(A/N: So, sorry if the last chapter was a bit crappy. I was writing it at like one in the morning, so it wasn't the best quality. Here's another chapter to make up for it. I feel like I'm sort of reliving Ally Dawson's Secret. It's a nice feeling. Anyways, here's the update.)
Austin's POV
My alarm clock beeped, filling the room with sharp sounds. I groaned, pulling Ally closer to me. She sighed, and snuggled in next to me, making herself more comfortable. I slowly opened my eyes, breathing in her scent. My throat was dry, and my shoulder hurt a little bit.
I took in my surroundings. I was in my room, in my bed with Ally curled up in my arms. Memories of last night replayed in my head. My parents came home to me and Ally all messy, in a cluttered kitchen. My mom screamed at me for how irresponsible I was being, and my dad just glared at me.
Then my mom apologized to Ally for letting me get her caught up in the mess, and let her take a shower.
When she was gone, my mom scolded me some more, and then hugged me, telling me she had missed me. Then I had to clean up the mess me and Ally made while my mom ranted about how cute me and Ally are together.
I hope she doesn't do anything real embarrassing…
After Ally was done in the shower, I took one. It was my first shower since I got shot, and the water burned the place the bullet impacted. It stung, but it somehow felt refreshing.
I went to bed. Ally was sleeping in the guest room. But, it just didn't feel right sleeping without her. I felt cold and alone, just like I had felt in the hospital for the past four days. I had wondered if she felt the same way.
As if on cue, there was a knock on my door. Ally walked in, wrapped up in a blanket, shivering violently. She played with her feet and asked, "Austin… can I… you know…"
I answered her by picking up the covers, allowing her to crawl in next to me. I kissed her temple, and then sang her Bella's lullaby until she fell asleep. I drifted off to sleep a lot easier with her next to me.
I dreamt about going back to school with her…
Wait.
Going back to school…
We are going back to school today!
I sat up, rubbing my eyes. I glanced at Ally, who had stirred because I had gotten up. She blinked, and looked up at me. I smiled down at her. "Good morning angel," I murmured, leaning down to kiss her forehead. She sighed and sat up. She took a deep breath and said, "Let's get ready for school."
I smiled and got off the bed. I turned to face her, a smirk arising my face. "So," I said, motioning to her. "You need to help me pick my clothes. I can't go to school without my girlfriend's approval." Her face went white, and I cocked my head to the side. "What? It was a joke!" I exclaimed, frowning a little.
"No!" she protested, throwing her hands up. "I just… you never have called me your girlfriend before." My eyebrows knit together. "I thought it was kind of obvious," I sighed, scratching my forehead. She nodded and replied, "Yeah, I know. It's just a little different hearing it from you."
"Okay," I said, clearing my thoughts. "So anyway, I am giving you complete control of what I wear today. You can pick whatever you want." A sly smile appeared on her face. "Anything I want?" she smirked, biting a smile back. I nodded, hoping she would pick something reasonable.
She got up and walked over to my dresser. Another ten minutes later, I was dressed in a yellow button down shirt that was open, an Aerosmith t-shirt, a pair of black jeans, and a silver necklace. I was quite pleased with her sense of style; it matched what I would've picked.
"Perfect," she said, scanning over me. She walked towards the door, and said, "I'm gonna go get changed too, okay?" My eyebrows furrowed. "When did you get clothes?" I asked curiously. She smirked and said, "Your mom took me shopping. She told me many… interesting stories about you."
My mouth dropped and I groaned. Her smirk grew bigger, and she disappeared out the door, leaving me praying that my mom didn't say anything too bad. I exited my room and ran down the stairs, arriving in the kitchen. My mom was there, working on her computer.
"Hey honey," she said, not glancing up to see who it is. "How's your shoulder feeling?" I crossed over to the island and grabbed an apple out of the fruit bowl. "Fine," I lied. My shoulder did feel a little sore, but I can't risk going to the hospital again.
I took a bite from the apple and plopped down into one of the stools. I drummed my fingers onto the counter's surface, waiting for Ally to arrive. I was really proud of her for facing her fear and going to school today. That was really brave of her.
My mom started gushing about how sweet Ally was, telling stories of how Ally helped with the shopping and how Ally insisted that she did the dishes. I smiled, knowing that my parents approved of her.
When Ally finally arrived, my jaw dropped to the ground. She was wearing a see-through white button down shirt with different colored flowers on it, a turquoise tank top underneath. She wore dark blue skinny jeans and brown boots that missed her knees by about four inches, and she wore a gold necklace around her neck. Her hair was curled to perfection, and her bangs were pinned back.
She smiled shyly at me, glancing down at her clothes. "Do I have my boyfriend's approval?" she asked, sticking her hands in her pockets. I nodded, jaw still hanging down. I was utterly speechless. How did she manage to do that in ten minutes? Unbelievable.
I stood up, and glanced over at my mom, who was watching us with a little smirk on her face. I turned a deep crimson, and led Ally out the door, hand on the small of her back. I opened the car door for her, and she rolled her eyes. "How utterly cheesy," she teased, biting back a smile. I stuck my tongue out at her, and she got in the car.
I plopped in my seat and started the engine. I pulled out of the driveway, leading the car on our path to school. She sighed, biting her lip. "I wonder what it's like to drive…" she sighed. My eyes flicked over to her's, and I admitted, "It's a pain in the ass. You're not missing out on anything."
"Whatever," she sighed, playing with her fingers. "I just think it would be cool to do something on my own for once…"
I almost crashed the car.
What?
Okay, let me get this straight…
Ally Dawson thinks she can't do anything on her own?
I pulled the car over, mouth gaping. "What do you mean, 'do something on my own for once'?" I practically screamed, turning to face her. "You, Ally Dawson, spent seven freaking YEARS alone in a school, doing everything you were told to do, and being punished if you made a mistake. You literally had NO ONE to turn to, yet you seemed to survive nothing less. Don't say you are dependent, because that is NOT true at all! You are the best, bravest girl I have ever met, who can do anything by herself. Don't doubt that."
She was taken back, mouth wide open. "I… I…" she stuttered, mouth moving up and down. I leaned over and pressed my lips up against her's for a couple seconds. "Don't worry about today," I reassured her. "Everything is going to be fine."
She nodded, staring at me with those brown eyes. I turned back to the wheel, and pulled back onto the road. We spent the rest of the ride in silence. Not awkward silence, just comfortable silence.
When we pulled into the school's parking lot, I could feel Ally's fear level rising. I could literally hear her heartbeat, and her face was pale. I got out of the car and circled to the other side, helping her out. When she stepped out, she froze, shaking a little bit. I took her hand and shot her a reassuring smile.
She took a deep breath and nodded, allowing me to lead her to the doors. We walked into the school, and everything was how it should be. Students were laughing and talking, and teachers were scolding students who had broken the rules.
That changed quickly.
As soon as me and Ally began to walk down a hallway, all the people fell silent.
People moved out of the way, clearing a path for us, but nobody said a word. They all stared, causing Ally to clutch my hand tighter, and she refused to move, confused at what to do in a situation like this.
I glanced around at my peers, trying to read their expressions. They were all staring. Every single person in that hallway was staring at me and Ally. Ally was shaking again, but I pulled her along, leading her to her locker.
She spun the dial quickly, ignoring the stares of the students who refused to look away. It was still so silent, the only noise being the small click the locker made when it popped open. She pulled out her books, and turned, realizing that people were still looking. She timidly hid behind me, and I covered her, not allowing people to look at her.
Suddenly, a girl approached me. I looked at her closely, and realized that she was Tessa, one of Cassidy's minions. She glanced around at her audience nervously, but ignored them. "Can I maybe… speak to Ally?" she asked quietly, motioning behind me. I narrowed my eyes, and said, "Why?"
She bit her lip and said, "To apologize." My eyes softened, and Ally appeared next to me, looking at the Tessa in confusion. She bowed her head and said, "I'm sorry for being so mean to you. That was wrong. I feel really terrible, and I just wanted to say… you were really brave, for, um… facing our old principal."
Ally's eyes widened, and she nodded, unable to speak. Tessa, feeling relieved for getting her words out, scampered out into the crowd of eyes staring at me and my girlfriend. "I'm sorry too!" one boy shouted, and suddenly, there were choruses of "I'm sorry" coming from everywhere.
Ally just stood there, wide eyed, glancing around at all of the students apologizing. She clutched onto my arm, still a little behind me because she was so shy. She took in a shaky breath and smiled. "Thank you," she whispered, biting her lip.
"Hey Austin!" a boy shouted, coming up to the front of the crowd. "Can we see your gunshot wound?" Suddenly, a group of boys surrounded me, chatting up about how cool it was that I survived someone shooting me. I glanced at Ally, who was surrounded by girls asking her if she wanted to come get a mani pedi with them. She locked eyes with me and smiled.
I smiled back, and mouthed, "I told you so!" She rolled her eyes and turned back to the group of girls asking her questions about living in a school forever. I saw her face pale a little, but she answered all the questions about her past.
I'm so proud of her.
"Hey!" I heard a familiar voice yell. "Clear the way!" The group of boys parted, revealing Trish, Dez, and Dallas. Trish was glaring at the boys, muttering something about hogs. They spotted me, and Dez ran up to me, wrapping me in a very un-manly hug.
"Dude!" Dallas said after Dez pulled away. He gave me one of those guy hugs and said, "I can't believe what happened! The vice principal, who is now the real principal, I guess, made an announcement about you and Ally to the school on Monday! It was crazy!"
My eyes widened. "Really?" I asked. Trish nodded. "There were girls crying in the hallways, and guys were all wide-eyed and guilty. Everyone was like, 'I can't believe I was so mean to her! I feel so terrible!'" I smiled, looking over at Ally, who was chatting happily with the other girls.
She's gonna be so happy.
"But what about you, dude?" Dez asks, elbowing me in my bad shoulder. I jumped, but he ignored me, smirking widely. "What's up with you and Ally?" Dallas waggled his eyebrows, and Trish was bouncing on her heels. I bite my tongue, trying not to laugh at my friend's eagerness.
"Well…" I said, tiny smile forming on my face. "I kind of took a bullet for her. It would be extremely awkward if she didn't return my feelings." Trish laughed, rolling her eyes. Dez gave me an exhausted look. "Dude, get serious here," he smirked, glancing over at my girlfriend. "Yeah," Dallas said, nodding a little. "Are you guys a thing, or like, do I have a chance to swoop in?"
My mouth dropped and I hit him on the arm. "Dude!" I said in a high-pitched voice. My friends burst out laughing. "I was just joking!" Dallas choked out, holding his stomach. I rolled my eyes and said, "Well, you can't 'swoop in', cause I'm pretty sure I love her. And I'm pretty sure she loves me back."
My friends stopped laughing, and their mouths dropped. "Wh— What did you just say?" Trish asked, wide eyed. I bit my lip, eyes shining with amusement. "I said I love her," I replied, turning a bit pink.
All of a sudden, Trish was squealing, hugging me tightly, and Dallas and Dez were patting me on the back. "It's about time he realized his feelings!" Dez exclaimed, causing Dallas to nod. I rolled my eyes again, but suddenly, Trish was freaking out. "When do we get to meet her?" she exclaimed, bouncing around. "Oh. My. God. We are gonna be besties!"
As if on cue, Ally showed up in front of me. My friends grew silent, and she smiled at me. "Austin, can you walk me to homeroom? I don't want to end up mobbed," she joked, intertwining hands with me. I smiled at her, and then she realized that my friends were staring. "Hello," she said shyly, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.
Trish knocked me out of the way and stuck out a hand, "Trish de la Rosa," she said, grabbing Ally's hand. "You might know me. I'm the girl that the douchebag Trent cheated on you with." Ally smiled slightly. "I never liked him anyway," she breathed, flicking her eyes towards me for a second. Dez caught it, and elbowed me in the shoulder.
"Ow!" I screamed, earning the attention of my friends. I hit Dez upside the head. "Dude! I was shot there!" I screeched, rubbing my shoulder. Dez mouth formed an O shape, and he said, "Sorry bro."
I saw Ally giggle out of the corner of my eye, and I smiled slightly. "Okay, okay," I said, taking Ally's hand. "I got to take this lucky lady to class," I said steering Ally away. I pretended I didn't hear the teases my friends were making behind us.
"Your friends seem nice," Ally said, giggling a little. I rolled my eyes. "They're excited," I sighed, swinging our hands back and forth. "They have wanted us to get together since the beginning of the year." Ally blushed a little bit, and looked up at me. "You talked about me?" she asked quietly.
My face turned a deep shade of crimson. "Maybe," I muttered, causing Ally to laugh. We walked up to her homeroom, and I turned to face her. "I got to go," I said, sighing a little. Her face fell, and she climbed underneath my arms, embracing me softly. I hugged her back, smelling her scent.
"Austin," she whispered, looking up at me. "I don't have a class with you until ninth period. How am I gonna get through the day without you?" I grabbed the inside of her elbows, pulling her back a little bit. "You're kidding right?" I asked disbelievingly. "Did you see those people before? They were all over you! You can get through the day."
She still looked unsure, so I leaned down a little bit. "You can do this!" I reassured her. "I'll meet you in the cafeteria right after fifth period for lunch." She bit her lip, and opened her mouth. "Do you think we can have lunch on the roof?" she asked nervously. "I don't know if I'm ready to start eating in the cafeteria."
I flashed her a sympathetic smile. "Of course," I said with a smile. She smiled back and hesitantly leaned in, connecting our lips. My eyes fluttered closed and I pulled her closer, inhaling her strawberry scent. She smiled into the kiss, and I smiled back.
"Hey!" a voice screamed, causing us to jump apart. Mr. Conley stood in front of us with a stern expression on his face. "I don't care if you were locked in this school for seven years. No PDA!" he shrieked.
I blushed, and he walked away. Ally held in a laugh, and turned to me. "Bye," she whispered, pecking me on the cheek. She disappeared into the classroom, and I stood there for a few seconds, before I was wisped away by another group of jocks, asking me questions about the experience and teasing me about Ally.
I thought about her the whole way.
(A/N: There you have it! This chapter was longer than the others, and I'm proud of it! I'll update as soon as possible. If any of you want to follow me on tumblr, my pen name is truecolors264. Same as on here. Review!)
