author's note: because i absolutely love high school auslly au's, and the falling for your beat friend cliche! this story will about about three chapters long, so here's the first part - enjoy!
disney owns austin & ally, and therefore, i don't own it, capiche? and the song is by jason mraz - although i will always think of it as sam and quinn.
love songs for the broken hearted
PART I
Austin/Ally
"Do you hear me? I'm talking to you / Across the water / across the deep blue ocean / Under the open sky / oh my, baby I'm trying / Boy I hear you in my dreams / I feel your whisper across the sea / I keep you with me in my heart / You make it easier when life gets hard / I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend / Lucky to have been where I have been / Lucky to be coming home again."
— Lucky (Jason Mraz feat. Colbie Caillat)
un.
If there were three things that Austin Moon could count as constant in his life, they would be his ability to play guitar (and drums and the keyboard), his amazingly gorgeous girlfriend, Cassidy, and his best friend, one-of-the-guys, his buddy, Ally.
Of course, he didn't expect that he was going to lose all three of these things in one day, but then again — no one ever expects these things on this day, this day especially.
Maybe his day didn't start out so happy — in fact, it started out as one of the worst days of his life — but, with his hand entwined with the girl's, their feet making footprints in the sand, he couldn't regret every misstep, every false move, that brought him here.
"Happy Valentine's day," he says, and then he kisses her like they are the only two people left on the planet, which, to them, they were.
x
deux.
"Dez, come on, man," Austin Moon grumbles into the phone, ruffling his already messy bed rumpled hair as he spoke into the phone. "I need ideas on how to make this an amazing Valentine's day for Cassidy — it's our first one together; last year's doesn't count 'cause she thought I was gay and cheating on her with another guy, awkward times — and you're, like, my go-to man when it comes to these things."
There was a snore on the other end of the line. "Wha—? C'mon, man, just take her to a movie or something," Dez mumbles through sleepy eyes, "I don't know — I'm kind of bad at those romantic things, luckily Trish isn't interested in all that mushy gushy stuff and I'm just renting Zaliens and ordering a pizza."
Oh how Austin cursed those who had an easy romantic life — so practically anyone but himself.
"Thanks," Austin growls into the phone, "for nothing, man. I could have gotten the same advice from Google — we go to a movie every Friday, at least, so it won't be special — Cass deserves special."
"Well, then, I don't know — why don't you ask a girl what she'd want to do on Valentine's Day if she was your girlfriend?" Dez says, his words garbled from sleep. Austin heard another yawn from his end and fought the urge to roll his eyes, despite the fact that Dez couldn't possibly see him.
"Dez that's — actually a really good idea," Austin replies, mulling the idea over in his mind, "but I just need to find a girl . . ."
"I've done my part, dude," Dez mutters, "I'm goin' back to sleep."
"Uh — school starts in less than an hour, man." Austin laughs.
"Cool — almost an hour left to sleep." The line cuts off, leaving Austin with only the dial tone and his thoughts to keep him busy.
"Dez actually has a pretty decent idea," Austin ponders, "But I need a girl who'd be willing to — Ally." Of course; Ally was his other half, his best friend, his go-to gal — she was always there for him, all he needed to do was ask.
He turns on his phone and fires a quick text.
Sent to Ally D at 7:40AM
ALLY —
CAN I TALK 2 U? IT'S ABOUT C AND V-DAY. THX.
— AUSTIN
A few minutes later, while he's in the middle of his strenuous hair fixing technique — how else would he get such perfect hair? — his phone vibrates. "Really, All?" he mutters, sighing. "When I'm in the middle of the Austin Moon experience?" But he smiles anyway, because he isn't really mad — he can't be really mad, it's Ally.
1 New Message(s) from Ally D. Sent at 7:52AM.
AUSTIN —
I KNOW UR IN THE MIDDLE OF UR HAIR-FIXING ;) BUT KK I CAN HELP. I'LL BE OVER IN 20 MINS :)
— ALLY
He laughs in a way that only Ally can make him laugh, "How does she know — ?" His phone vibrates; it's another message from Ally.
PS I CAN C U. — A.
He looks up and, sure enough, he can see Ally in her bedroom, curtains open wide to let in the February sun. She smiles at him and mouths, "Trouble in paradise?"
He shakes his head. "I'll tell you later, okay?" She nods and closes her violet curtains, but her silhouette, short and petite, can still be seen through the weak light.
x
trois.
Cassidy calls him when he's halfway through his breakfast, and let it be known that it is very hard to sound charming on the phone when you're scarfing down Cap'n Crunch like it's the only food you've ever eaten. Sexy and I Know It starts blasting and, still red-faced, after mumbling a quick excuse me to his parents, he flees to the sanctuary of the study to talk.
"Hey, babe," Austin says into the phone after coughing up what seems to be half his food. "What's up? Is something wrong, you never call me before school, usually you just text — not that there's anything wrong with calling me, but that's not saying that you should do it every day —" He knows he's rambling again, talking like an idiot, but something about Cassidy and his crush on her has always made him really nervous to talk to her, even after a year and a half of dating her.
"It's okay, Austin," Cassidy says, popping her gum. "I just wanted to say that you shouldn't make any plans for after school — daddy just won a legal settlement, and we're going to the Alps for a week to celebrate."
He tries to make his voice sound cheerful, "Wow. Great."
Her gum-popping stops. "Why aren't you happy, Austin?"
"Who says I'm not happy," he mutters, scowling at a painting of a long-dead ancestor on the wall. "It's just that I wanted to spend at least one Valentine's day with my girlfriend before we go off to university — is that too much to ask?"
"We were together last Valentine's Day," Cassidy argues, "and we'll spend some of this Valentine's day together."
"Oh yeah?" Austin can feel his blood boiling. This is usually the part where he concedes that Cassidy is right — even when she's not — just to avoid a fight, but he won't, not this time. "Because telling everyone at school that I'm gay — when I'm not — and accusing me of cheating is an amazing way to spend Valentine's Day."
"It wouldn't have happened if you would have spent more time with me and less time with Charlie, or Chuck or whatever his name is!" Cassidy snapped through the phone.
"Maybe, just maybe, if you'd spoken to me for at least one second that Carl was my cousin, then —"
"You know what? Don't pick me up, Austin. I'll have my driver drive me to school. See you later." She hangs up without doing the customary 'I love you more!' that she usually does and Austin just knows that he's in so much trouble when she finally catches up with him.
He wants to scream, punch something, do anything, but then —
A —
WHERE R U? I'M WAITING OUTSIDE UR HOUSE.
— A
He grabs his phone and his backpack and, calling out a final goodbye to his parents, he closes the front door behind him with a snap, sinking down with a groan. He knew how the rest of the day would play out: Cassidy would not go to his locker like she usually did — something he was actually glad for because it gave him more time to spend with the guys — and she wouldn't talk to him for two period, but just before third, she'd slip a note into his locker that said something to the effect of 'meet me in the 1st floor bathroom in 10', which he would do. Then, she'd say how sorry she was, and he'd lie and say that he, too, was sorry and that it was all his fault and she'd kiss him and all would be forgiven.
It wasn't anything new with them, but he was tired of it all.
A —
SRRY. FIGHT WITH C. I'LL TELL U L8R.
— A
x
quatre.
When he opens the passenger seat door to Ally's small, grey Lincoln Zephyr, she hands him a cup of Starbucks coffee and a muffin. "Thanks," he mumbles after taking a bite of the chocolate chip muffin. The warm chocolate chips spread over his tongue and makes him almost — almost — forget about his fight with Cassidy.
"No problem," Ally says, taking a long sip out of her own cup. "Do you — ?"
"Yeah," he answers even before she finishes her sentence. She tosses him a few sugar packets and he catches them and opens then pours them into his coffee. She doesn't say anything, but he grins at her: they're at the level in their friendship — thirteen years — that they know each other better than anyone else knows them. "Thank you, Ally. You are amazing."
"Well," she grins even though she's blushing, "I do know how angry you get when you don't get your morning coffee." He laughs good-naturedly.
When I walk into a spot, this is what I see — He presses ignore and tries not to look at Ally, who is looking at him curiously, wondering why he'd just ignored a call from Cassidy. "She's going to the Alps for a week," he says after a few minutes of silence. "And she's leaving today — today of all days."
Ally tuts sympathetically. "So are you having dinner first or — ?"
"No," Austin says, frowning, and he repeats it. "No. She's leaving right after school, and unless I take her out to dinner and a show in our fifty minute lunch period, then I don't know."
Ally pauses and taps her chin for a moment, "You know, most guys would be glad they don't have to do all the mushy stuff."
Austin sighs, taking another bite out of the muffin. "This is our last Valentine's day before we all go to college next year. I mean, I'll be at Berkeley, she'll be at SUNY, how will we even work out?"
Ally doesn't respond, and for a few minutes, the only song playing on the radio is Taylor Swift's Today Was A Fairy tale. "If it was meant to be, Austin, then you shouldn't have to worry about all this."
"I know." He groans into his hands. "But — I worked so hard for Cassidy to even notice me, and I don't know — sometimes I just feel like, like, well — like I like her more than she likes me."
"You shouldn't, Austin," she says, frowning, "you really shouldn't. Was that what you wanted to talk to me about when you texted me?"
Austin gives her a dry, humourless laugh. "No. I was going to ask for your ideas on how to impress Cass. Like, date ideas and all that. Guess I don't need that now."
"Since Cassidy isn't going to be here tonight, and Dallas and I are pretty much over, why don't we just chill at my house, play some Rockband, write some songs?" She twists her hands as she says this, as if she's nervous despite the fact that they've been to each other's houses plenty of times. Somehow, the fact that it's Valentine's Day seems to heighten the awkwardness.
If Austin notices this, he doesn't comment. "Sure. And I'll bring some Jim Carrey movies and Hershey's kisses and Chinese food."
"Okay and I've got the ice-cream," she says, grinning. "It's a date."
The word date tingles on her tongue and floats out into the air, transient and tangible.
x
cinq.
Cassidy is already waiting at her locker when Austin and Ally approach it, and he can feel Ally stiffen beside him. Cassidy's smile slips, to be replaced by a fake one, and Austin is no fool as to the reason why — she and Ally had never gotten along.
In fact, his friendship with Ally had been the cause of numerous fights but that was one thing he was not willing to give in on. Ally had been his biggest supporter when he was trying to get Cassidy to notice him, and he wasn't going to abandon her now.
"Hey, baby," Cassidy purrs once he gets within hearing distance. She kisses him hard on the mouth, like their fight this morning had never happened at all. "Oh, and hi — uh — it's Amy, isn't it?" Austin fights the urge to roll his eyes — she and Ally have known each other longer than he and Ally had.
"Ally, actually," Ally responds with a smile that matches Cassidy's, watt to watt. "I have to go." She flits away through the crowd, and Austin resists the urge to run after her; a public fight with Cassidy would obviously become big news.
"Why did you come with her?" Cassidy hisses the second Ally walks away.
"We're carpooling," Austin says, rolling his eyes. "You know — saving the environment and all that. And since you didn't want me to pick you up — "
"Because you were being quite unsupportive of my family traditions," Cassidy interrupts.
" — and Ally lives right next door, she offered to give me a ride," he finishes as if he hadn't heard her.
"Right. Whatever." She scowls. "I don't want you driving to school with her anymore."
"Okay, I get it. But you can't run my life, Cassidy," he says firmly. "Ally is just a friend and I'm going to ride to school with her if I want to."
"You are so — argh — I come here to tell you . . . God, boys are idiots . . . and it's not like he hasn't ever told me what to do . . . I can't believe I was going to apologize! . . . Whatever, I don't care. We are officially on break, Austin Moon!" she snaps at him, her words jumbling together with her rage. "Call me when you're ready to apologize."
"See you later, Cass," he calls to her retreating back.
"Dude, you are going to be in so much crap when you make up," a student whom Austin recognizes as Ally's ex-boyfriend, Dallas, says with a low whistle. "And that's why I'd never ever date Cassidy — I mean, the girl is hot, but she is insane." There are murmurs of assent from the crowd.
"Whatever," Austin grumbles. He knew it — he knew he should have stayed in bed this morning.
x
six.
By the time he gets to his first period class — AP Spanish — everyone and he does mean everyone, has heard about his fight with Cassidy. He supposes that's what comes with the territory of dating the most popular girl in school — your personal life gets broadcast over loudspeakers. When he walks into the Spanish class, everyone stops talking; this meant that everyone, prior to his arrival, had most likely been discussing him and Cassidy. "What?" he barks at all the eager faces as he plods towards his seat.
"I guess you're the new class celebrity," Trish says with a laugh once Austin sits down.
"I'm not in the mood, Trish," he growls. "I know that my romantic life is the talk of the school right now, but — "
"I know, Ally told me that you might be a little mad," Trish responds, patting Austin on the back.
"Ally — oh my God," Austin groans, "How is she reacting to all of this?"
"I don't know, why don't you ask her?" Trish replies offhandedly.
Austin sighs. "You're right."
ALLY —
HOW R U? SRRY BOUT C. TXT ME, K
— AUSTIN
PS – STILL ON 4 MOVIES?
He has to wait a few moments for her replying text, and it's all he can do not to break into Ally's American History class to check up on her.
AUSTIN —
UGH, RUMOURS SUCK. C'S UR GF, I UNDERSTAND IF SHE'S JEALOUS. :)
— ALLY
PS – DUH! I'M RENTING YES MAN AND STEPBROTHERS. :D
He grins and quickly looks up to see if their teacher, Senora Lopez, is paying any attention. However, upon finding the young Latina teacher talking about Subjunctive tenses, he replies to the text.
A —
DEF. IK BUT SHE CAN'T DICTATE WHO I'M FRIENDS WITH. :(
— A
PS – AND I'M BRINGING THE HANGOVER AND ROCKBAND III. PERF. :)
This time, she doesn't respond for a quarter of an hour, and Austin checks his phone every half a minute in case she responds.
"What's wrong?" Trish asks him after the seventh minute of waiting in agony. "Is she — ?"
"She stopped replying, no big deal," Austin lies through his teeth.
When he next gets a text, he jumps, thinking it's Ally, but —
Austin, I think we need to talk. – C.
Cassidy, my locker after second? –A
A, sure – remember, you brought this upon yourself. –C
He doesn't respond to that text.
AUSTIN —
I DON'T THINK I'LL B ABLE 2 WATCH THE MOVIE 2NITE. I'VE GOT SUMTHING PLANNED. ALSO U NEED 2 GET A RIDE FROM D OR T FROM NOW ON.
— ALLY
x
seven.
Ally is most definitely avoiding him, Austin Moon is quite sure of that. What he isn't sure of is why she's ignoring him, or why she sent him a text that was so cold it must have been forced out of her. After Spanish, he'd tried to find Ally all to no avail. When the girl didn't want to be found, she wouldn't be found.
"What do you mean she sent you a text that cancelled all your plans?" Trish screeches when Austin finally tells her the content of those messages. "But — she didn't . . . she wouldn't . . . it's not like Ally at all . . . bailing on a friend!"
"I know," Austin stresses. "I know — and I wish I could find her to explain, but I can't!"
"She's hiding from you," Trish declares. "Don't worry — I worked as a detective for two days at the 'Find a Pet' agency in the mall."
"You did?" Austin raises his eyebrows in disbelief. "And why did you only work there for two days?"
"Because," Trish sighs, "I was a liability."
Austin face-palms. "Well, you're the only person I have left to help me, so you'll have to do."
"Oh, gee, thanks for your appreciation," Trish grumbles with a sarcastic smile. "What ever can I do to repay you?"
"Okay, okay — I'm sorry I'm not being very appreciative," Austin mumbles. "Now can you help me find the girl or what?"
"Well," Trish pauses, evidently thinking hard. "I know that she has a spare after first period, so usually, she goes to the pool — that was when she was dating Dallas — to watch Dallas swim, or if she has a project or an assignment or a test, she'd go to the library."
"I've already tried all of those places," Austin sighs, kicking at an imaginary piece of dust.
"What about the music room?" Trish suggests. "When she was dating Dallas that was where she'd go whenever they fought." Austin nods — it seems like Ally's life has been divided into three periods: pre-Dallas, during Dallas, and post-Dallas. Just like, it seems, Austin's relationship with Cassidy. "How long did she date Dallas, anyway?"
"About three years," Austin replies, frowning slightly. "But she's liked him for way longer."
As the duo made their way to the music room, Austin paused, wondering what he'd find inside. He pulls opens the door, looking instinctively towards the piano which he and Ally had practiced many duets on.
"The songbook," Austin says with a cheer. "That's Ally's — it must be. Which means she is here."
"Which means my work is done. Ciao," Trish retorts, laughing. "You'll get my bill in the mail."
"Uh — right," Austin says distractedly. He sits down on the small piano bench, waiting for Ally to come back.
The book is open.
"No — I can't," he repeats to himself, but he wants to read the pages so badly. "No — that's a betrayal of her trust. She'd never forgive me — and even if she did, she'd never trust me." But the book was singing to him, calling his name — and really, he could see his name in the book.
Ally had written about him. Just a small peak wouldn't hurt . . . right?
And so he picked up the book —
x
to be continued.
author's note ii: so how is it? worth continuing?
please do not favourite or alert without leaving a review, thanks!
Madeline [overstreets]