Nina Salazar-Roberts moves to SLC and attends a fancy school, she seems like your typical quiet theater kid and being the new kid in the middle of junior year isn't the easiest thing but she's tough
Richard Bowen is your typical cocky star-of-the-fo...
At four fifty, her alarm rings, the shrill sound echoing through her room. Winter gets up, licking Nini's face as she grumbles. It's still dark outside, the rain from last night gone. She sits up, rubbing her eyes. Winter is zooming around her bedroom, the night lamp in the corner providing dim light. A couple minutes later, the door cracks open.
Dana switches the lights on, immediately being jumped on by Winter. "Oh my I see that we're already up and about"
"Mmm" Nini groans, dragging herself off the bed and into the bathroom. "Good morning to you too sunshine!!"
"Haha so funny"
Dana rolls her eyes, letting Winnie out of the room. She takes her downstairs, opening the backyard door, it's quite chilly today, the late autumn fog smelling thickly of rain. Carol is in the kitchen, putting breakfast together. They have to head in to the hospital by seven not eight now, so they're both awake. It's very quiet in the suburbs, with is a big change from their usual city environment.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Have you got everything you need? Books? Pads? Pills? Pencils? Your laptop? Your phone? Your-"
"Mama I've got it I'll be okay" Nini half laughs. She's putting on her shoes by the door, it's still dark out, but the sky is lighter than before. The cold fogs up the glass around the doorframe, through the blur, she can see her dad's car pull into the driveway. There's a sigh of relief that escapes her mouth he's early she smiles.
Nina opens the door, inhaling the chilly air, she loves that feeling. Carol walks behind her, all the way up to the car. Nini hops into the passenger seats, neatly tucking away her bag at her feet. Her dad's wearing a formal shirt and suit pants, it amuses her. "What? You making fun of me junior?" He messes with her hair, she retaliates.
"Okay have a great day sweetie" Carol kisses her head through the car window. "Oh god you forgot your water bottle, I'll be back in a sec" Carol says, hurrying back into the house to grab it from the fridge, before Nini even gets the chance to say anything. On the other side of the road she sees him, dark emerald pants and blazer on, satchel in hand. He's looking down, walking briskly into his garage and getting into a car, driving away.
Carol comes back with the bottle, saying goodbye again. From behind Nini, mark mouths 'ive got her' nodding reassuringly, Carol offers a weak smile. Nini notices the gesture quietly, she doesn't have the heart to tell them she saw it. They start to drive.
"Are you one hundred percent sure there's nothing I can do to convince you to be on basketball? We both know you'd make varsity easy"
"Nope, I'm sure, I'm gonna stick to swim"
"Alright" he says, squeezing her hand at the signal.
"Sooo LA" she starts out, he's already rolling his eyes at her cheeky expression. "How's she doing?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, the team is doing great if that's what you're asking" he says, referring to the lakers. He's used to couching in the big leagues, sometimes at colleges these past few years, but never at a school other than as a substitute (a favor to Nini) once.
"You know that's not what I'm asking"
"Mind your business"
"It's been twenty years come on, you know you really should up your game old man" she says nonchalantly, chuckling under her breath. "I have plenty of game, thank you" he says, turning up the music. "You should keep your nose out of my business junior."
"Can't hear you!"
__________________________
The drive is long, in the sky a thin line of orange slowly blurs into the navy, the sun starting to rise. They're close to the school now, its far away from the city, at a height. Nini can see the city from her window, her head pressed to the glass. They reach the gate and Mark sees her sit up immediately, he shows ID at the gate and it opens, they start to enter the campus. He watches her face light up, he knew she would love it.
She's never been on a school campus this large, not to mention it's beyond breathtaking. They drive to the parking lot, Nini takes in her surroundings, her window down; there's trees everywhere, autumn leaves thinning out as winter gets closer, the road is wet, it smells like rain. The campus buildings are huge stone structures, the kind of architecture that's rare to come by now, and at a distance she can see a small water body. Mark pulls up near one of the buildings, letting Nini get off so she doesn't have to walk all the way from the staff lot. "I'll see you in a minute hon"
She stands by the entrance, it's daunting, there's a banner flashing dark green and blue, 'aut viam inveniam aut faciam' it says bellow the oak ridge hall crest, a moto? She assumes.
As she's waiting she sees Ricky walking towards the entrance, there's someone walking with him, though from a distance she can't make out who.
When they get closer, she observes carefully, the boy next to him has bright red hair, his tie isn't tied right and he's in the blue uniform, she considers staying completely quite, but something in her prompts her to reach out after last night.
When they get to the entrance, Ricky makes no acknowledgement of her presence, she reaches out her arm, tapping lightly at his shoulder. He turns around, the boy with him had already stopped walking when he saw Nini trying to get their attention. "Hey Ricky I just wanted to check in wi-"
"Stop god" he grumbles, she blinks repeatedly. Red tugs at his arm "Ricky don-"
"Listen ok. Pretend you didn't hear whatever it is that you think you heard last night and keep your mouth shut about it, got it?! Or I swear to god-" red tugs at his arm again. "And stay away from me you weirdo" he says coldly, walking away.
Red rubs his forehead, mouthing "sorry" to Nini quickly before chasing Ricky. "So clearly last night wasn't 'all good', Ricky what the hell?" he questions his best friend. "Just fuck off" he mumbles. Nini stands there dumbfounded, slightly shaken up.
"Hey bug, you okay?" Marks voice startles her. "Yup, just thinking" "Alright, let's go" They start walking through the halls, the marble black and white tiles tinted with gold specks, it looks like an antique chessboard, atleast that's what Nini thinks. They walk until they reach the headmasters office.
hey guys! it's been a bit welp word count: 1114 im trying not to make chapters too long lol anyways ill try to get 'chapter 10- the grand tour' out in the next two days as usual I have not bothered to spell check opinions plz
any requests? feel free to drop them here or on personal
