Beautiful Minds

•part 3•

The light conversation continued for another two hours, and Nova didn't realize until they left the fort that the power had gone out and the snow had stopped.

"Shit. My dad's probably called me, like, seven times," Nova groaned, going to her bedroom and unplugging her and Lucia's phone from the now useless outlet while the other girl checked on the two puppies.

"The snow stopped an hour ago," he said when she called him back.

"Yeah, I know. I just saw," she snapped a him.

"The roads are being cleared out now, but we probably won't have power until tomorrow."

"That blows."

"I should be home in about two hours," he replied. "I'll tell Ophelia that you say hi."

"I think she'll know you're lying." Nova frowned and hung up.

"Catch," She coughed as she walked into the kitchen and threw Lucia's phone towards her. The blonde girl's eyes jolted open as she lunged forward and caught it.

"What the heck?" She gave her best attempt at being stern, which only came off as nervous and unsure.

"Did you just say 'heck?'" Nova's face twisted up in disgust. "Do you ever swear?"

"Never." Lucia shook her head promptly. Defiance shone bright in her eyes, along with a sight speck of fear.

The black haired girl glared at the other.

"Try it," she challenged, watching the innocent girl's eyes widen in shock.

"No way!" Lucia laughed. She shook her head and took a seat at the kitchen table. "I never have and I never will."

"That's stupid. It feels great and science says it reduces pain." She wasn't completely sure if it was true, but nobody would dare tell her otherwise.

"Really? Says who?" Lucia rolled her eyes.

"...Science," Nova squinted and shook her head. "You should try it. Maybe you'd seem like less of a twelve year old if you didn't say heck. At least say hell."

"I don't like swearing. It makes me feel mean. And my parents are really strict about that kind of stuff. Swearing, drugs, alcohol, dating..." Lucia shrugged and Nova sat down across from her, unsure of how to ask the question she so badly wanted to ask.

"Would they even let you date Amelia?" She asked hesitantly.

Lucia rolled her eyes. "They're strict, not homophobic. And besides, me brother didn't have to come out as straight so I don't feel the need to come out either."

"What...are you..." she paused, "I don't know how to phrase this so that it's not offensive so I'm gonna go back to not caring about whether something is offensive or not." She took a deep breath. "Do you like dick at all?"

Lucia blushed. "I'm pansexual. Hearts not parts," She grinned weakly at the other girl, clearly embarrassed. "What are you?"

Nova had never really thought about it. But looking across the table at the blonde girl, she thought she knew.

"I'm gay. But I think I could get off on hating everyone."

"You don't hate me, do you?" Lucia frowned, looking at Nova with hurt eyes. Nova felt guilty, but was a girl she barely knew worth throwing away her whole reputation?

She cleared her throat. "I don't necessarily like you. Why do you care?"

Lucia shrugged. "I like being friends with everyone."

"That's horrific."

"It's beautiful." Lucia cleared her throat. "Has it ever occurred to you that not everyone wants to hurt you? Not everyone wants to tear your walls down so they can laugh at who you really are. I know you like to keep up your reputation but a reputation isn't always a good thing. Yours makes you mean." Lucia's demeanor changed, and she became strict very suddenly.

"That's...kinda the point," Nova nodded. "I don't like people, so I'm mean. It usually scares them away." She glanced up at the blond girl and muttered under her breath, "I dunno what the fuck you're still doing here."

"I think you're beautiful, just like everyone else is. Not necessarily in looks-"

"Are you calling me ugly?" Nova interjected and Lucia glared at her.

"Not just in looks." She corrected herself. "You have a beautiful mind."

Nova raised her eyebrows. "I don't really think you want to know what goes on in my mind."

"I'm sure it's as beautifully you as I think it is."

Nova attempted to get a few cruel words in, but Lucia kept talking.

"Do you think I should date Amelia?" She looked a Nova with big, innocent eyes, and Nova almost threw up. She was suddenly nervous.

"I...I don't care what you do." No.

"Dk you think we would be good together?" She pressed.

"You and me? Or you and Amelia?" Nova's stomach lurched.

"Me and Amelia. I get the feeling I'm not really your type." Lucia laughed and Nova frowned.

"Nobody is your type when you hate everyone," Nova argued. Then she said something she never thought she'd tell anyone. "My real name is November." She averted her eyes and began to fiddle with her hands, something she hadn't done in a long time; something she only did when she was nervous.

Lucia looked shocked, to say the least. "That's beautiful." Lucia asked.

Nova could feel herself blush.

Fuck. That wasn't supposed to happen. She put on a harsher face and a tone to match the weather.

"I'm going to my room. Leave when the streets are clear and clean up after your dogs." Nova stood up and left Lucia alone and confused at the kitchen table.

When she heard her dad's car pull into the driveway, she left her room and walked into the kitchen. Lucia was gone. She should be relieved. Instead, she felt cold, and maybe that was the weather, but the loneliness wasn't.

• • • • • •

Nova wasn't quite sure how to do this. But she found Lucia interesting. She was interested in Lucia. Somehow the girl had popped up from the snow and found out things that she hadn't known herself. But if she couldn't fight Lucia, she'd have to join her.

She could, however, fight Amelia.

Nova knocked on the door and waited patiently with the flowers in her hand. Violets, to be exact.

"Who is it?" A happy voice called from the other side.

"Open the heck up," Nova ordered, her stomach flipping over.

Lucia opened the door in confused, and glanced down at the flowers. A shy grin spread across her face and she opened the door wider.

"I don't think you should date Amelia, and I don't think you guys would be good together. I think that maybe you're my type and I hate you for ruining my edgy reputation." She spat the words out as fast as she could, and secretly savored the embarrassed yet happy expression on Lucia's face.

"Violets?" Lucia raised her eyebrows to make sure she wasn't way off.

"Yeah. Someone told me that girls used to give them to girls they were interested in. Definitely not what's happening here, though. Obviously." She blushed angrily, embarrassed by herself and all the rambling.

"Of course. I'm not interested in you either," Lucia replied.

"Obviously," Nova scoffed. "You know I hate everyone."

"I know." Lucia stepped up to the blushing, dark haired girl and touched her shoulder, noticing how she tensed up at the contact. She laughed, and leaned in to kiss her.

"Gross," Nova scoffed.

She didn't stop her.