A/N: Thank you, trekkieforeva! Your review gave me a little strength! I'm glad you like my story; I enjoy writing it for viewers just like you, THANK YOU!

Interstellar Academy

14: Summer

For the rest of the year, Jim did nothing but focus on school- and avoid Nova. He knew that the second they spoke, he would admit to everything- including the treasure hunt that Rayn had decided to tag along with. Now, his solar surfer tech classmate and partner, Leslie, scooted into him playfully, eying him curiously.

"You know, Hawkins, you've been awfully quiet. What's up?"

Jim wasn't going lie to himself and say he hadn't really looked at Leslie. She was a human, like him, which brought a little stability into his life; sure, he loved all the strange creatures who'd blessed his life, but liked some familiarity. She had bright red hair that hung around her shoulders and curled toward her face at the ends, her blue eyes contrasting brightly against their fiery strands. Freckles scattered along her face more fiercely than that of Nova's; he didn't know what was with him and freckles, but he loved them on a girl. She wore reading glasses during class, which made her face smaller and cuter.

"Just… summer. I don't know how my vacation will go."

"Is Nova gonna be with you?" His expression told her his answer. "Ah. I'm sorry. There's always next year."

"Yeah, I guess."

"It's been a year, right? Since that whole mess?"

He paused in his train of thought, thinking back. "Yeah. Actually, it has been."

"Why not before summer vacation, really show how Nova makes you feel. It'll keep things in perspective, and you'll probably feel better in the end."

"I haven't spoken to her much in two months. I've been kinda avoiding her."

"Aw, Jim…" Leslie tilted her head disapprovingly, her red bangs falling over her left eye. "That's not even cool."

"I know. It's wrong. But I can't bring myself to face her."

Leslie raised an eyebrow. "Is it that stupid Roger kid? I heard he's gonna be expelled after this year anyway. So there's no problem there." When he didn't reply, she made another guess. "Is it Rayn? Come on, he's in his twenties, he's not going to be interested in Nova like that."

Jim cut her a look, which made her flinch, but she tried to remain calm.

"You know that Nova really cares about only you. Just gotta tell her."

He sighed. "Our relationship is so complicated though."

The bell rang, and he packed his things to leave.

"I just wish I could be in a relationship with someone and not feel like hiding all the time, you know?"

Leslie placed a reassuring hand on his, which made him look at her. She took off her glasses and tucked them away, smiling at him with her mouth and her eyes now. "Look, you'll do whatever makes you happy in the end. Quit worrying so much; you're young. Just go with the flow."

With that, and a long glance back, Leslie left.

Nova wasn't at their usual lunch table when Jim arrived. He casted a look toward Charlotte and Helena, but they only shrugged. Twenty minutes in, Nova came huffing up, her cheeks a flaming red.

"Nova, you look like you narrowly escaped death," Ruse noted.

"YOU GUYS DIDN'T HEAR!" She shoved herself between Stav and Helena, resting her head on the pink alien's shoulder. "Oh my goodness."

"What?" asked Charlotte urgently. She absolutely loved gossip.

Nova took in a few more gulps of air before starting. "It was Roger and Rayn! I've never- can people really- anyway, I guess someone told Rayn about how Roger treated me, and how he'd pretty much gone unpunished about it. It really made Rayn upset, and he approached me about it and asked why I hadn't said anything. I just- when I was put on the spot, I didn't know what to say, which seemed to frustrate him more. He asked me what Roger looked like, and the look in his EYES- THEY CHANGED!" She shook her head, holding her hair, as if the image of the blond man's face morphing scarred her brain. "They went from blue to this horrible red. Out of panic, I pointed Roger out and then Rayn ATTACKED him. I didn't even realize that someone could FLY like that!" She looked each member of the group in the eye, stopping on Jim. "Rayn completely changed. He was this monstrous… thing. Like out of a horror movie…"

"Like his dad." Jim hadn't meant to ask it, but really state it.

"That, I could see," Ruse said, remembering back to Sunset Port.

"It took four- FOUR- teachers to separate them. And Roger- oh my gosh." She covered her face. "There was blood, so much of it. They thought they were gonna lose him- I PANICKED. I wasn't thinking, really, but when the emergency personnel went to handle Rayn a moment, I went over to Roger and- and I-" She didn't know how to explain it without sounding stupid. "I cried. It was just one tear, but it healed him! And when the people turned around and saw me hovering over him, and how he wasn't scarred up, they were all so SHOCKED. Thankfully, I don't think any of them realize it was my fault…"

"Yet," Jim said harshly, cutting her a disapproving gaze.

"I know. It was stupid, but I just couldn't let him DIE. That feeling just isn't in me…"

Great. The man who'd abused and consistently flaunted her like some dog received more compassion from the girl he loved than Jim did. This broke his heart completely.

Leslie was right, he should do whatever made him happy.

After school, Jim hunted Leslie down, recognizing her red hair in a crowd anywhere. She was sitting on a bench in the courtyard, her scientology book glued to her face. He sat next to her, remaining quiet in the hopes she'd notice and become shocked. When she peeked over, smiling, he knew the jig was up.

"Oh well, I tried."

"That you did." She set her book down. "What's up?"

"I decided to take your advice. I'm going to do whatever makes me happy."

"Oh, that's great news, Jim!" She punched his shoulder, giggling. "And how are you going to do that?"

"Well, I could start off with this." He leaned over then, suddenly, and pressed his lips lightly against hers. He waited for some type of rejection, but instead she tilted her head so she could easily kiss back. It didn't last long, but it lasted long enough.

"Thought so." His eyes twinkled with mischief.

"How did you know?"

"I just did." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. "Definitely a good step forward."

Her face had turned deep red, almost matching her hair. She looked up at him shyly. "What about Nova?"

"What about her?" He arched an eyebrow, not really wanting to talk about his ex. "Leslie, you make me happy. You honestly do."

It was sudden, but he figured that being with Leslie would be less complicated than being with Nova. For one, Leslie was just some human from his home planet, though they lived on opposing sides. She wasn't a princess of an entire planet. She didn't have many secrets to hide- like that she couldn't swim or hug pink morphing creatures in case people find out she's a "mythical" creature. Though Leslie was beautiful, she didn't have boys- and men- fawning over her, and he didn't have to fight for BOTH of their lives to stay together.

And lastly, he didn't feel like a second choice with Leslie.

Nova was searching endlessly for Jim; she hated him being so upset with her. He was sincerely the last person she wanted mad at her. Upon finding him, she also discovered him in the middle of a… moment.

Her heart shattered at the sight.

He was kissing someone else.

They weren't officially together; how could you consider yourself taken by someone if they hardly talked to you? However, the image replayed in her head, even after they pulled apart to smile at each other. He didn't love her anymore. He didn't want to be with her anymore. That's why he was being so sneaky the past two months: he was meeting up with someone else. He did say he would consider moving on if she did; and she had. She'd initiated everything when she and Stav were kind of talking at the beginning of the semester.

She turned on her heel, all intention to speak with Jim lost, and ran back to her dorm, holding her face. When she arrived there, she slammed the door shut and plopped onto her bed, sobbing.

She'd never cried like this. It was painful yet relieving to let everything out in loud, obnoxious noises and piles upon piles of tears. Her friends didn't say anything; did they know? At any rate, they simply sat beside her and comforted her. When her fit ended, she rolled over onto her back, sat up, and snuggled into Charlotte, keeping hold of Helena's hand tightly.

"I am such an idiot. To ever believe I could be in a relationship was stupid; and to believe Jim would wait for me is stupid. He deserves more than me; I told him that. He told me otherwise. And I believed him. Freaking. Stupid."

They didn't argue with her, and she didn't want them to. She just wanted to be held like a toddler after a nightmare until she fell asleep. She dreamt of Treasure Planet. She dreamt of the first time she and Jim met- when he'd rescued her for the first time years ago. She dreamt of all the innocence and bliss she felt when being with him on their adventure. She then had a nightmare: it wasn't her being rescued, being blissfully happy, but Leslie Paris, the girl who'd kissed him.

She woke up screaming into her pillow, then proceeded to cry once more.

Needless to say, she didn't sleep very well that night.