Worth Everything.

Rude Bitch.

NINI

"Excuse me? I'd like to be served please." I hear Maggie's voice calling over from the counter as I place Red and Ricky's drinks on their table. How she got over there so fast is beyond me. I smile at the guys, shrugging a little, and they both give me sympathetic smiles back. That's reassuring. I make my way back behind the counter and greet the girl.
"How can I help you?" I ask her, and she scowls back at me. Seriously? 
"Bowl of fries." 
"Sure thing. Anything else?"
"Nope." 
"Okay then. That'll be $7.50. Card? Not a problem. Thank you. Go take a seat and I'll bring them out when they're ready."
I ring her up on the til, sending the order back to the kitchen as she marches back to her table, very dramatically, and sits down with her friend.. Not before shooting another dagger at me, and glaring at Ricky. Wow. What the heck and she didn't even tip me. Rude bitch. I start tidying behind the counter, making it look like I'm busying myself as I wait for Lou in the kitchen to finish up their order. I ignore the urge to look at Ricky, because I don't want to cause trouble, especially at work. But I do want to look at him, and that's kind of scaring me. It's also an unusually quiet day today, the only people in here are Red/Ricky, Maggie/Theia, as well as myself and the guys at the back.
The kitchen buzzer goes off indicating that an order is ready, so I go to the kitchen and grab the bowl of fries. I can tell that Lou and Harry both know that Ricky is here just by the way they look at me when I walk in. They don't know all the details, only what I've told them myself, but they know enough that they're not huge fans of Ricky. I should probably update them when I get a chance. 
"Everything good Nins?" Lou asks me his eyebrow raised,
"Everything is good." I reassure them both sending a smile.
"Let us know if you need any help." Harry says, and I nod back and make my way out to the front of shop.
I allow a glance at Ricky (and Red) and notice that he's looking at me too. I can feel my cheeks warm in response, geez I'm embarrassing. I look back to Maggie and Theia and deliver their order.
"One bowl of fries. Is there anything else I can do for you?" I ask as I place their food down.
"I'm good." Theia says and grabs a fry as I turn my attention to Maggie.
"Anything for you?" I ask, and immediately feel uneasy. She has a weird smirk plastered on her face. 
"No, thank you so much." She says fake sweetly, and starts to eat her food. I nod cautiously and walk away, when of course, she calls me back over.
"Nini! Hey! Actually there is something!" This can't be good. I can feel it in my bones.
"Yes, how can I help?" I ask them with a smile, albeit fake.
"I'm just curious. You and Ricky date, you make that cringey I love you song, and he dumps you. You meet EJ and date the guy, break up, get with Ricky again.  You guys are in love or whatever, he cheats on you, you break up again. He meets me and we are good. You're away doing whatever it is you did. Then you kiss EJ. You invite Ricky to your exclusive graduation. Ricky and I end things, now here he is. In your cafe. Looking at you with fucking adoration. So who's next, Nini? Is it Rickys turn again? Or EJs? Because we all want to know.  Everyone is talking about it and we've put our bets in. Who is next for you?"
Oh. Haha. Fuck. Ouch.

RICKY

"What's she saying now?"
"We should have just sat closer if you wanted to eavesdrop dude"
"Shh! I'm trying to listen. What is Maggie saying??"
"This is weird."
"Come on man, please? Nini looks so uncomfortable."
"Emotional manipulation. Fine, um okay. Dude shut up."
Nini looks so tense right now, and Maggie can't stop smiling? It's so strange. I know it's rude to be listening in on someones conversation, but I can't help but think that they might be talking about me.. I didn't even know Maggie would be here, I'm not talking to her anymore, and I was really looking forward to seeing Nini, especially after our texts last night. I don't know what I was hoping for, but seeing Maggie was not apart of the plan in the slightest.
"Oh fuck. Shit." Red mumbles.
"What? What's happening?"
"Uh, Maggie. She's uh, I don't know. Taunting Nini? About you, and EJ. It's really.. Fuck. She just said people are placing bets on who she's going to chose out of you and EJ. She's being really cruel.. Poor Nini."
No. This is not happening. Nini doesn't deserve to be ridiculed, especially by someone who barely knows her. Before I know it, I'm standing next to a visibly upset Nini who is stammering on her words. Red grabs Nini gently by the arm, looking at me as I nod, and takes her to the back. Something needs to be said, and I don't want Nini around to hear it just in case it turns sour. I glower at Maggie who is looking so smug.
"Seriously?"
"What? You confused as well? Scared she's going to pick EJ over you, again? Should have stayed with me." Maggie says with a harsh laugh.
"Grow up Maggie. You and I had fun, but it's done. You think I'd want you when you're treating someone I care about like shit? Like?? What does acting like this prove? You coming into someones workplace, and taunting them? That achieves nothing. "
"Well you wanted me before! And, it makes me feel good acting this way, actually." 
"Things change, and I'm sorry that you're hurt Mags. But you feel good about bringing someone down? I thought you were better than this." I say in disbelief. Maggie was no saint, but I never knew her to be cruel.
"Of course you're standing up for her!" 
"Maggie, chill it." Theia says, trying to reign her friend in. But it doesn't work.
"She treats you and EJ like toys and you keep running back. What is it about her that makes her so special? She must have a magic pus-"
"Get out of my cafe." Harry bellows from behind us, I tense, and Maggie instantly pales. 
Fuck.
"It's shit here anyway. Let's go. Ricky if you know what's good for you, you'll text me." Maggie says deliriously, packs her things up and leaves with Theia following quickly behind. 
What the hell just happened? This isn't a fucking movie, and yet that felt like a scene from a YA film.. 
"Take a breather, Ricky." Harry says and puts a hand on my shoulder. I hear pounding in my ears and my breathing is rigid. I'm really worked up, and I need some fresh air before things go south for me. 
"You good?" I hear someone ask, and I walk out the door muttering.
"Need some air." 
I walk around the corner and sit on the path against the wall. People are looking at me like I'm crazy, and maybe they're right.. I don't know, I just needed some air man. How is this my life? Maggie was never malicious. Sure, she had her moments where she could be a little mean, but never to this extent. And Nini, fuck, I hope she didn't hear what Maggie said.. Especially the magic pussy thing. I hate even thinking that. Nini is unbelievably special in every way, so Maggie saying it's because of that.. Nope, don't get worked up. And I know I'm not a toy. God, I know if she heard that she's going to overthink that until she believes it's true. This is so messy. I'm.. Fuck. I should probably take a few breaths of fresh air to regain my composure, and go back inside for damage control. This is my fault, I started seeing Maggie, she's in 'our' lives because of me, so I need to fix it. I look down at my watch and realise I've been outside fro 10 minutes now. What? How? I take one more deep breath and stand back up to head back inside. Rounding the corner I bump into someone, and upon apologising I see that it's Nini.
"Hey, I was coming out to find you." She says with a small smile, not quite reaching her eyes though. It takes every part of me to not wrap my arms around her.
"Are you okay?" I ask as I look down at her. 
"I don't know. Are you?"
"Me too.. Nins I'm so sorry."
"There's nothing for you to be sorry about. It wasn't your fault."
"But--"
"I know what you're going to say. 'But if it weren't for me, she probably wouldn't have done that.' I mean, I guess maybe that's true. But you didn't say those words to me, Ricky. She did. You stuck up for me when I couldn't even say anything. You were there for me, and I really appreciate that. Thank you for standing up for me." She says quietly,
"I'll always be on your side Nins." I say shrugging back.
"I'm starting to realise that." She says back quietly, before clearing her throat, "Shall we head back inside?"
I nod in response and we walk back inside to a chatty Red and Lou and a pissed looking Harry. Fun fact, I haven't stepped foot in this cafe since about four months after Nini and I broke up, and I got a well deserved, but pretty stern talking to from Harry. (That's putting it politely.)
He looks at us when we walk in, narrowing his eyes slightly at how close Nini and I are standing next to each other. 
"All good?" He asks Nini, and she nods in response.
"Okay then. Good. Have the rest of the day off Nins, you deserve it. Your pay won't be docked."
"No, no. It's okay. I'll work, I'm fine."
"Maybe you are, but just in case you're not. Rest of the day, okay? We'll be fine with a few hours without our star barista. Seriously. Enjoy it because it's not happening again." He says, and with that walks back into the back dragging Lou away from Red.
"Okay then." She says, and gathers her stuff up. She links her arm through Reds and walks to me with a small grin.
"So, what are we doing for the rest of the day?" She asks, and I can't help the shock the goes though my body. She wants to hang out with me? Reds face mirrors mine, probably thinking the same thing.
"Well?" She asks giggling a little.
"Ice cream?" Red suggests, and once we both agree we head off. 

---------------------------------------------

"I should not have gotten the Caramel sundae with real cream. My stomach is going to explode." Red complains for the 100th time, as Nini and I laugh at his indecency.
"We warned you! We tried to stop you." She says through laughs as I drive back to Reds.
"I hate being lactose intolerant." He grumbles from the back seat, one hand on head and the other on his stomach. 
"Can you go faster? I'm not going to make it Ricky!"
"Dude if you do anything in my car right now, I will not hesitate to turn around and order another one of those sundaes you insisted on getting and shove it up your ass." I say back seriously and Nini bursts out laughing. 
"That was intense, Ricky."" She says through snorts, and her laugh is so contagious I am soon joining in.
"I'm glad my pain humours you guys." Red says, setting us off again. I pull into his driveway, and he rushes out yelling a 
"Thanks for nothing!" before disappearing into his house.
Nini and I stay in his driveway for a few minutes laughing before I think I'm capable of driving again, and we leave.
"I've missed this. Us three hanging out. That was so much fun." Nini says smiling.
"Me too, Nins. So you want me to drop you off at yours?" I ask with a smile back. I watch her from the corner of my eye, and she bites her lip, before shaking her head.
"Na, I think I'm ready for our talk. You up for it?" She asks me. I take a deep breath in, indicate to go to our spot at the park, and say
"As ready as I'll ever be."