Page 22 of Searching for Nova

“Yeah, you were lucky. The place was packed. I’ve never seen it that busy.”

“I think it was more than luck. I think I was meant to go there. To find you.”

She’s quiet, and I’m feeling nervous again, unsure what her silence means, but thinking it’s probably not good.

“Nova, I get that this is a lot to process, us seeing each other again. Well, it is for me. I don’t know about you. I just know I don’t want this to be the end. I want to see you again.”

She doesn’t say anything. I check to make sure she didn’t hang up.

“Nova? You still there?”

“When?” she finally says.

“Um, tomorrow?” I throw it out there, knowing she’ll probably turn me down. If she does, that’s fine. I don’t really have time tomorrow, but I’m so desperate to see her that it came out of my mouth before I had time to think.

“What time?”

Holy shit, she’s really agreeing to see me tomorrow?

“What time is good for you?”

“Three or four? I get off work at two, but I need time to get home and change. And the bus doesn’t come until 2:15 and I’m on it for almost an hour so four is probably better.”

“What if I pick you up? You could skip the bus which would give us more time.”

“Um, I guess that would work, but I need to go home and clean up. I’m gross after cleaning dishes all day.”

“That’s fine. I’ll take you home and wait until you’re ready.”

“I don’t think Ted will be okay with that. He doesn’t like my friends coming over.”

“You can’t have friends over? Are you serious?”

“He doesn’t even wantmethere. He doesn’t like kids, or teenagers. He doesn’t really like anyone younger than fifty.”

“Then I’ll wait in the car. I’ll be at the diner at two to pick you up.”

“Um, okay,” she says like she’s still not on board with the plan.

“I should probably get to sleep, unless you want to talk some more.”

“No, we can talk tomorrow.”

“Okay. Goodnight, Nova.”

“Goodnight.”

I end the call, wishing we could’ve talked longer, but feeling that if we did, she’d change her mind about tomorrow. I could tell she was wavering, and the longer we talked, the more chances she’d have to cancel on me.

It’s like we’re starting over, like the friendship we used to have never happened. She doesn’t trust me, and isn’t sure she wants me back me in her life.

I’m going to change that. I don’t know how, or how long it’ll take, but some way, somehow, I’m going to be friends with her again.

7

Easton

The diner is nearly empty,giving it a completely different feel than when I was here the other night. Friday night it was packed with people my age, yelling and throwing shit and wearing costumes. It almost felt like a party. Now it feels depressing. The place is silent, except for the sound of dishes clanking together. Three old guys sit at the counter, hunched over and sipping their coffee. There’s an older couple at one of the booths, neither of them talking as they eat their food.

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