"way, way back then, always dreamed it's you and me 'til the end."
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following the lives of nini salazar-roberts and ricky bowen from kindergarten through sophomore year of high school.
Today was Nini's sixteenth birthday. Much to Nini's delight, it was on a Saturday so she didn't have to go to school. Instead, she slept in and woke up at 10am. It was a pretty good start to her morning.
She hopped down the stairs to see her moms waiting at the kitchen table for her with huge smiles on their faces.
"Happy birthday sweetie!" Momma C had said as she scooped Nini into her arms. The three of them laughed.
"We made your favorite breakfast!" Momma D exclaimed. Once Momma C put her down, Nini saw a plate full of homemade pancakes, topped with syrup, a little powdered sugar, and fresh fruits. Her absolute favorite breakfast food.
"Thank you!" she squealed, diving right into the food and devouring it hungrily.
"We have something else for you!" Momma C said after she was finished. She pulled out a long box from behind her back, covered in red wrapping paper, and handed it to her daughter. Nini took it excitedly.
"Go on, open it!" Momma D coaxed. Nini tore open the paper and saw a cute little wooden ukulele sitting in front of her.
"Oh my gosh," Nini exclaimed, slowly standing out of her chair. She clutched onto the instrument and looked at it with awe, as if it wasn't real. She had been asking for a ukulele for the longest time. The only thing she asked for her birthday was that instrument, and here she was, holding it.
"Are you guys serious?" Nini said in disbelief, looking up at her moms. When her moms both nodded, Nini flung herself into her mother's' arms.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she shouted. "This is the best present ever!"
Momma C laughed. "We knew you'd like it."
Later, towards the middle of the day, Nini had a small birthday party that lasted for two hours. It was short, but most of her friends had to be somewhere in the evening so she decided to have a tiny party. More just like a hangout.
Kourtney, Ashlyn, and her friend Lucy came over. Although it was only three people, Nini was really excited because those were her closest friends. Things with Lucy were a little tense lately because of the whole Ricky-rejecting-her-when-she-asked-him-to-hoco-and-he-ended-up-spending-time-with-Nini fiasco, but Lucy tried not to hold that against her. She was just disappointed and a little jealous, but in all honestly, to Lucy her friends were more important to her than a silly boy.
The same silly boy that always seemed to be on Nini's mind nowadays.
The girls spent around three hours together, playing various games in Nini's basement such as truth or dare (it sounds childish, but it was really fun to play). They also watched movies, such as Tangled and Mulan, which was Nini's personal favorite.
When they left her house, the sun began to set, creating a beautiful, dreamlike sunset that looked like only something that existed in the movies. As Nini cleaned her house after the party, she admired how beautiful the red, orange, and yellow colors of the sky blended together so easily.
She heard her phone ding. Her parents were upstairs, most likely asleep because they were exhausted (even though it was only 7pm). She checked her phone and saw a message from Ricky. Her heart leapt to her throat.
Come outside!
Nini frowned at her screen, confused. Come outside? Ricky hasn't told her anything about this. In fact, Ricky hadn't said anything to her at all today (she was a little disappointed in the beginning if she was being honest). She looked up and saw Ricky waving wildly through the glass door that led to her backyard.
She ran out, her heart pounding incredibly fast and stumbling to put her shoes on and was in awe of the scene before her. Ricky had put up lights that strung across the gazebo in her backyard and they twinkled with life. He lit a bonfire in the middle of the place, giving off a warm heat that contrasted to the cool night. But the best part of all of this was the sight of Ricky staring at her with a bright smile on his face. The one that she loved and made her heart beat ten times faster.
"Ricky..." Nini said, breathless. "What's all this?"
"Happy birthday Nini!" He shouted. He handed her a red box with a yellow ribbon tied over it, one of Nini's favorite colors. "I'm sorry I couldn't see you sooner, but open it!"
She ripped open the wrapping paper to see a beautiful silver necklace shining at her.
"I know you've been wanting that for a while," he explained, his face turning red. Nini laughed. That was true. Ever since she had seen it through the store's window, she had been talking about it nonstop to Ricky.
Her heart warmed. He had always looked bored whenever she went on about the necklace. She was so surprised Ricky remembered, much less bought it for her!
"It's beautiful. I love it! Thank you so much," Nini gushed.
"Here, let me put it on for you," he said, taking the necklace out of her hands. He walked behind her and Nini took a sharp intake of breath when she realized how close he was. He moved some of her brown hair to the side to clasp the necklace. At his touch, Nini prayed he couldn't see the goosebumps that sprang on her neck.
"There," he said, smiling proudly. Nini ducked her head and grinned shyly, hoping he didn't see how red her face was.
Ricky shuffled over the porch, where he picked up his guitar. Nini raised her eyebrows. She hasn't noticed his iconic guitar before.
As he turned to meet her, he strung a soft chord. Ricky met her eyes and started to sing,
"Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday dear Nini, Happy birthday to you..."
Compared to the way her friends shouted this song to her early, his version was soulful, sweet, and slow. With each line, he took a step closer towards her until he was right in front of her. Ricky never broke eye contact. Nini stared up into his beautiful brown eyes, the ones that she had grown to love so much, feeling like she could melt then and there under his piercing stare. There was no way this was happening. This felt like a movie.
He cleared his throat. "I have something else to ask you."
"What's that?" Nini asked softly, surprised she could even get a word out by how floored she was right now.
"Will you be my girlfriend?"
Nini's heart stopped. Her eyes widened and she felt her world halt. All at once, it was just her and Ricky. And here he was, asking her to be his girlfriend. Something she had longed for for so long now.
Without thinking, Nini surged forward. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him down to meet her eyes. She then took one look at his shocked but hopeful face, grinned, and met his lips.
Once they pulled away, Ricky looked star struck. He blinked rapidly, comprehending what just happened.
"So...is that a yes?" Ricky asked tentatively, his voice raspier than it was a second ago.
Nini took a deep breath and finally breathed the words she's wanted to say since what seemed like forever.
"Yes, Ricky. I will be your girlfriend."
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