Of all the places to be stranded on her 23rd birthday, Las Vegas was not on the top of Ally Dawson's list. She wasn't even planning on being anywhere near Vegas. She had planned on a romantic getaway to New York with Dallas, her boyfriend of two years, but by the time she realized he was driving the car the complete opposite direction of New York, it was too late.
-A&A-
When she questioned him on what exactly he thought he was doing, he just gave her an amused smile.
"Live a little, Ally. When was the last time you did something spontaneous? Hmm?" He countered.
Ally crossed her arms blew a stray piece of hair out of her face. "I don't know, never?" She mumbled.
"See, Ally! What's the fun of going to boring old New York and playing tourist for a week? I'm taking you somewhere where you'll have the best time of your life, I promise."
Ally gaped at him. "'Boring old New York?' You're the one who told me to go there for my birthday! Please tell me you're joking. I already paid for the hotel and everything! Do you even know how much I spent to make sure we'd have a great week? Wait no you don't know because I paid for everything!"
"Chill, Ally. I'm sure you can get your money back." Dallas said nonchalantly, still staring at the open highway ahead.
"Chill? You want me to chill? I had to put a $100 deposit down for the hotel room. You know, if you were a gentleman you would have offered to chip in, since it is my birthday." Ally snarled, her hands balling into fists.
"I would have offered, but you seemed like you didn't want the help."
Ally was fuming, but as calmly as she could she said, "What did you get me for my birthday?"
"W-what?" Dallas stumbled.
"You didn't get me anything, did you?"
"O-of course I did, babe."
"I can't believe you! Do you even know how much money I've spent on you? That watch you're wearing right now! I spent at least one hundred dollars on that to get it for you for Christmas. And what about those sunglasses, or that shirt? Hm? What have you ever gotten for me? That scarf you found on the bus? Yeah, you sure spoil me." Ally crossed her arms and stared out her window, her throat scratchy from so much yelling.
"You're making me sound like a douche, Ally."
Ally slowly turned her head to look at him. "I'm making you sound like a douche, Dallas? Well I hate to break it to you, but has it ever occurred to you that maybe you really are a douche? 'Cause I sure as hell am starting to realize that these past two years have been a complete waste of my time."
"Babe, don't say that! You know I love you!"
"Really? If you loved me we would be on the road to New York right now."
Dallas' jaw tightened. "Well you know what? These two years haven't exactly been a cakewalk for me either!"
Ally lifted a brow. "Excuse me?"
"Have you ever stopped to think that maybe you're the problem."
Ally wasn't sure her jaw could drop any lower. "I'm the problem?"
Dallas' grip on the steering wheel tightened. "Yes! You're always controlling me! I can't go five seconds without a text from you, asking what I'm doing. You always want to hang out. Don't you think that sometimes I need time to myself? You're so… clingy."
Clingy. The word rattled around in her head. Looking over the last two years, Ally realized that maybe she had been a bit… obsessed, with her relationship, but of course Ally didn't admit this out loud. She just huffed and sat back into her seat, staring angrily out the front windshield.
"I want out of this car." Ally moaned after a few moments of angry silence.
Dallas pulled over to the side of the road. "Fine," he spat.
"I didn't mean here, you airhead." They were in the middle of a desert or something, but Ally wasn't sure exactly where they were; she hadn't been paying attention to road signs for many hours.
"Get out." He said, crossing his arms.
"You're joking." Ally narrowed her eyes at him.
"I don't want to sit here and be verbally assaulted by you."
Ally scoffed. "I am not assaulting you!"
"You've called me a douche, a cheapskate, and an airhead! You're being a bitch and I'm done with you. There's a gas station a mile down the road, have fun walking. "
Ally ground her teeth, giving him a death glare.
"You know what?" She said, unbuckling her seatbelt and opening her door, "I'm done with you too." She grabbed her backpack and got out of the car, slamming it as hard as she could after she stepped out. She went back to the trunk to get her suitcase, but when she went to open it, the car lurched forward.
She watched as Dallas turned the car around and stopped when he was on the opposite side of the road.
"What do you think you're doing? I need my suitcase!" She yelled at him through his open window.
"You should have thought of that before you yelled at me." Then in a swarm of dust, he was speeding down the road.
-A&A-
Ally trekked the long, hot mile to the gas station. The bored teen girl that sat at the counter informed her that she was in Duckwater, Nevada.
'Nevada?' Ally thought, 'I didn't even realize we'd been driving that long.'
"Do you have a payphone or something around here?" Ally asked the girl. Luckily, Ally had grabbed her backpack, which included: her phone (which didn't get reception in this middle-of-nowhere town) and its charger, $58 in cash, her ID, and some snacks.
The girl let out a long sigh, like just the effort of talking was too much for her. "No."
Ally bit her lip. "How far is it to the nearest big city?"
The girl rolled her eyes. "Couple hours to Vegas. You should catch a Greyhound. Station's a block down the road. Bye."
"Um okayyy…." Ally slowly turned and headed out the door. She leaned against the building, soaking up the coolness of the shade the overhang provided. She cursed herself for wearing jeans and a sweater, for now she was sweltering in the summertime Nevada heat. She was angry at herself for wasting her time on Dallas. She had always had a feeling in the back of her mind that things just weren't right.
Sighing, she shouldered her backpack and walked towards the bus station. When she arrived, she saw it was nothing more than a small shack with a ticket window and a wooden bench that sat in front of the building.
When she walked up to the window, she saw that a screen was pulled down over the window, but the sign taped to the window said 'Open' so she rapped lightly on the glass. She heard some rustling from the inside, and with a small bang the curtain shot up, revealing a bushy old man who was squinting at her from behind the smeary glass.
"What'dya want?" He asked, his voice dark and raspy, as if he'd just been awaken from a nap.
"Um, I need to get to Vegas, I guess?" She said, more like a question.
He glanced at her, taking in her dishelved appearance.
"You runnin' away?" He asked, starting to type some things into the computer.
"Um no, not really."
"Goin' to be some flashy showgirl?" He asked, making Ally uncomfortable with the way he eyed her up and down.
"No." She said definitely, making her voice crisp.
The man huffed as he slid her ticket under the window.
"Bus'll be here in fifteen." He said with finality, pulling the shade back down.
-A&A-
So that's how Ally ended up in here in Vegas, standing on the sidewalk of the Strip, unsure of what to do next. She was in front of the Bellagio, people swarmed around her, eager to get to the next tourist spot on their itinerary.
Ally had never been to Vegas, so she had no idea of where she should go. As she walked up the sidewalk, countless people tried to hand her pamphlets for strip clubs or buffets or bars. She kept her head down and walked quickly against the swarm of people. She found herself in front of Circus Circus. She stared up at the big clown cutout that towered above the street. It gestured for her to go inside, so she did.
When she walked through the front doors, she was hit with the cold air conditioning, making her sigh in relief. She made her way through the casino area and to the front desk. Ally's phone had died on the bus ride, since Ally had kept checking to see if she had reception.
Bellhops whizzed by as Ally stepped up to the desk.
"How can I help you?" A cheery woman asked, her voice dripping sweetness
"Um, do you by any chance have a phone I can use to call someone?"
"Are you a hotel guest?" The woman asked.
"Um no…"
"Oh. Payphones are that way." She said, the sweetness gone from her voice.
"Thanks…" Ally worked her way to where the lady had pointed. She hurriedly inserted fifty cents into the machine and dialed the number she knew by heart.
"Hello?" The voice on the other end answered.
"Oh, Trish thank God!" Ally gasped, relieved to hear her best friend's voice.
"Ally what's wrong? Who's phone are you calling on?"
Ally launched into the story of her fight with Dallas and her journey into Vegas.
"What are you going to do?" Trish asked.
Ally sighed, leaning against the wall. "I don't know. I guess stay in Vegas for a while. I don't have enough money for a flight home, and there's no way I'm telling my parents the mess I've gotten myself into. That'd make this like ten times worse. Maybe I'll get a job and earn some money so I can get back home."
Trish sighed. "You know if I could help you I would."
Ally smiled. "I know, and I love you for that."
A beep on the line signaled that Ally's time was almost up.
"I gotta go, Trish."
"Alright, Ally. Call me as soon as you can. Be careful out there."
"I will. And Trish?"
"Yeah?"
"If you see Dallas, go ahead and kick his ass for me."
-A&A-
Ally found herself a little farther down the strip in Downtown Vegas. There weren't nearly as many people here. There were many run down motels, all with signs proclaiming that they had 24 hour wedding chapels.
Ally sighed. It was starting to get dark out and she didn't know what to do. Right when she was beginning to contemplate which bench looked the comfiest to sleep on, she saw a gym with a help wanted sign in the window across the street. She hustled over and looked in the window.
It was a nice gym, with lots of people inside. She opened the door and headed towards the front desk, where a tall, buff man was typing on a computer.
"Excuse me," Ally said as she approached, making the man look up. "I noticed that you have a help wanted sign."
"Oh yes. Are you hoping to apply?" He asked, looking her over.
"Yes, I am."
"Ok. First I need to ask you a few questions. One: Do you work out?"
"Um no, actually, not often."
"Do you have any work experience?"
"I… worked in my dad's music shop for a while."
"Ok, last one: are you a runner?"
"Um, no I don't really enjoy running."
Ally knew she had no chance. The man scrunched up his face. "I'm sorry, but I just don't think you're right for this line of work-"
Ally tuned him out as he went off into a long speech about athletic dedication. As she looked around the desk, a flyer on the board behind the man caught her eye.
BRUNETTE GYMNASTS NEEDED
AUDITIONS AT PLANET HOLLYWOOD AXIS THEATER
WEDNESDAY AT 2PM
"What's that?" Ally interrupted the man, pointing to the flier.
"Hm? Oh I'm not sure. Some girls came in and told me to put it up. They were all secretive for what the auditions were for."
"Oh, ok. Thank you."
Ally turned on her heel and headed out. She found a motel a block down that was only $21 a night, so she got herself a room. It wasn't the cleanest bed she'd ever lain in, but she didn't really have much choice.
As she started drifting off to sleep, her mind kept coming back to the flyer. Ally was a gymnast in high school, and she had to admit she was pretty good. She was still really flexible, too. Plus, she just so happened to be brunette. Since Wednesday was the next day, she figured she might as well go to whatever it was the audition was for.
-A&A-
The next morning, Ally awoke at 11:23 AM. She took a shower and put on the only clothes that she had. She figured that she should start walking right away, so she could make it on time to the auditions.
By the time she reached the AXIS Theater in Planet Hollywood, it was 1:58. She rushed onto the stage, where at least 70 other brunettes awaited. Ally looked out into the theater. It was huge. There were endless rows of seats, and for a moment Ally imagined what it would be like to sing to a crowd that large.
Her daydream was cut short by someone clapping their hands. All the girls stopped talking and faced the front of the stage, where three girls stood with clipboards.
The one on the left was a pretty redhead; looked as smooth as velvet. The one on the right was a pretty girl with black hair, her fair skin contrasting her hair.
If the girl's on the side were pretty, then the blonde in the middle was drop dead gorgeous. She was tall and skinny; she looked like a supermodel.
"All right, let's get moving!" The redhead announced. "I need you to form straight lines all along the stage.
Everyone started shuffling. Ally fell in line next to a tall slender girl. The group of girls walked down the rows, stopping at each girl and eyeing her up in down. They would then either dismiss her (some of them went off crying) or send her off the stage to sit in the front row of seats.
It took them a while before they reached Ally. They had dismissed the girl next to her, making Ally nervous.
Ally stood as straight as she could as the girls stood in front of her.
"She's kind of short." The black haired girl said not-so-quietly to the blonde.
"Yeah but she's got a great body." The redhead whispered. Heat crept into Ally's cheeks.
"Hmm." The blonde narrowed her eyes. "Are you flexible?"
"Yes." Ally squeaked. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous.
"Do a backbend." The blonde commanded.
Ally automatically bent backwards and did as the blonde said. When she came back up the blonde nodded.
"Go have a seat."
Ally breathed a sigh of relief. She hurried down the steps and joined the nine other girls that were seated.
There were still two more rows after Ally's but after scratching something onto her clipboard, the blonde headed back to the front of the stage.
"Alright, we have our ten, the rest of you can go." The blonde waved her hand towards the door.
Some of the girls cried out, others stormed out the door.
The three girls descended the steps and stepped in front of the sitting girls.
"Congratulations, you are lucky enough to be the ten that passed the first phase." The redhead said. "Now onto phase two."
The black haired began to give each girl a sheet of paper. When Ally looked over it, she realized that it was lyrics.
"We have to sing?" A girl a few seats down from Ally squeaked.
The blonde narrowed her eyes at her. "If you have a problem you can leave now."
The girl sunk back into her seat.
"Alright," the black haired girl said, clapping her hands together, "we're going to start calling you up on the stage right away."
"We don't even get to practice?" The girl on Ally's left whispered in shock.
"We'll start at this end," the redhead said, pointing to the opposite end of Ally. "You all have different songs so it doesn't matter that she's first. We will be giving you a queue so you know when to start singing, the rest is up to you. Good luck."
The first girl shakily made her way up to the stage. The three girls sat far down the row on Ally's left. The girl's hands were shaking as she looked at her lyrics. The music started, and the girl was so caught up with looking at her lyrics that she didn't even see when the redhead raised her hand to signal the girl. The music immediately stopped and the girl ran off the stage crying.
"Poor thing." The girl to Ally's left whispered.
"Why is everyone taking this so tough for? What is this audition even for?" Ally whispered back.
The girl turned and looked at Ally in disbelief. "You're joking, right?"
"No, I'm serious. What is this for?"
The girl tilted her head towards Ally ear as if she was about to tell her her deepest secret.
"It's to be an assistant for the Austin Moon!" She squealed.
"Who's that?" Ally questioned her face blank.
"Only the hottest magician to ever walk the face of this earth." The girls sighed, apparently imagining said person.
"A magician? Seriously?" Ally couldn't believe all this was to be a showgirl.
"He's like Chris Angel but hotter, and better. He has the biggest show in Vegas."
Ally sat back in her seat. She debated walking right out the door; she didn't want to be some showgirl that pranced around half naked while some magician did some cheap illusion. But yet, something kept Ally in her chair, poring over her lyrics. Maybe it was because she was flattered she was one of the ten girls to be picked out of seventy, or maybe she also found some amusement of the girls floundering on stage, repeatedly off melody and off pace.
She was so engrossed in her lyrics, imaging possible melodies that she hadn't realized she was the only one left. She walked up the stage and to the mic.
"Please tell me this one can sing," the black haired girl muttered, leaning her head onto the redheads shoulder.
"If not we have to do this all over again." The redhead groaned.
"Quiet." The blonde sniped, and the black haired girl sat straight up. "Go ahead."
She nodded at me and the music started. The melody was a bit slower than I imagined. After a beat the redhead lifted her hand, and I launched into song.
You said I was the most exotic flower
Holding me tight in our final hour
I don't know how you convince them and get them, but
I don't know what you do, it's unbelievable
And I don't know how you get over, get over
Someone as dangerous, tainted and flawed as you
One for the money, and two for the show
I love you honey, I'm ready, I'm ready to go
How did you get that way? I don't know
You're screwed up and brilliant,
Look like a million dollar man,
So why is my heart broke?
The music abruptly stopped. The three girls were silent. Ally took that as a bad sign, so she muttered a quick 'sorry' and turned towards the door.
"No, wait!"
Ally turned, surprised to see the blonde standing, reaching out to her. The blonde quickly stepped back.
"Just… give us a second."
The girls turned to each other and whispered quietly as Ally shifted awkwardly in the spotlights. After a few moments the girls broke apart and walked up to Ally. They formed an arch in front of her.
The blonde crossed her arms.
"You're in."
-A&A-
Hey guys! So I'm totally horrible. I guess I'm forming the really bad habit of starting stories and not finishing them. I promise that I'll finish Crash Into Me soon! I was just itching to write this story. I went on a trip to Vegas for a few days at the end of June, and while I was watching this really cool magic show this story came to me, and it's just been developing and developing in my head and I just knew it was time to start writing. I planned on writing the whole story before I published it, to make sure I finish it, but I figured I'd write a chapter and see if you guys liked it. So if you like it, let me know and I'll write more. (I have a really good storyline for this one btw :))
I did not edit this because it's getting late and it's very long so… whoops.
Anyways, if this chapter gets fifteen reviews I'll continue the story. (Even if it gets like two I'll probably write more anyways lol)
I'll be using a lot of real places for this story (like AXIS Theater is where Britney Spears performs lol) so you can look them up if you want to.
Ally's audition song in this chapter was Million Dollar Man by Lana Del Rey
(And PS can I just say Sometime Last night is the bomb)
I own nothing
Reviews Rock :) (Especially if you want me to continue)
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|April|