Cold water hit Nova's bare cheeks like a blow to the face. The murmured giggles continued as she sat up with a jolt, gasping for air.
“Oh my god, that wasn't funny Jasper!” Nova roared; the deafening sound resurfaced off the walls and echoed throughout the small house. Her eyes roamed across her cramped room, searching for the culprits. As soon as Nova noticed the two small bodies of her troubling cousins suppressed between her bookshelf and closet, her brown eyes darkened in fiery.
Nova Hadley threw the thick blankets that suppressed her body heat from her body and chased after Jasper and Zoe, but they have already begun their sprint, rumbling down the flight of stairs.
She stopped dead in tracks when the blaring ring of the phone shot through her ears, reverberating. Seconds later, when the consistent rings roared to a halt, she could hear a faint sound of a conversation in the kitchen, and yet she only chose to ignore it. Her baggy t-shirt clung to her skin, the water trickling from her damp hair, and her body quivering from the cold water, as Nova's eyes meandered about.
“Nova, it's for you,” her mom said as the palm of her hand concealed the speaker.
Groaning indignantly, Nova sauntered into the kitchen, her stomps rather forceful and violent. Her mother scrutinized her; eyes gazing at the water that dripped from head to toe. “You're soaking,” she said.
“I know,” Nova sighed; puffs of her hot breath swam into the air. Delicate hands twisting her brunette hair, she wrung the water from her hair, dampening it. “Who's on the phone?” Nova asked.
“It's one of your friends,” her mother whispered before handing her the ebony pigmented phone and leaving the kitchen.
Placing the profound invention by her ear, and she smiled, as if she were not alone, “Hello?”
“Hey,” a voice breathed, buoyant, sonorous, and familiar.
Nova breathed in sharply; the intake of air filling her lungs with glory. The pool of her thoughts had overwhelmed her, and she nearly forgot to exhale. Nova's heart hammered in her chest, thumping as if it were a drum solo. Whereas the anxiousness hugged her body, the way a mother would embrace her child, but instead, the feeling was not out of comfort, but out of fear. She did not know if she should be happy or scared, since she no longer understood her feelings and emotions. “Ashton?” she questioned — the way she had at the music shop.
“Yeah,” Ashton said, his words drawled.
Nova wasn't sure if she was still dreaming. She hadn't given him her number. The words were rushed, rather quickly, as if she did not want him to hear, “How'd you get my number?”
“I asked Maisie," he said simply, “god, that must sound really damn creepy.”
The water had still been evident, drenching her clothes as if she had hopped into a pool of water. Only, this time, Nova did not care, for she was speaking to Ashton Irwin, the source of her happiness, the one person who held the power of alternating her moods like a light switch. Grinning, she laughed, her voice echoing into the speaker of the phone, “Oh. No, no worries.”
Ashton beamed, for it had been the first time for him to hear her laugh genuinely. Then, he altered the direction of the conversation, “Are you doing anything for today?” He asked with a strong attempt of causality.
“No, but I usually watch the countdown,” Nova shook her head, despite the fact that he couldn't see her.
“My friends and I go out every year for the countdown,” Ashton said. Then, he asked the most unexpected question, “Do you wanna join?”
The silence had not been broken. Nova could feel herself crumbling from his words, this time, not from nervousness but rather shock. Her eyes grazed the newspaper in front of her, as if she could escape into a void of words. Of course, she wouldn't, because disappearing meant a chance not taken. And she had done enough of those.
“You don't have to if you don't want to,” his voice assured her.
“No,” It had come out before she could stop it. Her lips continued, for her heart was sure, but her mind was not, “I'll come. What time?”
“Quarter past nine,” Ashton informed, rather politely. Then, he rushed into his next set of words as if it was urgent, as if Nova would refuse if he didn't. Ashton's obligations grew, and it grew for her, "Want us to stop by?"
She didn't want him to stop by around her small, beat down house. To even walk into the rooms of her house was risky, and dangerous, as he may reveal portions of her past. And that was Nova's biggest fear. “No, are you meeting somewhere?”
“Yeah, we're meeting outside of Northdale, by the entrance,” he notified pleasantly.
“Okay.”
“I'll see you then,” Ashton smiled, and if it were humanly possible, she could feel it, she could tell. "Bye Nova," he said.
“Bye Ashton,” Nova muttered, even though she was already sure that he was no longer able to hear her, for there were undeviating signals of beeps.
YOU ARE READING
Dear Ashton » Ashton Irwin
Fanfic[DISCONTINUED] ❝ A smile had always been etched across your delicate face, even though I knew you weren't happy. And maybe that's why I love you, for how you always managed to stay strong every single day. ❞ A compendium of love letters from...
