This is Real

When Something Leaves...

If there was anything that can be said about breakups, it was that all the cliches about them were true. And it didn't matter that you weren't in love with the person, really. What mattered was you've put time and energy into a relationship that you really hoped would work, and it ended anyway because one of you wasn't putting as much time and effort in it as they should.

Sasha sat now, feeling a little drained because she'd not only needed to act her part that day as Alison Dilaurentis, but she also had to pretend she was completely ok with the fact that her boyfriend and her had broken up. She had wanted to tell someone, but she knew the moment she did that it was going to go around the media and there was nothing worse about having her breakup splattered on media pages when all she wanted was to forget it even happened.

And it wasn't just the breakup itself. It was also the fact that it was caused by her boyfriend who had apparently been screwing someone on the side for quite some time now, and it was a small relief on Sasha's part that they hadn't had sex in a while because of her busy schedule. But then again, maybe they hadn't been having sex because her ex had been having it on the side.

She sighed, ready for the day to end already, completely submerged now in thoughts she'd had to put off the whole day. There was only so much she could do to stop thinking about what had happened the day before and now that she'd gone through hours of shooting, her reserves were depleted. A few more hours and she was going to start looking like she had a breakup and she was not in any mood to fend off questions about how she was.

She looked up at the giggles she heard and her gaze was drawn to the four girls, just having had finished a segment, it seemed. She gave herself a few seconds to look at them, longing for that kind of connection, but she knew the hours she put in were different from the one they put in and it was never going to be the same with her. That didn't feel quite as lonely as it did at the moment.

She looked away from the four girls to answer to a call from the other side of the set and she stood knowing they were going to be running through scenes before she had to go, just like they did whenever she was on set. She stood from where she was, consciously fixed her facial expression to look like the happy person she always looked and walked towards the script writers.

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She was the last actor/actress to leave the set that day. She'd had to ask a lot of questions about Alison because of the different twists that were going to be incorporated for the next season, and they were finally showing a vulnerable side of her that had only ever been featured in glimpses in the last five seasons. She exited her trailer, sure that she was the only one left now but her head jerked up from her purse when she heard her name.

"You wear glasses."

She immediately felt the urge to take them off, and her arm did twitch up, hand hovering over the culprits before she dropped it, nodding instead. She eyed Shay, not expecting anyone to be around still. "Yeah, I... I only wear when I've had a long day."

Shay pushed off from her perch and walked towards Sasha, head tilting in thought. "Not a good day, then?"

"Just not as good as the others." Sasha lifted her hand again, taking her glasses off, and contemplating risking to walk with Shay out of the studio without them. But then the familiar blurriness of her surrounding took over her vision when she took her glasses off, and she mentally cursed the fact that she needed them to survive a walk without bumping into anything. She caught Shay's smile as she was putting it on.

"No need to hide them, Sash. You actually look cute with them on. I'm sure you're boyfriend's already told you so."

And there it was. "He preferred them off," she responded flatly, eyes shifting away and she moved to lead them out of the studio.

"Well, I think you look... Is something wrong?" Shay leaned towards her attempting to catch her eyes, but Sasha was adamant at keeping her eyes forward.

Sasha hesitated, but then decided that diverting was going to be easier. "It's nothing. We should both head home. It was a really long day."

Shay tried not ot frown. "It was." She looked ahead, not really liking the silence that descended after her reply. She didn't know what was up, but she knew it wasn't anything good. She was supposed to go out with the girls that night since it was a Friday, and they were given a rare Saturday off the next day. But it seemed someone else needed a distraction from things. "How about we unwind with dinner and a movie?"

Sasha's kneejerk reaction was to shake her head. "I don't-"

"My treat."

"I'm really tired and-"

"Please don't turn me down."

Sasha finally met Shay's eyes then, and she was met with a pout that she rarely ever saw on the taller girl, because Emily as a character wasn't the type to use them. Sasha made a face. "That can't be legal."

Shay reached out a hand now, and caught one of hers, swinging it between them. "It's just for a few hours. Then you can sleep all you want." She kept up the pout, giving Sasha's hand a squeeze.

Sasha stared at that pout and then rolled her eyes. "Jesus."

Shay finally laughed. "You're a softie!"

"I don't know how I got Alison's part, then."

"You're a great actress."

Sasha smirked. "You're right. For a second there, I forgot."

Shay laughed. "I think that's why you got the part." She let go of Sasha's hand and missed the look that crossed the blonde's face. "Honestly, though, you're great. We--Ashley and the others, too--we talk about how good you are. I mean sometimes when we're on set it's difficult not to feel terrified of you."

Sasha scrunched her nose. "It's hard to take that as a compliment."

"Aww." Shay looped her arm through Sasha's. "Don't worry. Now I know you're inwardly a softie."

Sasha couldn't contain her laughter. "Don't tell anyone."

"They won't hear it from me." Shay put her hand dramatically over her heart, and Sasha laughed again, feeling better than she had all day.

A/N: I'm making Shay a lot younger, ok? Because I can't properly write someone I hadn't experienced the age, yet ,so I'm making her my age (21) and Sasha is going to be the same age, so she'll be 18. I hope that's ok. :)

I'm dedicating this chapter to the four people who requested for an update: delta_goodrem_lover, forbsiee, coolkids431, and bmm1805!!