safety | rini

she wasn't wrong | E I G H T

nini laid in her bed facing her nightstand. she had been staring at her alarm clock as it got closer to 3 o'clock on monday. she hadn't really slept all night, terrified of what she would see when she closed her eyes. her phone buzzed consecutively for about 30 seconds before it stopped. another phone call ignored. she couldn't bare to answer it.

—

"is everything alright?" jenna asked, seeing Mrs.Carol, ninis mother, hanging up her cell phone. they were standing in the lobby of the hospital.

"oh yes, everything's fine, Miss Bowen. i let nini stay home today, she said she wasn't feeling good. i think she must have the flu or something, i've never seen her like this. anyways, i tried calling her but she must be asleep. but maybe she's just playing hooky like any other teenager. oh well, i must get back to work." ninis mom confessed, then walked away to do some paperwork. jenna's face fell, knowing the real reason why nini wasn't the same girl she was when she left her house last night for the dance.

ricky walked up to the desk where his aunt was. "nini wasn't at school today and she isn't picking up her phone." ricky said, slightly perusing his lips together.

"i gathered that much information. apparently she told Mrs. Salazar-Roberts that she thought she was coming down with something, but i don't think Carol believed it" jenna told ricky as she wrote on some papers in a binder.

"good. i hope Mrs. Carol doesn't stop looking deeper until nini tells her everything there is to know. but Aunt Jenna, what if she doesn't?" ricky asked concerned. all he could think about all day at school was where nini was, if she was okay, if she was safe, so on and so forth.

"well there isn't much we can do either way." jenna said, trying her best to be the voice of reason.

"i know she asked us to keep quite about what happened, but sometimes, doesn't it do more harm to keep a secret than to break it?" ricky asked, conflicted on how to feel.

"ricky, this one has to be her call. trust me on that." jenna said, her tone commanding and serious.

"so the guy gets to just get away with it?" ricky said, getting worked up.

"it's been known to happen." jenna said in a disappointed voice.

"and you can live with that?" ricky asked, trying to keep his voice down, but getting quite irritated.

"ricky, a lot of people live with a lot of things. it didn't happen to me! it didn't happen to you! what nini can stand is what really counts." jenna said in a partial whisper.

"look what's important to remember: apart from that coward, that criminal, who brutalized her in the park last night, nobody has done anything wrong. nini isn't wrong to want to keep this private. and she won't be wrong if she changes her mind and decides to tell the whole world. she wasn't wrong to be out there by herself, and you weren't wrong to have changed your plans about the dance." jenna said. as much as ricky wanted to do something, he knew his aunt was right. she usually was.

Mrs. Salazar-Roberts came back up to the counter just as jenna finished her little speech.

"oh ricky! i'm so glad i bumped into you. i just wanted to tell you how grateful i am that you and nini had such a good time last night. she's been a little uneasy since her other mother left for a long term business trip earlier this month, so it was so lovely to see her so excited about something. she was just thrilled for the dance and to go with you- oh i'm embarrassing you, i apologize. i just wanted to thank you, it was so nice to see nini smile like she did when she was preparing for the dance. you are such a wonderful young man." Carol preached to ricky before she went off to the elevators.

"i'm sorry, ricky. i should have stopped her sooner-" jenna started before ricky cut her off.

"why? you know i have a better idea, Aunt Jenna; if she and nini think i'm such a great guy, why don't i just try and be one." ricky said as he grabbed his jacket and started walking to the exit.

—

nini roled over in her bed, adjusting the covers over her shoulder. she hadn't left her bed all day. she couldn't bring herself to do so, even if she wanted to.

ricky walked onto the porch of nini's house. he rang the doorbell, but there was no answer. he knocked on the door and still nothing. he knocked again, but there still wasn't a response.

"nini? it's me, ricky! can i come in?" ricky called out. he tried the doorknob, but it was locked. he knocked on the door again. "nini, i just want to see if you're okay!" he called out again. the silence was making him a nervous wreck.

"damn it." he whispered under his breath. "nini, please! i just want to make sure you're okay! can you please just open the door!" he called out. he couldn't hear anything from inside the house.

nini laid face up, looking at her ceiling. she heard the doorbell, and the knocks, and everything ricky was saying. but she just couldn't do it. she couldn't get out of bed, or make it downstairs, or bare to talk to ricky. she had never felt this type of emptiness. it was deafening to all her senses. but there was nothing she could do.

———

Authors Note : hii! not much actually happened in this chapter, i just really wanted to show how ricky was feeling and jennas perspective on the situation. this was kind of an intro on how what nini went through will effect her. please don't be a silent reader!! i absolutely love reading the comments you guys have, plus any feedback! also, don't forget to vote for my stories!
xoxo, jo <3