Showtime

19. Spring Break

[Avni: So I found out why Ricky wasn't at my party- he and Nini broke up- and I feel terrible. He isn't really talking about it, but I'm determined not to let him isolate himself for the whole week.]

Avni was about to give up when she video called Ricky for the nth time, and he didn't pick up. But then she glanced at her blank notebook again, and tried his mom instead. She picked up on the third ring.

"Why aren't you picking up your phone, you asshole?" She asked Ricky when Lynn handed it off.

"I turned it off."

"How convenient. I thought you died or something."

"How would I die?"

"On the flight. It could be a Manifest situation."

He scoffed, "That was a terrible show. I refuse to die that way."

"What are you talking about? Manifest was incredible."

"The first season was incredible. Then it was pretty much shit. Everyone says so."

"Literally no one is saying that," Avni replied. Then she glanced at his surroundings. "Are you planning to mope around at home for the entire week?"

"There's nothing to do."

"Go out sight-seeing! You're in a new city!"

"I don't wanna go out with my mom."

"Why not?"

"Did you while you were in New York?"

"Of course, I did," she said. Ricky raised his eyebrows at her. "My mom made me," she mumbled, looking down at her book.

"Exactly," he laughed. "So, how's it going with Hrithik?"

"We don't have to talk about that."

"Nah, I want to."

"I haven't seen him since the other day. But we've been talking," she looked at her book again.

"That's good."

"Yeah," she frowned at the lyrics she'd written before.

"Why do you keep looking down?"

Avni sighed and held up her book, "I'm trying to write a song. For closure."

"Why do you need- oh, EJ."

Avni smiled grimly.

"Does that work?"

"The Internet said it would. So- you know- it might. But so far, it's not. I keep writing love songs instead."

He laughed.

"No seriously, listen to this- 'Please don't let this be happening again, this already happened once. And it's already been three years but, every time I see you my heart goes and I can't seem to make it stop.'"

"That's- corny," he said, trying not to laugh, but ultimately failing.

"You're an ass."

♡♡♡♡♡

The day was going by real slow. It made her regret not picking up a shift at the restaurant. And this song was going nowhere- and she was getting in her head.

Her phone pinged.

Thank god.

"What are you up to today?" It was Hrithik.

"Absolutely nothing. Bored out of my mind."

"Where are you?"

"Home. You can come over if you want"