Chapter X

                                    

                                          

Ricky's POV
For the rest of the day, I hung out at Nina's, talking for hours about random things. It was the happiest I've ever felt in a while. I learned so much about her that only led to my crush growing. Whenever I was around her, I couldn't contain my wide smile. Plus, the grilled sandwiches were also delicious and I have a soft spot for food. We were starting to get comfortable with each other. Nina helped me a lot with my anxiety and my breathing finally came to a normal rhythm. Now, we were both sitting on her soft linen couch, having our second sandwich. Our laughter filled the whole house as we kept bouncing jokes back and forth. 
"Wow Ricky, I didn't know you were that funny!" Nina exclaimed while taking another bite out of her grilled cheese. 
"Ricky?" I questioned, smiling.
"Oh, sorry. It just felt like a better name, you know? I don't know any guys younger than 50 with the name Richard." She giggled.
I chuckled, "Yeah. I like that." 
We both smiled at each other like idiots. Eventually, I looked away to avoid showing Nina my red face. I took another small bite out of my sandwich as I waited for Nina to say something again to start up the conversation.
"So, you sing and you play the guitar?" Nina asked, intrigued.
I laughed nervously, "Yeah, I do. I don't really like to showcase it though."
"What? Why not? That song I heard earlier was amazing! You should definitely release it on Spotify."
"I don't know... it's not that good." I responded, scratching the back of my neck.
"Wow, you really do not know the definition of 'good.' Listen, if it makes you feel any better, I also write songs." She admitted, her cheeks flushing red as she did so.
"Wait, really? I never thought you were the singing type."
"Haha, thanks, Bowen," She joked. "Hey, if I play one of my songs, will you play that other song again?"
"You really wanna hear it again?" I asked, a smile creeping onto my face.
"Um, hell yeah! Your voice is beautiful and plus the lyrics too." She gushed, giving me an encouraging look.
I sighed, "Okay, fine."
She clapped her hands excitedly and stood up. "Come on, let's go up to my room!"
Oh my god, I get to go to Nina Salazar-Roberts' room? This day keeps getting better and better. We both grabbed our empty plates and brought them over to the sink. After that, we went up the wooden staircase up to Nina's room. Once we stepped inside, my eyes lit up. Her room was gorgeous, just like her. There was a queen-sized bed covered with fluffy pink sheets. There were tons of musical posters taped to her walls. In the corner of her room, there was a basic keyboard that I assume she writes songs on. Everything was tidy and organized, unlike my room. It just made me like her even more.
"So, this is my room." She spread her arms out.
"It's really nice, Nina," I said, mesmerized by the looks of her room.
"Please, call me Nini. Nina sounds too professional and I feel more comfortable when my friends call me Nini." She nervously laughed, sitting down on her bed.
Did she just call me her friend? I'm freaking out. I could feel my cheeks heating up and my heart fluttering. A wide smile formed on my face. I probably look like an idiot, but I couldn't help it. Nina- I mean Nini is just the best girl ever.
"Okay, Nini." I smiled. 
She reciprocated the smile as we stared at each other's eyes for a minute. I'm blushing so hard right now but I don't care. All I want is to keep staring at her beautiful brown eyes. It's like nothing else in the world matters but her. Then, Nini cleared her throat and looked away. I sighed, probably embarrassing myself in front of the most popular girl in the school.
"Um so, do y-you want me to go first?" She asked, avoiding my gaze. 
Is it just me or is she nervous? Why is she nervous? Wait, did I make her nervous? Stop overthinking, Ricky. It's probably just her being nervous about showing her song.
"Yeah, yeah, for sure." My voice quivered.
She took a deep breath then walked over to her keyboard. She carefully placed her hands on the correct keys. I walked over to her bed, sitting down as I watched her. There was a pause before she did anything. I waited patiently, admiring her face. Then, she started playing an orchestral tune with her eyes closed. It was pretty until the tune turned into a full-on angsty style.

                            
                              
                                
                                
                              
                            
                            
                          
I listened as she sang her heart out in the lyrics. I could tell she was in pain. I just wanted to lean over and give her a hug. I never knew she felt like this. I mean, she was the most popular girl at our school. Why does she feel so worthless?
"All I did was try my best. This is the kind of thanks I get? Unrelentlessly upset!" She pushes hard on the chords, continuing to sing. "They say these are the golden years, but I wish I could disappear. Ego crush is so severe. God, it's brutal out here." 
Her voice was mesmerizing but I couldn't stop thinking about the lyrics. Who's making her feel this way? Was it me? Thoughts swirled around my head and I didn't even realize that she stopped singing until she was just staring at me for an answer.
"Are you okay?" I asked, worried about her own mental health. I wanted to compliment her on the song, but I just couldn't ignore the fact that she felt miserable.
She gave me a small smile, "I'm fine, Ricky. I wrote this song a long time ago. I'm fine." She said though I'm not convinced.
"Are you sure? You can talk to me about this stuff even though we barely know each other." I gave her a reassuring smile. 
"It's fine. I'm fine. Everything is fine." 
And that was all she said.