When they're 15, Austin is reckless and oblivious to the world. All he can really think about is himself and how he wants to become a singer. He wants to make millions of people smile with his music. He wants to light up people's worlds. He wants to-

"Excuse me, did you not see the NO PLAYING THE DRUMS sign?" a petite brunette girl asks him. His world suddenly seems darken. Who is this girl? Who does she think she is, trying to unshine the star of Austin Moon?

Little does he know that this girl will do the exact opposite.

This girl will change his life in so many ways.

This girl will be the reason why all his dreams, his hopes, his wishes come true.

This girl will change his personality

his mood

his reason for existence.

OoO

When they're 16, Austin can't believe just how much he has already fulfilled with this girl by his side. He's performed at Times Square on New Year's Eve. He's gained thousands of fans. He's stayed up a lot at night by her side at the piano trying to write lyrics.

But none of that is important.

With this girl by his side, he feels invincible, and he's not exactly sure why.

With this girl by his side, sometimes he feels like he can climb the top of any building, soar across any sky, sing any song.

With this girl by his side, he smiles more, laughs more, and also sleeps less, but that's not important.

With this girl by his side, he's opened up to a world filled with endless possibilities and adventures that are just beyond the horizon.

With this girl by his side, he knows he can do anything, and he's not exactly sure why.

OoO

When they're 17, Austin begins to feel funny feelings in his stomach for this girl. He's positive that he's attracted to this other girl, Kira, his boss's daughter. And even though Trish tells him that being attracted to Kira and going out with Kira is a terrible idea, Austin pushes it aside. He's positive that Kira is flawless.

With Kira, he can play video games in Dez's basement and not always have to worry about performances and lyrics and music videos.

With Kira, he doesn't always have to worry about his butt hurting from sitting on the piano bench for hours and hours and hours.

With Kira, life is loud. Life is fun. Life is crazy.

But he starts to miss this girl.

Because this girl gave him a chance to listen to life, instead of making life so loud that he sometimes wanted to explode.

This girl gave him a chance to breathe, and have fun in new ways that didn't always require so much effort and physical energy.

This girl lent him a hand when he needed one, gave him a shoulder to lean on when he was feeling down about his career, and showed him that anything was possible if he never gave up.

And Kira wasn't this girl.

Because this girl was different, and Austin was beginning to realize this. He begins to realize that these feelings he can't explain...

Maybe...

It's love.

And he begins to think that maybe he loves this girl, for all the right reasons that seem so wrong.

OoO

When they're 18, Austin realizes that he is in love. He is in love with this girl that makes him feel so amazing, as if he's on top of the world.

He loves this girl because she is overflowing with talent, and she doesn't even realize it.

He loves this girl because she is beautiful, with her wavy hair and cute shirts and jeans. Even when she sometimes feels lazy and ends up borrowing one of his hoodies and doesn't wear any make up: she's beautiful.

He loves this girl because the piano bench is where they connect the most. It's where they make music, where they get lost in the harmony and the notes and the meaning. Where nothing else matters but the sound.

He loves this girl because she does all sorts of crazy things like chew her hair and talk to Owen, her pet bird, although he's learned a long time ago that Owen actually talks back.

He loves this girl because she lights up when she sings. Her smile grows wider, her face grows brighter. She's his own personal star. He doesn't need constellations. This girl is all he needs.

He loves this girl because he loves the way her hand fits in his, how small it feels, and how his heart beats faster when their fingers intertwine. It's a perfect fit.

He loves this girl because her lips feel soft and innocent during their first kiss. He's helping her close up the shop and then he's looking at her and then he's leaning closer

and closer

and closer

until the space between them completely disappears and all anyone can see are sparks flying out of control.

He loves this girl because she blushes when he tells everyone that he's his girl, only his, and no one else's.

He loves this girl because she's his... and he couldn't have asked for anyone better.

OoO

When they're 18, they graduate from high school. They throw their caps in the air and this girl flies into his arms and he catches her.

After Trish's quince, he's let this girl that he'll always be there to catch her when she falls, no matter what.

Because of this girl, he has somehow gotten a 1940 on his SATs, although she managed to get a 2040.

(Only because this girl is smart.)

Because of this girl, he's turned into an international superstar. His life is filled with gigs, with stages, with bright lights, with screaming fans and autographs.

But because of this girl, his world is also filled with love, lots of it. It's filled with words, meaningful ones. It's filled with memories, laughter, and romance.

He looks at this girl, in her cap (once she's retrieved it after it went flying onto someone else's lap, of course, because this girl is a klutz), and the sight is breath taking. She's smiling and shining and glowing all at once, and he wonders:

How can this girl do that to me? Make me feel like I can live in this moment forever?

And this girl looks at him and cocks her head to the side.

"What is it Austin?" this girl asks, taking his hand and intertwining their fingers together.

He smiles back. "I love you, Ally. You know that right?"

This girl's eyes glisten. She wonders how she landed herself such a sweet, incredible, handsome boy that, for some strange reason she'll probably never know, chose her. "I know. I love you too," she replies.

Because she does. She loves this boy.

And he loves this girl.

OoO

When they're 19, Austin gets interviewed by Helen. It's been awhile. They talk about his career, how it's soaring and growing greater by the second, how his songs have been hitting #1 on the charts. And she asks him this question:

"What do you think has made this all possible, Austin? Your dream, you career, everything?"

And he answers this question with this answer:

"Well, there's this girl..."

You know the rest.