YOU AND I ↠ RJP

2

it's been forever since i updated this book pahahaha apolgies. anyways here's the second chapter :))

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"So, Nina, where did you move here from?" River questioned as the two walked side by side down a narrow path. Nina had no idea where she was going -- her week in Gainesville had consisted of her staying in her room all the time. Her aunt was right, she did need to get out more often.

"Long Beach," She responded, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear, "California."

River raised his eyebrows in amusement, "Wow, California." He murmured in awe to himself, and Nina smiled. "I'll bet it's really nice there."

"Oh, it's the best." Nina enthused, grinning as memories of the city she grew up in flooded her mind -- taking Caroline for walks along the beach, having her parents sleeping just down the hall from her and not 2,000 miles away and all of her friends from school whose kind faces she missed so dearly.

"I'm sure you'll love it here, though." River tried to assure her as he saw the dejected look upon her face. He stopped walking and gestured toward a bench that sat a couple feet away from them, "Gainesville's great, I promise. Everybody's super friendly and I can guarantee you'll make tons of friends." He told her with a smile.

They took a seat next to each other on the bench, not too far apart and not too close. Or at least not as close as they would have liked to be.

"Everybody's friendly?" Nina questioned with a look of uncertainty, "There's not even that one asshole at school that knows just how to rub you the wrong way?"

River couldn't help but laugh.

"I guess you could say there's someone." He said, oblivious to the fact that Nina was admiring his every move. He was wonderful.

"Does this person have a name? I'll make sure to steer clear of them on my first day."

"Darrell James," River said, his face twisting in anger as the name left his lips, "I would definitely stay away from him, and his gang. They're nothing but trouble, I swear."

"What did they do?" Nina questioned, hoping she hadn't overstepped her boundaries. She could tell this was a sensitive topic to River by the uncomfortable expression he held.

"Well, uh, about two or three years ago they used to always say awful things about me, at first it was just silly stuff like making fun of my name or calling me a hippie. I didn't really mind though, it always went through one ear and out the other. Then they started getting on Joaquin, and that really bothered me," River explained, his eyebrows furrowing in displeasure, "One day they were teasing Joaquin, and Darrell really started taunting him y'know? He kept trying to start a fist fight and get Joaq to hit him, and of course he never did. All I can really remember is seeing red. They just kept teasing him over and over and over and the next thing I knew I'd knocked Darrell out and broke his jaw." River finished, and instead of looking proud as most boys would when telling a girl they'd won a fight, he looked ashamed.

"I'm not violent at all, it's just not in my nature. But I had to protect my brother." He said, looking deep into Nina's eyes. "Anyways, after that they left me alone. If they ever say anything rude to you, promise to tell me okay?"

"I will, don't worry."

River smiled before gently taking Nina's hand in his own and standing up from the bench.

"We'd better go check on the others, your poor little sister has been stuck with those two long enough." River laughed, lightening the mood.

"I doubt she cares, I'm pretty sure her and your brother are desperately in love." Nina said dramatically, causing River to chuckle as the two made their way back to the market.

//

"Oh, I love this book!" Caroline exclaimed as she grabbed To Kill A Mocking Bird from the shelf and held it tightly in her grasp.

Joaquin laughed and arched his eyebrow, "Really?"

"Yeah, Nina used to read it to me all the time. It was the only book I've ever really enjoyed." She smiled as she ran her hand down the spine and looked up at Joaquin, "Where'd Rain go?"

He shrugged, uninterested in the whereabouts of his sister as he looked at the pretty blonde girl.

"We just saw her indulging herself in some fashion magazines round the corner." Came a gentle voice from behind them.

The young boy and girl whipped their heads around to find their older brother and sister smirking at the two of them.

"Hello, dear brother. And how was your walk?" Joaquin joked with a wink.

River rolled his eyes, pushing Joaquin softly in the shoulder, he knew exactly what was going on his younger brother's wild imagination.

"It was wonderful. And how was yours?" River grinned cheekily at his brother. It was obvious how smitten he was with Caroline.

Joaquin just blushed and looked to the ground, kicking the ground with his feet.

"Hey, kids!" Came River and Joaquin's mother's voice.

The four turned to see Arlyn, Vera and Rain, who had at least three magazines in hand, walking over to them.

"How was your afternoon?" Vera asked, pushing her brown curls away from her eyes.

"It was great." River answered for the four of them, the look on the older women's faces looking like they'd just won the lottery.

"Oh isn't that wonderful!" Arlyn grinned as she wrapped an arm around Joaquin's shoulders and squeezed it tightly.

"Well, we'd better get going, girls. Your uncle Joe's going to get grouchy if I don't start lunch soon." Vera said told the two girls, and they nodded, "Goodbye Arlyn, it was lovely seeing you today."

"You too. Hopefully we can do it again sometime."

Vera smiled and nodded before walking away with the two girls.

"I'll see you at school, Nina." River called after them. Nina turned her head and smiled as she walked away. She knew she'd be seeing this boy a lot more than just at school.

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hope you enjoyed!! please vote and comment :))