"thank you," julie breathed out as luke pulled her into his arms. the two of them held onto each other as soon as they exited from the stage. julie had tears in her eyes and luke could hear her little sniffles as he held her in her arms.
"for what?"
"giving me a chance," julie whispered and let go of the boy. it was intermission by now. ricky and nini were getting ready for their performances and everyone else was getting snacks or talking in the lobby.
"julie, i like you," luke confessed with an innocent smile. a smile crept up on julie's face and her cheeks started to turn red.
"you sure?"
luke chuckled and grabbed julie's face with her chin. he gave her a soft kiss on the lips. julie felt her heart stop beating as her lips melted into luke's. luke moved his hand to her cheek and deepened the kiss even more.
"does that answer your question?"
julie smiled and shook her head, "hmm... i don't know. might need a little more reassurance?"
luke chuckled and shook his head. he looked at julie with bright eyes and smiled at the sight of her in front of him, "you're ridiculous, you know that?"
"i know," julie chirped out before reconnecting her lips with luke's.
+
"and up next," mr. mazzarra announced once everyone settled down for act two, "we have ricky bowen, singing "perfect gift." ricky turned around to see nini standing behind him. she was leaning against the wall and gave ricky an awkward smile. the boy nodded his head at her before walking across the stage. he saw all of his friends in the front row with big smiles on their faces. there julie was, sitting next to luke with her hand in his.
ricky sat down on the chair and rested his guitar on his lap. the boy took a deep breath and saw as nini got closer to the stage and stood right behind the curtain. ricky gave her a smile and started to sing and play the guitar.
"through every up and down, there's one thing that stays true," ricky sang and looked right at nini, "christmas is better every second it's with you."
"i don't got much to give, so i hope you think this is..." ricky sang and gave nini a light smile, "the perfect gift, that i could give. to the perfect gift, that ever lived. yeah, this song's the second best thing i could do. when the perfect gift is you."
a small smile left nini's face when he said that lyric. nini shyly put her hands behind her back and smiled as ricky continued to sing to her. everyone in the crowd started to clap along with ricky's beat and cheered him on as he performed. this was sweet, nini thought to himself.
"when seasons change and i've lost my way," ricky started to sing and got up from his seat. he started to make his way towards nini and motioned for her to get on stage with him, "it'll be okay, with you by my side. and darling that's why..."
ricky motioned for nini to sit down in the chair as he stood in front of her and sang, "this song's the second best thing i could do. when the perfect gift is you."
the crowd cooed and cheered them on as ricky continued to sing for nini. once ricky was done playing, nini had a cheeky smile on her face and her cheeks were red. ricky let his guitar hang from his side as he looked at nini with a longing look. the girl got up from her seat and ran into ricky's arms. the boy gladly took nini into his arms and held onto her as tight as he could.
"i'm so sorry, nini," ricky whispered as everyone cheered them on. they let go of each other and nini gave ricky a smile.
"it's okay, thank you for the song," nini told him. the two of them said thank you to the crowd and walked off the stage. ricky and nini stood at the side and looked at each other.
"it's okay if it's not though," ricky told her, "i messed up so bad, neens and i.. don't deserve you like at all. you've been nothing but kind and loving. i can't believe that the perfect girl has been in front of me this whole time and i-"
"ricky."
the boy looked up from the ground and scrunched his eyebrows at her, "yeah?"
"shut up."
"what?"
"can you just kiss me already?" nini asked with an innocent smile on her face. ricky let out a sigh of relief and nodded his head. he quickly grabbed nini by her arm and pulled in for a kiss. after so many years of crushing on ricky, it felt like nini was finally home. there were so many words that were unsaid, but sometimes things are better left unsaid. a million thought were racing through both of their minds, but all of it just added onto the passion of the kiss.
as the performance music started to get quieter, nini and ricky finally let go of each other. ricky looked at nini with astonishment and let out a shy chuckle, "did you learn that from luke or something?"
nini rolled her eyes and chuckled, "i don't know. why don't you find out yourself?"
ricky chuckled and lightly pushed nini away as she continued to laugh, "i'm glad i have you back, bubs. i've missed you." he grabbed nini by the the arm again and pulled her into his arms. he held her by the waist as they talked.
"thank you for the song, ricky," nini softly said and looked at ricky in the eyes, "i loved it."
"well.. yannno.. i love you," ricky shyly said and had a cheeky grin on his face. nini smiled and peaked ricky on the lips, "i love you too."
"and lastly, nini salazar-roberts," the two of them heard. nini let go of ricky as a wave of emotions started to wash over her.
"shit, how do i look?" she asked ricky with terror in her eyes. ricky smiled at the girl.
"you look beautiful, bubs. as always."
"promise."
"a million times," he told her and gave her a light push towards the stage, "now go kill it. i'll be here, right here for you."
nini gave ricky a smile before making her way onto the stage. they had already set up the piano for the girl so she slowly made her way to the seat. the girl took a deep breath and saw all of her friends sitting at the front. they all looked at her with bright eyes and huge smiles. nini made eye contact with gina who blew her a kiss. same as nini did.
nini took one last breath before she started to play the piano.
"i found a guy, told me i was a star," nini sang, "he held the door. held my hand in the dark." all of her friends started to look between luke and ricky, wondering who she was talking about. "and he's perfect on paper, but he's lying to my face. does he think that i'm the kind of girl who needs to be saved?"
luke's heart sank to his chest once he heard nini sing that. it was clear as day she was talking about him.
"and there's one more boy, he's from my past," nini sang. everyone immediately looked at ricky who was hiding behind the curtain, "we fell in love but it didn't last. cause the second i figure it out, he pushes me away. and i won't fight for love if he won't meet me halfway. and i say that i'm through but this song is still for you."
nini continued to sing, her voice echoing throughout the auditorium. all her friends listened intently to nini's lyrics, "try my best but what could is say? all i have is myself at the end of the day. but shouldn't that be enough for me?"
ricky fell his heart sink into his chest as he heard nini sing. he didn't realize how much he hurt the girl. it broke his heart once he realized how much thought and emotion she put into this song. they all hurt her.
"now happy ever after, it don't come so easily.." nini sang. gina felt her eyes started to tear up as she watched nini sing with her whole chest. she was so hurt. nini was hurting so much and no one really knew.
nini finished playing and the whole auditorium stood up to their feet. there were so many people cheering and clapping for her as nini bowed down. the girl left the stage and was welcome into ricky's arms.
"that was... you're amazing, nini," ricky breathed out as he looked at her. nini saw he had tears in his eyes and his voice was a bit shaking.
"bubs.. why are you crying?"
"because i never ever wanted to hurt you like that," ricky confessed. nini let out a small gasp before pulling ricky into another hug, "i'm okay, this is okay."