Ally Dawson wanted an adventure, really. But when Austin Moon seems to randomly pop into her life out of thin air, she doesn't know what to think anymore. This blonde haired bozo just messed with her brain and made her heart skip a beat every time she looked into his eyes. It angered her, made her mad that just one boy could screw around with her head. Now it just seems pointless because Austin Moon has made his way up onto the top of her to do list.

It takes one to change everything, and he just so happens to be included. It was supposed to be a fun night out with her friends but it turns out to be so much more than that. Who knew it would create a whole story to be told by others?

It's either give up or take a leap of faith and join him on this roller coaster he calls life. But she doesn't know how fast the night could change. One moment could leave those things unforgettable.

Just hope he's worth it.

High school is drama and fights. Laughs and tears. Breakups and makeups. It's rushing to grow up, then realizing you want your innocence back, knowing that it's too late and it's already been torn apart. It sucks sometimes, but today, I feel... Happy.

It's no surprise after all, I'm always in a good mood. But today, right now at this particular moment, I feel almost too joyful. If I smile any wider, my face is gonna crack.

"You're especially energetic today Als, are you drunk or something? You can't come to school high, someone might catch you!"

That's Elliot, my idiot half brother. Almost every word that comes out of his mouth is pure stupidity, but he has his bright moments. Just, not that often.

I ignored his comment and close my locker, not bothering to answer. My silence should imply how idiotic I thought that question of his was.

When I was six, my parents brought over a few of their friends from work during the summer for a little get together, it involving a few alcoholic drinks. Once my dad went to the bathroom for a quick break, I took a sip of his wine and instantly scrunched my face up at the rotten, bitter, grape taste. I always wanted to see why adults were so infatuated with the drink, so I made a quick decision and went for it.

Worst mistake of my six year old life.

I felt so guilty the rest of the night. It seemed to be eating my little body alive. I told my mom I was sick and sulked in my bed until the next day where I squealed like a pig and told my father of what I had done. All he did was laugh at the look on my face and told me it was fine, it was just a little sip and it wasn't the end of the world.

I couldn't take it though. I felt so guilty that I made him give me my own punishment. Even back then I was still a big goody-goody and forced him to take away my reading books for two consecutive days. But still, I caved half way through my punishment and ended up finishing three more chapter books the next day.

Gosh, why was I such a dork?

"Because you are," said Elliot.

Oops. Might have said that out loud.

"Shut up and go to class Elliot." I laughed and playfully shoved him while he walked down the hallway, continuously hitting on multiple girls down the god forsaken hall.

I found it ridiculous how some were so open to him and let him toy with their hearts for a little while, throw them away like a used tissue, then move on like nothing happened while the girls came crying to me for comfort. Everyone knew the pattern, but I guess they all wanted to be the one to break the bad boy. Too bad it won't happen.

Too bad that the bad boy had to be my half brother.

Elliot's just really indecisive like that.

I guessed we still had a few more minutes before the bell rang, so I wandered into the library where a couple of my best friends were. There they sat, talking animately with each other at the table near the magazine rack behind the check out counter. Our librarian was behind the computer and waved to me as I walked in, the doors behind me making a soft closing sound. I waved back with a big smile on my face.

There was Trish, the sassy Latina with crazy black hair that flew in wild ringlets down her back that I've know since elementary. Don't mess with her unless your asking for a death wish from the fashionista. She may seem really tough on the outside, but she's a big fluffy teddy bear on the inside.

Then there was Dallas, the over sensitive boy with a wide grin. He was Elliot's best friend since middle school, and seemed to have a gigantic crush on me back then. The black haired boy was also a crazy good soccer player, but mess with his friends, he'll kick you in the shin and makes sure he leaves bruises.

Then there was Kiersey, the artist with a passion. She would draw almost anything that drew her attention. The light skinned girl even carried around a sketchbook to each and every class, in the hallways, her pencil pointed up ready to draw anything and everything. Her fashion sense was a little bohemian, looked like a hipster, but I found that incredibly fascinating since when we met her in freshman year.

Then last but not least, there was Kristen. She had fair skin and huge green eyes that would lure you in and get you to do what she wanted. The black haired girl was also an artistic gymnast and would bend over backwards to do anything for us. Her and Kiersey were sort of like sisters. Kristen was adopted, but they looked a lot alike. Most people at our school mistaken them as twins no matter how many times they tell people their not related.

I guess you could say it was somewhat complicated. I love these guys, and I wouldn't be able to tell you half of the craziest things we've been through together.

One time we even got caught trying to smuggle our principles most prized possession, our schools mascot, Marley the Manatee. It involved a few disguises, a lot of glue, night vision goggles, and lots of feathers.

Don't ask me how it ended because it wasn't pretty. We didn't get off the hook and I was grounded for a month without my books, electronics, or my music.

It was the most painful month ever.

Let's just say we don't have that much of a clean student record anymore.

"Ally," Trish squeals as I walk through the doors of our schools library. Dallas, Kristen, and Kiersey sat at the table behind her. Trish gets up to give me a hug. "Don't you look adorable today,"

I blush as I look down at my outfit as everyone else agrees in slight murmurs. They need to stop complimenting me like that, or else I'm gonna get a big head filled with an enormous ego.

Today, I wore a nice fitting black cable knit sweater, a pair of floral shorts with tons of beautiful exotic flowers on them, dark brown laced up ankle boots, and a brown fringed cross body bag. I never really wore makeup except for the occasional lip gloss or mascara, I just liked keeping my natural face. Besides, putting pounds of products on your skin could get you the acne you were trying to cover up in the first place.

Out of all of us, either Kiersey or Trish wore the most makeup. After all, Kiersey was an artist and Trish just loved to be the center of attention. She's one of the most craziest shopaholics you'll ever meet. If you ever go shopping with her, you better bring a lot of money. She'll persuade you into thinking you have to buy everything you set your eyes on.

"So Alls," says Kiersey in her thick Australian accent. "I was thinking of going to the light box this weekend and doing some karaoke!" Her voice was laced with enthusiasm and hope as she stared me down with her soft, green, puppy dog eyes.

I looked away.

She would not guilt me into it this time.

The light box was a small restaurant near the mall we all liked to hang out in whenever we had the time. Trish's father owns the place. We've been going for years, ever since the business was just getting started ever since we all turned fifth teen freshman year. It was like another home for us besides my fathers old music store in the mall, sonic boom. Trish, Dallas, and Kristen all nod their heads excitedly with desperate smiles on their faces behind Kiersey, who was still giving me those god damn green adorable puppy dog eyes.

Once upon a time, we we're never busy. We always had time to hang out with each other, sticking around every second of the day. But lately, we haven't been doing things together as a group like we used too. Now that it's senior year, I'm always busy. Between studying for finals, perfecting choreography for our schools dance team performance, preparing for our school's volleyball and basketball state championships, getting ready for choirs national solo auditions, preparing a speech for our schools National Honors Society meeting this week, and juggling all AP classes really got the best of me.

I was truly drowning myself in all the work I was doing.

Ever since Freshman year, I've been in hundreds of our schools extra curricular activities. In almost every one I'm either the captain, supervisor, or representative.

Fuck my life.

But today's been actually, surprisingly, somewhat relaxing. I've barely had any work to do so I can't help it when I nod my head with an absolute yes.

I also couldn't help it when Kiersey's green puppy dog eyes started to water with fake tears to make me feel even more guilty for rejecting.

So when Trish, Dallas, Kiersey, and Kristen all scream with joy at the nod of my head, I know today my just be more fun then I expected.

I should take a break from working so hard a lot more often.

Seven hours, one nasty food lunch, and eight more periods later, the bell rings, signaling the end of the day. Students swarm the hallways, crowding doors, running to their cars and trying to catch the bus before they left.

Typical Marino School day ending.

Except it's not that easy for me.

I have a schedule I have to stick too.

So the rest of the day until eight thirty consisted of me spiking white porcelain balls during volleyball practice, running up and down the court millions of times for basketball practice, dancing my heart out for dance rehearsal, and talking to about the up coming choir concert and solo auditions. I stayed after school for nearly five extra hours, working my tail off.

My feet burn with pain as I fall face first on my bed when I got home that night. Elliot's the next room over, blasting music enough to make my ears bleed. My mom is down stairs with my younger sister Gracie cooking dinner and I'm up here half way asleep, contemplating whether I should still go to the light box or stay home and read a nice book in my comfy bed and blankets.

But peer pressure and the thought of Kiersey's puppy dog eyes get the best of me.

I look over to the side of my room to see my black baby grand piano. A soft smile ignites onto my face at the thought of a younger version of me sitting on my fathers lap, his fingers guiding mine on the keys because I didn't know how to play. Elliot and my pregnant mom would sit near on my bed, rocking to the sound of the nice melody of the music.

And now those memories are gone down the drain. Left with the wind, like my Dad. I barely have any memories of him, just those special ones I could never forget, even if I tried my hardest.

Mom doesn't like to talk about it, Gracie never knew about it, and Elliot refuses to bring up any of those memories of his dad. He's grown to love my mom, even though she wasn't his biological one. He doesn't want to ruin that. Sometimes, I feel really lucky to have Elliot as a half brother instead of a full one because he makes me realize how much some people take things for granted.

Disrupting my thoughts, I hear the music go down and a slam of a door downstairs. Guess it's safe to say Elliot has left for the light box restaurant already.

The clock strikes nine once I get out of bed and into the hot shower. I wash and dry my hair off, get some clothes on, pick out my shoes, get my purse packed, and apply some makeup. It's nine forty-five once I'm packed and ready to go.

I've put on a midnight blue spaghetti strapped dress that cuts into a deep 'V' (but not to deep!) of a sweetheart neckline. It singes into the curve of my waist and slightly poofs out with a white trim around the end. My hair was pulled into a messy bun with a ring of white flowers around the small knot. Dark plumb lipstick coated the softness of my lips and white flats with a silver steel toe covered my feet. Exotic rings topped off a few of my fingers and my wrist was tied around a white wristlet so I wouldn't loose my phone or money.

I bid my mother goodbye and kissed Gracie goodnight because her bed time would be long over by the time I got back home. She complains and mules, saying that she always has the least amount of fun and couldn't wait until she's able to drive and have a license.

"Be home before one Ally," my mom says. "You know how I feel about you driving at night."

Gracie still sits on the couch with the remote lying in her lap while her fingers are flying over her phone, probably texting her friends. Man, for a fourteen year old she texts way more than I did back then. I'm surprised her eyes don't burn for looking at that screen for so long.

"Gracie Melissa Dawson, get off that phone this instant before I take it away from you," My mom scolds. "Jesus, I'm surprised your eyes haven't fried from their sockets yet."

Gracie rolls her eyes, mumbling a quick sorry to my mom.

At least me and my mother both agreed on something.

Gracie can sometimes be a huge bitch.

Me and Gracie haven't been the best of friends lately. Ever since she's turned fourteen, we've drifted away. She barely even talks to me anymore.

Do you know how awkward it is to try to avoid someone you see everyday?

She's at the dinner table, the room right across from mine, in the living room, game room, music room. We bump into each other occasionally on our ways to school, in the hallways, the bathroom. I see her every where, and it's the one of the worst feeling to know. She's my younger sister, why is it so hard to have one, measly, un-awkward conversation with her?

So I grab my keys off the hooks by the countertop near the fridge and check the time before I leave, the clock reading five after ten.

Perfect.

At least three hours of some kind of freedom and relaxation.

And then I'm off to the light box.

New story, yay! I actually wrote this one pretty fast, and I like if I say so myself. Please leave reviews, good or bad. I just want to hear everyone's thoughts on this. I actually don't know how long this ones gonna be, probably about twenty chapters hopefully, if I decide to continue that is. It's up to you! Thanks. -Christina (follow me on Instagram! starcrossed.r5 and on twitter! starcrossedr5 missraurafanfic)