Austin's P.O.V.
I was walking to school with my friends Dez, Luke, and Cody. Little did I know that in the next few minutes my life was going to change forever. It was a sunny morning, which would probably not be so weird if it hadn't been raining the past few weeks. So really, that should of told me something. But I guess I was just too oblivious that morning. We walked into Marino High School. It was sophomore year. We looked around the hallway, checking-out who attended today. I was going through my usual check-list: Sarah (1), Ericka (1), Mason (2), Alex (2), Benny (1), Ethan (1), Rory (1), Justin (2), Max (2), Xander (3), Ryan (4), Sharpay (4), Kelsi (4), so on and so forth. When my eyes landed in her, she has silky brown hair that flows past her shoulders in medium, gentle waves. She was wearing an orange, black, pink, and while striped skirt, a jean vest with shiny things on it, brown shoes, and multicolored bracelets (5). From the angle I was at, that was all of her clothes that I could describe. She was sitting in the hallway reading a rather large book. Something is different about this girl. I didn't know what it was, but I knew I liked it. A lot! I guess some part of my appearance changed because Dez was waving his hand in front of my face while repeating my name. "Hey Cody, is there a such thing as love at first sight? I asked the smartest/most scientific kid in our group, Cody (6), while never taking my eyes off the girl.
"Well love at first sight is a very unique and indefinable feeling. As is any other emotion. Some say it's a myth. Some say it's true. Others say it does exist, but you don't know it until you feel it for yourself." Cody states. "Personally," He continues knowing I don't care about the statistics, "I think that if you fall in love with someone's looks, you don't truly love them. But then again, I've never felt love at first sight. So I don't know if you get some sort of special connection with the person. So…" he finishes then adds, "Wait. Why do you ask?"
"Her…" I reply pointing at the girl I am currently staring at.
"Who?" Luke (7) asks.
"Her!" I answer.
"Where?" Dez questions cluelessly.
"There! By the lockers! She's sitting down…wearing a striped skirt and jean vest…reading a book."
"Huh?" Dez questions again.
"I got this, Austin," Cody says, walking over to Dez.
"Her?" Luke asks.
I nod and reply "Mm-hm."
"Why?"
"Why not? I mean obviously, she's beautiful. By the looks of that book she's reading, she's brilliant…"
"Because she's a geek."
"What? Is not."
"Yeah she is. You said it yourself. Look at the book she's reading. Ge-ek!" Luke says but sings the last word.
"No-ot" I reply in the same sing-song voice, "Just because she reads does not make her a geek."
"Yeah-huh!"
"Nuh-uh! I read and you've never called me a geek."
He puts a hand on my shoulder and says, "Yeah, that's because you're my friend and I'm trying to be polite."
I just roll my eyes at his last statement. I know, I know what you're thinking 'Austin, why are you friends with this guy if he keeps arguing with you? Also, why are you saying what I'm thinking?' Well the answer to that is slightly complicated. Luke's a great guy. He really is! It's just he's trusted people in the past that have completely let him down. So now, he's really cautious on who he trusts. I'm one of the few people left. So…yeah… "I'm gonna go talk to her," I say while starting to walk towards the girl.
"What? Why?" Luke shouts after me.
I turn around but still walking, "Cause knowing their name is Liking Someone 101," I retort in a 'duh' voice. I couldn't see it because I had already turned around but I know Luke just rolled his eyes at me.
When I finally get next to the girl, I notice the book she's reading is The Purloined Letter (8). Which I just so happen to have read not only in 6th grade but have also read a few times since (OK! 27 times! Big difference!). I can use that as an ice breaker. "Ah! The Purloined Letter! I remember the first time I read it! What's Dupin (9) up to this time?" I say while taking a seat on the ground next to her.
No response.
Well, I know she's not deaf because I don't see a translator around anywhere. And I think I would've noticed a girl with a translator before. So she must be a book worm. Sweet! A quality in girls I secretly find very attractive. "Hey! My name's Austin!" I say warmly while extending my hand for a hand-shake.
Still no response. She must be really into her book.
"Hellloo…Miss…" I say while waving my hand in front of her face.
She looks up from her book and instantly gets shy.
"Hey!"
"Hi." She responds quietly after a while.
"What's your name?" I ask trying to start a conversation.
"Ally" She replies shyly, still looking down.
"Can I get a last name?"
"Dawson."
Ally Dawson…Hmm…I like it… "My name's Austin Moon."
"I know" She responds quietly once again.
"You do?"
She nods
"How?"
"You're one of the Populars. It's pretty impossible to go through school without hearing stories about you."
Oh snap! I totally forgot I was popular! And she's heard stories about me! Oh great! I barely met this girl two seconds ago and she probably already hates me! That's just peachy!
"Oh." I say, keeping my mouth in the shape after I say the syllable. "W-well, I-I—"
Then the school bells rings.
Ally starts scrambling with her book and her bag. Just before she finishes and stands-up, I stand and offer a hand down to her. "Need a hand?"
She looks up at me with her big brown eyes hesitantly and confused.
"What? A guy can't help a girl up? Is chivalry that outdated?"
She shakes her head and replies very quietly, "No."
"Then take my hand. I'm not gonna hurt you."
She slowly and cautiously slips her hand into mine. I close my hand around hers securely, savoring the feeling. I quickly, but gently mind you, pull her to her feet. She's so light! When she's upright, she's only inches away from me. I don't know why, but this makes my heart beat about a thousand times faster. I almost feel like I've been hit with epinephrine (10). I get this strange impulse, and I'm about to act on it when I hear someone behind me. The sudden voice breaks me out of my trance I've been set in. I find that it wasn't just my imagination (well, not completely), we really are the only ones in the hallway. The only people are me, her, and my friends (which is a little embarrassing since they saw all that). "Come on, Austin. We gotta go," the voice said.
I reluctantly pull my attention away from Ally, and look over my shoulder (turning a bit) to face the mouth the voice came from. "K, Luke. Just give me a second to say bye."
"'Say bye'? To who?"
"What?" I face forward and see, that in fact, no one's there. Did I imagine her? No, I'm not capable to imagine something like her. She's too good. Man, I wish she would've stayed. I sigh then fully turn around. "Thanks, Luke. You just had to interrupt."
"Well, sorry, we're gonna be late for class. And I saved you. You don't want that girl. Trust me, I know."
"And what makes you so sure I don't want her?"
"Because she would've been a waste of your time."
"I'm pretty sure she wouldn't have. I think I know what girls I want to go after and what ones I don't."
"But, Austin, she's a geek! That's nowhere near our social status."
"So? Since when do you care about social status?"
"Well…I don't but I can't think of anything else to stop you from going after this girl."
"Look, Luke, I know you're just looking out for me. And that you don't exactly like new people because you don't know if you can trust them or not—
"—What?" Cody interrupts.
"Oops, sorry Code (11)," Cody's the newest in the group so he doesn't know about Luke's past. Only I do. Dez is just (surprisingly) smart enough to know not to ask.
"But, anyway, can't you just let me be happy?"
"Austin, we're talking about a girl. Not drugs."
"Well, yeah!"
"Or some life changing event."
"Hey! Who knows? This could be life changing."
"Yeah, whatever, Austin," Luke rolls his eyes at me.
"Just, please, don't scare her off. For me?"
"OK. I can't guarantee I'll like her, but I won't scare her."
"Thankyou."
"Hey, guys," Dez suddenly speaks, "hate to interrupt this heart-to-heart moment, but we're, like, 5 minutes late to class already and you know Ms. Sellsberry (12) has barely any tolerance for tardiness."
"Right! Thanks, Dez." And with that we all run off to class. Of course, we get tardy slips but we didn't miss too much of class to not get what was going on. But…I couldn't my mind wander to that brunette beauty who goes by the name of Ally Dawson...
Things To Know:
(1) Characters from My Babysitter's A Vampire. I don't know if they'll be in the story more or not.
(2) Characters from Wizards of Waverly Place. I don't know if they'll be in the story more or not.
(3) Character from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He's, like, my favorite character in there. I also like other ones, for example, Oz. I don't know if he's going to be in the story more or not.
(4) Characters from High School Musical. Ryan and Kelsi are my favorite, and then you can't have Ryan without Sharpay. I actually liked her more in Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure. I don't know of they'll be in this story more or not. But in the far story future of The Day That Everything Changed, they will be.
(5) She actually wears this is an episode. I don't remember what episode, but it's in season (or series, if you're British) 1.
(6) Character I made-up. Not at all related to the Cody in True Love's Kiss. Nor the Cody on Suite Life of Zack and Cody/Suite Life on Deck.
(7) Character I made-up.
(8) I've actually read The Purloined Letter. Well, the Wishbone version, The Pawlioned Paper. They're pretty much the same.
(9) Produced do-PAN, not DOO-pin. Wishbone specifies in The Pawlioned Paper.
(10) For those of you who don't know what epinephrine is, or an Epi-pen, it basically speeds up your heart and adrenaline. It's used (well, at least Epi-pens) for when people are having an allergic reaction and start going into anaphylactic shock, which is your body starting to shut itself off. Not fun.
(11) This isn't a typo. This is a nickname I made-up for him, Code. As in, secret code.
(12) Character I made-up.
Disclaimer:
I do not own Austin & Ally nor The Purloined Letter. They belong to Disney (pretty sure) and Edgar Allan Poe (I think. I'm not sure if the copyright's still active and/or if he gave the rights to someone else. Just like J.M. Barrie did with Peter Pan. An orphanage owns it now.)
JoeyJar99's Message:
OK, peoples, what did you think of this chapter? Should I upload more or keep the story to myself? Please let me know. Thankyou!
Later. Over-and-Out. Live long and prosper.
