Burn
Hey guys! So sorry it's been so long since I last updated SAT, but I just have no inspiration...the next chapter is half-written, so it should be up withing the next ocuple of days, but please, don't lose faith! :D
I hope you like this one-shot! It is based on the prompt 'Burn', hence the title, so yeah...
This is dedicated to XxGlitterGirlxX for being such a faithful reader and reviewer. I want you guys to know that I appreciate every single review and even though I don't reply to everyone, because I don't have much spare time, I won't ever let someone who reads and reviews every story and chapter without fail go un-thanked, so here you are!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot line.
"Come on, Ally, he's not worth it. Every time you read that letter, you're just hurting yourself more. Why can't you just let it go?" Trish sighed. Ally shrugged, staring forlornly at the words, written in blood-red ink, on the creased, coffee-stained, sticky-taped, slightly-singed piece of paper.
"I've tried to get rid of it, you know I had." She had. She'd scrunched it up and thrown it away originally. But she had taken it out of the bin an hour later and ironed it flat again. Then she had used it as a mug coaster, but she couldn't stand to see the ink smudge. Then she had tried to shred it, but had gotten about two inches up the bottom of the paper when she had screamed and thrown the shredder at the wall. Needless to say, her dad wasn't happy.
Eventually, Trish convinced her to try burning it. It was the one thing she would struggle to stop once she had started. But she had managed, burning her fingers in the process. It seemed like her subconscious just refused to let it go.
"You could at least stop reading it, Ally! You're torturing yourself!" Trish half-yelled, angry at her best friend for what she was doing to herself, angry at herself for being unable to help her, but mostly angry at Dallas for what he did to her.
"I'm sorry, Trish, I know this is hurting you too, but I just can't stop. I guess I sort of think, deep down, that if I read it enough change, the words will change, or they will mean something different." She confessed. Trish sighed, sitting down next to her best friend on the piano bench.
"Ally, it's been almost a month. If that was going to happen, it would have by now. Besides, it's pretty hard to misinterpret 'Ally, I'm sorry, I know you really like me, but I just don't feel the same way, and I don't want to keep leading you on. I think it's best for both of us to break up.' Not exactly vague, Als…" she said. Ally buried her head in her hands, crying again. Trish mentally face-palmed and wrapped her arms around herself.
"I know, Trish, I know it's stupid! If course I do! But I loved him! I can't get over him!" she wailed. Trish sighed, rubbing Ally's back comfortingly. They sat there for a while, the only sound Ally's quiet sobbing, so when the door to the practice room suddenly slammed open they both jumped, Ally falling right off the edge of the bench.
"Argh! Austin, you scared me!" she yelled, shocked. He shrugged, not looking sorry at all.
"It's practice time, Ally. Four o'clock, see? I'm right on time!" he said, looking proud of himself. Ally couldn't help but smile fondly. Austin seemed to be the only one who could make her smile since Dallas broke up with her, and Trish seemed to realise this since she didn't argue with him when he told her to leave. That was about the only time she didn't argue with someone telling her what to do.
Once Trish was gone, Austin sat down beside Ally.
"So, what's up?" he asked, grinning. She opened her mouth to say 'nothing', but found the words caught in her throat as she once again burst into tears. Austin gasped, wrapping his arms around her.
"What's wrong, Ally-gator? Don't cry, I hate it when you cry?"
"I'm sorry…" she muttered.
"Don't be sorry, just stop crying. Or at least tell me why you're crying." He said. She sighed, wiping her eyes. She tried to speak but couldn't quite get the words out. Instead, she handed him the letter. He took it, read it, and then she watched as his face reddened and his eyes grew darker.
"I thought you said he broke up with you, like, a month ago? And you were fine with it?" he asked, voice low and dangerous.
"H-he did. But I was never okay with it. I just…I didn't want to make a big deal out of it. I didn't want you to be angry. But I…I can't get over this, over him. I really, really liked him, and I thought things were going well, and then he just…gave me this."
"Ally, you need to forget about him. If it's been that long, I can't really do anything, but I can help you." He sighed. She laughed a little.
"You know I wouldn't let you do anything to him anyway."
"You know I would hurt him regardless of what you say?"
"Touché."
"But seriously, Ally, you need to get rid of this note, and therefore get over him." He shrugged, like it was simple. She sighed, shaking her head.
"That's the problem. I can't get rid of the note! I just can't!" she complained, almost bursting into a fresh round of tears. Austin sighed.
"Well, it looks like we're going to have to do something to take your mind off of Dallas. How about we go to the movie theatre?" he suggested. She smiled, knowing that she needed to get out of the practice room or she would explode.
They went to the movie theatre and for the first time, Austin actually let Ally choose the movie. He was worried that she might choose the latest chick flick, More Than Just Three Words, but she chose an action movie he had thought looked pretty cool, for which he was extremely grateful.
About halfway through the movie, Ally noticed that one of the extras looked a lot like Dallas, and then she was crying again so they had to leave. Austin decided to take her ice skating instead, but then he fell over and she started crying again, because 'Dallas used to fall over all the time'.
He then took her bowling, but she said that the shoes reminded her of Dallas. He then took her to a pizza place, but she used to eat pizza with Dallas. Eventually he gave up and took her back to Sonic Boom. She sighed as they walked through the doors, and Ally ran up to the practice room to make sure that the letter was still there. She sat down on the piano bench, re-reading the letter, but Austin was relieved to see that she wasn't crying any more. Probably because she was all cried-out.
"Ally…?" he said her name hesitantly, worried that she might get upset at the smallest thing. She looked at him, and the look of pain and sadness on her face was almost too much for him to bear.
"Come on Ally, you can't do this to yourself anymore. Dallas isn't worth it. He's a jerk, and he's an idiot for letting go of the best thing that's ever happened to him."
"Thanks, Austin, but I'm not the best thing that's ever happened to him…" she sighed. He scoffed.
"Please, as if that guy could get anyone better that you. Nobody could get anyone better than you." He said honestly. She looked at him, a little surprised by his words.
"You really think so? Or are you just saying that to make me feel better?" she asked. He scoffed.
"Come on, Ally, look at you. You're gorgeous, and smart, and you write awesome songs and you're funny and cute and you're just…perfect." He sighed. She smiled.
"Thanks Austin. Dallas never called me perfect." She said. He grinned, feeling a new burst of confidence at the obvious happiness she felt at his compliment.
"There's something else I don't think Dallas ever did." He said softly, stepping closer to her. She frowned, confused.
"What?" she asked, a little scared. Austin stepped even closer, so that their toes were almost touching. He smiled, one corner of his mouth pulled up in a lopsided grin.
"Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure you and Dallas never did this…" he finished, and then he leant forward and she forgot about everything else except for the fact that his lips were on hers and he smelled so good and his body was so warm and his hands were everywhere…
"Mmm…"she murmured against his lips. He smirked but didn't pull away. Her hands moved from by her side to around his shoulders and she pulled him closer to her, as close as she could get him.
After another minute or so he pulled away, breathless. They grinned at each other.
"You were right. Dallas and I never did anything like that…" she whispered. He smiled.
"Good."
"In fact, I've never done anything like that with any guy." She admitted. He beamed.
"Really? I love that I was your first kiss, Ally. But that's not enough for me." He said. She frowned, pulling away.
"What do you mean?" she asked, a little cautious. He grabbed her arms and pulled her back to him.
"I want to be your first everything." He whispered mouth right next to her ear. She shivered at the feel of his warn breath on her neck and smiled.
"Maybe…not right now, of course, but if you really want, I'm sure we could work something out."
"Ally Dawson, will you please let me be your first boyfriend?"
"Dallas was my boyfriend…"
"Let me rephrase that. Ally Dawson, will you please let me be your first boyfriend that isn't an absolute jackass and would never, ever dream of breaking up with you because he's your best friend as well, and because he is absolutely, completely in love with you?" he asked. She felt herself tear up and couldn't speak, so she just nodded. He smiled again, capturing her lips in their first kiss as a couple.
Later that day, they were sat side-by-side on the piano stool, trying to write another song but repeatedly getting distracted by each other. Ally started shuffling through some sheet music when a smaller piece of paper fell out. She sighed when she picked it up and realised what it was. Austin took it out of her hand and frowned.
"Are you still going to keep this? Even now that we're dating?" he asked her, sounding hurt. She smiled, rolling her eyes and shaking her head.
"Of course not. Give it here." She smiled. He handed it back to her and she opened the drawer in the desk, pulling out a box of matches. She put the paper down to light one, and then picked it up, wetting it alight.
Austin blew out the match and they both watched as the note that Dallas wrote, the note that ended their relationship, the note that broke Ally's heart, burnt to ashes. When the flames were almost touching her hand she shook it to put it out. She then dropped the ashes in her hand and what was left of the paper into the trashcan and smiled at her new boyfriend.
"It felt so good to watch that burn." She muttered.
"You know what would feel better?"
"What?"
"Watching Dallas burn."
"As tempting as that sounds, that would be illegal." She chided him. He laughed, kissing her again, and she smiled. Her heart was fixed. And all she had to do was burn one silly little note…
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