Navigating the Nature of Novas

They kept walking until they had almost reached the hallway where they would have to split. Jay was quiet and wouldn’t make eye contact. Alice stopped, turned, and put her hands on his shoulder, which were considerably higher than hers. She was tall for a girl, but he was taller.

“You have nothing to worry about,” she said earnestly. “You know what you’re doing. You know your lines and the choreography. And trust me, as soon as you start singing, everyone in the house will be swooning.” Jay rolled his eyes. “I’m serious! And anyone close enough to see your eyes will be mesmerized by every word you say, so your acting doesn’t even need to be all that great.”

“Wow, I almost thought you would make it through a whole pep talk without mocking me,” Jay laughed. “I should’ve known that wasn’t possible.” Alice smirked, and they both laughed. He bent a little to hug her. “Don’t mess up my lighting, Kenna.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. It’ll be fine.”

They pulled back from the hug at the same time and parted ways. Alice watched Jay head toward the dressing room, unable to hide her slight smile. She spun around and headed up to the booth alone.


Alice has always had Jay by her side. But now, in the middle of their high school careers, everything’s about to change. She’s not sure what she can handle, but she’s about to find out.