Briar enters the room, her heart pounding. Ashlynn is sitting on her bed, head tilted downwards. Briar slowly approaches her. The girl is running her finger along her mint green sheets, tracing shapes into the fabric.
"Hey, Ash," Briar murmurs.
Ashlynn looks up. Briar notes that she hasn't been crying. Her eyes and face are dry, devoid of any tears. Briar gazes at her, at the emerald eyes filled with sadness.
"Hi Briar," Ashlynn replies.
Her tone is dull, lacking its usual life.
"Can I sit?" asks Briar, her voice gentle.
"Of course," says Ashlynn.
She pats the bed, and Briar sits before her, aware of the space between them. Moments of silence ensue, in which Ashlynn looks down, continuing to stroke her index finger across the flannel. Briar's thoughts race around her head, spinning in circles, weaving in and out of her brain. Should she say something? She determines from the atmosphere of the situation, along with her innate empathy, that silence is probably what Ashlynn wants. She glances around the room as the moments stretch by, trying to find something to fix her eyes on. Her gaze keeps traveling back to her friend, though. Her friend, whose shoulders are slumped, whose face is contorted in quiet pain, whose eyes are slightly red from contained tears.
Briar can't take it anymore and says the first thing that comes to her mind.
"I heard what happened."
Ashlynn looks up. She gazes at Briar, her eyes glistening with tears.
"I'm sorry," adds Briar, her voice soft.
Ashlynn closes her eyes. A single lone tear traces its way down her cheek. Instinctively, Briar reaches out, gently wiping it away with the pad of her thumb. Her fingers travel from the girl's face to her hair, where she lightly brushes them through the strawberry blond locks. Ashlynn slowly opens her eyes after a few moments. More tears spill forth, rushing down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry," she says, her voice a hoarse whisper.
She squeezes her eyes shut, as a sob pushes its way from her throat to her mouth.
"No, don't be," Briar murmurs. "Don't be. Just let it all out."
She embraces Ashlynn, gently pulling her head to rest on her shoulder. Ashlynn hugs Briar back tightly. She quietly sniffles, her face pressed against the pink fabric. Briar smooths a hand over her hair. She can feel the girl shaking. Ashlynn's sobs are soft, muffled by her shirt. Briar is silent, allowing the girl to cry uninterrupted. Minutes stretch by, throughout which Ashlynn's crying intensifies. Briar holds her tighter.
"I didn't want to break up with him," Ashlynn sobs.
She coughs, choking on her tears.
"I know, Ash," Briar whispers. "I know."
She places a soft kiss to her friend's head. She continues to stroke her hair. Ashlynn snuggles closer.
Eventually, Ashlynn's tears slow, and she's reduced to hiccups and sniffles. Briar doesn't let go, even as they, too, come to a stop. She keeps trailing her fingers through the silky, mint-scented tresses. Ashlynn pulls away after a few minutes, groaning. She swipes a hand across her eyes.
"I'm sorry," she croaks. "For putting all that on you."
Briar shakes her head. She gives her friend a soft, encouraging smile.
"No, sweetie, don't be sorry," she assures her. "It's no big deal. Really. I'm your friend, and I care too much about you to let you go through this on your own."
She takes the girl's hands, giving them a gentle squeeze. Ashlynn lets out a watery chuckle.
"Thank you," she says. "I appreciate it."
"Of course."
Briar smiles brightly.
It promptly fades, though, as Ashlynn chokes out a small sob.
"I can't believe I did that," she mutters, her voice shaking. "I can't believe I did that to him. He must be crushed. Even more than I am."
Briar gazes at her sympathetically. She squeezes her hands. Ashlynn looks down, her eyes shut, as she struggles not to cry. Briar scoots next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She holds her hand with the other.
"And I wouldn't have broken up with him if our relationship wasn't negatively affecting so many people. People are upset. My friends hate me."
She hiccups.
"No, Ashlynn," Briar says, her voice soft. "That's not true. Nobody hates you. I promise."
Ashlynn's shoulders quake. Tears drip from her eyes, rolling down her cheeks.
"And I love you no matter what," says Briar. "You could be dating a troll or a dragon, and I'd still love you."
Ashlynn giggles, which promptly turns into a sob.
"But you're not," Briar continues. "You're dating Hunter. And he's amazing, just like you. I support you 100%, Ash. Okay?"
"Okay," Ashlynn says quietly, her voice choked by tears.
"And I'm sorry that I didn't let you know that sooner," she adds.
"It's totally fine, Briar," says Ashlynn. "It's not possible for you to know exactly what I want to hear at any time."
"True," says Briar, a tiny giggle escaping her.
A few moments of relative silence pass. Briar strokes her thumb in circles across the back of Ashlynn's hand.
"But Apple is super disappointed in me!" Ashlynn suddenly cries.
She sniffles.
"Apple loves you, Ashlynn," Briar says gently. "She came rushing over to me right after you broke up with Hunter and asked me to go find you. She was so upset, she was nearly crying, because of what happened. She cares about you so much. Even if she may be pushy and nosy at times, she only wants what she thinks is best for you. And I'm not condoning her behavior. I'm just saying that she cares."
Ashlynn hiccups. She nods, tears streaming in salty trails down her face. She looks down, suddenly bursting into tears again. Briar folds her other arm around her. She pulls her sideways into a hug. Ashlynn grips her forearm, resting her head against her chest.
"It hurts," she sobs.
"I know," murmurs Briar, not knowing what else to say. "It'll be okay."
She gives her a gentle squeeze. Ashlynn only cries harder, clings to Briar tighter. Briar bites her lip. She rubs the girl's back in slow, circular motions.
Ashlynn doesn't cry long this time. The sobs ebb within a couple minutes. She sniffles, and Briar is silent, tracing patterns along her shoulders and back.
"I feel like crap," Ashlynn croaks after a few minutes.
Briar is surprised by Ashlynn's sudden transition from her usual gentle and sweet language. Heartbreak takes its toll on people, she thinks. She pets Ashlynn's head.
"I'm sorry," she murmurs.
Ashlynn shakily sighs.
"I don't want to stop cuddling," she mumbles.
"Then don't," replies Briar, her voice soft. "I'll hold you as long as you want."
"That's really sweet, Bri, but I like seriously need to blow my nose."
She lets out a small giggle. Briar gently chuckles.
She gives the girl a squeeze before releasing her from the embrace. Ashlynn sits, her shoulders hunched, looking so dejected that Briar just wants to hold her in her arms again. She stands up and crosses the room, getting Ashlynn a box of tissues. She hands it to her as she settles back on the bed next to her.
"Thank you," says Ashlynn.
"No problem, Ash."
She blows her nose. Briar checks her phone, quickly replying to a text from Cupid about decorations for the dance. Briar puts her phone back in her pocket and turns her attention to her friend.
"So, of course we don't have to go to the dance," she says, as Ashlynn dabs at her eyes and cheeks with a tissue. "I already did all my work. Cupid and Hopper definitely have the rest covered. It's no problem. You and I can just stay in and watch some Hexflix. I can go down to the castleteria and get us some ice cream. Dairy-free for you, of course."
Ashlynn shakes her head.
"That sounds lovely, Bri, but I still want to go. I can't just lie around and mope."
"Yes you can," says Briar. "At least for a little while. You deserve some rest, at least for tonight."
Ashlynn smiles at her friend.
"You're a good friend." She reaches out, taking Briar's hands, giving them a gentle squeeze. "But you, Cupid, and Hopper worked really hard on this dance. You more than deserve to go and see all that hard work pay off. And I want to go and see what an amazing job you guys did."
"Well, okay," Briar says hesitantly. "I don't mind not going, though."
"I know," says Ashlynn. "Thank you."
Briar squeezes her hands.
"Okay. Well, we can still watch some Hexflix until then. I'll go make us some tea first."
Ashlynn smiles.
"Okay. That sounds lovely. Thank you."
Briar goes over to the small kitchen area and steeps some tea. Ashlynn sits at her vanity and cleans her mascara-stained cheeks with makeup remover.
Ashlynn settles back on the bed, lying her head on a propped up pillow. Briar comes over, holding two mugs of steaming tea. She sits next to Ashlynn, handing one to her. They both gently blow on the berry-scented liquid.
Briar props up her MirrorPad in front of them.
"What shall we watch?" she asks.
"Well, since we have time for a movie, how about that new one with Anna Hexdrick?"
She takes a sip of tea.
"Oh yeah, I've been wanting to see it," replies Briar.
She finds it and presses play. Ashlynn reaches over, switching the light off. She rests her head back against the pillow. Briar wraps a gentle arm around her shoulders, and Ashlynn snuggles close. The movie plays, and the girls sit in each other's arms, staring at the screen,sipping the sweet-tart tea.