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

10. best friends, lovers on the side

N I N I 'S P O V

FIVE DAYS LATER -- EAST HIGH LOCKER ROOM AREA/FOOTBALL FIELD

"e.j, please just listen--"

"listen to what? more of your bullshit?! just tell me the truth, nini, jesus!"

it's thursday (east high's game day), and i'm trying to get through to e.j--who's clearly upset. and yeah, i can't blame him. i don't really want to get into it, it wasn't even that big of a deal. we're just outside of the locker rooms, during halftime at the biggest game of the season.

"i'm telling you the truth, you're just not believing it!"

"it's pretty hard to believe when you hear your girlfriend say her best friend's name while you're--"

okay, yeah, it seems like a big deal.

but i can assure you, it was completely accidental. i think that goes without saying.

look, it's not like i was pretending e.j was ricky or anything to tolerate it, that'd be..that'd be crazy. and wrong. because ricky is just a friend. that's all he'll ever be. and e.j is my boyfriend.

okay? okay.

"i'm sorry! i feel terrible, i..i don't know what happened, i just..got confused and--"

"yeah, no, i totally get it. it must get pretty confusing when you're fucking two guys at once. maybe even more, i mean, just look at you. you probably can't help it. i should've known my girlfriend was a whore, just look at what you're weari--"

"i'm sorry, what?!" gina interrupts, coming from the cheer locker room behind us, "you're one to talk, fucko!"

"wait, what's that supposed to mean??" i look between the two of them.

"nothing, nini. i just--"

"oh, no, no, no. i'm gonna stop you right there, asshole. i know you did not just try and gaslight this poor girl. you know you're my best friend, but i'm not letting you get away with that shit. i'm not gonna sit back and watch you be a complete douchebag."

"wait, e.j..what'd you do..?" i turn and ask e.j softly, basically already knowing the answer. and now, observing the knowing glances between e.j and gina, i don't need an answer.

"nothing happened, nini.."

"yeah, only because i caught you with her just in time! go on, tell her about how you got drunk and tried to fuck abigail brown because your buddies said it would help your reputation--"

i look down at my phone to see a text from ricky, which is the perfect excuse to get me away from here.

"i've got to go..i.."

"nini, no, wait--"

i give gina a thankful look before i walk away, holding back tears.

R I C K Y 'S P O V

"hey, where are you?" i say anxiously into my phone, on an ongoing call with nini.

"by the main staircase, where ar--"

"okay, stay right there!"

i abruptly hang up and make my way over to the stairs to see nini leaned up against the railing. the school's pretty empty, the game having just started back up.

"neeners!" i say excitedly as i come up behind her and give her a tight hug, resting my chin on her shoulder.

"hi," she sniffles. i pull back immediately to see her wiping at her eyes.