Ch3

NOVA

By the next morning, I’ve slept exactly three hours. Just three hours. Yeah, I counted.

It's not because I tried listening to the recording again. Definitely not because of that. And absolutely not because every time I closed my eyes, I kept hearing Enzo's voice.

I sip my coffee with my eyes closed. One, two, three...

"I'm dropping you off today. Your mom went ahead to work."

I open my eyes at the sound of his voice. If it was like every other morning, I'd have a sarcastic comment waiting to be retorted. But it's not like any other morning. It's totally different. So I don't say a word as he rallies around, making his coffee.

"What's going on?" He finally glances at me after five minutes.

I shake my head. "Nothing."

"That's bullshit. Something is up. What's that?"

"It's nothing."

He raises a brow. "You're not your usual chatty, bratty self. I don't care about you but if Noah gets a hint that you're unwell, it'll affect the game tonight and..."

"I'm fine, okay! Really!" I snap.

Enzo squints his eyes at me, takes a large sip of his coffee and tilts his head. "Journalism problems?"

If he had any idea.

"Look, I don't know what the problem is but if it's Mia, you shouldn't worry too much. You always find a way to get past her. You always do."

I glance at my feet.

"You'll be fine, okay?"

I nod.

"Alright, let's go."

Give me thirty minutes to go through the ride with Enzo and my brain feels like it’s running on static as I push through the crowded halls of Ridgeview High with Ava beside me.

The building is already buzzing with playoff energy. Hockey is all this school lives for. The posters line the walls. Students crowd around lockers wearing Wolves jerseys. Someone’s blasting music from a speaker near the gym.

“You look awful,” Ava says, eyeing me.

“Thank you.” I mutter.

“You’re welcome.” she smiles.

I glare at her weakly before shifting my backpack higher on my shoulder. The second we walk into the media room, Mia Thompson looks up from her computer.

“Well, if it isn’t Ridgeview’s almost-star reporter,” she says.

"Good morning, Mia." I'm polite.

Mia flips her glossy hair over her shoulder dramatically. “Ready to lose another feature spot this week?”

I force a fake smile. “Ready to develop a personality this week?”

A few students nearby snort quietly. But then Mr. Lawson steps into the room holding a stack of papers.

“Morning, everyone,” he says. “Reminder that whoever pulls the strongest sports feature this month gets lead coverage during playoffs.”

My stomach drops instantly. Lead coverage. That’s the biggest student media opportunity of the year.

“And before anyone asks,” Mr. Lawson continues, “yes, I’m looking for originality. Real journalism. Not recycled gossip.”

His eyes briefly flick toward me. The second he disappears into his office, Ava grabs my wrist and drags me toward the back corner of the room.

“Okay,” she whispers urgently. “You need to post it.”

I nearly choke. “What?”

“You heard him. Real journalism.”

“Ava...” Last night she didn't want me to post this and now she does? It is my call to make but I'll rather not have my best friend pressurizing me to do what I do not want to do.

“No, seriously.” She lowers her voice further. “This isn’t some random rumor, Nova. A girl is pregnant.”

“I know that.”

“And Enzo’s trying to pressure her into getting rid of the baby!”

I glance around quickly to make sure nobody’s listening. I mean, this is the media room. “Keep your voice down.”

“I’m being serious.” Ava folds her arms. “Posting it could actually help her.”

I stare at her.

“She might feel trapped right now,” Ava continues. “And if this becomes public, Enzo can’t just quietly make the whole thing disappear.”

“That’s not fair.”

Her eyebrows shoot up. “Not fair?”

“You don’t know what’s happening behind the scenes!”

“And neither do you!”

The words hit hard enough to shut me up for a second.

Ava softens slightly. “Nova… listen to yourself.”

I look away immediately. “He’s not a bad person,” I mumble quietly. I'm right. Enzo is not a bad person. And she knows that too. I hate how she's making this sound.

Ava stares at me like I’ve completely lost my mind. “He literally said she should get an abortion.”

“You weren't even there. He was panicking.”

“That doesn’t magically make it okay!”

“I know that!”

A few people glance over at our raised voices. I lower mine instantly. “I know,” I repeat more quietly.

Ava exhales hard, rubbing her forehead. Then she says the one thing guaranteed to annoy me. “This is about your stupid crush on him, isn’t it?”

Heat flashes through me immediately. “What?”

“Oh my God,” she says, eyes widening. “It is.”

“It is not.”

“Nova.”

“I do not have a crush on Enzo.”

Ava gives me a look so unimpressed it’s honestly offensive.

“You’ve had heart eyes for that man since freshman year.”

“I was fourteen!”

“And?”

“And he’s basically my brother!”

“You literally stare at him like he hung the moon.”

I glare at her furiously. “I do not...”

“Oh stop lying!"

“I am not...”

“Yes, you are.” Ava steps closer, voice gentler now. “If this was anybody else on that hockey team, you would’ve published the story already.”

And there it is.

The truth I’ve been trying not to touch.

She’s right.

If this were some random player? Done.

No hesitation.

But it’s Enzo.

Enzo, who trusted me enough to speak freely in my own house.

“I can’t do that to him,” I whisper before I can stop myself.

Ava’s expression softens immediately.

“Oh, Nova.”

“I know how bad this looks, okay? I know.” My throat tightens frustratingly. “But ruining his entire future over one conversation feels… wrong.”

“What if that girl has nobody?” Ava asks quietly.

I open my mouth. Close it again. Now I'm thinking about some terrified girl sitting alone somewhere while Enzo worries about hockey scouts and draft rankings. For the first time since last night, doubt creeps in from the opposite direction. Maybe staying quiet is selfish too.

My phone buzzes suddenly against the desk. A message flashes across the screen.

NOAH:

Enzo says you're not fine.

Then another immediately after.

NOAH:

Is it Mia? You don't have to worry about her. I have some gossip.