Nova Baker

1.

The first light of dawn crept through the thin curtains of Nova's room, spilling a soft glow over her floor as the clock blinked 5:00 a.m. Her body was already awake, the familiar hum of adrenaline pushing her into motion. She had done this for years now — the quiet mornings, the stillness before the world woke up, just her and the rhythm of her thoughts.

Nova swung her legs off the bed, her feet meeting the cool wooden floor. She grabbed her workout gear, a well-worn pair of black leggings and a fitted tank top, and slipped into the hallway, careful not to wake her mom. Laura was a light sleeper, and Nova knew the concern her mom would show if she caught her up at this hour.

Downstairs, Nova grabbed her water bottle from the fridge and tossed her hair into a messy bun. She needed this. The stillness. The space to move her body and get out of her head.

Her sneakers hit the pavement with a soft thud as she stepped outside, the crisp morning air filling her lungs. She jogged down the street, the quiet of the neighborhood broken only by the rhythmic sound of her feet hitting the ground.

Today, she wasn't just running to clear her mind. Today, she was pushing herself. Harder. Faster. She needed to feel something other than the weight of the past week—the hospital room, Chris's parents, the look on his face when he finally opened his eyes and asked for her. It had been haunting her ever since. The vulnerability in his voice. She'd never heard Chris sound like that.

As she ran, she pushed her pace, her feet pounding against the pavement. Every step was a way to outrun the fear and the guilt. But still, in the back of her mind, she couldn't shake the thought of him. She could still hear his voice, could still feel his hand gripping hers in the ambulance as they drove to the hospital.

She ran until her legs burned, the sting in her muscles a welcome distraction from everything else. Sweat dripped down her forehead, but she didn't stop. She couldn't stop. Not today.

By the time she reached the end of her route, the sun was fully up, casting long shadows over the sidewalk. She slowed her pace to a walk, catching her breath as she turned back toward home. Her muscles were sore, but in a way that felt like progress.

Nova paused at the corner of the street, her heart still racing but in a different way now. As the morning sun rose higher, she let herself breathe, letting the weight of the past week start to lift. For the first time in days, she felt like herself again. Even if only for a moment.

She headed back toward her house, feeling the steady beat of her heart slowing down as she walked. It was still early, but she knew the day would come soon enough. And with it, all the challenges that lay ahead. She wasn't sure what would happen with Chris, with the game, with everything. But for now, she was ready to face it all.

As she walked back up to her front door, she felt a glimmer of something — hope, maybe. Or just a sense of readiness. She didn't know yet, but it was something.

Nova opened the door and stepped inside, the familiar warmth of home greeting her. Her mom was still asleep, the house silent except for the soft hum of the refrigerator.

She dropped her gym bag by the door, feeling the familiar pull of exhaustion in her muscles but also a sense of accomplishment. Maybe this was exactly what she needed — to reset, to focus, to just breathe for a moment before everything came rushing back.

But she wasn't ready to face that yet. She needed a shower first. Then maybe, just maybe, she could start to figure out how to move forward.

For now, she would let the quiet of the morning hold her a little longer.

Nova's POV:

By the time I got to the hospital, the world felt muted. The sterile, harsh lights of the waiting area almost felt like a mockery of the life we used to live—the carefree days when everything felt like it could go on forever. I still wore my workout clothes, my hoodie pulled up over my head to shield me from the hospital's chill.