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"hey nina?" ashlyn said quietly as she knocked on her bedroom door, opening it slightly.

"oh hey ash, what's up?" nina replied, putting her phone down.

the curly haired girl walked into the room and sat down next on the bed, facing nina who was turned around on her spinning chair, facing her back.

"i saw your rant, and what los and red were saying," ashlyn started, "and i just need to know. are you starting to have feelings for ricky?"

"what?" nina replied with air escaping as she spoke, "of course not ash, we're just friends and we needed to look for fireflies," she explained. "and i'm dating ej."

"neens, you can't use that as a defense anymore. i know you're dating him and you have to marry him, but when was the last time you actually spoke to him?"

nina looked down at her hands set on her lap.

"look, i know what ej did fucking sucks and i hate that he did that, but staying with him is only holding you back."

"i can't just break up with him, we're going to end up together anyway."

"but being with him is only going to give him hope that you're going to come around and forgive him and honestly, i don't see that happening anytime soon."

nina scoffed, "it's not."

"see, you have to think about his feelings too. i know he didn't think about yours but you are a way better person then him. i can't fucking stand that guy."

the brunette cracked a smile and chuckled. "so what do you think i should do?"

"honestly, i think that you should break up with him. i mean, you guys have lasted this many years as best friends, maybe it's just better you stay like that," she paused to get a reaction from nina but she just played with the stitching of her jeans. "and i'm not saying this so you could go off with ricky or whatever, i know you don't like him, but it just seems like the best thing to do."

nina nodded, "i'll talk to him later today."

"good," ashlyn replied, getting up from the bed and heading out the door."

"oh wait ash," nina called out.

"yea?" she asked, turning around.

"um, ricky's coming over later... for the project."

ashlyn let out a small smile, "ok."

"thank you, for real."

"anytime nina."

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"niniii," ricky whined, "can we stop."

"ricky we've only been working on this for like a few hours," nina replied.

"that's a few hours too much. look, even ash looks bored out of her mind," ricky pointed out the girl behind them who was cooking dinner.

"hey, don't drag me into this," ashlyn replied, "i'm just quiet cause i don't want to distract you guys."

"please. distract us. i'm tired of this," the boy said as he got up from the kitchen table and walked to the other side of the island where ashlyn was cooking, "do you need help?"

"woah, ricky? being kind? give me your power ash," nina said, getting up and walking up beside ricky.

"i would've been kind if you weren't late on your first day."

"i told you i missed my bus!"

"tsk tsk tsk, excuses, excuses."

"shut up richard," she replied, hitting his arm.

"well, before you guys fight again and it ends in you guys not talking for who knows how long, can you help me with dinner?" ashlyn asked.

"sure," nina laughed as she made her way to the other side of the island, grabbing ingredients off of the table.

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"no, i swear it happened!" ricky exclaimed as they were finishing up their dinner at the dinner table.

"ricky, stop making up lies, i did not fight gina to 'win your heart' in second grade," ashlyn rolled her eyes as nina started laughing uncontrollably.

"ash, no i remember, cause that was when you met los!"

"i met los fighting gina over a pencil."

"what? no, it was cause you were fighting over me."

"bitch why do you think los gave me his pencil?"

"to draw on gina..."

"ricky, i mean this with my whole being, you are a fucking dumbass."

nina let out a louder laugh.

"why are you laughing nini?"

"i'm not," she lied as she forced herself to stop laughing.

"wait, nini?" ashlyn asked.

"yea, nina's too formal and i keep forgetting so i made a nickname," ricky explained.

"aww, that's so cute."

"yup!" nina agreed, "and i call him richard, like the 50 year old man he is."

"excuse me?"

"i said what i said."

the three teenagers were laughing as they enjoyed each other's company, and ate the finishing pieces off their plates. they heard a ping coming from nina's phone that was sitting on the island.

"oh sorry, i thought i turned my ringer off," she chuckled as she got up to check who was texting her.

ashlyn and ricky noticed her smile drop as soon as she saw what was on her phone.

"sorry, i uh, i have to take this," she said before putting the phone next to her ear and greeting the other person with a small, "hello?"

ricky watched as she walked out of the room, a nervous look on her face, as ashlyn picked up her and nina's plate to place them into the sink.

"hey, is she uh- is she okay?" he asked, concerned.

"she will be, don't worry," ashlyn smiled at the boy.

on the other hand, nina was getting all sorts of nervous as soon as she answered the phone call.

"nina! i missed you, it's so nice to hear your voice again." ej said on the other line.

"yea, i missed you too ej," she smiled a little, "but i think we need to talk."

"talk? what do you mean?" ej asked frantically, "are you okay? are you homesick? do you-"

"ej, i'm fine, just please, let me talk."

"okay."

"i think we need to... take a break."

"a break? neens, you know we can't exactly do that."

"i know but- i don't know, things were just better when we were best friends. i miss that. i don't like this over protective version of you, he fucking sucks."

"neens-"

"listen, i don't know what you're going to say, but please, can we just test it? i'm not saying this to go off and date other people, but i just miss my best friend. he was the guy i fell in love with."

ej let out a loud sigh, "okay."

"what?" nina replied, taken aback, she didn't know he would give in so easily.

"okay. let's take a break."

"really?"

"yea, whatever makes you happy," she heard him crack a smile, "i just miss the old us neens. life's been hell for the past couple days spent not talking to you."

"aww, well i promise elijah, our daily calls are back on!"

"good."

"so, how is everything there? how are your parents? how are my moms?"

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