layered love || rini au

04. introduction

the school hallway was packed with different students walking around and meeting up with their friends; nina just looking around for a few seconds before adjusting her backpack and making her way to find her class

she looked down at her schedule and saw that she had trigonometry, rolling her eyes as she continues her way down the hall before finding the classroom

when nina opened the door, no one really paid attention to her - which was exactly what she wanted.

she walked towards the desk where the teacher was sorting through different papers before looking up

"oh, you must be the new student correct?" he asked, standing up.

nina nodded silently and the teacher looked her up and down, making her fight an eye-roll.

"i'm nina." she finally said

the teacher nodded and took a few papers before handing them to her "i'm mr mazzara. we take classes very seriously here at east high, so i expect you to do the work properly."

nina didn't say anything and just took the papers before heading to the very back of the class and sitting down in an empty seat, leaving the papers on her desk and her bag near her chair

"alright everyone settle down," mr mazzara called "now, hidden at the back of the class you'll see our new student nina, make her feel...welcome."

at that nina, felt pairs of eyes on her and she just rolled her eyes and slumped back in her chair, barely listening to what was happening as the teacher continued talking.

it was weird. this town. these people. everyone was so cheerful or just plain awkward. she already dreaded living here.

nina looked to the left to see a blonde-haired girl giving her a disgusted look.

"can i help you?" nina snapped, frustrated with the looks and stares she should be used to by now.

the blonde-haired girl scoffed "you better watch how you speak to me."

"exactly," another girl with coily, dark-brown hair says with a smirk "best learn the language of unicorns, nail polish and mini-skirts." she finishes with an innocent smile.

nina raised her eyebrows in confusion. was this girl defending her?

the blonde-haired girl quickly looked in front of her "who asked you to butt in?"

"oh! no one, but you know me liz, i just love your fascinating conversations about the important subject of how to keep our nails perfectly manicured!" the girl fired back with a wink before giving a quick glance at nina and grinning

nina knitted her eyebrows; still completely confused as to what was happening before mr mazzara called on them to focus.

—

when the bell rang signaling lunch, nina decided to find her locker so she made her way out of the classroom alone, still ignoring the stares and whispers before finding it and opening it to put her bag away.

just as she closes the locker, her eyes snap to the side to see the same curly-haired boy with his hood down and his chocolate-brown eyes on her, holding his black, closed sketchbook in his hand while his backpack was slumped over his shoulder.

"you're new right?" he asked "just moved in next door?"

nina fully turned to face him "are you stalking me?"

he raised his eyebrows "wouldn't call it stalking if the other person was observing you from their window."

nina folded her arms "i thought you were-a dog-or something."

she saw the smallest grin forming on his lips at her lie and before he could say anything, a voice is heard from behind them.

"ricky, be gone."

nina turned around to see the same girl who defended her in her class to be walking towards them; wearing black ripped jeans and a red-leather jacket.

when nina turned back, ricky smirked once more at her before pushing himself up off the lockers "see you around neighbor." he said before walking off down the hallway

"sorry about him," the other girl sighs as she walks in front of nina and leans against the lockers. "he's a douche,"

nina nods "that he is," she muttered

gina nods "he's also my twin brother,"

nina raised her eyebrows "oh-"

but gina snorted a laugh and shook her head "don't worry about it, i mean-i probably should have done humanity a solid and strangled him in the womb."

nina opens her mouth in confusion as she watches the girl turn around and walk down the hall before stopping

"are you coming?" she asks as she faces her

nina adjusts the strap of her satchel before hesitantly following gina down the hallway. this was something completely unfamiliar to her...

"so, where are you from? like where were you before?" gina asks

"uh-los angeles," nina answered, still unsure why someone was being nice to her.

"oo, the great city of angels," she sighs as they take a turn around the hall "are you straight?"

nina knits her eyebrows together "what?"

"you know, like; gay, straight, bi-"

"oh. i'm straight." nina answered.

gina groans "bummer, there are no good gays here."

as the two entered the cafeteria and got their food, nina felt a few stares on her but not as much as usual, which was very weird for her.

"you're going to love my friends," gina exclaims happily as they arrive at a table full of people "okay, that's ashlyn, kourtney, carlos, seb, ej and big red."

nina looked around the table to see the different teens wave back at her with smiles as they continued eating and gina looked back at them

"alright guys, this is nina, she's from los angeles and i'm totally in love with her so you all better worship her and be nice." gina instructs, sitting down at the table as nina took a seat next to a raven-haired boy and a blonde-haired boy.

"how are you liking salt lake city so far?" kourtney asks

nina shrugs her shoulders "it's just another town."

"what are you into? you seem like the artsy type." carlos adds

"uh-"

"oh don't even remind me about art stuff because my stupid idiot twin of a brother got himself grounded. again." gina groans "i mean, i almost got grounded because of how mad mom and dad were-"

"what did he do?" ej asks with a chuckle

"what do you think? he snuck out." gina says with a shrug "no idea where and don't even care-hey did you want my yoghurt?" she asks nina

nina just looked at her and opened her mouth to say 'no' but was cut off by gina once again.

"you're right, food here sucks. let's sneak off campus and get some tacos." gina nods satisfied as she stands up and takes her bag, everyone else continuing on with their conversations while gina looks at nina "seriously, come on."

nina leaves her tray on the table and hesitantly stands up from her seat, following the curly-haired girl out of the cafeteria.

maybe this town was going to be different after all...