Hey everyone, welcome back to the story! I hope you enjoy this chapter!
This is the first chapter of the story in which I've actually included a song and the lyrics, so let me know what you think of that and how it's formatted and stuff like that in a review :)
As ever, I do not own Austin and Ally or anything you recognise from the show in any way, shape or form, nor do I own any recognisable brands, songs or lyrics within them.
. . . . .
Chapter Seven: Me And My Guitar
Ally's POV
When Miss Kennedy told us what our project was, I instantly got so excited! Finally a chance for me to show people my song writing abilities! But I'm still glad it's only in front of our class though, I am still far from over my stage fright!
When she had finished speaking, I turned to ask Austin what his ideas were, but he was already brainstorming, deep in thought and concentration, and I didn't want to ruin that so I just got my songbook out and started making ideas in there. 'A song about your approach to life and/or your goals and dreams…'
As I make a list of my ideas, a seemingly recurring theme within them is the idea of not giving up and being determined. I think I can make a song based around that – then a huge smile quickly spreads across my face as a melody pops into my head. I quickly scribble it down so I don't forget it before taking my songbook over to one of the pianos in the corner of the room and playing it out gently. I like it.
The lesson passes by very quickly, in a whirl of lyrics and melodies, and when the bell rings at the end I am about halfway done with the song. I can finish it later at Sonic Boom, so I walk back over to my bag and put away my songbook. I smile at Austin when I walk over. "Hey, any good ideas?" I ask.
"Oh yeah, this is perfect." He says smiling brightly. "How about you, you got something?"
"Yeah I'm about half-done. I can finish tonight; I want to make sure it's perfect for tomorrow."
"Well based on your performance yesterday I'm sure it will be brilliant." He replies as we walk towards the classroom door. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Yeah sure. Have a nice night Austin." I say with a smile before we walk in opposite directions down the hallway. I've got the melody of my song stuck in my head as I walk to Trish's class and meet with her there.
"Hey girl!" She says as she walks out and sees me. "You ready to go?"
I nod back and we make our way out of the school. Trish is telling me about how her Geography teacher gave her a detention for falling asleep or something along those lines, but all I can think about is ideas for my song, so I just smile and nod every now and then so she thinks I'm listening (and it seems to work!).
"What about you how was your last lesson? You had music, right?" She asks as we approach the mall.
"Yeah we have to write a song about our approach to life and/or our goals and dreams and then perform it in class tomorrow." I explain. "I'm about half-done with my song and I'm really happy with it." I say enthusiastically.
"Good for you, Ally, you know you're an amazing songwriter so it'll blow them all away anyway!" She says with a smile which I return.
We continue making small talk as we walk through the mall towards Sonic Boom, and just before we get there we hug goodbye and Trish walks off in the direction of her latest job. I think she's working in the pizza parlour today.
I walk through the doors of Sonic Boom and greet my Dad with a hug and kiss on the cheek.
"Hi honey." He says with a smile, but in his breath I can smell a hint of… alcohol? I immediately brush it off, though, he probably just went out for lunch with his friends and had a pint or two, that's normal I guess. "How was school?"
"It was pretty good thanks, I'll go and do my homework quickly and then I can watch the store." I say to him before walking up the stairs to my practice room.
I speed through my homework from World History and Calculus in just over an hour, before leaving the practice room and walking down the stairs. "Hey Dad I can watch the store now if you want to go home and rest." I tell him as I walk around the counter.
"Thanks Ally-cat, just lock up as usual and I'll see you at home." He says, giving me a kiss on the cheek before leaving the store.
It's fairly quiet, and by 7:30 the store's empty. I don't have to lock up for another hour or so, so I take the opportunity to sit at the big grand piano in the centre of the store and do some more work on my song for music class.
Before I know it, I'm lost in the music and I finish the song easily, just in time to close up the store and walk home.
. . . . .
Austin's POV
As soon as I get home after school I go straight up to my room and grab my acoustic guitar, going over what I did in music class today and figuring out how to write the rest of it.
Two hours later I've finished the song and played it through a couple of times, and I'm definitely really happy with it. I can't really believe it – I normally suck at writing songs! I guess that just for this project I had loads of inspiration and the music and lyrics just came to me.
I go downstairs to get something to eat, and see a note left on the kitchen counter from my parents telling me they're out on a date night. Ugh, old people.
I microwave some dinner and eat it, before trying to think of something to do for the next few hours before I have to go to bed.
I realise that I haven't really spoken to Dez properly in a couple of days, and although this may not seem like very long (and it isn't really), it is for us considering how we spent pretty much every day of summer together. And I kinda miss it. So, I call him and invite him round for a few hours to hang out.
He arrives within about five minutes cos he only lives just around the corner, and we just begin talking about this and that.
"So, how are you dealing with the popular girls?" Dez asks me at one point, smirking. He loves watching me get annoyed by them, he says it's better than watching TV.
"Ugh, don't even get me started. We've been back in school for two days and I've already had more than enough of them. They're inescapable, like homing missiles that lock on as soon as they see me, and there's no such thing as evasive manoeuvres for them, let me tell you."
Dez laughs a little. "It's like you're blessed and cursed at the same time."
"Yeah, when I'm surrounded by them I'm kind of annoyed I'm so good looking and irresistible." That sounded really cocky and arrogant. Eh, who cares, Dez is used to it anyway.
"Poor you." Dez says in a sarcastic voice. "Life must be so difficult."
"Shut up," I say jokingly. "trust me if you were in my position you'd be the same way. Is it impossible for me to be seen by any girl as anything other than my stupid reputation?"
"Yeah that really would be annoying. It's like every girl in the school either loves you because of the rumours or can't stand you because of them. Have you not tried to get any of them to know you for you?"
"Funny you should say that, there is this girl who's in lots of my classes who I'm trying to get to see the real side of me, but she doesn't believe me… yet." I explain, hopeful that my song will help change this.
"Oooh, do you have a cruuuush on her?" Dez asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
"No!" I say firmly. "Dez, she still doesn't believe that the rumours are false and like me as a person, let alone like me like me." I respond, kind of avoiding his question.
"But that doesn't answer my question, Austin." Dez says. Damn it, he noticed! "That's how she feels about you, not how you feel about her."
"Dez, no, I do not like her like that. I just want her to be my friend so that at least someone else knows the real me. That is all."
"Okaaaaay, whatever you say." He replies, and we both know that he doesn't believe me. "What's this girl's name, anyway?"
"Her name's Ally. Ally Dawson."
. . . . .
Dez's POV
At last, Austin is finally trying to get a girl to know him for who he really is! It took him long enough!
And, from the sounds of it, this Ally girl he's chosen isn't anything like the popular girls who throw themselves at him – seeing that every day is both entertaining and sickening at the same time.
I'm happy for him though. I've been his best friend for as long as I can remember, and all the way through elementary school and middle school he was just a normal kid, just like me, but then we hit high school and all of a sudden everyone saw him as this God figure, and I think it took both of us by surprise.
He handled it well though, and I'm so thankful. He could have so easily been drawn into that life and gone along with it, and abandoned me for 'cooler friends', like you hear about happening so often. But luckily for me he stayed true to himself, even if nobody else did, and refused to be a part of the 'popular' crowd, even though people still see him that way.
Plus he's had a bit of a bad time with girls. It's not that he wasn't seen as attractive, the complete opposite! But he always found that the girls he went out with only ever liked him because of his reputation and didn't even really know his true personality, let alone like him for that. And I think that's hurt him a lot more than he lets on.
And then of course there are the rumours. Oh God, the rumours. They have reached ridiculous levels, but for some reason everyone still believes them. The worst part is he knows there's no point in trying to deny them, because no one would believe him, so he has to just go along with it knowing that everybody thinks he's done some really messed up stuff.
But, hopefully, if he succeeds with this Ally girl, he'll be happier and one step closer to having everyone know him for who he really is.
Hopefully.
. . . . .
Ally's POV
Thankfully the school days passes quickly, and it's time for music class – time to show everyone my song! I'm so excited to perform, and I can't believe that those words would ever come out of me!
I can tell Austin is feeling the same way, I can feel the excitement radiating from him as he sits at the desk next to mine. He's been quite quiet all day today, and I haven't had a chance to really speak to him. We didn't have our usual free period, because it's Wednesday, which means we had sports instead, and our Chemistry experiment took up the whole lesson so we couldn't really talk. I'm excited to hear his song though, I have a feeling it's going to be really good.
Miss Kennedy enters the room in her usual happy way with a coffee cup in one hand and her laptop in the other, both of which she places on her desk before walking back into the middle. "So guys, today you will be performing the songs you wrote about your approach to life and/or your hopes and dreams. Has everyone managed to get it done?"
Everyone nodded in response.
"Good, well then let's get started! You'll obviously be going one at a time, I have already decided the order. Remember, before you begin you will have to say just a sentence or two explaining your song and all that jazz. So, let's begin…"
Harry performs first, followed by Sarah and then Mike. They all did good songs, but honestly it wasn't like anything you would expect to hear on the radio anytime soon.
"Okay, next is Ally." Announced Miss Kennedy, and I quickly got up and walked to the front of the room and sat behind the piano, getting myself ready.
"Alright, I honestly don't have a completely clear idea of what I am going to do in the future. However, what I am certain of is that I am determined to make something good of my life and be proud of it, and that I will never give up, so I decided to write my song about that. It's called Rise, I hope you enjoy it."
I began to play.
(Link to this song: watch?v=hdw1uKiTI5c)
I won't just survive
Oh you will see me thrive
Can't write my story
I'm beyond the archetype
.
I won't just conform
No matter how you shake my core
'Cause my roots they run deep, oh
.
Oh, ye of so little faith
Don't doubt it, don't doubt it
Victory is in my veins
I know it, I know it
And I will not negotiate
I'll fight it, I'll fight it
I will transform
.
When, when the fire's at my feet again
And the vultures all start circling
They're whispering, "You're out of time"
But still I rise
This is no mistake, no accident
When you think the final nail is in
Think again
Don't be surprised
I will still rise
.
I must stay conscious
Through the madness and chaos
So I call on my angels
They say
.
Oh, ye of so little faith
Don't doubt it, don't doubt it
Victory is in your veins
You know it, you know it
And you will not negotiate
Just fight it, just fight it
And be transformed
.
'Cause when, when the fire's at my feet again
And the vultures all start circling
They're whispering, "You're out of time"
But still I rise
This is no mistake, no accident
When you think the final nail is in
Think again
Don't be surprised
I will still rise
.
Don't doubt it, don't doubt it
Oh, oh, oh, oh
You know it, you know it
Still rise
Just fight it, just fight it
Don't be surprised
I will still rise
(Song: Rise by Katy Perry)
. . . . .
Austin's POV
Wow! Just… wow! Ally's song was absolutely incredible! The entire feel of it was a lot more aggressive than what I was expecting after seeing her performance a couple of days ago, which was so soft, gentle, delicate, vulnerable – basically the opposite of this!
When she finishes, there is that 'perfect silence' that fills the room for a couple of seconds, showing that everyone was giving her performance there full attention, before everyone started clapping and cheering, and I give her a whistle as well for good measure.
She smiles brightly as she stands up and starts to walk back to her seat, but her head is down slightly. It's amazing how as soon as her performance finishes she's back to her normal, shy, quiet self. I guess that just proves how powerful it is when you get into the zone whilst you're performing and for those few minutes it's as if you're in an alternate reality.
"Well done, Ally, that was excellent!" Miss Kennedy says as she stands up and walks back to centre, clapping and smiling a million-dollar smile as she does so. "So, last but not least, Austin! You ready?"
I eagerly nod back and hop up, saying well done to Ally as I pass her on my way to the front of the room. She just smiled softly and blushed a little in response.
I pick up an acoustic guitar and check it is tuned before giving Miss Kennedy a thumbs-up to let her know I'm ready.
"So, my dream in life has always been to be a successful musician. But, unfortunately, there are some people close to me who don't believe in me or don't think that it's possible for me to make it and have it as a career. So, kind of similar to Ally's, my song is about having faith and being determined to make your dreams come true, no matter how many other people try to dissuade you. Enjoy."
My fingers effortlessly start dancing along the strings of the guitar, releasing the melody that I've been working so hard on, and the sound fills the room as I start to sing.
(Link to this song: watch?v=Nk1UAXlfBUA)
People always say
That this has gone too far
But I'm not afraid to chase my dreams
Just me and my guitar
.
And no one may ever know
These feelings inside my mind
Cause all of the lines I ever write
Are running out of time
.
So maybe I should get a nine to five
But I don't wanna let it go
There's so much more to life
.
Tell me that I've got it wrong
Tell me everything will be okay
Before I fall
Tell me they'll play my songs
Tell me they'll sing the words I say
When darkness falls
All of the stars
Will see
Just me and my guitar
.
I'm sure that I'll find my way
Cause I'm not afraid to try
Even a world of love and hope
Can't guarantee that price
.
So maybe I should get a nine to five
But I don't wanna let it go
There's so much more to life
.
So tell me that I've got it wrong
Tell me everything will be okay
Before I fall
And tell me they'll play my songs
Tell me they'll sing the words I say
When darkness falls
All of the stars
Will see
Just me and my guitar
Me and my guitar
(Song: Me And My Guitar by Tom Dice: Eurovision 2010 – Belgium)
I look around the room and everyone is smiling, and again there is that moment's silence after I'm done before everyone starts clapping and cheering, and I get a standing ovation!
But no one is clapping or cheering louder or with more enthusiasm than Ally, and that warm feeling inside me returns, but this time amplified at least a thousand times. I smile back at her and I can see a glint in her eye.
I put down my guitar and walk back to my seat, and when I get there I am very surprised when Ally throws her arms around my neck in a hug. Obviously, I don't hesitate to hug her back tightly. "Good job!" She says in my ear.
"Thanks." I simply say back.
When we pull apart, she looks me in the eyes and says the best three words I've heard all year: "I believe you."
. . . . .
Boom, chapter seven done! I hope you enjoyed it and if you did make sure to leave a review!
Austin's song totally won Ally over, yay! So now that she believes that Austin's not how he comes across, how will their friendship blossom and progress?
Also, I am aware that in Me And My Guitar the actual lyric is "People always say, Tom this has gone too far" but obviously it wouldn't make any sense for Austin to say Tom so I just changed it to that for the purposes of this chapter :)
The links at the beginning of the songs are for YouTube videos of the songs - copy and paste the link into Google and it will be the top result. I highly recommend you watch the videos - who knows? You may find a song that you really love that you'd never heard of before reading this fanfiction! Let me know what you think of the songs in a review ;)
Also sorry for the random dots throughout the songs, it's just the only way I could get the site to format it the way I wanted it :/ If it's super annoying to you then just tell me in a review and I'll change it for next time :)
Please remember to follow, favourite, review, and leave suggestions and questions! It means a lot to me!
Catch you later! :)
