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Big Red knew this was ridiculous, he had better things to do on a Saturday afternoon than stare at his phone and wait for Ricky to text back. Since he had been cast as Troy in the school musical, it was like his best friend had no time for him anymore.
Screw it. He didn’t need Ricky, he could have his own fun.
He grabbed his helmet and his board and raced out the door, ignoring the confused looks shot to him by his parents. He was determined to have a good day.
Skating towards the park, Big Red felt such a sense of relief. He had been so busy with school and his friends that he had forgotten how amazing skating had felt. There was something so freeing about…
“Hi!”
Big Red almost fell off his skateboard in shock. Ashlyn’s concerned face stared back at him, curiously wondering if he was okay. He felt his heart beat faster and his palms grow sweaty.
There was something about the redheaded girl that made him stop being able to function. It was like everytime he was around her he turned into an absolute mess and there was nothing he could do about it.
“Hi,” he smiled back shyly, trying to play off his initial shock smoothly.
“I didn’t know you could skate like that, it’s so cool!” The smile beaming on Ashlyn’s face was enough to turn Red’s brain into mush.
“It’s nothing, really.” he said quietly, fighting hard to keep his blush under control.
“It’s not nothing, you’re really great.”
“Oh, well, I could teach you. If you wanted to. I mean, you don’t have to, it’s whatever-” Ashlyn cut off his nervous rambling.
“I’d love that.”
He unclipped the helmet from his head and placed it over Ashlyn’s, tenderly swiping a few rogue curls out of her eyes. The two of them held eye contact as he clipped it under her chin.
Big Red offered her his hand which she accepted with a smile. Hesitantly, Ashlyn stepped onto the board, her grip on Red’s hands growing tighter and tighter. She didn’t want to admit it but she was terrified.
“It’s okay, I won’t let you go.”
As nervous as he was himself, Big Red put on his kindest smile for Ashlyn. All he wanted was to make her feel at ease.
Slowly he took steps to the right, pulling her and the skateboard along with them. Though they were barely moving, Ashlyn clung to him for dear life. She had never realised how scary this would be. Not wanting to look down and imagine all the horrible ways this could end, she kept her focus on the boy in front of her, their eye contact strong.
It was so easy for Big Red to get lost in her eyes. He had found himself spending more and more time these days looking to see the way they captured the light. The swirls of gold racing around her irises was enough to draw him in. Her beauty was truly unparalleled, to him nobody could compare.
After being distracted by their close proximity for a few moments, Ashlyn realised that they had reached the end of the pathway. She hopped off the skateboard, not letting go of Big Red’s hands for a second.
“You did it!”
“I did it!” she beamed with pride.
Big Red felt everything around him slow down. Never had he seen such a heavenly sight. He would do anything to make sure she always felt this way with him.
Her smile began to settle, falling to a content pull at her lips. Once again they were stuck in a moment of silence, staring at each other in a way neither of them ever had with anyone else. They felt themselves moving closer, the already small space between them closing.
“Hey guys! What are you doing here?”
The two of them quite literally jumped apart at the familiar voice. Of course of all people they had been interrupted by EJ, who was completely oblivious to what was going on. Big Red couldn’t help but feel a sense of disappointment as he stepped back and allowed the cousins to greet each other. He had zoned out most of what EJ was saying but was brought back by the sweet sound of Ashlyn’s voice.
“Maybe you could give me another lesson tomorrow?” she asked nervously, a hopeful smile hesitantly growing on her face as she took off and handed back the helmet.
“Of course, I’ll meet you here at 10.” Big Red replied, something like excitement bubbling in his chest.
Ashlyn grinned back at him once more before following her cousin away from the ginger haired boy. Big Red picked up the skateboard as he watched her walk away. He sighed contentedly, tomorrow was going to be a good day.