Nina Salazar-Roberts is the most popular girl at East High. Not only is she the cheer captain, but she's friends with the entire football team and adored by most of the school's population.
Richard Bowen is the new kid. He's been playing football fo...
For the next week, Ricky found himself observing Nini more and more.
She really did seem to have the nice girl act down, but there was something... off... about it.
Ever since she snapped at him, it was like he could suddenly see what was hidden beneath that smile. It was the way that she could click back into it that really intrigued him. No one whose smile is stemmed from true happiness can plaster it back on that big after seeming genuinely insulted.
Nini noticed him watching.
At first, she was flattered, until she realized that he wasn't watching her because he liked her. He seemed to be watching her because he was trying to understand her, and that's certainly not what she wants.
Once that week has gone by, Ricky deems it safe to approach her again.
Nini is alone in a classroom, setting up her laptop on a desk with her back to him.
As he's about to speak, she beats him to it, without even looking.
"I've noticed you watching," she mentions casually before turning towards him.
This catches Ricky off guard. He expected to be the one to start the conversation.
"Yeah," he agrees.
"I can't have you studying me like an experiment. People are going to start to think something is up."
"Something is up," Ricky accuses.
Nini sighs, turning back to her laptop. "I don't know what you think you're onto, but you need to stop searching."
"If you'd tell me, I wouldn't have to search." Ricky leans against a desk near her.
"Fine, you got me." Nini let's put a humorless laugh. "Here. Google me." Nini gestures to her laptop.
Ricky raises an eyebrow in confusion.
"Go on," Nini ushers.
Ricky still doesn't move, thinking this is some kind of weird joke.
Nini rolls her eyes and types in her own name.
Ricky walks closer to see the search results.
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Ricky looks back and forth between the screen and the girl staring coldly at it.
"There you go. You happy?" She asks, arms crossed and eyes glued to the screen.
"Nini I-"
Nini turns to him quickly. "I'm not here for your pity. Everyone knows I'm a foster kid, and that I don't like to be treated differently because of it. Now, could you please leave me the fuck alone?"
Ricky takes that as his cue to leave.
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i know these are short, but that's really just because i originally measured them in screenshots to post them on twitter, so once we get farther in they'll get a little longer!!
