would you love me now? || rini

chapter two

one month ago.

ricky felt empty. the play was over, the reality show was over, and his summer was over. and so was his friendship with the most important person in his life.

ricky had been ignoring it all summer. he pushed away every thought of it, every memory of what they had. this was his summer to reinvent himself. to become a new person. a happier person. someone whose life wasn't falling apart. someone who didn't lose their best friend.

he tried so hard to be happy. he went to summer camp with his friends. he joined the musical willingly. he found a new crush and he made new friends.

but it still wasn't enough. just hearing her name broke his façade.

nini.

his best friend. well, ex-best friend. considering they hadn't spoken since their breakup, ricky assumed they weren't best friends anymore. he always regretted not reaching out. but, it felt too late to try to reconnect. she was in la for fuck's sake, living out her dreams. and who was he to mess that up, especially after he deleted that message that could have sky-rocketed her career?

it probably wouldn't have helped her out that much, but that wasn't the point. hell, that's why they broke up. at least, it was one of the reasons.

the breakup destroyed him. she was the love of his life. he'd been in love with her since they met. right there, in kindergarten, when she didn't make fun of him for calling her nini. the first girl he ever said "i love you" to. it was all over.

he should've called her back. that day, after opening night, in the same room he told her that he loved her for the first time. he should've texted after, called, done something, anything, that could've gotten them in a different position than they were in right now.

ricky hadn't spoken to her since that night. he hadn't seen her, heard her, or even heard anyone talk about her in months. he packed it all away.

i'll let it take me anywhere but home.

this summer had kept him far away from home. far away from his parents, their new relationship, his failed loves, and most of all, nini. not that she was even home.

he couldn't lie, he had a flicker of hope that she was going to be spending the summer at camp shallow lake. the camp she raved about at the end of every summer. but, she didn't.

he found out, last night, that she'd been up in la. ms. jenn filled them in after he got her gift. he couldn't believe she remembered the bucket list.

he was so scared he wouldn't get a card. the whole summer, reality hadn't hit him. not until he was faced with the thought of nini giving everyone an opening night card but him. it hit him, all at once, that his friendship with nini was over. no card, no thought, no relationship.

he couldn't breathe right til he got on that stage. singing kristoff's lullaby, in an audience full of people he'd met over the summer, distracted him, for a second. he'd come so far. thanks to nini.

just as she came to his mind, he saw her. standing at the doorway, with the proudest grin on her face. the rest of the world faded. there was nothing but him, his song, and her. he couldn't believe his eyes.

she was really there. he needed to talk to her, and soon. however, his days of ditching musicals were far over. he got off the stage, giving her another glance, and a small smile. her beaming face warmed his heart. oh, how he'd missed that smile. the smile she'd given him after he bought her a new barbie doll to make up for the one he destroyed. the one she gave him after he bought her minnie mouse ears after he went to disney world. the one he gave her when he told her he loved her.

he paced backstage. now that the adrenaline of being on stage had worn off, his brain was running a mile a minute. why didn't she give him a card? if she was smiling at him from the crowd, didn't that mean that they were okay? he couldn't think straight. he needed to talk to her, and soon.

when the show ended, he searched for her in the crowd. his heart sunk when she was no where to be found.

the excitement he felt when he found the lottery card was more than he had felt all summer. she still cared. she still remembered. she was still nini.

not nina, his nini.

it broke his heart when ms. jenn told them that she was gone. forever.

she just left. she didn't even bother to talk to him, to kourtney, to anyone but ms. jenn.

now, laying at the top of his bunk, the next morning, feeling numb, he can't help but feel angry at ms. jenn. how could she encourage her to go? without even talking to them?

nini is moving to la, leaving all of them behind. leaving him behind.

no. it can't be over. she can't leave.

one thing about ricky bowen: his impulses tend to get the best of him. lily lied to him? he flees to california. he thinks he's going to lose nini? he deletes comments from her instagram.

now, yet again, he is going to lose her. he can't let that happen.

ignoring all the rationale running through his head, he jumps out of bed and grabs his bags. rushing past all his friends, who worriedly ask him where he's running to, he grabs his phone, signs himself out, and sprints to his car. he found her new address quite quickly. him and nini always had each others' locations on, in case of any emergency. it was more for ricky, in case he ever need to crash with her, wherever she was, if his parents were fighting or if he just couldn't take it at home. god, she was so fucking good to him. his best friend. his summer of running from his problems was over. and there was no way in hell he'd survive senior year without his best friend.

i'm not losing her again.

a/n

hey guys!! im back omg. long time no see. this chapter is all over the place tbh i haven't proofread and i'm also just tired asf. but i wanted to force myself to have motivation, so here it is!!! leave ur reactions and thoughts in the comments please and vote! ily all have the best days mwah.

questions of the day: for my people who have seen wednesday (the show), who are you guys shipping her with?

a: personally, i'm team xavier. they have my whole heart. both of them saving each other from death is making my whole life. the fact that he still liked her after everything she did to her AND THE ART OML i cant breathe they are my life.