ricky and nini's realizations

chapter 11

nini's pov

the football game comes to an end with a big win for the wildcats after an exciting night of cheering, marching band music, touchdowns, and friday night lights. we just finished our final cheer to close out the night for the crowd. the stadium slowly disperses to their cars. i walk over to my cheer bag that's propped up against the fence to put my poms away. as i'm turning around with my bag hung over my shoulder, i come face to face with a sweaty greyson. "oh hey! great job tonight. you were seriously so so good out there! no wonder coach made you the quarterback so quickly, " i tell him as he's taking off his helmet. "thanks nini. you wouldn't believe how nervous i was. i'm glad you were here cheering. kind of like you were cheering for me. it's good that i had a familiar face out here watching me the whole time." for some reason, when he said that, i got nervous. it seemed like he was slightly flirting. i don't know. probably not. i push that thought back in my mind when i remember that i was the first friend he made, so he's probably just glad he has someone to talk to i guess. i mean we've been getting closer, but that's that. as were talking i could feel a presence behind me. i turn around to see ricky, ej, and big red come to the sides of greyson and i to join the conversation.

ricky's pov

ej, red, and i walk up to nini once we see her, so that we can leave to go hang out before we all need to get home. "oh i forgot to mention this," greyson says only looking at nini. she just politely raises her eyebrows waiting for what he'll say. "there's a bonfire tonight to celebrate our win if you wanna come," then he turns to us and says, "i mean you guys. if all of you guys want to come." i could tell he was trying to be nice by asking us, but i just knew he only intended for nini to go with him. nini's face lights up, "yeah that'd be fun!" "um actually we already have plans," i butt in as i start to try and get everyone to start walking to nini's car. then ej just has to say something that totally doesn't help, "bro that sounds dope. we'll meet you there," as they bro hug. i guess they've really hit it off in the two weeks greyson has been here. i look at big red for some support, "oh! ej i thought we were gonna go back to my place and eat pizza." ej tells red, "we can do that anytime. let's just go have some fun." "i'm with ej. i just gotta run and change," nini says looking back and forth between ej and greyson. "yeah same i gotta go hit the showers. i'll see you guys there," greyson tells us walking off towards the school locker rooms. i let out a big sigh when nini walks off to the bathroom to get out of her cheer uniform and into warmer clothes. "really dude," i say to ej. "what?" he seems so oblivious. "we already had plans to hang out at reds. you know his parents give him a curfew," i inform ej. "awe sorry man," he says placing his hand on big red's shoulder. then he continues, "but we can hang anytime. a bonfire sounds fun. plus nini and i wanna go. ricky, you can go back with big red." i give a quick look of sympathy to big red then focus back on ej, "i never said i didn't wanna go dude. i just thought we agreed on a chill night after the game." "oh okay. you shut the idea down as soon as greyson asked us. my bad, you just made it seem like you didn't want to go," he tells me. "no i'm going," i say as i see nini walking out of the bathroom back towards us in warm, comfy clothes. she smiles when she approaches us, "you guys ready to go?" big red looks at her, "i gotta head home. you know, curfew and all." she gives a look of sympathy to him as well, "shoot. i forgot about that. i'm sorry." "all good. i'll see you guys at school monday."

general pov

ej receives a text from greyson containing the address. he directs nini as she drives to the destination. it's on a property just outside of town. this kind of outside of the kinds of things ricky and nini usually do. after some driving they come to a line of cars. they park at the end of the road and begin to walk down the gravel road to the fire they see in the distance, "what are we even gonna do this whole time," rickys asks both of them as they're walking. "guess we're gonna find out. if we get bored we can always leave," nini responds. they reach the bonfire and scan the area for people they know. they spot gina, so ej goes over to hang out with her. ricky and nini sit with each other on a empty piece of one of the logs surrounding the fire. in a conversation of their own, nini feels someone sit on the other side of her. she looks over to see none other than greyson, "hey nini. when did you get here? you should've come find me." "oh we just got here like a minute ago," she tells him. ricky just sits looking around. he gets the feeling that greyson only wants to talk to nini because he only greeted her.

nini's pov

i talk with greyson for a couple minutes about the game a bit more. then one of the football players gathers everyone's attention, "alright y'all! we're gonna play a game of suck or blow. if you aren't already sitting around the campfire get over here. if you drop the card, you kiss! no butts!" i can feel ricky shift closer against my side, so i turn to get a look at him. i can tell he's watching the card flip between peoples' mouths as it moves around the circle of people. then he grabs my arm pulling me outside of the circle. "ricky, what-" i say with a mixture of confusion and slight annoyance. he quickly says, "sorry,  we gotta go. my dad just texted saying he wanted me home." "awe okay. i'll go get ej i guess," i walk over to him while ricky remains standing behind where we were previously sitting, "hey ej ricky has to go. are you still riding in my car?" "nah it's good. i'll just find a ride," he says waving me off. "alright see you," i say while i'm turning around to walk away towards ricky. i honestly didn't want to leave. we haven't even been here long enough to enjoy it and i thought it sounded like a fun idea. as were walking to the car i ask, "wait i don't have any service. how'd you get a text in the woods?" he shrugs in shoulders and shoves his phone in his pocket, "oh i don't know. maybe i just have a better network than you do on your phone." i guess he's right, "how come your dad said he needs you home? you always stay out late with me or ej," i pause then ask, "do you think something's wrong?" he doesn't show much emotion, "um not sure, but nothings wrong." "how do you know nothing is wrong if he didn't tell you why he needs you home?" i question because at this point he isn't making sense to me. "look nins. i'm sure it's nothing. probably just wants me home because i had already been out for hours at the game tonight," he tells me as we approach the car.

ricky's pov

we've been driving for a few minutes in silence and we still have quite a bit of driving until we reach our neighborhood. i can see nini look at me then back to the road more than once out of the corner of my eye, but doesn't say anything. she does it again and says, "how come i feel like you aren't telling me the truth about earlier." i feel my body get hot and i begin to fiddle with the ring i wear on my index finger, "what?" "seriously ricky," then she just stares at me as long as she can before she needs to look back to the road. i just play dumb because i don't know if my lie didn't line up, or because i'm not sure why i lied to get her to leave so abruptly. "seriously nini. i don't know what i would be lying about," i say trying to sound believable. she lets out a harsh breath and doesn't talk the rest of the ride. i start to feel really guilty that she seems disappointed in me, but i definitely don't feel bad about getting us to leave that bonfire. no way would she play suck or blow. i was simply doing my best friend a favor by getting her out of that stupid game. but anyway, she's not the type of person to argue, which i admire about her. and i'm glad she has this quality about her because it ended the conversation about my lie. at least for now.

general pov

nini pulls up to the front of ricky's house. he steps out of the car while keeping the door open to say, "it's friday night you know... wanna spend the night? we can watch movies or we can-" nini cuts him off quietly, "i'm good ricky. i'm just gonna go to sleep." "oh that's fine. we don't have to watch a movie," he tells her. "no thanks. i'm just gonna go home. see you at school," she says looking away from him. "oh okay. well um goodnight," he says closing her car door. with that, she drove off. ricky stills stands in the driveway wondering if what he did was that bad of a thing.