Ricky & Nini

Chapter 2

Nini's POV:

It was now rehearsal time. Normally I'd be excited and fully ready to work hard and try my best, but honestly I dreaded going to this rehearsal. Today everyone was going to be working on the Stick To The Status Quo number while me and Ricky rehearsed our lines together backstage. And don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't want to be around Ricky, it's just that well I don't want to be around Ricky right now. After last night, things have been kind of awkward, and after lunch today, it probably won't be any better.

And he heard my song.

I didn't know what he thought of it. Was he offended? Flattered? Did he even care? Either way I just want to be able to get through our lines as Gabriela and Troy, and not Nini and Ricky. If i can do that then everything will be just fine.

As Carlos began the dance number, Ms. Jenn shooed Ricky and me away behind the curtain saying, "you two go practice your lines together" emphasizing the together  a little too much. Sometimes she gets on my nerves.

As we walked behind the curtains a caught EJ staring daggers at Ricky, as if it was Ricky's fault that's we were fighting. Please, it was his own fault for not trusting me and stealing my phone.

"So do you want to go over the rooftop scene?" Ricky's voice snapped me out of my angry space and brought me back to reality.

"Huh?"

"The rooftop scene," he started, "do you want to go over it?"

"Oh ya, ya sure." Wow Nini if anything you're making this more awkward than it really is.

My line was first, "Wow, it's like a jungle up here."

Ricky cleared his throughly before reading his line, "Yeah. Just-like-the-cafeteria" he said in the most choppy and monotonous voice I'd ever heard. I couldn't help but laugh.

He smiled but looked taken aback, "what? Was that bad?"

He seemed genuinely curious. Oh so that wasn't him trying to be funny. I forgot he had never done this kind of thing before. As much as it bothered me before, he seemed to really care about the musical now, and I didn't want him to fail on his first try.

"It wasn't terrible. You just need to loosen up a little bit, you sound like a very uncomfortable robot." I teased him. "Just act natural, as if it were you saying the words and not Troy."

He nodded and I read my line again. He smiled, "just like that cafeteria" he looked up at me for approval. I just smiled and continued on, "well I just humiliated myself into the next century"

"No, come on."

"So this is your private hideout?" I looked around and gestured to nothing in particular.

He looked around, "ya, thanks to the science club, which means my buddies don't even know it exists"

"You pretty much have the school wired don't you Troy? Seems to me like everyone on campus wants to be your friend."

He was doing really well, he seemed to really be becoming Troy. But then he stopped.

And went off script.

"Not everyone." He said looking at me.

Oh no. How am I supposed to respond to that? I stared back at him. His eyes were filled with sadness, did he really think I didn't want to be his friend still?

"Ricky," I started, not sure what I was going to say next, "I'm still your friend, I will always be your friend."

He nodded, looking away. "Right, right I forgot, you made that very clear yesterday."

I knew that's what this was about. So this was about the almost kiss. Why does me not kissing him make us not friends? That's not how that works, friends don't have to kiss each other.

"Ricky, just because I didn't kiss you doesn't mean I'm not your friend. We can still be friends even if we're not dating."

"No we can't!" He snapped, throwing his hands above his head, trying to calm down.

"What do you mean we can't, of course we can." I didn't understand why he was saying this. Why couldn't we be friends still?

"Nini, I cant be just friends with you okay? I- I-" he started but never finished.

"You what?"

"Nothing, it's nothing just forget about it."

Was he going to say he loves me? Why can't he just say it? If he feels it than why can't he say the words I-L-O-V-E-Y-O-U?

"Ricky-" I started but was cut off by a phone ringing. It was Ricky's. He looked to me before picking it up. "Hello?" He listened for a second, "What? Already?"

Ricky's POV:

"I'm sorry sweetheart, but it's for the best. We can talk more when you get home tonight." My mom told me over the phone. I hung up and stared at the floor.

Why was it happening so soon? Did they even think about how it would affect me? Did they even care?

"Ricky..." I heard Nini say my name quietly, as if if she said it too loudly the whole room would collapse.

I could feel the tears building up in my eyes. "She's leaving at the end of the week. For good this time." I felt the tears growing stronger. God this was so embarrassing.

I couldn't move. It was too much for me to think about, for me to understand. My parents were actually splitting up. They didn't love each other anymore.

Seconds later I felt Nini's embrace. She hugged me tightly, holding me against her with her hands on my back.

But I didn't hug her back. I knew how she felt after last night, and I wasn't going to make that mistake again. She made it clear where we stood and I didn't want to complicate that. I felt a tear fall and quickly sniffed and whipped it away with my hand as I broke out of the hug.

"I should just go." I began to walk out the door, "tell Ms Jenn I had a family emergency, and uh I'll just practice the scene at home." I kept talking as I continued to walk quickly towards the exit, wanting to escape this situation as quickly as possible.

As I was leaving out the door I heard Nini call, "wait Ricky!" But I didn't wait, I kept walking.

I heard her running after me as I left the building, but I didn't turn around. Because if I did, I know I wouldn't be able to stop myself from running back into her arms.