California Dreamin

19

As weeks went by, Nina took some time to herself as she didn't feel like talking and socializing much.
Ruth called everyday to check up on her but it was always Ms. Ayala the one picking up the phone.

The only times she would leave her house, she would go to the cemetery to put new flowers on her father's grave.
She missed both Nancy and Richard, especially her best friend even though she didn't know if she still was her best friend or not.

Sooner or later she had to tell her about her feelings towards Richard and what happened between them.

One night, she couldn't sleep as she kept thinking about what to tell Nancy, she couldn't wait anymore. She decided to go for a walk and reach the cemetery to see her father. Maybe it would've cleared her mind.

She knew that was Richard's place to hide but she was sure that he wasn't there. He didn't have any reason to go there as he wasn't living with his parents anymore. Or so she thought.

As she kneeled down in front of the grave, she could hear weird noises coming from an indistinguishable place inside the cemetery. She could hear giggles and whines and she couldn't help but get a little scared as it was dark and she couldn't see much with the lights on the street.

She got up and decided to trust her senses as she started walking towards the noises.
Then it hit her. It was Richard's spot.
And there they were.
Richard and Nancy. Making love. Not too far away from her father's grave.

"You got to be kidding me!" She loudly exclaimed.
Nancy gasped as Richard panicked.
"WHO'S THERE?"

The audacity. Nina thought as she stood there with crossed arms.
"See for yourselves, jerks."
Richard poked his head out, followed by Nancy, both speechless but not more than the angry girl in front of them.

"Seriously?! Next to my dad?! Richard, don't you have a car or something? Out of all the places..."
He didn't say a word.

"And what about you? Fifteen and already slutting around and having sex with a guy you barely know in a cemetery? I'd expect it for him but YOU?" She scoffed bitterly.
"You have zero self respect and you both are disgusting. Stay away from me."
And she walked away, praying inside her head for her dad to forgive them.

The next day, Ruth decided to pay a visit to her house to make some company for the two women.
"Hey Ms. Ayala, how are you feeling today?" She asked the older woman, hugging her tightly.

"I've been better sweetheart. Let me go call Nina-"

"I'm here." Nina greeted Ruth with a smile and  ran up to her to hug her.

She was genuinely happy to see her as she was probably the only person in the world able to help her.

"What's going on with Richard? I know I always ask you the same things but..."
The older one asked out of the blue, making Nina roll her eyes.

"Everything's fine, I'm just taking some distance from everyone. I feel like that's what's best for me right now."

"I don't think that's good for you, especially considering what you're going through. You should talk with Richard, he's really worried about you." Ruth said, leaving Nina speechless.

He wasn't really thinking about me when he was having sex with my best friend next to my father's grave. That was all that came into her mind.

But maybe she was right. She had to talk to Richard but most importantly to Nancy.
She waited for a few other days to think about what to tell her and before she knew it, she was in front of her main door, still repeating the same speech she wanted to give her.

Ms. Avila didn't make Nina wait too long before greeting her with a warm smile, as usual.

And there she was. Standing in the middle of her not-so-best friend's room, as the younger girl was staring at her with furrowed eyebrows. Nancy clearly wasn't expecting her to make a move.

"We seriously need to talk." That's all that Nina said.
"After what you told me a few days ago?" Nancy quickly responded, still pretty irritated.

Nina couldn't believe it.
"Do you have any idea of what you were doing back there? Having sex with a guy you barely know?! Also, in front of my father's grave. That's the respect you want to pay him?"
Of course Nancy wasn't the only irritated one.

The younger one watched her old friend with a cold expression.
"Okay then, let's put it this way...After everything you've done to me?"

Nina wanted to scream, as she hesitated to answer.
"What are you talking about?"

Nancy laughed bitterly, almost scaring the girl standing in front of her.
"Seriously? You know damn well what I'm talking about. You were here to tell me everything, am I right? Well you're late."

And the world fell down on Nina.
Nancy knew. Richard told her. When? It doesn't matter.
"Uh-uhm...We need to talk a-about this Nan-"

"For what? Huh?!" Nancy interrupted her.
"I don't need your explanations or apologies. What kind of woman are you?! I was twelve. Fucking twelve years old. When I first saw him and I told you that I wanted him. And what did you do? You took him." She tried not to show how hurt she actually was but Nina couldn't help but notice her glossy eyes. She wanted to disappear.

She gulped before answering.
"I've been a really horrible person and you were the last human being to ever deserve it, but you can't only put the blame on me and you know it."

Nancy laughed again, with tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Do you think this is going to change anything? I already spoke with him, he also told me how he cheated on me and everything. With you. He said it was just sexual tension and that he stopped feeling it a while ago." At the end of that sentence, she smiled. But not a real smile. It had mixed emotions in it. Anger, disappointment, bitterness. Of course she didn't buy Richard's words at all and Nina was aware of it.

"The only thing you can do for now is get the fuck away from me."

Nina wanted to insist so bad but she knew she didn't have the right anymore and it would've been useless. As she was scared to make things worse, she muttered a "I'll be down the street" before turning around and leaving.