Next Door

The Dance

"Really?" Ashlyn asked Big Red over the phone, frowning. "You really can't make it?"

"I can't... I'm so sorry..."

"It's not your fault." She sighed. "Hopefully next year."

"Yeah." He coughed. "I should go eat, bye Ash."

"Bye." She sat on her bed, annoyed. She looked at the outfit she had picked out for prom, sighing again. She wouldn't be going to her first prom with her boyfriend, all because he was sick. She let a tear go down her face as she picked up her phone and made another call.

"Hi."

"Hey Gina. You wanna come over a bit earlier to get ready?" She asked.

"Sure."

"See you soon then." Ashlyn hung up.

"Finally!" Ashlyn dragged Gina up to her room. "Come on in."

"You're really excited, wow." She laughed. "I guess it's easier when you have a date."

"Uh... yeah." She nodded. "It was."

"What?"

"He's not coming." She sat down next to Gina.

"He bailed?"

"He's sick with the flu. He can't come." She whispered into her knees, which she had pulled up to her chest.

"Oh..."

"So what should've been the best night in awhile is now watching a bunch of people who are even great nights." She mumbled.

"It won't be that bad. We can hang out, I don't have a date either, it'll be fun."

"I'm just gonna try and ignore it and... pretend I'm not supposed to have a date. So I guess it is just us, but don't expect me to be the most excited."

"Got it." Gina nodded.

"Let's just get ready." Ashlyn said, standing up. "I'm not dwelling on it anymore."

"I'm gonna use the bathroom." Gina told Ashlyn a few minutes after the dance had started.

"See ya." She nodded before taking a seat at an empty table. She looked at everyone else dancing, wishing Big Red were there. She knew he wasn't good at dancing, but she wanted to nonetheless.

"Hey, wanna dance?" Hudson sat next to her.

"Of course not." She muttered.

"As friends, I mean."

"No offense, but I really don't believe that." She looked away.

"Is something wrong?"

"No."

"Really?"

"I'm not sitting alone for no reason. My boyfriend couldn't come." She stood up. "I'm gonna grab some water."

"Don't go just because I sat here."

"I'm not. I'm getting water."

"I'll get you some." He offered.

"No thanks." She sat back down. "I guess I'm fine."

"Come on, let's dance. It's a fast song, everything's as friends, promise."

"Fine." She gave in.

Ashlyn sat down, laughing. Hudson sat by her. "Thanks for cheering me up."

"Mhm." He nodded. "Sorry about the kiss thing."

"Um... forgiven. But don't do anything like that again, I hold strong grudges."

"Okay. But I do like you, so if you're ever available—"

"No longer forgiven!" She stood up. "I have no plans to be in another relationship, and if I am it will be natural, and the likelihood it would be you is very small." She paused. "So thank you for making tonight a bit more bearable, but if you can't handle being friends and if you're just going to flirt and imply my current relationship is not possibly long term, I don't want to hang out." She ranted. "Goodnight."

"Woah, where are you going?"

"Was it not implied? Anywhere but right here."