Luckily for Nova the same students she had met at the mixer we just as enthusiastic to see Nova outside of the library. Her first day of classes she had found a great seat with people surrounding her. She waved at Matt as he walked in, he smiled back but chose to sit in the very front of the classroom. Bridgette, the girl sitting next to Nova, had informed Nova that she had completed the entire reading for the semester.
"We only had to read the first chapter." Nova whispered, on the verge of panic.
"No one ever just reads one chapter." Bridgette had a way to make even the most prepared student nervous. Nova gave her an untrusting look but stopped once she noticed the pages of notes her classmate had written.
"Don't worry about her," The boy sitting next to her said. " I went to high school with her and she never got below a 100."
Nova nodded, not entirely comforted.
The Garrison was overwhelming at times. Nova wasn't used to such a strict schedule. There were regular wake up times, breakfast then hours of classes followed by open study sessions and extracurriculars. As a future engineer she had to join their club, which usually consisted in study parts of the ships they'd be working in and solving issues on hand.
She had excelled in the class, she never knew what she was doing but it seemed right. Eventually she got the hang of calling the tools by their name and diagnosing an issue by hearing the machine hum.
Early in the school year all the students were split up into groups of 3. As strange as it sounded the groups were not chosen out of skill. "Anyone can learn to fix a ship and fly." Iverson had explained. "But no one can learn to put up with each other." The class had looked around exchanging confused glances. Their question had been answer as they were sat down to complete a rigorous personality test that would create groups full of compatible students.
"It seems stupid," Lauren had complained the night after the test. "I mean, I don't want to be paired off with strangers." Nova thought that seemed unlikely. It seemed like Lauren knew everybody at the school, even the fourth years who were seconds from graduating.
"I guess if the groups don't work you can talk to the dean." Nova was met with an incredulous stare but she just shrugged.
"We'll start off with the pilot everyone wants to be in a team with." Nova, and the entire class, knew Iverson was talking about Shiro, even with a week of class the rumors had spread on how talented he was a pilot. It had also helped that he was years ahead of the class. Nova would feel bad for anyone paired with him, too many eyes would be on that team.
"Communications: Matt Holt and the engineer: Nova Larsen." She looked over to her teammates. Shiro had a small smile and Matt was enthusiastically waving her over. She gave a small grimace but was met with the small boy jumping on her.
"Welcome to the dream team." Matt exclaimed as he let go of her. "And since we have the teachers own personal god, we'll get an A." Nova smiled at Matt's enthusiasm but laughed as Shiro desperately tried to get Matt to understand that he was just a good pilot because he didn't fool around.
"Sure Takashi," he teased. " even Iverson want to frame a picture of you to put on his wall."
Nova, Matt and Shiro quickly became a close team. Multiple coincidences had made sure the three were in the same place at the same time like when Nova would be leaving the cafeteria and she'd see Matt and Shiro walking right towards her from opposite directions. The first few weeks of their partnership none of them knew how to react to each other. Nova didn't want to insert herself in their lives. But, their friendship seemed unavoidable since being partners entailed that they constantly meet up to work on modules.
One night they were laying on Nova's bed "studying", usually she was able to get work done but the newest material was kicking her ass. Her roommate had gone out and since the library was too quiet, the group couldn't talk like they always did while reviewing notes, they decided to go back to Nova's room, which was fine by her as long as they didn't mind an unmade bed and junk food for dinner. Shiro was reading a magazine on the history of space travel on the end of her bed while Nova and Matt were having an Oreo eating contest while watching Star Wars. Nova quietly quoted A New Hope with five oreos shoved in her mouth, impressed with her own memorization skills she started reinacting scenes.
"Just think how much cooler I'd be if Leia was the Jedi." Nova said, with a mouthful of chocolate. She brought up this topic during every viewing of Star Wars. She had once dressed as Leia for Halloween and even carried around Anakin Skywalker's saber during a drill. She had heard the other girls in her dorm scream and her natural reaction was to fight an intruder. This just ended up creating an embarrassing scenario as the other girls on her floor kept asking her what she was holding. At least Matt had found it amusing, he had called her the chosen one and proceeded to tell the other people on their floor how she'd defeat the sith.
" Yeah. But she wouldn't have hesitated to kill Vader. Especially after his weapon destroyed her planet. It would have been a revenge plot rather than a redemption arc. Luke made Vader turn to the light." Matt replied mouth equally as full. Matt was a big believer in seeing the food in people something Nova tried to understand.
"Very true my young Padawan. Very true." Nova nodded as she turned towards the small screen. His face turned red as her glared at the young girl.
"I'm only a month younger than you."
"And you look it."
"Low blow. It's all genetics." She shrugged noncommittally , grabbing another oreo, stopping when she saw Matt's expression which bordered on hurt.
"What?" She asked softly. She was just met with a faux glare as a piece of Oreo flew towards her head.
"Hey!"
"Guys. We have to do well on the simulation tomorrow or we're going to fail" Shiro stopped their bickering. He always had that effect though normally not on the two of them, who would instead try to distract Shiro more. This time however, they both looked at him. He could silence a room with a look and ,if he was fortunate, could get Nova and Matt to stop talking in a few words.
Matt smiled. "Well yes, that would happen if we don't do well." He then proceeded to knock the magazine from Shiro's hand and made some outrageous impersonation of scolding him.
Nova started to laugh. She never thought that by attending this school 4 months ago that she would have met the two boys. They were everything she wanted in friends when she was growing up. Unfortunately for her their friendship was making her rethink her reasons for going to the Garrison. She knew that if given the chance all three would go into space with no hesitation. But, Nova was beginning to get scared. What if they left and never came back? She didn't want to be the one to disappear.
They ended up not crashing their stimulation doing a decent job at maintaining order in the midst of a crisis. Iverson had given them an appreciative nod, telling the class that this was the team to look out for. Shiro looked relieved when they were given their results but had started scolding his teammates when they had started high giving each other and dancing at their good grade. He had left them soon after without another word leaving Nova and Matt to fend for themselves.
"Hey Nova" A voice said as Nova and Matt walked to the cafeteria to eat.
"Keith. Hi" She wouldn't admit it to anyone but she always had a bit of a crush on Keith. He was always sweet to her which always made her feel worse since others looked over him due to his quick temper and asocial behavior. He was young too, a few years younger than Nova but Shiro has sort of taken him under his wing and let him hang out with them a lot. He was a supposably very talented pilot but with his aggressive nature the teachers were having trouble schooling him.
"Have you seen Shiro around?"
"No sorry. But he must be here somewhere. Probably the library." She was able to stutter out. Keith quickly thanked her and left. And Nova turned to see Matt smirking at her.
" Don't say anything" She threatened as she walked passed Matt.
"I was just going to say that you should talk to him about more than where Shiro is. You've liked him since we got here?"
" It's not that easy. Besides we have nothing in common except for Shiro. Anyway why don't you talk to Lauren?"
"I don't like her." Matt mumbled.
"What? I couldn't hear you.I thought you said that you don't like the girl you've been obsessing over for months" She knew his crush on her had more to do with her clear skin and shiny blonde hair. He tended to like appearances too much, giving Nova no hope that anyone would look her direction since she wasn't a size zero with a perfect face.
"Nothing. You're right. I won't bother you about emo boy anymore. "
Nova smiled at him. " Thanks Matt." After lunch they decided to wander around the Garrison. It was a beautiful day, the sky was bright blue and cloudless making it seem like it went on forever. Nova lived for these days, when she could sit out in the grass and just breath the fresh air.
" So I'm going back to my house this weekend. My parents said you could come. Pidge is really excited to meet you." Nova took a while to answer. She wanted to go but she felt a little awkward, what if his parents didn't like her or he was lying and never asked his parents. That was stupid. Matt told his parents everything. His entire family practically lived on the Garrison.
" Are you sure? Your family might want to spend alone time with you."
Matt laughed and picked some grass from where they were sitting.
" No. They want to meet you. I mean they've met Shiro. And when they visited they met some other friends. But they haven't met the girl who can eat more Oreos than me. "
"Ha. Well I am a fairly accomplished girl."
Nova decided that it would probably do her some good to get out of the Garrison for a few days. Their workload has been getting increasingly more difficult and after researching the different models of the ships the academy produced she needed a break.