Glad You Could Make It - Ricky and Nini Oneshots

Means Something

Means Something

"Nini Salazar Roberts Avenue." Ricky scoffed, "Can't believe that's a real thing I'm reading right now."

He was standing on a street corner in River Heights, Utah–the smallest town in Utah–looking up at a newly installed street sign.

"I can. She had a big impact on this town." Big Red, Ricky's friend, said.

"A big impact?" Ricky said as he continued walking, "Like living here for less than two years? She was barely even here, how do people even remember her?"

"It's a small town, Ricky. People are proud she even breathed near this town. I wish I had a street named after me." Big Red explained.

"Yeah, you'd have to be a shitty person to have that happen to you." He snipped, rolling his eyes.

"From what I remember, she was pretty kind. I only met her a few times. You knew her better than I did. You always talked about how she––"

"Whatever, Red. Just drop it."

"You're the one who brought it up––"

"Red." Ricky said sternly, giving him a glare. Big Red promptly shut up.

The two continued their walk along the sidewalk, heading to meet Big Red's girlfriend, Ashlyn, for coffee. The town was fairly small, and there was almost no reason to use a car, so most locals walked to and from places. They soon arrived at the coffee shop, Big Red rushing over to meet Ashlyn at one of the tables.

"Guess I'll order everyone's coffee then..." Ricky grumbled softly, walking over to the counter. He had been a third wheel on enough dates with Big Red and Ashlyn to know their coffee preferences.

"What can I get for ya?" The perky barista said to him, and that caused his eyes to look up to the menu plastered on the wall.

He noticed his typical coffee order was suddenly being advertised on the menu as a new special coffee with a changed name; a name he didn't care to be saying anymore.

"Uhhh... I'll have two cappuccinos with oat milk and one cold brew with coconut milk and cinnamon."

"Oh, you mean the 'Nini Salazar Roberts'?" The barista asked, and it caused Ricky to cringe. "It was her usual order when she lived here, you know, before she went off and became famous." she continued.

Ricky knew it was her usual order. He introduced her to it when they would come here all the time. It was his usual order first. She shouldn't get to claim it.

"It's such an honor to have her live here right before she made it big." The barista kept chattering away as she began to make the coffees. "I wish I worked here when she lived here, maybe we could've crossed paths. Then I could say 'I knew her when', but it's still huge to have lived in the same town."

Ricky didn't say anything, especially how he himself 'knew her when'; he just waited until he could finally grab the coffees and get away from the awkward conversation.

"You'd think there'd be at least one person in this town who doesn't want to talk about Nini Salazar Roberts all the damn time." Ricky complained as he finally sat down with Big Red and Ashlyn.

"For someone who claims that he hates her so much, you sure do talk about her a lot." Ashlyn giggled to Big Red.

"Ha ha. Very funny Ashlyn." Ricky rolled his eyes for what felt like the billionth time that hour, sipping his coffee, trying to ignore how it tasted like last summer.

"Hey, that was Nini's favorite coffee." Big Red pointed out.

"That's it. I'm out of here." Ricky said, standing quickly and leaving the coffee shop.