𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐞 || 𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐳𝐚𝐫-𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟮𝟴 - 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗮

a/n - last chapter, kinda rushed it bc i'm putting my effort into under the mask, sorry! hope you guys enjoyed the book :)))

"wildcats, i have in my hands, the nominations for the alan menken awards for excellence in high school musical theater," miss jenn says, holding a yellow envelope, "i haven't opened it yet, but who's ready for the biggest moment of the year?" everyone stays quiet. "am i muted?" she asks. "uh.. miss jenn, we were kinda thinking, you know, maybe we won already," i say. "yeah... maybe we don't need or want to see what's in the envelope?" nini adds. "oh, thank god, i had to stop four times on the way here because i was physically ill," miss jenn says. we all laugh. "so it's settled. we're dropping out of the competition," miss jenn says. "yeah," nini decides.

1 year later
i step out of my house, looking over at what once was the salazar-roberts house. ever since nini left for california, a part of my heart had left with her too.

i walk up to ej's car. "hey guys!" i smile, opening the back door.

SHALLOW LAKE CAMP

kourtney starts to fix my hair as i look at myself in the mirror, hearing everyone rushing around. "did everybody get a card from nini?!" ashlyn yells out. i turn to ashlyn, feeling my heart drop. "nini's here?"

i sit on the log prop, starting to play the guitar as the crowd quiets down. "what is this hollow kind of helplessness i'm feeling..." i sing.

nini's pov
i watch y/n from the back of the room, a proud, soft smile spreading across my lips. "this type of terror is new... and the fact that i can hardly breathe is now revealing, how much i've changed because of you." she looks up from the guitar into the crowd. half of me was dying for her to see me, the other half was praying she didn't.

y/n's pov
after the show, we all go outside. "uh, you guys? we're trending in brazil!" ej exclaims. "oh! y/n. i totally forgot, you got an opening night card," jet says, "found it behind the couch." i take it, looking at the card. "from nini," maddox adds. everyone crowds around me. "open it," gina says. i take a deep breath, opening it.

"meet me at the campfire." i look up. "is that all?" ej asks. "seems... like it," i say, turning the card around and seeing nothing. "you should go," gina smiles. "i guess... i guess i should." i nod, putting the card back in the envelope.

i make my way to the campfire nervously. "happy birthday, y/n," a voice i haven't heard in a year says. i look up, seeing nini standing beside the campfire. "nini..." i manage to say, slowing down my pace.

her hair was longer, she had grown a little too. needless to say, she looked so different, yet still the same. she was still beautiful.

realizing i've completely stopped walking, i chuckle, walking closer to nini. "you look different," i say. "different in a good way or a bad way?" she smiles warmly. "definitely in a good way," i nod, keeping eye contact with her. "how have you been?" she asks. "i've been... okay. how about you? how's california?" "california's great, i feel like... i don't know... like, i belong there. but enough about me, you were amazing out on the stage." i smile, "you saw?" "i saw." "thank you, nini," i thank. there was a silence that came over us.

nini speaks up, "who would've thought 13 years of being best friends would've ended up... like this." "yeah," i whisper, looking down, "i've missed you, nini." "i've missed you too... all of you guys," nini admits. "you could've texted me... or called me, i don't know, something..." i mumble. "the phone works both ways," nini says. "yeah, but i thought you wouldn't wanna talk to me." "why's that?" "not sure," i shrug, "salt lake isn't the same without you." "and california would be better with you," nini chuckles. i smile, "um... can i hug you?" i ask. nini nods with a smile, "i'd like that." 

i let out the breath i was holding in, opening my arms and wrapping them around nini. i close my eyes as her arms wrap around my neck. nini digs her neck into my collarbone, and i try to not let any tears escape my eyes.

nini and i sit beside each other, sitting on a log. "how's mama d and mama c?" i ask. "they're good, they're constantly asking about you," nini smiles. "yeah, i miss them," i say. "yep... have you... been seeing anyone?" i look up at nini, "no, i'm..." i'm still in love with you. "i'm not really... looking for anyone. or i just haven't found the right person." nini nods. "have you?" "no, neither. i guess i'm just kinda waiting for the right person to, like, bump into me or something," she laughs, "i'm also just busy, doing music stuff." "still the same nini i remember," i say, looking away.

nini gets something out of her pocket. "i got you this," she says, handing me paper. i smile, taking it, "a lottery ticket... you remembered."

nini chuckles, "how could i forget?" i smile, "thank you." she hands me a small coin, and i start to scratch it out. "i got nothing," i laugh. nini laughs too, "it was worth a shot, right?" "it was worth a shot," i say.

nini stands up, "i should probably go now." i sigh, standing up too, "okay." nini faces me with a small smile. "thank you for coming tonight," i say. "thank you for giving me the best show possible." i smile back, nodding just slightly. her hand touches my arm, turning around, starting to walk away.

i watch nini, tapping my shoe on the ground. "nini, wait!" i run to nini, and she turns around. my hands connect with nini's waist, leaning into her quickly. our lips collide, and nini lets out a giggle, kissing me back as her hands go to my cheeks. i shut my eyes, savouring the kiss.

we pull away, breathless. "sorry i... i had to," i say, quickly turning around as we hear cheering. my face goes red as nini laughs, "i see some new faces there." i turn back to nini, "yeah, we met them at camp. do you wanna meet them quickly before you go?" i ask. nini smiles, "why not?"

we walk over to the group, "guys, this is nini salazar-roberts!" jet and maddox say hi to nini, and everyone else excitedly says hi. after talking for about ten minutes, nini decides to go home. "i'll walk you out,"  i say. nini smiles, and we start to walk. "you can drive?" i ask. "yeah, i can!" she says, excitedly. "oh, remember when we used to go to school in my car basically every day?" "yeah, that was really fun, actually made me excited to wake up," nini laughs. "good times," i say.

nini gets into her car, and i smile, leaning against her door frame. "drive safe, nini." "thanks, have a good time at camp," she says, smiling. i chuckle, causing nini to chuckle. "i don't want you to leave," i sigh. "i know... we didn't get to talk as much as i wanted," nini says, "but, um... we could always talk when you get back from camp, my number's still the same." "really?" i ask. "yeah, really," nini smiles. "that sounds good, i'll call you when i'm home." 

2 years later
i walk the streets of california, my right airpod in. admiring the nice weather today, i take out my phone, going to text ricky. 

i chuckle at his response, turning off my phone. i look down, placing it in my pocket. i gasp slightly as i bump into someone. "i'm sorry!" i exclaim, looking up. my eyes widen, and i step back. "oh my god... nini?"