PAPER RINGS || R. bowen ✔️

002

"I don't get how you two manage tk leave the earliest out of all of us and always end up being the last ones here." Kourtney says as she steps away from Ricky's locker so he can open it.

"We always take the long way so we can have carkaraoke." Ophelia answers, opening her locker to put some of her shit in it.

"That or you guys just make oit every morning in the parkinglot." Ej says with a smirk on his face.

"I wish." Ophelia doesn't say that out loud though, No one from her friends knows she likes him and she wants to keep it that way.

It is weird, keeping secrets from her friends as they're really close and are always as honest with each other as possible, but she can't tell them this.

She knows they will tell Ricky, especially Red and Ej seeing those 3 for real have no secrets between them.

Oh and Nini, she doesn't want to know how Nini will react when she figures out oen of her friends likes her ex.

And Ricky, god where to starts. She doesn't want to ruin their friendship, she doesn't want to fuck up and that things will change between them.

So yeah it is better if she keeps it to her self, at least no one will get hurt this way, not Ricky, not Nini, not herself.

A loud scoff is heard from a few lockers to her right. "Yeah right, you think I'll ever kiss her? Ew. She's my best friend, that's just gross man."

Okay damn, that was harsh. Sure she knew he thought like that, that he didn't like her. But hearing it, hearing him actually say it out loud hurts.

"Right, Lia?" Ricky's voice gets her out of her trance, even though she is already done by her locker she kept the door open, desperate to hide her face from her friends knowing she'll have an upset expression.

Ophelia forces an smile as she closes the door of her locker, she can't hide in there forever. "Obviously, that's just weird."

She then focusses her attention on Nini who is leaning against the lockers. "Hey Ni, you got the answers from math?"

Her first period is math which she has together with Nini, she for real needs the answers but this also is an way to get the attention off her and switch topics.

Nini playfully rolls her eyes as she opens her bag, looking for the paper. "I was wondering when you were gonna ask."

It has become an habit that she writes the answers over from Nini every monday morning as fast as she can, making her handwriting messy.

Lia grins as she takes the paper from Nini's hands before grabbing her own paper, shoving the paper in Gina's handa as she places her own paper against the lockers, writing the answers that Gina reads outloud.

The friendgroup all split up as they make their ways to their own classrooms.

Nini and Lia's class is at the other side of the school plus they have to go up a few stairs which should'nt be allowed this early, this is an whole workout.

"Hey, you all right?" Nini breaks the silence between the two brunette girls.

"Yeah, why?" Lia turns her head to her friend, watching as she bites her lip before speaking up.

"Okay, so I'm sorry if I'm wrong, but after what Ej said and Ricky's answer you just looked off. Like it hurted that Ricky said he didn't want to kiss you?'

Lia's eyes widden, she thought she did a good job at covering up how she felt about his words, guess not. "No, it just kind off hurt how grossed out he was by that."

Lia sighs before continuing. "I mean it's not like I want to kiss him." That's a lie, she does. "But am I really that gross he reacted like that?"

Nini smiles softly at her friend. "He didn't mean it like that, you know how Ricky is,  he doesn't realize how his words can affect people, he should've just worded it better."

Ophelia gives the girl a genuine smile. After she and Ricky broke up, somehow the two girls starting drifting apart, she doesn't know how it happened but it did so it is nice getting advice from her again. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Nini grins, stopping infront of their classroom. "But are you sure you weren't hurt by Ricky's words for a different reason?" And with that she dissapeared intk their class room.

Did she? Did she just?  No there is know way she meant that. There is no way Nini knows.

There is no way Nini knows she likes Ricky.

Right?