Ally's plane finally touched down at the airport in Colorado, she was going to a two week camp to get away from business for a while, she hoped her dad would be ok at the shop by himself. She got off the plane and called for a taxi and it took her to the camp, she paid the taxi for the trip and got out.
The camp was beautiful! Everything so lush and green, surrounded by nothing but trees and a lake and log cabins dotting the landscape from here to there.
She went to the main office to sign in and get a cabin, dragging all of her luggage behind her.
"Name?" the lady at the desk asks.
"Ally Dawson." She answers.
"Ah! Here you are, cabin 15A sweetie." The lady answered as she handed Ally a key.
"Thank you." Ally replied curtly.
As Ally was making her way to her cabin she felt her luggage collide with someone else.
"Oops! I'm sorry; I'm such a klutz I never watch where I'm…" Ally stammers.
Then she catches his eyes for the first time.
He had beautiful brown eyes that seemed to sparkle, short blond hair that came down just above his eyes, he was wearing a red plaid shirt, torn blue jeans, and high tops, he had two necklaces around his neck, one was a guitar pick necklace the other a train whistle.
He smiled at her laughing.
"It's ok." He replies.
"I'm Austin Moon." He introduces himself, holding out his hand.
"Ally Dawson." Ally replies, taking his hand and shaking it.
"Vous avez des tres beaux yeux." He says with a smile.
"What?" she asks confused.
He laughs.
"It's French; it means you have beautiful eyes.'" He explains.
She felt her cheeks flush with color.
"Oh, uh, thank you? I guess." She half asked, not sure if he was just being ornery or if he was legitimately complimenting her.
He laughs again.
"It was a compliment." He replies.
"Thank you." She manages to choke out.
They start walking together towards the cabins
"What cabin do you have?" he asks, breaking the silence.
"15A." she replies.
"Cool, I have 15B, we're just across camp from each other, I guess the A's are girls' cabins and B's are boys' they're just across the dirt path from each other." He explains.
"So it's not your first time here I'm guessing?" she asks with an amused grin.
"No, I've been coming here every year since I was ten, it's a good place to go to get away and relax and just have some fun you know?" He replies.
"It's my first year here, so I hope." She says with a laugh.
We finally reach the dirt path separating the boys' cabins from the girls' cabins.
"Well I guess I'll see you later?" he half asks.
Ally nods her head with a smile.
"We sure will." She replies.
"It was nice meeting you." She adds as she walks towards her cabin.
"Nice meeting you too." He says waving to her.
Ally enters her room, it was beautiful, made out of logs, it had a cozy looking bed with red plaid sheets and a matching comforter, a small bathroom area for getting ready in the morning, a rack for hanging clothes, a closet that had extra bedding in it.
She smiled; the bed reminded her of Austin because he was wearing a red plaid shirt.
She plopped down on the bed to relax, deciding she would unpack after lunch.
He sure was cute, with his beautiful brown eyes, the way his hair fell perfectly, almost covering his eyes at times, his confidence, the way he talked, shoot everything about him was attractive.
She must have dozed off because the next thing she knew there was a tap at her door.
"Ally?" it was Austin.
"Ally it's time for lunch." He says, continuing to tap on the door.
"I'm coming!" she calls getting out of bed and smoothing the wrinkles out of her knee length skirt.
When she walks out of the cabin Austin laughs.
"What happened, did you fall asleep?" he asks.
"Yea I did, I guess I'm still jet lagged from the plane ride." She smiles.
There's a slight pause.
"This is going to sound really forward, but, would you like to have lunch with me? I know this secret place where we can go I found it my first year here and as far as I know nobody else knows about it." He asks, locking eyes with her.
Ally stammers, not sure what to say.
Austin blushes.
"N-never mind." He stammers.
"No! I'd love to have lunch with you, I-I just didn't know what to say." She replies.
"Awesome!" he exclaims.
Ally just smiles sheepishly.
Austin and Ally go through the lunch line to get their food, and grab drinks from the vending machine.
Austin looks around to make sure no-one is watching and gestures for Ally to follow him, they sneak out a back entrance, walk through a few rows of trees, and finally they come to a clearing of short grass surrounded by wildflowers.
"I've never shown this place to ANYONE before." He says with a smile.
"Austin this is BEAUTIFUL, thank you for bringing me here." She replies, not noticing he's looking at her with a smile.
But when she turns her gaze to look at him he pretends to be looking at the flowers.
They find a place in the middle of the clearing, sit down with their legs crossed, and have lunch.
"So where are you from?" Ally asks.
"California." He replies.
"Wow, I've always wanted to visit California, where all the celebrities are." She says with a smile.
"I live in Miami, my dad owns a music store I help him run it, I felt like a break for a while though so my dad sent me here." She finishes.
"That's really cool how your dad owns a music store, I love music, but I can't write a song to save my life." He says laughing.
"Really? I LOVE songwriting, b-but I have horrible stage fright so I never have a chance to sing them though." Ally replies, pulling out a folded piece of paper out of her pocket and handing it to him.
He takes it from her and starts to sing it as he reads what's written.
I love the things you do
It's how you do the things you love
The way you sing it
Put me through it
I guess I always knew it
"Wow, Ally this is really good!" he exclaims.
But Ally's looking at him with a look of bewilderment.
"Wow you can REALLY sing!" she exclaims.
"I've been singing since I can't remember, maybe if we didn't live so far away we could have a career as music partners." He says with a smile.
"Yea, that would be cool, maybe I could finally prove to my dad I can make something of my writing skills." She replies.
"And could prove to my parents that I can make something of my singing skills." He adds.
Austin looks at his watch.
"Whoa! Lunch is almost over, we better get back before people realize we're gone, come on." He says as he stands up and offers his hand.
Ally takes it and he pulls her up.
They brush off their clothes and head back to the lunch room.
As they're throwing their trash away Austin is watching Ally.
"What?" she asks, a little self-conscious.
He shakes his head to clear his thoughts.
"N-nothing, sorry, it's just, you're really beautiful you know?" he compliments.
"Oh, well, t-thank you." Ally replied back.
He laughs, smacking himself in the forehead.
"I'm sorry, I'm scaring the crap out of you aren't I?" he asks.
"No! not at all, I've just, never had a guy fuss over me before is all." She says shoving him playfully.
He laughs.
"Hey, will you meet me at the docks after sports with the coach?" he asks suddenly.
"Sure." She replies with a slight grin.
Ally was not looking forward to sports, she was a little clumsy sometimes and felt really awkward playing sports because of that, but she was really looking forward to seeing Austin so that helped the time pass a little bit.
When the coach dismissed them she ran to the docks seeing Austin was already there, his hands shoved into his pocket, one leg crossed over the other, leaning against a tree.
"Look at you hot stuff." She jokes.
"Ha ha." He laughs sarcastically.
We walk along the dock which encircles the whole lake.
"Ally I've been thinking, I've got some money saved up at home, and, I'd really like to come see you in Miami sometime, I-if that's ok with you!" he exclaims.
"You'd really go through all that trouble…just to see me?" she asks.
"Yea, I mean, you're awesome, which probably freaks you out because I mean we hardly know each other but…"
"No, no it doesn't weird me out at all…I'd like to see you again too, maybe we can work out that music career offer you suggested." She adds.
"That would be cool." He says with a smile.
"Hey Ally." He says again after a pause.
"What?" she asks.
"Think fast!" he says as he pushes her into the lake.
She comes up out of the water.
"Austin Moon, I'll get you for that!" she screeches.
"I'd like to see you catch me!" he shouts back, prancing around the docks knowing she wouldn't be able to grab him.
"Austin I'm serious come help me out." She says.
"Ok, ok, I'm sorry." He says leaning over and offering her a hand
She takes it gives him an evil smile and pulls him in.
"Hey!" he exclaims laughing once he comes to the surface.
"Now were even!" she says, splashing him in the face.
"Oh yea!" he says, pushing her under.
She comes back up.
"That's it!" she pushes him under too.
Before long they're in a full out water fight, dunking each other and splashing each other, until one of the camp workers comes over and blows his whistle.
"Hey hey hey! Swimming hours are over, get out!" he yells.
Austin laughs.
"Come on, it must be time for dinner." He pulls himself up onto the dock, reaches his hand out to ally.
"Now try not to pull me in this time ok?" he says winking at her.
She laughs, taking his hand.
He pulls her out.
"Here come with me, I'll get us a couple of towels." He says.
She laughs.
"No that's ok, I think I'm just gonna go change real quick, don't want to catch a cold or something." She replies.
"In 100 degree weather?" he asks.
"It could happen." She replies defensively.
He just laughs, going to his cabin.
The rest of the two weeks continues with Austin and Ally growing closer every day, Ally was kicking herself for getting so close to him knowing there was the possibility she'd never see him again unless she came to camp, which she knew her dad wouldn't be able to afford doing that every year.
She decided she'd figure sometime out later, maybe she could visit him in California or something, then again she knew he was anxious to come see her too, she just knew she'd HAVE to see him again.
All too soon it was the last day of camp, the campers were all busy signing shirts, doing their last minute packing, and spending the last few minutes with their camp friends, Ally was doing a little of all the above.
"I can't believe it's already the last day!" Ally exclaims, putting the last few outfits in her suitcase.
"I know, it seems like just yesterday when you ran into me with your luggage." Austin replies jokingly.
"Austin I'm serious, this is going to sound so cliché but I'm really going to miss you…probably more than I should." She replies.
"Well, my last offer still stands, I'll come and see you in Miami sometime." He replies.
She smiles.
"I'd like that." She replies.
Finally it's time for Ally's taxi to take her to the airport, they're running a little late so she quickly gathers the things from her cabin, and runs to the taxi and starts loading her bags into the back seat when she sees Austin standing at the front of the group that had come to say goodbye.
She pulls a piece of paper out of her pocket.
"Here!" she exclaims, handing the piece of paper to Austin as she gets in the taxi pulling her duffle bag inside with her.
Before Austin had a chance to ask what it was she'd already shut the door and the taxi was leaving, as they were pulling out of the parking lot she looks out the back window and waves at Austin.
He waves back opening the piece of paper she had handed him.
Come see me in Miami sometime ok? Call me as soon as you get home,
Ally
At the bottom of the piece of paper was a number.
He smiled.
**1 month later**
Ally was in a rather glum mood, she should be happy because it was her 17th birthday today, but she'd never heard from Austin, she wondered if he lost interest, or if maybe he lost her number.
But then why didn't he look it up in the phonebook or something?
"What's the matter Ally?" her dad asks.
"I guess I'm still a little disappointed that I never heard back from Austin." She replied.
Her dad kisses the top of her head.
"I'm sorry sweetie, hey happy birthday!" he exclaims, handing her a small box.
She smiled slightly.
"Thank you dad." She said as she opened the present.
She was a little confused when she opened the box and saw a folded piece of paper.
Go up to the practice room for the real surprise.
She looked at dad one brow scrunched.
"Just take my word for it ok? Go upstairs." He says half laughing.
She sets the box down, and makes her way up the stairs to the practice room.
Which they hardly ever used, though she tried to convince dad to let her turn it into a practice room where her and her friends could hang out, but he never had the time or money to do it, their sales had been suffering lately.
she finally made it to the top of the stairs, looked back down at her dad who gestured her to go on, she slowly opened the door, the lights were off so she couldn't see anything, she slid her hand along the wall searching for the switch, when she felt someone's hand meet hers.
"I can't wait much longer just turn on the light!"
She would know that voice anywhere.
She flips the light on and gasps.
"Austin?" she asks half excited and half confused.
"How did you, what are you doing here?" she asks again.
"Well, I thought I'd come surprise you for your birthday, but I also came to deliver some other news too…" he starts.
She holds up her hand to stop him though.
"Please don't say you're here to stay, because I got accepted to M.U.N.Y and I'm leaving next week." She interrupts
He smirks.
"Do you ever let people finish? I was about to say, I'm moving to new York to go to this music school, I don't know if you've heard of it, but it's called M.U.N.Y and I'm renting an apartment there, but I could REALLY use some company, and I was wondering if you'd want to…"
Before he can finish though she flings herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug.
"Are you kidding? Of course I'd like to move to New York with you!" she says, finally pulling out of the hug.
He smiles down at her handing her a box.
She takes it in her hands, opens it, pulls out the tissue paper and gasps.
It was half of a guitar pick, on a silver chain, the guitar pick was designed with half a heart inside the heart was "A.D" with the & symbol.
"I had it custom made." He says as he pulls a necklace out of the pocket of his jeans and holds it up to hers.
It was the other half of the guitar pick, with half a heart inside of the heart was his initials "A.M"
Together the two halves read.
A.D & A.M
Inside a heart.
"Austin this is, brilliant! Thank you." She says with a smile, looking up at him.
"You're welcome." He replies.
For a second their eyes lock.
The next thing, they're both leaning in.
Their lips meeting.
Neither one of them realizing Mr. Dawson watching them at the bottom of the stairs.
