Chapter One

Picture: November Lockheart

Chapter One

"Nova. Nova. November. November Rain. Nova wake up. Nova."

I groaned and grabbed my pillow, suffocating my ears with it to block out the incessant sound of my brother in the morning. Ah, silence. Sweet, sweet silence in the morning without Austin being a pain in everyone's butt and screaming at us to wake up.

He wasn't screaming, but it felt like it - his voice is that annoying.

I had about one minute of beautiful silence, then I felt my sheet being ripped off me and I swear, I nearly screamed bloody murder. For one, sleep is my favourite thing and nobody should ever be absent of sleep in the morning, I believe. I, for one, love my bed more than I love most people.

"First day of school and you're already going exorcist on me?" Austin raised an eyebrow at me with an amused smirk on his face. I had sat up on my bed and was now throwing my usual morning tantrum.

I HATE waking up in the morning. Nothing is worse than leaving your warm, cosy bed at none other than six in the morning. I don't wake up until I smell lunch cooking.

"First day of school?" I freaked. I can't be late for the first day of school since summer break; I have a bad enough attendance record as it is. "What time is it?" I bolted off my bed, sliding on my hardwood floor and nearly splattering into the wall like a dead fly after my mother killed it (my mom is obsessed with killing every fly in the house).

Great, now I compare myself to dead fly's in the morning. This is why I shouldn't be awake. I should be sleeping in my warm bed, dreaming about tacos and playing Xbox. Me playing the Xbox, Austin feeding me the tacos, that is.

"You have twenty minutes," he grabbed his phone out of his pocket and started typing quicker than Usain Bolt runs. "You're an idiot. Just be glad Nate isn't over yet, or you would be dead meat."

I paled, I guess Austin noticed too as he cackled loudly and started to skip out of my room. Before he got out of the door though, I pegged my favourite flip flop at his back. He squawked and nearly dropped his phone. "Oh you are dead. You just wait until I get Nate on to you."

Nate is my best friend. He may as well be my brother, we're that close. That and the fact that he and Austin are great friends. Austin is two years younger than us and in sophomore year now, but he's still pretty high up on the senior year hierarchy - which sucks.

Nate lives next door to us. He usually comes over every morning to wake me up and makes breakfast for me - pop tarts, much to my protests because I want tacos - while I get dressed. He said he couldn't come over this morning because he was getting last minute things ready for his 'start of senior year' party happening tonight. Frankly, I don't want to go, but Nate and the rest of our friends had forced me to.

I just wanted to stay home and finish my game of South Park: Stick of Truth, but apparently that is not even an option. He even forced me to go shopping with Emily, my other best friend, to get party appropriate clothes.

Last time I checked, jeans and a t-shirt was perfect party attire, but apparently not now.

I raced around my room, trying to find my Converse I wear every day to school. I practically live in them, because they go with everything I wear and I don't have to worry about being uncomfortable or anything, unlike the two bee-otches who sit with my friends and I at lunch. They wear stilettos every day, I give them props for that, but nothing else.

"Hurry up!" Austin screamed from downstairs, so I put my butt into a higher gear and quickly found the other shoe hidden under my desk. My question is: how the hell did it get there? My room is pretty messy - but not that messy where you find articles of clothing hanging from the ceiling fan.

Since it was still a little warm from summer just passing, I had put on light blue jean shorts with an off-the-shoulder red shirt which I tucked into my shorts. I'm not some fashion guru or anything, but I can practically perfect the 'I just woke up' vibe.

I didn't wear makeup, so I skipped that and just put a little moisturiser on my face instead and a tiny bit of mascara. I was unlucky to be born with naturally curly hair so I didn't touch it, or else it would have gone that frizzy people would have assumed I was struck by lightning or electrocuted.

"About time," Austin rolled his eyes when I ran into the kitchen and scoffed down the pop tarts he had made for the both of us.

I was about to answer when I heard the front door slam open. I rolled my eyes, no guesses who that is. Next came the heavy footsteps and the curse, then a loud bang. I watched as hurt flashed through Austin's eyes. He hated seeing our father like this, in this state of oblivion. My father isn't an alcoholic, but every now and then he drinks away his worries while my mother stays here and makes more.

I mouthed 'everything will be fine' to Austin and he stopped tensing. As his big sister, I have many roles. Such as making sure my baby brother isn't traumatized by our parents, for one. But, I won't go any further.

"Childrens," dad slurred and leaned against the doorframe in the entryway to the kitchen. He is so drunk, I can't even comprehend how he hasn't dropped dead from alcohol poisoning. He's probably got more vodka in his system than water, I snorted to myself.

"How did you get home," Austin started hounding him, his voice croaky and full of pain. I quickly grabbed onto his shirt as he got up and tried to interrogate our father. He knows that it makes our father angrier, but he always goes for the opportunity whenever it can come. "How?"

At my brother raising his voice, dad rolled his eyes and decided to answer his question in a slur. "Laura."

I clenched my fists. Laura is his boss. No doubt she was also drunk, and no doubt she was hitting on him. He's told me many times that the woman always wants what she can't have.

Austin and I sit in the backseat of Nate's car, breaths heavy and fists clenched from the dispute with our no-good father. We were so pissed off it's not funny. It's funny how alike we are. Even being two years apart we have similar features and we often clash in personalities because they're so similar. We both have blue eyes and curly brown hair, while Austin has more defined and sculpted features I have more of a baby face still. Our only difference is our height and, obviously, gender. For his age, Austin could definitely be perceived as a senior. Our father is 6"2 so we are both pretty tall. I'm about 5"9 while Austin is 6".

"Wanna tell me what's happening?" Nate tried cheering us up but it only ended up in me giving him a harsh glare. Nate is always making everyone happy in our group; he hates it when people are sad which I agree. "Anyway, I'm sorry Nova but Tyler has to catch a ride as well. He ran his car into a pole last night and -"

"Don't even tell me," I grumbled. I don't like my father and I also don't like Tyler. Double whammy in just ten minutes - what a great way to start the year. "You know I don't like him -"

"And would rather chew my toenails off," he mocked me in a girly voice. It was like nails on a chalkboard. "I know. I think the whole of Octavia High knows." He catches me rolling my eyes and snorts at my childishness.

He always tells me I act like I'm two days off graduating kindergarten. Can you even graduate kindergarten?

"You know, he's not even that bad. Sure, you guys are always fighting, and he's always calling you names and he's an ass." He then realises that he's winning a losing battle. "Okay, maybe he is! But only to you. You should feel special."

"Special?" I snorted loudly and Austin beside me commented about my piggy-ness. I'm also quite a tomboy - no surprises there. "I just loooooove having the 'hottest guy in Octavia High' annoying me all the time. Don't you?"

I also speak three languages (I'm trilingual) - English, sarcasm and sometimes even a few Spanish swear words.

To put into play, Tyler Bradford is a pinche puta who should besa mi culo, puto. That means, Tyler Bradford is a f*cking bitch who should kiss my ass, bitch. See, I use my bilingual-ness to my pure advantage by saying it to people like him, without him even knowing.

"I heard that Little Miss Matchmaker," speak of the devil and the devil appears. Tyler grinned at me through my window while Austin and Nate hollered greetings.

Nate had parked out front of his house (Which unfortunately happens to be over the road from ours. I live next to Nate and Tyler lives across from Nate.) and was waiting for the bastardos to finish brushing his hair.

"I knew you loved me," he blew a kiss and I flicked it away.

"Ew," I pretended to gag. "You wish."

Tyler rolled his eyes and opened the passenger door. Nate floored it once Tyler had closed the door of his car. Nate owns your typical old school Mustang, but it still has plenty of life left in it from him and Tyler constantly working on the poor thing.

"Clark told me something juicy yesterday man," Tyler speaks to his best friend (also mine I might add) like Austin and I aren't even there. "Apparently, Nova plays matchmaker."

Nate takes one look at Tyler's serious face and burst out laughing, "You didn't know?" His face goes red from the lack of oxygen.

Tyler looks at him with a confused scowl and turns back to me. "How come I was the last to know?"

I stare at his hazel green eyes and nearly forgot what I was about to say. I recovered, and a smirk slipped onto my lips. "Because I'm too busy cleaning up your left-overs, thank-you very much-ly."

Tyler's lips form an 'o'. I'm surprised he didn't know already. Practically everyone at Octavia High knows that I'm the go-to girl for a little bit of relationship advice. Tyler is known as a heartbreaker at our high school. Girls love him, mainly for his looks, while some nerds appreciate him for his brains. Yes, he is smart and hot. Too bad every time he's with a girl, he pulls the rug out from under their feet as soon as he's got what he wants.

I dislike him for the fact that:

a) I'm always cleaning up his mess. Metaphorically, of course. Heaps of his ex-flings (Tyler doesn't have girlfriends) run to me and ask me help on how to get him back.

b) I wouldn't constantly have to help people with relationship advice. I don't like always being the one helping. Sure, it's nice when it works but I hate being in other people's business. Some say that my position helps me to make the rumour mill juicier, but I'm not a back-stabber like some people I know.

c) I also hate him for the fact that he is so hot, so smart yet so untouchable. Tyler doesn't date girls, Tyler has flings and best friends.

"I'm keeping you in business," he smirks and runs a hand through his soft tousled brown hair. Even I can admit that he is one attractive mother-trucker.

"I wish you would stop," I mumbled. I just wish I could spend the rest of my high school life not in everyone's business.

Tyler's eyebrows raise and he looks at my brother, "Did you hear that? The matchmaker of Octavia High hates her job. Now this is gold."

"Oh shut up," I scowled and thanked Nate's reckless driving for getting us to school in record timing. Nate found a park and we all got out of his car with our bags and making our way to our hangout in front of the school.

"Are you going to the party tonight November?" Tyler grinned cockily, using my full name. My father was going from a Guns N Roses phase when I was born and named me - you guessed it - November Rain Lockhart. I go by Nova, because it's a much more appetising name then the month.

"Unfortunately," I sighed and crossed my arms over my chest. We were at our large group now. I looked around at my friends as we either sat or stood next to the large tree. Clark is trying to flirt with Allie Anders while Jake is trying to distract him by pulling faces behind Allie. Jake and Clark are that close they may as well be twins (even though Jake already has a twin, Jayden), same as Allie and Sophia - but I don't like them. I don't think many people really do, they're bee-otches though they are kind of pretty. I don't like judging people before I get to know them, but they kind of make it hard not to.

Tyler hummed the tune to 'November Rain' beside me and I was so tempted to either join in or slap him.

____________________________________________________________________________

It was lunch time and I was beyond starving. The pop tarts I had this morning weren't enough to fill me up. While getting my pizza from the cafeteria line, I thought about eating the whole tray, but doubted that it would do me any good. I run for a reason. When I was a kid, I was unfortunately fat because I ate all the time and hated exercise. Now, I run every now and again and am in the schools Volleyball team. I'm not the best, but I'm still a valued teammate.

"I'd appreciate if you wouldn't drool all over the food," Allie sneered from beside me, Sophia by her side like a lost puppy.

I rolled my eyes at them and gave them a sickly sweet forced smile, "Would you prefer it if I spat in it then?" I spun on my heel to get back to my table as they gasped. All I feel like doing when I am around them is either rolling my eyes or banging my head on a desk repetitively.

Nate, along with a few other of our friends who we don't talk much to, were the only people at our huge table. We are the biggest group and therefore have a huge table to the side of the cafeteria. I took the free seat next to Nate and poked my tongue out at my best friend.

"Hey Nova," he greeted me, his brown eyes filled with happiness. I envy his happiness - it's like he's never down or anything, no matter what. "How's your day been?"

"Oh, you know the usual. Failed my maths exam again, accidentally swore in Spanish to my Spanish teacher and was the victim to a deadly Chemistry explosion." I lied, grinning at him.

He knows that today we didn't even have classes, so he just went along with it. It's not like it hasn't happened before, anyway.

Yes, I swore at my Spanish teacher. Yes, I fail maths and yes, I did light a table on fire in chemistry one time.

"Seriously?" Tyler beat Nate to say something and took the seat beside me, I'm so unlucky today. "Who knew November was such a badass."

Nate snorted nudged my shoulder, "Yeah Nova. I never knew you were soooo bad. I hear Tyler likes bad girls," he winks at me and I give him my scariest glare.

Tyler punches Nate in the shoulder and Nate acts he's so hurt and starts fake crying. People turn around to look but Tyler and I are too busy laughing at our stupid best friend.

"Nate, as annoying as ever," Emily took the seat in front of me. Emily is our other best friend. She's flamboyant, slightly crazy and head over heels for Nate. Emily has blonde hair which I helped dip-dye blue, and eyes so blue I am envious of her. "Hey Nova." She smiles then looks at Tyler to greet him, "Asshole."

Tyler gasps and I snort out a laugh at his face. As much as I dislike spending time with Tyler, it's so much fun to make fun of him.

Nate recovers from his acting and pouts at Emily. "That wasn't very nice Emily, apologise."

Emily is definitely not immune to Nate's good looks, and I watch as she nearly melts at his puppy dog face.

"They're practically raping each other," Tyler whispers in my ear and I involuntary shiver at the feeling. "Eye-raping I mean."

I chuckle but it come out sounding like 'heh', because I'm not used to boys (other than Nate) being this close to me.

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By the time the school day is over, I'm tired and feeling slightly depressed because I don't want to go to Nate's party tonight. I just want to play my Xbox, eat tacos and be on my comfortable bed. But instead, I'm being dragged to Emily's house to be tortured with makeup and curling wands, then going to Nate's to put up with nearly all the seniors at our school and pretend that I'm having fun.

Fun, this is not fun.

Emily had driven me to her house in her beaten up F15O which was bound to die any second. I like old cars, but this one is ten seconds off having an engine failure (if that is possible). I was now sitting on her bed while she held up the clothes we had (more like she had) picked for me to wear tonight. Emily was put in charge of taking care of it because Nate thought that I would sabotage it if I had it.

The clothes she picked are really nice, but I didn't want to stand out in the crowd. Not that I would, because I'm terribly average, since I hate being the centre of attention.

"You're going to go out with a bang tonight Nova," Emily grinned at me. "I can't wait to see people's faces when they see you."

"What's so bad about how I look without makeup," I pouted pathetically.

"Nothing, you're naturally pretty," Emily rolled her eyes, "But most guys think of you as Nate's best friend. You're one of the boys in their eyes. Heck, you even dress like one most days. They need to see that you aren't Nova, one of the boys, but Nova, the hot girl that I would kill to date."

"You have such high expectations of me," I laughed it off but I was actually mulling over what Emily said. Is that really how guys see me? Maybe that's why I've never been in a serious relationship before?

Maybe I'm too much like a guy. I don't want to be just 'one of the boys'.

Maybe this is a good thing. But I just had a feeling that this would create more harm than good. After all, my life is so uncomplicated and normal, anything different would feel wrong. I can't keep hiding behind my best friend; I need to be my own fabulous-ness.

Tonight is the night to prove all the guys wrong.