Nova. They called him Nova. Lucid had given it to him. Lucid was the smart one, the one who named the other boys from a thesaurus. He said that he looked up the closest word to each boy's personality or name and continued until he found one he liked. Since they hadn't known anything about Nova when they found him, they had used one of the words he knew. He had only known two: ingenue and Emma. He still didn't know what either meant. He assumed that Lucid might know what ingenue meant, but he didn't care enough to ask. And Emma was a name, but he didn't know whose.
Nova didn't remember much. He remembered fear. He remembered being hit over the head with something. The other boys said that everyone had thought he was dead. He had been taken to a funeral home, and then he got up and walked out. The boys had found him and taken him in. They had named him Nova. He had been about eight years old.
And Nova remembered a face. He didn't know whose. It looked just like his when he saw his reflection in the water, but it was different somehow. It was softer. Gentler. Not hardened by life on the street in a gang of boys who called him Nova.
He didn't like the life he had. He had a longing to be somewhere else, but he didn't know where. He'd sit by himself every night, dreaming quietly of going to that somewhere else and sitting next to the person who had that face.
It dawned on him suddenly. That face must belong to "Emma." Why else would he hear the name so clearly in his mind when he saw the face?
Revere, one of the other boys, came over to him as he connected these ideas. "Hey, Nov, what's up?"
Nova continued to look down at the ground. "You know how you guys said that one of the only things I would say when I came was 'Emma?'"
"Yeah." Revere sat down next to him, tracing a finger in the dust.
"Well, I always see this face whenever I think or I close my eyes. I think that Emma might be the name of the person with that face."
Revere raised his eyebrows. "A girl, huh? Maybe you had a girlfriend in your old life."
"I was too young."
"I don't know. Sounds like you loved her."
"Maybe I loved her, but I didn't date her at that age."
"Well, it's good to know that I'm not the only one who likes the ladies." Revere smiled. He had been known to have many girlfriends. His favorite had been Danielle, who Lucid had named Plebe. They only used the name to annoy Revere and Danielle.
"What happened to Plebe, anyway?"
Revere sighed. "She moved on, I guess. I haven't heard from her in a while. Hopefully she'll come back. I liked her."
"She looked a little like the Emma girl in my head. Not enough for her to be that same girl, but they're similar."
"You should go look for this girl. I think you had it bad for her!"
"I can't. I don't know who she is."
Revere stood. "Well, if she looked like Danielle, maybe she knows her! There's always a chance. I say we go find Danielle and then look for Emma."
"I'm not bold like you are, Rev."
"You don't even have to mention anything about ever being in love with her. Just tell her that you don't remember who you are, but you remember her. You need her help to figure out who you are, whether you love her or not."
Nova stood slowly. "Okay."

The streets were dark and cold as Nova and Revere stopped again, having gotten a good distance away from the gang's hideout. Nova sank down to the ground and let out a moan. It couldn't be worth it to wander all over the place just to find some memory of his. What if she wasn't real? He could have imagined her.
Revere was nodding off to sleep when wild, drunken laughter sounded from around the corner. Two shadows fell upon the wall of a nearby building. Two staggering figures, one male and one female. Revere watched as the male shadow pushed the female shadow up against a wall, murmuring drunkenly to her. The girl shrieked. "I did not say that! Leave me alone, you freak! I don't want."
Rev jumped up and hurried to the corner, peeking around. Nova followed him. The dingy looking guy had pinned the girl's hands to the wall with his hands, and was currently kissing her. The girl's wild, drunken eyes were open wide with disgust.
"Ew! Your breath is awful!" she shouted when he pulled his mouth from hers.
"Shhhttup, Annnnyell." The guy slurred his words sloppily. "Gooootirlie."
"Leave me alone!" The girl's voice waved with alcohol as well, but it was much more articulate and understandable.
"Beeeagoot Annnnnnyellie. Myliil Annyell."
"What the hell are you saying?"
"Donnnnfrigginusembaaadworswime."
Revere had seen enough. He rushed out and easily pried the drunken guy away from "Annyell." He yelled that the guy should leave her alone, stringing curses together as if he was drunk as well. Annyell slipped around the corner, passing Nova on her attempt to escape.
"You should at least thank him for saving you."
"I don't need anyone to save me," Annyell told him. "I would have been fine."
"Listen, Annyell."
"My name is Danielle."
Danielle? It was that girl who Revere was in love with. "Danielle? As in Plebe Danielle."
Her eyes widened as they slowly recognized him. "You're Revvie's friend what's-his-name."
"Nova," Nova replied. "And Revere is the one who saved you."
"Oh, really," she mused to herself, seeming a bit flustered. "In that case, I'll stay around and thank him."
Nova smiled and sat back down. Danielle sat down next to him and rested her head against his shoulder, sending chills up his spine. He didn't have much experience at being with girls.
"You're a sweet guy, Nova," Danielle told him, pulling him closer to her.
"Danielle, you're drunk."
She giggled wildly. "I wouldn't have fought that guy if I had been really drunk. or really sober."
Nova rolled his eyes. Danielle was a little too outgoing. It was slightly frightening. He wrapped his arms around his legs, hugging his knees to his chest. Where was Revere? He couldn't stay here with Danielle forever.
"Danielle? Do you know a girl named Emma?"
She nodded. "I have a sister named Emma. She's not available, though. She has a boyfriend." Danielle laughed insanely.
"Could I meet her?"
"She lives right near here. I guess you could."
Nova nodded and ignored Danielle's ramblings until Revere came back. He watched without interest as Revere and Danielle were reunited. Then, he gazed up at the stars. Maybe he would finally understand what had happened in his past. Maybe.