I started writing this on June 27, 2020, at 2 am. I always have my best ideas when I'm supposed to be sleeping😅
Writer's block was crazy in this chapter. Obviously, I wasn't writing this every second of every day, but I finally finished this part on January 13, 2021 (which is almost seven damn months).
Also, this book has 1000 reads?!?! How?? There have only been two storylines put out😂
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"See, I told you she'd be here," Kourtney says to Ashlyn as they open the door.
"Sorry for thinking she might be at her own house," Ashlyn says.
"She hasn't been to her house in a while; we should just stop checking there."
"Hey, guys," Nini says, not looking up from the guitar in her lap. She doesn't know how to play yet, but she's learning. At the moment she's just staring, admiring it.
"Nini, I thought you said you'd go out with us today," Kourtney said.
"I know what I said," she says, still not looking at them.
"C'mon, it's summer break! We only have a limited amount of time before we become college freshmen. You don't want to spend it cooped up in this room, do you?" Ashlyn asks. She's lost track of how many times they've failed at trying to get Nini to enjoy herself.
"Ok, I made it; my phone fell between the seats," Gina says, entering the room. "How are we gonna get her out this time? Persuasion or bluntness?"
"I'm thinking brute force," Kourtney whispers.
"I can still hear you guys; the room isn't that big," Nini says.
"Come on Nini! Bowling, ice cream, the mall? Simply going outside! Anything besides staying in here," Ashlyn pleads.
"For how long?" Nini asks her friends.
"Until there's a genuine and bright smile on your face," Kourtney says.
Nini chuckles dryly at her answer. "There's only one thing that can make that happen."
She wasn't the same bright and bubbly Nini she was only so many months ago. She was more isolated, more likely to stay away from any other human. She was always in her head, a now dark place. March 12, 2021, changed her.
"Nini." They were all sitting on the bedroom floor, trying to get her to look at them. "It's been almost three months. Three! Yes, we're all still sad, but don't you think it's time you stopped shutting us out? It's summer break! No drama, no school, no work, not a care in the world. We need to enjoy this while we can before school and reality slaps us in the face," Kourtney says.
"Hey, Nini," Mike says, standing in the doorway. Nini looks up when she hears his voice. "Your moms wanted me to make sure you're eating enough, so I wanted to bring this up," he says, holding a plate of Chinese food.
"Thanks." She takes the plate but doesn't start eating.
"Also, I can assure you that that guitar isn't going to go anywhere. I miss him too, but you can go out with your friends," he says and starts down the stairs. Nini looks back down at the guitar in her lap and avoids eye contact.
"See," Kourtney says, dragging out the word, "even Mr. Bowen is saying you should come with us. We won't keep you out all day, just for a few hours at least. What do you say?"
"If I say yes, will you stop bugging me?" She finally looks up and makes eye contact with them. There were dark circles under her red eyes; she clearly hasn't slept well or at all.
"Nini, when was the last time you had a good night of rest?" Gina asks.
She lets out a long sigh before answering. "Honestly, I have no idea. I've been sleeping, but it only feels like a few hours. I always wake up from the same nightmare and then can't go back to sleep. You know the one where..." Her voice trails off. The girls in front of her nod knowingly, remembering the first time she had that dream.
*Flashback*
"Ricky!!" Nini bolted upright in her bed. She looked around to see she was in her bedroom. She was sweating and panting heavily.
"Nini? What happened?" Kourtney groaned, turning over to face her. Kourtney was sleeping in Nini's bed with her while Ashlyn and Gina were on a mattress on the floor.
"I- I had a nightmare. I saw Ricky and..." She didn't have the heart to finish.
"Nini," Kourtney says, giving her a sympathetic look. Ashlyn and Gina were now awake, sitting at the foot of the bed. "He's-"
"I know; I know," Nini mumbled, already having an idea of what she was going to say. She sobbed quietly on her friend's shoulder as the minutes ticked by.
*End of Flashback*
"Fine, what are we doing?" The three girls blink and stare at her for a second in shock, surprised she said yes.
"I asked the others if they were up for bowling. It's a yes; we just needed to get you on board," Gina says.
"Ok, give me a second," Nini says, standing up. She goes into Ricky's closet and grabs one of his t-shirts. She changes out of the hoodie she was wearing, which was his, and puts the shirt on. This obviously didn't go unnoticed by her best friends, but she agreed to leave his room, so they didn't question it.
Nini's wardrobe was 90% of Ricky's clothes, and she had a few of his things in her closet, but she wasn't spending much time there recently, so for the most part, his room still had most of his belongings.
"You ready?" Ashlyn asks, eager to leave.
"Yup," Nini answers. The four of them begin walking down the stairs, Nini in front; they wanted to make sure she enjoyed herself for a little while.
"I told EJ we're on our way," Gina announced when they got to the car.
They got in, and Nini immediately put earbuds in. She stared out the window, watching other cars, houses, and trees pass by. She knew her friends meant well, but she no longer saw the point in going out. She didn't see the point in enjoying a fun time if he wasn't here to smile with them. Yes, it's been two months, three weeks, two days, and twenty hours since he's been gone. And yes, she's been counting.
*Flashback*
"Are you sure?" Nini asked Ricky. They were sitting in her room after school when Ricky said he wanted to talk.
"Yeah, I am," he said.
"What about school? We still have a whole semester left," she said frantically.
"I know, but a spot opened up. It's mine if I want it," he tried to reason.
"But you're only eighteen, Ricky! Do you know what could happen out there?! You still have your whole life ahead of you!" She wasn't sobbing, but there were definitely tears.
"Do you not want me to go?" He was now crying because she was crying.
Nini shakes her head. "I don't want to be the reason for holding you back. If you're 100% sure, then go for it." She knew he's always wanted to do this; she just thought they'd have more time.
"I do; I really want to," he said.
"Then do it," she whispered, half smiling, "How long will you be gone?"
"Up to two years," he also whispers, "That's only if..."
"If you live through it," she finishes for him.
"I'm gonna miss you," Ricky says, tears slowly rolling down his face.
"I'm gonna miss you too." They hug and stay that way for a good fifteen minutes. Both of their shirts were wet with tears, but they didn't care. They were gonna live in this moment for as long as possible. Ricky's the first one to pull back.
"Hey," he says, wiping his and Nini's eyes, "remember when you lost the ukulele pick I gave you opening night?" he asks.
That brings a small, genuine smile to the girl's face. It was one of her favorite gifts from him. She kept it right next to her ukulele but never used it; she was afraid the writing would wear off if she did. About a week ago, she woke up and saw it was gone. Nini had completely trashed her room and spent a good few hours looking for it. She spent that night crying, knowing she'd have to tell Ricky she lost it. "Yeah, I remember," she said with fewer tears.
"What if I told you you didn't lose it?" Ricky asks with a smile forming on his face.
Nini raises an eyebrow at him. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," Ricky stands up and pulls a small white box out of his pocket, "I might've stolen it while you were sleeping." He started backing away slowly, afraid of what would happen.
"RICHARD MICHAEL BOWEN, WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!?!!" she screams, standing up to face him.
"Because I wanted to do something with it," he said like it was no big deal.
"You better have a good explanation, or I'm ripping your head off right here, right now," she said through gritted teeth, walking closer to him and looking directly in his eyes. Not gonna lie, Ricky was terrified by the fire in Nini's eyes.
"Ok, here. Open it." He gave her the box and covered his face with his hands, still a little scared of her.
Nini opened the box, and her anger was changed to confusion. "What'd you do with it? It looks the exact same."
"Take it out of the box," Ricky mumbled through his hands, watching her between his fingers. When the look in her eyes changes to happiness, he puts his hands down.
"Why did you do this?" she asked. She holds up the pick, and there's now a chain through a hole at the top.
"When you said you didn't want to use it to play, I decided to turn it into a necklace. Oh, here's a pick you can use," he says, getting another one out of his pocket, "Don't worry, it's blank, so if it becomes ruined, it won't matter as much."
"So you're telling me I turned my whole room upside down and panicked for hours over nothing?" she asks, eyebrow raised.
"Pretty much. I told you it wasn't a big deal that it was missing," he said with a wide grin.
"I hate you," she says while smiling and sliding her arms around his torso.
"You sure?"
"Fine, love you, bubba."
"I love you too, bubs," Ricky says, leaning down to kiss her. "Always and forever."
*End of Flashback*
Later that day, he left to join the army.
The few moments at the airport were their last. That was the last time she talked to Ricky. The last time she saw him. Their last hug, last kiss.
Last I love you.
She still wears the pick after all this time. It's always around her neck and under her shirt, paranoid it'll fall off. She hasn't gone anywhere without it. It's turned into her security blanket, an anxiety and stress reliever.
Nini was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't notice they'd made it to the bowling alley. "Nini? Nini? Nini?!" Gina was shaking her.
"Yeah?" she said, taking her earbuds out.
"We're here."
"Oh, ok."
They all go in, looking for the boys. "Over here!" Carlos yells. They turn their heads and see the four of them sitting at a lane.
"Hey, how is everyone?" EJ asked, trying not to direct it at certain people.
"Fine, I'm assuming we're going for our usual hour?" Nini asked.
"Yep, we just have to find bowling balls," Seb says. Everyone goes their separate ways, looking at the different racks.
Nini was walking around aimlessly, not really paying attention when she bumped into someone. "Sorry, Red," she immediately said, realizing what had happened.
"You're fine; I'm not really totally here either," he said.
"You miss him too, right?" she asked.
"Yeah." Nini and Big Red became closer when Ricky left. They had both lost their best friend. He was recovering better than Nini was though.
"You still wear your bracelet," Nini says, pointing to his wrist.
He lifts his wrist and grins. "Yeah. I see you still wear the necklace," he says pointing to the chain. The pick itself wasn't visible, but it was clear she was wearing something.
"Never leave home without it," she says proudly.
Much like the pick, Ricky had also gotten Big Red a present. A simple bracelet of a silver skateboard with a leather strap through holes on either end as a 'see you later' present. Even though they didn't know how he was or if he was ok, the words 'see you later' sounded better than 'remember me bye.'
"I wouldn't be surprised if I ended up getting a tan line from this," she says, twirling the pick around her fingers.
"I would. The two of us are least likely to leave our houses; when would we get a tan?" he asks rhetorically. While the joke was a little dark, the two were laughing, and it felt good.
"You're right. The worst that could happen is this becomes a permanent part of me," she says with a small, not forced smile.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Uh, who let those two alone together?" Ashlyn asks, pointing to Big Red and Nini.
"I have no idea," Kourtney says.
"Great, the two people who are most likely to go into a downward spiral are having a conversation by themselves without someone there to change the subject. How will this blow up in our faces later?" Gina deadpans.
"Let's just start the game before something bad happens," Carlos said, starting toward them.
"Hey, guys, the game's about to start. You two ready?" Seb asks the pair. They both nod their heads and join the others.
*30 Minutes Later*
"EJ rigged it; how are you twenty points ahead?" Ashlyn asked. They were all having fun as a group for once.
"Sucks to suck, doesn't it?" he said, sitting down from his turn.
"Very funny. I'm up," Gina says, walking toward the lane. She gets a strike with ease.
"You make it look so easy," Carlos whines.
"Because it is," she said, pretending to flip her hair as it was in a bun.
"You're up," Kourtney says, nudging Nini's shoulder. She goes up and hits seven pins.
"Hey, you've improved," Seb says, giving her a high five.
"I'm just lucky I hit the pins. It's usually gutter balls," she says, sitting back down.
"Hey, Ric-" Gina quickly elbows EJ in the ribs. Hard.
"What was that?" Nini asks, looking at the boy trying to hide his pain.
"I was going to say," he starts, glaring at Gina, "Red, come get food with me. Please be ok with a bunch of fries because I don't wanna remember an order for each of you."
"What's up with you Gina?" Kourtney asked.
"Nothing, everything's fine." Carlos squinted at her but let it go.
"Here we go," EJ said, setting a tray down with a bunch of french fry containers.
"Red, it's your turn," Seb said. Big Red goes up to take his turn. The rest of them continue to chow down on fries, not talking much because their mouths are full.
Kourtney looks over a bit and sees Nini with a small grin on her face. "Told you you'd have a good time," she says, giving her a side hug.
"I'll admit that I don't hate being here. You were right," she says, returning the hug.
"Aren't I always?" she rhetorically asks with a laugh.
They enjoyed the last thirty minutes of bowling with laughter, inside jokes, and smiles. Some bigger than others, but they were there; that's what mattered.
Nini was actually having a good time. She wasn't focused on the fact that Ricky wasn't here with them. Of course, he never left her mind, but this had been the best distraction in a while. She was engaged in the conversations around her; she wasn't in her head. She was happy. Not nearly as cheerful as before March, but happy enough to allow herself to let go a little. She wasn't in that dark place her thoughts always took her to, which was a step up.
Yes, it's been two months, three weeks, two days, and twenty-one hours since he left. Most people would think her still being this sad was overdramatic, that she's been grieving for too long. Well, she'd like to see how they'd react to losing a very important person in their life.
The game had finally ended. EJ won or, according to Ashlyn, cheated. "What did you do? I don't understand how you won by thirty points!" she said as everyone was walking out to the parking lot.
"I don't understand how Carlos lost by thirty points," EJ says.
"I don't do sports or anything physical," he defends, a fake shiver going down his spine.
"What about rampaging through people on Black Friday?" Kourtney asks him.
"That's a sometimes thing. Cyber Monday is way less stressful," Carlos says.
"Right, because pounding on your keyboard trying to buy something and then calling me to complain about why your computer won't work is so much better," Seb says.
"Yes, it most certainly is," Carlos says. Everyone continues to laugh at how stupid their friend can be sometimes.
"What should we do now?" Gina asks.
"I don't know, ice cream?" Ashlyn suggests.
"Too full of fries," EJ says.
"What?! Is the EJ Caswell not hungry?!!" Kourtney says in fake shock.
"You would be correct," he says.
"What if we just walked around the mall?" Seb suggests.
"I'm good with that," Nini says, shocking a few people. Of course, they don't question it.
"Let's get going then," Big Red says.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Everyone is walking around, laughing, and just being happy. Nini is glad she decided to join them. Today is not as awful as she thought. After walking around and not really doing much of anything, they stop at Chick-Fil-A.
While they're eating, Nini's not really paying attention. Well, she's not as zoned out as she normally is, but she's not 100% there. She's fiddling with the pick necklace while eating and letting her mind wander.
I wish I knew how he was. I wish I knew where he was. I wish he was here. These few things continue to pass through her head over and over again.
Eventually, they all finish eating and start to go back home. The girls don't wanna take Nini back to Ricky's, afraid they'll never get her back out. But they know that she'll end up back there anyway, so there's no point.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Ricky!!" Nini sat straight up and looked around. "Again?" she mutters to herself. It's that same dream. She looks at her phone, and it says midnight.
"Ugh." There's no way she's going back to sleep. She takes the pick necklace off her nightstand and runs her finger over it. "Be safe, bubba."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Is that all the boxes?" Nini asks her roommate. It was her first week at NYU, and she was a little out of her comfort zone, considering New York was so far away from Salt Lake.
"Yeah, I think so," Adam says, looking around. She doesn't know how she ended up getting a gender-neutral room; she just did.
"Thanks for helping me if I haven't said that already."
He shakes his head. "No problem, I owe you one for helping me yesterday."
"Of course," she says. Nini turns to face her half of the room, taking stuff out of some boxes and onto her bed.
"So," Adam starts, "I feel like we should get to know each other a little more. We are kinda living together."
Nini turns to face him. "Sure, what do you want to know?"
"Um... just interests, family, friends, your reason for being at NYU."
She chuckles at his nervousness. "You don't have to be scared to talk to me."
He looks at the floor and laughs to hide his embarrassment. "Sorry, I'm not great with new people." He starts rocking back and forth on his feet. A habit Ricky had.
"Don't worry, neither am I."
"I find that hard to believe."
"How so?"
"You greet everyone you meet with a smile, and I've never seen you scoff or be annoyed with anyone. It's like you physically can't be rude."
"Well, if you ask my friends back in Salt Lake, they'd say something completely different."
He chuckles at her joke, liking that the awkwardness has slipped away some. "Anyway, tell me something about you."
"Ok, as you just heard I'm from Salt Lake City. Uh, lived there my whole life, never really been to any other places. My entire education is from East High-"
"Wait, the High School Musical school?"
Nini laughs at a very common question. "Yeah, you'd be surprised how shocking that is to most people."
"Oh come on. Paris has the Eiffel Tower, and Utah has East High."
"Yup, they're basically the same thing," she laughs. Nini's glad they get along well. Maybe living here won't be as bad as she originally thought. "Well, you've heard a little about me. Now, what's something about yourself?" she asks.
"For one, I am not looking forward to tomorrow," he groans, flopping onto his bed.
"Why not? Tomorrow's orientation," Nini says.
"Exactly, as in the gateway to homework opens. I'm not quite the best at being organized and getting things in on time."
"Are those the only reasons?"
"What do you mean?" he asks, looking away from the ceiling.
"I mean, no one likes school work but is that the only reason?" she says.
"Well, Dr. Phil, if you must know..." they both laugh at his joke while he finds his words. "School isn't easy for me. I just don't get things quickly; it takes me forever to understand the basics of any topic. I guess that's why I don't like school."
Nini looks at him sadly. "I think you just need to find a way to escape reality; something to do when you feel like your walls are caving in. For example, I write music in my spare time. Name a hobby."
"Hmm..." You could see the gears turning while he's thinking. "Ok, so it doesn't necessarily fall under the category of 'hobby' but..." he stops to get out his phone, scrolling through it for a second. "Here."
Nini takes the phone from him and looks at the screen. It's a picture of him and someone else. "Who's this?" she asks.
Adam smiles while looking at the picture. "My boyfriend, Xander. He's my... escape from reality I guess you could say. He's always been there when I'm stressing over school. I don't know what I'd do without him."
"Wish I could relate," Nini whispers.
"What'd you say?" Adam questions. He knows he heard something.
"What? Nothing, it's... it's nothing."
"C'mon, let's switch roles. So... how are you feeling?" he says, pretending to use his hand as a notepad.
Nini laughs at him while getting out her phone. "Well, since you're wondering..." she starts, scrolling through pictures. "My boyfriend joined the army about four months ago. I haven't seen him since," she says sadly, showing him a picture of her and Ricky. Adam quickly drops the jokes and looks at her sympathetically. He opens his mouth to speak, but she cuts him off. "Do not give me pity."
His joking personality comes back. "Damn, ok. Maybe I was wrong about you not being able to be rude."
"Sorry," she says while laughing.
"You're good; everyone handles things differently."
Nini hasn't been nearly as depressed about Ricky as she was at the beginning of summer. Yes, she still thinks about him every day and sometimes cries herself to sleep over him, but she's a bit happier and more open when it comes to hanging out with friends.
She still wears the pick everywhere and always secretly prays she'll see him again.
*Five Months Later*
"We are now landing in Salt Lake City, Utah." The voice of the pilot wakes Nini out of her light nap. I'm back. Back home. She hasn't seen everyone since Thanksgiving, and that was one month ago. Now, it's one week until Christmas.
Don't get her wrong, she's excited to see everyone again. It's just... it's the first Christmas without Ricky. Since he'd be the first to know, Mike's been keeping her updated. There are still no words on his whereabouts, or if he's even still alive.
The plane lands, and she gets her bag out of the overhead bin quickly, wanting away from this crowded place. She walks over to the luggage pick-up, and her moms are already there. "Nini, we've missed you," they both say while giving her a bone-crushing hug.
"I've missed you guys too." Once Nini grabs all her bags, they walk towards the parking lot.
"How's school treating you?" Mama C asks.
"It's ok. So much work though," she tells them.
"Well, you get to relax for a little while now."
They drive to her house, passing Ricky's in the process. She probably stares at it for longer than she should've.
"We were wondering if you'd be ok with Mike joining us for dinner on Christmas," Mama D says once they're in their driveway.
"Of course, why wouldn't I?" Nini asks. She knew what their answer was gonna be though.
"Well, with everything... that's happened, we still wanted to make sure."
"We always say he's welcome at our house. Why would that be any different now?"
The two women nod, step out of the car, and help Nini with her suitcases. I just hope this isn't a disaster.
*Christmas Eve*
"Nina Salazar-Roberts, open the door!!"
"Ok, ok, I'm coming!" Nini runs downstairs, opens the door, and Kourtney's standing there. "What was all the screaming about?"
"I didn't want to be late, ok?"
"I don't think timing matters that much to Ashlyn. Well, as long as we're not hours late. We're supposed to be there by eight, and it's 7:45; I think we're fine." Everyone was heading to Ashlyn's house to have a Christmas Eve dinner, then they'd spend Christmas Day with their families
"You seem to be in a good mood," Kourtney notices as they're driving to Ashlyn's house.
"I've... I've been better, but I'm gonna try and enjoy this time."
"That's the best way to go about this." First Christmas without Ricky. Let's try this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They go up to the door, and Ashlyn greets them with a warm smile. "Oh my god, I feel like it's been forever!" she exclaims.
"Even though it's only been a month!" Kourtney laughs.
"Well, that's too long without the crazy family all together." Ashlyn freezes on the inside when she realizes her word choice, but thankfully, Nini doesn't notice.
Kourtney mouths, "That was a close one," to Ashlyn. The two of them go into the living room and hug everyone. Carlos and Seb are the last ones to arrive, so they all crowd around the TV and wait.
*Ten Minutes Later*
"I'm here!!" Carlos yells when he opens the door. Seb comes in shortly after his boyfriend, laughing at his entrance.
"Ooh, that means we can eat now," EJ says, standing up. They make their way into the kitchen where Ashlyn has a bunch of food laid out, which tends to everyone's dietary needs.
Everyone sits down, and food starts being passed around the table. They all start digging in and catching up on what's happened since they last saw each other.
Yes, Nini was still thinking about Ricky, but she was enjoying the time she was spending with them. Ricky wouldn't want her thinking about him and being sad on such a special holiday; she knows that.
*One Hour Later*
"Oh my god, I'm stuffed," EJ says.
"Took you long enough. We were all done eating a long time ago," Ashlyn laughs.
"I'm sorry that my appetite is bigger than yours," he defends.
"Now that Pac-Man is done eating," Carlos starts, "who wants to play High School Musical: The Choosical?!" he yells, lifting up the board game. Everyone shouts yes at him, and he starts setting it up.
*Three Hours Later*
"Ok, so we've established that we can't get through one of these games without yelling at each other," EJ laughs.
Everyone starts to clean up the house and gather all their belongings. Once everything looks semi-decent, they walk to the door. "Thanks, for hosting this, Ash," Nini says.
"It's no problem. This house is where we hold many get-togethers, so it just seemed right."
"So we'll all be back in town for spring break?" Big Red says in a questioning tone.
"I think so," EJ says. They all hug and wish each other happy holidays and safe travels before driving off in different directions.
*Christmas Day*
Nini looks at herself in the mirror, amazed that she hasn't completely fallen apart yet; she's almost made it through the holidays without Ricky.
She comes down the stairs after getting ready for dinner, and the smell of food hits her like a truck. "Woah, who are you all cooking for? A family of ten?" All the food around reminded her of Ricky. If there were any, he'd always ask for seconds, so her moms tended to make a little more than necessary out of habit.
As Nini begins helping them set up the dining room table, Mama D adds, "We made a little extra for Mike to take home," as she's bringing the large tray of lasagna to the table.
Only a few minutes later does the doorbell ring. Nini goes to answer it and gives Mike a warm welcome. "Hey, Mr. Bowen."
"Nini, I've known you for how many years now? You being in college makes me feel old enough; no need to be formal," he chuckles.
She laughs with him, and he follows her to the dining room. "Wow, now I kinda feel bad for not bringing anything," he says.
"It's not a big deal. You know we enjoy cooking," Carol says.
"Technically, I did bring a little something," he says. He pulls a small box out of his jacket pocket and hands it to Nini.
"You didn't have t-" She stops mid-sentence when she reads the name tag. From: Ricky. "Wha-? Ho- How?" She was speechless.
"He got it in advance. Open it alone though."
Nini wraps her arms around her father figure and whispers, "Thank you for bringing this."
"I don't deserve a lot of credit; I just brought it here."
"Hold on, I'm gonna put this upstairs." She quickly runs upstairs and puts it on her nightstand while Mike helps her moms finish setting up the table.
That box stayed in the back of Nini's mind the entire dinner. She was engaged in the conversation, but she also wondered what was inside.
*One Hour Later*
After eating dinner, Nini ran up to her room to see what was in that box. She mentally prepares herself for this, knowing she'll probably cry at it.
She carefully takes the ribbon off then the lid. Inside was a golden chain with her name dangling off as a pendant. She takes it out and admires it for a moment before looking back in the box, finding a card.
Nini,
Merry Christmas, bubs. I love you from wherever I am.
If you're reading this, that means my dad successfully gave you the box. Now, if my calculations are correct, I should be back home in one year, two months, and twenty-one days from when you're reading this. But who's counting?
I love you, no matter where I am. Never forget that. I realize I've said that twice now, but who cares? I'll never stop saying it. I love you, and I hope to see you on March 15, 2023.
~ Ricky
Nini was in tears. She was sure her moms could hear her from downstairs, but she didn't care and didn't think they did either. Nini traces her name on the necklace with her finger and lets the tears fall. "I miss you. I love you."
*Five Months Later*
The first year of college was over. I can't believe I've made it this far.
It almost feels like a dream. A semi-amazing one. Nini didn't know if she and Ricky would go to the same college, but she was hoping that they would at least experience it at the same time. But that doesn't matter anymore.
Summer break was approaching faster than Nini thought it would. Soon she'd be back in Salt Lake doing who knows what with the theater gang. Their summer plans: do anything. They didn't want to have an exact plan; the only thing was that they would try to do as much together as possible for the next two months.
"Well, I guess this is goodbye until next fall," Adam says, packing all his suitcases.
"I guess so. I hope we're still roommates next year."
"Me too. Bye, Nini." They hug and stand there for a second. Nini had grown close with him, so she was hoping they'll still be in touch, even if they aren't roommates anymore.
They walk out of their dorm as Liam's walking by. "Woah, sorry," he says as he almost runs into them. He lived only a few rooms down from them.
"You're fine," Nini said, wanting to leave. Nini and Liam met because they were partners for an English project. He's developed a little crush on Nini over the last few months and tried asking her out a few times, but she always says no. She hasn't talked about Ricky with anyone else besides Adam, and she didn't plan to.
Liam was always nice to her, but he tried too hard to impress her. He would do little gestures like holding doors open or carrying her books for her, which she thought was nice, and she'd always thank him afterward, but it was smothering sometimes. She would always deny his help, but his persistence never ended, so she usually ended up accepting it. But she couldn't see him in a romantic sense; she sees every boy she comes across as just a friend.
The only boy she ever saw as more than a friend outside of Ricky was EJ back in high school, and it's quite obvious how that turned out.
"Do you need help taking your stuff down?" he offers with a kind smile.
"No, but thank you," Nini says.
"But I insist," he tries again.
"I appreciate the offer, but I've got it," she says, quickly walking away.
"Dude, give it a rest; she's not going out with you," Adam tells him after Nini's gone.
Liam sighs and runs his hand through his hair. "But how do I get over this little crush?"
"Well, how about you stop acting on it if you want it to go away?"
"But I don't see why she at least won't go on one date. That way we can see if there's anything between us."
"Hate to break it to you, but there isn't," he says, patting his shoulder. "She's made it crystal clear." She only had eyes for one person, and he was god knows where. Adam felt bad that Liam kept asking out a girl he had zero chance with. There's no way Nini would ever go on a date with him or anyone else for that matter. He also felt bad that Nini was always put in such an awkward position.
"Do you know something?" Liam questions.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Adam puts a smile on his face and adds, "Goodbye, Liam. See you next fall." He walks away, leaving a confused Liam in the hallway.
*Salt Lake City, Utah*
Two months here then it's back to New York. It's great there, but I'm happy to be in a more familiar place. Nini was back in her childhood bedroom, unpacking and settling back in.
As she's doing this, she comes across a couple of tear-jerking items. One would be the last picture she and Ricky took. He had his arms wrapped around her from behind, and they both had wide yet sad smiles on their faces. The other is the note he wrote to her that came with her Christmas present. She starts playing with the pick and pendant around her neck as she looks at the ceiling, willing the tears away.
Once she's sure she's not gonna cry, Nini continues reorganizing everything. "One year down, one more to go." I can't believe I've gone a whole year without hearing him, seeing him... just him.
Carol heard her daughter choke back a cry as she walked down the hall. She took a peek through the cracked door and saw her unpacking her suitcase. Carol knew she was hurting but didn't walk in; she always wanted to give Nini space and would check on her momentarily.
"Nini, dinner's almost ready!" Dana calls from the kitchen.
"Coming!" Nini shouts back.
Carol quickly goes downstairs and gets a good look at Nini's face when she sits down. Her eyes were slightly red, and her facial expression wasn't cheerful. She would never ask her directly what was bothering her because it was obvious right now. "Are you excited to be back home?" she asks instead.
"Yeah, I'm happy to see... everyone... again." Nini realized her word choice as she was saying it, but there was no way to take it back.
"That's always nice," Dana says, turning off the stove eye. "Now, who's ready to eat?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Damn it, I forgot sunscreen."
"Here, just use mine."
"Pizza's here!"
"Finally!"
The gang was hanging out at the pool again because what else would they be doing? They've only been on summer break for about two weeks.
They all gather at the table and open the boxes. "Gina, if you don't hurry up, EJ's gonna marry that pizza," Ashlyn laughs. He glares at his cousin and continues eating.
*Ten Minutes Later*
"And how many times has this happened?"
"Too many."
Everyone was relaxing in recliners under the hot sun. Most were asleep; Nini and Kourtney were talking about nonsense. "I mean he sounds nice, but, geez, guys who can't take hints are so annoying."
"Seriously. I don't understand what goes through his head that says it's a good idea." Nini had just finished telling Kourtney about her situation with Liam.
"I mean he sounds nice, but I'm betting he won't stop unless he sees you're taken."
"Probably not, but that's not happening anytime soon."
Kourtney looks at her sadly before saying, "Sorry."
"No, it's fine. I'm... fine." Sure, we'll go with that, Kourtney thinks. She was better, but not at her best.
*July 2022*
Summer was unfortunately almost over. Everyone would be heading back out to college soon, but there was still a month left. "No, you think I actually read those books?"
"I've read one of the three." Nini was talking with Adam about their summer reading books. She's read one, and he hasn't started.
"Well, you're farther than I am."
"Animal Farm wasn't that bad. I haven't looked at the other two since we got them. I kinda just looked at the covers then threw them on the floor," she tells him over the phone.
"It's fine; I'll skim them."
"You know that will just make the work that goes with it harder, right?"
"I know, but I have zero motivation."
She chuckles at him before saying, "Bye. See you in a month."
"See you in a month." She sticks her phone back in her jacket pocket, a small smile lingering on her face.
Nini takes in her surroundings. She was currently sitting on a bench at the park where she and Ricky would spend most of their childhood. The paint on the playground was chipped, and the area was obviously too small for their age now, but it brought back so many memories. She came here more frequently this summer compared to last for some odd reason. A year ago, most summer days and nights were spent in Ricky's bedroom. She was wearing one of his T-shirts now with a pair of leggings. She had raided quite a bit of his closet and put some of it in her suitcase for college, so that was what most of her outfits looked like.
Nini still visited Mike often, and she would sit in Ricky's room, writing music. He didn't mind having his pretty much daughter around the house, considering it was a big place for just him. Her moms would always let her go over there. She didn't spend as much time as she did when he first left, but it was still quite a bit.
The sky began turning orange, telling Nini to head home. She started walking toward their neighborhood and stopped when she arrived in front of Ricky's. She debated on whether or not to keep walking to her house or to just go and knock on the door. Nini ultimately decided on going to her house, mostly because she knew she had left her keyboard there.
As she's walking, she doesn't miss the light that goes out in Ricky's room. She loved that Mike would always turn Ricky's old bedside lamp on when he woke up. From the outside, it makes the house look less lonely.
The door was still unlocked to her house, and when she walks in, she scares her moms. "Oh, I assumed you'd be at Mike's for the night," Dana says.
"I decided to stay here," she says.
"There's leftover tacos from the other night if you're hungry."
"I'm fine, thanks. Night love you both." Nini hugs them both, and they kiss her cheeks. She fiddles with the pick and name around her neck when she lays down, doing it a lot more now without realizing it. It's only another eight months and eleven days until he comes back.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The gang was halfway through a bowling game with EJ, Gina, and Ashlyn tied. They were eating nachos and laughing about nonsense.
Big Red is doing much better now. He and Nini both are, but he's a little further along than she is. He still misses Ricky every day, but he's dealing with everything better.
Big Red still had these deja vu moments and memories that would come back up when he would go skateboarding or play a certain video game, but things didn't trigger his memories as much as they used to. The only thing that catches his attention every time was the silver skateboarding bracelet that he wore everywhere.
Everything she ever saw reminded Nini of Ricky. It could be something completely unrelated to him in every way, shape, and form but somehow still circles back to him. She would play with her necklaces whenever he missed him, which was a lot more than she ever realizes, or if she ever became anxious about something. She wore his favorite hoodie to sleep to feel closer to him because of the strong scent of his cologne on it. She didn't cry as much, which was a step up. What made her sad the most as of now was pictures. Whenever she'd look at the frame on her nightstand for too long, she'd start to tear up. Nini knew putting the picture out of sight would be worse, so it stays on display. Eight months and nine days. I can do this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The game was finished with Gina winning by sixteen points; a bitter EJ and Ashlyn walked out of the building. They decided on going to Ricky's house, as odd as it sounds. Nini hasn't been there in a few days, and the gang knew she'd be back there soon, so they thought it would be best if she had some people with her.
Also, Big Red hasn't been here in a while either. He's never been the brightest of the group, but he was smart enough to try and avoid anything that could remind him of his best friend that was MIA (except the bracelet, obviously).
Since they came in two cars, it made the drive a bit easier. They park in the driveway and begin walking to the house. Nini uses the key that she's had for years, and they walk in. "Mr. Bowen?" Nini calls through the house. There was no answer at first. They walk further into the house and hear a voice from another room.
"Hey, kiddos. I didn't know you were dropping by," he says, coming around the corner.
"Thought we could come by for a second," Seb says happily.
"You know you guys are always welcome." The rest of them continue to come in and give Mike a greeting hug. It was insane how he's not gotten sick of them yet. "How long are you guys staying?" he asks.
"Not long. We just wanted to chill out," Big Red explains.
Nini goes to the kitchen to get a glass of water, and Mike follows her. "How have you been?"
She sets the cup down and says, "Better. Not great but better." They stand across from each other, leaning against opposite countertops.
"Only eight more months until he's home," Mike says, seeing the glass half full.
"Yeah. I just wish March could come sooner," Nini says sadly, seeing the glass half empty.
"He'll be back before you know it." He sounded sadder than normal, but Nini understood; his only son was nowhere to be found at the moment.
"I hope so."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nini was up in her room, mindlessly playing her keyboard. She didn't have much inspiration lately, and if she did, they were all sad songs.
Not having any ideas whatsoever, Nini decides to try and get some air. She shouts to her moms that she'll be out for a while, and they tell her to be back in an hour at most.
Nini goes out and glances at Ricky's house before continuing to their childhood park. When she arrives, there's a family with three kids running around and screaming like there's no tomorrow. She smiles and fiddles with her necklaces as she watches them. Not having a care in the world. Not having to worry about anything. I wish I could go back to that. I wish time could just slow down, even for a little bit.
Nini misses him more every day. She has to remind herself that a silver lining is it's only eight more months. The only way this could be easier is if he came home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sun begins setting yet again, and Nini starts walking back home. It was crazy how strange Salt Lake weather was; it was quite chilly outside for it being the middle of summer. She wrapped her jacket tighter around herself as she made it to her neighborhood.
When she finally gets there, there are more cars than normal in front of Ricky's house. As Nini gets closer, she recognizes them as EJ, Kourtney, Carlos, and Big Red's. The gang begins to hop out as she approaches. "What are you all doing here?" she asks.
"We were told to," EJ said in a duh tone.
"Oh my god," Gina mutters. "We all, apparently, got a text saying to come here."
Before Nini can ask who sent it, they're walking to the front door. It's already unlocked, which was strange for the hour. They slowly walk in and there aren't any lights on. "Mr. Bowen?" Seb asks first.
There's the pounding of footsteps that come downstairs, and Mike comes around the corner with a rather pale face. "You look like you've just seen a ghost," Carlos says. Kourtney proceeds to slap his arm.
"I feel like I have," he confesses. People raise eyebrows but don't say anything.
"What's going on?" EJ asks.
"I have some... news." Nini's heart starts excessively beating; it's ringing in her ears. What if it has to do with Ricky?
"Is it bad?" Ashlyn asks.
"Um..." His pause doesn't make this seem any better. "Give me a moment." And he runs back upstairs.
Nini sits down on the couch and takes deep breaths. "Scared?" Big Red asks, joining her. She can only nod.
Mike shouts, "Everyone is here, right?!" down the stairs. The gang all look around, and they all seem to be here.
"Yeah, why?!"
He mumbles something upstairs and then comes down. Everyone's heartbeats matched the rhythm of the heavy footsteps on each stair. Their hearts echoed in their ears, and it only became louder with every second. It felt like the typical horror movie scene when the main characters hear footsteps coming from that one creepy room you shouldn't go into.
Mike stands at the bottom of the stairs with another shadow hovering over him. They all assumed it was just because of the dark house, but they were wrong. A figure slowly comes out of their hiding place from behind Mike and stands next to him.
"I-" someone mumbles. They can't process this.
"No... fucking... way," Big Red says, jaw dropped.
"You're... you're here?" Seb says quietly. In front of them stood a man with a head of curls.
The rest of them can't speak; the entire English language has left their heads. Instead, they just surround him in the largest and tightest group hug ever. "I can't believe you're here," someone said, their voice muffled.
"We missed you, Ricky. All of us did," Gina said when they pulled back.
He looks everyone in the eye before frowning a little. "Thank you for the warm welcome, but..." The room is tense as they wait for him to keep speaking.
"Who are you people, and who's Ricky?"
🍪🍪🍪
This has got to be one of my favorite stories I've ever written. It was 8368 words🤯. Longest thing I've ever written.
What'd you think of the story?
I feel like the ending was kinda messy and rushed😅
Fun Facts:
- I started writing this before I came up with the idea for 3 Years.
- This was the first thing I've written where it was entirely in 3rd POV.
I began writing this story around the same time as Just for a Moment chapters 19 and 20 (I know; it's been a minute since then😅). Writing them both at once made me enjoy 3rd POV so much that I will probably continue doing it. It makes it, I don't know, easier? I'm not sure if easier is the right word, but I feel like I can go into more depth with a narration than through the eyes of the character.
(The following was added March 28, 2021: You can definitely tell starting at chapter 39 of Just for a Moment that this is what I did. From then on, it turned into a 3rd POV dominant book. The same goes for 3 Years at chapter 12.)
With that said, it took me forever just to get to the part when Nini starts college. Writer's block was insane after I made it there.
Inspiration for this one-shot from:
rickysoriginals in "𝑀𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑌𝑜𝑢" from Match Made in Heaven
lilipution15 in "dog tags" from Hsmtmts One Shots :)
RoseMusic345 in "Missing You (1)" and "Home (2)" from 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 // 𝒉𝒔𝒎𝒕𝒎𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒕𝒔
They gave me the idea for Ricky to go off in the army. Obviously, I put my own spin on it.
Oh yeah, I just have to ask... part 2??
Published June 4, 2021