"So, I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you." - Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist.

All Austin wanted to do was drown in a black hole of sorrow and disappear. But he couldn't, for many reasons, but mostly because, well, it didn't exist.

He wished it did though, it sounded a lot better than his life.

And Austin knew well enough how selfish that was, he had everything anyone could have ever wanted; great voice, awesomely good looks (which he didn't actually mind) and unbelievably rich parents. But who needed all those things when in reality; his world was breaking into pieces.

That was how the incredible mishaps of his life got him to become the most popular boy at school. And he didn't even need some guidance or instructions, it just happened because the universe wanted it to.

/

A cough was heard at the back along with clearings of throat. "Are you done?"

Austin saw his best friend, Dez, impatiently waiting for him with a disgusted look on his face and he took that as a cue to probably take his lips of the girl he was making out with, until rudely interrupted. "Oh, sorry Dez."

The girl gave a wink that caused Dez's lunch to almost go back up. "Who was that?"

"I have no idea."

"Maybe next time you should find a less public spot for your make out session, I almost had to puke out my peanut butter burrito!" Dez said as he stuck his tongue out in disgust.

"Peanut bu- never mind."

Okay, so his best friend wasn't the sharpest crayon in the box, although, he was the most attention-seeking one, with his clown pants and everything. But Dez was someone that could help Austin laugh, and he needed comedy once in a while.

"Hey buddy," Dez broke Austin's train of thoughts, "want to come over to my house and watch some Zalien movies? Then feed my pet frog?"

Austin could only laugh. "No thanks. I have to get home soon. My mum will freak out if I don't do the chores."

"Austin Moon, the popular boy, still has chores?" Dez gasped.

"Shut up, Dez."

/

There's no place like home.

Well, he sure hoped so! Home was always so upsetting. Austin tried to spend as little time as possible at home, but he couldn't stand looking at his mother facing it alone. After all, she needed as much help and support.

He heard his mum entering the house as he was washing the dishes (being popular didn't give him the pass to skip chores).

"Hey." His mum greeted him with a small smile.

"How was it?" Austin didn't want to cut to the chase but he really couldn't help it.

She took a deep breath. "Good, in a few days we will be 'officially' divorced."

There was a short, temporary silence before he finished his dishes. He embraced her with a sympathetic hug. "I am sorry, mum." Austin could feel her weakened in the hug, "I know you didn't plan for all this."

She rubbed his back warmly. "Don't worry sweetie. I'll be fine. We will be fine." Austin wanted her to be okay and he didn't want his father's stupid mistakes to crumble her down.

He was about to go upstairs when she gave a voice. " Before the official divorce, he wants to have a family dinner, just the three of us."

Austin scoffed. " Yeah, not happening." And he turned to face his mother again, "also, ask him, what family?"

/

Okay, so maybe home wasn't the only bad place in the world. His math class could win second place.

Mr. Jefferson was babbling something about Trigonometry that Austin could not even give time to care. To him, it was a big trigoNOmetry. He thought he fell asleep during that class, and he didn't mind.

The last bell of the day finally rang for what seemed like eternity and he was rushing to meet Dez when he painfully crashed into someone.

Papers and books flew everywhere around the school hall. And Austin was too dizzy to notice who he had crashed into. After finally regaining his senses, he realized it was a girl, who had fallen onto the ground.

Was this a curse from Mr. Jefferson for not listening to trigonometry? He thought.

"I am sorry! Are you okay?" He asked her, bending down to her level on the ground.

"Oh, that's fine. I am fine." She laughed it off, making Austin feel slightly better.

"Do you need help?"

After five seconds of unanswered question, he began to notice. She was struggling to get her books that were on the floor but they were right in front of her. Austin helped getting the papers that flew a while ago and they had been unfortunately stepped on by soulless students (as he liked to put it) and he felt bad. That was, perhaps, the first time he had ever felt bad for anyone else but himself.

"Here are your papers. Sorry again." He bent down again, realizing that the girl hadn't taken a step to get back up. Austin was starting to get confused, as she still hadn't looked at him. (Not that he wanted her to look at him, but most of the girls at school would have probably look at him excessively if they were in this position).

"Oh yes, thank you very much." She stated as she sloppily took the said papers of his hand, and the touches she left on his hand did not go unnoticed. What is she doing? His confusion was taking over him.

He furrowed his eyebrows, "your books are right here…" he told her, taking her hands that were moving unsteadily on the floor, looking for her books. After she grabbed her books, she stood up and thank Austin for the second time.

Austin finally saw her face. He had never seen her around, but she was pretty enough; a face that would've satisfied him fine. With her brown hair that she put on a pony tail and big brown eyes that matched his, except, slightly darker.

"I hope you didn't get hurt…"

She had trouble directing her gaze and she was trying to find where his voice was coming from and Austin was baffled.

"Ally."

"Right, I am Austin." To him, she looked so polite that he magically put his hand out for a shake, but she didn't take it, almost like she didn't even notice. He felt rather embarrassed by that gesture.

"I am fine, Austin and thank you for helping me. It was nice of you. I would have stayed there all day trying to find my papers and books if it weren't because of you!"

She was embracing him with a polite smile but she wasn't looking at him as her eyes stayed still and immune to the sunlight that travelled through the glass door onto her face.

He was lost, he didn't understand what her words meant or what was happening. All this thinking and Ally made him forget about Dez that was probably waiting outside, waiting for Austin to show his baby frog, or something.

"Yeah, you're welcome." He wasn't even acting nice anymore; all he could feel was confusion.

Confused as to why she had never bothered to look him in the eye for the past time, everywhere but his eyes, even though she was trying to smile, she didn't direct that smile at him, it was on the wrong direction. And she had that blank expression in her eyes, glancing absently past him.

And for the first time, he wanted to cry for someone else.

thanks for reading! im sorry if it was slightly confusing but it'll make sense in the upcoming chapters and also i wrote this in a slight rush ;_; *guilty*