California Dreamin

2

The morning after, Nina left her house to go to school. She always left early to pick up Nancy so that they could walk together.
She was fourteen while Nancy was thirteen, so they didn't go to the same school but the trip was almost the same.

As they were walking, they saw the youngest Ramirez going back home.

"He is going to be late for sure." Said Nancy while following him with her eyes until she could not see him anymore.

"I don't care, honestly, that's none of my business and none of yours either." Nina shook her head.

Nancy had a weak spot for him since she was twelve but never had the courage to go up to him and tell him.
"I will never get why you two can't stand each other".

"We're past that, we were kids and probably jealous of Ruth's attentions, now we just ignore each other and I pretend he doesn't exist." The last part was a lie, as she always spied on him at night when he would leave his house for the cemetery. She didn't like him that way, she was just worried for him as she knew what he was going through since he was a kid. She knew his lifestyle and it wasn't the best one.

"Whatever Neens, but you know I like him a lot." And then she paused, thought for a while before speaking again.
"Since you're always over his place, why don't you talk with Ruth?"

"About what?" Nina stopped and looked at her with a confused expression on her face.

"Ask her what Richard thinks about me! She must know something!" Nancy seemed excited but Nina had to bring her back to reality.

"Other than the fact that you're thirteen? Please Nancy at least wait until you're fourteen so he's sixteen and it would be less weird."

"And what if he already found another girl by the time I turn fourteen?" Nancy whined.

Nina bursted out laughing like Nancy said the best joke she had ever heard.
"Please, him? no way."

"Well, it's not like he's ugly or something." Said the younger one pouting.

They kept joking until they had to part ways.
Nancy told Nina one more time to talk to Ruth that evening and Nina accepted so that she could stop asking her.

She greeted her friends outside their school and chatted for a while until the school bell interrupted their usual gossip.

Between a break and another, she saw the youngest Ramirez with his toxic friends as they were already high.

"Why would he ruin himself like that?" She would think to herself, not noticing that she was staring at him.

"Neens? Are you done? It's creepy." Her friend Vanessa said. "Why are you staring at him like that? Don't you guys hate each other or something?"

Nina scoffed, "Oh my goodness stop it, we don't hate each other, I avoid him and he avoids me. I was just thinking why would he already be smoking! It's morning! Who even does that?!"

Vanessa tried not to laugh as Nina didn't realize how loud she spoke, capturing the boy's attention who was then standing behind her.

Nina followed Vanessa's eyes and turned around, only to widen her eyes as the youngest Ramirez was looking down at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I didn't know my lifestyle was any of your business. Mind your own Ayala." He gave her a dirty look before walking past her with his friends. Nina watched him walking away with an expression of disbelief and anger. That was the first time they spoke to each other. Actually, only he spoke as he didn't give her time to reply.

"That piece of trash. He even called me my last name."

"Well it's not like you call him Richard... not like you two ever talked at all until now." Vanessa said adjusting her books in the locker.

Nina was still shocked and ignored what her friend said. "Did you listen to him?!"
Vanessa rolled her eyes. "So what, Neen? He just told you to mind your own business, he didn't call you a bitch and told you to kill yourself."

"For your information Nessa, I can't mind my own business because his sister is my best friend and wants me to keep an eye on him." Nina was pissed.

"At least do it quietly sweetheart." Vanessa laughed and they walked to class.
For the rest of the schoolday, Nina could not stop thinking about how the youngest Ramirez spoke to her, she couldn't believe it.

When she arrived to the Ramirez's place, Ruth greeted her with a big hug and so did Ms. Ramirez. She was always welcomed in that family as their mother considered her like a daughter and watched her grow up.

Ruth and Nina sat in the living room and spoke about their day so far. Nina didn't say a word about her encounter with the youngest Ramirez though, she didn't even know why.

Suddenly she remembered Nancy.
"Hey, do you know Nancy Avila?"

"Of course I do, she lives down the street, your friend right?"

"Well she's basically in love with your brother and-"

Ruth interrupted her. "Wait Richard?"
She had to point out how Nina never called him by his name, so the youngest rolled her eyes as she knew Ruth's intentions.

"Yes Ruth, him. Nancy's in love with him since last year-" Ruth interrupted her again. "BUT SHE'S THIRTEEN!"

"Oh sorry I didn't know that really." She said jokingly. "But could you tell me if you know something like...I don't know, what does he think of her?"

Ruth shaked her head laughing. "Why would he talk about thirteen year old girls?"
"Well no offense but it's not like he's the most normal guy on earth." Nina said, thinking about his stealing and smoking marijuana habits.

"Hey it's my little Richie you're talking about." Ruth loved his little brother and would defend him against anyone.

As Nina was about to say "yeah whatever", someone opened the door. It was him.
"Oh you're here too." He said coldly while looking at the youngest in the room.

Ruth widened her eyes. "Since when do you guys talk to each other?" She couldn't believe it as she was the main reason the two hated each other when they were kids.

Nina turned to him, giving him a dirty look with eyes half closed and lips pressed together. "We don't. He speaks and I ignore him." And then she turned back to the girl with a nervous smile.

"Yeah, should've seen your face while ignoring me this morning." Okay, that was enough. Nina couldn't handle his teasing any longer so she got up and went up to him until they were facing each other with a few centimeters dividing them. The distance was so small that Ruth also got up scared.

"That's enough Ramirez. God seriously I will never understand what Nancy sees in you, you're miserable and you're just fifteen." And left that house, angrier than ever.