𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨 (𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚) || hsmtmts au

5. happier

•••••

N I N I 'S P O V

NINI'S TREEHOUSE

ricky and i lay on the floor of the treehouse, looking at each other with our foreheads pressed together. i don't know what it is, but i can't look away. it's not like i want to, because ricky's face right now is hilarious.

he's just looking at me--not even smiling or anything, just staring blankly into my eyes--and it's so hard not to laugh. eventually though, i can't hold it in anymore.

"are you stroking out right now or.." i giggle, which makes him break our stare and turn his head while i laugh.

"oh my god," he's pretending to be mad, but after a second my laugh makes him start laughing and we're in a full fit of giggles and snickers. we're interrupted, however, by yet another ding from my phone from e.j.

"let me guess, it's e.j?"

"oh, yeah," i say, reading the text and choosing to talk to ricky instead of responding, "you know, i think you guys would get along."

"and why is that?"

"well, i mean, you're super similar! you'd love him, ricky."

"you think so?"

it's true, i think they could get along really nicely. e.j's been super understanding about ricky being my best friend--though i haven't really..i haven't really told him everything about our friendship. i mean, does he really need the entire run-down?? i just don't want him to think something's going on when there clearly isn't. i would never do that to him.

"of course!" i say, just as another text from e.j appears on my phone, "oh, he wants to go to the carnival this weekend."

"i thought we were going together? like we always do?"

"we still can! the three of us can go together."

"niniiii," he groans, "i don't wanna third-wheel with you guys."

"wait, you won't be! apparently a bunch of other people are going, too. we're all going as a group."

"who?" he asks. i pick up my phone and read e.j's message detailing who all was going.

"ashlyn--"

"who's ashlyn?"

"e.j's cousin, she's super sweet. then there's seb and his boyfriend carlos--"

"who's carlos?"

"oh, he's the student choreographer for the play e.j and i are doing," i tell him, which makes him stifle a laugh.

"really? e.j didn't really peg me for the theater type."

"he's just doing it for extra credit. he doesn't exactly love it, but that's just another thing you guys have it common!"

"fine, who else?"

"ooh, gina-"

"porter? as in gina porter? the popular cheerlead-"

"so help me god bowen, if you interrupt me one more time," i laugh.

"sorry," ricky giggles,"i just didn't think you guys knew all those people."

"i don't, but e.j does. being popular and all," i say excitedly.

ricky, red, seb, kourtney, and i have never really been 'popular'. i've always wondered what it's like, though.