𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋𝐒 [a rini au]

TWENTY-SEVEN

Unbeknownst to herself in the moment, Nini would enjoy her time with Ricky Bowen in the library far beyond the fact that the plan was originally a diversion from talking to her friends.

After AP Chemistry last period, Nini easily strolled to Bellevue Library. She was grateful that she had off from cheerleading that afternoon. Although that she lived and breathed cheer, she appreciated a break every once in a while. Especially when it was a convenience for her, as it was today. The library was always a favorite spot of Nini's since freshman year. After all, it was where she resorted to when she was a timid fourteen-year-old trying to navigate the waters of prestigious boarding school. She admired how the rustic architecture, dusty smell, and thick air never changed throughout the years. Nini liked the idea of that metaphor grounding someone; she wished she could've said it applied to her own life.

Bellevue was quiet as always, the only audible noises being the flipping of pages and grazing of keyboards. Nini never told Ricky where to meet her, but she didn't mind the scenic walk through the library's mountainous bookshelves. She rounded the first literature corridor that brought her to the back of the room where nobody looks. Her eyes immediately landed on the furthest corner, which was hidden to any bystanders. She could see herself there, back to the wall with her boyfriend pressed against her where they were did anything but read books. Nini swore she saw Charlie's face, the immaculate bone structure and cheeky smirk that made her fall in love with him in the first place. It almost made her want to turn around and find him, sort out everything that happened Friday night. Maybe she would, but with a quick blink, the image erased from in front of her and Nini turned another corner.

She found Ricky at a rectangular wooden table by some dirt-caked windows. It looked like he had already cracked open the AP Literature packet, so Nini sped up her pace to ensure he didn't do all the work without her. "A busy bee, you are," Nini teased in a whisper as she carefully placed her backpack on top of the table.

Ricky peeked up at the girl as she sat across from him, scooting her chair in until she could comfortably cross her arms on the wood. "I figured I'd get a head start," Ricky explained himself. His voice was already naturally low in volume, as if he was a part of the library himself.

Nini unzipped her black Vera Bradley backpack, scavenging for the packet while still managing to glance at Ricky as he scribbled on the pages. "Is it hard?" she asked, finally retrieving the pile of stapled papers. She flipped a few pages in, skimming the directions. "Oh, we're just analyzing tone. Easy enough, right?"

Ricky nodded, underlining something in the text. "It isn't a terribly hard passage to interpret," he noted, looking Nini in the eyes for the first time since her arrival. For a moment, he felt his next sentence evaporate from his mind, fly into the depths of his subconscious as if it never existed in the first place. Lucky for him, the girl began digging for a pen and highlighter in her pencil case within a nanosecond, probably not even paying attention to his commentary. He released a silent sigh of relief, composing himself. "I'm getting candid vibes from this speaker."

Nini's eyes trailed over the first few sentences, the tip of her tongue protruding concentratively through her slightly pouted lips. "Mhm," she hummed, circling some words. "Refreshing, honestly. Sometimes when you get speakers with a candid tone it's often harsh or resentful, considering their goal is to speak the unfiltered truth. It's like there's a hint of benevolence with this speaker. Guess it helps since they're assessing a charity event. How could you even be cruel about something like that?"

Of course the boy knew Nini was smart; he witnessed it everyday in class. But, there was something about her spontaneous analysis just then that swept him off his feet. "I–uh," he was just talking to talk at this point. "Could you, uh, show me what you're underlining?"