cruel summer. [ rini au ]

chapter twelve.

About a little over a week after the rain incident with Nini, on a Wednesday afternoon, Ricky found himself laying spread out on his bed in his cabin, staring at the ceiling. He just had an intense 3 hours of basketball training with the older campers which ended in a scrimmage that tired him out. He glanced over at the alarm clock on his bedside table and groaned, trying to will his body back to sleep.

Today was his first afternoon off in over a week and all Ricky wanted to do was nap like any other teenager who spent his days running after little kids with basketballs. His leg muscles were sore from running sprints with Nini last night and his arms hurt from when he decided to have a race in a kayak with Cam. His back was itchy from the sunburn he accumulated after refusing to put on sunscreen, despite Madi and Nini's requests and all he wanted to do was sleep all the pain and hurt off. However, after waking up the first time in the afternoon, he couldn't fall back asleep again.

"Adrian," a voice called from outside of the cabin, "Nini said not to wake him up." Ricky grinned at himself to Nini's understanding. She was obviously listening this morning at breakfast whenever someone would ask Ricky's plans for his free afternoon, when he would respond with 'pass out' or 'sleep'.

"We just gotta be quiet, c'mon," Adrian, one of Ricky's campers, said in a whisper, opening the door to the cabin.

"Shouldn't someone wake him up for dinner?" another one of the boys said in a hushed voice.

"I dunno. But I think the counsellors are eating last. Anyways, Nini just said to come and get dressed and leave Ricky alone." Adrian told the other boy. Ricky could hear the shuffling of feet and zippers opening and closing as the younger boys went around the cabin grabbing everything they needed. If Ricky was asleep, they definitely would have woken him up.

Ricky placed his hands behind his head, listening to the boys voices as they walked towards the dining hall. If someone were to tell Ricky that Nini would be showing an ounce of caring and kindness towards him this summer, he would tell them they were lying. But now, it seemed perfectly normal. It was a little unsettling to think that they weren't arguing anymore and that they were actually getting along, joking around, and having fun together. After their argument in the rain, they just moved on. Although their friendship was far from Ricky's friendships with E.J. and Big Red, he had gotten over his reluctance and admitted that he and Nini were actually friends now.

Apparently friends who just invited themselves into the other's cabin, unannounced. Nini appeared in the doorway of his room, surprised to see him awake.

"The boys said you were sleeping," she said.

"I was," he lied, "I think I woke up after they left."

"Oh, well dinner is soon, so you better get going before I steal your hamburger," she said with a smirk.

"Oh no you won't!" Ricky said, jumping out of bed and throwing on his sneakers and a hoodie. "C'mon Sal-Robs, last one there is a rotten egg."

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The evening activity for Wednesday was flashlight tag and it was the dumbest and most stupid idea Nini ever heard of. Who would think it was a good idea to give sixty kids flashlights and hide in the dark, in the wilderness. The counsellors had the fun job, they had to find all the kids. The game had progressed pretty well for the first half, until the sun disappeared and darkness crept around them. After that, slowly after every couple of minutes, a camper would be found. Nini was looking around behind the cabins, stepping on different twigs and branches. Hearing a branch crack behind her, she whirled around to see Charlotte with a flashlight shining in Nini's place.