❝We've dated the same guy...here are some chocolates?❞
GINA PORTER x NINI SALAZAR-ROBERTS.
FUTURE ALTERNATE UNIVERSE (POST CANON).
W/ HSMTMTS S1-2 CANON.
HSM: THE SERIES FANFIC.
EXTENDED DESC INSIDE.
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Nini was panicking for no good reason━she considered herself an acceptable student. She followed all the rules, respected teachers, and prided herself on being kind to everyone. Plus, she was a senior, part of the dance committee, and ran a club for songwriters every other week. Although the songwriting club had become a once-in-a-blue-moon sorta thing, and the dance committee was non-existent. Despite it all, she was sure she had done anything that made her guilty enough to be in the Principal's office.
"Nina." Gutierrez's mention of her name was the only greeting. "I'm sure you're wondering why you're here. I don't want to keep you away from first period."
"I'm sure that my AP Geography won't be missing me." Nini laughed. Principal Gutierrez simply looked at her, befuddled. And, her squawks didn't stop, she kept giggling and giggling until it melted into awkward silence. "I'm sorry. I've, um, never been in the Principal's office before."
Ricky had told her cautionary tales about the Principal's office. He was in there every other week for something new. Skating through the halls, sleeping through class, and only "missing little homework assignments." He'd made it out to be a freshman's worst nightmare.
"Don't worry, Miss Salazar-Roberts. You have nothing to worry about." Gutierrez gave her a kind smile. He pulled out a bulky folder, sheets sticking out of every corner, from his bottom drawer. The large binder shook the table when he placed it in front of Nini. "As one of the more senior members of The Dance Committee, I thought I'd put you in charge of making sure the latest school dance goes as planned..." Gutierrez gestured towards the folder lying on the table, prompting her to take a look inside.
The first evenly stacked page had pictures, colored from black and white to sepia tones, of students in the East High cafeteria. Her eyes drifted to the first full-color photo and saw its usual red-themed interior was magnified. Pink and scarlet hues decorated the walls in the shape of hearts, fairy lights hung on the banisters and pastel ribbons hung from the ceiling.
"A Valentine's Day dance?" Nini asked, flicking through pages and pages of love-filled memos and decoration receipts.
"It used to be an East High tradition to hold a Valentine's Day dance but as you know, we haven't held in recent years. But, the school still has loans to pay off from that freak accident in the auditorium a few years ago so the school board thought now would be a good time to start it up again. And, if you aren't too busy, the school could use your help, Ms. Salazar-Roberts. I'm sure I can count on you and the rest of the committee to pull this together?"
Nini clutched the folder. It would be a struggle to balance it all. The dance committee was the last thing on her mind.
"I'm sure, as a senior, you have many things you would much rather do. I have heard talks about all the great things you're doing with your music, and I'm sure that you are very busy. But you made a commitment, and I just know that, with you, lots of people will be excited about this. Don't worry about the budget costs, Mr. Mazzara has offered to oversee all━"
"There might be a little problem with the dance committee."
"Problem?"
"Remember when I offered to be the head of the dance committee, and you told me to pick six people to be on the committee? Well, there kind of is...no dance committee."
･｡ ︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶｡ﾟ
"Am I crazy? Maybe this could happen?" Gina sang from center stage, hands clutching her chest. "Will he still be with me when the magic's all ran out?"
No. He'd ditched her as soon as things were getting real. True love was only for Disney movies.
Gina was center stage, standing in front of painted woods and a gushing waterfall. Ever since arriving at East High, it was all she'd dreamed of. To be the lead. To have everyone in the production looking up to her as a perfect example she always strived to set. But now she was discovering it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. She wasn't Hungry-For-Spotlight-Gina anymore, she couldn't pretend she was a cold-blooded machine like she used to. Flashes of his face were all she could see in the warm flickering stage-light. Each line she sang, her heart ripped more, and more open.
There was a chorus of applause, and after she finished the song, the junior quickly left the stage, doing her best to smile appreciatively as she teetered down the small steps.
As soon as her feet touched the ground, a swarm of smiling faces surrounded her, then a myriad of questions followed: How are you doing, Gina? Are you okay? Wanna come to Slices with me later? Isn't Ricky, like, totally stupid for breaking up with someone so talented? Did he dump you or did you dump me?
An arm pulled her away from the heartbreak vultures.
"Hey, Nina," Gina took a deep breath, smiling. "Where have you been? I didn't see you this morning. I wanted to thank you again...for the chocolates. And, I guess I should thank you again for...now."
"Please, it's nothing." Nini waved a hand, scoffing at her. "Gosh, some people just don't understand what a breakup is like..."
"It's not their fault. I guess I didn't realize dating Ricky Bowen came with so much attention." She gave a dry laugh. "I'd be interested too if I wasn't so...heartbroken."
"Don't say that. It's not your fault, either." Nini placed a hand on her arm, rubbing it up and down, running smooth circles around her skin with her fingers━so delicate, she hoped she could read the desperate words written in her fingertips.
Gina smiled at her, and she tried━and failed━to keep her grin to a minimum by biting her lips. Glancing down at her, she watched her eyes fan the room, and a reddish tinge spread around her cheeks. Gina giggled which caused the blush to spread across Nini's face.
"What is it?" Gina questioned, still chuckling.
Nini knew the real answer she wanted to give to the question but, it wasn't the right thing to say, so she moved on to something else.
"Nothing━um, I was...in Principal Gutierrez's office this morning. That's why you didn't catch me. He wants to organize a school fundraiser."
"What's the fundraiser?"
"A Valentine's Day dance. Apparently, it's an old tradition that the school is starting up again. There's all this stuff I have to do━choosing decorations, picking the songs, designing the invitations..."
"I can help you."
"Oh, no, you don't have to do that. He said I could pick six people to be on the committee. Maybe Ashlyn will help me? Or if I guilt-trip him enough, maybe even Rick━"
"No. I want to help." Gina could use a distraction and organizing something that big could keep her mind off things. "You said you're allowed six people, right?" A smiling nod, "Then I'm one of them."
"Gina Porter," Nini laughed. "Okay! Right, um, okay then..." She dipped into his bag, taking out Gutierrez's folder and dropping it into her hands. "Read through this and meet me at the Publik at four!"
