[completed] Nova Carter knows exactly what the next few years of her life will look like: she will work harder than anyone else (as she didn't get into New York University to slack off); she'll be keeping her head down and prioritizing getting her a...
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Chapter One | Campus
♫ Campus by Vampire Weekend
I've always dreamt of moving to New York one day.
I was seven when it started. It was the night before Halloween and I was carving pumpkins with my siblings at the dinner table. My mom had installed scented candles all around the room and my dad had Frank Sinatra playing on his record player when on came 'New York, New York' and changed my life forever.
At seven I was very much into Kidz Bop and the soundtrack to High School Musical, so everybody was pretty surprised when I couldn't contain myself, exclaimed I loved this song, and then proceeded to accidentally cut myself with the knife that was supposed to go into my pumpkin because my hands were shaking too much.
My mom wrapped it up in bandages and that night, my Dad carried his record player to my bedroom so I could listen to Frank Sinatra singing about New York until I fell asleep.
Naturally, I then entered the weird-obsession phase every kid has about something. I had a Statue of Liberty bedspread and a Times Square poster and my third CD ever (first being Kidz Bop 2006, second being a duplicate of my sister's High School Musical soundtrack) was one Dad made for me, the only song on it being New York, New York.
I never really grew out of that phase. Granted, at fourteen I decided that I liked plain bedsheets more and at sixteen I was all about Paris for a couple of months, but my dream remained. One day I was moving to New York. Everyone knew. And while it was impressive that I got into NYU, my dream school, nobody was surprised when I left town to start my year.
My mom's manicured fingers grab onto her sleeves as she pushes them to her nose. She's standing in the middle of my dorm room, glancing around at the space and the decorations she and my father have just helped me set up.
I feel a tightness in my chest at the sight of her reddened eyes and reach out for her. "Mom, stop crying," I mumble into her lavender sweater, encircling my arms around her shoulders. "I'll be fine. Dad, tell her I'll be fine."
My father opens and closes his mouth like a fish, his tall form awkward in front of the window. He's never been that great at comforting people—Mom says he's too rational and insensitive and he calls it 'being realistic'—but his heart is big enough to scramble for the words she wants to hear. At last, he settles for, "Come on, honey, when has Nova ever failed to take care of herself?" He gently places both of his hands on her shoulders and pries her away from me.
My mother sniffs and meets my eyes as she leans into him. "I know, I know. I just don't want to— I mean— we still have to..."
"It's okay." I smile my best smile, a wobbly one as it's heavily affected by my own nerves. "Flynn and Sofia aren't that far away and I'll visit you guys with them soon. You're not throwing me to the wolves, Mom. I'm ready. And I wouldn't say that if it wasn't true."
