Puppy Love and Sunflowers

Chapter 8: Waves

Ricky: Nini said she overheard you talking on the phone at the mall with some guy saying you need to tell me something soon. Red and Ash think all these "phone calls to Marie" are actually with some guy. So, are you a fucking cheater? Or is this all some bull shit game
Alice: I.... yes. I've been talking to another guy that I met on a work trip a while back and I swear I was gonna tell you this week and I- I'm sorry Ricky. I kissed him once but I told him I wouldn't do anything else until we broke up. I'm sorry you had to find out this way....
Ricky: *my heart drops and my face turns dark red* when? When did you guys- I don't- I-
Alice: Umm about middle of May when I went to Vegas. Then we continued talking as friends and then eventually about 3 weeks ago maybe he kissed me. I really am sor-
Ricky: *my eyes tear up* does he make you happy?
Alice: He does, he really does
Ricky: then it's not fair of me to hold you back. I love you and only want what's best for you, even if it's not with me.
Alice: Oh Ricky I just-
Ricky: I just feel like such an idiot
Alice: No, you're not an idiot
Nini: *This is kinda entertaining. I mean poorRicky but fuck you Alice*
Ricky: but the past 3 weeks were just, some role play?
Alice: I guess the answer is yes
Ricky: *I look away a second* why not just tell me though? You know I would've- I just- I only want you happy. That's all I've ever wanted
Alice: I just couldn't bring myself to do it
Ricky: I'm- I'm gonna go
Alice: Ricky I'm so sorry
Ricky: *I walk toward the ocean*
Alice: Thanks a lot, Nini *starts to walk away*
Nini: I'm not the one that went around talking to another guy! *I walk towards the shore*
Ricky: *I don't look at you* please leave me alone
Nini: Not gonna happen surfer boy
Ricky: *I sit down and stay quiet for a few minutes* it's just so peaceful. Each wave builds and folds and builds and folds like a perfect system. Then under all that is full of life and colors and whatever else
Nini: I would have to agree with you, It's like the world washes away along with the waves
Ricky: exactly
Nini: *I sit down next to you* I'm sorry, Ricky
Ricky: it's not your fault
Nini: I know, but it's my fault I couldn't keep my mouth shut
Ricky: who knows how long she would have pretended to love me
Nini: I guess you're right
Ricky: I feel like I was taking away something she could have had a long time ago
Nini: Well you can't think like that. You had no clue, Ricky
Ricky: and you did. Someone I've seen a total of like 3 times
Nini: It's happened to me before, three times actually. At some point, you just become so observant that nothing gets past you
Ricky: Damn, that sucks.
Nini: Tell me something I don't know
Ricky: do you think Alice is a bad person?
Nini: Mmm I don't know, I didn't know her well enough
Ricky: for what she did though and the story you just heard
Nini: I mean, cheating is never okay, but I just don't think that's something I can answer. I really don't know what I would say
Ricky: do you think I did the right thing?
Nini: Yeah, I think you handled it pretty well in my opinion
Ricky: why?
Nini: You weren't an ass about it and you didn't yell at her. Your gave her your blessing to move on to someone new and I think that was really big of you to do
Ricky: yeah I just don't want to be in her way I guess
Nini: Can I give you a hug? You look like you need one
Ricky: *I stay quiet*
Nini: *I lean over and hug you* *Mmm I love this feeling*
Ricky: *I don't move my arms or anything but I lean towards you*
Nini: You know Ricky, you can put your arms around me. I don't bite *laughs*
Ricky: *I put my arms around you and close my eyes*
Nini: *God this man is amazing*
Ricky: tell me something
Nini: Like what?
Ricky: I don't know. I just need to get my mind off all this
Nini: Hmm *sings softly* Sunflower, my eyes want you more than a melody
Let me inside, wish I could get to know you
Sunflowers sometimes keep it sweet in your memory
I was just tongue-tied
Ricky: *sings softly* And I don't wanna make you feel bad
But I've been trying hard not to talk to you
My sunflower
Nini: *smiles and sings* I couldn't want you anymore
Kiss in the kitchen like it's a dance floor
Ricky: *sings* I couldn't want you any more tonight
Nini: Help at all?
Ricky: *exhales deeply* Harry Styles... can't go wrong *laughs very little*
Nini: I have to agree with you *smiles*
Ricky: thank you Nini. I'm just some guy you just met, you have no reason to be here
Nini: Well, I have nothing better to do, and you're a pretty cool dude to hang out with *laughs*
Ricky: *laughs a little* why's that
Nini: I don't know, it's just the vibes you give off *laughs*
Ricky: the vibes? *laughs*
Nini: Yes, the vibes *laughs* And, you're a surfer, and that in itself is pretty cool
Ricky: I guess you're a pretty cool singing receptionist
Nini: Oh gosh *laughs a little* Why thank you. But I didn't know you could sing? You sounded pretty good up there tonight
Ricky: I guess there's a some stuff you don't know about meNini: Anything else I should know?
Ricky: is there anything you want to know?
Nini: Not in particular, but what makes Ricky, Ricky?
Ricky: like you say all the time, I'm basically just a surfer boy
Nini: And that's all there is to you?
Ricky: I'm either at the ocean, with my dog, or with Alice... But not that last one anymore
Nini: Rickyyyyy, no more bringing her up. I won't allow it
Ricky: *I bury my head in my knees*
Nini: Stand up
Ricky: *I just look up at you*
Nini: Come on, stand up
Ricky: *I get up* what
Nini: We're going swimming
Ricky: it's dark out
Nini: So?
Ricky: it's not very safe to go in the ocean at night
Nini: Well, Miss Nini Salazar-Roberts has a hard time following rules
Ricky: *I squint my eyes at you*
Nini: *I take off my shirt and run into the water* *shit shit shit that's cold* You gonna join me surfer boy?!
Ricky: *I take my shirt off and follow you* I can't believe you just did that
Nini: Why?
Ricky: the ocean, at night
Nini: If I die, at least I went out having fun, right? *I swim away from you*
Ricky: good point. But I couldn't live with myself if you did *I follow*
Nini: Well it would suck to be you then
Ricky: it already sucks to be me
Nini: Mmm not true
Ricky: pertaining to the last hour or so give me one reason it wouldn't suck
Nini: You got to spend time with meeeee
Ricky: right, and why is that a good thing *smiles a little*
Nini: Because I'm the coolest kid you'll ever meet
Ricky: oh really?
Nini: Really
Ricky: *laughs a little*
Nini: *I swim back towards you and I stand right in front of you* hi
Ricky: *I look down at you* hey
Nini: *I wrap my arms around your neck and give you a hug*
Ricky: *I put my arms around your waist and hug back. I sigh loudly trying not to cry*
Nini: *I pull away* Hey, don't cry
Ricky: I'm not *I sniffle*
Nini: I can tell you're on the verge of tears
Ricky: no, I'm not *I dunk under water then come back up*
Nini: *I go to hug you again, but this time I wrap my legs around your WAIST* Everything is gonna be okay
Ricky: *okay, what is she doing? Whatever, I need this right now?* *I put my head on your shoulder*
Nini: *I could stay like this forever*
Ricky: Hey Nini?
Nini: Hey Ricky?
Ricky: thank you for everything tonight
Nini: Yeah of course, anytime.
Ricky: *smiles*
Nini: *I start to shiver a little bit*
Ricky: are you cold?
Nini: A l-little bit
Ricky: lets head back to shore
Nini: Mmkay
Ricky: *I put you down and start to swim to shore*
Nini: *I follow behind you* D-do you think I could change into something else inside the shop?
Ricky: yeah I don't think Red or Ash would mind. But I think I have a lifeguard sweatshirt or something in my locker
Nini: Okay *we walk inside the shop*
Ricky: *I grab you my sweatshirt and random shorts from the shop* will this work?
Nini: Fine by me. Where should I change?
Ricky: there's a storage room back there
Nini: Thanks *I walk into the room and change* *This sweatshirt smells like him* *I walk back out* How do I look? *laughs*
Ricky: comfortable *laughs a little*
Nini: You're not wrong
Ricky: think your friend is still at Sandy's?
Nini: Maybe... *I pull out my phone and see a text from Kourtney "so I don't know where you are or what happened but I have to be up at the crack of dawn for work tomorrow. I left the bar so I would ask Ricky for a ride. or call an uber. love you babes 💋"
Nini: Nope *laughs*
Ricky: so I'm guessing you need a ride
Nini: If that's not too much to ask for *laughs*
Ricky: no it's fine. I probably shouldn't be alone anyway
Nini: What do you mean?
Ricky: I seem to make stupid decisions when I'm upset or down or whatever. I could end up driving myself to another bar or in a tree for that matter *laughs* I'm kidding, kind of
Nini: Well, I'm here as long as you need me
Ricky: well, should we get going?
Nini: Um sure
Ricky: *we walk out to my car* so where's your place?
Nini: About 15 minutes away. I'll pull up google maps so I don't have to feed you directions *laughs* *I get out my phone and set it up*
Ricky: I wonder if I'll ever see Alice again? Is that weird to think about
Nini: No, I think everyone thinks about that after a breakup
Ricky: I can't believe we broke up today
Nini: Well, get used to it. Because it happened, and you can't change that
Ricky: I know. It's just, if you were to ask me this morning how everything was with her, I would've said "incredible" without a doubt
Nini: I know it all happened so quickly, but that's life. You don't control what happens or when it happens, you just gotta go with the flow
Ricky: just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming, swimming, swimming *laughs a little*
Nini: *Oh my god he's adorable* *laughs*
Ricky: what do we do? We swimmm. Sorry *laughs* I got carried away there
Nini: Don't be, it was cute *laughs* *I- stupid idiot Nina*
Ricky: that was one of my favorite movies growing up *laughs*
Nini: It was a pretty awesome movie
Ricky: yeah, it was
Nini: *smiles* *how could anyone cheat on this perfect angel of a human?*
Ricky: is it okay in here? Hot? Cold?
Nini: I'm still a little cold
Ricky: *I turn the air down and put the temperature up a little*
Nini: Thank you. So, are you feeling better?
Ricky: a little, yeah
Nini: Well good *smiles*
Ricky: so, do you plan on coming back and getting on the water with me again
Nini: 100%
Ricky: good, I'm glad
Nini: You'd never be able to get rid of me even if you tried *laughs*
Ricky: *laughs* you're a good friend, Nini
Nini: *Ugh I hate the word friend* Thank you, I appreciate it
Ricky: *we get to your place* thank you again for being here for me tonight. And I'm sorry for yelling and not believing you and whatever else
Nini: Yeah, of course. I'll be here whenever you need me. But are you sure you'll be okay by yourself? Because if not, I have a little puppy in there that wouldn't mind some company *laughs*
Ricky: *laughs* thanks but Rocco's been home all day and I'm sure the stinkers gotta go pee *laughs*
Nini: *laughs* Okay, but if you need anything at all let me know. Like I said, I'm not going anywhere
Ricky: thanks again
Nini: You're welcome *I unbuckle my seat belt* Hey, do you wanna meet at the dog park on Saturday?
Ricky: sounds good. Noon okay?
Nini: Perfect
Ricky: I'll see you then I guess
Nini: Bye Surfer boy *laughs*
Ricky: *smiles* bye
Nini: *I get out of the car and wave*
Ricky: *I wave then pull out*