Beauty Lesson 4: Illusion Vs Reality

“Good morning everyone! What's going on?”

“Oh hi Nova! Good morning! Did you walk to school today?” Crista enquired.

“ Well my dear Crista, I didn't walk but rode all the way to school.

On my very own bike… yippie!” screamed Nova.

“Whoa, that's nice. How did you get permission from  Sophie and your mom?”

“ Mom and Sophie don't allow me to keep pets, so I asked for a bike and here it is!”

“Good for you girl, enjoy. By the way, will you ride your bike alone or along with somebody?” teased Crista

“No way! This bike is only for me.” Nova winked

“Where is the new guy?” asked Tyler.

“Oh yes, where is Nathan?” nova asked as they reached the classroom and sat on their seats.

Suddenly , someone comes running to the classroom.

“Nova, huff puff”, the boy was clearly out of breath.

“Calm down Stephen, sit here, have some water first. Then tell me what the matter is.”

Stephen hurriedly sipped water and exclaimed, “ the new guy, he is in trouble again,”

Nova was astonished to hear this. With anger she got up and asked sternly, “Where did you see him? Was it Jessica again?”

“Yes, Jessica is bullying him again on the  basketball court”

Nova was pissed.

“Ok. You stay here and relax. Thanks for telling us. Let’s go ty and cris,

On our way, we have to make a stop at the movie club.”

The three of them set off. Nova kept pondering 'why is Nathan being targeted again? I warned Jessica but still she is so persistent. Why Nathan though?'

She was determined to stop Jessica once and for all

At  the basketball court, Nathan was sitting down with his head between his knees. A group of girls surrounded him. Laughing, Jessica warned him,

"Hey you wimp, call your mama. Tell her to get her a$$ down here. If she has the guts."

In a trembling voice he replied, “no I won't.”

Jessica raised an eyebrow, "oho what do we have here? The wimp is talking back? Well, let’s see how much you can rebel hahahaha”

 She poured ice water on Nathan's head.

The three of them just reached the scene as nova shouted "stop this nonsense, Jessica! Nathan, get up. Ty please help him”

Tyler approached Nathan, helping him get up. Poor Nathan was drenched and kept sneezing.

 Nova looked at him with anger and concern. She went towards Jessica and said, “everyone, we have a little show here arranged by the film club." Two guys brought a curtain and placed it at one end of the court.

"We would like to present to you a movie called, 'Jessica's little adventure’. It shows us a small adventure Jessica had on our school campus, especially somewhere near the cherry blossom tree” Nova looked at Jessica and winked.

Jessica was petrified seeing something play on the white screen. 

“Hahaha ya i’ll be right back”

The crowd began to whisper. “Ooh it's Jessica’s voice.”

“Is that the store room? Why does she go to that dusty place?”

 “Ok Jess” someone replied to Jessica in the video as it continued to play.

“Aaaaaaaah stop this video! stop it!” Jessica shouted as she realised what's about to be shown.

Nova signaled the film guys to pause the video.

“Why my dear? It's a great  film. Must watch. Hahahaha” she mocked Jessica.

“Ok; what do you want Nova?” Jessica asked her.

“ I want you to stay away from Nathan. If you touch him again this video will be all over the internet. But if you promise me that you won't trouble the guy again, I will delete this video."

“you what? Will you really delete it?”Jess asked

“Yep” nova nodded.

Jessica was a bit skeptical but she thought over the deal. And finally agreed.

Nova told the film guys to delete the video on the pen drive.

“There. Deleted. Now you can't touch the boy" Nova moved closer to Jessica and poked her clavicle with her finger warning her, "if you trouble him again I will release this video.” she pulls out her phone and another video begins “hey jessica can you smell something? Ya i can. Looks like someone far-”

Jessica screamed, "Aaah ok ok ok i won't touch him. Damn you Nova. Someday I will get you in a fix. Definitely.”

Jessica left with her group of girls.

"Phew! ok then, where's the dude?" Nova looked around for Nathan. 

She saw him standing and shivering in the corner of the court alongside Tyler.

She went up to him and just stared at him with a hopeless expression.

“I am so sorr-” Nathan was cut in between.

“I told you!” Nova screamed, “I told you to stand up for yourself. Why didn't you ? I was so worried.”

 “Oho Nova can get worried too?", Nathan joked

With squinty eyes she stared at Nathan, "Just look at you. You are a mess right now and you are joking?  Do you even know how much it hurts to see your friend getting bullied?"

After a short pause she continued, “This is enough. You should be trained more strictly. Where do you live Dews?”

Nathan was shocked as he replied,  Is it even appropriate to take you there so soon? What will my parents say? It's too early an-”

“Nathan Dews, stop with these lames jokes, no one around you is laughing."

Nathan looked around to see Crista and Tyler holding their laughter in.

“Lets just leave. Class is about to begin and Dews has to change his clothes too.”

After school,

“Hey Nathan, let's go” Nova approached him with her bike.

"Ah ok. Wow nice bike. Looks new”, he commented.

Nova was smiling from ear to ear while she said “yes”

Crista pulled Nova aside and whispered in her ear, "oh only Nathan gets to ride huh?”

"No! Nothing like that Crista!" Nova denied.

"Bye guys” she bid them goodbye and left for home.

“Ok Dews, how to reach your place?

“Oh we take this road straight  for a km and continue alongside the sea then turn left and voila.” Nathan replied

Nathan and Nova kept walking down the street. It had  trees on one side and the sea on another. They could see a beautiful crispy sunset with its colours being splashed on the sea surface.

“Wow, it's really beautiful", Nathan whispered.

“true”, Nova replied as they kept staring at the sunset.

“you have pretty eyes," Nathan said shyly

Nova was shocked. "What?” she questioned.

“They are pretty squinted hahaha” Nathan teased.

Nova pouted as she said “ No one will think you were just bullied. You are not weak but not as strong. I will make you stronger.”

Suddenly Nathan flung his shoulder around Nova and pulled her closer with a strong force which was unusual." What if i am already strong?” Nathan whispered in a deep voice in her ear.

Nova was frozen. Terrified,  she just pushed him down.

“Ow” Nathan exclaimed .He got up when he saw Nova standing there with a blank look.

“Umm helo? Nova? Supernova?" He shook her and she finally managed to snap out of it.

“Didn't you say something in my ear just now? An-and your voice was deeper, and I know that voice. But. I am not used to hearing it anymore.” Nova said in a shaky voice.

“No, i didn't say anything! Are you hallucinating? You suddenly pushed me to the floor, I am confused as to why you did that." Nathan answered

“I am so sorry I pushed you, but you are right I must be hallucinating” Nova apologized as she thought ‘Is it back again? My illness?’

 They continued to walk in silence until they reached Nathan’s house

"So Nova, now you have promised me that you will make me stronger, I will give it my all." Nathan said excitedly.

 Nova managed to get over the experience she just had and replied "Good, Nathan. I will come and pick you up every morning. Early mornings are great times to grasp new stuff” she said

“ ok done” both agreed.

"Ok then, bye see ya tomorrow" , Nova mounted her bike and left.

Back there at the school gate, Crista and Tyler were walking along with each other and suddenly came across their classmates. They overheard them saying

 “ Poor Nathan, Jessica will keep targeting him because he has now become Nova’s weakness.”

“True. He  is very pitiful." Replied another

Suddenly one of them asked,

“Hey did  you guys see him just before the water was about to be spilled on him? he slightly nodded while looking at Jessica. And then Nova entered and saw him receiving the ice water."

“Are you kidding? That timid boy can't even look at her straight. He signaled her? Stop dreaming.” one of them mocked

“ He must have looked up to see if Nova has come to save him or not. Oh man, you and your conspiracy theories. Stop it. It's becoming so clichéd nowadays. Stop watching movies.” another boy in the group advised.

"Yes that's right" as another boy smacked the theorist.

"Fine! Don't believe me. I just said what i saw" he replied as the group left the school

Crista and Tyler  looked at each other and nodded. Knowing what to do next,

 they went in the direction of the noodle shop.

What kind of illness does Nova have? And since when?

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