AN: Hello lovelies! I'm back with a new Valentine's Day tale. And yes, I purposely waited until Valentine's Day to post this one. Happy Love Day, Loves!
So I've got about 90% of this done and will be posting the rest on the upcoming Sunday's! I have 4 chapters, the last one being very short. I hope you all enjoy this little story I wrote. Remember! This is in line with my first story, Parties & Mistakes, and follows my second one, Angels & Traditions. You don't necessarily need to have read it, but there are some things you should know:
1. Austin and Ally have been together for 2 months.
2. Ally's parents are not divorced yet.
3. Kira is Austin's jilted ex girlfriend.
4. It's senior year, and in this story, it is February. November-December was a very trying time in my universe of A&A.
5. I have no knowledge of what happened in season 4 and my FF probably takes place around season 2ish, just with everyone being 17 and in their last year of high school.
And that's about all you need to know! But by all means, if you want to read my previous stories, go right ahead. I won't stop ya;)
As always, Read, Review, and Enjoy!:)
Doubles & Valentine's
Chapter 1: Ally's POV
"God I hate Valentine's Day," Trish said, slamming her tray down on the lunch table and sitting across from me.
"Well hello to you too," I said.
Trish sent me a sidelong glance from across the table and pursed her lips. I held up my hands in defense, looked down, and smirked. I picked at the concoction from the cafeteria as I waited for her upcoming rant.
"It's such a dumb holiday," she began. "And I know you agree with me!"
I nodded, taking a bite of mac and cheese. "Yeah, very commercialized and all that."
"Exactly!" Trish said, flinging her hands around wildly and accidentally hitting the chair next to her. "That's what I'm saying. You turn every corner and all you see is Valentine's this and Valentine's that. It's ridiculous!"
"Well it is tomorrow," I said. "That might have something to do with all the festivity."
Trish rolled her eyes and turned to her food. I bit my lip to stop myself from laughing. In all seriousness, there are very few holidays the girl likes. I think Christmas and her birthday are about it. Maybe Halloween? But that's pushing it. Trish stopped liking Halloween when we stopped going trick or treating.
"Okay, but like is all of this really necessary?" she asked, gesturing to our surroundings.
I looked up around the cafeteria, the school had really gone all out this year. Considering Valentine's Day is literally only one day and it's only celebrated by people who are couples, it seemed a little unreasonable to actually care. For some reason, everyone was ecstatic about Valentine's Day this year. And I still don't understand it.
There were paper hearts hanging from the ceiling, a giant stuffed bear holding a heart laid in the far corner of the Caf, our mascot dressed as Cupid was roaming around the halls, and tables had been set up in the main entranceway, the Caf, and the guidance office, where you could buy a paper heart, profess your love for someone on it, and hang it up on any of the windows. Admittedly, I'd bought one for Austin. And he'd bought one for me. We hung them up together. Beside each other's.
But I could see where Trish was coming from. It was all a little bit overwhelming.
"It's a little odd," I laughed. "I don't think I've ever seen the school this decked out for any holiday."
"Yeah, I'd draw the line at red and pink garlands on all the stairs."
"You think that's where they cut off? Come on, what about Manny the Manatee dressed as Cupid? That's awful."
Trish shook her head, sending dark curls left and right. "Oh God, and let's not forget the matchmaker survey!"
I giggled. I'd forgotten about that. How could I? That had been the extent of Valentine's Day at Marino High for the past 3 years. A week before the "Day of Love" hit, a scantron sheet would be passed around to all of the classes. Everyone filled out the tedious questions - What's your favourite eye colour? What's your favourite hair colour? How tall is your ideal mate? - and placed them in the Manila envelope at the front of the class. Then come Valentine's Day, you could buy your results for $2. I always bought mine. Trish and I always went to the Sonic Boom after school that day and laughed at our results. Some of the people they said would be your ideal match were absolutely ridiculous.
I remember one year I had Batman on my list. Yes. Batman.
"Don't even knock those," I said, waving my hand back and forth. "You know how great they are!"
"Oh yes! And totally accurate too!" Trish giggled, with yet another eye roll. "I mean look at you now, dating Batman!"
"And look at you dating Dez!"
Trish began laughing hysterically, as if the idea was as far fetched as me going out with Batman. It wasn't long before I had joined in on her laughter. Not because I genuinely found the idea of Dez dating anyone funny, but because Trish has the most contagious laugh in the world.
But soon the laughter died down and Trish returned to her previous scowl. The Valentine's Day Slump...
"You're not..." I started. "You aren't upset about Valentine's Day because of Jace, right?"
Trish scoffed. "What would make you think that?"
Like always, her eyes gave her away.
"Should we have a GNO tomorrow night?" I asked.
Trish vehemently shook her head. "God no."
I feigned hurt, placing my hand overtop of my heart. "Ouch! Didn't realize I was such a horrible option!"
"You know that's not what I meant," she said. "It's just your first Valentine's Day with Austin and that's kind of big."
"We've been dating for like 2 months. It's not that big of a deal. Plus -"
"Oh please," Trish interrupted. "Maybe you've been dating for 2 months in the real world, but in bullshit months you've been dating for like 3 years!"
"I'm sorry," I said, stifling a laugh. "Bullshit months?"
She rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time that lunch period. "You know what I mean. You guys are so beyond the point of 2 months of dating in normal speak."
I nodded. She had a point. Maybe I wouldn't have called them bullshit months though...
"Okay but anyway, as I was saying. Austin and I decided to go low key for Valentine's Day, so it doesn't matter who I spend it with. It's just another day in the whole scheme of things."
"Ally!" I heard yelled across the cafeteria.
Students turned their heads, curious to see if I had riled up some new gossip. I'd noticed that lately. Whenever someone called my name from across the hall, everyone looked. Not just a few curious heads. Everyone. So much for forgetting after Christmas break...
The stares get even worse when it's Kira yelling my name.
I turned my head to see Kira prancing towards us. Her shiny hair flowed around her like a mane and bounced with each step she took, making her deep red dress look all the more polished. There was a tall, dark eyed, long haired boy following behind her.
"Ally," she said. "This is Pierre LaCroix. He's Spanish."
I cocked my eyebrow and heard Trish disguise a laugh as a cough. Spanish? Right...
"Bonjour," Pierre said, winking, clearly emphasizing the fact that he was indeed, French.
"Isn't it a beautiful language?" Kira gushed.
I nodded and glanced over at Trish, who was trying hard to contain her laughter. I smirked and turned in my chair to face Kira.
"So what's up?" I asked.
It wasn't often that Queen Bee Wannabe, Kira, wanted to talk to me. She may have claimed to have forgiven me, but I still saw a sneer cross her features whenever Austin showed me any sort of affection.
"Well like I said, this is Pierre," Kira smiled, gesturing to the boy beside her, once more. "He's here on exchange. And he just so happens to be my new boyfriend!"
She grinned and forced herself against Pierre's chest. He looped an arm around her shoulder and kissed her forehead. She melted into him.
"Oh," I said. "Awesome."
Was there really anything else I could say to her? Good for you! You moved on?
Nothing really seemed all that appropriate. I still had a shock of guilt for what I'd done to her. I only hoped she felt somewhat guilty for what she'd imposed on me.
Kira pulled out the chair next to mine and Pierre stood protectively behind her, tapping his hands against the plastic. She took my hands and squeezed.
"Ally, this may be a completely weird request and I totally get why you would say no," Kira began, sending my mind reeling. "But I think we should go out on a double date."
"What?" I said.
"Me and Pierre. You and Austin," she said, squeezing my hands once more. Her smile was engrossing, enchanting. The red lipgloss looked murderous and angelic at the same time. I couldn't pinpoint how she was able to do it. "Come on. It'll be fun."
I opened my mouth, but no words came out. She'd asked this once before. Posed a ridiculous idea of double dating in her defunct apology. Couldn't she tell I could hardly look at her without thinking of... everything?
Everything she did to me. Everything she changed in my life. Everything that kept me awake and worrying for days on end.
I blinked and tried to search for anything in the depths of my brain to say.
"Uhhh," was all I was able to stumble over.
"Seriously, Ally," Kira said, patience wavering for only a second. "It'll be awesome. Like tons of fun. We can go for like, karaoke, or something. Whatever you like, yeah?"
I raised my eyebrows and sent a pointed look at Trish again. She had gone from trying to hold in her laughter, to a mask of confusion. Quite honestly, I felt about the same. Trish shrugged and I turned back to Kira, absently noticing Austin and Dez in the distance.
Oh thank God.
"Hey," Austin said, sliding into the chair on my other side.
He hadn't noticed Kira or the dark, brooding figure standing behind her. He put a hand on my shoulder, trying to gauge my standoff-ish behaviour.
"Oh hey Kira," Dez said, finally drawing attention to the devil in disguise.
Austin looked around me and stared at Kira for a moment. His eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.
Kira grinned and dropped my hands. "Hello Austin," she said. "I was just talking to Ally about how great it would be for the four of us to go out on a double date!"
"Four of us?" Austin said.
"Yes," Kira gestured to the silent man behind her. "This is Pierre LaCroix. My new boyfriend."
"Oh."
"So how does tomorrow sound to the two of you?"
"Valentine's Day?"
"Oh yeah," Kira said, nodding as if she had just remembered the day. "Right I totally forgot about Valentine's Day."
"Right," Trish said, drawing out the last syllable of the word.
Austin glanced over to me, questions in his eyes. I absently chewed on a strand of my hair and shook my head very slightly. He worked a side of his lips and met Kira's gaze once more.
Austin cleared his throat. "Kira I -"
"Austin, Ally, please," Kira said, reaching out to both of us. "I know I certainly haven't been on my best behaviour the past few months. Honestly you could say I've been a bit of a little shit. Or as Pierre says, a 'petite merde'. But I promise you I have no ulterior motive. Nothing. I just think double dates are fun! And I want to make amends bigger than just apologizing. Can I make that happen?"
"Kira, I appreciate the gesture, really," Austin said, genuinely sincere. "It's just Valentine's Day we kind of have plans."
Dez laughed. "What? No you don't!"
Austin and I glared at Dez. A glare to which he seemed taken aback by. He had pushed his head back so far, it gave him the impression of multiple chins.
"I'm confused," Dez stated.
"What else is new?" said Trish.
It was Dez's turn to glare now. But only for a moment. He shook it off and turned back to Austin. "I thought you were saying that you and Ally weren't doing anything and were just being low key for Valentine's Day... Something about Ally not really caring for the holiday?"
I laughed, Austin face palmed, and Trish slapped Dez's arm. Leave it to Dez to set the record straight.
"Alright then it's just another day," Kira said, smiling. "Come out with us, you guys! You and Dez can come along too, Trish!"
"I'm not sure I like what that implies..." Trish said, scowling.
Kira gasped and put a hand to her mouth. "Oh, I'm sorry! Are you two not dating?"
Trish and Dez sputtered. Dez spit out his food with a hearty laugh and Trish shook her head, stabbing a potato with a fork.
"Okay fine," Austin said and my heart sunk. "If there's absolutely no other day in the world, we'll go out with you guys tomorrow."
"Oh excellent!" Kira said. "I'll pick you guys up from Austin's house at 7:30! Tootles!"
And just like that she sauntered off, her shadow, following.
"Seriously?" I said.
AN: Reviews make my day:)