Maybe it was because of the shifty eyes in the room, maybe it was because it was nine in the morning, maybe it was because her eyes were kind, or maybe it was because his bones felt like led and he didn't want to be there.
There were a series of curiosities as to why Austin Moon was late for the meeting. He couldn't explain one. Actually, he could. He could explain perfectly. It was whether he wanted to or not that was the problem. No drop of poison, no ticking of a bomb would explain why he shuffles through the door fashionably late.
He gaze meets several pairs of eyes. His manager stands up and grins, trying not to show his aggravation with Austin. The chair scraped noisily across the floor. His manager, Jimmy, gives him a pat on the shoulder. It's welcoming, it's a greeting, it's a I told you not to be late.
Austin peels the shades from his eyes and tucks the sporty glasses in the collar of his shirt. His eyes were slightly darker from exhaustion. He recently had a habit to party late at night after he'd met his new friend T-Fame. The boy had showed Austin what it meant to live and Austin didn't ever regret a drop of liquor that slipped down his throat. Even when the camera's were flashing and they found him on those bad night's, Austin never had one regret. Of course, not until his manager was practically wringing him out.
Ally Dawson is sitting at the table in all of her elegance. He sees that she's a fan of dressing like she's made something of the world and Austin wants to say she hasn't, but she definitely has with her name printed across every billboard and face plastered on every single magazine in any store. She gives him a small smile, but it's ohsosmall. He almost scoffs because it's so fake. He knows very well she most likely doesn't want this to happen just as much as he doesn't.
Austin snaps out of his scrutinizing trance when the scraping of another chair fills the room. Austin realizes that Jimmy had just introduced him to Ally's manager Ronnie. His hand is big and strong shaking Austin's. For a moment, Austin almost feels like Ronnie is on a higher pedestal than him but he remembers his magnificent place in the world. He mutters out a hello and there's something wrong with his voice that he doesn't ever recognize: Arrogance.
Ally shifts slightly uncomfortably in her seat as Austin sits down into his chair. Okay, he doesn't sit, he slouches. He sends a look to one of the ladies sitting in the corner of the room, ordering her to get him a coffee with his eyes and she's very easy to persuade as she scurries out of the room to grab Mr. Austin Moon a coffee. Ally tries not to frown. She might be new to the industry but she doesn't believe she would ever put herself on such a high place in her own mind that she would stop doing things by herself. It is one thing for someone to offer you something, it is another thing when they are ordered to do it. This is not a castle, they are not kings and queens of the world, they were still normal human beings. They should never have the right to order anyone around ever.
"It's going to be about six or seven months." said Jimmy. He had a paper in front of him, holding a pen. Austin wasn't sure what he needed the pen for but Jimmy was one for writing out To-Do-Lists so he never said anything. As Jimmy is listing all of the action that's going down for the damn tour Austin has to join, Austin is just silently thanking God there's no sharing a tour bus. He wasn't sure if he could be in the same room with Ally, let alone share a bus with her.
Maybe he's angry at her because she wiped him out on billboards every damn time one of her songs got more popular than the others, maybe he's angry at her because she dared to become famous, maybe he's angry at her because she possesses such an excellent talent than normal people beg for every night, maybe he's angry at her because of jealousy, maybe he's angry at her because his popularity has gone down while hers has gone up, up, up.
All of the above are valid answers as to why he dislikes Ally Dawson so much. He gets thoughts like he wished she never made it to Hollywood, like he wished her voice would crack every time she sang so she wouldn't become so much more than he was, like he wished she never dared to step foot onto a stage.
Because according to America and the rest of the world, Ally was so damn perfect. Oh, look at that angel smile! Did you hear that voice? Wow, she writes her own music! Haha, What a sense of humor! Aw, how sweet of her! Whoa, what an outfit! Look at that flawless face! Don't have a favourite song, why not turn on some Ally Dawson tunes? Ah, that little stumble on the red carpet was so awkward but it was cute! She forgot the words to her song at the live show, how adorable! Have you heard her laugh before, it sounds like a melody!
All of that garbage made Austin feel sick. This was, of course, the first time he's met Angel-Ally in all of her prestigious glory. Hell, she's only been famous for a year and half, why the hell is she getting so much attention? Austin's been famous for three years straight now - moving onto four years - he knows so much more than she does, why is he dropping? Why is the popularity letting him go? Austin is insanely talented with that harmonizing voice that could make a crying baby smile and his mad guitar skills, nobody should be moving on from a saint like him!
That really was the only upside to this entire situation. Going on Ally Dawson's first world tour would benefit him just as much as it would to her. She would bring his popularity back up to the top and she would get to live out her night's with fatigue as she ran around platforms and sang her little, perfect heart out. She would get remarkable advertisement and fans that anticipate the next album, and he would get what he deserved: Not to be forgotten.
He was only being forgotten because of Ally Dawson. Screw her, he hates her. He hardly knows her but he hates her. He hasn't even shaken her hand and she hasn't swapped a word with him. He can practically taste her resentment for him, just as much as he felt his resentment for her. Neither of these two precious artists liked the idea of touring for an entire six or seven months together. It was going to be insane, it was going to be torture. They just focused on the benefits; Ally would be loving her life seeing her sweet little fans, and Austin would be gaining his popularity once again.
Austin is only pulled out of his thoughts when the coffee is set down in front of him. He hates his coffee black but he doesn't bother to request it to be fixed up. He focused on Jimmy and Ronnie instead, listening intently to everything they said despite how much he dreaded the tour.
Ally can feel Austin's eyes on her and it's not the tingles running through her body, it's aggravation. Aggravation because he's so stuck up and thinks the world needs to revolve around him. She, of course, isn't so put up on her high horse and can feel the hate radiating through him. She wonders what she did that made him look at her like she was gum he'd scraped off the bottom of his shoe. She has a reason to hate him: He was arrogant, pungent, insolent, ungrateful, and according to the media (although she doesn't like following it) a complete and utter jerk who only thought of himself and liked to party, who ignored his fans when they travelled for 24 hours just to see his face, who cancelled a show because he was hung over, who (in Ally's opinion) needed people to love him in order for him to love himself.
She wasn't so excited about this. She had heard the stories about the girlfriends, the one-night stands, the clubbing, the drunk nights, the moments of smoking marijuana behind buildings, the fist-fights. She wasn't one to believe the media, but she thinks they pretty much got it right when it came to Austin Moon. He was almost an open book, there wasn't questions to be asked if he was a jerk or not. He just was. She wasn't excited to deal with a person like him for seven months. She had learned how to swipe rotten people out of her life but she knew she couldn't swipe him from hers for a whole seven months. She would have to deal with him.
Ronnie and Jimmy seem to be the only ones excited about this. Begrudgingly, Ally got up from her seat and walked towards Austin who was staring at his coffee in distaste. She glanced over at Ronnie who was sharing his ideas with Jimmy.
"Um, hey," Ally said awkwardly. Austin didn't even glance up at her. Ally wondered if he'd even heard her. She figured he was just being a jerk and she was right. "Uh, I hope...you enjoy coming on tour with me?" It came out more like a question rather than a statement.
Austin finally looked at her. "I doubt it." he said. She frowned slightly and Austin read it off as confusion, so he added, "There has got to be nothing worse than going on tour with a spoiled amateur who has no talent."
Ally felt peeved instantly. She knew better than to let his words get to her so she brushed them off. "Oh, yeah? Well, I'm sure you tagging along on my tour isn't going to be a party for me either."
Austin rolled his eyes and stood up from his seat. "Look, Ashley-"
"It's Ally." Her jaw was clenched, her fists balled.
"-I don't want any tension when the tour begins so I'm just going to clear the air now," Austin continued, ignoring her correction, "You are just a toy being used to help me out so I can get my fans back. The fans that you stole from me. Don't think that this is all for fun and games, this tour is only happening because of me."
Ally was in no mood for her delicate politeness. She gritted her teeth, "Funny because you were the last option on the list to join me on this tour. I almost had Katy Perry with me."
Austin gave her a wry smirk, "I have more important things to do like getting a life rather than bantering with you. Professional musicians don't do that." he tugged on his jacket, fixing it on his shoulders. "Remember, Sweetheart, You're only here because Bruno Mars promoted you," Austin said as he recalled the time when Bruno Mars gave her a shout out one day via Tweeter, "And this tour is only going to be successful because I happen to be attending. Nothing has ever happened because of you."
"I thought bantering wasn't professional?" Ally quizzed.
"I wasn't bantering, I was telling you." Austin replied slyly.
"It's okay," Ally assured him, "I guess I have more sanity than most because all I hear coming from your mouth is a load of bull. You're only coming on this tour because of me. Because you've fallen pretty much off the face of the earth. People hardly listen to your sketchy music anymore."
She didn't even give him a chance to shoot something back. She left the room with Ronnie, feeling prideful and Austin feels more angry. Now he definitely had a reason to hate her: she was annoying and basically just insulted his music. She ain't so sweet now, huh, America? Austin thought.
Austin looked at Jimmy, "I'm never forgiving you for this."
"Oh, stop your complaining!" Jimmy snapped. Austin rolled his eyes. "Ally Dawson will be the best thing to ever happen to you!" Jimmy encouraged.
"Or the worst." Austin spat acidly. Jimmy shook his head.
. . . . . . . .
Ally hugged her parents. "Everything will be fine. I'm a big girl now." Ally said to her parents who were misty-eyed and unsure.
"Hardly," replied her father Lester, "You only turned eighteen six months ago."
"I'll be fine, Dad." Ally assured him.
"You're all grown up!" squeaked Penny. She squeezed Ally in a hug again. "Your father and I will come down to wherever you'll be when we find the time. We'll chat with you via Skype, phone calls, texting. Oh, you answer your phone young lady!" Penny pointed a finger at her daughter who had a habit of ignoring phone calls and never returning text messages.
"I will, I will!" Ally said.
"Okay..." Penny nibbled on her bottom lip.
Trish, Ally's best friend, came up behind Ally and patted her shoulder. She grinned at Mr. and Mrs. Dawson. "Don't worry guys, I will take good care of Ally."
"That makes me feel worse." Lester admitted brokenly. Trish frowned. Ally smirked, holding up a laugh in her chest. Trish wasn't the most responsible of people. One time she left her baby brother behind in a mall after getting distracted by a Shoe Sale. She still argues that she regrets nothing. Trish's mother has gained trust issues ever since.
"I trust you." Penny said, her voice wobbling in the lie.
Trish pursed her lips, "It's okay, Mrs. Dawson, I know you don't but thanks for trying." Trish said. Ally laughed slightly.
"I don't know why you guys are worried-"
"-We're worried because you are our daughter going on a World Tour, travelling around without us, going places that could be dangerous, you might meet bad people-"
Ally interrupted her father, "Yeah, Yeah, I get it. I'll be fine. I have Trish, Ronnie, and people who love me waiting to see my shows." Ally said, her face immediately brightening at the thought of her fans.
Lester and Penny nodded their heads. "You have a good time. Don't miss us too much now." Penny said. Ally smiled slightly. She hugged them again, tightly. She knew she was going to miss them, they were her parents after all.
Ally glanced over to where she saw a sporty grey vehicle speeding towards the parking lot. She saw her parents concerned looks and prayed they wouldn't have to meet him. They would probably force her to cancel the tour if they knew she was going to be spending time with a scumbag like Austin.
He drove recklessly, might she add as he skids to a stop, tossing the car into park. He's cool when he gets out of the car, his hair tousled, shades covering his eyes, a nonchalant look on his face as he shoves his car keys into the pocket of his designer skinny jeans. Ally rolls her eyes.
"Wow. You're right. He even looks like a bozo." Trish said. Ally nodded her head. Ally quickly looked at her parents and spoke her final goodbye's. She watched them drive away with sorrow. She felt like her parents had gotten more dramatic since she became famous.
"Dez," Austin said as he looked at his best friend, "Remember what I said: We hate Ally Dawson."
"We hate Ally Dawson." Dez repeated, nodding his head.
"Good." Austin said. He had given Dez a dramatic pep talk about how much of a true snob Ally was, how fake she was, and how she was revolting. He explained that the media lies about Ally all the time and in real life, she's really the most stubborn, arrogant, rudest girl he's ever met. No, he doesn't consider this fibbing, he really believes that's her true self. He just has yet to bring it out of her, that's all.
Dez looked over. "Wow. She's much prettier in person." Dez blurted. He looked at Austin, "Did you know that she wrote Cross My Heart within ten minutes? Like, that's bloody amazing! I remember when I tried to write a song-" Dez stopped when he saw Austin giving him a deathly glower. "-Sorry." Dez hushed himself.
"We. Hate. Her." Austin repeated, separating and emphasizing each word. Dez slowly nodded, trying to let it sink in. He had heard everything Austin said about Ally Dawson but was any of it true? Ally Dawson always seemed so down to earth and kind. At least, that's how she seemed in her interviews and while she was performing. Although, famous people can put on amazing acts. Maybe she really is awful, Dez concluded.
Austin could see Ally glaring at her from across the parking lot with her arms crossed. He smirked at her and found it more amusing when her glare hardened even more. She glanced over and her eyes landed on Dez who was staring at her with a face that looked like it was made of contemplation. She could see in his eyes that Austin must've said something about her. It made her hate Austin a little bit more. Austin wouldn't even introduce Dez so she decided she wouldn't introduce Trish. She didn't want her best friend to get contaminated with Austin's arrogance.
"Austin! Dez!" Jimmy grinned, hopping out of Austin's tour bus. "We want to get moving quickly so get the rest of your stuff loaded up." Jimmy said, patting Austin's shoulder and then walking towards Ally's bus. Austin was so thankful they weren't sharing a bus.
Austin glanced at Ally again, his hateful stare lingering for a moment before he was inside his bus, tossing his bag on one of the couches. Ally rolled her eyes but fixated her stare on Jimmy. She managed to smile at him and forgive him for managing somebody like Austin. She pities Jimmy a little. She reminded herself that Austin wasn't always like that. There was a time when Austin used to actually grin when he got on stage, a time when he used to bring fans onto the platform with him to sing his songs as a duet. He was the sweetest male musician she'd ever seen and then one day he did a complete 360 and started clubbing, drinking, being rude to his fans. One day Austin Moon just quit being grateful. Ally swears to herself that she will never become like that. She will never let the media get so far under her skin that she loses herself, she won't let fame or money influence her attitude.
Soon enough, they all take off. Ally takes a deep breath and tells herself to focus on her fans and not Austin Moon. Austin takes a deep breath and tells himself to focus on popularity, not Ally Dawson.