"Well, I'm sorry you feel that way!" Austin snapped at his wife, Ally Moon, as he walked through the door with her. "I want to venture out in my music! You can't just stay protected in a bubble, I need to explore!"
"Why didn't you tell me that instead of hooking up with another writer?" Ally questioned, angrily, slamming the door behind her. Austin flinched, glaring at her for startling him.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know I needed permission from you to do what I want," Austin glowered with a dark look, kicking off his shoes.
"Don't give me that attitude!" Ally exclaimed, clenching her fists until they ached. "You could've told me that you wanted to change up the sound and I would've done my best! Or you could've done the mature thing and told me that you met with another writer instead of having me find out from some stupid magazine!"
Austin sighed, rubbing his temples and he walked away from her and towards the kitchen. He needed comfort food. Pancakes.
Ally took off her shoes as well, although it took her longer due to her being with child. She wasn't too far along, nearly only four months, but Ally was a very careful person.
Ally followed where Austin had been, "Don't walk away from me, we need to talk about this!" she growled. Austin grunted in annoyance.
"What else is there left to say?" he asked her, irritated. "I apologized in the car, I let you yell at me and diffuse your anger, you got your point across, so I am sorry that I didn't confront you about this, but what was done is done and there's nothing we can do to change it! The song is written and I received the demo CD. I'll be playing it during the Broadcast and then it will be behind us. Ok?" Austin tried, but Ally was still fuming.
"Why can't you ever just confide in me?" she questioned him.
"I do confide in you! But this was something I wanted to do alone!" he blurted, before sighing and pinching his nose, realizing that was definitely not the right thing to say to your hormonal wife. "Ally, can we just forget about this?"
"Fine, you want to be alone? Then be alone!" Ally spun and started towards the door once more.
"Where are you going?" Austin called after her, confusedly.
"I'm going to see Trish!" she replied before slipping into her shoes and walking out the door. Austin groaned. He didn't let it get him down though; he started making his pancakes right away.
. . . . .
"Did you let him explain?" questioned Ally's best friend, Trish.
Ally nodded, "Yes. It just doesn't make sense. Why didn't he feel comfortable telling me?"
"He probably didn't want to hurt you." Trish guessed, shrugging as she looked at Ally. "I mean, how would he tell you that he wanted to write with somebody else for his new Single? It wouldn't have been an easy conversation."
"You know what else isn't an easy conversation?" Ally questioned, her ears brewing and puffing invisible smoke, "explaining to your wife that you wrote a song with somebody else because you wanted a new sound and never mentioned a damn word!"
Trish sighed, "Ally, you're in a sensitive state right now. I know you're offended and disappointed, but what's done is done."
"Why are you on his side?" Ally wondered, angrily.
"I haven't taken any sides!" Trish claimed, "I'm trying to be logical."
"You're not making sense to me," grumbled Ally.
Trish sighed. "Well, I don't know what to say. Dez and I don't fight often."
"Neither do Austin and I," Ally pouted.
"I know, but Dez and I don't write music, so we never run into these troubles. The biggest fight Dez and I had was over who had to do the laundry." Trish said causing Ally to giggle. "I've got to set up for Austin's Broadcast. Do you want to help? I really need somebody to make some snacks for the night."
"Yeah, sure, I might as well help. I don't want to see Austin yet anyways." Ally admitted.
"You'll have to get over it sooner or later," Trish said. Ally nodded.
"I choose later!" Ally said, immaturely. Trish rubbed her forehead, realizing there was nothing she could do about this. Ally then got up and walked towards Trish's kitchen to start making the snacks meanwhile Trish dismissed herself and left the house to decorate the Practice Room for Austin's broadcast.
. . . . .
"Damn, you could be the one that could mess me up, you could be the one that'll take me, damn, all them other girls said they'd had enough, you could be the one that'll take me!" Austin vocalized while he paced around in his house, readying himself for the broadcast.
He sighed as he checked his phone for anything, to see if Ally had contacted him at all. He knew she was fine so he forced himself to relax and focus on fixing his outfit and keeping his vocals warmed up.
"Austin! Let's go!" the sound of Jimmy Starr's voice shouted from inside the house. Austin jumped and then walked down the stairs and looked at Jimmy.
"Dude, you broke into my house," Austin said. Jimmy let out a laugh.
"I called the house, nobody picked up." Jimmy said. That's when Austin remembered he'd ignored the phone when he was doing his hair. "And you still haven't given me your new cell number." Austin nodded.
"Right," Austin said.
"Where's Ally?" Jimmy questioned.
"With Trish," Austin didn't want to mention their squabble. "I assume she's getting a ride with somebody."
Jimmy nodded, "The car's waiting." Austin nodded, slipping into his shoes and headed out.
. . . . . .
"Hi, I'm Austin Moon and you're watching my Broadcast!" Austin smiled at the camera. He began talking to an interviewer who asked him about his new Single and he fed everybody watching him the details about the new single.
Ally was nearly half hour late when she strolled in with large containers of snacks. Ally was still feeling tense with her and Austin's arguments and so she avoided eye contact with him.
Austin noticed her hostility and restrained the urge to sigh considering he was still on camera. The Broadcast went on and Austin sang his new single 'Pass Me By' acoustically on his guitar. The people who were scattered in the practice room all clapped along to his song and of course clapped after the song was over, announcing that he was fantastic.
Ally was packaging the containers that were vacant of food when Austin finally strolled over, now that the camera's were off and it was only the party left on. Ally glanced at him and all he needed was one look to know how she was feeling. "Are you really still mad at me?"
"I don't know, should I be mad at you?" she questioned bitterly.
"No, you shouldn't," Austin replied, sighing.
"WRONG!" she snapped, focusing on packaging the empty containers and setting them aside. Austin glared at her.
"You can't be mad forever. The song has been leaked via the broadcast and now the rest is history," he said, crossing his arms.
"Humph," Ally let out.
"Fine, two can play this game," he growled at her and turned around to walk away. Ally glared at him from over her shoulder. Trish saw the whole thing and groaned.
. . . . . .
Austin was sitting at the table flipping through a Sonic Boom magazine when his wife strolled in, tired and irritable. He didn't even say good morning nor did he ask her if she was alright like he normally did after she'd been sick in the bathroom.
Ally was still feeling a little under the weather due to her morning sickness so she settled for some sodium crackers and sat across from Austin, glaring as she munched on them. Austin glanced up at her for a split second before looking back at his magazine.
"I have an interview today," Austin told her, but the words sounded forced.
"Interesting. You didn't tell me about that either." Ally sent him a dark look.
"Actually, I did. A week ago." Austin replied.
"Hm, Maybe I don't remember something that never happened," she retorted. Austin ignored her, deciding he wouldn't argue but quite frankly he did remember telling her, but he also remembers that she probably was too distracted to hear him considering she was finishing up a song when he'd told her.
"What are you doing today?" Austin questioned, a muscle setting in his jaw. Their voices sounding animated as they conversed back and forth.
"Things," she replied.
"Thanks for the details," he muttered sarcastically.
Ally was glaring at Austin from across the table. "I could do this all day," Ally announced.
"As could I," Austin replied, staring right back at her. He sipped his coffee that was in front of him, keeping his eyes hostile, but they didn't intimidate Ally. Austin was too sweet to be intimidating.
"I started it," she argued, immaturely.
"Who cares, I'm gonna win this. You'll back down." he told her.
"I won't cave. I will win this fight!" she announced. He huffed. "Don't huff at me!" He hesitated before huffing again. "Austin!" she barked. He stifled a laugh.
"You should get ready," Ally said.
"Why?" Austin replied, keeping his eyes narrowed and intense.
"Because it's already 9:15 and you were supposed to be at the studio at 9 sharp," she smirked. Austin's eyes widened and he bolted towards the bathroom, hearing him curse under his breath. Ally laughed.
"It's not funny, Ally!" he growled from the bathroom, where he was combing his fingers through his hair to fix it. He was thankful he'd already gotten dressed, normally he didn't get dressed until later, but today he decided to get dressed earlier. Austin was racing through the house, grabbing his jacket and keys. "Call me if you need to!" he yelled from the doorway. He knew he was angry, but that saying had become routine since they discovered Ally was with child. He then left the house in a rush, leaving Ally to laugh to herself.
. . . . .
"I don't want the song to sound like that," Austin told her, sitting at the piano.
"Well, why don't you find another writer then?" Ally snapped at him. Austin tugged his blonde locks of hair.
"You need to drop this, Ally! You're getting ridiculous! It's been an entire day! I've apologized over and over again!" Austin barked at her.
"I'm sorry but what you did totally sucked," Ally glared at him. He sighed, aggravated. He place his hands on the piano.
"Let's just work on a stupid melody," he grumbled, pressing down on the keys. Ally pondered her thoughts as she listened to the music. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Her brain was dead.
"I can't think," she told him, "I'm too angry at you!"
"Ugh! Ally!" he howled at her angrily. "We have to write a song today whether you want to or not! Get over it now, okay? You're being such a child and I'm tired of listening to you bark at me!"
"Why are you acting like all of this is my fault? You're the one who went with another writer instead of telling me you wanted a new sound! I would've done it for you!" Ally exclaimed.
"Not the way I'd want it to!"
"Well, I'm sorry that you chose me as your partner!" she barked.
"Yeah, maybe I should have gone for one less dramatic!" Austin retorted. Ally gasped dramatically, placing a hand over her chest.
Ally hissed, "Well then, maybe you shouldn't have stolen my song!"
"Are we back at this one? We were fifteen!" he grunted.
"That doesn't give you a right to steal songs!" she said. Austin rolled his eyes and slammed his forehead repeatedly on the keys. "Stop it! That's annoying!" she grabbed the back of his shirt and forced him to sit up. Austin glared at her.
"This fight is petty and unprofessional, Ally. You'll need to get over it." Austin told her.
"I don't have to get over anything! I just wish you would have told me that you wanted a new writer!" Ally exclaimed, throwing her hands up.
He sighed, "I don't want a new writer. I just needed one for that song."
"Really now, because he called our house the other day and wanted to write another song with you, claiming that you promised you'd work together again." Ally arched an eye brow. He groaned.
"I was just being nice," he defended himself.
"And I'm sure you were being just nice when you went behind my back to write a song with a different writer," she snapped. Austin grunted.
"Ally, this is getting out of control. How many times do I have to tell you I'm sorry?" he questioned.
"Until I believe you!"
"When will that be?" he asked.
"Never," she huffed. He rolled his eyes at her dramatic attitude. He grabbed his jacket.
"Forget the song, I'm going home!" Then he took off out the door while Ally grumbled to herself incoherent harsh things about her husband. She then played the piano rather loudly and aggressively until her fingers ached.
. . . . . .
"This is getting ridiculous, Ally!" Austin growled, "Now you won't even let me in my own bed! If you have such a problem, sleep on the couch!"
"You're the man! You sleep on the couch!" she argued.
"And you're the one who has a problem!" Austin barked. Ally grunted and gave up, curling onto her side of the bed. Austin huffed and then got onto his side. They faced their backs to each other. "You should just drop it, Ally."
"Never," she replied.
"Why not?" he questioned.
"Because you're a jerk who lies to his wife!" she snapped.
"I didn't lie to you," he said helplessly.
"Are we doing this?" Ally questioned, turning over to glance at him. Austin sighed.
"Goodnight, Ally."
"Not-so-goodnight, Austin."
. . . . .
"You two need to cut it out!" Trish said when she had a grumpy Ally and irritated Austin facing each other in two different chairs. Trish pulled up a stool, facing them. "Now, I'm doing to play Psychiatrist. Austin, What would you like to say to Ally?"
"I don't have anything to say to Ally!" he glared at his wife. Ally rolled her eyes.
"Oh, please, don't act-"
"It is not your turn, Mrs. Moon," Trish gave her a look. Ally grunted, crossing her arms. Austin smirked. "We do not smirk in counseling sessions, Mr. Moon." Austin quickly wiped the smirk off his face. "Now, Austin, you must have something to say to your wife."
"I already said I was sorry. That's pretty much it." Austin shrugged. Trish was starting to get aggravated.
"Do you two want this fight to end or not?" she deadpanned.
"I don't, because I have every right to be angry," Ally voiced.
"No, you don't!" Austin argued, "I worked with a new writer! You're just jealous because you didn't get to write my new single!" Trish glanced at Ally to see her reaction. Ally gasped.
"That is not true!" she shrieked, "I don't get jealous."
"Then let me refresh your mind," he began, "There was Kira, Cassidy, Chelsea, Piper-"
"You got jealous a lot, too!" she claimed, "Remember Dallas and Elliott and Gavin and two weeks ago when that one guy gave me twenty bucks because I lost mine!"
Austin fumed at the memory, "He was flirting with you and you let him!"
Ally groaned angrily, "He wasn't flirting! I was crying and he gave me twenty bucks!"
"Well, you're a married woman who should only be comforted by her husband, not by some man on the beach!" Austin growled. Ally rolled her eyes.
"Alright, Okay, this did not go where it was supposed to," Trish said, clearing her throat and flipping her hair over her shoulder, "let's try again. Ally, is there anything you'd like to say to Austin?"
"Oh, YES!" Ally shrieked and Austin groaned, slouching in his chair as he readied himself for her. "Austin, you're a jerk who shouldn't of gone behind my back to write a song because we agreed that I, only I, was your songwriter! You promised that we would always have a partnership and then you went and wrote a song with somebody else! What the heck? Like, I thought I was your partner not some John Doe!"
"You are my partner, Ally! I never said you weren't! And his name was Jeremy Veldt!" Austin replied. Trish was satisfied that they were talking now, even if it was a lot of hissing and snapping.
"I don't care about his name!" Ally barked, "Why did you question our partnership? Why didn't you ask about wanting a new sound or wanting to write a song with a different writer for a change?"
Austin sighed, "Ally, I didn't question our partnership. I didn't ask you about wanting a new sound because I didn't want you to take offense to it and I didn't want to tell you that I did work with a different writer because I didn't want to hurt your feelings."
"Well, I'm already highly offended!" Ally scowled. Austin sighed, throwing his arms down by his sides, giving up.
"I am done here," Austin grumbled to Trish. Trish sighed.
"Ally, can you please hear him out?" she questioned.
"No," Ally stubbornly refused.
"You'll need to forgive him at one point. It was one song-"
Austin laughed nervously, "Actually, it's going to be two...I called Jeremy back to write another one with me." Ally's eyes widened and she clenched her fists in anger.
Trish looked back at Austin, "You're really not helping yourself here."
"Fine! Looks like Jeremy is your new songwriter now!" exclaimed Ally, getting up from her chair and marching away.
"No! Ally! Wait!" Austin shouted, getting out of his chair. "Let me explain!"
"You didn't tell me about it...AGAIN!" Ally yelled at him. Austin flinched.
"I know, I'm sorry."
"You didn't even learn your lesson! I am no longer writing songs for you!" Ally glowered at him.
Austin's eyes widened, "Come on, Ally, Don't say that!"
"I. Just. Did."
"Ally! Come on, I need you as my partner! My music will plummet without you." Austin said.
"As flattering as that was...no! I will not be your partner anymore." Ally crossed her arms.
"Let's not get drastic here!" Trish said, when she walked up to the fighting couple.
"Well, Austin obviously likes Jeremy's music more than mine. What's the point in writing then?" Ally said, but Austin caught the wobble in her voice and his features softened.
"Ally, come on," he said, "I love you and I love your music. I just need to experiment sometimes. You're talented at what you do and that'll never change." Ally looked away from him, refusing to let her eyes well up with tears. She blamed it on hormones.
"I wanted to be the only one who wrote for you," Ally mumbled. He sighed and nodded, holding out his arms for her. Trish slowly shuffled away, proud of herself for getting the two to make a mend.
"I'm not giving up on you, Ally," he assured her when she caved, letting him pull her in. "You will always write my music. I just wanted some experimenting time. You seemed so busy, too, planning for the broadcast and writing your own music. I didn't want to stress you out." His hands casually travelled down her back in a soothing way.
Ally stared at him, "Okay. I believe you and forgive you," she finally caved. Austin smiled. Ally leaned up on the tips of her toes and placed her lips on his, feeling his mouth on hers softly.
"Are we good now?" he asked her when she pulled away. She was hesitant but she nodded. "Good." he said, leaning down and placing a kiss on the side of her mouth. "I missed you." he murmured. Ally giggled. "Don't ever think that I was choosing another writer over you. I couldn't do what I do without you, Ally. My career wouldn't be the same if you weren't my partner. We're better together," he grinned, "We're like pancakes and syrup or the faded picture of a beautiful night."
"Pancakes and Syrup?" she echoed.
"I tried." he said, making her laugh. Ally wrapped her arms around Austin, hugging him tightly. "I love you."
"I love you, too. I'm sorry we fought over something so silly." she said. He chuckled.
"Well, what's a marriage without petty arguments, hm?" he replied. Ally grinned, kissing him again softly.
Because after all, they were the faded picture of a beautiful night.
