"Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting."
-Peter Pan
She choked back a sob as she grabbed the handle on her suitcase and wiping her already wet cheeks.
"Ally..." Trish started.
"I-I'm going to miss you a-all." Ally stuttered before wiping her eyes on her sweater sleeve. The usually perky Latina stepped up and hugged Ally's shoulders tight, holding back her own tears. It was expected, after all, they had known each other for 9 years.
"Group hug...?" Dez announced solemnly before wrapping his long arms around Trish's waist and Ally's shoulders.
Of course, it wasn't a real group hug. The pesky, perky, and talented blonde wasn't there, sandwiched between the Writer and the Manager. So, saying that, the hug fell apart after two seconds. It hadn't been welcoming and warm as usual; it had been somehow, yet obviously, unfamiliar and incomplete. Ally dropped her arms from around Trish and Dez and reached for her suitcase handle once more. The petite brunette walked across Sonic Boom, sidestepping brown boxes that were labeled accordingly to what they held.
Just as Ally stepped around a box labeled 'FLUTES,' the only blond in the group of friends burst through the door.
"Ally!" Austin exclaimed. He was holding something behind his back with one hand, the other he used to drag Ally backwards back to the counter. Pushing a box labeled 'TUNERS' aside, Austin set down what he had been carrying. "Sorry for being late, I was at the store. I was getting you a present. Here you go."
It was a simple gift, a jar of pickles, but when Ally leaned down to read the label, she was overjoyed.
"Pickles! My favorite kind*, Austin, how did you know? I haven't told you." Ally exclaimed while inspecting the lid of the jar. There was a little blue gift bag attached.
"Well, now I know! Seriously, I just guessed, they all looked kind of green and watery. So I chose the last one left in a row, 'cause then I figured they were good."
"What's this?" Ally asked as she opened the bag, which held a white box that in turn held a slightly familiar harmonica.
"It's the old lady spit harmonica! Remember? I cleaned it, so it's yours now, so you can, y'know, remember when we met." Austin clarified, pink tinting his cheeks as he wondered if Ally liked his little gift.
"Oh, Austin!" Ally cried before bursting into fresh tears.
"Do you not like it? I can take it back, if you don't like it. I'm sorry?" Austin announced, his brow creasing.
"No," Ally sniffled while she wiped her nose on her sleeve. "I love it..."
"Then, why are you crying?" The blond was clearly perplexed now. His dark eyebrows were drawn together as he frowned. He ran a hand across the back of his head, a nervous tic of his, and stepped forward to hand Ally a tissue from who-knows-where.
"Thank you," Ally said as she grabbed the tissue. "I love the gift so much, Austin. I'm going to miss you so much..." She gave a small, shy smile as she collapsed backwards onto the counter.
Austin stepped forward and grabbed Ally's hand. Ally looked down at their entwined hands alarmed, a slight pink color flushing her cheeks.
"We're going to miss you too, Ally. I'm mean, who's gonna write all my hit songs? Who's going to drag me off to Cloud Watchers, talk on and on about Dallas, and break my ankle during dance lessons?" Austin joked, his eyes darting back and forth playfully and his lips twitching into an amused, innocent smile. **
"I can be Ally, when do you want to start?" Dez exclaimed suddenly.
"Dude, we talked about this..." Austin hissed to Dez.
Ally managed a choked chuckle, before rubbing her eyes with the thin tissue. She looked up and the rest of the group had to hold back a laugh. The weak tissue had broken off and clumped between Ally's long eyelashes.
"Ally," Trish dragged out sympathetically. "You have a little- right there."
Ally located her reflection in the countertop and dragged at her pink cheeks. "I look like someone threw a snowball at my face!" She exclaimed. With long, nimble fingers, Ally brushed her cheeks free of tissue and began combing through her eyelashes. Within a minute, Ally's face was faux-snowball free.
"I can't believe you're moving." Dez said slowly. Ally sighed as another tear made its wet path down her cheek.
"Me either. But my dad got a really good deal at a place in L.A and they have an instrument convention every two weeks and..." Ally groaned as she explained the reason her dad decided to pack everything up and leave. She smiled thinly, "He's always wanted to move and explore the world outside of Miami. I guess this is his chance. Especially since we're in summer vacation now and he has time to sign me up for a new school."
"We're gonna miss you, you know that, right?" Austin confessed. Ally looked up at him - he was so much taller than her five foot three frame - with wide, sad, and knowing eyes.
"Of course I know that, Austin," she admitted. "You guys are my best friends, and I promise to come and visit whenever I get the chance, hopefully during my dad's conventions, so possibly every two or four weeks. I love all three of you, and I-I really don't want t-to leave. But I can't leave my dad now, and I-I…just, don't forget me, okay?"
This speech, of course, had caused Trish to begin sobbing quietly and even Austin and Dez had tears shining in their eyes. Ally collapsed into Trish's arms and stayed there for a bit. "Of course we won't forget you, Ally. That's like, impossible." Trish stated loudly.
"Ally, honey, it's time to leave." Mr. Dawson came down the stairs, holding a suitcase and looking quiet and gloomy. Ally nodded and rubbed her nose.
"I guess we're leaving. Goodbye guys," Ally hugged her friends. The three people who she loved and cared for. They were an odd combination, but it worked.
She hugged Dez tightly, "Don't annoy Trish too much; she's trying to be better with her anger management issue." She mumbled into Dez's ear. Ally didn't know whether to be scared or relieved when Dez smiled slyly and nodded.
She hugged her best female friend next, "I love you, Trish. Keep this boys in check for me, kay?" The girls giggled and Ally felt comforted in Trish's embrace.
She attempted to hug her blond performer next. When she opened her arms, Austin pressed something cold into her hand. "'Never say goodbye, because goodbye means going away, and going away means forgetting.'" Austin whispered seriously into Ally's ear.
"Quoting Peter Pan now, are we?" Ally giggled before pulling him down for a hug. She felt safe in is warmth and breathed in the clean, crisp mint he always smelled of. Ally felt Dez wrap his slender arms around them after a moment.
"I guess we're hugging." Trish said before wrapping her own arms around the group. Ally broke away first, smiling through her tears and waving.
"Be good to each other! And, Austin…keep rocking on. I'll always be an Austin Moon fan." She grinned and grabbed her jar of pickles and new harmonica before walking out the former Sonic Boom's doors after her father.
Austin nodded, "Of course, and I'll always be an Ally Dawson fan…" He said quietly after she left and he had turned away from Dez and Trish.
It wasn't until they were waiting in line at the airport did Ally open her hand to see Austin's final gift. It was a necklace, golden, actually. She lifted it up to the light, and a golden "A" stared at her. In pretty, feminine manuscript it was an exact replica to how Ally wrote the first letter in her name.
Mr. Dawson caught sight of the gift and smiled lightly at Ally. "He really is a special boy…"
"He sure is, Dad." Ally mumbled. "He sure is…"
* - Of course, I have no clue what Ally's favourite brand of pickle is so, just add whatever you want there.
** - I was trying to describe Austin's quirky little smile in the Club Owners and Quinceneras episode when he says something along the lines of "Ally, you be Ally."
Okay, this was just a quick little one-shot (well, not that quick because this has been in my folder for a while now...) I thought up when I fell in love with the Peter Pan quote typed up top.
I hope you guys enjoyed and if you think anything in OOC or needs grammatical or spelling mistakes, please tell and I'll correct!
Please review, and thanks for reading!
~WireWriter