Redlyn One Shots

2 Years

"It's hard, you know? Being away from someone you love so long?" Ashlyn sighed, sitting around the lunch table with Carlos, Seb, and Gina. "Like, it was hard when EJ went to college, but..."

"But this is harder." Gina nodded, slipping her hand into her best friend's.

"For me." She specified. "Since you're so in love with my cousin—"

"I'm never gonna live this down." Gina chuckled.

"Probably not." The three friends replied.

"It's been almost a year and a half."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Ashlyn joked.

"But really Ash, being away from him must be hard."

"Especially on your anniversary." Seb chimed in.

Ashlyn had been with her boyfriend, Big Red, for now two years. He was busy at college, the two hadn't even managed a phone call that morning. She knew he would be home soon, for Christmas (as they celebrated their anniversary as if they got together the day they shared their first kiss, instead of holding it on a day such as New Years— plus, they're first kiss had been nothing but spectacular), but she still wished he was there that day.

Despite his dreams to take over his family's pizza shop, he was still in for the full college experience and wanted to try a few subjects he couldn't in Salt Lake. It was hard to make the decision to move almost 5 hours away, but he did, and it resulted in not many weekend visits. Ashlyn hadn't seen her boyfriend in almost 2 months.

"It's fine." She shrugged it off. Despite having ranted, oddly calmly, to them about it, she still tried to play it off as casual. After all, every one of their friends were prone to complain about minuscule things in a joking manner.

"And here we have an awful liar." Carlos pointed out.

"I just wish I could see him, it is hard, but why dwell on it any longer? I'll just forget what day it is—"

"Ash, tonight's opening night. I doubt you'll forget—" he started.

"Okay, not forget, but disregard the fact he should be here."

"Right."

"Right." Ashlyn repeated. Regardless, she checked her phone, hoping to hear anything from the boy she was madly in love with.

"He didn't forget." Seb leaned over and whispered. The two's bond was strong, but in a very understated way, but if either was upset they would quickly notice. And know exactly what they were thinking.

"I know he didn't— or, I— I know he'll remember if he did forget." She said. Oddly, it wasn't even a doubt in her boyfriend or their relationship. She trusted him, and she knew if she had to remind him what day it was he would do more than enough to make up for it.

"He's just busy." Seb patted her shoulder.

"I know." She nodded, cheering up more by the minute.

Ashlyn was, undeniably, in an awful mood between when the school day ended and when she needed to return to the school for opening night. In one last desperate attempt, she decided on calling her boyfriend again. She decided this too late, and was already receiving a call from him. Her face lit up as she answered.

"Hey Ash." He said. She could hear his grin. "Sorry, I had a really, really busy day."

"It's fine, I'm glad we can talk now." She smiled.

"What?" He asked, leading her to assume he was somewhere crowded.

"It's fine, since we're talking now." She repeated, rephrasing her sentence slightly.