insomnia | ricky + nini (ON HOLD)

05. the deep conversation

5:45pm

nini got out of her car and headed towards the cafe. she was a little bit early to the time they planned on meeting but production ended early for her since the rest of the scenes they were rehearsing she wasn't apart of so she was allow to leave. the drive from east high to parks cafe was thinking about what to say and what questions ricky was going to ask. ricky is the only person to know about her home life. the other being kourtney but her mom's loved kourt.

she opens to door to parks cafe and goes to the booth where the two started working on the project just a week ago. a few minutes later, she sees ricky as he heads towards her.

"hi" she quietly spoke.

"hi" he said back as he sat on the opposite side of the booth.

"we both know why we are here. what do you wanna know?"

"oh gosh, i mean everything. obviously you don't need to tell me everything. but i would like to know."

"ill say what you want, if you do the same"

"deal" 

"okay." she adjusted her seating position and closed her computer. "i'm an only child so my parents expect a lot from me. my mama d owns a great local company and my mama c, the one you met, she owns salrobs diner just down the street. they want me to take over one of their businesses one day."

"i never heard you talk about their businesses and wanting to take over." ricky interrupted.

"because i don't. my parents, well mainly mama c, have this 'plan' for me to go to columbia, study business administration and then head back here to take over, just like they did." nini put her head down.

"why don't you tell them about what you want?" 

"i want to, but i can't be a disappointment to the family."

"nini." ricky got up to go sit next to her. "why would you be a disappointment, you have a 4.0 gpa, apart of one of the best theater departments in utah, have amazing friends. there is no way you would be a disappointment"

"i don't know, i have a really close relationship with my parents and i don't want to risk losing that."

"so you'll risk you happiness for it?" nini just sat there. she didn't want to say anything but she knew she had to. 

"i mean i guess. i don't know. i guess i never thought about it like that."

"i understand." ricky stated.

"you do? how?"

"the relationship you have to your parents is similar to my parents and i." he took a deep breath. "my parents are divorced and it was rough. i guess you could say that is the starting point to my change in personality at school. i wanted to stay with my dad but his job moved him to washington state so i had to stay here."

"why didn't you go if you could?" 

"home was already changing, i didn't need my entire life the change with it. but obviously things changed quickly at school. i never meant to change but it just happened and i went with it. having that many friends is amazing but i hate that people were expecting a fight a week." there was a slight pause in conversation. this was the first time both were able to tell someone what was going on. 

"hey. look at me" nini said as ricky turned to face her. "thank you for telling me about yourself. what you did alot of people can't do. i'm proud of what you just said to me." she grabbed onto his hands and rested her head on his shoulder.

he smiled and looked down to the girl he could go to for anything. "you're welcome. but also thank you for tell me about you. i know life at home was different when i was there last week and i sort of forced you to tell me. i'm sorry for forcing yo-"

"i didn't feel forced, you deserved an explanation after my mom saw you." she interrupted. "i was bound to tell you at some point."

"really, how come?"

"because when the project was verbal and non-verbal communication, you're bound to know when someone is lying. especially when we are working at each other's places, it's gonna happen once things started rolling. also my mom doesn't want you over so if we work it will be either here or if you're comfortable, your house"

"i would like you to come over, i've been to your house, i feel like i should bring you to mine. maybe we can know each other and not just our terrible home or school lives. i would like to know what makes nini salazar-roberts smile." 

"and i would like to know what makes ricky bowen happy" she rested her head on her should and he placed his head on top of hers

both continued to talk about their rough home lives. they knew this would be the only time they would be able to speak on the subject. nini talked about her mom's businesses and how they don't know about nini involvement on theater. ricky talked about his mom's and her boyfriend's alcohol problem and his parent's divorce. 

every word said tonight was in need to be released from them. tonight was a night needed for the both of them, they were able to let all all out the emotions they needed to be released. 

this is the night that ricky and nini started to fall for the other.