kid krow | rini

chapter twenty-eight

"Hi."

Nini looked up from her textbook in her usual study hall spot, unsuspecting of the girl who stood before her. She'd never worked harder to escape a situation before this moment. She began to messily shuffle her papers together and jammed them into the textbook. As she packed up, Heather stepped closer. "Sorry, I- I can move. I'm sorry," she stammered.

"No!" Heather rushed to speak as she put her hand down on Nini's textbook. She quieted down before speaking again. "I wanted to talk. You know... if that's okay."

The table was nestled between shelves in the corner of the library. It'd been a sanctuary for Nini over the years and in this moment, it felt a bit more like a prison. Nevertheless, she nodded slowly as the other girl sat down directly across from her. "I'm really, really sorry you know," she admitted. "I shouldn't have written that song and I never meant for you to hear it."

"I know. And I'm sorry as well," she said softly. "By the way, EJ isn't getting your mom fired and he hasn't shared the video. I... deleted it and I'm doing all of his history homework indefinitely so that he won't be a brat."

"Why?" Nini asked. "Aren't you like crazy rich? Why his homework? And why protect me?"

Heather chuckled a little. "EJ is also 'crazy rich,' you know. But he won't be if he fails another class. Over spring break, our grandfather told him that his inheritance would be revoked if he didn't get serious about his education so he's like freaking out. I really like you, Nini. You're a sweet girl and I have wanted to be friends with you since I laid eyes on you."

"I wished death on you in song form," Nini pointed out. "That doesn't sound sweet to me."

"I think I'd say something similar about my ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend too," she replied. Nini's breath caught and she went on. "He told me."

Nini nodded slowly. "What did he say, exactly?"

"We flew out for his mom's birthday. She was having a garden party and told him to 'bring his girlfriend,' but she was surprised to meet me and asked about you. Your mom is friends with her and they'd been talking about you and she was expecting you; not me."

"Oh. I'm sorry," Nini said softly.

Heather nodded. "He told me that you guys had a thing for a while in secret because EJ doesn't like you. I don't know how you two got close or became friends or anything like that, he didn't want to say. I'm so sorry that I asked you so much about him in the beginning, I wouldn't have if I'd known."

Nini quietly whispered, "I know you didn't know. I don't actually hate you, I promise."

"Good," she breathed with a smile. "Is it too much to ask if you wanna hang out after school?"

"Hm..." Nini hummed. She wondered if she was living some sort of Carrie-esque nightmare.

As if she sensed the apprehension, Heather elaborated, "Obviously like not at my house, EJ will be there. I was thinking maybe like coffee or a drive or something?"

"Would you be opposed to my place now? No one's home or anything just us," Nini suggested.

Heather agreed quickly and the two girls escaped the building with ease. Heather led Nini to her car. "Do you wanna pick the music?" she asked when they'd settled.

Nini insisted that Heather choose which led to an influx of Taylor Swift. Nini didn't mind that in the slightest. The drive was rather short, though, so they really only sang along to a few songs together before Nini pointed out her home.

"Oh, I love this!" Heather exclaimed. "EJ's house is giving like... sterilized modern hospital."

Up in Nini's room, Heather turned around slowly, looking at each wall with a warm smile on her face. "So..." Nini trailed off slowly as the blonde slowly sat down on her bed. "What do you wanna do?"

"I was hoping we could talk, maybe?" Heather asked softly. She picked at a loose thread on her jeans and avoided eye contact. She waited a few beats and then admitted, "I have a question, actually."

Nini nodded slowly. The room felt really awkward and she was honestly unprepared for whatever Heather might have been about to ask her. But nevertheless, she asked the girl to go on. Heather looked like she was nervous to talk.

"Would you take him back?" she asked softly. "You know, like if he broke up with me."

And how could Nini give Heather an answer if she didn't quite know the answer? "Heather," she sighed. "I don't-"

"I'm not asking because I want to like hate you or anything," the girl assured. "I know you're not going to try to steal him back, Nini."

"Right," Nini murmured. "Things were messy, you know? I don't think I would even believe him at this point."

And they sat there quietly for a while. Heather cleared her throat and then asked further, "Were you with him on Valentine's Day?"

Without speaking, Nini nodded. She hadn't really rehashed these details in her mind. Heather noticed that she was crying before a teardrop fell onto Nini's leg.

"Oh, Nini," Heather cooed. She crawled closer on the bed and pulled the girl into a hug. "I'm so sorry. I really didn't mean to make you cry!"

The brunette choked out a soft, "It's not you," and then grew just a little more hysterical before she got too embarrassed to continue. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I'm quite alright."

"Well, don't spare my feelings," she joked with a little laugh. "I'm not the one who suffered so, huh? I don't want you to apologize for how he treated you, it isn't fair." And the more they talked, the more Nini realized that if Heather was on anyone's side, it sure as hell wasn't Ricky's for some reason.