Nova was too thrifty to catch a cab, especially after the subway incident. They might still be on the lookout for them. She sighed and trudged over to the bus stop. Mark's call beat the bus there. Seeing "Dad" pop up on her screen felt like a joke. She rolled her eyes and quickly dismissed the call. Strange, hadn't she made herself clear last time? Why was he still ringing her up? Nova tried to think of any reason Mark might be calling her relentlessly but came up empty. She was halfway through blocking his number when his texts came through. Mark: Come home right now! Mark: Are you trying to give me a heart attack by not picking up? It seemed Mark had conveniently forgotten their last encounter. After what seemed like the hundredth call, Nova picked up, ready to cut ties once

