The Hartman Equation | ONC 2021 |

24 ÷ 8 = 3

They all stared at her as if she were some strange animal.

She sat back down and they began to ask a million questions at a time. Nova explained to them what she had meant and the room became silent. A wave of relief came over her as she finally said what was on her mind. Nova's parents were still against the idea of her leaving school while she only needed one more year to graduate. She fought and pleaded against them for what felt like an eternity.

Professor Whitaker interjected and said that students tend to study abroad for a year and come back. It was then possible for Nova to continue her studies if she wanted.

It took much persuasion for her parents to agree. She let out a content sigh. Although going to Africa was only half of the reason why she wanted to leave school, she felt as though she was finally being heard. Perhaps one day she would be able to tell them why she truly wants to go.

After the meeting had ended, Nova's parents said that they would be back in the morning to collect her things to go back home. It was just enough time to say goodbye to Elio.

+++

"Are you really going to keep the answer to yourself?"

"I didn't keep it to myself, I showed it to you," Nova replied as she packed her clothes into a bag.

"I know, but just imagine all the money you can make-"

Nova scowled at Elio. "I'm kidding. But still, you could possibly become the next Issac Newton."

She scoffed. "No way, that guy sold his soul to the devil, I swear. What kind of lunatic invents calculus?"

They both laughed. "I'm gonna miss our talks," Elio sighed.

Nova placed a piece of clothing into her bag gingerly. "I'll always be a phone call away."

He nodded. There was a stillness in the air that made Nova uncomfortable. She sat on her bed and fiddled with her fingers.

"You remember that one night, where I accidentally overslept in the library?"

Elio chuckled. "Yeah, I remember. We had a big exam the following day. You didn't show up." He began connecting the dots.

"Well, the reason why I didn't show up was that," she hesitated. Nova knew that there was no use in tiptoeing around her explanation. She was going to tell Elio the truth no matter what. He deserved it, after everything they've been through together.

Nova took in a deep breath and began, "I woke up in a daze and immediately checked the time. It was probably like two or three in the morning when I rushed out to head straight to my room. Unfortunately, the universe had other plans for me. I was still groggy from waking up, so without realizing it, I tripped over and fell. As I started to stand up I felt something placed against my head. I looked to the side and found a man holding a gun directly above me."

Elio nearly fell out of his chair. She continued, "I didn't know what to do! I stayed there, completely still! But you wanna know what the best part of this whole station was?!"

Nova waited for dramatic effect. "He fell over and croaked!"

"What?!" Elio shouted in disbelief.

"Yeah! He was probably cracked out of his mind!"

"Wait a minute, was it that dead guy they found on Escondido Road?!"

She nodded. "Holy shit," he replied.

"My life flashed before my eyes when he held the gun to my head and you wanna know what I saw?! Calculus, physics, and a little bit of art history!" Nova exhaled solemnly. "I just feel like I'm wasting my life doing this, Elio. In the beginning, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with the rest of my life: become an astrophysicist and work for NASA. But ever since that happened... I've realized that it might not be as fulfilling as I had thought."

Elio went to go sit beside Nova. "I don't think a single twenty-one-year-old knows what they want to do for the rest of their life. And that's just the thing, life is fickle. As a fellow astronomer, I know you know that. We exist in a time perfect for us to be alive, yet we don't see it that way. We should do whatever makes us happy with the time we have."

She leaned her head against his shoulder. "I was so scared that my life had truly surmounted to nothing. That I would die unhappy."

"Then go do what makes you happy."

"I will."

+++

Placing her final bag of luggage into the car, Nova's dad promptly closed the trunk.

Elio and Nova stayed silent as it was almost time for her to leave. He opened his mouth to say something but Nova immediately stopped him. "If you say something, I will cry."

He laughed. "All I was going to say was to text me every day. And if you miss a day I will assume that lions ate you."

They both shared a smile and hugged one last time. "As soon as I get back, I'll come and visit you."

"It's a promise."

They lingered in each other's presence for a few more seconds until Nova got into the back seat of the car. She rolled down the window and began to wave to Elio. He did the same. Nova stared out of the window until she could no longer see him in the distance. She leaned back and placed the earbuds that were connected to the iPod shuffle into her ear.

As soon as the song started playing, tears welled up in her eyes. A montage of her moments with Elio during their first few years of college flashed in her mind. She smiled. It was time for Nova to live the life she wanted.