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18-apology

Ricky yawned as Big Red parked his car into the school parking lot.

"Maybe driving around all night wasn't the best idea." Alexis commented from the backseat, gripping a cup of coffee in her hands.

"The sunrise was pretty though," Ricky replied while rubbing his eyes.

Alexis hoped he would say something like, "but not as pretty as you." But he didn't.

The three teen stepped outside into the cold December air. Only the first of the month and it felt like the dead of winter. It was too cold to skateboard today.

Alexis shivered and zipped her coat up to her collarbone. Underneath it she wore Ricky's hoodie. Last night he had gotten so hot from the heater that he'd taken it off in the car, and so she grabbed it from the backseat and used it as a blanket. She forgot to give it back to him, but he'd find out she still had it soon enough.

A few parking spots away, Nini and Kourtney had arrived to school. "Be right back," Nini said to Kourtney when she noticed Alexis, Ricky, and Big Red outside.

Kourtney followed her gaze and nodded. They had already talked about this. She gave her a slight smile. "Okay. Go make things right."

Nini jogged over to the three friends. "Hey!" She said, catching their attention.

"Hey," Ricky and Big Red replied in unison. Alexis stared down at her feet. "How was your break?" Big Red asked.

"Oh, it was fine, you?"

"Good," he replied.

Nini smiled in response then turned to Alexis. "Um, can I talk to you for a minute?" She asked shyly.

Alexis looked up abruptly when she realized the brunette had been talking to her. She was shocked, to say the least, that Nini had said anything to her without a hint of malice.

"Uh, yeah," she said slowly.

"We're gonna head inside," Ricky said, catching the drift that Nini had wanted to talk to her alone. "See you in class, Lexie." He grabbed her hand and squeezed it once before him and Red jogged away.

".... so what's up?" Alexis asked finally after a moment of silence. Nini's eyes snapped up. She had been staring at Alexis' hand where Ricky's just was.

"Sorry, I um..." she reached into her backpack and fished out Alexis' notebook. "I accidentally must've grabbed this thinking it was mine."

A look of horror flashed in Alexis' eyes, but she quickly recovered and took the notebook from Nini's hands. "Thanks."

She started to walk away but Nini called after her.

"Wait!"

Alexis turned and Nini stepped back over to her. "Listen I..." she sighed. "I know I haven't been the nicest to you lately..."

"Or ever," Alexis scoffed.

Nini frowned. "Right. Ever since I met you, I've been terrible to you. I don't know why. It's not like me at all. But I think it's because... well.... I guess I'm just jealous of you."

Alexis' expression turned to confusion. "What? You? Jealous of... of me?"

"You have everything. The lead in the play. You're an amazing dancer and singer without even trying, your pretty, and Ricky likes you—"

"What?" Alexis cut her off. "Ricky and I are just friends. Do you still like him?"

Nini sighed. "Trust me, Alexis. I know Ricky. And I can tell that he like, likes you. Like, like like."

"You didn't answer my question." Alexis said back.

"Fine, yes. I do still like him."

"Then why didn't you say yes when he asked you to homecoming?"

Now Nini was the confused one. "Ricky didn't ask me to Homecoming."

Alexis furrowed her brows. "That whole day, he was staring at you all the time... I told him he should ask you."

"Didn't he ask you?"

"Yeah, but only as friends. At least that's what I assumed. I thought he asked you and you said no."

Nini shook her head slowly.

"Oh... oh!"

She smiled. "See? I told you."

The two girls were quiet for a minute.

"You shouldn't be jealous of me," Alexis said. "You're just as good a singer as I am, honestly probably better. Plus you're a good actress. You're very talented, Nini."

"Thanks," she said softly. "I don't know, you just seem like you have it all together. It's like your life is perfect."

Alexis couldn't hold back her laugh. "My life? Far from perfect. You don't know me, I got stuff."

"Yeah I know," Nini said softly.

"You looked in my notebook." Alexis stated. She didn't even have to ask, she already knew the answer.

"I didn't mean to."

"I don't do that stuff anymore."

"Some of the dates were recent."

Alexis shook her head and the subject was dropped.

"I don't want to hate you." Nini said quickly. "I never have. I'm so sorry for the way I've treated you. I'm not saying we have to be like best friends, but all this petty drama and stuff..."

Alexis grinned. "Consider it a thing of the past."

"Really?"

Alexis nodded. Nini smiled back and together they walked into East High.