❁starbucks❁

❁five❁

Ricky and Nini had made an unspoken agreement to ignore what had happened between them.

The almost-kiss. Also known as the thing she had texted Kourt non-stop about for days and still brought up after multiple weeks.

Since then, the days continued as they normally did. Whenever Nini finished school or work, she would get in her (now fixed) Honda and drive to Starbucks, where she would remain and do homework until closing. Ricky would give her the occasional glance, or walk near her to sigh in her presence. Nini also had gotten to know most of the staff. There was Ashlyn and Big Red, who she discovered were dating, Ricky obviously, and a boy named Carlos. She also knew of, but had yet to meet, their boss, who was known simply as Jenn.

When Nini would walk into the restaurant, there would be a resounding "Hey, Nini!" from the staff in the front, Ricky's most of all. She had more friends here than in her actual job at the grocery store (Of course, the fact that the majority of her co-workers were double her age didn't exactly help).

Nini's days were a lot brighter now. A smile usually accompanied her journeys to Starbucks. The routine that she had comforted Nini. Starbucks (and Ricky) was a constant in it. It was a record that's music ran smoothly without any pauses or error.

Today was a scratch.

Nini walked in, a smile on her face after an easy day at school, to see Ricky enthusiastically hugging a girl by the bar. Nini felt her smile fall, and her heart drop straight into her stomach. Ashlyn was at the register, and waving at her. Nini looked up and smiled at her.

"Usual?" She asked as Nini approached the line.

"Yes, please." Nini said, trying to ignore Ricky and mystery girl having a loud conversation near her.

"Taken care of." Ashlyn smiled, writing her name on a cup and passing it on to Carlos, who gave her an enthusiastic hello and complimented her outfit.

Just as Nini was about to sit down, she heard a voice yell her name.

"Nini!"

Nini turned around and there he was, grinning and waving at her to come over.

"Come here!" He yelled. Nini obliged. "Nini, this is Gina." He gestured to the girl next to him who was eying her up and down.

"It's nice to meet you! Ricky's told me about you." Nini said politely.

"Hi, Nina. Ricky's told me tons about you too. In fact, he never can seem to shut up." Gina smirked. Nini saw Ricky kick her leg, to which Gina elbowed him in the side. She leaned in and whispered into Nini's ear. "If you don't reciprocate this feeling, please let me know or ignore this note so I may avoid further pursuit."

She recognized those words.

They were her own. From the note she had given Ricky with her number. Ricky had told Gina. And of course, she hadn't realized how stupid and uptight the note sounded. She kicked herself. Fuck, Nini, that isn't how humans talk! You're an idiot, she thought to herself. She felt her face burn. Gina laughed.

"Gina, stop!" Ricky said, seeing Nini's face flush red and her eyes drop straight to the floor.

"I have to get my drink." She mumbled, not even knowing if it was ready, and walked away. Thankfully it was, and she retired to her normal spot at the bar, where she decided to distract her mind with her homework.

She worked furiously for about an hour, and when she finally looked up, Gina was gone from the store, and Ricky was behind the counter.

She attempted to get back to homework the best of her ability, but her mind kept drifting to earlier. She began to dissect the interaction. First, Gina calling her Nina. Weird, because Ricky called her Nini, like everyone else did. Second, saying Ricky had talked about her. Not that abnormal. They were friends and she saw him every day, after all. Third, the recitation of the note. She had it memorized. How was that even possible?

She looked up at the clock. 9:47. Roughly ten minutes until closing time. Carlos passed her table, quickly and subtly putting a chocolate croissant on her table.

"What?" Nini said, confused. "I didn't order-"

"From Ricky. He told me to tell you he's sorry for earlier. I don't know anything, but make up shit with your man, girl! He's miserable."

Nini looked at the apology croissant and smiled a bit. Then she realized what Carlos had said.

"Oh. We're not-"

"Yet!" Carlos said, walking with a bounce in his step back into the kitchen.

Internally, Nini groaned. She literally had no more room in her mind to dissect that interaction.

Of course, she did anyway while pretending to do her homework. She stared warily at the croissant before taking a bite. Apologies tasted delicious.

10:00 rolled around, and so did Ricky to Nini's table.

"Hey." He said.

"Hi." Nini replied flatly. She was exhausted.

"Look, I don't know what Gina said or why she acted the way she did, but I'm sorry for it. She was being an ass."

"Are you two dating?" Nini decided to cut right to the question that had been plaguing her head for hours.

Ricky laughed and made a face. "God, no. She's a childhood friend of mine. We've been friends for as long as I remember, so she's mostly like a sister to me."

"Oh. I thought you were." Nini blinked.

"No. Absolutely not." He said. "No, but seriously, I'm sorry for the way she acted." He looked at her table, and saw half of the croissant lying on the table. "I hope you didn't think that croissant was my only apology. Although tasty, it would be a sucky apology."

"Don't worry about it. And consider this croissant a forgiveness croissant now, because it's damn good. Shit, they must put crack in these." Nini smiled.

"Can I have a piece?"

"Dude! You gave this to me! That's like taking back a Christmas gift!"

"But-"

"Fine." Nini laughed, tearing off a small piece and giving it to Ricky, who laughed and popped it into his mouth. "You're welcome."

"Thanks, Nini." He grinned.

With Ricky's smile burning in Nini's mind, the  scratch in the record disappeared and Nini's life was playing normal again.

hi guys! i hope u liked this chapter bc I really loved writing it and i'm pretty proud of it! my bestie motivated me to write this so thanks for that bae love u🥰