𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗴𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗰 [𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗶 𝗮𝘂]

expiration date .31

days went on and ricky slowly got better. he finally got to sleep in the comfort of his own bed last night. everyone thought the boy was happy and healthy. everyone thought he was getting along just fine, but he wasn't. his conversation with nini in the hospital lingered in his mind because he knew what she was saying was right, but he didn't want to believe it. ricky didn't know what it was about nini. he felt very protective over the girl to the point where he still didn't want her to feel too much pain, even though he almost died.

nini knew ricky was lying when he promised he would stop. there would be times when nini was visiting ricky. the guilt seeing him in so much pain hurt her heart. ricky would see how hurt she was and would try to reach out to help her — the girl always pulled away.

"you can't keep doing that, ricky," the girl muttered in a cold voice. ricky let out a sigh.

"nini, i'm fine."

"no, you're not."

the boy shook his head and looked off to the side. he regret his decision of telling nini. he wishes that he never told her anything.

"nini, this is what i do. i can't help it. i just have to—"

"no one's forcing you to be a hero," nini raised her voice, "i don't need you to save me. i'm fine."

"i want to, nini. i'm just trying to help."

"well, you're not helping! you're making it worse," nini cried, getting up from the bed. ricky watched as she paced back in forth in front of him. "i've asked you so many times to stop but you won't listen! you're not invincible, ricky!'

"i never said i was?!"

"well, you sure are acting like it," nini breathed out. ricky looked at her with resentment as nini continued, "you insist on helping people who don't need to be helped. you insist that you're fine when you're obviously not. and you insist on putting an expiration date on your life. the only pain you should be worried about is your own!"

ricky scoffed, chuckling under his breath. "you don't know what you're talking about, nini," was all the boy could say.

nini fell silent and looked at ricky with disbelief. she shook her head and faced the ground, "you're not listening to me. you're being hardheaded."

"and you think that just because you've known about my powers for a few months that you have say in what i can and can't do?" ricky argued and yelled back, "i've been doing just fine all my life, no thanks to you. i don't need you, nini."

none of them were going to back down and none of them were going to apologize. nini just bit the inside of her cheek, crossing her arms over her chest. the girl nodded her head and grabbed her sweater off the bed, "fine."

ricky rolled his eyes, "nini...what are you doing? where are you going?"

"you said you don't need me so i'm leaving."

ricky furrowed his eyebrows, "what do you mean you're leaving?"

nini quickly stuffed all of her belongings in her backpack. her eyes avoided ricky's as they started to water up, "what do you think it means, ricky?"

"are we breaking up," ricky breathed out, his body shifting in urgency. nini looked up from her backpack. ricky could see how red and watery her eyes were.

"trust me, it's for your own good," nini simply said, not wanting the words to leave her mouth but the girl knew it was the truth. ricky finally fell silent. the girl bent down and gave ricky a soft kiss on the top of his head for the last time. she broke down even more. "bye ricky."