(A/N - Hey guys! Here's another new story! You might know me from some of my other stories! If you don't know what I am talking about, click my pen name and read them! And this one! :D )

"Ally," I whined, banging my head on the counter of Sonic Boom. Ally Dawson, my best friend and music partner, was behind the counter, working her shift, while I was on the opposite side, talking about another girl that I embarrassed myself in front of. "I went over to flirt, and I slipped on some water from the fountain."

Ally rolled her eyes and looked a bit distant. "Yeah, Austin," she said lazily, writing in her book. "That stinks." She wasn't paying much attention, but I didn't mind. She was probably writing a new song, possibly one for me to sing. Plus, I complain to herself about this kind of thing all the time - it probably gets annoying. So, I used the time to stare at my best friend. I know what you're thinking - who just stares at their best friend?

Well, there is a huge chance that I feel more for Ally than just friendship. I think that she is beautiful, with her dark brown orbs and soft, curly, brown hair. I think she is adorable with her quirkiness and innocence. I think she is funny, smart, and caring. And she is by far the most talented girl I have ever met, even if she only performs for me. The truth is, I really like Ally. But we are best friends, and I can never risk our friendship without knowing that she feels the same way. That is why I still flirt around with other girls - I don't know how Ally feels. But I have never strived for a real relationship with any girl - my heart belongs to Ally.

"Austin?" Ally asked, snapping me to attention. She shot me a worried look. Oops, I guess I stared a bit too long. "Are you okay? You were staring at me. Do I have something on my face?"

"Uh, yeah," I stuttered, taking the bait as a cover up, as well as an excuse to touch Ally's pretty face. "Right here." I reached out with my thumb and gently wiped at an imaginary spot on her face. "There you go, all gone."

"Thanks," she said, looking up at me and shooting me a smile that made me grin back. "What was it, anyway?"

"Oh, nothing," I said. "Just an eyelash, or something." She nodded and I began to walk away.

"Wait, Austin," Ally exclaimed, grabbing my hand. She walked around the counter so we were standing next to each other. "I haven't gotten my Austin hug yet." I grinned down at her and wrapped her in a hug, a daily occurence for us. I got that warm, fuzzy feeling inside of me again.

It seemed a little intimate to some people, but it works for us. We pulled away after a few moments, and Ally said that she had to go back to her shift. I nodded and started heading for the door, off in search of one of my other friend's, Dez or Trish. Then I remembered that Dez is in Orlando for a few days.

I barely took two steps, however, before I bumped into Trish, who had her eyebrows raised. "What?" I asked, motioning for her to follow me out the door. I knew that it probably had something to do with me and Ally, and Trish doesn't exactly talk quietly.

"There was nothing on her face," she said, giving me a pointed look. "Why were you really staring?" I felt my cheeks grow hot, knowing someone saw through my fib. "Oh, I know," Trish said, rolling her eyes and grinning. "You did it because you really like her."

"What?" I asked, stretching out the word nervously. Trish gave me a disbelieving look. "Fine," I relented. "Okay, I really, really, really like Ally. A lot. Okay? Are you happy now?"

She smiled. "Ecstatic," she said, giggling. I rolled my eyes. "And I bet Ally will be too when I tell her."

"Trish," I warned. "Please don't tell her. It will make things really awkward between us, and I don't want that. I value my friendship with her too much to ruin that, if she doesn't feel the same."

"And if she does feel the same?" Trish asked.

I smiled happily, just thinking about it. "Then I would be the happiest guy in the world," I said, sighing. "Now if only that were true."

"Aww," Trish said, clapping her hands. "That was so sweet. And who knows? Maybe she does. But you won't know if you don't make the first move. Ally is traditional about guys. You have to start the romance."

"Thanks for the advice," I said, nodding my head. "That's actually really helpful." She nodded then mentioned something about going to apply for another new job. I set off on a walk throughout the mall. I would go back and visit Ally at Sonic Boom soon, but I needed to clear my head first. I have to do that around her sometimes, since I often get very close to spilling everything I feel about her.

I walked around the mall, eventually seeing a group of teenagers, maybe a bit older than me. One actually looked a lot like me, tall with bright, blonde hair. He seemed to be a leader. Another one looked slightly younger, with light brown hair. Then there was a blonde girl, wearing a crazy tutu that seemed to be her style. And following her was another boy, a pair of drumsticks hanging out of his pocket. They all seemed really familiar. "Hey, Austin," the girl shouted, running over to me.

I gave her a quizzical look as she pulled me into a hug. Then I looked at her again. "Rydel?" I asked incredulously. She nodded her head excitedly, and I looked at the guys who had followed her over. "Rocky! Riker! Ratliff!"

The four teenagers standing in front of me are my older cousins. I haven't seen them in a few years, which would explain why I didn't recognize them. "Hey cousin," they all greeted me, hugging me in a line. "How have you been?"

"Awesome," I exclaimed. "What are you guys doing here?" My parents hadn't mentioned my cousins coming any time soon. They live in Washington, and seeing them is a pretty rare occurrance, which stinks since they are my favorite cousins. They all share my love for music.

"Well," Riker said. "We made a band, called R4. The four of us had a small tour recently, and we made enough money to come down here for a while. We asked Aunt Mimi and Uncle Mike to keep it a secret though."

I nodded my head. "That's great," I exclaimed. "Well, have you been home yet?" I looked down at the suitcases they were holding and took that as a no. "How about you guys head home and then later tonight I show you around? I'll invite my best friend, Ally, over for dinner."

"I thought your best friend's name was Dez," Ratliff said, raising his eyebrows. It's kind of funny, because Ratliff reminds me a bit of Dez. "Who is Ally? Your girlfriend?"

"I wish," I muttered. "Dez is one of my best friends, but he is in Orlando for a few days. Ally is my best friend that is a girl. I'll be home in like an hour, I just need to go talk to Ally for a bit."

"Can I come with you?" Rydel asked. "The boys can take my bags, right?" My male cousins nodded and grabbed her two suitcases, heading out to the rental car that they got. "So," Rydel said, walking over to a line at the foodcourt. "Ally, huh?"

A random woman that stands in front of us in line turned around. "Oh, isn't that the girl that works at the music store?" I nodded my head, slowly. I briefly remember seeing her in Sonic Boom a few times. "You two are just the sweetest couple around." A few people around agreed, and I tried to protest that Ally and I are just best friends.

"We're really just best friends," I said glumly to Rydel as we walked back to a table, food in hand. When we were younger, Rydel had been like the sister I never had. I used to see my cousins all the time before they had to move to Washington for Uncle Roy's job. "I like her a lot, though."

"Well, it seems like there's something going on between you two," Rydel noted, taking a bite of her burger. "Everyone around here is talking about it. You two have to be pretty adorable and noticable for that."

I thought about it, then nodded my head. "I guess," I said. "I just wish I could tell her how I feel without thinking about her not feeling the same way. I have come so close so many times, but I always chicken out."

"Okay," Rydel said, finishing her food. "I am making it my personal goal to make sure you tell this girl how you feel before we leave in two weeks. Got it?" I nodded my head and threw away our trash. "Now let's go meet her!"

I nodded and took Rydel to Sonic Boom. We walked through the door and Ally looked up and beamed at me. "Hey Austin," she called out, waving. Then she looked over at Rydel. "Hi, I'm Ally."

"I'm Rydel," my cousin said as we walked over to the counter. "I'm Austin's cousin. It's nice to meet you."

Ally's face immediately relaxed, and I couldn't help but smile to myself. Was she jealous when she saw me with a girl? Is that why Ally visibly relaxed? "It's great to meet you too!" Ally said, walking around the counter towards us. I slung my arm over her shoulder in a friendly way, something we did all the time. But the look that Rydel gave me didn't go unnoticed. I could tell she thought that it was a more than friendly gesture. "Austin talks about you all the time, but he didn't say you were coming."

I turned to her. "I didn't know, either," I said, smiling. "They all surprised me! This is going to be an awesome two weeks." Ally grinned up at me and I grinned back. I could hear Rydel giggling lightly, and I turned to give her a look. "So," I said, looking back down at Ally. "Want to come over for dinner tonight? Then you can hang out and meet the rest of my cousins."

"Totally," Ally exclaimed.

"Great," Rydel said, clapping her hands. "Let's go!"

"Actually," Ally said hesitantly. "I don't get off for another hour and a half. But you guys head out, and I'll come over, I promise."

"You sure?" I asked her, reaching out to give her hand a squeeze. She nodded her head. "Okay, see you soon." She grinned and nodded again, retreating to behind the counter of the music shop. Rydel and I waved and we started walking out to my car. I noticed Rydel giving me a look from the corner of my eye. "What?" I asked, confused.

"You're joking, right?" she asked. "You two both totally like each other. Anyone with eyes could see that." I rolled my eyes, but grinned anyway, hoping she was right.

(A/N -well, that's chapter 1! What do you think? Please review! Or I'll never know if I should keep going!)