the ghost of christmas love

nini

MERRY. CHRISTMAS AAAAAH!!!! if u celebrate ofc!!! i hope you all had an amazing day!!!!

and ofc if yk me...I POSTED A CHRISTMAS THEMED RINI ONE SHOOOOOOT!!

ENJOOOOY!!!

it's really late at night now and ricky's been taken back to earth. i'm in my bedroom, slowly prepping for bed.

my memory is very foggy. the last thing i remember is arguing with ricky and then traveling back here.

i exit my bathroom and am startled when seb and kourtney are seated on my couch. i chuckle and go over to sit on my other couch, looking at them.

"so what happened?", i ask.

"long story short you need to marry ricky.", seb sighs.

"what.", i firmly say.

"he's joking! he's joking!", kourtney tells me, smacking seb's arm.

"what really happened?", i ask again with a tired breath.

"you totally knocked out when you got back here and turns out that serum you used to make yourself visible was killing off your magic...aka—"

"killing me.", i finish kourtney's sentence, nodding.

"yeah..."

"so how did you like—bring me back to life?", i question.

they glance at each other and then back at me. they sit in silence for a minute before both of them crack smiles.

"ricky...he uh-"

"he kissed you!", seb blurts and kourtney glares at him.

"he w-what?!", i nervously laugh.

great! our first kiss is one i don't even remember. how romantic.

"it was...a true christmas love's kiss.", kourtney smiles.

i groan and run my hands over my face, "how come he first kisses me when i'm dying."

they shrug, laughing at my misery like normal friends do. i look at them and let out a breath, wondering what's next.

"it was cute though.", seb quietly adds, "he had this whole little speech...he's so in love."

i laugh while feeling my stomach swirl with butterflies and my friends get off the couch. i hug them and they exit my room to head to their's to go to bed. i crawl under my bedsheets and stare up at the ceiling. i bring my fingers up and touch my lips softly before letting out a content breath.

i can't believe we kissed.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

it's monday morning and christmas is on saturday! i'm so excited but the excitement is being taken over by nerves floating around in my stomach.

i'm going to see ricky today and i have mixed feelings. i'm not sure if he knows that i know what he did. but i want to bring it up.

i walk out of my bedroom, all dressed in cozy, winter clothes. i've been told to take it easy today and i have to follow instructions or my friends will quite literally kill me.

again.

i walk to the golden doors when i'm stopped by both of my best friends blocking my path. i look at them confused as they start searching my pockets. when they finish i let out a breathy chuckle.

"what was that all about?", i ask.

"trying to make sure you don't have that serum on you.", seb explains.

i scrunch my face, "why would i? it almost killed me."

"well...i don't know what if your suicidal?", kourtney asks.

my mouth opens in astonishment and i playfully smack her arm, "i'm already dead kourtney!"

"just joking!", she laughs, "okay just be careful?"

"i promise i will be.", i smile.

i walk through the golden doors and am placed down in the familiar hospital. i instantly feel my nerves kick in even more. it makes my hands feel sweaty. i'm taken back to reality when i feel the horrid feeling of a human walking through me.

i hold my stomach before looking into the hospital room. i see doctors performing tests on grace and they're inserting medication into her through IV's and shots.

i feel my lips curl down into a frown. i lick my lips quickly before entering the room. ricky's sitting on the farther side of the hospital couch, his sister's head propped against his shoulder.

her face holds fear and sadness. ricky's face just seems numb. he looks towards the door and when he sees me his eyes widen but shortly his mouth turns to a slight grin. he mouths something to me but i don't understand what he said. he points out the door and i nod, walking out.

i watch him tell his sister something and she sits up. ricky gets off the couch and walks towards the doorway, exiting the room. he leans against the wall and pulls his phone out, holding it to his ear.

"hey uh- what are you doing here?", he talks.

i furrow my brows at him but he raises his brows and i finally understand that he's trying to hide the fact he's talking to a ghost.

"oh!", i whisper, "um i was just checking in. how are things?"

"bad.", he hesitantly replies, "i mean she's fading...but they won't tell my sister that. it's a little frustrating because at least if she knew it's gradually happening she could prepare. but—they're just gonna tell her when...it happens and it's going to be a crap ton of emotions to handle."

i frown and feel my mood switch to sorrow and sadness.

"i'm sorry that's horrible.", i breath out, "is there anything i can do?"

he shakes his head then clears his throat, "um how are you feeling? do you remember anything from yesterday?"

i bite my lower lip and stare down at the floor. i rock back and forth on my heels before looking up at him and locking eyes.

"i remember us fighting...then i came back to my world and everything goes black.", i explain.

"about that fight i uh—"

"no it's—"

"it's not okay nini.", he interrupts, "it's your job...and you're just trying to help me find closure with my childhood trauma. i shouldn't have...treated you that way. i'm sorry."

i feel my heart beating faster and it's like i could pass out all over again. i find myself just awkwardly staring up at him and all his glory. however i don't realize it until he's waving his hand in my face while there's no one in the hall.

"oh sorry.", i say, snapping back to reality, "thank you...it's all good i promise."

i keep thinking about the kiss and how i want to bring it up but i don't know how. he can sense my silence because he pushes himself off the wall and comes closer to me.

"what is it?", he asks, his calm eyes looking down on me:

"i just—my friends—they...they told me.", i say.

"told you..."

"the kiss..."

his lips part, almost as if he forgot, which makes my heart sink a little. was it that unmemorable and miserable? i think that until i see him slightly smiling at the thought. his smile is contagious and causes one of my own to form.

"what about it?", he asks, nonchalantly. i assume he's trying to play it cool?

"why'd you do it?", i curiously ask.

i see his wheels turning in his head and he opens his mouth, "because nini..."

"ricky!", the screams of paige echo through the hallway.

ricky drops his phone into his pocket and turns the corner, rushing into the room. i enter as well, standing in the corner to watch the gut wrenching scene unfold.