My album released to enormous success. We couldn't have hoped for anything more. It went gold within the first week and gradual increased over the next few months. My career was for real now. I was no longer just an internet sensation, I was a legitimate pop star. But for some reason things just didn't feel like they were going my way.
I fell for a girl and she lived on the other side of the country. I can't believe I fell so hard for Cassidy in just the week we spent together. She was incredible. She's beautiful, funny, nice, and she cares as much about music as I do. She's a one of a kind girl and I couldn't stop thinking about her. And on top of that Ally was dealing with a serious case of writer's block and we hadn't written a new song since Christmas. It seemed like just when everything was going great, both my career and my love life just stalled out.
When we were traveling together for that week I really thought Cassidy and I were hitting it off, but after we got home she hardly responded to my texts. The thing is I knew she liked me, she practically told me so, but I didn't think she was comfortable with the whole long distance thing. I knew I just had to find a way to show her that I would do whatever it took to make it work. For the first couple weeks of the new year I was too busy to give her much attention. She left for LA on the first and I had to continue a nationwide press tour to sell the album.
She couldn't make it to see me when I stopped in LA, so all I had was the texts we sent to each other and those were few and far between. I tried calling her a few times but she wouldn't answer. I was really frustrated, I needed to talk it out with someone. So the next time I got a chance, at the end of our press tour, I pulled Ally aside to talk. I told her everything that happened between me and Cassidy, which granted wasn't a whole lot, but it didn't change how much I felt for her.
"Maybe you two just weren't meant to be, you live one opposite ends of the country you know."
That wasn't the advice I was hoping to get from Ally, and she seemed a bit distant. "I just can't get her out of my head. She's perfect but not too perfect. She makes me feel like, I don't like the feeling of putting on a new pair of shoes or eating a big stack of pancakes."
Ally gave me a weird look, "I'm not sure what that is supposed to me but if its genuinely how you feel, you should probably tell her, not me." While it was really good advice it still kind of felt like she was just trying to get me to go away. Maybe she just hates this kind of drama or something.
"Thanks Ally, that's a great idea." I ran off to go figure out how to tell Cassidy how I feel about her. I found myself in Dez's basement hanging with my best friend.
"I don't know Austin, sounds like you're having trouble expressing yourself," He said this while making flamboyant hand gestures, "Kinda like when you couldn't figure out how to squash the Auslly rumors."
That's when I had a brain storm, "That's it! You're a Genius Dez!"
Dez brushed off his shoulder and said, "I know." He then paused a little confused, "Wait, why?"
"I'll just do what I did for the Auslly stuff, I'll write a song for Cassidy and then I'll fly out to LA and sing it for her. You're the best Dez, I gotta get to work."
So there I was first night back in Miami once again and once again I was pulling an all-nighter writing a song all by myself. Inspiration can be death to your usual sleeping patterns. The words flowed out of me and splashed onto the page of my song book. The music came pretty quick too. By 4am I had a complete song and then I passed out on my bed.
I woke up that afternoon excited about my new song, I had to run and show it to Ally I couldn't believe I wrote another song. I think I was starting to actually get good at songwriting. I guess Ally was rubbing off on me. I sprinted to Sonic Boom and I think I panicked Ally because of how fast I ran in. I think she thought something was wrong. When she realized I had just written a new song she calmed down a little bit and asked to hear it. I told her I wrote it for Cassidy to tell her how I felt about her and then I played it for Ally.
"That was amazing, Austin, I'm sure that will win Cassidy over. I'm pretty sure you could get any girl with a song like that." Ally still seemed a little off, like she was sad and distant. As much as I wanted to rush out of there and catch a plane to LA, I had to find out what was going on with Ally.
"Thanks Ally, but is something wrong, you haven't seemed yourself recently?"
Ally forced a smile and looked at me, "No, I'm fine, just tired from that crazy press tour." She broke into the voice she uses when she tries to convince people she's not lying.
"Do you really think you're gonna get away with that with me? After all we've been through I can tell when you're hiding something. What's wrong?"
She dropped the act and turned away from me shyly, "I guess that ever since I saw you go all puppy love with Cassidy I realized how much I was missing someone special to talk to like the two of you did. I guess I'm just feeling a bit lonely."
"I'm sorry you're feeling that way, but its kind of silly. You're like the best person I've ever met so you'll meet someone special. I know you will and if they can't see how awesome you are, they don't deserve you anyway. Plus you aren't alone you have me and Trish and Dez. We're always here if you need cheering up."
She smiled at me as I pulled her into a hug, "Thanks, Austin, but don't you have a girl to go woo?" She still seemed a bit sad, but I figured it was just her being stubborn and not listening to me.
"You're right Ally I better get to the airport." At that I flew out the door, caught a cab to the airport and got a ticket for the next available flight to LA.
I didn't realize until after I got on the plane that I didn't have any idea where Cassidy lived. I also didn't bring any luggage other than my guitar or make any plans for a stay in LA. The flight landed at 8pm and I got a cab to take me to a hotel. After I checked in I called up the agency Jenn hired Cassidy through and was able to charm her address out of the receptionist. Then I figured I'd better go get some close for my big moment in the morning.
I barely got to sleep because of the excitement, but when I did I slept soundly til 9:30 the next morning. I couldn't believe I slept in that long and rushed to get ready to go find Cassidy. My cab pulled up to her place by 11am and I took a deep breath before I approached. I rang the doorbell and was greeted by a woman in her early twenties carrying a toddler. I was surprised but not deterred, Cassidy had mentioned that she lived with her brother and his wife.
"Hi, ma'am is Cassidy here?"
She just looked at me and smiled, "So you're Austin huh?"
"Yep that's me, and you must be Cassidy's sister-in-law. But she didn't say anything about the little guy, what's his name?"
"Brody." Brody waved at me before he hid his face in her shirt. "Sorry Austin, but Cassidy is at work this morning, thought she gets off at noon."
"Where does she work? I'll meet her there."
She hesitated for a second probably consider whether she should be telling me where Cassidy worked but then gave in, "She works down at the Melody Diner its just a couple miles away."
"Thank you so much!" And off I ran again to meet Cassidy at the Melody Diner. When I got there I rushed in with my guitar. Immediately people in the restaurant started whispering and pointing. I could tell some of them recognized me, but I didn't care. I spotted Cassidy behind the counter and rushed over to her.
"Hey there, mind if sit down and stay a while?" I thought I was being smooth and romantic, that I'd sweep her off her feet.
Instead she looked sad that I had come, "What are you doing here Austin?"
"Well you weren't really responding to my texts and you ignored all my calls. I figured I'd better come in person to sweep you off your feet."
"You shouldn't have done that Austin..."
"Just wait before you say anything else, I wrote a song for you. Its the only way I could figure out how to tell you how I feel." I started strumming my guitar and I sang my brand new song "Heart Beat." When I finished the entire diner was cheering and Cassidy was smiling at me. I thought I was golden. "I know you're worried about the long distance thing getting in the way, but I wanted to let you know that I'll do anything to make it work if you just give me a chance."
Her smile faded and she looked away, "There's no denying that I have feelings for you too Austin, but there's just too much going on in my life right now. I don't have time to try and make it work right now."
I couldn't believe after all that she was still gonna turn me down, I was hurt and a little bit mad. I didn't say anything right away and Cassidy had to check on her tables. I was still in a stunned silence when Cassidy's sister-in-law walked in with Brody. Brody ran up to Cassidy calling out "Mommy." That made me come out of my stupor and approach Cassidy.
"Why did your nephew just call you mommy?"
She just gave me a look, "Because Austin, he's not my nephew, he's my son. I'm trying to balance two jobs, my music career, and my son. I'm barely making it. I might only be a couple years older than you Austin, but I've got too much going on to get caught up in a teenage romance. I do like you Austin, and I'm sorry you had to come all the way here just for this, but its not gonna work out." She walked off and left me standing there speechless. Finding out that she had a kid was a whole lot to process.
I made my way back to my hotel to think things over. It was weird to think about Cassidy as a mother. I mean I know teenage mothers are fairly common nowadays, but I guess I never really thought about what it meant. I mean, Brody had to be close to two years old, which would mean that Cassidy was fifteen when she had him. That's as old as I was at the time and I couldn't imagine what it would be like to have to raise a kid at my age. I thought life as a celebrity was tough to deal with, but it didn't even compare to what Cassidy went through every day.
I thought knowing that she had a kid would totally scare me away, but it just made me realize all the more, how awesome she really was. Going through all she's been through, but still following her dreams. She was unbelievable and I think I liked her even more because of it. I decided I had to go back to her place and tell her how much I respected what she did everyday.
I knocked on the door and her sister-in-law (I can't believe I don't remember her name, I'm so bad with names) opened the door. She turned back into the house and called for Cassidy.
She came out and saw me, "Austin, wha..."
"I wanted to come and tell you something. Cassidy, you might be the most remarkable person I've ever met. You're a teenage mom, working two jobs and you still find time to follow your dreams. I can't begin to imagine how tough its been for you, but I'm amazed at your attitude about it all. I respect that you can't have a teenage romance right now, how could you have one, Brody here made that kind of innocent relationship impossible. But maybe you'd be interested in a more grown up relationship, one that includes Brody and everything else about your hectic life. I really like you Cassidy, and I know it'll be complicated, but I'd really like to make something work between you and I." I paused briefly trying to make it through this whole speech without freaking out about it, "I guess what I'm trying to say is, would you and Brody like to come out and grab something to eat with me?"
