It's not how it's supposed to be.
She's not supposed to be in the fetal position, on the tile floor.
And she is defiantly not supposed to be crying over him.
It puzzles her how it all came crashing down so fast. She can't remember the last time she had been so happy. She was on cloud nine every time she looked into those big, chocolate eyes, and the few dates they had gone on were fun and not awkward in the least. Heck, they were boyfriend and girlfriend. It was more than just a few dates; they spent every moment together. She even blew off her best friends, just for him.
She felt humiliated. Really, who uses the 'it's not you, it's me' excuse? And he was too much of a coward to do it properly, in person. Finding out through his younger sister was mortifying. And she thought he was finally going to tell her he loved her.
Six months. Six months, just gone. Flushed down a toilet. Burned, the ashes thrown into the ocean. Not even cut properly; just sloppily ripped in half, not caring about how the other might feel.
She hadn't seen it coming at all. People were so supportive of them, calling them Dally, or Dallyson. People always talked about how he treated her so good, and how they were a perfect match.
Well, perfect seems to be shattered on the floor. Austin just had to be at his uncles' house this weekend, didn't he...
"Are you serious?" The blond asks her through video chat. She's crying lightly, and just got through explaining the break up.
"Why would I joke about something like this, Austin?" She is broken inside and out, and the person she depends on the most to piece her back together is 1,200 miles away, in New York.
"As soon as I get back, they'll have to scrape the remains of him off the sidewalk." He's shaking with anger, just pure white hot anger directed towards the guy he was friends with. The guy that caused himself heart break, which wasn't exactly easy to move on from; Austin wouldn't consider himself the jealous type, and just pushed the feeling aside whenever it aroused. And it aroused a lot around Ally and Dallas. He's not a violent person, and it takes a lot to push him over the edge; he's even more mad that she isn't in his arms, that he can do nothing but give her words right now.
"My dad freaked out. He knew I should be home, since you are gone and we wouldn't be in the store late. He found me at four a.m. crying like a maniac in the store. I told him why, and he lost it. Later, he walked right up to the cell phone accessory cart, and flipped it over." There is a moment of silence, and then Austin starts bursting out laughing. She starts after a second, too, because if she steps out of the position she plays in this situation, what her dad did was really funny.
"Do Dez and Trish know?" He is feeling a little bit calmer, knowing that Mr. Dawson didn't let his only daughter go through serious heart break, and just sit back and watch. She gives a small smirk.
"They know, all right. Trish is forcing him to help with some big revenge thing. Dez burst out in tears when I told them, and just kept blubbering."
"Is that why you aren't crying as hard? You don't want me to watch what you had to watch earlier?" she bits her tongue, cursing that he knows her so well. He even knows that from her lack of response, he's obviously right.
"Stop putting on an act, Ally. If you have to be fake around me, I have failed as a best friend." And immediately she starts balling her head off, and sobs that would make even Plankton from SpongeBob become empathetic. All Austin can think about is ripping Dallas' head off. She keeps crying, and it goes on for awhile. He hates that all he can do is say "shhhh" and "it'll be okay," repeatedly.
"I'm so sorry, Ally," he interjects as she starts to quiet down.
"This isn't your fault, Austin," she stutters out between her hitched breaths.
"No, it's that douche Dallas' fault," she cringes at his words, cause truthfully, she isn't over him and still is in defense mode, "but I'm sorry that I can't hold you right now."
The thought of having his reassuring arms around her increases her heart ache. She knows it's Austin and Austin alone that can bring her back, but the reality is that he isn't here, and she has to wait another 48 hours or so before he comes back to her.
"This is what I'm always talking about."
"What is?"
"No one needs me for forever; I'm an easily replaced person that just lets people walk all over her."
"That's not true at all, Ally-gator," he's feeling so many different things, and they are all mashed up inside his stomach, twisting it and turning, making it hurt and burn.
She smiles half heartily when he says her nick name; he had taken a strong liking to it after he heard Ms. Suzy use it. "Tell me one example where that isn't true."
He's hurt, and it's clearly visible on his face. "I don't use you, Ally. I need you."
It's touching, and she can feel herself turning pink; he has fleeting thoughts of how her blush matches her nose, which is currently a bright strawberry color from crying.
"Even then, Austin, at first you only wanted me for my song writing talent."
"That's a lie. I wanted you to write my songs, and become partners, because I thought you were awesome and crazy talented. I still think that, and always will."
It's one of those moments where Dez is supposed to randomly pop in and give an "awww," but he doesn't come, so it just leaves the two best friends in a silence of half smiles, and words that are being held back.
"I'm not going to be okay till you get back," she whispers, finally not being able to keep her thoughts in for another second. Maybe it sounds just a little too romantic for their friendship, but she could honestly care less about that at the moment.
"I'm not going to be able to focus on anything but you, now," he answers in the same tone; these sentences are really suggestive, but neither of them have time to read between the lines.
"Is there any way you can have your ticket moved up to a sooner flight?"
He shakes his head, scowling deeply. "I promised my uncle I'd help him put up his new fence. I'm not just going to bail. Even if I want too."
More silence covers them, and it's not okay with either of them. They never have awkward, silent conversations. It's just not what their friendship is really about.
"Well, I'm happy you're keeping your word. And maybe I just need to be alone for a bit."
He thinks she means for him to end the video chat, even though she really means that him not being here for the next two days won't be the worst thing for her. It'll give her time to sort out her thoughts.
"Well, I've got to go," he says, being a gentleman, "I'll call you tomorrow night. Talk to you then?"
"We can't text all day?"
He sadly shakes his head no. "I'll be working all day."
"Oh."
"Bye, Ally. Have a goodnight, and if you need me, I'm just a call away."
"Bye, Austin. Goodnight." and she slams the laptop shut, not wanting to talk anymore. She had just got through talking about how people use her, and then he just says bye? That just tells her that he doesn't really care; she doesn't know he was just trying to be courteous.
She leans back, lying all the way down on her couch. She turns off the mute on the TV, and decides to attempt drowning her sorrows in some mindless teen-girl reality show.
"You were up offal late last night," his older cousin, Rider, says. One of the reasons Austin agreed to coming up to New York in the first place is because he would be able to see him again.
"Drama back home," he says simply, not wanting to go into details. He digs his shovel back down into the soft Earth, and flings a chunk of dirt and grass back behind him.
"Sounded like a girl. Was it that one you're always talking about? What's her name again? Abby?"
"Ally. Yeah, it was her." he's really uncomfortable talking about her. It's bad enough she's all he is thinking about, but does she really need to take up all his conversations, too?
"You don't sound too happy with her." Austin stuffs his shovel into the ground, and rests his arms on it.
"Nothing is wrong. Well, between us, at least. She's just having a really hard time back home, and I feel crazy, not being there with her."
"We'll, why aren't you on your way back?"
"I'm not just going to ditch here. Your dad needs me to help, and I haven't seen you in, like, a whole year."
"Please, my dad is just shoving all the work on you. He only asked you to come here because I was talking about how I haven't seen you, but it's cool. I can just come to Miami sometime. Then I'll get to meet this Ally girl."
It's not fair, because all he wants to do is go home and take care of this mess his best friend is trying to clean up alone. But he came here to do a job, and he will feel guilty if he doesn't do it.
"Whatever. Last night, she basically told me to my face she didn't want to talk. So I'm just going to chill here for the weekend, and try to distract myself." he turns back, grabs his shovel, and continues to dig the trench.
His older cousin shakes his head, and sighs. Austin was a nice guy, and he should know where he is needed. And right now, he isn't needed in New York.
"Ugh!" He screams, and throws the cell phone at the wall.
"Whoa, dude, calm yourself," Rider looks over his laptop screen, concerned for his cousin. "What's the matter?"
"It's–it's Ally! She won't answer her phone! I've been trying her for over an hour!" he's so frustrated and feels like he is being left in the dark.
"Did it ever occur to you she might, I don't know, be doing something?"
"You don't understand; Ally always answers her phone on the second ring."
"Every time?"
"Every time I've called her, at least."
"Well, she's either pissed at you, or can't answer her phone."
"Why would she be mad at me?" Rider shrugs, and Austin falls back on the bed, running his hands through his hair.
"Come on Monday, get here already!" He mumbles, not being able to stand being away from Ally for one more second.
"Dude, just pass the time. My dad's old guitar is in the garage. Go play something."
And Austin sits straight up. "Rider! That's genius!"
"Yeah! Um, but what exactly is genius?"
"Ally loves music; I can play a song for her on guitar when I get back!"
"Cool. What song?"
He sits there, with his hand on his chin, seriously thinking this through. Suddenly, he snaps his finger and smiles for the first time all day. "I got it! It's perfect!"
"Yeah, and what's the name of it?"
"Uh, I think 'I can be your hero'. She'll love it."
"Isn't that, um, a romantic song?"
"Kind of, I guess. But it is almost exactly how I feel about her." He's on his feet, and runs out of the room to get the guitar, to start figuring out the chords.
Once again, Rider sighs and smiles at his younger cousins antics. Austin cares so much about Ally that it's to the point of a creepy obsession.
Eight missed calls her phone screen reads, and she laughs when she see who they are from.
She dials the number, and sits in the kitchen chair, impatiently waiting for him to pick up.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Austin."
"What's up, Al's?"
"Nothing much. Just got home. What are you up to?"
"Wait–where were you? Why didn't you answer my calls earlier?"
"Trish, Dez and I went out to dinner and went to see a movie."
"Cool. What movie?"
"Dark Shadows. The one with Jonny Deep."
"Was it good?"
"Yeah, there were a lot of good jokes. But it was kind of a horror movie, and you know I don't do horror."
He smiles, and chuckles; is it bad that he misses her so much that his heart actually hurts, and they saw each other in person less than two days ago?
"So anyway, what are you up too?"
"Nothing. Me and Rider are just chilling in his room."
"Tell him I said hi." It's not like they've ever met, but he follows her on tweeter, and Austin has mentioned once or twice how awesome he is.
"Okay, will do." she hears him shout over his shoulder to Rider, and in the distance, she can hear him say hi back.
"How's the fence coming?"
"It's coming good. Tomorrow, we put the rest of it in the trenches we dug today, and then cement it in. And then we have to paint it. But then, it'll be Monday, and I'll be on an airplane back to you."
"Time has flown; today went by so quickly."
His heart sinks a little; he's been freaking out all day, worrying that she's been in a real depressed drought. But she sounds close to happy, if not already, and is talking about how fast today went. It went slow for him; he's been thinking about her so much, it's crazy.
"Yeah."
"He came into the store today." she says, before the silence takes over the conversation.
"What happened?"
"Trish kicked him out."
"Good for her. You should get a restraining order against him."
She giggles a little. "I think you're the one who needs it, not me. You'll vaporize him on the spot."
"Well, yeah. He deserves a lot more than just being forced out of the Boom."
"Oh, I don't think you completely understand what I'm saying. Trish kicked him out."
It takes him a few seconds to take in her words, and comprehend them. Then he starts laughing and laughing. "That is the best thing ever!"
She, on the other hand, really hates how viciously the people in her life are bashing they guy she, honestly, still loves. And Austin laughing and encouraging what Trish did only makes her scowl deepen.
"Just because—just because of what happened doesn't mean you all can organize a 'destroy Dallas club'."
He's getting mad at her. She always knows what he is thinking, feeling, and can normally have some empathy. But now, she's just acting selfish, and it seems like she doesn't understand why he is feeling what he is towards Dallas.
"I can do what I want. I thought you would be happy so many people are looking out for you."
"I thought that's what I wanted. But you guys obviously don't care about what I want, or else you would realize I'm not over him, and still want him!" She's frustrated, and angry that he isn't sympathizing what she says, and isn't taking in to consideration how she sees everything.
"No, we care. We're just trying to help you realize you shouldn't care about someone that isn't afraid to hurt you."
"Like you guys have never hurt me before."
"When? Give me one example of when I hurt you, after we became friends."
She's silent, because she honestly can't think of anything. But then it hits her. "When you ditched us all for a new manager."
"But I found out quickly I can't do what I do without you guys."
"What about blowing off meetings and coming late to writing sessions?"
"I changed my whole schedule for you. Next."
"..."
"Exactly. Everything that I have done wrong I've owed up to, I've apologized for it, and then we buried it."
"Well I can't bury this."
"Why not?"
"Because I love him, Austin! And if you know me as well as you think you do, then you would know that I can't live without him!" She yells out in built up frustration. His heart just explodes, and can't believe she is taking her anger out at him.
He takes in a deep breath, and says, "Look, Ally, I get it, you're at the anger stage of the break up, and you need someone to take it out on. But—"
"Cause I can't just be angry at you! There has to be some other reason!"
"No, you can be, but right now you're just mad that he-" and he cuts himself off, because he doesn't want to throw the fact in her face.
"He what, Austin?" it stays quiet for a minute, and she knows what he was going to say, but she wants him to say it anyway. "Austin, answer me, before I start saying naughty words!"
"You're just mad he broke up with you. That he doesn't love you anymore."
She responds just the way he was afraid she would. With silence.
"Well, you're wrong, because I'm mad at you. Period." the tears are evident in her voice, and she hangs up. Not even a goodbye, just a click.
She spends the rest of the night home alone (god knows where her father is), crying and eating ice cream. The wounds are still fresh, and she likes to blame Austin. She likes to think he's the reason they still hurt so much. But she just can't lie.
It's really hard for her. Dallas was her first love, her first kiss. And now he's just gone. Without even a good reason. She thinks she had done something wrong, but can't figure out what, and that just makes her even more angry and hurt. She knows, somewhere deep inside, that she is being cruel to Austin for no good reason.
But she doesn't have time to add guilty to her long list of emotions.
He throws the basket ball for the twenty third time, and it just bounces off the back board. Again.
"I could use a little help, you know. This fence is the reason you're here, if you forgot."
"One more shot, then I'll help."
"That's what you said the last ten shots," Rider mutters. But Austin still hears it. His whole body goes rigid, and his frustration and anger start channeling out at the wrong person.
"What was that?" It's a dangerous voice, and Rider goes into guard mode.
"What was what?"
Austin throws down the ball and takes a few steps towards the taller boy. "You know what."
"No, I don't think I do."
And then his emotions get the best of him, and he goes in for a punch right on his cousins' nose. But Rider saw it coming, and grabbed his fist, and turned his whole arm backwards.
And suddenly, it hits Austin. He was just about to hit his favorite cousin. He isn't a violent person. He never gets mad. Ever. And in no way, shape or form is it okay to take out the rage that shouldn't even be there on anyone. It's too much for him to handle, just thinking about what he wanted to do. He's so ashamed, and he sinks down to the ground, and buries his face in his hands.
"Dude, what's going on? Why are you so crazy?" Rider asks in a careful voice.
"Me and Ally got in a fight."
"Was it really that bad?" Austin, for the first time, thinks it through.
"You know what, it wasn't that bad. It's just that we never fight, so I'm really jumpy about it."
"Dude, just go home. I can finish this alone."
"No. We both need to just let everything die down. Miami can wait another, what, 20 hours?"
Rider smiles; as quickly as he left, his little cousin came back.
"Well, come on. Help me mix this cement."
He helps Austin up, and they both walk over to the wheel barrel full of grey mush.
He tries his hardest not to dwell on the past any longer than he already has, and it just about works. He doesn't want to think about Ally all day long, but she still lives in the back of his brain, no matter how much he attempts to kick her out.
She slams the door, feeling a rush of irritation in her eyes. She's so sick of all the crying, but it can't be prevented.
Working was one of the one distraction she depended on. But now, her dad stole that right out from underneath her. It's like he pulled out a rug she was standing on; she's on the floor now, not wanting to get back up due to pain.
But then, she thinks bitterly, that it isn't her dad that confiscated the rug; it was Dallas.
She's been through a lot. Everything with her mom, her dad shutting her out, why she has her stage fright. She's always been the unmitigated balance of a lover and a fighter. Really, it takes a lot to break her wholly. But he has managed to do so, no matter how much she held back throughout the relationship.
She's really bored. And ever since she met Austin, that's a rare feeling. She loves Trish and Dez, honest, but they are never there when she needs them. Like right now. It'd be great if they would just stop in and check on her.
She lays down on the couch, and stares up at the ceiling. She thinks of every time she has been in this exact position. Which, really, is more than she can even remember, let alone count. It's where she sleeps when they stay late to write a song, and actually finish the song. This room has some of her favorite memories stored away. But without anyone else, it seems empty. Cold. Without purpose.
She wishes that she hadn't taken her anger out at him. She knows now, after having time to write down the situation in her book and think it through, that she was being spiteful to him when he was trying to help. And she is ready to get past the angry stage, and really start to move on.
But she'll need to get the rest of this built up aggression out first. And this time, it won't be to the wrong person.
She sits straight up, and strides out the door, down the stairs, and out the door. She ignores her father asking where she is going; if he can shut her out after a traumatic event, then she do the same to him. Her feet fly to the food court. Only this time, it's for a different reason than any time she has flown there before.
He's smiling and laughing with a pretty girl, with unnaturally pale blonde hair. But the sight doesn't break her, and she takes that as a good sign.
She walks right up to him, and slaps him hard against the left check. The sound echoes through the air, and everyone stops to turn around and stare.
"What the–" Only he is cut off by her stomping on his foot, hard.
"I'm done with you. You're such a coward you had your younger sister break up with me! How lame is that? You—you're just a man whore!"
And then he scrunches his eye brows together looking mad, and right before he responds, she slaps him again.
She turns and skips happily, feeling like she just dropped a hundred extra pounds. She loves the fact that the blonde girl he was talking to a second ago is laughing.
When she gets back to the store, she's disappointed that Trish didn't get to see that scene. Or Austin.
And she knows what she has to do next; apologize to Austin. Really, she hates saying sorry to him. She thinks that being friends means that you should never have to say sorry, and she doesn't like how it gives him such a big head. But it still has to happen.
She desperately wants to call him or video chat with him to pour out how sorry she is, but knows that they need time to cool down, and that it would be better in person.
She walks past her father at the front counter, and gives him a small smile. She's in so much more of a better mood, and feels like she is seeing the world the way she wants to for the first time in six months.
She gets back up to the practice room, and blasts the album they recorded of Austin. She's dancing in her normal horrible ways, trying to dispose of all the heart break that still lingers. It's barely there, but she knows that Austin is the only one who can get rid of it.
It's when "Not a Love Song" plays through the speakers that she freezes in her place. For some reason, it sounds more soothing than normal and has her heart swelling just as the Grinch's did when he gave Christmas back to Whoville. And for the first time, she hears exactly how much it is a love song. And, surprisingly, she's okay with that.
None of her friends come by till they are closing, and Dez is smiling and laughing, and Trish has a devious smirk on her face. They explain the story to her; about an hour after Ally's confrontation to him, they dropped the revenge bomb. On the jumbo screen played the break up, which they managed to find the video on the mall security tapes. And then people all around the food court blew the confetti canons, and ran around with balloons screaming "You lost the best thing you ever had," which coincidently is like the song Ally was singing at the top of her lungs yesterday (Best Thing I Never Had by Beyonce). Dez had apparently gotten a sound recording of her singing it, and that played while the chaos accrued. People were egging the cell phone accessory cart, and chucking pies at Dallas.
"You guys are amazing," she says, a wide smile stretching across her face and going in for a hug.
Trish looks up and smiles at Dez. "Yeah, we know." And the three embrace each other while laughing.
They decide to go out for ice cream and then hang out the beach for the night; even though Ally hates the beach, she has to admit that there is no better place to eat fruity mint swirl.
Half way through the walk through the tide, Trish turns to Ally and has a bright, curious look in her eyes.
"I totally forgot! I heard you told Dallas off today," she's smiling approvingly, and Ally wonders how she could ever be mad that she has people looking out for her, or that people were ganging up on Dallas.
"Yeah, I did," she pauses, not knowing how to describe what happened, but she can see how badly Trish wants her to continue. "I slapped him twice, and, um, called him a man whore."
They all start laughing, and it's like old times before Ally started to change to be someone she wasn't. Before Dallas ruled her life.
The only thing that is missing is Austin.
She barely was able to fall asleep, and then she wines up waking up a whole hour earlier than normal.
She has his flight schedule memorized, and knows that he wouldn't change it. She has eight hours before he arrives in Miami, and she really should just go back to sleep, but her eyes won't stay shut.
She gets showered and dressed, but for some reason her stomach is already full of giddiness and can't finish her breakfast.
She races to Sonic Boom even though it's way too early before anyone will come, and just sits at the counter softly playing a guitar. She opens up about an hour later, and works for a few hours before deciding to go home and make tonight's dinner for the four of them.
She makes stacks and stacks of pancakes, drawing faces with whip cream, strawberries, blue berries, and syrup. She's not much of a cook, but she learned every recipe under the sun for the cakes, and is perfecting her skills of making them every time.
It's twenty till noon when she heads down to the airport, but first drops off the pancakes to the mini fridge in Sonic Boom. She feels so different, so new, and it's amazing how much he missed in the short time he was away.
She's sitting, flipping through magazines, and tapping her foot. Her eyes dart to the clock and back to the page every minute or so. She's never been impatient before, really, and she doesn't like the anxious feeling that is settling in her chest.
He sighs as he steps off the plane, not entirely sure if he should be happy to be back in his home town.
He's worried of what might go down when he sees Ally again, and that he might not be able to control his temper when he sees Dallas.
He pulls his lone suitcase behind him and stares at the ground as he walks into the exit pavilion. He's just about to call his dad to come pick him up, but someone slams into him and flings their arms around his neck. Those all too familiar arms.
He's not exactly sure why they are embracing, but he has always loved the warmth she brings him and he is sure he won't be the first to let go. And, of course, he was right.
"Austin," she says smiling wide and out of breath.
"Hey, Ally," he says smiling and chuckling. It feels like it's been years since they've been this close, talking face to face. "How are you?"
She's contemplating an answer, because can't really narrow everything she is feeling into one simple word.
"Alive," she says easily with a smile and a shrug. But the answer only makes Austin alerted, and the corners of his mouth turn down slightly.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Her smile doesn't fade, and she gives a small shake of the head.
"It doesn't mean anything bad, Austin. I'm moving on. In fact, it's happening really quickly, so I'm beginning to wonder if I really was in love with him, or just loved him as a friend."
He smiles knowing that she's not a broken down mess. He's so glad she's gotten over the tan, older looking version of Justin Bieber (which is a bad comparison, because Dallas can't sing for his life, while Bieber can actually hit a few notes).
"Glad to hear it," and then they both start walking out the revolving doors. "How did you get here, anyway?"
"Taxi." and so they both work together trying to hail a taxi, and after a good ten minutes, one finally stops for them.
It's a cheap price, since they are just going to go to the mall, and it's no more than an eight minute drive. Buts it's a very small cab, and their bodies are pushed right up against each other. Not that either of them really mind, though.
"Oh, Austin, I wanted to tell you something," she says after a brief silence.
"Shoot."
"I'm really sorry I got so mad at you, and yelled at you. You were right about the whole anger thing. I yelled at you when I should've yelled at him, and I'm so sor–"
It's the point in the movies where the guy kisses the girl to shut her up, and at first it's awkward ad staged, but then they get into it.
But Austin isn't the type of guy who would cut her off with a kiss of all things while she is trying to say something important. So, instead, he cuts her off with a sentence to free her of guilt.
"Ally, I knew why you were like that right away. And honestly, everyone gets to that stage in heart break eventually. I'm cool with it." He shrugs, and puts his arm around her shoulders as a friendly gesture.
"Thank god," she breaths out, and slightly snuggles into his arm.
It's the first comfortable silence they've had in days. It's still not normal for them to have silent periods, but right now their drinking in the fact that they have one another in their sight again, and that they get through everything, no matter how stupid or hurtful it is.
When they are at their stop, he throws the driver a few bills and thanks him. He helps her out of the car, and she pulls the suitcase behind them.
It's been on his mind for days, ever since he first heard about what happened from her, and she's been thinking about what she is going to say to him when he works up the courage to ask.
He takes a long breath in, and then asks, "What have I missed, with, you know, the situation?"
He's taken aback when she smiles and fights back giggles. She explains everything to him in detail; how she told him off, how Trish's and Dez's revenge video has gone viral.
He's laughing along with her as they make more jokes at Dallas' expense after she finished telling him about how the revenge ended.
She didn't change into a whole different person, but some of her opinions and styles and quirks changed while she was with Dallas. Austin never knew how much he loved and missed them until they came back.
They get to the practice room and find Trish and Dez there, alone, sitting very close to each other and leaning in, talking about something obviously intimate. Everyone blushes and stands awkwardly for a moment, but Dez breaks it by getting up to hug Austin. Trish follows, and then they all start bursting out laugh for some many reasons that they wouldn't be able to think of or explain if someone asked.
Ally reveals the pancake feast she made for them all, and it's a rampage of eating and laughing for a whole hour. Then it's sitting around Dez playing the piano and singing songs. They have contests of who can make the best freestyle rap and go the longest without laughing. It's just the four best friends being exactly that; four best friends. It hasn't felt this relaxed and natural in six months.
It's when Trish snakes her hand into Dez's when the room starts to become stuffy. Dez doesn't mind; he sends a happy glance to the short girl. But Austin and Ally feel pressured for some reason, and decide to give the two some privacy.
It's one in the morning and the lights are shut off down stairs. She's not afraid of the dark, she's just afraid of what might happen in the dark, so he scoops her up bridal style and carries her down to the red couches on the far side of the store. It should've been awkward, their bodies pressed so closely together in complete darkness, their hearts beating as one. But instead it's just a roller coaster of blissful feelings.
He never sits in front of her with a guitar and sings the song he prepared for her while in New York. He can't find the time to change the light, happy, effortless atmosphere into something more serious. So they just spend the whole night mulling over random things, bantering, and mostly smiling and laughing.
She's the first one to start to drift into sleep, and while she is falling into the world of blackness he starts to softly sing her the chorus. He's under the impression, since her eyes are closed and her breathing is relaxed, that she can't comprehend anything and she won't even hear him sing her to sleep.
"I can be your hero, baby. I can kiss away the pain..." he finishes the chorus while stroking her hair absentmindedly.
Her heart is going absolutely crazy, and she just about starts crying when he stops singing. She's so glad that she is done with Dallas; he was holding her back from Austin. She's so glad that she didn't fall asleep. But mostly, she's so glad that she has this amazing guy in her life.
Her eyes open wide, and a sweet smile plays on her lips. He's genuinely surprised she is still conscious, and is a little embarrassed he got caught singing her a romantic song.
"That is the sweetest thing you have ever, err, sung to me," she says in a whisper.
He relaxes knowing that she liked it. "I've never been good with feelings, Ally," he says, knowing that they need to finally address the romantic side of Austin & Ally.
And the romance has always been there, they are both realizing. It's been living, breathing, thriving, being nurtured and cared for in its unique way, right underneath them. It's been pulling them together, even when she was with Dallas. It's been quiet with a few appearances, just being patient. But it's helped them survive thought everything; it's one of the reasons they work so well together.
"I know, Austin. But that's okay," she says almost like a purr.
"What are we supposed to do?" one of the reasons he's pushed all the feelings that are little bit above best friends away is because he was terrified of what they would do, where they would go from there.
And now it's finally happening, and his whole body is burning with lust and terror.
"We're supposed to do what we've always done, Austin." she pauses, for dramatic effect, or maybe because she wants him to think it through and know the answer.
"We do whatever feels natural."
He's floating. Just literally floating.
It's almost as if he escaped to a whole other world in the clouds, and she's just following him. They keep going up, up, soaring together and taking the falls together.
It's only been a few hours, sure, since they first kissed, since they first even discussed it. It could be considered bad timing; she gets dumped, he just gets home from New York. But they know that it isn't her rebound or his shock of simply being able to see her face again. The only bad part of this new found affection (it's not so new, but it feels fresh and exciting and young) is that it might be moving just a little too fast; but they've known each other for over a year, and don't see the point in taking it slow.
She is sleeping in, while he could barely close one eye, not to mention two. He managed a whole four hours of sleep, but once he woke up he was bouncing off the walls.
It's not like it's even that much of a change; all they do now is add some more alone time and kisses to their relationship. And some hand holding, cuddling, and just general flirting...
Austin would never admit to even Ally, but he is a cuddlier.
He's just roaming through the store, looking at the new instruments on display. And then he goes to the counter and drums his fingers on it for a minute, but then something catches his eye.
Ally's book.
It's not like she can get crazy mad at him for reading it, since they are an official couple now, so he thinks just one minute to read one entry is perfectly fine.
He flips to the last written on page; yesterday.
Book–
Austin comes back today. I don't think I've ever been so excited to see him! I'm just not sure what will happen, because he might still be mad at the fact that I blew up at him when I should've yelled at Dallas...
It's amazing how time changes everything. It just washes bad memories away sometimes, like the waves whisking away sand castles. Now I can't think of Dallas romantically, let alone as a friend. But I can picture Austin's pure hazel eyes, as if they are right in front of me, begging me to dive into them. I can see him and his crown of golden hair that he flops to one side every few seconds. And most of all, I find my brain imagining his lips turned up in a sweet, genuine smile.
I'm counting down the hours until his flight is supposed to land. Is that creepy? I bet tons of his hometown fans are doing the same...
Darn, Nelson is here for a ukulele lesson. Well, I'll probably end up writing tomorrow, considering right after I'm done with Nelson I'm going home to make tonight's dinner, and then Team Austin is spending the night at the Boom.
•Ally
He smiles as he shuts the book, and puts it back where he found it. He's just in such a great mood, but there is something in the back of his mind that keeps nagging him.
And he's trying he hardest to remember if he is forgetting something. He looks over to Ally, in her peaceful sleep. Her mouth is twisted into some sort of a smile, and he thinks you never would have known she was broken just two days ago.
And then it dawns on him.
He has some unfinished business with one Dallas.
It's a little early for employees to be here, but thanks to having Ally ramble on about this guy, he knows that he likes to get to work early so he can grab a coffee (disgusting, in Austin's opinion; hot chocolate is so much better to him).
He can see him in the distance, sitting at the table closest to the cart. He smiles viciously, and starts walking toward him.
He leans against the cart, and clears his throat. Dallas jumps up and turns around.
"Oh. Hey, Austin." it's very weird for him, and he can guess why Austin is paying him a visit.
"Hey, Dallas." it's silent, so Austin picks up again. "I've been hearing some stuff about you."
Dallas' tan completion pales, and he gulps loudly. "What—what kind of stuff?"
Austin smirks; he is having fun playing mouse and cat with this douche. "Oh, you know, just stuff."
Dallas raises a nervous eyebrow in question.
"Like that your cart has been tipped over and egged. That your face got slapped twice, that your foot got stomped on, that you got pied, and you got internationally humiliated. All because you ripped a girl's heart out."
Dallas scowls and looks down, holding his tongue.
"But you want to know the one thing I didn't hear about, Dallas?" Austin says it in such a calm, reassuring voice and Dallas is taken aback by how nice he sounds.
"What?"
Austin smirks deviously and hits his fist against his palm.
"That you got a black eye."
A/N: Finally! A story by myself with some heart breaking that ends up as Auslly! I'm not too proud of this, but it came out, and I figured I'd post it anyway.
I was reading a story earlier, and I noticed that the author had stolen themes, elements, ideas, whatever you want to call them, from me. I'm not going to point a finger, but you know who you are. I don't appreiciate this, and hope that it never happens again.
REVIEW! The more reviews I get, the more I'll consider writing a chapter story of A&A for you guys.