Easter One-Shot
The sun is warm and the sky is a soft blue. A soft breeze blows as people file into the small beloved white church that has been in Miami for years. The little girls are dressed their best in their colorful dresses tied with big bows and little hats upon their perfectly curled hair. Parents shove through the door with their children, fighting for the seats in the back so the priest can't hear them screaming as loudly as he would if they sat up front.
Ally Dawson, a sweet teenage girl, fights her way through the crowd with her father on her heels. She is wearing a light pink sundress and flats to match. Her brown hair that sported caramel-colored highlights is perfectly curled and pinned in different places with sparkling clips. She has a gorgeous silver bracelet with a treble clef dangling off her left wrist.
She wears the bracelet everyday because it was given to her by her best friend and her music partner, Austin Moon, for her birthday two months earlier. He always knows what to buy her on special occasions because he knows her like a book. He knows her favorite bands, colors, and foods, so his gifts always know how to make her smile.
Her father and her make it into the small church and slide into a white wooden pew towards the front of the church. Mass has not yet begun, so Ally takes this as a liberty to peer around the church to see who is here and to check out the other teen girls' dresses.
She sees Katie Barrow, a shallow girl from school who Ally never associates with, wearing a sparkling blue dress. She looks so pretty, and Ally can't help but feel jealous. She looks at a few more girls and wonders how shallow and popular girls always get the best looks and how everything always works out in their favor.
She tears her eyes away from the other girls and sees her best friend since forever, Trish Delarosa sitting towards the back of the church with her little brother, her older sister who is home for the holidays, and her parents. Trish catches Ally's eye and waves. Ally giggles and waves back.
Out of the corner of her eye, Ally can see the mop of messy blonde hair that defines her best friend. She tore her eyes away from Trish and meets them with Austin's. He smiles at her and she feels butterflies in her stomach. He gives her a small wave and she waves back. They smile some more before awkwardly turning away.
Ally can't help but think he looks amazing. He has on a white buttoned down shirt and khaki pants and his new dress shoes that he showed her two days ago. He looks like he just stepped out of a magazine in her opinion. She takes a tiny peek at him again and she sees him running his fingers through his hair. She can see his muscles through his white shirt and she wonders how she never noticed how nicely built he is.
She doesn't like him though, and that is because her friendship and partnership she has with him is too much to lose. What if they dated and broke up? Everything would be totally awkward between them. They would never have that same strong relationship again. She also knows that a perfect guy like him would never go for a girl like her. He is popular and always dates girls like Katie Barrow, and Ally knows that she'd never have a shot with Austin if she was the last girl on Earth and he was the last boy.
However, she can't help but sometimes feel attracted towards him. He's so good-looking, but that's not the only reason. He's so sweet and fun to be around. He knows exactly how to make her feel better when she is upset, and he's always there for her. He listens to her when she talks to him, and he compliments her all the time, making her feel special. He treats her like a princess, always putting her before himself. Sure he's immature and weird, and sometimes a little clear and oblivious to things, but Ally thinks he's just fun and goofy. She does not want him to change. Ever.
The entire mass, Austin can't keep his eyes off of Ally. He thinks she looks so beautiful today in her dress. He gulps. He doesn't know why he can't stop looking at her. I don't have a crush on her, do I? No that's completely ridiculous. He tells himself that he is just feeling this way because his teenage instinct is to look at a pretty girl. It doesn't mean anything. He finds other pretty girls and stares at them, hoping it could distract him from Ally, but his eyes just keep darting back towards her. She's the most beautiful girl there, according to him.
Austin sighs and puts his head in his hands. I don't have a crush on her, he keeps chanting in his mind. You just think she looks pretty today...that's all. Austin shakes his head though, and realizes he thinks she looks pretty everyday. He can't help but feel a little bit attracted to her. It's not only because she's pretty either.
He loves when she makes bad jokes, he thinks it's so adorable. He loves when she sings, she sounds like an angel. He loves to hug her, she's so soft and warm and smells really good. He loves when she babbles on and on, when she dances badly, and when she chews on her hair because she's nervous. He thinks she does the cutest things ever. He thinks she beautiful.
He shakes his head again, to clear his mind. He knows he can't have a crush on Ally. He needs to preserve their friendship. It would also distract him from his music career. They have come so far as just friends and he doesn't want to ruin that, but at the same time it makes his chest hurt knowing that he will never be able to hold her in his arms or kiss her lips covered in cherry-flavored lip gloss.
After the mass, Austin walks slowly over to Ally. He pauses a couple feet away from her to take it all in. She looks absolutely stunning and so innocent. He loves that about her. Finally, he closes the gap between them, in several steps. He stands right in front of her.
"Hey Ally," he says, looking down at her. Ally's eyes dart upwards to the tall boy in front of her. He's about eight or nine inches taller than her. They both feel unexplainable butterflies in their stomachs. They always feel like that whenever they are around each other.
"Hey," Ally says, sweetly. Austin loves the sound of her voice. He'd recognize it anywhere. "Happy Easter," Austin says, hoping this is a good conversation starter. "Happy Easter!" she says back. He smiles at her and she smiles at him. "Look I'm wearing the bracelet you got me," Ally states, holding up her wrist. Austin feels fuzzy all over at the fact that she kept the bracelet. He spent nearly all his savings to buy her that, but it was well worth it because she loves it.
"I'm glad," Austin tells her. "So, what are you doing for Easter?" Ally asks, hoping to keep the conversation alive. "Oh you know, going over grandma's...eating ham and easter pie. Hanging with the family. Just your stereotypical Easter," he says and she laughs. "Sounds awesome," she says back. They both smile. They always smile when they are around each other.
"What did you get me for Easter?" she asks after a couple of seconds. He shakes his head. "I can't tell you," he says, pretending to lock his lips shut with an imaginary key. Ally giggles. "Fine, I guess I'll just have to wait," she says, feigning disappointment. "Oh you poor thing," Austin says sarcastically, "How will you ever go on?" Ally rolls her eyes and playfully punches his right arm. "Oh you want to get it on at church?" Austin asks, putting his fists up. Ally puts hers up too. "It's on," she says. They both start laughing and then Ally's dad, Lester, joins them.
"Hey Austin," he says, shaking Austin's hand. Austin smiles. "Hey Mr. Dawson, Happy Easter," Austin says. Ally feels warm and fuzzy inside. He's the perfect gentlemen. Trish and her family saunter over along with Austin's parents. The parents all start to mingle while Ally, Trish, and Austin step outside of the circle, after being hugged from the other parents.
"So, guys, what's up?" Trish asks. She has her suspicions about Austin and Ally's relationship, and she saw their little flirt fest minutes ago. "Nothing much," they both answer at the same time. Trish doesn't understand how they cannot like each other. They are obviously meant to be together, as far as she's concerned.
Trish just nods and says, "Yeah okay," sarcastically. "What's that supposed to mean?" Ally asks getting all defensive. That's a sign to Trish that proves Ally has feelings for Austin. She gets so defensive about it right away, that it's a dead giveaway. "Nothing, nothing, nothing at all," Trish says, laughing and walks away leaving a very confused Austin and Ally with weird looks plastered on their faces.
Ally goes home with her father then. Her family all comes over and they enjoy a large Easter dinner. There is tons of candy there. Ally loves jelly beans and Reese Cups the best, but her dad didn't buy any jelly beans OR Reese Cups. She nibbles on a chocolate rabbit, wishing she had either one.
After a few hours of just being with her family, she hears a light rap on the door. She's assuming it's just another family member, but when she scans the house everybody is already there. When she opens the door, it's Austin. He's holding a tin in his hand with a pink bow around it.
"Hey," he says sweetly. "Hey," she says, stepping out onto the front porch and closing the door behind her,"What's up?" Austin smiles, "I brought you something," he says. He hands her the tin with the bow. She tears the bow off and opens the tin which is filled with jelly beans and Reese cups. "Aww thanks Austin! How did you know these candies are my favorites?" she asks. He shrugs. "I know everything about you," he says.
Ally felt so good that somebody knew a fact about her, that she couldn't even remember sharing with him. It made her feel special.
She walks over to the swing on the porch and sits down in it, beginning to eat her candy. Austin sits beside her and finally says, "You look really pretty today." As if she couldn't feel anymore giddy. She smiles and says thanks, blushing deeply. He loves when she blushes. It makes her look even more beautiful than she already is, if that's possible.
Austin is not sure how he is feeling right now. Perhaps in love? That seems logical. He starts to think he was always in love with her, he just wouldn't admit it to himself. He can't deny it anymore, no matter how hard he tries. Ally is feeling the same way.
They both stand up and Austin says he has to leave. They walk to the steps and then stop there for a moment. They both had just realized they are in love with each other. Ally looks up into Austin's hazel eyes and he looks down into her chocolate brown ones, and maybe it's some kind of invisible magnet pulling them together, because they both starting leaning closer and closer.
Ally stands up on her tippy toes and Austin leans down ever so slightly, and the gap closes between them as he presses his lips against hers. He places his hands gently on her waist and she wraps hers around his neck. Her lips are so soft and taste like the candy she just ate mixed with her cherry lip gloss, and Austin loves it. The kiss lasts longer than either of them expect it to, mostly because they don't want to pull away. Finally, Ally pulls away, needing some air.
They both awkwardly look away and then back at each other. Neither of them are sure what just happened, but they both certainly enjoyed it. "Austin I-" she starts but Austin just crashes his lips onto hers one more time. He can't resist. "Sorry," he says as they pull apart. "Um did that feel as good for you as it did for me?" Ally awkwardly asks. "Probably better," he says wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her against him.
She looks up at him. "So what do we do now?" Ally asks. "Um, be together," Austin suggests and shrugs. "Really?" Ally asks, surprised. "Well I don't see what else we can do because I think I'm in love with you," he says softly. Ally beams. "I think I'm in love with you too," she says and giggles, "Scratch that, I know I am." He laughs.
"So do you want to go out?" he asks her, "You know, like be my girlfriend?" Ally giggles, "I can't believe this!" she exclaims. "Why not?" he asks. "Well I never thought you would like me," she says and shrugs. "Why not?" he asks, confused. "I don't know, you just seem like you would go for a more...you know...prettier girl," she says and looks down. "Alls, you are the most beautiful girl I know," he says and then she looks back up. "You think I'm beautiful?" she asks, feeling so happy inside and blushes from the roots of her hair down to her neck. "Yes I do," he says and kisses her forehead.
"So to answer my previous question..." Austin says after a while. Ally giggles. "Yes, I'll be your girlfriend," she says happily and then picks her up and spins her around. "Alright I got to go," he says setting her back down on her feet. "Aww," she says sadly. "Don't worry, I'll be back tomorrow, and we'll hang out all day," he says and she smiles. He kisses her on the cheek and then bounds down the steps. "Happy Easter!" Ally calls out to him as he starts walking down the sidewalk. He turns around and says, "Happy Easter, beautiful." Ally beamed happy she now had two sweet things: a cute new boyfriend and a tin can of jelly beans and Reese cups.