what more can i say | rini au

21.

kourtney's got a brush in her hand as she finishes powdering nini's makeup to set it. the girl was actually genius with these sorts of things, and the reflection nini sees in the vanity mirror when she opens her eyes is actually completely perfect.

if it's like nothing she'd have done herself. and yet it still feels so entirely her. just- amped up maybe to an eleven.

"if you don't have at least one person ask you to dance with them i'll be shocked." aspen gushes, smiling at nini as she comes over and grips her friend's shoulders excitedly.

"okay one is definitely underselling it nini, you look fabulous." kourtney grins. "and i'm not just saying that because i'm proud of my work, you're gorgeous."

"thanks guys... you know i'm actually really excited for tonight. it's going to be really cool to go and experience one of these things outside the movies. my sister told me about her college parties, and honestly, i think i need a high school one before i'm ready for that." nini says with a laugh, shaking her head. "and i mean if someone wanted to ask me to dance, i certainly wouldn't be opposed." she hums, tilting her head with a sly smile.

"you mean if ricky asked you? because he totally will just completely collapse when he sees you looking like this." aspen adds, perhaps more giddy about this than her own plans for the evening.

"ricky knows what i look like, there's not going to be any kind of 'collapsing' going on." nini insists, rolling her eyes. "i think you should maybe focus on the fact that you look incredible and big red is going to have trouble keeping his hands off you."

"as much as i think aspen is absolutely going to be the apple of his eye, as she always is, if anyone's having trouble not touching each other tonight it's you and ricky, nini. no offense, but you're not subtle. at all."

"what are you talking about?" nini looks genuinely caught off guard by the statement, but at the same time... it's definitely not untrue.

"if i didn't know any better i'd think you were hooking up behind our backs. but i mean that takes guts i don't think that boy has." kourtney replies, and the words come off her lips so nonchalantly nini almost chokes on her own saliva.

it's once she's settled down again that aspen chips in, trying to be gentle about the situation since she and kourtney both know how conflicted nini is about the ricky situation.

"look, you know we love you ni, but it was a little hard not to pay attention when you were already interrupting the movie the other day, he was definitely getting a little touchy feely with you. it didn't feel like the first time. i mean you looked more like a couple than me and red half the time."

"i didn't know people noticed that." nini confesses, her eyes soft as she looks at her reflection, her friends standing behind her. "you know what i said on my rant the other day... kourtney do you really think i should do it?"

"do i think you should kiss him?"

nini just nods silently, her friends sort of looking at each other for a moment before kourtney finally responds.

"i think you should do whatever feels right. this party is kind of a low risk situation for you to experiment you know? if that's kissing ricky, then cool. if it's making out with a stranger because it's easier than facing your problems? also totally cool." aspen sort of bumps kourtney on the arm at that one, but kourtney shakes her head.

"no really, i mean it. i just want you to be happy, nini, and i know ricky could absolutely be the one to do that for you, but it's also totally not something you need to feel stuck with. you can kiss him tonight and if you regret it, you can just tell him you were drunk, same goes for if you try to kiss him and he pulls away before you can. it's an easy out."