I don't know, I guess I blame RJ and my lack of prom date for this one.

It's a hard thing being in love with your best friend. It's like being trapped behind a one way mirror. Everything you feel is behind that mirror. All you can see is that one person you've been in love with for who knows how long. They surround every sense and every thought. They become every dream and even every nightmare. They become everything.

But they can't see a thing.

It's prom. Junior year. Ally's hair is longer, he's taller, she's smaller. Everything seems to be in place. Everything but his heart. They're in second period when Ethan decides to waltz in with his stupid spiky hair, his stupid straight teeth, and his stupid perfect nose. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Just like how he asks Ally to prom. Who even uses paper heart cutouts anymore?

Stupid.

She squeals and accepts while he swallows the bile in his throat. It takes all of his strength not to punch the kid in the face. Instead he tells the teacher he's not feeling good and asks to be excused. She lets him go with a sympathetic glance.

"Austin where are you-" the door slams shut behind him. "-going." Ally breathes out. She gives the door a once over wondering if she should go check on him but decides against it. He probably just ate something bad for breakfast. Shaking it off she smiles and gives Ethan another hug before returning to her desk. Austin doesn't come back to school that day.

They're sitting in math the next day when she finally decides to confront him.

"Austin? Are you okay? You ran out awful quick yesterday."

"I'm fine." He snaps and she bites her lip in shock.

"Obviously you're not fi-"

"Ally." He whispers harshly finally meeting her eyes. All she sees is hurt. "I'm fine."

Now she's the one who looks hurt. Since when does her best friend keep things from her?

"Austin is this because you don't have a date to prom? Because Trish doesn't have one either so you won't be alo-"

He interrupts her by taping Brooke on the shoulder. The brunette spins around and almost faints when he gives her a smirk.

"Will you go to prom with me?" He asks in the most casual of ways and she nods so fast that Ally thinks her stupid head is going to fall off. Brooke turns around and furiously starts texting her friends while Ally just stares at him.

"Happy?" He asks and she diverts her eyes back to her math equations.

"Are you?" She asks looking back up and she watches him swallow harshly.

"Just do your math, Ally." He whispers.

It feels like a slap in the face.

"O-okay." She stutters out and he immediately feels bad. But not as bad as she makes his heart feel.

When the bell rings he's up and out the door before she can even put down her pencil. She blinks back tears as she pulls out her pencil case and begins to put her things away, Why was he so mad at her? What had she done? Her thoughts are interrupted when Ethan sticks his head in the door. He jogs over and sits in front of her, taking her hand.

"Hey, what's wrong? I was waiting for you outside but you didn't come." That's when she realizes she'd been frozen in thought for longer than she had realized. Lunch began five minutes ago.

"Oh. Um, right. Sorry. I just spaced out." She gathers up her things and they both walk out of the door.

"So where do you want to eat?" Ethan asks sliding his hand into hers

"Actually-" she whispers squinting down at their conjoined hands. "-I'd really like to be alone right now."

"Oh. Alright. Th-that's fine. Just know I'm here if you need anything." He says dropping her hand and stepping away. She sighs in relief when he finally rounds the corner. She scurries to the spot she knows he'll be and smiles at the back of his blonde head. He's leaning by their favorite tree. It's where they write most of their lyrics, it's where they do their homework; it's where they eat lunch. But now that she thinks about it she hasn't been to the tree in weeks.

She's been too busy with Ethan.

She slides down next to him and leans her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry." She whispers.

"For what?" He asks not expecting her to apologize for something that was very much his fault. She didn't ask him to fall in love with her.

"For not being around as much. I guess I just got caught up in Ethan and forgot I have a best friend to think about too." She smiles as she pokes him in the arm. As much as he hates that word, and the meaning behind it, he can't stay mad at her.

She watches as a smile slowly makes its way onto his face and his fingers start picking at a flower near his feet.

"Close your eyes." He murmurs and of course she listens. She trusts him with her life. Her hands are gripping his right bicep and her chin is resting on his shoulder. He wishes they could stay like this forever. Carefully he picks the light pink flower from beside his foot and places it behind her ear. A breeze blows her brown locks and the sun is hitting her in just the right light.

Oh man, is he ever in deep.

She smiles and opens her eyes. They sit in silence for the rest of lunch. She keeps her head on his shoulder though, so he doesn't really mind.

"Ally these heels are perfect!" Trish squeals and Ally lets out a loud sigh when she sees the sparkly silver shoes.

"They're so pretty." She whispers and he laughs at how in awe she is over a pair of shoes. Grabbing them right out of Trish's hands she sticks them on her feet and stands up. She walks around doing crazy poses making them all laugh but when she trips over a piece of loose carpet, it's Austin to the rescue.

"Thanks." She huffs out breathlessly gripping his arms.

"You know it's crazy how even in those... things, you're still impossibly short." He laughs lightly and apparently he struck a nerve because she makes a face and then sits down.

"I can't wear these Trish."

"Oh come on Ally I'm sorry. I was just kidding you're not even that sh-"

"I'll be just as tall if not taller than Ethan. I want to be looking at him not over him." She sighs putting the shoes back in the box.

"Aw I'm sorry, Ally. Maybe next year?" She asks and Austin silently crosses his fingers promising he'll find her a taller date next year. One that doesn't bother him so much.

Once again someone who's not him.

He's tired, annoyed, and a little depressed sitting in the dress shop.

Tired because they've been shopping all day, annoyed because Dez ditched him to go customize his tux, and depressed because every single thing they've done today is a reminder that she's going to prom with someone else. That her heart belongs to someone else.

"Guys?" Ally calls from inside the door and he sighs because this is the fourth dress she's tried. She looked cute in every single one of them.

"I think I want this one." Ally murmurs before pushing the door open.

A strange thing a dress can do to you. Before he can stop it his heart is hammering in his ears and his throat thickens. The whole room is quiet and Trish's eyes are wide with excitement.

"Oh my god, Ally." She whispers.

She smiles and nods her head giving Ally her silent approval.

He feels like he might break when her eager eyes meet his.

"Austin?" She asks begging him with her eyes to tell her that she looks okay.

"I-" he takes a deep breath trying to give himself the courage to push out the next sentence. "You look-"

He can't do it.

Because before he can, in comes Ethan with his stupid tux. Could that fitting have lasted just a few more minutes?

"Wow Ally you look awesome!" He exclaims dropping his tux onto a chair.

Awesome. Yup he said it.

"Awesome? Oh, um, thank you."

Austin rolls his eyes and Trish shakes her head.

Stupid.

When they finally part from Ethan in the mall parking lot he takes Trish home first before driving Ally back to her house. When he pulls into her driveway he parks the car and helps her carry her bags inside.

They drop everything on her bed and stand back to admire their work.

"You never told me what you thought of my dress." She whispers crossing her arms and glancing at him from the side. Why did she suddenly feel so small?

"Wow Ally you look awesome!" He mimics in a high pitched voice and she breaks into laughter giving his chest a good shove.

"Oh shut up!"

Before she can pull her hand away though he grabs it and pulls her closer to him.

"You're my best friend you better at least lie and say I looked nice." She says smiling up at him.

"Even if I wasn't your best friend-" he whispers brushing a piece of hair behind her ear. "-I would still tell you, you looked beautiful."

Then with a kiss to her forehead, he's gone before she can even catch her breath.

Yeah don't expect much from this.