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Red and Luis had been dating for a few weeks now and it was good. They got along, they talked about their feelings, they spent time together, they kissed. And Luis was a perfect boyfriend. He was kind and funny. He brought her flowers and carried her bag. They were a picture perfect couple. A textbook definition of a relationship. Red knew because she looked it up.
But something bothered Red. She loved Luis, she really did. But she didn’t love him any differently than she loved her other friends. They were super close. She found it easy to open up to Luis, she loved talking with him and spending time together. But her and Chloe did all those things too and they weren’t dating.
Red and Luis kissed sure but isn’t that just a physical affection you unlock as a couple. Red didn’t mind kissing but she was just as happy to hold hands or even just sit next to each other. She never felt the need to kiss him, if it happened it happened and if it didn’t that was fine too.
Red couldn’t help but feel like a bad girlfriend. They did everything that other couples did, but Red couldn’t help but feel like she was phoning it in. Like, she was just doing things because she was told it was something couples do. Whereas Luis seemed really dedicated to being a perfect boyfriend. It felt like them dating ment something to him that it didn’t mean to her.
It was all too confusing. She was the princess of hearts, shouldn’t she know these things. But Red had never been the best princess anyways. If she was going to figure this out she would need the opinion of someone else.
“Pink I need your help.” Red said as she walked into her sister’s dorm room. Pink was stirring up some baked good but looked up to greet Red with a smile.
“Of course I’m here for whatever you need.” Pink said enthusiastically.
“Do you think me and Luis are good together?” Red blurted out. Pink didn’t comment on the sudden question, she just stopped stirring and thought for a second before speaking.
“Well, you’re always smiling and laughing when you’re together. He always gets you gifts. You open up to each other. So yeah I would say you’re a great couple.” Red nodded to herself as she started pacing. Everything Pink said sounded like a perfect relationship. Red was just being dramatic. This whole relationship thing was still new, maybe Red just needed to get used to it.
Pink tilted her head as she watched Red.
“Do you not think you’re a good couple?” She asked. Red paused at Pinks question. Did Red think they were a good couple? Yeah, of course she did. They were perfect. They did everything a normal couple does, and Luis was an amazing person, but she still couldn’t help the nagging feeling that something was wrong.
Red flopped down into a chair at Pink’s desk with a sigh.
“I don’t know, I mean he’s great but something feels off.” Red admitted. Pink hummed thoughtfully.
“Is there something you don’t like or makes you uncomfortable.” Red shook her head.
“No nothing like that, just something wrong.” Red didn’t know how to explain it. This was all too confusing. Why wasn’t there an easy way to tell when you were in love. If only someone could tell her.
Red suddenly turned to her sister.
“How do you know when you have crush.” Pink looked startled for a second before a blush came over her face and she looked away quickly.
“Why do you ask?”
“I was just wondering what it felt like.” Red said studying her sister.
“Oh, right.” Pink started stirring her mixture again, “Well you think about them a lot, like you always want to be around them. And you get nervous when they’re around too.”
“But how’s that any different than a friendship?” Red pressed.
“Well it’s hard to explain. I guess you want to be closer to them, like friends doesn’t feel right. Plus you want to hold hands and kiss and stuff like that.” Pink said with a shrug. Red thought on the words for a moment before responding.
“What if I don’t know if I have a crush on Luis?” Red asked hesitantly. Pink poured her mixture into a pan as she thought over Reds words. Finally she looked back at Red.
“Maybe you don’t like him then.” She said her tone unreadable.
“Pink we’re dating, of course I like him.”
“And how did you start dating?”
“We connected in Wonderland, we have a lot in common. Then when we got back he asked me to be his girlfriend and I said yes. It’s simple.” Red didn’t see anything wrong. She liked hanging out with Luis and they really connected, surely that means they should date right?
Pink put the pan in her small oven before walking over to sit on the desk next to Red.
“Did you actually want to date him, or did you just say yes because you thought you should?” Red hadn’t considered that. She had always assumed that them dating was the natural next step so of course she should say yes.
She thought back on how she never really wanted to do anything with Luis she doesn’t do with her other friends. She liked spending time alone together but liked spending time with the group just as much. All the dates they went on Luis planned because Red was fine just hangout when everyone got together. Not to mention she never really had the urge to kiss Luis. There were a lot of things Red did because they were normal relationships things, she had never questioned whether or not she wanted to do them.
Reds thoughts were running a mile an hour, did she really not want to date Luis. He was a great guy, all the girls in Auradon wanted him, why didn’t Red? Pink seemed to sense her stress and put a hand on her shoulder.
“If you don’t like him that’s ok. It’s ok to change your mind about how you feel. He’s super sweet I’m sure he’ll understand. This is your first relationship, it’s normal for it not to be a perfect fairytale. I’m sure you’ll find your person in the future.” Pink said trying to comfort Red, but her thoughts were too scattered to really focus on the words.
“But how am I supposed to find someone? I don’t even know what a crush feels like?” Pink squeezed her shoulder gently.
“Maybe you just don’t like people that way.” Red looked at her confused.
“What, that’s not possible.” Everyone got crushes, that was just part of life.
“Well think about Hazel, she doesn’t like boys right?” Red nodded, “And you would never question her on that, she just doesn’t like them.” Red nodded again, last time a boy had hit on her, Hazel had threatened to rip his throat out.
“So if she doesn’t like boys, isn’t it reasonable that some people don’t like anybody. It’s not something they need to be questioned on, it’s just what they don’t like.” Pink explained. Red sat back in her chair, she’d never thought of that. She had always just assumed everybody like someone, but they way Pink had explained it made perfect sense. Still understanding the concept and knowing that was what she was feeling, were two very different things.
“I don’t know Pink. This is all so confusing.” Red groaned throwing her head back.
“You don’t need to know everything right now, you can take time to consider it. You know you best, so just do whatever makes you feel right. And just know whatever you decide I’m here for you.” Red smiles at her sister.
“Thanks Pink.”
“Anytime.” Pink returned her smile with an even brighter one. The moment didn’t last long though as Red’s thought drifted back to the problem at hand.
“What about Luis though.” Pink thought deeply for a second.
“My advice would be to break it off. You’re allowed to take as much time as you need to figure this out, but it’s not fair to string him along if you’re so unsure about your relationship.” Pink said after some consideration. Red nodded. Luis was amazing and she couldn’t force him to wait while she figured out her own feelings. He deserved someone who wanted to kiss him and to go on dates, and right now that wasn’t Red.
“You’re right, I need to end it, but I don’t know how.” Red sighed, it wouldn’t be easy. She didn’t want to hurt Luis but waiting would just make it worse.
“Well I’m making brownies. You can bring him one, maybe it’ll soften the blow. While we wait for them to bake I can help you brainstorm what to say.” Pink suggested. Red smiled.
“You really are an amazing sister.” Pink just shrugged.
“I know.” She said with a smirk. Red rolled her eyes but stood up to pull Pink into a hug.
“Plus that gives us time to talk about why you blushed so much when I asked about crushes.” Red said. Pink stuttered pulling back quickly.
“I did not blush.” She said stubbornly.
“Sure you didn’t.” Red said putting her arm back around her sister. Pink didn’t look back but smiled softly and leaned into the contact. Red still wasn’t sure what she felt, but she knew she had people to support her as she figured it out.