❁starbucks❁

❁fourteen❁

It was a warmer-than-usual Saturday afternoon. Nini had finished that weekend's homework at Starbucks earlier that day, so she was in her dorm room with Kourtney, watching High School Musical on her laptop for nostalgia.

Life was pretty good at that moment.

"So," Kourtney said, putting a fistful of popcorn in her mouth. "How's the barista situation?"

Nini giggled as popcorn fell out of Kourtney's mouth onto her animal print bedspread. "It's going good. I'm really happy whenever I'm with him. And as far as I can tell, the feeling is reciprocated."

"You have got to ask him out, Nini. I am positive he likes you. I mean, he's been giving you free drinks for the longest time, you guys have been on so many late night phone calls, he took you out at midnight to go out to eat. And he gave you a hoodie." Kourtney said, peeling her eyes away from Zac Efron to look at Nini.

"I'm just scared."

"Dude. I haven't seen you this happy in a long ass time." Kourtney said. "And it's because of him. Ask. Him. Out."

"I will. At some point." Nini exclaimed, only to be met with an eye roll from Kourtney. Then Nini's phone buzzed.

"Who is it?" Kourtney, who had gone back to the movie, asked.

Nini flipped her phone over to look.

Ricky: im sick waah

"Ricky." Nini was smiling at the text.

"See, you're smiling at your phone!" Kourtney laughed. "What'd he say?"

"He's sick."

"Go over there."

"What?" Nini was caught off guard. "Why?"

"Because it would be cute. Go to the store, bring some comfort food and a movie, and hang out with him!" Kourtney sighed, as if the answer were obvious.

"Hm." Nini hummed absentmindedly as she typed back to him.

Nini: But I just saw you this morning at your shift.

Ricky replied almost instantly.

Ricky: gina poisoned me.

Ricky: nah jk i just have a fever wasnt feeling well this morning either just didnt say so

"Do it, Nini." Kourtney prodded.

Nini sighed and began typing.

Nini: What's your address? I'll be there soon with sick person stuff.

"I'm going, Kourt." She smiled.

-

❁

-

After a few seconds of anticipation and watching the grey bubbles in the corner of his screen, Nini had texted Ricky. And he had texted back his address.

She was coming over.

He was happy, obviously. Overjoyed, even.

But he was not ready. His apartment was a mess, and when Gina had come over for movie night a few days prior, she had said his apartment looked like "the asscrack of Satan in apartment form".

He quickly found Gina's contact and pressed "call" while getting off of his couch and frantically started cleaning the area. His fever and resulting exhaustion had been forgotten completely as he prepared.

"Hey." Gina answered the phone with a note of curiosity in her voice. "What's up?"

"Nini is coming over! I'm not ready!" He groaned.

"Woah, are you finally making any sort of move?"

"No, probably not. Just help me here. I'm panicked. I like her so much, and if I knew she was coming, I swear I would've cleaned the entire apartment spotless to make a good first impression. But we were texting and she just said that she was coming over and I'm so nervous."

He heard Gina sigh over the phone. "Put on some pants and just clean what you can, dude. You can do this."

"Thanks, Gina." Ricky hung up and started furiously cleaning his apartment. He threw away all the food wrappers on the floor by the couch, put all his dirty clothes that were lying in various places into a laundry basket, and plugged in some air fresheners that he had found lying deep in his closet.

-

❁

-

Nini was at Meijer, walking down the aisles nervously with butterflies in her stomach, searching for the perfect comfort foods to bring. She had already stopped in the movie section and found the dumbest looking movies she could find for Ricky. She saw Seb stocking food.

"Seb!" She whisper-shouted, walking over to him.

"Nini! Hey! Thought you weren't working today."

"I'm not. I'm getting comfort food for Ricky. Because I'm going over to his place." She said, somewhat surprised at the words coming out of her own mouth.

"Aww, Nini." Seb swooned. "Good luck!"

"Thanks." Nini grinned, returning to her search. She eventually settled on Doritos, because she didn't know anyone who didn't like Doritos, popcorn, candy and a 2 liter bottle of Coke for them to share. She looked at her selections with satisfaction. It was an optimal combination of sweet and savory, with a carbonated drink to top it off. Ultimate comfort. She smiled to herself and walked to the self check out. Her nervousness was slowly beginning to turn into excitement.

What did she have to be nervous about? It was just going to someone's apartment. For the first time. And the someone wasn't just a 'someone' to Nini. She was in love with him. She paid for her things, and got in the car to drive to his apartment building.

Nini: Just stopped at the store for a sec. On my way now. :)

-

❁

-

Nini: Just stopped at the store for a sec. On my way now. :)

Shit, Ricky thought.

His apartment had vastly improved, but his nerves had not. Nini Salazar-Roberts, an angel on this shit Earth, was coming to his apartment.

He was pretty sure he had dreamed this once upon a time, after he had spent the last few minutes of his consciousness texting or thinking about her.

Was he dreaming? No, his panic was too real.

Suddenly, he heard two tentative knocks on his door.

She was here.

two parter! thank you all very much for 6k:) appreciate your feedback!

sorry for the lack of updates, my school started online curriculum a couple weeks ago and i take two ap classes so ive been doing work for those (and texting my bestie lol). expect less frequent updates now but i promise they will be made! love u all