I think the universe is on my side… Heaven and Earth have finally aligned…
Days are good, and that's the way it should be.
She was the sun.
She was born on the sunniest day during the gloomy November season. She arrived early in the morning, right as the sun was rising. Her mom held her tightly as the beams of early daylight poured through the opened hospital window. She subconsciously felt the warmth of the light kiss her face, and she opened her chocolate eyes for the first time. Even though she blinked a couple of times and it took time for her little eyes to adjust to the harsh light, she smiled brightly. It would be a while till she would get her baby teeth, but she cooed as her lips turned upward and her eyes lit up. As if the light brought her life.
As she grew up, she was compared to light. Her bright smile warmed the hearts of everyone lucky to meet her, and people's hearts melted as her toddler self skipped around. She would lay in her backyard in the summer and cloudwatch. It was a hobby that her and her mom often shared before her parent's got divorced. Penny hated the concept of television, and she would only let Ally watch it in moderation. She taught her daughter that curling up with a good book would take you places you have never been and that you can let your imagination run wild. So as Ally grew up, she looked for the simpler things in life. On a rainy day, she would be cuddled in a corner reading. On sunny days, she laid in the grass and cloud watched, taking in the beautiful rays that sustained life.
Her father opened a music store as soon as they moved to Miami. He did this without even consulting Penny, and she never forgave him for that. Lester loved music, but Penny was a writer and she had other dreams that she wanted to pursue. Ally was fueled by both of her parent's passions and wanted to grow up to be just like them. She looked exactly like her mother, but she had her dad's love for music. When she was two, she sat at a piano and played as if she had been taking lessons. Of course it wasn't perfect, but she was still able to make a comprehensible melody and for a toddler, that was impressive. So when she was five, her dad taught her how to play piano for real and she was quick to learn.
However, her other hobby was reading and this inspired her. She wanted to write something great one day and her mother said she could. Her mother shared the same dream, and she hoped to publish a book about animals, because she was a veterinarian for years. Penny taught Ally how to rhyme and use proper word choice. Lester taught her major and minor scales on piano and how to write notes and make melodies. Being a songwriter was in her blood.
Her parent's called her a ball of sunshine. She was a little mature for her age and a little bossy, but that didn't stop her from showing kindness to everyone she met. She was a social butterfly and made a couple of friends in kindergarten, but Trish would be the only one who would remain her friend. Ally not only played piano and wrote, but she sang a well and her voice was beautiful. Ally loved floral. She wore flower dresses and flower hairpins and little vests with ankle boots. She loved Spring because it's when the sunny weather made a reappearance and brought new life. Anyone could tell that Ally was one of the happiest little girls ever during her childhood.
But when she turned eight, her sun started to set.
Her parents fought over finances and decided they wanted different things. They split but still remained friends. Ally took it the hardest. She couldn't understand why her parents didn't love each other anymore. They weren't a happy family anymore. Now they were a split family, and she felt broken.
But it only got worse. The next year, her mom left to go across the world. And at this time, the only way to contact her was through email or calling her. Ally felt abandoned by her mother. She knew that her mom was living her dream and she didn't want to be a threat to that, but it still hurt.
Lester got custody of Ally and raised her almost her whole later childhood through preteen life. Ally started to shut people out, and in middle school, everyone made fun of her for reading books. She was considered a dork and everyone thought she was lame. She was bullied for getting straight A's, wearing glasses, dancing, and pretty much everything she did. Trish was loyal to her, but Ally was devastated. Her felt so alone in middle school, and she just wanted someone to understand her. Trish wasn't the best listener, and Ally felt like she didn't understand. Lester was in debt with lawyer fees and it was hard for him to keep his business running, so he would do anything he could to save a dime, even resorting to stealing from the mall fountain. He was constantly busy with running the business and didn't have time for Ally. He was either working or away on conventions. Ally was a preteen girl, and her father didn't know how to raise her. Girl troubles were never something that he expected to teach Ally alone.
Ally auditioned for her dream school when she was twelve. She had been working at Sonic Boom for about a year, and after playing, writing, and giving lessons, she knew she wanted this opportunity. Sonic Boom had just been remodeled and expanded six months earlier, and a scout from MUNY selected the store to be the place to hold auditions. Ally was so excited. She knew the store and felt so comfortable there. It was her safe haven. But this safe haven couldn't protect her from the devastating heartbreak of failure and nerves. She bombed her audition and developed stage fright. She, Trish, and her dad were the only ones who knew about this, and now, no one would see the talent and warmth that Ally Dawson could bring to the world.
Miami's sun had set.
x.x
He was the moon.
Of course it was cliche. His name was Austin Moon, but he was literally born into his name. It fit him. He was born on the midnight of a full moon. His mom was exhausted from a twenty three hour labor and she held her son close, vowing to Mike that she would never go through this again. And it was true, because he was an only child.
Also, if Mimi had a second child, she wanted to have a daughter named Monica. But she was so set on not having another kid, that she and Mike agreed to make Austin's middle name Monica. They'd figured he'd learn to like it.
Mimi was fast asleep that night, and Mike slept in the chair beside her and held her hand. Austin was only twelve hours old, and he hadn't gotten much sleep. He surprisingly wasn't very whiny. Instead, he stared at the full moon in the starlit sky. He didn't knew what anything meant yet, but he felt complete as the moon shined upon his face and lulled him to sleep. His long, dark little lashes fluttered closed as he fell into a dreamlike sleep.
He lived in Miami all of his life, because his parent's owned a mattress store in downtown, and it had been his great great grandfather's business. However, his aunt (mom's sister) and many cousins lived in Colorado, and he had often gone to visit. He went there at least twice a year, once in the summer and around the holidays. It had always been one of his favorite places to be.
He remembered a specific trip around the July of 2004. He was nine years old. He had always been an average kid. He got average grades, hung out with friends, and he loved video games, sports, and superheroes. As Mimi always said, boys will be boys. And that's exactly how she felt about Austin and his best friend Dez, whom Austin had meet when they were seven. Dez was a bit slow and definitely unique. But Mike and Mimi accepted him like he was another son and Austin considered Dez to be the brother he never had. They were always around each other anyway, and they shared everything together.
He went to see his family in Colorado that summer. It was a vacation filled with hiking, picnicking, playing football with his cousins, camping, and swimming in the lake by their house. Austin's family loved nature and were always in tuned with the outdoors and he was no exception to this. Back in Miami, he and Dez loved playing two on two basketball in his driveway and they constantly went to the beach to swim, surf, and challenge each other to see who could build the best sandcastle. However, they lived in such a populated city, where there were people on every corner and light pollution drowned out the beauty of the night sky. That's why Colorado was special to him. Here, he could run to the top of a hill and scream that he was on top of the world. He was isolated. He was free. He could be anyone he wanted to be.
One night that summer, he was up till after hours. Everyone was tired from a day swimming in the sun and passed out, but for some reason, he was unable to sleep. He was sharing a bed with his six year old cousin, but he was on the way opposite side of the bed. The curtains were wide open and the moonlight was so bright that it looked like the backyard was illuminated by spotlights. That intrigued him. His biggest dream when he grew up was to be a rockstar. He had been playing music since he was six, and he was a prodigy. He could play anything that he picked up. He would find any instrument and tinker with it until he could form a melody. Eventually, it would become second nature and he would play as if he'd been playing his whole life. The moon tonight looked like the spotlight of the night, illuminating the world. He wanted to be in that spotlight one day.
He got up and walked to the kitchen for a cup of water. He was surprised to see his Uncle Shor sitting at the island and drinking a beer. Austin felt a bit awkward until his uncle smiled at him and patted the seat next to him.
"Hey kiddo, come join me."
Austin smiled and walked over. He was only in third grade and not super tall yet, so he had to try and climb the stool to sit down. His legs hung off the side and he looked up at his uncle. His Electric Avengers pajama pants and shirt were pretty baggy on him. He was a small kid with big dreams.
"What are you doin' up this late?" He set down his drink and glanced as his nephew curiously.
"I couldn't sleep.." Austin admitted. "The moon is so bright and wonderful, and I've never seen it look so huge. In Miami it's just normal."
"Then why don't we go out and stargaze ourselves?" His uncle suggested. "Its one of my favorite past times."
Austin smiled but it fell. "I want to, but then I'd have to sneak out the back garden… and aunt Shelley yelled at me again to get my scrubby little tush out of her petunias…"
Uncle Shor chuckled. "Don't take it too personally kid, she's a bit rough around the edges but she loves ya. Tell you what, I know the perfect place."
Not even fifteen minutes later, Austin found himself with his Uncle on top of their semi-flat roof. Austin had never seen anything like it. The open sky above them was vast and filled with bright dots and swirled stardust patterns. He could see the Milky Way.. their own galaxy. The sky seemed to go on forever, making him realize how small he was compared to the rest of the world. It was vulnerable, but also amazing. The depths of the darkness seemed to reach farther within himself than he ever realized, and the only thing blocking the sky from slipping under the horizon was the forests of Colorado pine trees and the distant fog of the Rocky mountains.
"See there, kid?" Uncle Shor pointed at a fast moving star. "Do ya know what that is?"
Austin shrugged. "A shooting star? It seems to move pretty fast.. mom says if you make wishes on shooting stars, they come true because it's the same magic that's used in wishing wells and birthday candles."
His uncle chuckled and shook his head. "That may be true, but that ain't a shooting star. A comet moves so fast that you have to catch a glimpse of it out of the corner of your eye." He pointed once again to the moving object. "That's a satellite."
Austin's eyes widened. "Like a UFO?! Are we under a zalien attack?!"
"Austin, a satellite is an object that we placed to orbit around the Earth to collect information. That's where we get pictures of the Earth, information about weather, and that's how we can call each other on the phone."
"Woah…" Austin stared at in in wonder. "Stars look a lot like satellites…"
"That they do." His uncle agreed. "The moon is gorgeous tonight too, really big. You know kid, you're a lot like the moon."
Austin looked up confused. "Huh?"
His uncle smiled. "You shine bright. You light up the world when it's dark. You're loved very much kiddo, and one day I know you'll find someone you love like how I love your aunt Shelly." He slightly ruffled Austin's platinum hair, which was illuminated by the moon like a flashlight. He got his mom's light blonde hair from her side of the family.
The rest of the night was filled with small talk and stargazing. Austin had never felt so at peace. He always was in love with the night sky. He didn't think he could be more in love with anything else.
It was his secret. It was a secret only him and his uncle shared. His parents or Dez didn't know either, but that's what made it special. When middle school came, he changed. He wasn't the same little boy who loved the sky. He grew up. He became obsessed with sports, girls, and music. He still had it in his mind that he wanted to be an entertainer, but when he told his parents, they denied him. His dad said he had a bazillion to one chance of making it. And they both said that when he grew up, he would continue the legacy that was Moon's Mattress Kingdom. He didn't want that.
He and Dez spent their whole freshman year together. In middle school, Austin had many friends which he made on the basketball team, but there was drama because they all bullied Dez. Austin would rather keep his one true friend then have multiple friends who weren't even true.
Austin and Dez were on their own, but they were encouraged to make other friends. They didn't really care and claimed that they only needed each other. Austin had collect many instruments over time and he was a pro at playing them all. Dez had a film camera that he was obsessed with, and he said his dream was to be a famous director. Austin can make music, and Dez can film him. It was perfect.
Dez said there was a music store on the other side of the mall, so they went to go check it out. They picked up some food along the way and sauntered into the store. Austin was amazed at the variety of the store. It was like a dream. He found a beautiful set of drums and wanted to test them out. He realized he didn't have any drumsticks, so he used the corn dogs instead.
He and Dez were jamming out and enjoying the music, until he heard a loud whistle in his ear and looked up the lock eyes with the sun.
The rest was history.
x.x
You sprinkle stardust on my pillowcase. It's like a moonbeam brushed across my face. Nights are good, and that's the way it should be.
They became best friends.
They spent time making beautiful music together. When they wrote their first song, they remembered how their hands accidently collided, but it felt right. It created this sort of lunar/ solar flare.
Even though they had a rocky start, they became music partners. She was a songwriter with stage fright and he was a singer who loved being on stage. They were the perfect match in many ways.
But they were so different. She was the sun that wanted to shine, but her rays would dim and her splashes of sunshine turned into drizzles of darkness. He was the moon that reflected her light. He shined in his own way, but when he glowed, it was because of her.
Think of it like a solar eclipse, when the sun aligns with the moon. The moon blocks the sun. It may be the center of attention, but the sun shines bright from behind it and draws attention. He may be the only one that everyone sees, but her talent and light emits from him. It's there, just indirectly.
They were like red and blue. The sun and the moon. The was the spring while he prefered summer. She was withdrawn and he was fun loving. Sometimes he felt more like the sun than her.
But as different as they were, they needed each other. And even the universe knew that it was meant to be this way.
"It's you and me… Austin Moon… Ally Dawsun…"
x.x
You make me sing "Oooh.. La La La…"
You make a girl go "Oooh.. I'm in love… love.."
They fell together, inevitably.
They just seemed to fit. She always supported him and was there for anything he needed. He always gave her credit and told her how much he appreciated her. That was something that she needed and hadn't had in awhile.
There were certain days that she would remember, like when they decided to hang out one cloudy afternoon.
Ally wanted to go cloud watching. Austin wanted to go paintballing. They compromise on paddleboating, where they could enjoy the scenery and the water.
Plus Ally didn't to be pelted by balls of paint.
It was a wonderful summer day, it wasn't too humid, but it was cloudy. After an hour of paddling, they decided to just lay back in the boat and float wherever the stream would take them.
Ally sighed and looked up at the cloudy sky. The water emitted a cool breeze, which she appreciated. Florida tended to be very humid. Austin sat next to her and she leaned her head on his shoulder.
"Thank you." She whispered.
"Hmm?" He was pretending to nap, but they both knew that he wasn't.
She leaned up and looked at him. "Thank you for being my best friend. For accepting me when I'm hard to deal with. For defending me when I get hurt. And, for giving me credit and letting me help your dream come true."
Austin sat up and returned her glance, getting lost in her doe brown eyes. He smiled, which was a beautiful sight in itself. "I should be the one thanking you. You've done so much for me, and I wish I could do something in return. I know you have stage fright, and you have trouble making friends, and you're a terrible dancer, and you-"
She shot him a mock glare. "Okay, I get it…" Her curls flew back into the breeze and her leather vest did a terrible job of shielding her from the wind.
"My point is…" Austin took off his dark green sweatshirt and wrapped it over her. "That I know how talented and amazing you are, and I wish others could see that. Ally Dawson, you have changed my life."
She smiled brighter than he has ever seen. Light radiated from her. "You changed my life too." She wrapped him in a tight hug, and for the first time that day, the clouds started to part and the sunshine made an appearance.
Nights were the way they should be.
She began to dress bolder and she slowly broke out of her shell. He encouraged her to perform, and eventually, she did. She overcame her stage fright and she couldn't have done it without him.
Now, the sun was out constantly, and it was because of him. He let her be her and embraced her for that, and now she could finally blossom into her true self.
After strengthening their friendship after their previous relationship didn't go so well, they tried again. They matured and fell in love. It was no different from their previous position. Just with the label and the affection.
Sonic Boom was almost taken away from them. It was the embodiment of their memories.
They all stayed there on the night they got it back. They brought sleeping bags and everything. They knew they wouldn't get nights like this together in a very long time.
But Austin and Ally were up at two a.m., and they went to the same lake and laid under a tree. but brought his guitar and she took notes. They hadn't written a song like this before.
But the late night drowsiness was setting in, and he put his guitar down and took a spot next to her, under the tree. The stars didn't look as brilliant as the night in Colorado, but this was Ally's first time experiencing this phenomenon.
"Wow…" She gasped. "there are so many…."
He smiled to himself and vowed that he would take her to Colorado someday, so she could experience the real thing for herself. "That's not even half of them. One day, you'll see how brilliant the sky really is." He saw something whiz past. "Did you see that? I know it looks like a star, but it's actually a satellite."
She chuckled. "I know what a satellite is, Austin."
"Oh." He forgot that he wasn't nine anymore. He wasn't a kid who wanted to bragged about the knowledge he retained from studying the night sky. "Do you know about the constellations?"
"Not much." She admitted. "Tell me Austin… tell me a story about the sky…"
So he did. He shared about the histories of the zodiac and the battles of Orion. She giggled as they stargazed together. They talked but anything and everything. Austin finally understood the love that his Uncle Shor talked about nine years ago. He knew that Ally Dawson, the sun that shined for him, was the one he wanted.
"And together, we can go farther than the moon…"
x.x
Did you see that shooting star tonight? Were you dazzled by the same constellation?
Did you and Jupiter conspire to get me? I think you, and the moon, and Neptune got it right.
Because now I'm shining bright.
Everyone noticed the change. The bright little girl who was hidden by a rain cloud broke through and warmed her light upon the world. The world was entranced with Ally Dawson and her beautiful music. But no one was more entranced than Austin Moon.
The night after prom was special for them, because even though they initially didn't go together, it was the night that they got back together. They went under their tree, where strings of starry lights were hung and they danced under the natural light of the stars. Her arms wrapped around his neck tightly, and his soft hair brushed against her cheek He held her in an embrace, so tightly that it seemed he was afraid to let go. She could feel the light beating of his heart. He could feel her shallow breathing. They swayed back and forth together, stealing kisses and glances and forgetting about the world, because they only needed each other.
Of course, things weren't always so perfect.
She got accepted to Harvard. Many states away from Florida, and it seemed like eternity. Austin would be going on tour, constantly moving and leaving. They were both terrified of trying this long distance relationship thing. But they wanted to try anyway.
At first it wasn't so bad. The day that Ally left was one of the hardest days of their life. They held each other tightly and shared one last kiss, which would have to suffice them at least two months. Ally promised to call when her plane landed, and then she let go of his hand and waved goodbye to all of her friends. They were so proud, but it was hard for them to go their seperate ways. As she left, Austin whispered one last goodbye, with glistening eyes. He felt close to crying, even though he claimed that Austin Moon never cries.
Except at chick flicks and cute animals.
As Ally started school, she was getting introduced to college life. She skyped Austin every night, but it was never enough. She wanted to be with him, and it was harder than she thought it would be.
He was always on the road, meeting new fans and playing in new venues in a different city every night. Everything reminded him of her. He would eat with his bandmates at restaurants, and every meal came with a pickle. Let at night he would lay back on the couch, feeling lonely and just wanting her comfort. Everytime he picked up his guitar and played, it hurt. It hurt so much.
He came to surprise her in October. She didn't expect to see him until December, which was when his tour would finally come to New England.
He felt butterflies in his stomach and knocked at her door. As far as she knew, he was in Phoenix doing a soundcheck. She opened her door, obviously not expecting anyone, and her eyes widened and watered.
"A-Austin?"
"Ally…." He breathed her voice in relief and pulled her close, his eyes filling with happy tears. They didn't realize how much they really missed each other until this moment.
They pulled back after eternity, and kissed as if their lives depended on it.
He held her face and kissed her slowly and sensually, and she deepened it, pulling him even closer. They finally parted for air, and she suddenly realized that he was really there. It wasn't her imagination.
"Austin... " She looked up at him, her brown eyes glistening. "Aren't you supposed to be in Arizona?"
He chuckled. "Yeah, supposed to be. The show got cancelled, and I needed to see you… December is too long of a wait…"
"You're telling me…" She agreed. "How long are you here?"
"I leave tomorrow morning… I don't care how much time we have.. I needed to see you... "
She pulled him into a tight hug, and it suddenly felt like they were sixteen again, young and in love without a care in the world.
They spent that night together. They watched netflix, ate some pizza, cuddled, sang songs, told stories… They tried to make their time together worth every second. But it was hard when they dreaded the few hours left that they had before Austin had to leave.
They both got up very early, not wanting to leave each other's arms but Austin would leave in two hours, and the pain that they felt when separated would return.
They decided to take a walk. Thunder was rumbling and dark clouds rolled in, but they didn't care. They walked by a close park, the trees shielded them and they held hands in silence.
"Austin… can we talk…"
The dreaded words made his heart paused for a minute, he stopped walking and then calmed down and continued. "Sure, what do you want to talk about?"
She stopped walked, she held his hands and looked up at him. "Austin, this time we have spent together has been amazing.. and I love it and I love you. But, every time we're apart… i-it physically hurts…"
He looked confused. "What do you mean?" But he knew exactly what she meant. He had been feeling the same way.
""I mean…." She glanced down, scared to meet his gaze. "That this just isn't working…"
The realization set in, and he found himself getting angry. Angry for no reason. "Not working out?! After all we've been through, you just want to end it?!" He was aware that he was yelling, but he didn't care. She looked up at him and winced at his hurt filled eyes.
"I don't want to! I love you! I love you so much Austin… that's why I think this is best…"
He sighed and he suddenly felt guilty for yelling. He knew this was coming. They knew it was hard to keep a long distance relationship. I guess it just wasn't meant to be. They tried so many times to be together, and each time made it even more painful to let go.
And then she started crying. All the emotions poured out of her "I-I-I don't want to do this…." She spoke above her sobs, and tears trailed down her face. "I don't want to let you go… I-I-I…." Tears continued to fall and she was shaking with sobs. He pulled her tight to him and hugged her tightly. Her face was buried into his chest and his was in her shoulder. She could feel his tears soak her shirt.
"I don't want to let you go either…" He whispered. "But… but I know it's for the best… I just want you to be happy, Ally…."
But i can't be happy without you….
Her brain screamed to tell him that, but she bit her lip and held it back. Long distance relationships were hard, and having to wait four years till they could have a future together, would be even harder. Sometimes trust is lost and feelings change… feelings could change.
She was scared that he would stop loving her.
He was scared that she would stop loving him.
He left that morning. He would have to be professional and happy for his fans, but it would be extremely difficult. He left her dorm roon, and they shared a final passionate kiss, just for the memories.
But once he got into the taxi, he cried. He cried for the loss of her. His partner, best friend, girlfriend.
The sun to his moon.
The thunderstorm started and it rained moon and the sun were both clouded over that night, and it would be like that for as long as anyone could remember.
x.x
I see colors in a different way. You make what doesn't matter fade to gray. Life is good. That's the way it should be.
They stopped talking, completely. After that day, the texted but they started getting more distant and shorter. By the time Christmas came around, it's like they didn't acknowledge the others existence.
They were both in Miami for the holidays, and Dez and Trish wanted to all do something together. They both made many excuses on why they couldn't see each other. So they all hung out separately.
They didn't hate each other. Not at all. In fact, they were still hopelessly in love. And if they both saw each other, they knew that they wouldn't be able to let go. They were trying to move on, and if they kept in contact, they knew that they couldn't ever really move on.
Dez and Trish both knew what happened. They got the story from both of them. And it hurt. They were all best friends. They had been through everything. They were best friends for years. And now, they were split.
Austin still had Ally's book. He looked at it every night. Everytime he would pick it up, he would imagine her scolding him about touching it. And that made him laugh, even though most of his laughs and smiles would be forced now.
He read everything. Songs, poems, diaries, and everything in between. It was almost like she was there with him. It was all he had left of her.
She had pictures. Many pictures of all of them, and they were very precious to her. She also had his guitar pick necklace. She kept it under her pillow and cuddled it close to her at night. He didn't know.
x.x
Did you see that shooting star tonight? Were you dazzled by the same constellation? Did you and Jupiter conspire to get me? I think you and the moon and Neptune got it right..
Because now I'm shining bright..
After four years of no contact, they finally saw each other. They were on the Helen show. Dez and Trish set them up on purpose.
But she was back in Miami, and nothing could stop them from being together.
They were still in love. They never stopped. And they said they wanted to be a duo, and they did. They were two in a million, and now for the first time, they would head in the same direction and would be together.
"Planets align… Suddenly I'm alive"
And that night, the moon was full and beautiful, just as the sun was the morning after.
x.x
Bright.. so bright.. and I get lost in your eyes….tonight..
And now it was the eve of their wedding.
They had it under the light of the sun, but she outshined the sun in her simple dress with her radiant smile.
He outshined the sunshine too.
And they promised to stay true to each other, to always love each other.
That night they all danced and let loose. Dez baked their wedding cake and Trish set the whole thing up. And they danced for the first time as a married couple. It felt like the night they danced under their tree.
"Eyes full of stars guide me to where you are…"
They danced to "Two in a MIllion", because now it was their song. They sang under their breaths and got lost in each other's eyes. Even as many of their guest went home, they continued dancing on the light of the stars.
If this is what love was, then they wanted it to last forever.
And that night the moon was bigger and brighter than even that night in Colorado. It was the only light streaming through the curtains of the room, illuminating their faces as they became one.
The moon and sun collided that night, and they would stay together. It was quite beautiful. Sweet kisses, soft touches, and everything so intimate and fragile that they were both afraid of breaking.
But they wouldn't. Because they could see forever in each other's star-filled eyes.
The song is "Bright" by Echosmith. I know this is very fluffy but I hope very fluffy is good.
Read and review please?
-Evelyn