Your Lie - A Rina Fic

Chapter 7

Gina sat quietly in Nini's wicker hanging chair, engrossed in her book, as melodies filled the room around her. Originally intended as a girls' hangout while Nini kept working on her music, she had sought Ricky's help to refine songs that were frustrating her, so the two had been springing ideas back and forth like a pendulum for over an hour.

"Okay, but I want this ending to fade out more organically," Nini said, tapping her pencil impatiently on her notebook.

"Trust me, a chromatic scale down would be perfect," Ricky suggested, casually strumming his guitar. "And some light harmonies to make it feel more natural."

After a minute he sighed. "Look."

Frustrated, Ricky set his guitar down and joined Nini by the keyboard. Gina felt a twinge of emotion in her chest as she observed the dynamic between the two of them. Ignoring her own feelings, watching the two of them interacting and bickering genuinely made Gina happy, for Nini at least. Although she sometimes wished it were her that Ricky put his arm around and took on music shop dates (Nini excitedly ranted to her about that one), seeing her friend so happy made the ache in her heart bearable.

"Wait, that's actually really nice" Nini exclaimed as Ricky played a few chords.

"And if we add a lighter touch with the vocals," Ricky chimed in, a hopeful grin on his face.

"Oh my gosh, this lyric will be perfect now!" Nini blurted out, bubbling over with excitement. Gina couldn't help but be in awe of her friend's unyielding excitement.

"Well, personally, I think we could still find something even better," Ricky countered.

"No way! It's simple yet perfectly captures the tone, and I absolutely refuse to let it go," Nini argued, rallying her case. "Gina, come on, back me up here!"

Ricky dramatically threw his hands up in mock surrender. "Oh, great! Outnumber me. That's totally fair."

"Hey, you know I'm not the expert songwriter here," Gina chimed in, caught in the crossfire. "Whatever you two come up with is way beyond my talents."

Ricky grinned, seizing the opportunity. "Ah, so you're saying... I'm right," he teased.

Gina let out an inward sigh. "...Nini, keep the line."

Nini's laughter echoed through the room, breaking the lingering tension between Ricky and Gina. "Boo," Ricky muttered in mock protest. Rolling her eyes, Gina couldn't help but be amused by Ricky's charming arrogance.

As Gina glanced at her phone, her eyes widened at the time. "Alright, I better get going," she said, quickly putting away her book. "Good luck on the songs."

"Wait," Ricky said, quickly gathering his belongings. "Might as well head out too. Don't need my dad getting worried."

Nini gave a small pout. "Awe, well, see you guys tomorrow then," Gina observed as Ricky leaned over to give Nini a quick kiss on the cheek before following her out the door. The blush creeping up on Nini's face served as a reminder for Gina to cool down her own.

The two teenagers made their way down the neighborhood streets. Gina walked along the sidewalk, while Ricky glided effortlessly on his skateboard in the road beside her. The setting sun painted the sky in hues of blue and yellow.

Gina couldn't help but watch in awe as Ricky performed a fifth kickflip with ease, his skateboard spinning gracefully beneath his feet. Curiosity got the best of her, and she finally gave in to asking, "When did you first learn how to skate?"

Ricky turned his attention to her, still coasting on his skateboard beside her. "Well, I got my first skateboard on Christmas during my fourth-grade year," he began, a nostalgic glint in his eyes. "After that day, me and Red would spend hours every day watching YouTube videos on how to ride it."