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

35. musty

G I N A 'S P O V

my eyes widen when i process the words that actually just came out of my mouth, not knowing what to say next.

FLASHBACK - three months ago, gina porter's bedroom.

"i don't know. things are just really, really, complicated," nini tells me, taking a bite of her pizza on the other side of my bed. all of the lights are off except for my bright led lights that trace around the ceiling, the color being set to light purple for our little sleepover movie night.

"it doesn't sound that complicated, i think you should just dump his ass."

she sighs, "i'll think about it, gi."

"why are you even with him in the first place? he's musty as hell," i say, which makes her laugh.

"i don't really know about that, either. i mean, he's the troy to my gabriella, but if i'm being honest..it started out as a way to make someone jealous. i don't think i even realized it at the time, but it was."

"is it still?"

"no. now i just don't know how to get out."

"um, you tell him he's musty? easy."

"it's not that easy, though!" she giggles, "trust me, if it were..i'm just saying that i don't think i can see a future with him where i'm living the dream life, you know?"

"i know. you don't wanna be 35 and boring with a million whiny babies to take care of while e.j drinks a beer and watches football on the recliner waiting for you to make him a sandwich," i joke.

"exactly!! i wanna do something."

"i wanna do something, too," i say, but not in the way that she means it. i turn my head to glance at her to see she's that been looking at me the entire time. she smiles softly as i look down at her mouth, admiring her pretty face. and that's when i knew-

i'm in love with nini.

no matter how hard i've tried to pray it away, mash it down, and repress it, it just keeps coming back-which sounds stupid and cheesy and gross, but it's true.

PRESENT

the plan wasn't to just blurt it out in the hallway like that, okay?! i know that was dramatic. the plan also wasn't to tell her today-or at all-but after the phone call i just had with my mom (who was too busy with work to come see opening night)..let's just say i didn't really have a choice.

nini's jaw drops in response, turning her head to face me and walking out of the doorway to the green room. thank god we're alone, because i don't know what i'd do if someone else heard.

"wh..gi, i-"

"shut up, let me finish. i know this is completely out of the blue, and all touchy feely and disgusting, but the way i feel when i'm with you..i've never felt like that with any boy, ever. and i know you don't feel the same way, and..i don't know. i just needed to let you know before next week, snowflake."

her face drops, "..what happens next week?"

"my mom-"

"yo nini, we need to talk!" e.j interrupts, rounding the corner from the opposite side of the hallway.

"um..can it wait? we're in the middle of something," she tells him. i stare him down, but he ignores it.

"no, it can't. i just talked to the scout from n.y.u, he was looking for you," he says, trying to catch his breath.

"wait, what? isn't that where you're going?"

he nods his head, "he said you have real talent, nins. i know it's not set in stone just yet, but i think it could be a sign, or something.." he grabs her hands in between them.

um..what the fuck?!

she shakes her head, "e.j, i don't..we're not.."

"but we could be. gina, tell her! i haven't hooked up with anyone in the last three weeks. i'm gonna be better this time, i know i am."

"how do you know that, though?"

"because i love you, nini."

R I C K Y 'S P O V

you're fucking kidding me.

N I N I 'S P O V

"oh. e.j, i.." i slide my hands out from e.j's hold anxiously.

"oh?"

"e.j, she dumped your ass, of course she's not gonna say it back," gina says from behind me.

"i'm-"

"only because it was a heat of the moment thing!" he says.

"dude, she broke up with you! get over it!"

"you're the one that keeps bringing it up, if anything it's you who can't get over it!"

gina puts a hand on her head, "hold on, i'm having a fucking aneurysm trying to figure out how that sentence made any sense in your little pea brain-"

"what even is that?!"

"what is what?!"

"whatever you just said!"

"honestly, how did you make it this far into high school?!"

i feel myself start to get lightheaded and dizzy, trying to process everything that just got piled and dumped on me in the last two minutes. my eyes flip between gina and e.j before my head starts to pound. i had been getting headaches earlier when i was singing and dancing (probably from not eating much this week, i needed to look good for the show), but it wasn't ever this bad. the sound of e.j and gina arguing gets drowned out by the ringing in my ears, the weight of my body suddenly being too much for my legs to hold up.