It had been almost three hours since they came to the diner and they still hadn't made much headway… they managed to do everything but what they actually had to do. After laughing at Austin for 20 minutes because he said doodies instead of duties while flirting with a waitress, she finally insisted they had better started when Austin said something stupid again and she started laughing. It was just that she couldn't concentrate when she was around him. She always seemed to find herself laughing at his jokes and completely losing herself when she was with him, although in a good way. It was like she could be her complete dorky self with him and secretly he was dorky too… which she actually didn't expect from him.

"Hey let's go down to the beach. We might just catch the sunset" he suggested.

"Uhh the beach?" Ally asked, hesitantly.

"Yeah the beach, why?"

"Umm just never really liked the beach."

"Never liked the beach! What the hell!"

"I just never had too many fond memories over there… I don't know…" she said rubbing her arm.

"Well let's go now and create some fond memories!" he said shoving her books into her bag and grabbing her arm and storming out.

"Austin, the bill" she yelled when they were on their way out.

"Right" he said, dragging her back inside.

She rolled her eyes

"Come on, come on, come on, come on, leggo" he screamed.


Ally couldn't remember the last time she felt so elated and carefree.

"Come on come on come on" Austin ushered her.

"But Austin I don't want to get into the water" she grumbled

"Whyyyy?" he wailed, frustrated. "We already had a talk about this on the way here"

"Because after I get back on the sand from the water, it'll stick to my feet and I'll feel icky"

"Uhhh Ally can you stop fusing and just let your hair down sometimes?"

"Nope" she replied

"That was a rhetorical question"

"Oh you know what rhetorical means" she said sarcastically, clapping her hands.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the water.

"Austin!" she complained, but was secretly was enjoying it.

"Come on!" he said leading her forward. "I've probably said come on to you like 20 times this evening"

As he pulled her into the water she couldn't help starting at him. His golden hair glistened because of the setting suns beam on it. He kind of looked like an angel right then. His shorts got wetter and wetter as they waded deeper. Her jeans were completely wet but she didn't care anymore. He dragged her forward to a point where the water level was up to Ally's waist

"We're going to be drenched and cold"

"Well too late now" Austin said with a smirk and his blue eyes dancing.

They stood there for a few minutes, hand in hand, looking at the sunset. The entire world seemed to blur away and all that seemed to matter was just him and her. She felt the adrenalin rush through her, like the waves splashing against her body was giving her energy. She felt like the world was perfect again... up until a huge wave crashed upon them and sent them flying backwards.

"Hold on!" he screamed as he pulled her closer and tightened his grip on her. He knew this was coming, that little piece of scum, she thought with a smile. But before they could turn and run, they were hit. They were sent back with such a force they toppled over each other and gulped in as much water as they could. They lay on the beach for a few second, her over him, his eyes searching hers. After a few seconds of being transfixed and too shaken to even move, she rolled over.

"I'm going to murder you!" she huffed.

He looked at her apologetically. She looked at his puppy dog face and couldn't help but laugh.

He laughed too, after a second, relieved that she wasn't really mad.

"See Austin" she said picking herself up "I can let my hair down"

"Yeah a wave had to beat it out of you"

She laughed, offering a hand to Austin. He accepted her help and got up.

"Huh, I expected you to fall over, you're freakishly strong"

"Yeah I work out" she bluffed, flipping her hair, "See these guns?" she said flexing her biceps.

"Uhuh" he said giving her a smug look.

"Let's walk" he said.

They were drenched from head to toe. Ally had salt water in her hair and every other awkward place ever. She tried to shake her head to try and get of as much water as she could. Austin chuckled at her.

"What"

"Nothing"

The sky was covered in hues of all colors, near the horizon was an orange merging into a light pink as it moved upward. Further, it transitioned into the light blue sky, which became darker and darker, as it progressed. The sun was now a red semicircle, hovering above the horizon. The sea looked calm and was a beautiful blue. If Ally was asked to describe the ocean, she would say, it was a place always too crowded and too overrated, a place where sand sticks to your body making you uncomfortable, a place where you got sunburned, a place where, in the water, dangerous creatures like sharks and jelly fish lived. Her description matched nothing off this scene at this time. The beach was almost empty, except for a family of 6 and a few couples. She could hear the waves lashing against the shore and the seagulls far off in the distance. All was peaceful.

She was conscious of Austin's presence next to her. He walked with his eyes on her, observing her, but whenever she turned to him, he would look away. Maybe she was imagining things, and he was looking at the sea, as she was standing between him and it. Maybe not. They walked silently, hands brushing against each other.

"Let's sit here" he suggested

They were a little away from the main beach now, among the rocks and the crabs which dwelled in its creaks

"Today was fun"

"Even if it was, I will never admit it Austin, you know it" she replies with a smirk.

"But I can't believe you thought the beach was scary"

"I never said it was scary, just said I didn't like it"

"Call it what you want too" he said teasingly.

"Oh look who's talking! You're scared of umbrellas" she bit her tongue as soon as she said that. Stupid, stupid ally, she chided herself.

"Umm how did you know that?"

"Umm just guessed... and I got it right, so yay me!" that was so fake, he so did not buy that.

Way to go Ally, he now thinks you're some crazy stalker.

"Anyway", he said turning to her "what's your biggest fear?"

"Stage fright I guess"

"I used to know a girl who had stage fright" he said looking down.

Ally heart skipped a beat. Her heart was beating faster and she didn't know why. Well, she had a slight feeling of what it might have been. Maybe he remembered her but didn't recognize her, or maybe he was referring to someone else. Her head filled with maybe's

"What's your favorite color?"

"I like a few colors of all shades I guess"

"Well that clears it up"

"Deep pink, baby pink, teal, lavender etc. etc." she said vaguely "What's yours?" she played safe this time although she knew his favorite color was yellow.

"Yellow I guess, kind of girly but yeah"

Still hasn't changed a bit.

"In your defense yellow is a beautiful color"

"Like me" he said cockily

"Don't flatter yourself blondie, you're not all that cute" she said all boss-like.

"Try telling that to the girls in school"

She laughed, raising her hands in surrender

It was the second time that evening she felt everything was perfect, everything was beautiful… she felt like nothing had changed since she was 10. Of course, this lovely moment, lovely feeling had to be destroyed.

Austin's phone rang. He pulled out the Ziploc cover from his pocket. Before they had gotten into the water Ally had insisted they put their phones in Ziploc bags just in case.

"It takes all my willpower to admit this, but your Ziploc theory is actually genius, if it weren't for that, my phone would've been drenched" he said smiling. "Tell anyone this, I will deny it like my life depends on it"

She giggled. "Thank you, Thank you" she said, with a mocking smile.

That minute, the entire world seemed to change. The sky became grayer, the ocean grew wilder and Austin's carefree smile sank from his face.

"Ah that's just my- um- my girlfriend" he stumbled for words.

"Oh" Ally hope she didn't sound as disappointed as she felt.

How come he hadn't mentioned this earlier? How could she have forgotten? The girl he walked into school with, the one he had kissed, how could she have forgotten that pretty brunette, her hair a little darker that ally's?

"I'm sorry" he said as he got up "I have to take this" he said as he stared at his phone, unable to meet her eyes. He walked away toward the main beach, and had left her staring after him.