Nini Salazar Roberts
The next school day starts like any other—students flooding the hallways, the sharp sound of locker doors slamming, and the hum of morning chatter filling the air. But for me, everything feels different. There's a weight in my chest that won't go away, but I can't quite figure out why. Ricky's been acting weird, like he knows something I don't. And I hate that feeling—like something's happening around me, but I can't see it. Kourtney meets me by my locker, her face immediately scrunching up in concern. "Okay, spill." I sigh, rubbing my temple. "There's nothing to spill." She folds her arms. "Nini." I shake my head. "It's just… Ricky's being weird." Kourtney rolls her eyes. "When is Ricky not weird?" I let out a breathy laugh. "True. But this is different. He looked at me like he knew something. And then he bolted." Kourtney frowns. "That boy does not know how to process emotions." "Tell me about it." Before I can say anything else, my phone buzzes. A message from E.J.
E.J.: Can we talk?
I stare at the screen, my stomach twisting. Kourtney peeks over my shoulder. "Are we ignoring him, or…?" I bite my lip. "I should probably hear what he has to say." She sighs dramatically. "Fine. But if he starts being all 'I miss you, babe,' I am dragging you away." I found E.J. near the theater doors. He looks nervous, which is weird for him. "Hey," I say, crossing my arms. "Hey." He shifts on his feet. "Listen… I need to tell you something." "Okay?" He hesitates but then shakes his head. "Never mind. It's not important." I frown. "Then why did you text me?" E.J. forces a smile. "Forget it. Just… I hope rehearsal goes well." I watch him walk away, something unsettled in my gut. Rehearsal feels like a blur. Miss Jenn is enthusiastic as ever, but I can't focus. Every time I glance at Ricky, I wonder why he's been so distant. At lunch, I find myself sitting alone. I should be with Kourtney, or with Ashlyn and Big Red, but I can't. Not right now. "Hey." I look up. Ricky slides into the seat across from me. He's fidgeting with his hands. "So…" he starts, then stops. He exhales sharply. "Did you know?" I blink. "Know what?" He pulls something out of his backpack. My stomach drops. A pregnancy test. I freeze. "Ricky—" "Was it real?" he asks, his voice quiet but intense. I shake my head quickly. "No. It wasn't mine." His shoulders sag in relief, but his eyes stay sharp. "Then why was it in your locker?" I stare at him, completely thrown.
"Wait, what? My locker?" His face shifts. "You didn't know?" "No! Ricky, what the hell?" My heart pounds as my mind races. Who would do something like that? Ricky watches me for a long moment, as if trying to figure out if I'm telling the truth. Then, he nods. "Okay." Silence stretches between us. There's so much I want to say, but I don't know how. Finally, Ricky sighs, standing up. "I need to clear my head." I watch him go, my heart heavy. A feeling in my gut told me that I should get up and follow him. The old me wouldn't have just let him go like that. The old me fights until she gets what she wants. The new me doesn't care about him anymore. I need to tell him at some point. Later, as I leave the cafeteria, I feel a presence beside me. E.J. "Hey," he says quietly. I shake my head. "E.J., not now." "I need to tell you the truth." I stop walking. "What?" He glances around, lowering his voice. "Gina planted it." I feel like I've been punched in the gut. "Are you serious?" He nods. "She thought if Ricky believed you were… y'know, with me, then he'd let you go." Anger bubbles up in my chest. Gina. She always acted like she was my friend. Like she was just here to be part of the team. But this? This is next level. "Why are you telling me this?" I ask, my voice quiet. E.J. looks down. "Because you deserve to know."
I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Yeah. I do." The bell rings, signaling the end of lunch, but I don't move. My world suddenly feels tilted, like nothing is steady anymore. I don't think. I just move. My feet carry me straight toward the auditorium, where I know Gina will be helping set up for rehearsal. I find her near the costume rack, folding some fabric. She looks up at me with her usual confident smirk, but it falters when she sees my expression. "Hey, Nini—" she starts. "How could you?" My voice is low, but the anger is unmistakable. Gina blinks. "What?" "Don't play dumb." I step closer. "You planted that test in my locker. You wanted Ricky to believe something that wasn't true. You wanted to push him away from me." She exhales, crossing her arms. "I was trying to help him move on." I laugh dryly. "Help him? By lying?" Gina looks away. "You don't get it." "Oh, I get it. You want Ricky. And you thought the only way to get him was to mess with my life." She stays silent. I shake my head, my anger giving way to disappointment. "I thought we were friends."
Her jaw tightens. "Yeah. Me too." I turn to leave, but before I go, I glance over my shoulder. "You didn't win, Gina. You just lost a friend." Then I walk away, determined to fix the damage she caused. Because no one gets to decide my story but me. Something told me I couldn't reveal the truth just yet. If I let Ricky still believe that I'm pregnant, then just maybe, we could pull this thing off until the show's over. After the show, then we can figure things out.