In Nova Edenis

Nova

I was having quite the pleasant dream when I felt someone watching me as I was trying to sleep. I opened my eyes to Eden, the popular school diva, with her short brown hair, staring at me.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" I said, more rudely than I had intended.

Eden jumped, her ochre eyes locking onto mine.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"None of your business. Now scram," I responded. I didn't need a school diva getting in the way of my college plans. No drama, no romance. I liked simple things. It was unnecessary for me to go to the classroom when I passed everything with flying colors.

But Eden wouldn't leave. No matter what I said, she just stood there. Finally she was like, "Can I have your phone number?" I sighed. Hopefully this would make her leave.

"It's 789-033-7899."

She then texted me, and my phone buzzed.

Little did I know this would not be the end of it.

Six days later, Eden called me over to go sit with her during lunch. I declined, but then she found me and brought me to a restaurant.

Then, for every day, for a month, Eden would find me for lunch. And every time, her friends' hateful glares followed me. One day, I invited her to my house, and we watched the stars together. I showed her the book I wrote a couple years ago, and it was called Search for Eden.

"Like me?" she said, smiling.

"Search for Eden I wrote before I met you," I said to her. "It's about a young girl who was abandoned. Then, she wandered for years and never found happiness. It's about her search for Eden, but she could never find it."

"Let's rewrite the ending, it's too sad, Nova."

"It's life."

"No. Life doesn't have to be like that." She pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket. Eden took a pen and wrote a paragraph.

"Add this, Nova."

I took the paper and read what she had written.

The girl had searched over and over for a place to call home, and she finally realized she could never find it. But, she didn't despair, because soon she met an amazing young woman who helped her build a New Eden, one that she would be eternally happy in.. She lived happily for the rest of her life, then was reborn with her partner.

I thought it was beautiful, but unrealistic. Eden smiled at me.

"You can name the book New Eden now!"

"Did you know that New Eden in Latin is Nova Edenis?"

Eden's eyes got large. She looked very happy. And all of a sudden, I felt something I had never felt before. I smiled, for the first time in years.