the flaw in being perfect - rini au

seven

Ricky is on a mission.

He asked Red for Ashlyn's contact information, and Ashlyn texted him to meet her at the school on Saturday.

So, here he is, in an empty robotics room on a Saturday afternoon, waiting for a girl he's never met.

He honestly finds this a little sketchy, but he's been in worse situations.

He hears a clacking noise coming from the hall and jumps slightly, having been distracted by his thoughts.

Suddenly, a figure appears in the doorway.

"I hear you want to know more about Nina Salazar-Roberts," Ashlyn mentions ominously.

Ricky clears his throat.

He didn't know what he expected of Ashlyn, but he didn't think she'd be so intimidating.

She stands before him in chunky heeled combat boots, probably only about 5'5" without them, but appearing to be closer to 5'9" or so. Ricky knows he's quite a bit taller than this girl, but her vibe gave him jitters.

"Yeah, I guess," Ricky finally replies.

Ashlyn enters the room confidently, walking over to a desk and sitting on it, motioning for Ricky to sit as well.

Ricky does so.

"Nini wouldn't be happy knowing I told you any of this, but I haven't talked to her since she..." Ashlyn trails off. "I haven't talked to her in a while, so I won't tell if you won't."

Ricky nods slowly.

Since she what? Ricky wonders.

"I can't be the one to tell you too much about her and her experiences, because I can't fathom how she truly felt through everything. What I can tell you, is that she was put through the ringer."

"Red mentioned that she didn't come to school for a while," Ricky adds on, trying to steer her in the direction he wants the conversation to go.

"That's true, but it's not my place to tell you what happened there. That was a very pivotal time in her life, and that's a perfect example of what I was talking about when I said I can't tell you too much. If you're patient, I'll tell you what I can," Ash continues.

Ricky remains silent this time.

"Before the accident, Nini was different. I'm not saying who she is now isn't great, but she wasn't the same girl. She's still kind, but she's become guarded. It takes her a lot longer now to warm up to people that want more than her surface level self. She used to be so open and vulnerable, and when she trusted you, you felt like you were the only person that mattered. She was my best friend until the accident. We used to spend most of our time together— so much that most people saw us as inseparable. Once she... changed... we stopped being so close. It was like she didn't trust me anymore. She started talking to EJ, and he became her rock. She got closer with the cheer team, and Gina became her best friend. I hear she still talks to Kourtney, her friend from when she was little, but they didn't talk much when we were friends, so I assume it's the same," Ashlyn pours out.

Ashlyn knows she probably said more than she should've, but she didn't leak any of the detrimental pieces. She would never betray Nini like that, no matter how much they drifted apart.

Ricky stares at Ashlyn blankly, trying to absorb everything he's heard.

"That's really all I should tell you," Ashlyn concludes. "I think you've heard enough."

Ricky nods, remaining where he's sat.

With that, Ashlyn exits the room.

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,, what do we think of edgy ashlyn????

-jenna :)