safety | rini

getting some fresh air | T W E L V E

just before nini could walk out the door on her way to Josie's, her mom walked through.

"oh, my heavens! look who's out of bed and dressed! you must be feeling better." her mom said as she sat a paper bag of groceries down on the coffee table.

"well i woke up starving and dying to get out to breathe some fresh air, see some people." nini said in her best bubbly tone as she slipped on an over coat.

"well i don't mean to sound like a health car professional or a smother, but if you over do it too soon, you are inviting a relapse." her mom said as she walked around to the table to stand in front of nini.

"mama, i'll be at Josie's sipping tea, don't worry." nini said, giving her mother a smile as she hurried to the door.

"well nina, what about an extra coat!" her mother called after her.

"got it!" nini replied as she shut the door behind her and started making her way to Josie's.

-

"relax Aunt Jenna, i already promised not to do anything crazy about the guy." ricky said, referring to the man that hurt nini as he fiddled with the thin chain around his neck.

"well who'd you promise?" jenna asked curiously.

"dad, okay?" ricky said, diverting his eyes to mike walking through the door. "well speak of the devil." he said as he stood up and offered his chair to his dad.

"well i didn't miss too much, now did i?" mike asked, taking off his coat and sitting down at the chair ricky was previously in.

"just me assuring Aunt Jenna that i wasn't gonna go off and assassinate the sick guy. excuse me." ricky said, excusing himself as he walked over to another table across the diner.

"hey Mr.Whitmore." ricky said, greeting his english teacher as he went to clean up a table.

"heya Ricky." he replied back. ricky was going to the table, when he looked outside and saw nini sitting at one of the outside tables in the freezing cold.

"nini? i didn't expect to see you here." ricky said, zipping on his jacket as he stepped out side. nini looked up at ricky.

"yeah, i got a little antsy sitting around the house." nini said in a light tone, folding her arms tighter over her as the wind picked up.

"yeah i know how that feels. so what are you doing here?" ricky asked, knowing she wasn't going to be working her shift. he had been checking the attendance and hours log. nini wasn't going to be working for who knows how long. that's why ricky was covering her shift today.

"getting some fresh air." nini said, observing the area around her. ricky took a seat at the other chair at the table, facing nini.

"hey, i haven't found your bracelet yet, but i will." ricky reassured nini. he had stopped by the place of ninis attack 2 times already. he was hoping that today some of the snow would melt down and make it easier to find it.

"thanks." nini said nonchalantly; she was a little taken back that ricky was being so diligent about getting back her bracelet.

"so, you look good. i guess you're feeling better." ricky said, surprised that nini was out of the house and in such a public place. nini looked up and over at the door of Josie's.

"i was. until i got here. i really want to get back to work, but it's just so crowded." nini said, slightly biting her lower lip.

"well you can just try it, and if you don't like it, you can always leave. i'll be here. for moral support, whatever that's worth." ricky offered, saying the last part with a small chuckle.

"okay." nini said softly as they got up from their table. ricky opened the door for nini and followed her in. the warm heating of Josie's hit nini, giving her some comfort. ricky walked back over to the bar.

nini turned to her left to the coat rack. she kept her eyes down as she slipped off her crossbody bag and unbuttoned her coat. after she hung it up, her eyes trailed around the room. every time a man would happen to look up while she was observing, her heart dropped and she felt a cold chill run through her whole body. they wouldn't even hold eye contact for a couple seconds, but nini had one question for every man who sat at Josie's; "are you the man that did this to me?"

nini shook her head, trying to focus herself. she walked down the main isle to get to the bar at the back. as she walked past the tables, a large hand fell in her shoulder.

"hey nini!" a mans voice said, nini spin around quickly, not being able to control the terrified look that was across nini's entire face.

"are you alright, nini? i was just going to ask you if you had received my messages." it was nini's english teacher, Mr.Whitmore. nini felt a wave of relief, but she couldn't shake the feeling in the bottom of her stomach. she hadn't been able to get rid of it since the attack.

"you scared me." nini said softly, trying to bring a comforting smile to her face. "yeah, i um, i got your message about picking up a book from the reading list. sorry i didn't get back to you." nini said, diverting her eyes down.

"oh i didn't really expect you to. how are you feeling, you look quite pale? i heard you had the flu." Mr.Whitmore asked, his voice calm, but slightly concerned.

"i'm getting better. i'll be back in school soon." nini reassured him, trying to make her voice not sound petrified.

"well good. i'll see you in class." he said before laying a $20 bill down on his table, giving nini a smile, then leaving. Jenna saw nini's unsettled look. she walked over and gently set a hand on nini's shoulder.

"how about you sit down? you're teacher was right, you're white as a ghost." jenna said, walking nini over to another table in the corner of the room.

"i just got a little scared..." nini said softly, tipping her head down, slightly embarrassed.

"that's okay, it will be like that in the beginning. that's a perfectly normal reaction." jenna reassured nini. nini nodded her head and pushed a piece of hair behind her ears.

"here. when you get a moment, i think you should take a moment to look at these. i got them from the rape clinic." jenna said as she opened her purse and pulled out a few pamphlets. she slid them across the table to nini.

"this one is about the emotional healing after an attack. it's for any assault, not just sexual. with time and healing, you will be able to feel good about yourself again, nini." jenna said, talking quietly to make sure nobody else heard.

"no, i won't." nini said, looking down at the table, unable to make eye contact with jenna. nini couldn't image feeling the same ever again. something was taken away from her that night. she didn't know exactly what, but she knew it wasn't something she could get back.

———

Authors Note : hii! this chapter was going to be really long, so i ended up slitting it into 2 parts, so the next part is coming soon! thank you guys so much for the support!! don't be a silent reader!!
xoxo, jo <3