Empire of Nothing

Zane's house looked like it had been stolen from a teen comedy movie.

Big, loud, full of bad lighting and worse rugs. Shoes already littered the entryway, and someone had duct-taped a paper sign to the wall that read:"Rules: Don't Die. Don't Snitch. Share Snacks."

Nova stared at it. "Seriously?"

Zane threw open the door dramatically. "Welcome to the kingdom of chaos!"

Jules poked her head in from the kitchen. "There's already pizza, and I may or may not be burning popcorn."

Troy leaned out from behind the couch with two bags of chips on his head like a crown. "We prepared for your arrival, Your Majesty."

Nova grinned despite herself.

She didn't belong here. Not really.

And yet, somehow, this weird, loud place felt more like home than the one filled with polished marble and silence.

They piled into the living room with blankets and snacks and enough fizzy drinks to break a kidney.

Zane had queued up three movies — all horror, all terrible.

"First rule of sleepovers," he announced, dimming the lights. "We suffer together."

Nova sat cross-legged on the carpet, wedged between Jules and Troy, trying not to smile too much. The first movie started. It was awful. Gloriously awful.

She didn't watch much of it.

Instead, she watched them.

Jules, who made sarcastic commentary like it was her second language.Troy, who screamed louder than the movie every time a door creaked.Zane, who kept trying to predict plot twists — and got all of them wrong.

And Nova, who laughed.

Really, genuinely laughed.

By midnight, the movies were forgotten, and chaos ruled.

Pillow fights broke out. Someone dared someone else to eat jellybeans dipped in hot sauce. Troy lost a wrestling match with a beanbag.

Nova hadn't laughed this much in years.

At one point, Jules threw a pillow at her. "Okay, Miss Mysterious. Spill something about your life."

Nova hesitated.

Everyone turned.

Zane raised his hands. "No pressure. Unless you want it. In which case—Jules, hit her with another pillow."

Nova rolled her eyes. Then exhaled.

"My parents… died in an accident."

Silence.

"Oh," Zane said, suddenly serious.

Jules's voice softened. "Nova, I didn't—"

"It's okay," she said. "I just… don't like talking about it. And after that, I moved in with my… stepfamily."

"Do they suck?" Troy asked bluntly.

Nova laughed. "You have no idea."

Zane tossed a blanket at her. "Well, this crew officially claims you now. Sucks to be them."

Later, while everyone was half-asleep in sleeping bags and blanket nests, Nova lay staring at the ceiling, surrounded by soft snoring and glowing fairy lights.

She felt full.

Not just from snacks — but from something unfamiliar.

Peace.

This wasn't permanent. It wasn't perfect.But tonight, for the first time in a long time…

She didn't feel alone.