pink nights / sally face

pizza w ash & larry

ash 💜

ash: hey! what's up :)

me: just got back from class, why?

ash: larry and i are about to go get pizza, you wanna come? :D

me: ohh sure, sounds good :)

ash: yayyyy ok he'll be here soon, you wanna meet me outside the hall?

me: yep :3

i sigh and toss my phone to my bed. i stand in front of the mirror, examining my smudgy makeup. today had been rough and falling asleep in class didn't leave me looking great.

i brushed my hair and tried to fix my eyes. then i swapped my jeans for pj shorts. it wasn't even dark yet but i was too beat to stand another minute being uncomfortable.

i slid on a brown flannel and grabbed my phone.

ash: i'm downstairs whenever ur ready

i sighed again before grabbing my keys and heading out.

when i got downstairs i could see ash through the doors leading outside. the guilt pursued.

"hey, y/n!" she chirped. "cute shorts." she pointed to my sheep printed pjs.

i laughed, "yeah, it was a rough day."

"i feel you, no judgement here." ash crossed her arms and looked out to the parking out for larry.

the urge to tell her grew so strong but the moment couldn't have been more wrong.

"ah, here's larry." she nodded to the honda.

ash took the front seat while i hid in the back.

"what's up gals?" larry turned his music down and looked back at me with a smile.

i smiled back politely and looked out the window while ash saved me from having to speak.

she went on and on about her new classes, giving detailed reports on each of her professors.

larry glanced at me through the rearview mirror, "you got anything to say or just the chatterbox here?"

"hey!" ash hit larry's arm in defense.

i forced a laugh, "i think she got it all covered honestly."

"well that's no fun. maybe you'll think of something to say after you eat." larry pulled up to a retro building that looked like it may have been a frequent spot of our grandparents.

"why's this look like a diner if it's a pizza place?" i asked ash as i got out.

"it's like a novelty," she shrugged. "they have t-shirts and shit. i've never questioned it but you're right, i guess it's kind of odd."

"a novelty she says." larry laughed at ash as he led us to the entrance.

the place was nice inside. though it was in fact, exactly a diner that served pizza. it was decorated and fun.

we took a seat at a sparkly red vinyl booth and soon after had our drink orders taken by a waitress.

ash handed me a menu from the end of the table, "larry and i usually split a cheese pizza but we can get whatever you'd like since it's your first time." she smiled at me sweetly. the guilt was really unshakable. between being in the presence of larry without having contacted him since that night and having ash see us together with no clue of what had happened between us, i couldn't get out of my head.

i thanked her and opened the menu, grateful to have my hands kept busy. "i'm totally fine with cheese pizza. especially since you guys seem to like it so much."

"aw, what a harmonious guest." ash smiled and set her menu down. "so, large cheese pizza?" she looked at larry and i.

"sounds good." larry nodded and fiddled with his straw.

the waitress eventually returned to take our order. ash, thankfully, was the speaker for the table. while ash was ordering i caught larry's gaze. it felt gentle and almost apologetic.

"ok guys, find something to talk about, i'm gonna go to the bathroom before our food comes." ash excused herself and scooted out of the booth.

i sighed and looked up at larry.

"i know this is weird," larry straightened his posture. "i know i probably should've reached out to you after, you know ... this isn't really how i wanted to make contact."

"yeah, it's a bit ... tense." i shifted.

"i know and there's no reason for it to be. what happened?"

i scoffed, "well i guess first off, i feel incredibly guilty." i lowered my voice, "ash doesn't know."

larry fiddled with his straw agin, "there's nothing morally wrong with that."

i hummed and crossed my arms.

his voice softened, "we haven't even had a chance to talk about anything yet. we danced and that was it."

"yeah, i'm sorry." i uncross my arms and offer a gentle look.

"you wanna talk about it tonight?"

i look towards the bathrooms to see ash heading back. i nod in response before starting a safer conversation.

"does it snow here?" i ask larry in an enthusiastic tone.

he smiles, "yeah, lots. it's very pretty in the cooler seasons."

"aw, my two buddies chattin'" ash slides back into the booth. "talking about snow?"

i nod, "i never really get to see any."

"oh my god, you'll love it. we can go sledding, it's so much fun." ash smiled and took a sip of her drink.

"yeah," i look back up at larry and feel that aching in my chest again. why does ash have to be so sweet?