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Four - Nova
My mind drifted to Eric's happy birthday to me. And I thought it funny that a generic "happy birthday" from a stranger I hadn't known two hours ago meant more to me than those of people I had known for years.
Nova and Genevieve were getting home just as I was, Genevieve talking on the phone — as usual.
She waved to me halfheartedly before walking into her room, indicating she was on an important call.
Nova looked up at me, a grin on her face. "Happy birthday," she said, reaching for my free hand and squeezing it.
I smiled down at her. "Thank you."
"Where'd you get that?" She reaches out to brush her
fingertips against the pink petals of the peony.I looked down at the flower in my hand. "O
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Evergreen Five - Kendra's
The late morning and afternoon was spent in that perfumed, stuffy salon. Kendra, our routine hairdresser, jabbered on about nonsensical topics as she was washing, drying, asking if I wanted highlights, straightening every crimp and curl from my hair, clipping my nails, buffering them and covering them in rich black nail lacquer. I just nodded along to whatever she said, not replying much. Genevieve sat across the salon, reading a magazine as she had her hair curled, and Nova squirmed in her seat as a manicurist tried to file her nails. "It must be so fun going to all your dad's parties, huh?" Kendra asked me, painting a second coat of color onto my nails. She wasn't much older than me, maybe twenty five, at the most. She was tall and stick thin and had caramel colored hair.
Evergreen Six - James Greenwood
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Evergreen Seven - Science tutor
"Nova needs a new science tutor," Genevieve said over breakfast the next day. "Last year's tutor didn't teach her anything. She tried to teach Nova geology, but—""Geology isn't a real science," I said into my bowl of cereal."—Nova was disinterested. Any ideas, Jonathan?" Genevieve finished, looking to my father."Yes, I've got someone in mind," my dad said. "I'll make some phone calls.""I don't want to learn anything," Nova said. "I don't want a new tutor. I hate science.""It's either we get you a new tutor or you've got to go to public school," Genevieve said, setting a bowl of fruit on the table.Nova had been homeschooled her entire life. I had always gone to public school. Nova was a much more shelte
Evergreen Eight - Peony
I awoke at nine the next morning, getting myself ready quickly and going into Nova's room beside mine to wake her up. She was draped across her bed in deep sleep, her ebony hair sprawled out across her pillow and her pink lips agape in peaceful slumber.I walked over her window and threw open the curtains, allowing the lazy autumn sun to spear through the paned glass. "Wake up, Nova, your tutor's going to be here in an hour."She groaned and opened one eye at me. "I hate science. Let me sleep.""My dad got a good tutor for you this time. You won't have to learn geology again.""How do you know?""Because your tutor's an environmentalist, which means he studies the Earth and what lives on it, basically. Don't you want to learn about plants and animals?"
Evergreen Nine - Madison
Nova held my hand as we followed Eric down the forest path the next day, the sun cutting through the treetops and casting skinny beams across the ground. It was a clear day, but the temperature was cool enough that we each wore jackets."Tell me, Nova," Eric said as we walked. "What is the most important thing in the world?""Love," Nova said almost automatically."Wrong.""What?""That wasn't an opinion question," he said. "If I had wanted to know what the most important thing in the world was in your opinion, I would have asked what you think the most important thing in the world is. But I asked you for a fact, not an opinion." He half smiled.Nova looked at Eric with a look of confusion, curiosity and a touch of awe. "What is t
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Three nights later I was awakened in the middle of the night by the soft chiming of my phone. I reached over to my bedside table and slid my thumb across the screen of the phone without thinking, holding it to my ear.I hardly had time to utter a sleep deprived greeting before sound drifted through the phone's speaker."Luna, I'm in the forest. I just saw the owl —Dinah, or whoever —yeah, I saw the owl maybe two minutes ago."I sat up, putting a hand to my forehead and glancing briefly at my bedside clock. "Eric? It's two in the morning, what are you doing in the forest?""Owls are nocturnal, don't you know! And you said you'd help me find the nest. Now's the time to do it, and I've just seen the owl fly by, probably hunting."I sighed. Do I go back to sleep, or do I go
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