dear, ricky [rini au.]

𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞

chapter five: anxiety

Ricky, Gina and a couple of their friends sat around their English class, all talking about nonsense while they waited for their teacher to arrive.

Strangely, she never did.
And that's why they ended up with one of the worst substitutes this school could ever hire.

Their substitute called out names, people raising their hands and saying a quick here before he moved on. "Nina?" The substitute called out, Nina raising her hand in response.

The substitute didn't hear a 'here,' so he picked up his head that was looking down at the attendance sheet. He saw Nina's hand that was up in the air. "Miss..." He briefly looks down at his attendance sheet, "Salazar-Roberts, I told you that I needed to hear a 'here' from you to count your attendance."

Nina felt her cheeks redden at the sudden state of panic her body went into. Not to mention, a lot of the class had turned their heads to face her. That's it, her body shut down. She didn't know what to do or how to control what was happening, but the panic in her body gradually started to become intense.

"I'm speaking to you, Miss Salazar-Roberts." The substitute was only about seven feet away from her, but it felt like he was calling out to her from miles away.
She heard her own breathing pick up. Why now? Why now? Why now?!

During this, Ricky, who was just across the class room, had witnessed everything, of course. If he was being honest, he thought the substitute was doing far too much. Felt like he was purposely trying to embarrass the girl. The substitute was old, cranky, and on his third cup of coffee for the morning. Of course he would be in a bad mood. And unfortunately, Nina was the one who had to deal with it.

The curly haired boy could notice her being caught off guard, the look of panic in her eyes - and that made his heart soften. He didn't know her, or so he thought, but something in him was telling him to help her. Whether it was the goodness in him, or this unfamiliar connection he suddenly felt to her, but he had to.

"Just count her here and move on already, we all have an assignment to finish." Ricky's voice loudly spoke up from the far right of the classroom, everyone now turning their gaze to him. Even his friends, who were all focusing on literally anything else.

The substitute didnt appreciate the curly headed boys tone. Let alone him speaking up out of turn. "I'm not talking to you, Mr. Bowen. I shouldn't be hearing your voice."

"Well, she isn't talking to you. Yet, here you are... talking." He sassed, his mouth speaking before his head could think. That sent most of the class into a fit of laughter. Some of them laughing because it was funny and others just laughing because the substitute just got back talked by a student.