"Nova, would you-" EJ began threatening her as she kept hitting the back of his phone. Ricky and Nini were rehearsing their song while the rest of the cast either did their choreography or sat on the small bleachers. Nova took it upon herself to annoy the absolute hell out of EJ, "I'll throw it at you."

"You most certainly will not." she said, hitting his phone again as it fell into his lap. He went to make a comment before the bell rung above them, a wide grin spreading across his face.

"Yes! Yes! Whoo!" he hollered while coming to his feet and pumping his fist into the air. Everyone looked at him with a odd expression, "Sorry. I really love Thanksgiving."

"Can't say the same after what you did last year." Nova commented, grabbing her bag and standing up.

"What happened last year?" Gina asked curiously as Nova and EJ looked her way.

"He made me make turkey noises so we could track one down in the woods." Nova said before EJ had the chance to stop her. He cringed at the memory and shook his head, "The real reason who broke up."

"Did you find one?" Nini had to ask.

"Oh yeah, a whole flock before he thought it would be a good idea to run at them full force." Nova said back, waiting until EJ came off the bleachers with her, "I got him back though."

"Sweet potatoes up my nose for a whole week." he said, rubbing his nose from the memory.

"What is with you and shoving things up people's noses?" Ricky asked, looking toward Ashlyn after hearing the memory of the monopoly man going up her nose, "Should any of us be concerned?"

"Okay, hold on!" Miss Jenn called out to the number of students all heading out, "I know everyone is excited for the holiday break. But i'm me, and I have notes."

"Hey, are you spending Thanksgiving with us this year?" Ashlyn whispered toward Nova, "You need us to sneak you over?"

"No, that was just with my mom." Nova said back with a shake of her head, "But my dad mention something about a business meeting so I might need to."

"Ricky and Nini, that was good. But it could be better." Miss Jenn spoke over the pair of girls, looking at the ex duo, "She said in the spirit of holiday cheer."

"Our parents are going out after dinner but the three of us can totally do something." Ashlyn spoke to Novas recent words.

"Trip? Where to?" Nova asked, adjusting the turkey earnings she wore for the day.

"Park City." Ashlyn said, seeing the look of disbelief on Novas face, "What?"

"My dad says that's were his business meeting is." she said while Ashlyn pulled the same face she did, "Amateurs."

"Nova, you're my ride!" Gina called out to her. Ashlyn earned a salute, and then she was off.

"Are you sure that is okay?" Alaric questioned as the take out boxes were thrown away, "You know I can't cook."

"Take out is great." Nova shook her head, "I haven't had it in a while anyways."

"You just seem-" he began, stopping when she turned her back away and pulled the fridge open. Nova hadn't talked much the whole night and was really short with her sentences. He began to worry that ordering chinese food was a bad idea and wasn't good enough.

But that hadn't been it.

"You'd talk to me, wouldn't you?" he had to ask, leaning on the counter when she turned to look at him, "If something was going on?"

"Nothings going on, i'm just tired." she lied to his face, sipping the diet cranberry juice, "I'm really glad we got to spend Thanksgiving together."

"Me too, we haven't in a while." he said, suddenly realizing maybe that's why she'd been upset or maybe angry, "I can skip out on the spa trip if you want me to stay here with you."

"No, that's okay. Ashlyn invited me over anyways so.." she trialed off with a sudden forced smile.

"Are you s-" he began once again, being cut off.

"Everything's fine." she said back, a little too much joy in her tone to come off as believable. Nova stuck her phone in her back pocket and put her charm bracelet on, "I'll see you in the morning?"

"I'll be here." he nodded, giving her a smile and watched her leave.

Nova didn't want to drive that evening. She didn't feel like it was right, nor was she in a good head space to. She began feeling guilty for how she acted toward her dad when she began walking in the cold, hugging herself through the sage green sweater she wore. Her air blew horrible and was making her neck colder by the seconds. Just as she was about to turn back and get her car, headlights flashed behind her.

Nova turned around and squinted at the lights shining in her eyes, raising a hand to try and block them. As they shut off, the car pulled up next to her. Nova had to smile when the window rolled down and a familiar pair of blue eyes beamed back at her, "Hey, stranger."

"You shouldn't talk to strangers." Nova said back to EJ as he leaned on the door, "What are you doing down here?"

"Figured I'd pick you up on the way toward Ash's." he said, staring out at her, "Your dad said you'd already left. Why are you walking in the cold?"

"Trying to clear my head a bit." Nova said back, her breath made smoke infront of her, "I think I made it worse."

EJ leaned back in his car. Nova saw the passengers seat door being pushed open from the inside. She hurried around the car and pulled herself inside, the heater hitting her immediately, "You saved my life."

"Dramatic." he said, removing his hand from her seat and putting his car in drive again, "What did you need to clear your head about?"

Nova shrugged as she leaned back on the seat, "Thanksgiving."

"You wanted to clear your head about Thanksgiving by going to a Thanksgiving theater party?" he asked her in disbelief.

Nova had to laugh at his words, "Not the holiday, loser. I mean, like, how thanksgiving was before."

EJ looked over and found she didn't want to look at him, "With your mom?"

"It's just weird that i'm not spending it with her this year. It's not like we ever did anything really. But at least she was there for it. My dad never was. He ran off the second the divorce was final." Nova spoke. She hadn't been able to talk about her dad, didn't want to come off like she hadn't been grateful for what he's done for her recently. But EJ was EJ, and she knew she could say anything to him and he'd listen and always say something back.

"I thought you didn't want to see him?" he asked, worried maybe it hadn't been the right thing to say.

"I didn't. Doesn't mean I didn't want him to keep trying with his own daughter. I know that no means no, but sometimes I just wanted someone to try harder with me." Nova said honestly, not realizing a lot of her words were someone directed toward EJ in the end, "It's my fault."

"It's not." he argued, flipping his blinkers on when they got to the stop sign, "You deserve to have someone try harder with you."

Nova looked over as he turned the car, "Can I say something without you thinking I sound like a complete idiot that needs to find her brain?"

The Caswell boy cracked a grin at her words, "Go head."

Nova exhaled as she looked at the window shield again, the car lights shining on her eye as they drove past, "I really miss her."

EJ understood her. Nova didn't love her mother, nor did Beverly love Nova. But at the end of the day, Nova knew she was the one to stay while her father ran. She was a horrible mother, but the small thing she did for her was what kept Nova going. And now, she just really missed her mom. EJ understood that, she didn't have to say it to him for him to know what she'd been thinking. He'd known her too well by now, he's seen it happen so many times before.

"I know." EJ said back, reaching over. He placed his hand on her knee, waiting a moment before feeling her cold hand grab hold of it. He squeezed her fingers that went under his palm and she squeezed the back of his hand even harder. EJ found himself looking over, wanting to see the nostalgia feeling he'd felt in his chest. Then he saw it, on her wrist.

The E charm had been back on her bracelet.

•

kylie speaks

yallll, i'm so
sorry this took
so long! i went on
a trip and had no
wifi so disney +
wasn't loading very
well! but i'm home now
and i hope them holding
hands was worth the
wait!!