common sense • rini/jolivia one shots

letterman

Ricky Bowen may be East High's star football quarterback but he almost never wears his letterman jacket, that's because his girlfriend constantly steals it from him.

Nini Salazar-Roberts was Ricky's biggest supporter. she'd known the boy since kindergarten, they'd started dating their freshman year and in sophomore year, Ricky started playing football. it was hard at first, all the football players usually dated cheerleaders, Nini is the total opposite. she's a theatre kid, top of all her classes, stays in on friday nights to study kinda girl.

still, Nini went to every single game. she sat in the same spot at every game, in the front row of the student section of the bleachers. every game, Ricky would look into the stands and point to her. Nini would sprint on to the field to jump into his arms, Ricky spinning her around.

it was another friday, meaning another game. Ricky walked into East High, seeking out his girlfriend. he turned the corner and spotted her standing at her locker, his red and white letterman jacket draped over her body.

he smirked, knowing that she took it when she left his house last night. he slowly and quietly cane up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

Nini tensed at the action until she heard his voice, "i think you have something that belongs to me."

Nini smirked, closing her locker and leaning against it as she turned around to face her boyfriend, "oh yeah? and what's that?"

Ricky tugged on the lapels of his jacket that engulfed his tiny girlfriend, Nini giggling as he cracked a smile at her, leaning his forehead against hers.

"how are you this morning?" he asked quietly as he held her hips in his hands.

Nini shrugged, "i'm good. i'm excited to watch you play tonight. it's a big night."

ah yes, a big night indeed. there were college scouts coming to the game tonight to look for potential college athletes, Ricky was hoping to be one of them. he was hoping to get scouted to St. John's, Columbia, or Fordham. Nini had already accepted her recruitment to NYU so she was definitely going to New York in the fall, Ricky was planning on going with her either way but getting scouted to play football there would be his best chance at actually affording to go to the city, the scholarship would give him a full ride for all four years.

Nini noticed his face falter a little, "hey, don't worry. i'll be in the stands the whole time, you're gonna do great babe. i'm your good luck charm!"

in the three years that Ricky had played for the East High Leopards, Nini has only ever missed one game and they lost tragically. since then Ricky has deemed her his good luck charm, prompting her to go to every game so that they won.

Ricky smiled and swung his arm around her shoulders as they started to walk to class, "yeah, you are."

by the time the final bell rang for the day, Ricky had been building up with anxiety all day long. he was practically shaking as he thought about the game tonight, he didn't want to disappoint his dad. Mike didn't push him to play but Ricky wanted to do well for him, knowing that his dad played for East High when he was his age too.

Ricky rounded the corner to the bomb shelter, knowing that Nini has her Theatre 101 class for last period, often staying late to talk to Miss Jenn. he peaked in the door and saw his girlfriend perked on top of a table with Jenn in front of her, the two animately chatting. he walked further into the room, stealing a quick side hug from the teacher.

"oh Ricky! honey, you scared me!" Jenn said, laughing as she ruffled the teens curls.

Jenn has married Mike Bowen when Ricky was only 13, the woman becoming more of a mother to him than his biological mother. the teacher had been there for Ricky and Nini for the last five years, the two teens becoming her favorite students, and not just because she saw them around the house every day.