✧.* letters addressed to the fire // drake parker

chapter one

001. ✩ letters addressed to the fire. 

nova slouched in her seat, her pencil tracing absent-minded patterns on the worn surface of her desk. the teacher's voice droned on, each word blending into the next in a monotonous symphony that seemed to seep into her brain. boredom gnawed at her, an itch that she couldn't scratch. she glanced at the clock, willing time to pass faster, only making the waiting seem longer. her mind drifted to the mountain of neglected homework awaiting her attention at home, but despite the weight of her thoughts, she tried to think about the outcome. the relief of having nothing left to do. the thought of mindy scolding her for her lack of focus weighed on her shoulders like a sack of rocks. so, she promised herself in that moment that she would get everything done as soon as she got home.

eventually, the bell snapped her out of her thoughts and she jumped up from her seat, grabbing her backpack and shoving the pencil into one of the pockets as she made her way into the hallway, rushing to her locker- which was very conveniently placed next to mindy's, who happened to already be planted there, grabbing books and putting them in her bag. "hey, what are you doing tonight? wanna hang out?" nova asked, leaned against the metal door, arms crossed over her chest as she watched the gears turn in the girls head.

"not much. i have some time set aside to study before bed. so, yeah. sounds good." mindy said, slinging her backpack over her shoulders before placing her hands on the straps. nova was about to speak before a look of panic flashed over the girls face. "oh my god, wait- i'm so sorry i just remembered today is friday. i have plans to go over to josh's house."

nova nodded, waving a hand dismissively. "don't worry about it."

mindy frowned for a moment, lost in thought until an excited smile lit up her face. "you should totally come with!"

"me? and do what, third wheel you and your boyfriend? i think i'll pass." nova chuckled, shaking her head as mindy placed her hands on both of her shoulders.

"come on, i promise it'll be fun. but, i will warn you- josh's brother drake will be there, so... i'd be weary of him. he's a super big flirt, he dates every girl he lays eyes on."

nova's eyebrow perked in curiosity. she'd heard of him before, mainly from mindy complaining about how much she disliked him because he wasn't anywhere near as intelligent as her. "ah. yes. the dumb one. don't worry, i'm not looking to flirt with any boys anyway. i've got way too much on my plate. i'll be fine." the brunette smiled even wider if possible.

"so... you'll come?"

the blonde squinted, pretending to think really hard. "on one condition. please, for my sake- don't make out in front of me."

mindy gave a little cheer and patted her on the shoulder. "okay! i can make that happen. does 6:30 sound alright?" nova nodded, adjusting her backpack straps. the two parted ways and eventually, she found herself at home, sat with her head in a textbook. her brain racked with information; trying to take it all in. the time passed by quicker than she would have liked, and right as 6 o'clock rolled around, she finally finished all of her work, and started scrambling to get ready. she threw her hair up in a bun, pulling out a few strands in the front, before rummaging through her closet and finding an outfit that was manageable enough. once she was satisfied with what she saw in the mirror, she made her way through the door.