Disclaimer – I own nothing of Austin & Ally. It belongs to its respected owner. I do own my original characters and the plot. 'Nuff said.
Italics are thoughts, song lyrics and flashbacks.
A/N: This is inspired by a dream I had last night. Hope everyone enjoys it. I will update Hope for Tomorrow, just having a little writer's block.
Summary: AU: Dez is goofy, sweet and funny. He meets a girl named Sara who changes his life forever. She's also Austin's half-sister and is hiding a few deep and dark secrets. Rated T because I'm paranoid. Two-Shot. Sort of based on the song Suddenly from the musical Les Miserables.
Genre: Drama/Romance
Rating: T
CHAPTER ONE
(chapter title – Part One)
Austin smiled as he closed his locker door. It was the first day back at school and he couldn't wait to get started on the day. He promised his parents that he would put homework before music. He, Dez, Ally and Trish were seniors this year and Austin wanted to focus on his grades if he wanted to get into a good college.
"Austin! Austin! Austin!" Dez called from across the hallway. Austin smiled and felt his eyes widen as Dez almost ran into him.
"Dez! Dez! Dez!" Austin called back, laughing. He then got a better look at his friend – he wasn't wearing his usual goofy clothes. Instead, he wore a purple T-shirt with a lightening bolt on it, jeans and sneakers. "What the heck happened to your clothes? Did your parents give them away again?"
"No. I'm trying to impress that girl over there." Dez told his best friend, indicating to a pretty girl talking to Ally.
"That's my half-sister. Her name's Sara and she's really nice," Austin told his friend, his tone getting serious, "Dez, there's a few things you should know about her."
"Like what? Her favorite color? Movie? Sport? Genre of music? Book? Animal? Song? TV show? Food?" Dez questioned, watching the dark-haired beauty across the hallway.
She didn't look a thing like Austin. She had curly shoulder-length brown hair, green-gray eyes and wore glasses with purple frames. She also had an hourglass shaped figure and from where Dez was standing, had a pretty laugh.
"She's coming over! How do I look?" Dez asked Austin as Ally and Sara walked over to where the boys were. Dez felt his heart thump loudly in his chest as Sara walked closer and closer. She wore a T-shirt with a cat on it and form-fitting jeans. She wore black sandals on her feet.
"Dude, you look fine!" Austin assured his friend. He gave Sara and Ally hugs before turning to Dez, "Sara, this is my best friend Dez. Dez, this is my half-sister, Sara."
"Hi. It's nice to meet you, Dez." Sara told Dez, her voice sweet like honey.
For the first time in his life, Dez was speechless. Austin smiled as the four of them walked to class.
"Where's Trish?" Austin asked, noticing that Trish wasn't with them.
"She's coming. She said something about starting a new job today." Ally told her friends. The four of them found seats towards the back of class. Dez and Sara sat across the aisle from each other. Ally sat behind Sara, while Austin sat behind Dez.
The first day of school flew by. Trish stayed behind to sign up for various clubs and activities while Sara, Dez, Austin and Ally went to hang out at Sonic Boom.
"So, Sara, do you play any instruments?" Ally asked as she unlocked the door.
"I play the piano, violin, acoustic guitar and I sing," Sara answered, instantly going to the piano, Dez leaning against it. She looked at Dez, "any requests?"
"Do you know anything by Shiny Money?" Dez asked. Sara shook her head and ran her fingers over the keys.
"I'm more into Broadway musicals than I am into that sort of thing." Sara told him, playing Hedwig's Theme from Harry Potter.
"Wow! You're really good!" Austin noted.
"Yeah, Sheila has been teaching me," Sara said, quickly standing up. "Um, I have to go. I'll see you guys later."
She exited the store and raced home, not bothering to look over her shoulder.
"What was that about?" Ally asked. Austin sat on the piano bench and sighed.
"There's something you guys should know about Sara. Don't tell her I told you guys this – it's very confidential information," Austin glared at Dez before continuing. "Sara's my half-sister. We have the same dad, but different moms. She's also been in and out of four clinics for depression. She's tried to kill herself twice, once was over a really bad breakup. The second one is too personal to tell you guys about."
The smiles disappeared from Ally and Dez's faces.
"You didn't tell us what her favorite color, movie, sport, genre of music, book, animal, song, TV show and food were." Dez informed Austin.
"Blue, Table for Two, soccer, Broadway and country, the Ivory Princess series, horses, giraffes and dogs, Always You, Funny Scientists and spaghetti." Austin listed off on his fingers.
Dez went home and worked on a very special collage for Sara.
The following day, Dez found Sara talking with Ally and Trish. They were laughing about something. He stepped closer and felt his heart stop in his chest as Sara looked at him. She excused herself from the conversation and walked over to Dez.
Today, she was wearing a green-and-white striped over-the-shoulder sweater with a white tank-top under it and jeans. On her feet, she wore open-toed sandals. Dez sat next to her and handed her the collage he had made the other night.
"Wow, Dez. This is amazing! Thank you!" Sara thanked Dez, hugging him. It threw Dez off, but he smiled and wrapped his arms around her.
Sara pulled out of the hug a while later and grabbed her shoulder bag. She put the collage in her bag and took Dez's hand in hers. Dez let out a squeal, making Sara laugh.
"Oh my gosh! Guys! Look!" Ally squealed, pointing to the large bulletin board next to the theater classroom.
"What?" Sara inquired, turning her eyes to the board.
"We're putting on Les Miserables this year! It's one of my all-time favorite musicals!" Ally said.
Dez and Austin stared at the bulletin board as Trish walked over.
"I got fired from the yearbook committee for taking pictures of myself. I'm gonna sign up for tech crew." Trish announced.
Sara turned to Dez and looked into his kind eyes.
"Dez, you would be the perfect Marius. I'm auditioning for Cosette." Sara told Dez.
It took some convincing, but Dez and Austin agreed to audition for the musical, along with Sara and Ally.
A week later, the cast list was posted. Sara found her name and smiled – she had gotten the role of Cosette. Dez was Marius. Ally was Eponine and Austin was Enjolras. Trish had auditioned and had gotten the part of Madame Thenardier. She said it was just in case she got fired from tech crew.
"How exactly do I pronounce this name?" Austin asked that afternoon at rehearsal.
"En-jol-ras," Ally said, handing him a thick book, "this is the novel of Les Miserables. I want you to read this before opening night."
"But this will take forever to read!" Austin complained.
"I've read it twice. Took me a couple days to read. I think you'll like it Austin." Sara told her half-brother, smiling at him.
Sara sang A Heart Full of Love as she got fitted for her costumes. Dez couldn't believe how wonderful she looked in all her costumes, especially her wedding dress.
To prepare themselves for their roles, the four of them, plus Trish, went over to Sara's house to watch the latest version of Les Miserables and the 25th Anniversary Concert.
They all acted out their parts as their characters appeared on-screen. Sara smiled as Ally lay in Dez's arms. They were acting out A Little Fall of Rain.
"What am I supposed to do during The Final Battle?" Austin inquired as the scene played before them. He stood off to the side and watched the actor playing Enjolras act out the scene.
A while later, Dez, Ally and Trish went home, leaving Sara and Austin to clean up.
"So, what do you think of Dez?" Austin asked as he put a paper plate in the trashcan.
"He seems really sweet, nice and funny." Sara answered, rinsing out the glasses they used and put them in the dishwasher.
"How's your depression holding up?" Austin questioned, looking at his half-sister. She was the same age he was and he cared deeply about her.
"It's okay. Haven't had any spells so far." Sara told him, putting away the TV trays.
"Have you told Dez about your you-know-what?" Austin wanted to know. Sara shook her head, making her curls bounce on her shoulders.
"I'm hoping to tell him sooner rather than later. I just hope when I tell him he won't hate me for it." Sara told her half-brother. He walked over and hugged her.
"Dez will still love you, no matter what happens." Austin told her, pulling out of the hug. Sara smiled and finished cleaning up as Austin headed home.
After Sara took her shower, she practiced in front of the mirror what she was going to say to Dez.
The following day, Sara sat at one of the outdoor lunch tables. She saw Dez and waved him over. He smiled and walked over to her.
"Hey. Why are you over here and not with Austin, Ally, Trish and myself?" Dez questioned, taking a bite of his salad.
"I wanted to see you privately because I have something important to tell you before we continue with our friendship," Sara started, pushing her food tray away from her. She reached across the table and took Dez's hands in hers, "when I was thirteen, my step-dad abused me and sexually assaulted me. I ended up getting pregnant and giving my daughter up for adoption. Sheila – my mom – divorced him and my step-dad is serving life in prison.
That's when my depression started. I have been in and out of four depression clinics over the past three years. Life has been extremely hard and difficult for me, but since meeting you, I've been changed for the better. For the first time in my life, I haven't thought about killing myself. Instead, my thoughts are full of the spring musical, prom, graduation and getting into a good college." Sara told Dez, feeling tears in her eyes. Dez moved next to her and took her in his arms.
"Thanks for telling me all of your problems. You've only made me love you more than life itself. I love you and will never leave you, no matter what happens." Dez whispered in Sara's ear. She looked over and smiled at him.
After school, Sara, Dez, Austin and Ally stayed behind to work on their scenes and get used to working with the props. Trish was put to work painting sets and working with the young girl who played young Cosette. She looked like a miniature version of Sara. It made Sara think of her own daughter, who would be five-years-old. The girl who played young Cosette was ten and her name was Vanessa.
Before rehearsal was scheduled to start, Sara sat down at the piano and gently strummed the keys. The tune Suddenly from the recent Les Miserables movie reached her memory and she played it.
"That's really good!" the theater teacher told Sara. She smiled and stood up. "Don't get up! The rehearsal pianist is ill today. Would you mind playing some songs?"
"But I'm playing Cosette – do you need me to sing today?" Sara inquired.
"Nope. I just need Enjolras, the Barricade boys, Marius and Gavroche. We're doing Drink With Me, ABC Café, Red and Black, Do You Hear the People Sing, Empty Chairs at Empty Tables and both battles." The theater teacher answered.
Sara smiled as both Austin and Dez, along with the boys playing the students and the young boy playing Gavroche, gathered around the piano to do some warm-up exercises.
Dez worked on a little bit of Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, smiling once in a while at Sara.
"This is a serious song. Be serious!" Sara hissed through clenched teeth. Dez's smile disappeared and he focused on the song.
After rehearsal, Sara, Austin, Ally, Dez and Trish went to their respected houses to do homework and get ready for the day ahead.
Dez thought about the first time he met Sara. He had known her for an entire week, but to him, it felt like a day. Time seemed to stand still whenever Sara was around.
Suddenly you're here
Suddenly it starts
Can two anxious hearts
Beat as one?
Yesterday, I was alone
Today, you are beside me
Something still unclear
Something not yet here
Has begun
Suddenly the world
Seems a different place
Somehow full of grace
Full of light
How was I to know
That so much love
Was held inside me?
Something fresh and young
Something still unsung
Fills the night
Before the five friends knew it, it was time for the opening night of Les Miserables. It ran for four weeks and the friends felt a stronger connection than ever.
A week after the musical ended, Sara started feeling really weird – she would be hot one minute, cold the next. She also had a high fever and had to stay four days in the hospital because of it. Dez spent all four days at Sara's bedside, going over homework with her or just talking.
Sara stirred in her sleep and opened her eyes. Groping for her glasses, she put them on and smiled when she saw Dez asleep in the chair next to her bed. The two of them had watched a movie and he ended up falling asleep in the middle of it.
Dez couldn't imagine his life without Sara in it. He had even dreamt about their life together after high school.
He looked at her and squeezed her hand ever so gently. He then stood up and kissed Sara's forehead before leaving the hospital room.
"Where are you going?" Sara whispered.
"I have to get home. I'll be home later. I love you." Dez told Sara, looking at his beautiful girlfriend. The day after Les Miserables ended, he had asked her to be his girlfriend. She had said 'yes' and Dez had squealed like a girl, making Sara burst out laughing.
"I love you, too." Sara told him, turning on the TV. There wasn't much on, so she found the book she was reading for English. It was called Maria's Spirits and was really good so far.
After she was released from the hospital, she did homework and took it easy – doctor's orders.
That night as she slept, Sara dreamt of her future after high school, hoping it would involve Dez. She loved him more and more every day and hoped he did, too.