A/N: Long time, no publish? I'm no good at jokes haha. Anyway it's 2013! Sorry for no recent stories I've been a little busy with school. I thought it'd be a good time to publish a story since I'm on winter break still. Enjoy. I own nothing!
"No way. That is the stupidest idea I have ever heard." It's a big call, but Ally thinks it's a fair one. "There's no way I'm buying a Whitney Houston CD from the hot guy at the record store."
"You want him to notice you right?" Trish's spinning sugar packets across the table as she talks. They're smushed into a booth at an old diner and Ally can't keep still. She's already finished her coffee but she doesn't have enough money left to buy another one.
"Yeah, but not because he thinks I have tragic taste in music."
"Tell him it's for your sister." Trish is just not taking this seriously at all.
"Hello, Trish? I don't have sister."
"He doesn't know that. Besides, put Dallas in a dress - I think he'd pass." Trish's grinning like a loon.
"Oh thanks, Trish." Ally's voice is dripping sarcasm. Now there's a mental image she just didn't need.
The really annoying part is that Trish, to some degree, is right. Ally can't just keep hanging around at Sweet Records hoping Austin (well, that's the name on his lanyard) will notice her. Ally's spent more money on CD's in the past month than she usually would in a year and she has yet to breach the two-sentence customer conversation limit with the afore-mentioned hot record store employee.
At first Ally actually had some CD's she'd needed to buy. Then there were a few back catalogue items from favorite bands that she probably wouldn't have bought if it wasn't going to give her a reason to cross Austin's path, but whatever, it's not like she won't listen to them. Maybe it was slightly stalkerish of her to buy The Ramones album without hearing them first just because Austin once wore one of their t-shirts. But buying a second copy of Of Monsters And Men's My Head Is An Animal just in case her current copy gets scratched or lost is starting to push the boundaries of what even Ally can justify as normal and reasonable behavior.
So this is how she ends up back at Sweet the following Saturday (because Austin works Tuesday through Saturday and Ally knows this and she knows that knowing this makes her kind of creepy but hey, whatever). She's wandering the aisles with a copy of Whitney Houston's Whitney tucked as far up under her arm as she can because she's still not sure if she can bear the thought of being seen with it.
After doing about three laps around the store and staring blankly at the racks like she's seeking divine intervention, she realizes that if she doesn't purchase something and leave soon she's really going to look like a creeper. So she trudges up to the counter, feeling a hot blush creeping up her cheeks before she's even placed the CD in front of the object of her fixation.
Austin's leaning over the counter, all attention focused on the staff computer. He's looking hot which is no surprise as it's his natural state. He's in his usual uniform of a band t-shirt and jeans which leaves just enough of his skin exposed that Ally finds it infinitely distracting. Although Austin could probably be covered from head to toe in a cloak and a balaclava and Ally would still find it distracting. Actually a balaclava might even be kind of sexy on Austin. Ally gives herself a mental shake that shivers over her shoulders and down her torso. This is not the time to be thinking about that.
Once the CD is on the counter it takes an immense effort for Ally to remove her hands from the case because she's intensely dreading the moment when Austin sees the cover. Despite Trish's master plan, at this point in time Ally is hoping Austin won't notice she's purchasing an eighties R&B pop album, even though that is the point of the whole exercise.
Finally Austin's attention turns from the computer to the CD on the counter and then to the customer standing before him trying very hard not to fidget.
"That's not for you is it?" Austin asks, one of his eyebrows quirked up over those gorgeous hazel eyes that Ally is having trouble meeting right now.
Ally turns a deep shade of pink, muttering. "No. No it's uh... for my sister."
"Oh good." Austin smiles then and Ally dies a little at the sight. He has a really gorgeous smile. "You usually have such good taste, it would be a bit disappointing."
Ally manages a rather forced smile back even though she feels like her face is on fire and she's certain she's sweating now. How attractive.
"Ah. Thanks." Ally chokes out. Wow this is going really well. What a conversationalist she is. She can't keep looking at Austin, it's just messing with her concentration. She lets her gaze fall to the counter and finds herself staring absently at a flyer. And she must be hallucinating because she's even seeing Austin's face on the paper too. Hang on, that is Austin's face, along with four others and the words "Tonight Alive" emblazoned across the top.
Ally snatches up the flyer, "Hey, is this you?" The words are out of her mouth before even registering with her brain.
Ally looks up from the page and Austin's wearing that killer smile again, "Yep, that's my band Tonight Alive." Ally needs a moment here because the hot record store guy is in a band and that just increases the intensity of his hotness to incinerating levels.
"Cool." Ally's grinning like a little kid with an ice cream cone.
"We're playing the Radio Lounge with R5 on Thursday if you're interested. I think we'd be right up your alley."
Ally's trying really hard to remind herself that guys who are in bands spend their entire lives pimping their gigs out to anyone who'll listen and she really shouldn't read too far into this. She can't help herself though, she's grinning wide and blushing like she just got asked to prom.
"Um. Yeah, sure I might check it out." she stammers awkwardly, clutching the flyer. Never mind her fear of crowds and mild agoraphobia. Never mind that the flyer's got the gig as being ten dollars which she wont even have after she's wasted her last fifteen on a CD she doesn't want.
A CD that Austin's now picking up off the counter and zapping with the barcode machine.
"Actually-" Ally makes a half-hearted grab for the CD, aborting it before it really begins. "I don't think I'll take that... Dall-ah, Darcy can buy her own damn CD's."
"You sure?" Austin's still clutching the CD, eyebrows raised in question.
"Yeah." Ally can feel her skin burning. She's trying really hard to hide behind her hair. "Don't worry about it. I'll uh... I'll leave it." She's flapping her hand way too emphatically, so she drops it down to her side like a dead fish.
"Okay, if you're sure." Austin flips over the CD jewel case. "Actually you know it looks like the case is cracked." Ally watches with a kind of horror as Austin pops the case open and pulls out the CD, studying the back of it. "Well look at that, there's a scratch on the disc too. It's damaged stock. I could give it to you for a discount. Say, five dollars?"
Austin's grinning at her like they're sharing a secret and Ally just wants to melt into the floor. Something's going on and she's not sure what it is but it's making her insides tumble and turn and she just can't get her brain to work with Austin smiling at her like that.
There's something hopeful and conspiratorial in Austin's grin and suddenly there's just no question of Ally not agreeing with whatever the cute guy wants. Before she knows it she's handing over a five with numb fingers and then presto, she's the proud owner of such hits as "I Wanna Dance With Somebody". Under normal circumstances this would be cause for alarm, but Austin's still smiling secretly at Ally and even though it's making her tremble a little, it's just about the best thing in the entire world.
"Ah thanks. That's... uh. Thanks." Ally is torn between wanting to soak up Austin's presence, memorize that brilliant smile and the overwhelming urge to run away very fast before she either dies of embarrassment or faints. She settles for backing away slowly. This seems to work until her back hits something solid, which turns out to be the punk section. It rattles but thankfully nothing breaks. Ally flushes red again and gives her best attempt at a smile at a very amused looking Austin, who looks like he's trying really hard not laugh.
At that point Ally decides to cut her losses and walk out of the store facing forwards, her expression falling into a grimace the moment she turns away from Austin. Jesus, she is just such a complete and total loser.
She's nearly to the safety of the outside of the store, completely free of further incidents when she hears Austin's voice over the piped music.
"See you at the show, yeah?"
Trying her very best for casual she throws back over her shoulder, "Yeah, see you there." But the act of turning mid-sentence throws her slightly off course and she winds up slamming her shoulder on the doorframe on her way out. It hurts a lot, but she tries really hard not to show it until she's outside the store with the door safely closed behind her. Then she jumps around and clutches her shoulder and swears. A lot.
Her shoulder is hurting, she just made herself look like ten different flavors of idiot and she's clutching a flyer in her hand for a gig she's really not sure she can go to, which will cost her last ten dollars and Austin will be so busy performing he won't even see her if she does make it.
But somehow she's still smiling, because that was at least a six sentence conversation, Austin gave her a discount, and said she had good taste in music. Good freaking taste.
There's just going to be no living with Trish when she hears about this.
A/N: Alright, so let me clear a few things up. I don't hate Whitney, I actually adore her. R.I.P Whitney. Another thing is that Tonight Alive is an actual band! I dunno why I made Dallas Ally's brother. I heard Laura likes Of Monsters And Men somewhere that's why I included it. Please review so I know you guys interested in this story. I will be putting up more chapters.. Not sure how much though!
Have a great day :D!