𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙚 [𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙞 𝙖𝙪]

Chapter Fourteen

tw // this chapter has some underage drinking.

Nini arrived at the party with her friends, and headed straight into the kitchen to get some drinks.

Nini usually never really went out to parties that much. Parties were always on Fridays, like the one she was at right now, and she would normally be babysitting her drama teacher's son while she went on a date with her husband.

But tonight, they decided to have a night in, so Nini decided to have a night out.

Much like everyone else at the party, she was drinking a whole lot. She started getting a little tipsy so she told her friends, who were dancing in the living room, that she was going to step outside for a bit.

She made her way into the kitchen to grab one more drink and headed out to the backyard where there were no people.

Ricky watched as she laughed with her friends, and danced so freely to the music.

With the liquid courage that was now in his system, he decided he would finally talk to her.

He got up and started following her past the crowd of people dancing, every person he bumped into slowing him down.

He kept his eyes on her as she walked away into the pitch black darkness that was the backyard.

He kept getting bumped into, it felt like he couldn't escape the group of dancing teenagers. As if he was in a foam pit, trying to get out but just...can't.

All of a sudden, a memory from his dream flashed into his mind. It was the exact same scene he was in right now.

She was walking further and further away, while in his mind, he was telling her to stop.

Another memory from the dream came into mind: The girl kept walking, alone, on a never ending road.

"Stop," he mumbled quietly, hoping that the girl would hear him and turn around.

"Wait, please!" He whisper-yelled, slurring the words. "Don't leave me again."

Tears were starting to form in his eyes, as he was having trouble determining what was real and what were flashes of memories from his dream.

As he kept walking, he started to feel dizzy. He put his hand on his head as he still kept trying to reach the girl.

"Nini!" He shouted, finally getting past the crowd of people. "I need you," he quietly said, as his vision of the girl kept switching from the dream, and then eventually...everything went black and he felt the cold, hard ground on the right side of his face.

The girl stopped and turned around at the sound of her name, thinking that it was one of her friends that came after her, and called for her.

But when she looked inside the house, she just saw a group of people huddled together, surrounding the doorway, looking at the ground.

She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. Maybe she just thought she heard someone call her name. She turned back around and sat down at the edge of the pool in Ej's backyard, soaking in the time alone.

+

Ricky woke up the next morning with a pain in his head that he has never felt before. He immediately put his palm up to his forehead and groaned in pain.

He sat up realizing he was in his own bedroom.

How did I get here? What happened? Was it all a dream?

He decided to believe that everything that happened the night prior was just a dream. He thought that since he kept having the same dream about the girl sitting away from him in the diner, this could have been another recurring dream.

However, his head still hurt like hell, so he went downstairs to ask his dad where they kept the Advil.

"Hey bud, rough night?" His dad asked as he saw Ricky entering the kitchen.

"Huh?" He had no idea what to think- did he or did he not go out?

"Some girl brought you home last night while you were passed out," his dad filled him in, "don't worry I'm not mad," he laughed.

Ricky was taken aback by what his dad just said.

A girl brought me home? What girl?

He tried his best to remember everything that happened last night- he got there early, Ej got him to drink, he felt really dizzy, and called for Nini.

"Um, do you by any chance know the name of the girl who dropped me off?" Ricky asked, wondering if the brunette he had only dreamed of, had brought him home.

"Not sure, she was pretty though. You guys would look great together," his dad winked, walking towards the living room, a coffee mug in hand.

There was no way Nini brought him home last night, she didn't know who he was, let alone where he lived. Maybe it was another girl- but it couldn't have been because everyone was drunk, no one would be stupid enough to drive drunk...right?

Am I crazy or could Nini really have brought me home. Nono, that's crazy, why would she? But also, it's a possibility? Ugh whatever, I'll just call Gina and ask, Ej's probably still passed out.

"Hello?" Ricky heard from the other end after a couple rings.

"Hey, Gina, it's Ricky. Do you know who brought me home last night?" He asked.

"Is that Ricky?" He heard Ej mumble, "Dude you were PASSED OUT, it was hilarious. You just like fell onto the ground," He said, laughing uncontrollably.

"Wow, I didn't think I would be attacked this early in the morning, but go off I guess." Ricky replied.

He heard Gina smack Ej through the phone. "Babe, stop. Sorry about him Ricky. But I brought you home, everyone else was too drunk." she explained, "I'm surprised Ej even remembered you passing out."

"Oh," was all he could say.

"How could I forget? This man ate shit," Ej, who was still laughing, practically yelled.

He heard Gina smack him again, "Stop!"

Ricky chuckled a bit, "It' s fine Gi, I just don't remember any of this. Thanks anyway."

"Of course! Well Ej here is getting on my nerves so I'm gonna go. Bye, see you at school," She hung up the phone leaving Ricky, once again, alone with his thoughts.

It wasn't Nini who brought me home. Why do I feel like this? Why am I sad?