Last midnight

Uninvited memories

TW: References to abuse, vomiting 

Location: McDonald's parking lot

Minutes before

"I'm telling you, these hashbrowns are amazing! They are the best item on the breakfast menu!" Ricky proudly stated as he took another bite.

"I personally prefer the pancakes, but you do you I guess."

"You've been preferring the pancakes since we were nine, nothing changing?"

He took a look at the syrupy tower of pancakes and to Ricky's half eaten hashbrown. Yeah, he wasn't changing his mind at all.

"Nope."

"I'll convince you one day."

"I'll live to see it, just like the wedding with EJ."

Ricky gave him an offended look and laughed.

"We will get married, and you will be my best man."

"Then who is EJ's?"

"I don't know, can we break societal norms and get Ashlyn for him?"

Ricky expected him to laugh along, but he stayed quiet and continued eating. Ricky was confused, did something happen? Big Red would be cracking up on the floor from the joke by now.

"Red?" He gave him a light tap on the shoulder. "Is something wrong?"

"No... yes... maybe?"

"Maybe? What is maybe?"

He sighed and laid back against the headrest of the seat, something was definitely up.

"She didn't want to ride with me this morning, and she always rides with me in the morning. What changed? I didn't do anything wrong, she seemed happy last night!"

Strange, very strange indeed. Ricky wrapped a supportive arm around his friend and sighed.

"Maybe she had something on this morning?"

"That's the thing! She said that, but I feel like she's lying."

"Lying? Ashlyn Caswell can't lie to save her life-"

"She can if she needed to in a life-threatening situation."

"Like a kidnapping?"

"Exactly."

Ricky didn't know what to do. He wasn't exactly the best advice giver in the world, but he could sometimes try his best to lend a couple of encouraging words, and it would work most of the time. He wasn't exactly the closest buddy to Ashlyn, but he knew her well enough to know that she would never intentionally hurt Big Red.

"Have you tried talking to her?"

"I was! But then you said we should get breakfast!"

"But don't you see her anyway? You can tell her in first class, or even at lunch?"

"Look, I just don't know what to do Ricky. I love her, but does she even love me back?"

He thought in that moment that Big Red was joking. Does Ashlyn Caswell love him? Did he not know about the numerous sweet gestures they would both do for each other? Ricky could only gush about the teddy bears, flowers, notes, and homemade baked goods that they would surprise each other with at any moment.

He thought it was strange at first, but EJ had taught him that any moment was special. EJ and him even started to surprise each other with notes and chocolates on random occasions.