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nina☑: hey everyone! i hope you are all having a wonderful day, and i hope it continues to be wonderful. i have been hearing some rumors about certain things about me, and i would simply like to address them. yes, i am currently in salt lake city utah and i have every right to be. it's my home town, and like any regular person, i get home sick. i have missed the place like crazy and longed to visit it, but i'm also working on something special i think you would all be excited to learn about ;) the person that you may have seen through some of my posts or who i credited for photography the other day was my childhood best friend. what he should NOT be is the fuel for repugnant and completely false rumors based off of my relations with another person which, by the way, are long over. i would really appreciate if the name of my best friend and the term 'rebound' would not come up again because it is unnecessary and more dishonest than anything. lastly, i'd like to thank sunny side photography for having me for this photo shoot. you did an amazing job :) ssphotographyoffical77
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ninas#1: everyone needs to stop treating her like a machine and let the girl go home if she wants to!
-nina☑: 🙏🙏🙏
ejnina: despite my username, i was cheering at that sections where she popped off. killin it nina!
idontwannabehere: she was better blonde
-gina_dancer: no she wasn't
ninasrfandom: OH MY GOSH IS SHE HINTING AT A NEW ALBUM !!!
-nina_caswell: i didn't even notice that!
-freakywatermelons: me neither! i was too busy crying over the fact that she and her childhood best friend reunited. like, aww 🥺
-ninas#1: she has to be!!!
ricky_skater12: why did you glue strips of paper to your body?
-nina☑: YOU DON'T EVEN GO HERE
-usernameismyusername: anyone else lowkey ship?
-sleeping: rina??
-goaway: lol, if you do their last names, it's boberts.
-sleeping: BOBERTS IT IS
i sighed, scrolling through some of the comments, good and bad, before powering off my phone completely. that was always the best way to get peace and quiet after posting. staring at the blank walls of my art room, i did my best to decide what to do with my life. i haven't been to the studio for the past two days, and i wasn't allowed to go again today. because, well to put it simply,
i was in quarantine.
well, not really actually. i wasn't sick, so that was a blessing, but now that paparazzis know that i am back in salt lake and people are going crazy, i am not allowed anywhere. and i mean anywhere. any exiting my house meant that people could know where i lived and that would be the second biggest problem of my lifetime.
the first problem being basically everything else.
even more disappointing, i haven't seen ricky at all for the past three days. actually, that's wrong, i have seen him. just not really. he hasn't failed to text me 'good morning :)' or 'good night :)' the past couple days and he has skated by my house everyday at 4:00, waving wildly when he would reach my window. the boy always knew the best ways to put a smile on my face.
i really did love him, but it wasn't the place nor the time.
"what to do, what to do, what to do." i mumbled to myself, placing my hands on my hips.
currently, i was standing in my art room. yes, i have an art room what type of artist doesn't have an art room you psycho! the thing is, my art room is literally the most boring this in the world. it is a blank room with white walls, a white shelf with art supplies on the wall, and an easel by a window. how am i supposed to get any inspiration through that?
i huffed, grabbing a small canvas and setting it on the easel, squirting my usual colors of yellow and orange paint onto my paint pallet, lightly dabbing the painting onto the fabric. i wasn't really thinking as i painted; that's what happens with mindless painting, you just go with wherever your hand takes you. it takes a lot of patients and so much focus to the point that you are just not focusing. it took me years to learn how to do it, but i have had a lot of practice as well.
just as i finished the background color, the door of my art room swung open and ricky strutted in proudly.
"morning, loser!" he exclaimed with a jolly smile, placing an iced coffee on the window ledge beside me.
i raised an eyebrow in amusement as ricky leaned against a wall and smiled at me as if him just walking into my house was the most normal thing in the world. "it's not morning, silly." i retorted, taking a sip of my coffee.
ricky shrugged his shoulders shamelessly. "with my sleep schedule, it's morning."
"that's nothing to be proud of." i laughed, shaking my head slightly. "and how did you even get into my house?"
smirking again, ricky held up a shiny golden key, jingling it in my face.
my eyebrows furrowed together. "how did you even get that?" i asked, completely confused because i had no recollection of giving him a key. ever.
"honestly, broski, i have no idea." ricky admitted, looking at the key as if it were some type of foreign object. "i didn't even know they made these things anymore."
"ricky-"
"no neens, i wasn't followed." ricky cut me off, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall again. "i made sure to check."
i titled my head in confusion, still trying to process the fact that ricky had just said he didn't know that keys were still made. "that's not what i- you know what never mind. that's not important." i giggled, putting down my paint brush and making my way over to him with a shy smile. "what is important is that you are here and i've missed you very much."
ricky smiled cheekily, holding his arms out wide making me giggle. i stepped into his embrace, holding him close to me and inhaling his sweet smell of vanilla and cologne; the smell of home. ricky rested his head on top of mine, gently swaying us side to side.
"gosh, we can't even go three days with out missing each other." he chuckled, me smiling at the feeling of him pushing his nose into my hair. "imagine what it's gonna be like when you leave again."
ooo yikes. i couldn't help but grimace. "please don't remind me." i muttered, pulling away from our hug and going back to my painting. i could feel ricky's confused stare on me but i decided to ignore it.
i really needed to tell him.
oh wait, you guys don't even know yet! HA!
there was a moment of awkward silence, which is really weird and unusual for ricky and i. it's usually comfortable silence or a conversation, but this was new. ricky was watching me, trying to get a reaction from me while i tried to thing about anything else but the conversation i had with jenn yesterday; it wasn't a good one.
"you're stressed." ricky muttered into the silence, coming up behind me and resting his hand on my shoulder.
i turned to him, confused. "what do you mean."
"you paint when you are stressed, nina, i noticed that about you." ricky began rubbing his hand against my shoulder, rubbing some of the knots out by my lower neck. i hummed happily, leaning against his chest. "like when you painted the wall mural, you must've been in stress because of well........yeah."
laughing a little, my head rolled to the side so i could take in his profile. that jawline, jeez. "you are right about that bowen." i admitted. "sometimes i wonder how on earth you can read me so well."
ricky smirked, wrapping the arms that wasn't massaging my shoulder around my waist. "do you wanna tell me what's going on in mind of yours that is making you anxious?" he asked sweetly.
i sighed, it was probably better to do it now or never. putting down my paint brush, i turned in his arm to face him as he gave me a concerned look, but i just simply looked down at my shoes. "ricky......" i began, struggling to figure out how to say what i had heard. "i was on a call with jenn yesterday and....." breathing in deeply, i met his eyes. "and she wants me to leave earlier." wow, way to sugar coat it.
"what??" ricky blurted out, his eyebrows drawing together. "how early, neens? you already only have two months left here!"
"she talked about only letting me stay to the end of this month." i explained, trying my best to not let ricky's forlorn look tug at my heart strings. "she says i'm not focusing enough and i'm becoming 'more rebellious than i was in the first place', whatever that was supposed to mean." i mumbled out the last part. i really didn't know what she wanted from me.
ricky let out a breath, raking one hand through his curls. "okay. okay, this is a lot. so you will only be here until the end of the month. that's not that far away..." he looked up at me, something worrisome flashing in his eyes. he twiddled with his ring, making me give him leery eyes. "will......" he spoke eventually. "will you still..."
"be here for prom?" i finished for him, ducking my head so i could look in his eyes. he nodded slightly, causing me to sigh. "i think so, but either way ricky, i couldn't go. no matter how much i want to!"
the curly headed boy in front of me let out a sigh. "yeah i know. i just-" he cut himself off with a dry chuckle. "never mind it's stupid."
"hey, no," i said softly, walking closer towards him. "what did we say about secrets? well, i kinda broke that, but it's resolved and in the past, so come on ricky. what's on your mind?"
ricky looked up at me with a shy smile. "well, i kind of owe you a dance."
i furrowed my eyebrows as ricky gave me a crooked grin, but then it all rushed back to me.
-flashback: seven years ago-
"oh, they look so elegant." i swooned, watching the beautiful women dance along to the music, them and their partners waltzing them around the room.
ricky rolled his eyes in annoyance. "it looks pretty lame to me."
i stuck my tongue out at him like a child, to which he simply returned and the two of us burst into loud silly laughter
ricky and i were at some weird charity event gala thingy that my moms made me be at, and they told me to invite a friend; that friend being ricky obviously because i literally have no other friends. the two of us now sat alone at one of the tables, watching the ballroom dancers gracefully float around the room to soft, romantic music. well, at least i was watching.
"did you know in high school, they have these big fancy dances called prom where girls get to dress up all pretty and boys wear ties and they all dance?" i squealed excitedly. i had always loved the idea of prom; it sounded so romantic.
ricky scrunched his nose in disgust, lowering his head on the table. "that would be the lowest point of my life." he groaned dramatically.
"what are you talking about?" i exclaimed. "i literally can not wait for my prom. it sounds so sweet."
"would i have to dance with a girl?" ricky asked, lifting his head a little.
i shrugged. "only if you wanted to. you could honestly dance with me."
when i said that, a small smile grew on ricky's face at the thought. "okay, i'll go." he said, determined.
"wow that was a quick change of mind." i joked, shoving his shoulder lightly.
ricky blushed, looking down at his hands. "well, i mean, you'll look all pretty and i'll just be me and stuff, so i guess you wouldn't have to dance with me....." his fingers played with the new ring i got him yesterday as he spoke. i wonder what that is supposed to mean...
"can i correct that statement?" i smirked, ricky glancing up from his hands and raising an eyebrow. "i will be all pretty and you will look very handsome and we will be happy dancing together!"
grinning, ricky wrapped his arm around my seat and gave me full attention; something he knew i loved. "i'll remember that." he said with a huge smile.
"i promise."
-flash back over-
"i don't know..." ricky mumbled, digging the toe of his shoe into my hard wood floor. "it just feels wrong to let a promise that i have been thinking about for the past seven years just go to waste, ya know?"
i smiled sadly, taking his hand away from the ring and lacing my fingers through his. "i know. believe me i want to be there, i just can't be."
"we could always dance on a face time call if it comes to that?" ricky joked, making me laugh loudly.
"i'm sorry," i giggled. "i'm just picturing you on the dance floor, swaying to the music while holding your phone."
ricky grimaced, laughing as well. "oh, that is such a sad image you put in my head." he quipped, making me burst into a fit of giggles again.
i returned to my painting not long after that and ricky sat against the wall of the room, sipping his coffee. every now and then, i start humming a random tune and ricky would join in, singing along quietly. it was just us spending quality time together. that's what i loved about ricky and i's friendship now that it was repaired. we could literally just walk up to each other or see each other and just start hanging out without even mentioning anything about it. we didn't need a reason to come to each other.
wait, ricky didn't have a reason for coming here today, right?
why is he being so quiet.
daring a glance over my shoulder, i caught ricky in a moment when he was letting out a deep, sad sigh, putting his phone down and looking into the distance. i noticed some things about him that i hadn't before: his really messy hair, his shirt that was inside out (it was a thrasher shirt, i could see the logo on the underneath) his shoes that were untied, two different socks.... what had happen?
i walked over to him as he continued to stare at the wall, deep in thought. i don't even think he noticed that i had moved. i knelt down next him, placing my hand at the base of his neck and rubbing the curls there. ricky's head whipped to me, his eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights, but i quickly gave him a reassuring smile.
"tell me what's going on, icky." i implored, but ricky's dazed expression was quickly covered by smile.
he grinned cheekily, leaning into my touch as i ran my thumb along his cheek. "icky." he repeated in a humorous tone. "i haven't heard that one in a while."
i gave him a look, knowing that he was avoiding the question and he sighed, knowing that i knew that he was avoiding the question. i knew him too well for him not to know that i knew when he knew that i knew that he was avoid the question. a question that he KNEW! ha, see what i did there? no? yeah, me neither actually.
"my dad and terri," he mumbled, his voice a little strained. "they started fighting again, and that's what woke me up this morning." ricky let out a dry chuckle, gesturing to his disheveled appearance. "and that's why i look like this."
smiling sympathetically, i put my hand on the collar of his shirt, tugging a little. ricky looked at me confused before looking down and noticing that the shirt was indeed inside out. he let out a groan, his head falling into his hands
"it's okay." i laughed. "i understand the need to get out of a place and you'd do anything to do it quickly." ricky nodded in agreement, muttering and small 'yep' as i stood up. "i'll turn around, don't worry. fix your shirt, lil knucklehead.
ricky gave me a crooked smile as i turned back to my painting, adding the finishing details. it was a simple painting; nothing overly complex, in fact, it was pretty boring. but i liked it. every painting was unique in it's own way, with it's little details, no mistakes just happy accidents, every little happy color and i- oh my gosh i sound like bob ross.
DID YOU KNOW BOB ROSS HAD A SON? also, bob ross was a drill sargent, like dangggggggg. he was lowkey attractive.
after literally a millisecond, i felt ricky arms wrap loosely around my waist, pulling me against his front. his skin was surprisingly really warm through his shirt. that's a little weird. is he sick?
hold up.
oh you have got to be kidding me.
i gulped loudly as a shirtless ricky traced his finger tips down my arm and back up again. i could feel his breath on my ear as he leaned a little forward, looking at my painting. i couldn't help but shudder at the feeling. ugh, i hate shuddering. it's literally something i don't have control over and i want to have control over it.
i breathed in sharply as ricky trailed just one finger down my arm, his warm skin making me shiver and making me feel hot at the exact same time.
ohhhhhhhhh i don't like this.
"are you trying to seduce me?" i somehow managed to squeak out. wow, way smooth nina.
ricky let out a husky chuckle into my ear, tracing my arm again. "goosebumps." he whispered softly, somehow more of them rising with that statement. "i just figured you were cold."
"those goosebumps are not from the cold." i shivered. great, now my actions are going against my words. that's FANTASTIC.
i could basically hear ricky's smirk as he pulled away from me, my body instantly getting colder without his touch. "sorry if i made you feel uncomfortable, nini." he joked in a mocking tone. oh he thinks he is so funn- wait, hold up.
normally, i would retaliate and say something completely stupid and we would get into some weird argument, bickering thingy, that always ended in a hug. but this time, i mind got stuck on the very last word he said.
"what did you just call me?" i faltered, turning around to face (the still very much shirtless) ricky bowen.
ricky took a step forward, looking me dead in the eye and repeated the words. "nini."
oh gosh. oh yay, OH THANK GOODNESS FINALLY! i swear, i beamed so brightly when he said that, i could've lit up the whole earth on my own. ricky chuckled at my expression, my eyes gaining tears as i launched myself in his arms. the boy easily caught me, lifting my feet off the ground as i clung to him as tight as humanly possible. he laughed loudly, like music to my ears as i let out a little squeal of happiness.
"you believe me?" i said in disbelief. "you know it's me? you don't think i'm faking or anything?"
"i know my nini." was all ricky said, gently setting me back on the floor.
i pulled back, looking at the smiling boy in front of me. RINI WAS BAAAAAAAACK!!! as best friends. just as best friends........ for now. "wait, what was the turning point?" i asked curiously.
ricky shrugged, smiling innocently. "there were a bunch of little things." he explained. "but your painting was the biggest."
"my painting?" i repeated in confusing, my hands now resting on ricky's shoulders. i looked back at my painting. it was a simple sunflower and bee on a canvas. nothing overly special.
"your favorite color is yellow." ricky spoke up, nodding towards the painting. i turned to look at him, only to see that he was smiling at the painting like it was glowing. "you were never afraid of bees when everyone else would run away from them. you always said 'they are sweet as honey, because that's what they make. they won't hurt you if you won't hurt them.'" ricky mocked my little kid voice, making me laugh, before he continued. "you loved the look of sunflowers because they reminded you of the sun and that made you happy. they are your favorite flower, your second being jasmine flowers, but that used to alternate every month or so. you said that roses were overrated and that jasmine flowers smelled the best and made the best teas. that's why i'd pay extra money at the florist to get you a special bouquet of just sunflowers and jasmine. and i see it in your eyes. your smile, your kindness, you, nini, you." ricky turned to back to me, taking my hands in his. "you're my nini."
i couldn't help but smile somehow wider, tears running down my face. "ricky.... you know me." i whispered, wiping my wet cheeks.
"and you know me, nini." ricky sighed, looking at me admirably. "no one has ever known me like you."
my smile only grew as i let out a soft giggle, making ricky giggle a little too. i stepped into his arms, pulling him back in to hug me as we just simply stood in each others arms. this hug could only be described as one word: reunited. ricky and i were fully reunited to each other, after all these years. we could last no matter what was thrown at us. even ricky's shirt that i ended up having to throw at his head in order for him to put it back on.
i don't think i've ever slept with a bigger smile on my face.
well, at least until 3:45 a.m.
Author's Note:
the amount of writer's block i-