New Years Eve: 2016: 10:59 pm: Times Square.
Ten.
The countdown had begun.
Ally wrapped her arms around herself in a self-defensive move against the bitter cold. She looked left to right and stood on her tiptoes to see over the crowd. Why wasn't he here yet? He couldn't possible be that angry at what had happened earlier.
Could he?
Nine.
This was his dream too! Five years of performing for increasingly bigger crowds and at increasingly more famous venues. Five years of them arguing over lyrics and which order the set list would go in. Five years of being partners.
And it seemed he was letting it all slip away over a stupid argument.
Eight.
A stupid argument that should never have occurred in the first place, had she kept her mouth shut. She had been biting her tongue for well over four years now, but today of all days she decided to let it out.
She groaned silently to herself, unwilling to take her eyes off the crowd for even a second.
Seven.
Every time she noticed a flash of blond hair, her heart raced. Until they turned around and it wasn't him. She even saw the bright blue of his winter jacket, but it was a woman who seemed to share the same colour preference.
Her eyes were starting to water against the heavy winds, but she refused to stop her search. Not yet.
Six.
Not when they were so close.
Hadn't they been planning this specific performance for years? She could remember the long nights in Sonic Boom, writing song lyrics for that Friday's video upload and interrupting the frustrating silences with daydreams of Times Square New Years Eve performances to come.
Five.
She ignored the constant questioning as to Austin's presence. She could tell the media people were becoming more and more frustrated, but she assured them all that he would get there. He would be there to fulfil his dream.
His number one dream.
Four.
As her teeth began to chatter, she tried distracting herself from both the cold and thoughts of his absence with thoughts of warmth and sleep. Of seeing him run up to her, flash his grin, and take the stage without a second thought.
But more and more time was passing, and with that passing time, came passing hope.
Three.
She could hear the crowd cheering, chanting his name. This wasn't anything new to her; people screamed Austin's name everywhere- shopping centres, street corners, even from a car window once.
But she knew the significance of these people. Of this event.
Two.
Her heart sank at the realisation of what he was going to miss. Because of her.
She willed herself not to cry; not now, in the cold wind where her tears would freeze. Not here, where there were about a hundred cameras waiting to zoom in on her face when he didn't show.
One.
She ran before anyone could stop her. She ran as far away as she could go without running out of breath. Without running into another human being.
She didn't get far, only about a block. But she knew it was far enough.
There was an odd chatter in the crowd of people around her. She didn't need to look at the mega screen over the square to know why.
He never showed.