euphoria. [ rini au ]

chapter nine.

Nini crammed her books into her bag on Monday morning as the bell signalled the end of class and the beginning of her free period. Still floating on the elation of winning, she couldn't keep the smile off her face as students and teachers congratulated her in the hallway or classrooms. Both Nini and E.J. had qualified for States. Nothing could put Nini in a bad mood yet, as she hummed under her breath while grabbing her sweatshirt off the back of her chair.

Ricky leaned against the doorway as he waited for Nini to gather her things and leave with him for the gym where final cuts for basketball were taking place. Slinging her backpack over her shoulder, Nini skipped to the door only to be stopped halfway seeing Kourtney. Nini shot Ricky a look and waved a hand to tell him to go to the gym without her. Sighing, he left and she focused on the girl in front of her.

"You should have stayed the other night," Nini began awkwardly, "at Ashlyn's. It was weird being short a person."

"I uh-well, it was-," Kourtney began. "I thought it would be weird."

"You and Gina made up, right?" Nini asked and Kourtney nodded. "Well, then, it wouldn't have been weird. You came to the meet, Kourt. Not because you felt like you needed to, but because you knew it was what I wanted. You could have held out but you didn't. Plus, you ended your meeting early to be here. I consider that enough."

"But I never apologized. Aren't you mad that I called you another one of Ricky Bowen's cheerleaders?"

"Kourt, you were pissed, but whatever. I just want my friend back. I was stressed out and I dumped a whole bunch of things on you that you had no warning of. Yes, they were true, but I have never let you think differently. It's a change, and I'm not going back, I think we can both compromise and move on from here."

"You were right about most of it though. I always go for what I want and expect everyone else to want the same. It just seemed like you were always there with me until Colorado and the next thing I know, you're trying out for basketball and auditioning for the musical," Kourtney replied.

"Colorado changed me, but it can't all be put on Ricky. It was the whole experience and I wouldn't change it for a moment. Yes, me and Ricky found something that we had both given up on, but our friendship comes first and foremost so don't think that's going to change no matter where things go. There's a lot between us that made us open our eyes to each other but also to ourselves. I've always held out on people, never really immersing myself in relationships because I would never want to get hurt. With him, it's different because he calls me out on things. He knows me, Kourt, it's just a different way than you do."

"So the basketball and musical aren't about you distancing yourself away from others? It's not about wanting to feel worthy? Because I know I shouldn't be paying attention, but that's what people are saying," Kourtney said, looking guilty.

"First, basketball has always been a passion of mine but I avoided it because of how much time with Ricky it involved. Second, I'm not doing the musical."

"What? But Gina and Carlos and Miss Jenn were all expecting you to be Tracy. You deserve to be her," Kourtney insisted. "I thought you wanted to have a lead?"

"I did and I still kinda do," Nini admitted. "But I really want to do well at states and at the risk of being the cliché basketball captain couple, I really want a 'C' on my warm-up jacket for basketball. I can't do both and put all the effort I should into the musical. I promised myself that whatever I did this year, I would do my best at. So I picked basketball and track and charity ball and I'll let Gina or one of the underclassmen have the spotlight."

"She's going to snap her cap," Kourtney warned.

"Probably," she sighed.

"And, I'm so excited for you for the charity ball," Kourtney told her. "What are you going to do about being on the auction list? I can't think that Ricky is okay with that."