Hanging By A Thread

Chapter Seven:

The previous events swirled through Austin's head like contents in a blender.

Perfectly fine one minute, and pulverized the next.

All Austin remembers is that he's giving, what he considers, his best performance ever. He's on a massive adrenaline rush. Then all of a sudden he's drained of all excitement, contentment, enthusiasm, or any sort of happiness at all.

"What are you doing?" She asks and she still looks angry, which worries him because he's about to put himself out there even more.

If that's even possible.

"Showing you why you should be with me instead of that bastard," he doesn't even care that he cusses on TV.

He had to shed his squeaky clean, good boy image eventually.

"Ally, I really like you, actually I think I love you and I think you're awesome and fantastic and cool and beautiful and just all around amazing. I can't act like I don't feel this way anymore."

He pauses to give her time to speak, but all she does is sigh and avoid his gaze, so he continues.

"If you don't feel the same way, you can tell me and I won't bring it up again, but if you want to be with me please tell me cause, goddamnit, I wanna be with you."

Still nothing comes from the brunette.

He's getting impatient, so he prods her answer along.

"Ally, say something, remember we're on... ya know, television."

She looks like an absolute mess. Her eyes are filled with horror and, by this point, she has ragged breath.

"Austin... I...I can't... I just... can't."

Then she's gone.

The only thing left of her is her simple grey flat that fell of her foot in the process of running away.

Austin doesn't wait for anyone to say anything before he runs off in the direction he thinks she went.

He can't find her though, and after a good fifteen minutes of searching later, he sighs in defeat and sends her a text.

'Ally, where r u? Please tell me! I'm worried and we need to talk!'

He just stares hopelessly at his phone for the next ten minutes until he phone finally buzzes showing she sent a reply.

'U know where I am. Come find me and then we'll talk.'

He face palms, wondering why he didn't think of it sooner.

One time when they were eleven, before certain situations made them grow up, the duo had gone to the very same park.

Ally was fully enjoying herself, but Austin longed for something more.

The swings and slides bored him, but the dense green forest surrounding the playground really seemed to peak his interest.

He always was one for mischief and adventure.

Ally had protested, saying their moms would not approve of that idea.

She always was one for joy killing and rule following.

"Austin, we'll get in trouble," she whined.

"Which is exactly why," he grabbed her hand and pushed her in the direction of the woods, "we don't tell them."

She came to an abrupt stop.

"No, Austin! I'm not getting in trouble just because you want to be stupid and go into the woods."

"Please Ally," he said and gave her his best puppy dog look.

She rolled her eyes, "you know that look doesn't work on me."

He huffed. "Fine, how about in five years when were fifteen, I'll take you on a date and make all your little girlfriends feel envious."

Even at eleven he was such a flirt.

"Okay, first of all in five years, we'll be sixteen and second, nah, you're not my type," she stuck out her tongue at him.

"Whatever just go into the woods with me will ya?"

She gave a nervous glance back to their parents.

Their moms sat awkwardly in complete silence.

They never got along very well.

"Won't they notice we're gone?"

Austin shook his head, "we'll only be gone for a minute."

She sighed and gave in to his demands, "Okay."

They headed into the woods.

It was pretty built up with grass and weeds and the trees where very close together.

"It's kinda hard to navigate through here."

She immediately stopped.

Austin looked back, worried.

"What is it?"

"Austin, what if we get lost?" She asked with genuine fear.

"We won't. Take my hand and follow me."

She swallowed hard and took his offered hand.

"Thanks," she muttered softly.

They continued to walk in comfortable silence until Austin noticed something up in the trees.

"What's that?" He pointed.

"What's what?" She looked up in the direction of his pointed finger.

"That."

Up in the trees is a treehouse.

A small, simple treehouse that has been worn of age most likely.

Austin ran to the tree and began to climb.

"Austin! What are you doing! You're gonna fall and break your neck!" Ally reprimanded.

"No I won't. I'm a pro," he groaned in effort as he hoisted himself into a higher branch.

"The question is," he's now finally in the treehouse, "how are you gonna get up here?"

"I'm not! Now get down!"

"Come on, Als! Live a little!"

She huffed indignantly, "Austin, I'm in a skirt!"

"What?" He teased with a growing smirk on his face, "are you afraid the ground is gonna see you're purple panties?"

She flushed, either from embarrassment or anger or both.

"How'd you know I was wearing purple ones?"

"I didn't, but I do now," he winked and this made her redden even more.

"I should slap you!"

"You'll have to come and get me first," he challenged.

So she gave in, once again, and climbed the tree.

She actually does pretty good, and surprised herself and Austin alike, except for a slight slip at the top.

Austin grabbed her hand before she could fall.

"Wow, this is pretty cool," she looked around at the empty inside.

"Told you."

"I could come up here and read."

He gives her look like 'you have got to be kidding me', but she just brushed it off and awed at it some more.

It's the same treehouse he's looking at now.

He climbs it for the first time in six years and smiles at the memories that seem like forever ago.

Just as he expected, she's sitting there with faint mascara smudges on her face.

It makes him a little sad she didn't cry harder about him.

"You found me," she states in a small voice.

"Yeah," he sits down beside her, "can we talk now."

She sighs and rests her head in her palms.

"Austin."

He doesn't like the tone she uses to say his name.

"We have been best friend since the third grade, and you've always been there for me when I needed you the

most. You mean so much to me and..." she pauses to calm herself down and get her thoughts together. "I can't loose you, I can't loose your friendship, it's absolutely not an option."

"Why do we have to loose? The way I see it we can only gain from this," he tries to explain this to her.

"It's so easy for you to see the bright side in this. In everything really. And why wouldn't you? Your life is great. You have a great family who loves you and supports you. You have amazing friends and you're so talented and blessed. Your life is like the poster life of happiness."

She takes in another deep breath, "but I live in reality. One where fathers leave, mothers drink, and step-fathers try to rape you. I'm

hanging by a thread, Austin. Do you know how many times I almost died? Or thought about killing myself?"

"But you didn't and you don't have to worry about any of that anymore." He grabs her shoulders and makes her look at him. "You're with us now, we can keep you safe. Nothing's gonna happen to you."

She starts to cry, but he wipes away the tears.

"I can still be your best friend and your safety net and be your boyfriend at the same time. Ally," he whispers just barely, "let me be your everything."

She can't take it anymore. Its killing her.

She brings her lips onto his and instantly he kisses back.

It's passionate and meaningful and everything he hoped it would be.

'This is what it's like to kiss Ally Dawson,' he thinks, 'to kiss her and have her want it just as much as you do.'

His hands slide down to her waist and hers around his neck.

She lets her fingers run wild through his hair and it feels like fucking paradise.

He runs his tongue across her bottom lip, begging for entrance, which she happily complies to.

Her oxygen-deprived lungs go tight and she releases from the kiss and pants for air.

He rests his forehead on hers and pants as well.

"I love you," he says between heavy breaths.

"Can we maybe... hold off on saying that?" She asks and sees the disappointment etch its way on his face. "Just for now. Lets wait until everything is sorted out and we've taken certain people out of the picture."

"Oh, yeah," he says in realization, "you have a boyfriend."

'I just made out with someone's girlfriend,' he thinks and a guilty feeling begins to gnaw at his stomach.

"Yeah," she smirks, "I do have a boyfriend. Who I'm absolutely crazy about."

'Wait- what?'

She can see his confused and slightly hurt look, so she brings her face closer to him and brushes her lips over his. "And his name's Austin Moon."

He smiles, relieved, and kisses her again.

He quickly breaks away though, getting curious.

"Does this mean were dating? Like I can call you mine and make out with you and stuff? Or are we not gonna make out since you wanna take things slow?"

"I never said I wanted to take things slow," she laughs at his excitement. He's like a boy who just got a new toy he doesn't intend on sharing.

"Yeah you did."

"I just said that I wasn't ready to say 'I love you' yet. I never said I wanted to take things slow, I mean think about it, I live at your house, I sleep in your bed every night."

He nods, "that's true."

"I don't want things to go slow, but I don't want them to go too fast either," she tries to explain the best way she can, "I want things to go neutral."

He smiles, "I can live with that."

She smiles as well.

"But first things first, you need to break up with Justin Beiber."

"You mean Matt?" She laughs slightly.

"Whatever his name is. He had Justin Beiber hair."

"You're right. I'm gonna break up with him tomorrow."

"Cool," Austin comments, "can I kiss you now?"

"No, we need to get back to the park. You're parents are worried sick. Not just about me, but you too." She shows him her phone screen which shows she has 23 new messages. Some from his sister, some from his brothers, and some from Trish.

"Ugh! Their concern is cockblocking me," he groans.

She smiles and rolls her eyes. "Come on superstar."

They make their way back to the concert area, where Austin texted them to meet up at, hand in hand.

When they reach the others, they all share knowing glances before hugging the teens.

"What the hell where you thinking running away?!" Trish yells after she hugs Ally.

"I guess I wasn't," she laughs nervously and bites her lip. "I'm sorry guys. You probably think I just did that for attention."

"Nonsense!" Austin's mom yells and squishes the girl in a tight hug. "We are just glad you're okay."

She smiles at the women whose come to be a mother-figure for her.

Unlike the rest of the Moons, including her husband, Mrs. Moon has short, dark hair and light brown eyes.

Other than that she's exactly like her sons and daughter.

"I'm sorry, you guys,"Ally turns her attention to the band, "I kinda stole the show with me freak out. Literally."

Aiden waves it off, "Like mom said we are just happy you're okay."

And the rest of them agree.

"Yeah, and we're happy to see you two have... worked things out," Avery says trying her best not squeal.

Austin smiles down at Ally.

Ally plasters a bright smile on her face, but inside she's a nervous wreck.

"Ally, quit pacing. You're causing a draft!" Trish remarks, eyes not leaving her latest issue of Seventeen.

"I'm so nervous!" She shouts, "I'm meeting Matt in an hour to break up with him and I feel terrible."

Trish doesn't even get to say anything before Ally starts to rant.

"No matter what I do, someone gets hurt. This situations sucks. And poor Matt. Two days after I told him I'd be his girlfriend, I break up with him, and we haven't even spoken since that day.

"But I can't hurt Austin. Did you see his face after I ran away? I've never seen him so upset. It was like someone gave him a puppy and then kicked the crap out of it."

"Ally," Trish interrupted, "slow down. You really need to learn to breath between monologues."

Ally let out a deep breath she didn't know she was holding in. "Sorry, I'm doing that stupid 'talk when I'm nervous' thing again, aren't I?"

Trish nods and puts her magazine down.

"Are you sure it's really Austin you want to be with?"

"Why would you ask that?" She asks, thinking she cleverly avoided answering the question.

"Because you don't seem so sure you do, and also, you just avoided answering my question."

Ally groans, feeling more transparent than a piece of glass.

"I'm just saying," Trish suggests, "maybe you're only choosing Austin because you're afraid to hurt him."

Ally looks down at her bare feet and the purple carpet in Trish's room.

"I have to go, it's three ó clock," she sighs and thinks bitterly, 'perfect time to break a heart.'

By the time she's close to the café they're suppose to meet up at, it's raining.

Not just a drizzle or sprinkling, but full on downpour.

She's soaked.

'Weather to match the mood. Irony's a bitch.'

She can smell the sweet fragrance of coffee and banana bread, but she's too lost in thought to enjoy either one.

Trish's words keep playing over and over again in her mind.

Is that why she said 'yes' to him?

She didn't start thinking that until now.

But maybe Trish was right. So maybe she should turn around.

But maybe Trish was wrong. So maybe she should continue walking.

One things for sure. She has to get out of this rain.

Her sneakers were drenched and squish with every step she takes.

She smiles down at the pair of shoes and remembers the day she got them.

The last thing she expected to get on Christmas was a pair of plain white converse.

But that's exactly what she had received.

It wasn't until her blond best friend pulled a pack of felt markers from behind his back, that she fully understood the gift.

They had spent the whole rest of the day drawing on them until there was no room left.

Austin drew random doodles, while Ally wrote small bits of song lyrics on them.

He also labeled them 'left' and 'right' and put a yellow 'A' on the right one.

'Best Christmas present ever,' she thinks.

She walks into the building, letting the warmth embrace her presence.

The familiar brunette is sitting at a table in the back and gives a faltering smile he sees her.

"Hey," she sounds more depressed than she means to.

He sighs, "Okay, lets get this over with."

"Get what over with?" She asked, confused.

"I figured your intention of meeting here wasn't a good one. The look you have on your face is confirmation enough."

She swallows, "Did you watch the performance yesterday?"

"Didn't have to," he holds up a recent issue of Cheetah Beat, with the two of them (her and Austin) on the cover. It was of their kiss and she figures some reporters must have snuck back there with either her or him.

Ally lets out a frustrated groan. "Look Matt-"

"Save the explanation," he interrupts, "I'm not mad."

"Really?"

"Not as mad as I should be." He then shrugs and puts the magazine away, "Honestly, I saw it coming."

"Seriously? Like this whole time?"

"Not the whole time," Matt gives a sad smile, "I knew right away, when I picked you up for our first date that Austin wasn't just being the over protective best friend. Trust me, Ally, I'm a guy. I can sense when other guys hate my guts."

She offers a humorless laugh to this.

"Oddly enough, I realized you liked him back when I asked you to be my girlfriend and you said yes. It was that moment, the way you agreed to it, that I knew you would never really be mine. That your heart would always belong to someone else."

"Glad you realized it sooner than I did," she grumbles lowly.

"I'm gonna make this easier for you," he tells her and squeezes her hand reassuringly. "I'm gonna break up with you."

She feels like it isn't quite as warm as a certain someone else's.

She smiles and silently thanks him.

He smiles back and lets go of her hand.

Then they go their separate ways.

New Text To: Austin

It's really pouring down out there. Won't make it home, I'm just gonna stay at Trish's. See you tomorrow!

Ally hits send and gives a glance toward the window.

It's still raining and Autin's house is a pretty good walk from Trish's so she decides to just have a sleepover and avoid the unnecessary cold she'll receive from walking too much in the rain.

New Text From: Austin

U sure? I could come and get you.

She smiles at his willingness to stop whatever he's doing just to help her out.

Gosh, he's so wonderful.

But in a boyfriend way? Or only a best friend way?

Yes, she's still fighting in a mental game of tug-a-war with herself and so far, neither side is ready to budge.

New Text To: Austin

Nah, that's okay but thanks anyway. You're wonderful.

New Text From: Austin

And all yours :) Goodnight babe!

Of coarse he had to say something like that.

Damn his Austin Moon charm!

He was pretty smooth for a guy with the middle name of Monica.

"Still at war with yourself?" Trish says through a mouth full of caramel popcorn.

The girls had decided to watch Twilight Breaking Dawn part 2 since they hadn't got to see it when it was in theaters.

No, the stupid boys had made them watch some stupid horror movie.

Which Ally had hated every minute of.

"Yep, now give me some popcorn and lets watch two vampires have crazy hot sex for no apparent reason."

"Actually," Trish responds, popping in the DVD, "I don't think they have sex in this one."

"It's Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, of coarse they have sex."

Trish laughs and presses play.

Ally can't focus on the movie though, she's too distracted by her inner struggle.

Hurting Austin is definitely not something she wants to do, but wouldn't leading him on when he's not really who she wants count as hurting him too?

Then again, she's not completely surely isn't what she wants.

But she's not sure he is.

It's all so confusing and it makes her feel overwhelmed.

She decides to put it all aside and focus on the movie.

That task is easier said than done.

I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones

Enough to make my systems blow

Welcome to the new age, to the new age

Welcome to the new age, to the new age

Woah, woah

I'm radioactive, radioactive

Ally awakes at the sound of her ringtone.

Who the hell is calling her at one-thirty in the morning.

She's about to shut it off before she sees what the phone screen says.

Austin wants to FaceTime.

So, she hits the accept button and waits to be connected.

"Hello," Austin says once she can see him on her screen. He looks fully awake unlike herself.

"Hey," she replies and then lets out a yawn.

"You look tired," he laughs, then adds flirtatiously, "and gorgeous."

She blushes and silently decides that he doesn't look so bad himself.

His hair is tousled, more than usual, but he still looks good in his white tank top.

She notices he's wearing a small smile and that he isn't looking at her face.

She fixes her tank top so that it's not revealing anything anymore and gives him a pointed look.

"Busted," he says quietly and then laughs.

"Gosh, you are such a child."

"What? I could never do that when we were just friends," he points out to her, "besides you're my hot girlfriend, you should be honored to catch me staring at you."

She rolls her eyes and hears a loud snore come from the sleeping figure next to her.

"Are you in there with a grizzly bear?"

"Nope, just Trish," she turns the phone screen so he can see Trish, "but don't worry she's a really heavy sleeper."

"Why did you call me so late?" She asks and yawns yet again.

"I dunno, I was tired, besides I wanted to make sure you were okay, you never texted me back."

"Sorry, we were watching a movie, but seriously you shouldn't have been worried. I was with Trish."

He shrugs, "all I knew was you weren't with me, I had texted you, and you didn't text back. It was force of habit to make sure you were okay."

"I guess I can understand that," she yawns for her third time that night.

"Okay, babe, I'll let you get back to sleep. You seem tired."

"Thanks, I am."

"Night."

"Night."

"Wait!" She says in a mixture of both a whisper and a yell (not to be oxymoronic), "Austin, I think I might love you too."

"Really?" He asks as happiness washes over him.

"Really," she responds.

He gives her a serious smile, "that's good, cause I know I love you and it's killing me not to tell you that all the time."

"Goodnight, Austin."

"Goodnight, Als."

She snuggles deeper into the covers and lets her friend's snores lull her to sleep.

It may have taken a late night phone call to end her mental game of tug-a-war, but it was worth it.

She loves Austin.

Austin loves her.

And maybe it's too early in the relationship to feel that way.

But love has a different pace for every relationship, and maybe neutral just isn't there speed.

A/N

And BAM! Auslly!

Hands down my favorite chapter so far what about you guys?

Thank you to Rainpath4 (woo! First mentioned again), ReAdErSfEvEr, .1, mono5709, LoveShipper, jarlcarriers, Elina-Ann, SwiftStar1, and the guests who reviewed.

Did you guys catch the Another Cinderella Story reference I put in there? (Love that movie)

Song used in this chapter: 'Radioactive' by Imagine Dragons (Ally's ringtone)

Well, that's all.

Review please!

Kthanxbai!