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

6. babe

•••••

R I C K Y 'S P O V

SALT LAKE CITY CARNIVAL

after probably the most awkward fair ride of my life, the group gets back together at the center of the carnival.

we go around and do a few more rides, but i mostly stick with red the entire time. nini and e.j are being way too touchy, and every time i look over there i can't help but gag. oh my god, someone should say something. nini's wearing a blue sundress, which e.j's got his hand cupped in back pocket of while they walk.

nope.

nope.

nope.

i'm actually about to throw up. he's practically fucking groping her in front of everybody, why is no one else grossed out??!

you'd think people would care more. i mean, the action itself isn't gross, (it's sixteen candles, one of nini's favorites) it's just the elton john of it all.

well, it's not that i'm saying if i did that with nini it would be--

uh, not that i'm thinking about doing that with her, that's not..it isn't..because, she's--just no. i'm not thinking about that at all. okay? okay.

i just don't think i can handle any more of this, especially at an after party.

"do you think you could find another ride? i don't really think i'm up for anything, i'm super tired," i turn and ask big red.

"dude, this is an ashlyn and e.j caswell party we're talking about, when's the next time we're gonna get to go to something like this?!"

"i don't know man, i think i'm just gonna head off."

"wait, you're not coming to the after-party?" nini overhears, coming over to where red and i are walking (without e.j, thankfully).

"oh, i don't know if i should.."

"come on ricky, these guys love you!" she gives me a pleading look, "there's gonna be pizza too, so--"

"okay, fine, you had me at pizza," i fake a laugh, which invokes a smile on nini's face.

"i'll text you the address!" nini says excitedly, giving me a quick hug before heading over to e.j's car.

"i guess you don't need a ride, then."

ASHLYN'S HOUSE

when we arrive at the address nini sent, the group from the fair can be seen entering the house from different cars.

we get out and follow everyone else into ashlyn's basement where people have congregated into conversational groups. i eye nini across the room, her gesturing for me to go over by her and e.j. red left my side to go talk to other people, so i really don't have another choice.

i walk over to where nini and sitting on the counter by e.j, who's looking in all of the drawers.

"what're you looking for, babe?" nini asks him. i try not to gag at the nickname, but it only gets worse.

"the key to the liquor cabinet, babe."

wait, what? nini and i exchange looks for a moment, not knowing what to do.

"don't worry, babe, her parents won't notice," he says, coming up to her on the counter and standing between her legs. nini and i both know that's not what we're worried about, but she doesn't press. i look down at the ground awkwardly as they start kissing each other (for WAY too long, if you ask me), the two of them being super obvious about the fact that they're using tongue. i'm gonna hurl.

"hey, airbud, stop pretending your girlfriend's mouth is your little doggie water bowl and get us the key!" gina chimes in, standing next to me.

oh thank god.

e.j gives her a look before backing away from nini, continuing to search for the key. he eventually finds it in a random junk drawer, earning a round of applause from the group around us.

E J 'S P O V

i was super pissed at gina for breaking up nini and i's kiss, because if i'm being honest, that's the most intense it's ever gotten. but besides that, everything's been going smoothly with nini and i.

FLASHBACK - two nights ago, e.j caswell's living room

nini and i are sitting on my couch in front of the TV while she flips through the channels. my parents work in marketing for a bunch of different big-name companies, so they travel a lot. right now they're in arizona, which is why i invited her over.

i have my arm wrapped around her with her neck resting on the inside of my elbow against the couch, sighing in content. i turn my head and press a kiss to nini's temple, moving my lips down her face to her neck before she squirms away.

"not now, i have to go to the bathroom," she says, putting some more popcorn in her mouth and turning back to the TV to continue flipping through shows on the screen. i give her a confused face when she doesn't get up.

"are you gonna go or.."

"oh, right, yeah," nini sets the bowl of popcorn down and heads off to the bathroom, almost as if she forgot she said that.

PRESENT

i mean, yeah, she doesn't really let me lay a hand on her when we're alone--the two times that we've hung out alone, because she doesn't like doing that, either--but it's cool. i like a challenge. nini's not like the other girls i've dated, she's special--and nothing is gonna come between us.

i'll make sure of it.

R I C K Y 'S P O V

after e.j busts open the cabinet he starts handing out wine coolers like they're candy. e.j holds one out for me, but i kindly decline.

"designated driver," i clarify. i mean, it's not a lie. e.j opens one for nini, giving it to her.

"oh, e.j, i don't really--"

"just try it, don't be difficult."

difficult?

it's her choice, how can he just talk to her like that?! i want to say something, but by the time i've rehearsed my words of anger nini's already downed half the bottle. pleased, e.j walks off to go mingle with his friends, bringing gina along with him. i hop up and take a seat next to nini on the counter.

"are we not gonna talk about what just happened?"

"what do you mean?" nini confusedly smiles, turning her head to look at me.

"he just forced you into that, and you're acting like that was normal."

"he didn't force me, ricky," she laughs, "i did it myself. besides, i drank half a serving. i'll be fine."

"whatever you say, neeners."

"how are you and e.j getting along? do you like him so far?"

nope. not at all.

but i know how important my approval is to nini, so i have no choice but to lie--because no matter what i think, the situation isn't changing.

"he's cool, i guess."

"come on, you love him."

nini and i make small talk about random things as the party progresses, until e.j announces that it's time for spin the bottle (a classic caswell party tradition, apparently). cheers echo throughout the basement as everyone moves to the center of the room and sits down in a circle. nini hops down from the counter, holding her hand out for me to go with her.