Blindsided
Disclaimer: I don't own Austin and Ally. Pity.
A/N: So my awesome hubby doesn't watch Austin and Ally with me, even though he knows I love the show because it's pretty much our love story. (seriously Disney: who is your spy?) He's maybe seen two or three episodes all the way through. He doesn't know all my favorite episodes and scenes. And he doesn't get songs like 'Better Together' or 'Chasing the Beat of My Heart' stuck in his head all day like I do – not that I'm complaining. But I just keep seeing the similarities in My Austin.
Like the other day he had a tough day at work and was a little bit down. Now, he's a fun and happy guy all the time so when he gets sad even the tiniest bit it pretty much rips your heart out. So he sends me a text: "I know I say it a lot but thank you for being my best friend. I don't know if I could make it without you." ! When he got home I hugged him tight and then later I asked if he did it on purpose and he had no idea what I was talking about. I explained and he laughed and admitted that I might be right about this Austin and Ally show thing. I am not making this up, people! He is Austin, Austin is him. I rest my case.
Chapter 1: No Ordinary Day
Austin Moon finished his shift at the Melody Diner in the Miami mall and clocked out. He grabbed a change of clothes from his tiny employee locker and hurried to the men's room to change from his work clothes into something more him: ripped jeans with a chain, white t-shirt and his red leather jacket. Stuffing his uniform back in the locker, he shook out his blond hair, gave a final wave to the guys in the kitchen, and walked back out the front of the restaurant. Three girls at a table called to him and he flashed them a dazzling smile but kept going. He was on a mission today.
It was a Monday evening the first week of December and the 17 year old had less than an hour before the music store on the other side of the mall closed. Over the weekend he had played at a bar mitzvah where his drum kit had been damaged and he needed to replace two pieces before Friday when he had another gig. So he jogged through the drizzling rain as the sun set and cold descended.
All of his life Austin had loved music. He couldn't hold still when he heard a good beat. Anytime a kid at school talked about learning an instrument, he wanted to try it too, and he picked everything up unusually fast. He had only mastered the piano and guitar, but could play a little bit on almost anything he picked up and it was all self taught. Early on, his parents thought this was a phase, a good outlet for all his creative energy, but Austin never grew out of it. And two years ago when his best friend Dez got a nice video camera for Christmas, they decided to make some music videos. Austin practiced singing and dancing while Dez developed his camera work. It kept the boys busy for hours and made their parents happy to have them focused on something for the rest of Christmas break from school. No one could have guessed that after three of the music videos were posted on the internet that Austin would get the attention he did. So he was slowly making a name for himself in Miami, doing covers and singing live to music he recorded on his own. The only thing he struggled with was writing anything original. But he had a good ear and could play anything he heard at least once so he got by on that.
Austin reached the other end of the mall, watching for the music store he had heard about. He slowed down and caught his breath for a moment before walking into the doors of Sonic Boom. Austin instantly liked this place. It felt wide open, was bright, and was filled with something he knew a great deal about: musical instruments. On one side of the store was a huge sculpture made of guitars and other instruments. He grinned like a child on Christmas as he looked around. His wallet felt heavy in his back pocket because he actually had money to spend and a need to fill. He wandered the store for a few minutes, unable to stop smiling as he walked by displays of guitars and other items. He made a mental list of other things he would like to get in the future. He only let himself get momentarily distracted as he made his way around the room, eventually finding the drum sets on the opposite side of the store from the entrance.
Just as he was making his way toward the drums, Austin saw a pretty brunette girl about his age sitting at a grand piano near the middle of the store. She sat sideways on the piano bench, helping a little boy with a trumpet. He paused and watched her show the boy how to properly hold the instrument. She was clearly explaining things to him and his mother who was paying close attention. The girl's complete focus seemed to be on the shiny instrument in her hands, but she smiled gently as she spoke and Austin couldn't look away.
This girl wasn't flashy and overdone like some of the girls who chased him since his videos started getting attention on the internet last year. Her rich brown hair fell in soft curls down her back and she was dressed simply in a knee length floral skirt, a black top and a vest, and Austin liked everything he saw. She wore a name tag he couldn't read from this distance, but he guessed that she worked here. When she finished up with the boy, Austin put on his best smile, leaned casually against the wall next to a back door and waited for the girl to look up. He would be directly in her line of sight and he planned to wave and get her attention. But she didn't look up. A little girl with a bow and a small pink violin stepped forward and said something. The girl reached out hesitantly, ghosting her hands over the little one's hands as she held the violin to her chin. With a gentle touch, the brunette expertly corrected the child's hold on the instrument, guiding her through playing a perfectly sustained note that carried sweetly through the store.
Austin almost forgot his disappointment that she didn't notice him as he watched this graceful creature helping customers who had apparently lined up to receive her attention. One by one children, teens and adults all came to her, asking questions or seeking help with an instrument. She didn't move from her seat once as the flow of people came to her and she greeted each with a soft smile and downturned gaze. He didn't think she could be shy, because she interacted so warmly with everyone, but she didn't meet their eyes either. As he watched her, unmoving from his spot against the far wall of the store, he also noticed that the man working at the register this busy evening was constantly pointing people toward her line as he tried to keep up with sales.
A cell phone placed on top of the piano buzzed, catching the girl's attention and pulling Austin from his daze. She deftly reached out and touched the phone, stopping the buzz, and said one last thing to the man she had been talking to. He walked away and she turned her back on the last person waiting in her line as she faced the piano properly. Her fingers danced along the keys as she played a simple melody and began to sing an old song he'd heard on the radio: "closing time." Her voice was sweet and vibrant; it suited her perfectly and Austin wasn't the only one just standing still and listening. When the girl finished the song, everyone inside the store applauded.
"Thank you. Come back and see us soon!" the man at the register said to the crowd.
People filed out toward the doors, two stopping at the register in the center where the man helped them make their final purchases. The girl remained at the piano, idly plinking out a tune he didn't recognize. This was his chance. Austin walked up to her.
"That was great! I've never heard a store close that way before." He said.
"Oh, thanks." She turned her face in his direction with a smile, but kept her eyes downturned. "People seem to like it so I do it most nights when I'm here."
"You work here?" he asked, he had to be sure he could see her again.
"Yes. My dad owns the store." She gestured toward the man at the registers without taking her attention from the piano.
"Well you have a beautiful voice. I'm a singer too, and a musician." Austin said.
"Most people who come here are."
"Oh, yeah."
"Did you need anything?" she asked.
"Drums. My bass got kicked in at a gig over the weekend and the snare's seen better days." He said.
"Well, we are closed now but you can come back another day and we'll help you with that." she offered.
"I'd like that. When do you work again?" he asked.
The girl tilted her head, looking surprised at the question. "I'm here most days."
"Good, then I'll see you again. What's your name?"
"Ally."
"I'm Austin."
Someone cleared their throat behind him and Austin spun around. The man from the store, Ally's dad, was standing there. "Sorry, we're closed now. Please come back another day." He said.
"I will. Nice to meet you Ally." Austin said and he left the store, popping the collar of his jacket against the cold drizzling rain. Despite the weather, he had a smile plastered to his face.
Austin wasn't able to return until Friday, where he had a small window of time between school and his gig. He hurried to Sonic Boom, anxious to get his drums and to see Ally again. He scanned the store as he walked in and saw her at the piano with a little girl, it looked like she was giving a lesson.
"Can I help you find anything?" the man, Ally's dad, asked him.
Austin told the man what he needed and was led toward the drum section of the store, past the piano so he couldn't just watch Ally. He pointed out what he needed and the two of them carried the drums toward the registers at the center of the store. Austin glanced at Ally again, her hand was lifted and her slim fingers slid across the page of music just under the notes. Then her fingers dropped to the keys again and she played a progression, speaking softly to her student as she demonstrated the piece. She was so beautiful! And talented. He wanted to hear her sing again.
He was pulled out of his thoughts by the man telling him how much he owed for the drums. Austin pulled out his wallet and paid as the man beamed at him. "Thanks for coming to Sonic Boom. Visit us again." he said in a chipper voice.
"Thanks." Austin picked up the two drums which was awkward because of their size. "Um, can I take one to my truck and come back for the other in just a minute?"
"Of course. I'll hold that one behind the counter here." The man answered. Austin handed back the snare and picked up the bass again.
"I'll be right back." He said. This could work. Maybe Ally would finish her lesson when he came back and he could talk to her. Plus, there was just no way he could move both drums at the same time without breaking something.
He hurried through the cold outside and back into the warmth and comfort of the store. A glance told him Ally was alone at the piano and he took advantage of her dad being busy with a customer to go and talk to her again.
"Hi Ally." He said brightly as he approached the piano.
Her head snapped toward him but she looked confused. "Hi." She said uncertainly.
"I'm Austin, remember? I came here Monday but I was too late to buy the drums."
"Oh, now I remember, hi Austin." She said and faced the piano again. "Did you get your drums?"
"I did. I'm playing a birthday party tonight, so I really need them." He leaned casually against the piano as they spoke.
"So you are a real musician then, it's not just something you tell people." She said.
"Um, yeah. Well, I've never had a lesson, but I play somewhere most weekends and my videos have gotten a lot of hits online. Yeah, okay, that sounds like bragging and I didn't mean to sound like that." He finished.
"It's okay. I egged you on a bit." Ally admitted. "No lessons, huh?"
"Nope. We didn't have the money when I was little but I borrowed instruments anytime I could and then started getting odd jobs a few years back so I could buy some. I've got the drums, obviously, two guitars and a keyboard. Now I work at the Melody Diner on the other side of the mall. I get to sing all the time there and I can afford instruments and stuff."
"I've never been to the Melody Diner. Does everyone sing there?" Ally asked.
"I'm a waiter, so I have to sing the menu, and pretty much anything else I want to say. It's fun. Like working here must be. You probably have a blast here with all the instruments to play with all day."
"I like it here. But I don't get out much." Ally said.
"That's too bad. Maybe I could take you out sometime?" Austin offered. Ally frowned so he quickly amended. "You know we could hang out, go do something fun when we aren't working."
"You really don't have to do that." Ally said.
Her dad was free of customers again and came over to the piano. "Your drum is still behind the counter, ready to go when you are." he said to Austin.
"Oh, thanks. I should probably go, since I've got that thing tonight." Austin straightened up. "I'll see you later Ally."
"Bye Austin." Ally said as he followed her dad back to the registers. He handed the drum to Austin who then left the store to the gentle strains of piano music played by Ally.
That night Austin played a girl's 14 year old birthday party where he was surrounded by screaming girls. He probably should have been more excited about it, but a certain girl was on his mind. A petite brunette with an amazing voice, mad musical skills, and a hovering father. This last part almost made him frown but he kept his smile firmly in place while he performed for the happy, screaming girls. And it was a good thing he did too. The birthday girl's cousin Kira was there that night, along with her record producing father Jimmy Star. It turned out that Jimmy had heard of Austin Moon thanks to his daughter, so he checked out the dozen or so videos he and Dez had posted online over the last two years. When he found out that the young performer would be at his niece's party he made sure to be there too, inconspicuous and in the background, until after the set.
Jimmy pulled Austin aside to introduce himself and give the young man his card with instructions to put together a demo and bring it by as soon as possible. Austin agreed immediately and had a hard time focusing while Dez helped him pack up his gear into the back of Austin's truck. He had just enough self control to wait until they were driving home to tell Dez about meeting the record producer. The whole way home he felt like he was going to burst apart into a million pieces because he was so excited. This could be his big break, the start of everything he'd been dreaming of.
On Saturday Austin worked the early shift. In the early afternoon he clocked out, changed, and walked through the mall. His feet eventually carried him toward Sonic Boom, no matter how many stores he wandered through trying to pretend he was doing something different. He paused in the courtyard outside, far enough away that it wasn't clear he was interested in the store, but also near enough that he caught a glimpse of two familiar faces inside. Ally was at the central counter talking to her dad, but anytime a customer came up he was the one who rang them up. Austin was turning to walk away and make his way back toward the diner and his truck when he passed a girl he recognized from school. He didn't know Trish de la Rosa well, but they gave each other a nod as they passed. He turned for a last look at Sonic Boom and saw Trish walk into the store. He was pretty sure she didn't play anything, so he didn't give much thought to her visit to the popular store.
Austin and Dez spent the rest of the weekend tweaking his music, re-recording some of the instrumentals, and making sure the few songs he covered were perfect before he gave them to Jimmy. Late Sunday night he quickly did his homework so he could deal with school in the morning. It was his senior year and his classes weren't too hard.
Monday after school Austin drove to Star Records to deliver his demo for Jimmy. The woman at the front desk told him he couldn't see Jimmy, but promised that the disc would get to him. She reminded Austin that Jimmy was a busy man with many meetings and a lot of things to do. He left feeling a little deflated, but tried to keep his hopes up.
Austin walked into Sonic Boom on the Wednesday two weeks before Christmas and found Ally at the base of the stairs, fiddling with the end of a garland that came undone. She was frowning and clearly making no progress with it and since Austin couldn't see her dad anywhere he went straight to her. There was a woman in her twenties he hadn't seen before at the registers.
"Hi Ally." He said as he got closer to his reason for coming to Sonic Boom.
"Austin?" Ally guessed, lifting her head slightly to acknowledge him then returning to the garland.
"That's me. How's it going?" he asked.
"This garland came loose and I thought I could fix it. My mom worked so hard putting up all these decorations and I wanted to help." She said, sounding discouraged.
"Mind if I try?" Austin offered.
Ally's hands stilled and she took a small step back, holding out the fake greenery with a large red bow at the end. Austin's fingers brushed hers as he took the bow and fastened it onto the railing with wires attached to the back.
"All fixed." He announced.
"Is it straight?" Ally asked, reaching out and touching the bow.
"Yeah. So, I know you work here with your dad, but I haven't seen your mom yet. Does she work here too?"
"No. She works with the primates at the Miami Zoo. So many questions: what about you and your family? I think you owe me some information now." Ally answered. Her fingers played with the garland and she was looking down. He wished she would look up at him.
"That's fair. My parents own a mattress store and they are there all the time. Dad wants me to learn the business but it's just not me." Austin told her.
"You aren't the business type?"
"No: more the rocker type. Put me on stage any day over selling mattresses." He said. "Are you the business type?"
Ally shrugged. "I like giving lessons and helping kids pick out their first instrument. The paperwork is a challenge though."
"Yeah, I hate that part. What's your favorite instrument?" Austin changed the subject to something more interesting.
Ally smiled and starting walking toward the central counter. "That's like asking a mother to pick her favorite child. I like them all but I'm best at piano and violin."
"Where did you learn so much about music?" he followed her, noticing that her dad was back in his usual place again working alongside the other employee he'd noticed earlier.
"My dad taught me a lot of it." Ally reached the counter and slid her hand along the surface as she walked around back of it. Her dad glanced at her and smiled. "How did Becca's lesson go honey?"
"Fine dad. She's doing really well." Ally tilted her head slightly in her dad's direction, but seemed to be studying the countertop. Austin thought he might need to make it a goal to get her to look up more, preferably into his eyes.
"And who's your friend?" Ally's dad asked curiously as he looked at Austin on the other side of the counter.
"This is Austin." Ally said.
"I bought some drums last week, Mr . ..?" Austin trailed off, scrunching his face as he realized he didn't know Ally's last name yet.
"Dawson. I remember you. Are you here for another instrument or was there a problem with the drums?" Mr. Dawson asked.
"No problem. I just stopped by to see Ally." He admitted.
"You did?" Ally looked surprised.
"Well, yeah." Austin grinned at her and leaned on the counter between them. At this angle he could see Ally's brown eyes, but they looked unfocused and her irises were cloudy. That was strange: the lighting must be messing with him.
He realized Mr. Dawson was watching them and cleared his throat. Austin stood up again, realizing he probably should be more careful in front of her dad. Mr. Dawson spoke to his daughter.
"Ally, your next lesson is the trombone with Danny. Why don't you get ready for that up in the practice room, I'll send him up when he arrives." Mr. Dawson said to his daughter, laying a hand on her shoulder. Ally turned to her dad and agreed.
"Well, bye Austin." she said and walked over to the stairs. Her hand hovered just over the garland on the railing as she went up to the second floor and through an open door.
Austin watched her go and then quickly left the store, glancing back to see Mr. Dawson watching him. Well, that could have gone better, he thought. With a protective father hovering, it might be harder to get to know Ally than he thought. And she was busy. Visiting her at her job would be a hard way to get to know her, but he had nothing else to goon because he definitely hadn't seen her at school before.
. . . . .
At school on Friday Austin kept an eye out for both Ally and Trish at school. He only caught a few glimpses of Trish in the cafeteria and there was no sign of Ally. Dez noticed his distraction at lunch and demanded to know what was going on with his best friend. Austin asked if Dez knew Trish.
"She's so bossy! I have pottery with her and she's a little latina fireball. You definitely don't want to see her when she's mad. Just make sure you don't put wet clay on her head. She hates that."
Austin laughed at his friend. "I don't think anyone likes that Dez."
Dez shrugged. "It's not that bad."
Austin shook his head at his friend and took a bite of his food.
"Why do you want to know about Trish? She doesn't seem your type." Dez prodded.
"No, she's not. But she may be friends with the girl at Sonic Boom."
"Oh, Ally." Dez said teasingly.
"Yes, Ally. There's something about her." Austin thought about her and got a dreamy distant look on his face.
Dez grinned at him and pointed his french fry at the blonde. "You like her."
"Yeah. I just don't know how to get to know her better without her dad breathing down my neck."
Dez made a face. "That's tough buddy."
That day after school Austin drove to the mall for no reason. He was caught up with his school work for the most part and only had to write one paper during the weekend - he wasn't worried about that. He didn't have to work and actually had some time to kill since Dez was busy working on a project for one of his classes. And for once he didn't have a gig this weekend. So Austin wanted to goof off, play some music or something, but he didn't want to be alone either. And that's how he ended up pacing in front of Sonic Boom at 4pm.
Trish walked out of the store and saw him. She started to come his direction so he ducked into a nearby store, quickly getting lost amongst the racks of clothing, ducking slightly to hide his tall form. It was cowardly and he wasn't even sure why he hid from the girl, but he didn't want to talk. He wanted to play. His fingers itched for a guitar and he knew deep down inside that Ally was the only one who would understand this.
After waiting what felt like an eternity to Austin, but must have been enough time for Trish to leave, he emerged from the clothing store and went directly toward the entrance of Sonic Boom. He hurried inside and scanned the store. Ally was nowhere in sight and Mr. Dawson was occupied with a customer for the moment. He ducked behind a display of violins and heard the soft strains of a piano floating through the air. The piano on the main floor was vacant and then Austin remembered the upstairs room.
Checking again for Mr. Dawson, Austin dashed up the stairs and into the open doorway. Ally paused her playing at the loud sound of his entrance.
"Hey." he panted, trying to catch his breath from his mad dash.
"Nelson? Your lesson isn't until tomorrow." Ally said.
"No, its Austin." he corrected her. She wasn't looking directly at him, but rather in the general direction of the doorway he had just come through.
"Oh. Hi." she ducked her head. He thought she sounded pleased, and nervous? Her fingers plucked at her hair hanging over her shoulder.
"Are you supposed to teach a lesson now or do you have some time?" he asked.
"I usually teach a brother and sister right now, but they cancelled on me. Is something wrong? You are out of breath."
"I kind of ran here."
"Okay."
"Listen, this may sound strange, but, can we just play for a while?" Austin asked.
"Play?"
"Yeah, like you on the piano, me on the guitar, and just, um, go where the music takes us?" Austin said the last part quietly, knowing how ridiculous he must sound.
Ally smiled though. "Sure. That could be fun. There's a guitar just over here." she pointed to an acoustic guitar on a stand beside the wall behind her.
"Thanks." Austin took a breath and began to relax. He walked over to the guitar and let himself really look around the room. It was larger than he would have guessed, with the piano against one wall and shelves of instruments lining most of the walls. There were some windows on the wall to his right with a couch underneath and two chairs facing it. Just like the store below, this place was immediately comfortable to him.
He picked up the guitar and went to the wooden chair set beside the piano. He pulled the chair out a bit and turned it so he was facing Ally's side and could see what she did on the keyboard. He gave a few light strums to the guitar as he settled in. He fiddled for a moment with the melody of a song he was thinking of covering next. He glanced up and saw that Ally was completely attuned to the sound and within a few chords her fingers began to move, effortlessly playing a counterpoint to his melody.
They didn't say much after that; they just played. The chord progression of one song led into another, half the time they couldn't have said who began which song, it all flowed so seamlessly. They riffed on familiar melodies, changing chords, turning it into something new. They clapped their hands or tapped on the sides of their instruments to give the other percussive support for solos. They sang a little and Austin's insides hummed happily when he heard how well their voices blended. And they laughed.
Austin had never been this well matched by another musician in person before and it was exhilarating to know that whatever he played, she could match it, and maybe even one-up him, challenging him. He had never had so much fun and his cheeks actually hurt from smiling. He turned a hard rock song she was playing on the piano into something acoustic and folk rock, then on the last verse she turned it easy listening like his parents listened to and they both dissolved into laughter. Austin was bent double over the guitar, laughing and trying to catch his breath. Ally was shaking with laughter on the piano bench in front of him.
"What's so funny?" A female voice said from the doorway behind Austin.
He spun around on his seat so quickly that he fell off the chair, landing on his backside with the guitar safe on his lap. Austin's face went red and he started laughing again, his eyes clamped shut to hold back tears.
"What happened?" Ally asked, her voice concerned but with hints of laughter at the edges.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. He fell off his chair." the woman came into the room and hovered just above Austin. He saw hands reaching out to help him up but he waved them away as he tried to catch his breath and clear his vision from laughing so hard he cried. Normally he would be embarrassed but he was just so happy that he didn't care.
"Did you get off work early mom?" Ally asked in an almost controlled voice.
"Mom?" Austin choked out, looking up at the woman. She had the same brown hair and eyes as Ally, they were clearly related.
"No honey. It's almost 7pm, the time we discussed me picking you up today." Mrs. Dawson said. She sat on the piano bench next to her daughter and smiled warmly as she smoothed Ally's hair.
"Oh! I guess I lost track of time." Ally said, turning to face her mom.
"You look happy sweetheart." Mrs. Dawson commented. Then she looked at Austin who finally managed to pick himself up and sat back on the chair facing the piano. "Is this a new student?"
"No, he's um, a friend?" Ally said.
"Hey, I'm Austin Moon." he gave a little wave and smile to Ally's mom. "We were just goofing off."
Mrs. Dawson returned his smile and then looked lovingly at her daughter. "We need to go, Ally. Have you eaten dinner yet?"
"No. I completely forgot about food. We were playing songs and I just forgot everything else." Ally said.
"It's my fault. I forgot everything else too." Austin stood up and replaced the guitar on its stand by the wall.
Mrs. Dawson stood up and he crossed the room, knowing that he had to get back to real life now. "Nice to meet you Austin." she said.
"You too, Mrs. Dawson." Austin paused when he reached the doorway. "And Ally? Thanks for today: it was just what I needed."
"It was fun." Ally agreed.
"We should do this again, soon. Well, I guess I'll see you later then." Austin said.
"I'd like that. Bye Austin." Ally called after him.
Austin went downstairs and gave a nod to Mr. Dawson as he walked out into the twilight. The three hours with Ally had flown by. He hadn't thought of food, or time or anything but her and the music they were making. As he walked back to his truck he smiled at everyone he passed, happy with life and the world and everyone in it.
. . .
By Monday Austin was starting to wonder when he would hear back from Jimmy Star. It had been a week since he dropped off his demo and he was anxious to get some kind of response. He was stewing over this during lunch at school when his thoughts and Dez's humming were interrupted by none other than Trish de la Rosa.
She faced Austin and demanded "What do you think you are doing?"
"Hello to you too." Austin said, taken by surprise.
"Trish." Dez said seriously to the latina.
"Dez." she acknowledged him grudgingly. Then she turned back to Austin with her eyebrows raised and a challenge in her eyes.
"What are you talking about?" Austin asked, completely befuddled.
"Ally Dawson. I've seen you hanging out around the store."
"What's it to you?" Dez challenged.
"I'm her best friend." Trish fired back.
"Oh." Dez said, sitting back, deflated.
"What do want with her?" Trish demanded from Austin.
"Um, I like playing music and singing with her. She's pretty and I like being around her. I'm going to ask her out." Austin listed off. Dez grinned at him, getting that goofy look he always has when he watches romantic movies.
"Ally doesn't date." Trish said.
"Why not?" Austin asked.
"It's not easy for her to get out. Didn't you think about that?"
"No. Why is it hard? Is her dad that strict?"
Trish shook her head. "Look, I know she's all comfy in the store, but it's because she knows the space so well. You take her somewhere she doesn't know her way around and it's hard for her."
"Oh. I didn't know it would be a problem." Austin said.
"Yeah, well, her family tries not to make a big deal out of it and they have their routines and things so it's not a big deal most of the time. But you can't just waltz in there and change things up like this." Trish said.
"I just like being around her. Why does this bother you so much? I'm not a bad guy." Austin went on the defense. Dez nodded his head enthusiastically in agreement.
"Maybe you are a good guy, but do you know the first thing about being with someone like Ally?"
"What do you mean, 'someone like Ally'? I think I know how to treat a pretty girl."
Dez was watching their argument like it was a tennis match, turning his head from side to side to look at each one as they spoke.
"I'm not talking about pretty girls. I'm talking about blind girls." Trish said.
"Wait, what?" Austin asked.
Trish stared at him in disbelief. "Hello? Ally's blind."
"Blind?"
"Wow, Blondie. I gave you too much credit. You didn't even notice?" Trish said.
"I. . . but she. . . that's why she won't look me in the eye? And she never knows who I am. . ." he put it all together, the way she touched the countertop, how she was always sitting down, her cloudy eyes.
"Finally, he gets it." Trish rolled her eyes.
"She's so capable though and if you watch her she doesn't look like anything's wrong at all in the store." Austin argued.
"Yeah, that's because she knows every inch of that store and her house. But you take her somewhere else and YOU have to watch out for her." Trish said. "Do you really think you are up to that if you didn't even notice she can't see you?"
"But the lessons, how does she teach if she can't read music?" Austin asked, still trying to wrap his head around this.
"Braille. She has special books she uses with her students that have braille under the printed notes and she's gifted with music. She hears something once and it's in her head, perfect, every time. She knows every piece she asks her students to play inside and out." Trish explained.
"Wow. I already thought she was amazing, but that's just, wow." Austin said.
Trish watched Austin for a moment. "Do you really like her?" she asked.
"I've only seen her four times and I can't get her out of my head. What do you think?" Austin said.
"Hmmm. Maybe. Look, just don't push her okay? Spend time with her where she's comfortable and get to know her better before you ask for anything else, alright? She's special." Trish said.
"Yeah, she is." Austin agreed.
"Aaawwwwww." Dez said, looking at Austin with a huge sappy smile.
Austin rolled his eyes and Trish walked away, shaking her head.
So, reviews are a really cool thing that make me smile. I'm just saying.
Also, has anyone else seen the R5 interview outtakes on youtube where Ross laughed so hard he cried? So stinking funny!