𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 [ 𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐚𝐮 ]

intercom .04

nini and her friends were partying in her studio when the intercom buzzed. nini quickly got up and spoke into the microphone, "hey rico! you buzzed me?"

"uh hey... sorry to bother you, nini. i know you're probably busy up there with the song release," rico's muffled and static voice said though the speaker, "congratulations by the way..."

"oh! thank you, rico! and you're good, what's up?"

"um.. you actually have a visitor here today," rico said in a quiet voice, "you must know him or something ... ricky bowen?"

seb quickly paused the music as the three of them immediately froze still. nini's hand fell from the intercom button while she stood still, speechless. nini heard a buzz again, "nini? you still there?"

nini let out a deep breath and pressed the button again, "uh.. yeah ... sorry.."

"do you know who ricky bowen is? he's a singer as well..." rico explained in a quiet voice, "i don't know why he's here but he said he needed to talk to you."

"um ...is anyone else there with him or?"

"nope, just him. he's sitting in the lobby," rico explained, "do you think he'd be weirded out if i asked him for a picture..?"

nini felt red push her body out the way as he pressed the button, "rico, tell ricky to fuck off."

"uh—"

"what! no?!" nini interjected as she pushed red away from the intercom, "rico, don't listen to red."

"uh, okay?"

"no rico, listen to red," kourtney intervened. nini rolled her eyes and sighed.

"rico, please don't listen to them," nini whined as he shot the three of the death glares.

"hey, i didn't even say anything," seb defended himself, "but if i did, i'd tell rico to ask ricky if he get's deja vu?"

the three of them burst out into a laugh while nini only rolled her eyes. she pressed the intercom button, "i'll be down there in a second," nini whispered. the girl quickly got up and grabbed her hoodie.

"you're not actually going to see the guy.. are you?" kourtney asked while they watched nini pull her hoodie over her body.

"i.. i have to.." nini said.

"no you don't, neens," seb quickly said, "it's been more than a year since you and ricky last seen each other—"

"—you don't think i know that, seb?"

"okay well... what are you going to say?" red asked the girl, "last time you and ricky talked he told you he was going to take himself out your life. you've been doing so great without him... why give him a second chance?"

"i never said i was giving him a second chance," nini quickly stated "i'm just going to talk to him. maybe something urgent happened... i don't know?"

"on the night of the release of deja vu?" kourtney pointed out, "it's about the song, neens. and besides, what happened to 'fuck ricky'?"

nini let out a sigh as her three friends looked for an explanation, "i'm just going to talk to him ... it's gonna be fine," was all nini said before she walked towards the elevator.

ricky anxiously waited in the lobby as his leg shook up and down. he saw rico get up from behind the desk and walk towards him, "miss salazar-roberts will be with you shortly," rico told ricky.

"oh ... great! thank you," ricky replied with a smile. rico nodded his head and pulled out a phone.

"i hope this isn't weird but i was wondering if i could get a picture with you?" rico asked in a shy voice. ricky let out a chuckle and nodded his head. as they were finishing up the picture, ricky heard the elevator doors ring.

nini stepped out the elevator and ricky felt his whole body freeze.

there she was. nini salazar-roberts. the girl looked the same yet totally different. she cut her hair, wore more makeup, dressed different. it was as if the nini, ricky once knew never even existed. she didn't look as sweet or gently anymore. she didn't look insecure or as tired now. if anything, nini was the one who looked happy and healthy — not me.

nini awkwardly walked up to ricky with a forced smile on her face. ricky quicky rose up from the lounge chair and straightened out his suit. finally, nini was in front of ricky as if no time had passed between the two.

all of a sudden, nini stuck out her hand for ricky to shake. the boy looked down her hand with confusion before shaking it back. nini felt her heart drop at the feeling of ricky's fingers wrapped around her hand again. ricky felt his heart warm up at the feeling of nini's small hands tucked back into his after all this time. after around twenty seconds of awkwardly shaking each other's hands, nini finally pulled away.

she forced a smile as she sat in the lounge chair across from ricky's. ricky followed her actions and sat back in his chair. nini let out a deep sigh before starting off, "ricky ... i'ts uh a pleasure to see you here.."

ricky forced out a chuckle, "uh.. yeah! thank you for agreeing to see me in such short notice."

nini nodded her head before breaking eye contact with the curly headed boy. she cleared her throat and smiled him, "yeah! so what brings you here today?"

"i uh... i just wanted to tell you that.. i listened to your song," ricky confessed.

"y-you did?"

"yeah..."

"how'd you uh... how'd you like it?"

"it was ... different... from your other songs?"

"oh?? you listened to the other songs?"

"i mean...yeah. did you listen to mine?"

nini quickly looked away from ricky and lied, "ahh no .. didn't even know you like ... released any."

ricky's face fell but he quickly tried to hide it, "oh .. okay."

"yeah..."

"uhm... anyways, nini," ricky started to say while he cleared his throat, "i sorta came here to talk to you about something.."

"about what...?"

"uh... you and lily.."