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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: this evil is necessary _______________________________ NOVA DELAROUZ THRIVED OFF OF THE ATTENTION SHE WAS RARELY GIVEN.
Day after day, Nova Delarouz spent every second reaching for any and every opportunity of receiving attention. That's one of the many reasons why she envied Valerie. Nova would always be living in Valerie's shadow, while Valerie remained the center of attention and had everything handed to her on a silver platter, (that's how Nova saw it).
Her main goal for years had been to kick Valerie out of the picture. Of course, she never succeeded with her plan until she was forced to vanish from Hawkins. Anyway, the whole reason for her deep, consuming desire of attention, was due to her parents. Now, allow me to explain. Nova didn't quite meet up to her parents expectations of, what they call, a 'well-settled woman'. Her parents were full of opinions, and highly critical judgements. Quite frankly, if Nova were to breathe the wrong way, she'd most likely be shoved onto the streets. Sucks for her, right? It also didn't help that they always compared Nova to someone she so deeply despised.. Valerie. That's why Nova was so determined to take Valerie's ranking spot in Hawkins. If she could prove to her parents that she was doing something useful with her life, maybe they'd provide for her the same attention they provided for Valerie when she went to visit Nova's house.
Now, if Nova was going to prove to her parents that she was more than what they saw her as, she had to go a further extent with Valerie. Nova took every advantage she was given to learn more about Valerie and her family history. If there was a sleepover, she could look through both Valerie and Melina's stuff. If Valerie wasn't feeling well mentally, Nova was more than willing to listen to the conflicts Valerie had taking place in her life. She used every piece of information she gathered against Valerie. Well.. except one specific source of information she had discovered. She was saving that for a time like this. A time of vulnerability and instability. Little did Nova know, her presentation of her devious schemes would be delayed. I guess the evil Russians were good for something. _______________________________ Valerie knew she had a lot on her schedule. So, first thing in the morning, her and Selina headed straight to Starcourt. The car ride was unusually quiet, which Valerie despised. Selina was usually the one who couldn't contain herself from talking. But she didn't say a single word. Weird. .
As soon as Valerie and Selina arrived, Dustin had returned from his small spy-craft mission. Per usual, both Steve and Robin appeared to be tired of scooping ice cream, although it was fairly early in the morning.
"That keycard opens the door. But unfortunately, the Russian with this keycard also has a massive gun." Dustin spoke. "Whatever's in this room, whatever's in those boxes, they really don't want anybody finding it." Dustin sighed. "But there's gotta be a way in." Robin shook her head. "Well, you know.. I could just take him out." Steve leaned forward, looking between the four of them. His stupidity made Valerie scoff, along with Dustin and Selina. "Take who out?" Robin raised a brow at Steve. "The Russian guard. ." Steve replied. Robin's mouth slightly gaped open, her eyes widening at his self-assurance. "What? I sneak up behind him, I knock him out, and I take his keycard. It's easy." Steve shrugged. "Yeah, I'm sure you won't get shot in the process." Valerie scoffed, which had Steve glaring at her. "What..? Did you not hear the part about the massive gun?" Valerie knitted her eyebrows together. "Yes, I did, Valerie. And that's why.. I would be sneaking." Steve imitated a person walking with his fingers. Every one of them, except Steve, shared a look while shaking their heads in disapproval. "Well.. please, tell me this, and be honest." Dustin began. "Have you ever actually.. won a fight?" Dustin hesitatingly asked. "Okay, that was one time—" Steve defended himself, soon being cut off by Dustin. "Twice. Jonathan. Year prior?" Dustin's eyebrows raised. "Listen, that doesn't count." Steve shook his head. "Why wouldn't it count?" Both Dustin and Valerie questioned. "Because, it looks like he beat the shit out of you." Dustin added. Dustin and Steve's argument only continued, as Dustin began naming Steve's injuries from the fight, while Steve kept failing to find a reasonable excuse for his defeat. At this point of the argument, all three of the girls began tuning them out, getting caught up in thoughts of their own. "That just might work." Robin spoke. "What?" Both Valerie and Selina questioned. "The vent." Robin replied, hopping off of her chair and rushing out of the back room. "What is she doing?" Selina asked, which Valerie shrugged in response to the blonde. All four of them had their heads stacked upon another as they looked through the window to see what Robin was up to. "Hey, Robin!" Steve called out to Robin as she took every dollar bill from the jar labeled 'Tips'. "Hey, what—what are you doing?" Steve questioned, all four of them heading to the front counter. "I need cash." Robin shrugged, walking backwards as she looked at the four of them. "Well, half of that's mine." Steve pointed to the money in her hand. "Where're you going?" Both Steve and Valerie questioned. "To find us a way into that room. A safe way." Robin answered. "And, in the mean time.. sling ice cream, behave, and don't get beat up." Robin teased, chuckling at her comment. "I'll be back in a jiff." Robin ran out of the shop, leaving the four of them. Valerie turned to look at the three, watching Steve huff at Robin's actions. Selina's mouth gaped open in disgust, watching Dustin as he licked an ice cream scooper. "Ew. I'm never trusting ice cream from here again." Selina shook her head sarcastically. Steve's head turned to Dustin, quickly snatching the scooper from Dustin's grip. "Oh, dude!" Steve sighed. "Not my scooper." Steve shook his head in disapproval, about to place the scooper back in the holder on his shorts, before Valerie snatched it. "What're you doing?" Steve asked, trying to grab the scooper back. "I don't trust that you'll remember to wash this." Valerie shrugged, looking for any sink available.
