𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗲 [ 𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗶 𝗮𝘂 ]

pay grade .26

ricky walked through the halls of the studio building. his eyes stuck on the script in his hands. the boy felt someone grab his arm and before he knew it, ricky was in a supply closet. he looked around and saw nini standing in front of him, "nini? what the hell?"

"shh! guess what?" nini asked ricky as she locked the door. ricky scrunched his eyebrows together.

"why are we in the supply closet?"

"because i didn't want anyone to see us."

"why couldn't we just talk in your dressing room or mine?"

"because i couldn't afford for anyone to see us together."

"why?" ricky asked with confusion. nini sighed before talking in a low voice.

"okay ... you can't tell anyone."

"tell anyone what?"

"seb, lewis, and i watched the dvd. you won't believe what we found out."

ricky felt his heart stop. did nini know about gina?

"what?" ricky asked, getting a bit nervous.

"jenn and benjamin were married."

"what?!"

"and they started montague records together," nini told the boy. ricky almost choked on plain air. he couldn't imagine benjamin being apart of montague records, let alone starting it with jenn. then again, it wasn't as shocking now that ricky knew benjamin and jenn literally have a child together.

"damn," was all ricky could say. nini titled her head. why wasn't ricky as shocked as they all were? does he know something?

"what do you know, bowen?"

"huh?" ricky asked and quickly looked up from the floor. he scratched the back of his head as nini tried to read ricky.

"you know something."

"i don't," ricky quickly answered and headed towards the door, "see ya."

before ricky could open the door all the way, nini forced herself in between the two. she slammed the door shut with her back and locked the door yet again. the girl guarded the door as she leaned her back against it, "nice try."

"come on! i gotta waz!"

"bullshit. you just came out of the bathroom," nini told ricky, "you always use the bathroom after we film a scene. that's how i knew to grab you here in the first place."

"you're so weird," ricky told the girl as he shook her head. nini shrugged her shoulders and gave him a proud smile, "ughhh, i don't know if i could tell you. it's not something to take lightly."

"so you do know something about jenn and benjamin?" nini asked the boy. ricky looked at her and sighed. he nodded his head as he ran his fingers through his hair, "come on ricky, you could trust me."

ricky looked up from the floor, "can i though?"

nini got taken aback and let out an awkward smile, "what?? why wouldn't you?"

"i don't know, nini. what do i really know about you?" ricky asked. nini stared at ricky with a confused look as he continued, "it's just — whenever we really did spend time together...there wasn't much talking."

"are you serious, ricky?" nini groaned while the boy just put his hands up in defense. nini spoke again, "we've had plenty of talks."

"yeah, talks like this. they're always about our stupid careers and our rivalry," ricky told the girl. he gave her an awkward look as he continued, "i don't know anything else about you."