my bike lock outside." Nova said as EJ held a finger up.

"I'll go fix it, hang on." EJ nodded, moving past her to head out quickly.

"Nova, could you actually lock my board up with your bike? I just left it laying there." Ricky looked over his shoulder at her, "Don't you have that seat that comes up?"

"Yeah, i'll put it inside." Nova nodded, passing him as she headed after EJ to tell him that Ricky was in need of help too. As she came around the corner, she stopped when she saw EJ put his arm around Gina.

"Hey, Babe."

"Babe." Gina gushed. Novas heart sunk, because in no way did she stop and think he was just saving her from the North High guy. At the end of the day, she was still Nova, she still had the worst trust issues. All the talk on how close him and Gina got hit her like a truck, because now it made perfect since to her, "I am so glad you're here."

Novas eyes watered, turning and hurrying out of North High immediately.

EJ had blown up Novas phone after she left, only getting a text back saying she wasn't feeling well. She escaped back to the Lake House, her dad ordering her chinese food while she curled up on the couch, watching reruns of The Walking Dead and feeling sad. It wasn't until the next morning when she finally pulled herself to together and headed to school. When she walked into the theatre, finding EJ and Big Red ending their big number.

"Nova, sweetie, you are late." Miss Jenn spoke as she looked over at her.

"Sorry, really late morning." she apologized quickly.

EJ walked over to her when everyone began to spread out again, discussing what number to rehearse next, "Hey, are you feeling better? I stopped by but your dad said you were already asleep."

"I'm fine, just a bug." she shrugged, avoiding eye contact as she dropped her bag. But EJ wasn't dumb, he knew her too well to know that something was off.

"Is everything okay?" he asked her with questionable eyes, "Are you mad at me?"

"Why would I be mad at you? We're friends." Nova shrugged her shoulders.

EJ gave a look of disbelief, "Friends?."

"What you said last semester was probably best." Nova shrugged, her voice attempting to stay positive but it was so clear by the watery eyes and breaking of her voice that she was in pain, "You said that we just became friends again and we shouldn't ruin that with a relationship. I agree, we shouldn't. Stick to the basics on this one, you know? Go with our original plan."

EJ gapped at her, "Nova, what did I do?"

"All you had to say, if we weren't feeling it anymore, was that." Nova shook her head, her eyes went from pained to angry, "There was no need to string me along and make me think you liked me just so we could be friends."

"I do like you." he gave her wide, crazed eyes.

"Then that's even worse. Loyalty is everything, respect her." Nova shook her head as she walked off, leaving EJ beyond confused and questioning every single thing.

When night fall came, Nova finally had her sad night. Her dad was working late, she had leftovers, and sad movies played across the large flat screen. Her salty tears fell into her noodles slightly, whipping them quickly as she kept her blanket tight around her. When her doorbell rung, Nova huffed as she paused her movie and stood up. The second she pulled the door open, she was met with a string of sentences she barley understood.

"I just was broken up with and you're really sad. Spring Break is next week and i'm going to see my mom. You love chicago and we can tour DePaul so we won't be so heartbroken anymore. Come with me." Ricky ranted on quickly as he stood in her doorway.

"You and Nini broke up?" Nova frowned.

"And it looks like you and EJ aren't doing so well anymore." Ricky confirmed.

Nova frowned, "DePaul doesn't want me."

"So then lets just to cry in front of The Bean." Ricky waved her off, his own tears fresh across his face, "You said I could talk to you about anything. You understand by family stuff, and now you understand the breakup. I don't wanna go alone and have to listen to my mom talk about Todd either."

Nova sighed, pulling her blanket around her better, "How much is a plane ticket?"

•

kylie speaks

i know this chapter is
sad and all but i can't
stop laughing at the fact
that ej is so freaking confused
on what the hell nova is talking
about