bittersweet • rini au

12

to say the aftermath of the party was a mess was an understatement.

besides the material damage in the house and the several amounts of people who got dragged outside completely blacked out, the emotional damage was way heavier than the rest. a strange taste got settled in every single one.

nini had disappeared from her friends' sight and ricky was still trying to comprehend the chaos that occurred friday. she didn't want to face him, or her friends to be honest. after throwing up and having a headache the whole weekend wasn't the best way to start a new week.

she got even more upset when her moms told her that her sister was coming back, apparently a big "announcement" she was making to the family. she hated being drunk, but she loved the numbness they could give her.

however she felt hopeless, even more after the ricky incident. she had started opening up to him and then he did the exact thing she was defending herself from. how naive could she be to believe he actually cared. the image of him pinning the random girl pained her thoughts since that night.

she kept looking at the jacket hanged in her rack. the red large varsity jacket that somehow had ended up in her arms. she wanted to cry, scream, hell, maybe even burn that damn thing. maybe he could feel something. but she just kept looking at it, with a nostalgic and aching feeling.

she knew she wasn't ready to face him and neither was him.

on the other side, ricky was losing his mind. she had never canceled a session before and had never been this dry texting. he knew she was hurt but had no idea how to fix it. his head just kept repeating the events of that night, but mostly her face and tone while she rambled. she looked like she wanted to cry and no one was going to catch her. she was so hurt and he was the source of her pain.

he wanted to be that person, he was defined into catching her if she fell. if she only knew what he would do for her, he wouldn't even recognize himself. something about this girl awoke some hidden part of him. he wanted to protect her, hold her. however, he knew she'd never let him. she was a strong independent woman who didn't need a superhero. but maybe, just maybe he wished to be her support once in a while.

but now? that was going to be difficult. another thing bothering his mind was the tiny butterfly hanging from her neck. he didn't pint point why, but the pendant intrigued him more than he wanted to admit.

he had to find a way to make things okay with her again. and he was determined to do so.

--

she was tired, exhausted. her eyes were droopy and a long black hoodie covered her tiny body. nini barely opened her eyes and walked the hallway aimlessly. she ignored the stares of her peers and kept walking towards her locker. she just needed to make it until the last period, and she could go home and ignore the noise.

she didn't want to face her friends or anyone for that matter. so she just drowned in her hoodie and music blasting in her ears.

nothing made sense anymore and she clearly didn't understand why it had such an effect on her. suddenly a curly boy had turned her world upside down. she was confused and barely concentrated in class.

on the other side, ricky tried looking for her all day. mission impossible, she blended in perfectly with the rest of the teenagers in the big building.

his friends tried calming him down during lunch after she didn't show up to their usual table. he had a bad feeling in the back of his throat and kept worrying about the rumors flying around.

in the meantime, she hid in small places no one really knew in the school. but at the end of the day, she still had to go to classes and pass the locker halls.

before lunch was over nini was in the bathroom and she heard a group of friends enter. she was about to come out when she overheard the small bickering.

"please we both know ricky had fun at that party, first making out with chloe and the other chick, then going after salazar? i knew he was a player but damn he knows how to play it," the other girls just laughed at the comment, completely oblivious to the actual weight of those events.

"something i still can't comprehend is how salazar ended up not only going home with his jacket but got a ride from jake, like do i really have to become a nerd to get the football guys?" the girls sighed and continued their conversation.

nini didn't know what to do, every single comment made her heartache. he had used her, and still, it was a win for the guy. goddammit, she didn't even recall how he's jacket ended up in her arms, she just remembered almost freezing and then feeling a warm sensation around her.

"maybe next time, you should make sure to know what actually happened," she came out of the cubicle with a harsh tone. "but hey, being stupid has his disadvantages, anyway i was just passing by," the girls just stared at nini, who to their surprise had to listen to their conversation. "have a good day i guess." and with that, she left the bathroom using the last of her strength not to crumble down in front of them.

the last two hours were torture and she could barely listen to the lecture. she felt like a fish in a tank, just watching everything around her but not being able to do anything. finally, the bell rang, she could go home. but first, she needed to get to her locker.

nini had gotten all her stuff and was already walking towards the exit when a voice made her turn around.

"nini, please, just wait," a soft and charming voice said behind her. if it were to be a normal monday, she would probably be laughing with him in the classroom. but it wasn't.

"i told you, i can't this week," she said not able to look up and allowing the tears at the edge of her eyes.

"just let me explain, it was all a misunderstanding, needs, i'm begging you." he was defeated he just needed her to listen to him. he just needed to explain.

"look, i get it, i'll never be enough, and that's okay, oh i didn't tell you, my service hours are completed, so technically we don't have tutoring anymore."

he just stood there trying to catch a glimpse of her eyes. whatever they were talking about now didn't matter he just wanted her back.

she finally looked up, "i'm sorry ricky, but i have to go."

"nini, just-" but the only thing he saw was the tear that escaped her eye as she walked away.

"don't go," he whispered knowing no one was listening anyway. this time, she was the one who had left too quickly.