Chapter 12: Goergia Girl
Disclaimer: I don't own this. The characters. I own Uncle Richie...yeah.
Warnings: Idk man.
So yeah.
oOo Ally oOo
I stayed inside while Austin and Mimi said goodbye to Uncle Richie. I know they said I was part of the family but I still didn't want to intrude. Besides, we'd already said our goodbyes. It mostly involved cracking a walnut on my head, calling me kiddo and telling me to always wear clean underwear.
"And be good to Austin too," He added thoughtfully, chewing on his walnut. "I mean I know you will, but I'd be a sucky uncle if I didn't say these things."
"I'll be good to him," I promised, throwing out my own walnut while his back was turned.
"And uh, for the record, you're not. I mean. You're not like-" His eyes flickered to my stomach and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
"Nah Uncle Richie, I'm not pregnant," I assured him, getting tired of all the pregnancy rumors. They floated around school when we first told people; I mean after all, it's the only logical, normal reason. "I took a test two days ago."
"Good, good," He said gruffly, laying out his poker hand. "Two pair."
"Full House," I replied, raking in my share of walnuts. "Sorry."
oOo
"You miss him?" I asked Austin that night as we collapsed into bed, the day of moving (not very many) boxes having tired us out.
"Yeah. Course it's only been a day," He says gruffly, using his 'tired voice' "but yeah. He was in my life for years, it's weird that he's...gone."
"Mm," I say, snuggling into his chest. "But it's like that saying. When one chapter closes, another can begin."
"I guess so," He replies with a yawn. "Hope it's a good chapter."
"It will be," I assure him. "It will."
oOo
The doorbell rings and I mark my place in my book, getting up to answer it. Mimi's working and so is Austin, coincidentally. I expect it to be Cassidy or Trish, we have a study date-
"Miss me?"
That is definitely not Cassidy. Cassidy is not a middle aged slightly balding man.
Or my father.
I start to scream but his hand slaps over my mouth, effectively cutting off all sound.
Austin!
AUSTIN...
"You're gonna come with me quietly, understand?" He whispers in my ear. "Or you can make this harder for yourself, but I wouldn't suggest that..."
I nod, thinking that just going along with this plan might get me out, but remember Austin. Austin, who told me to fight for myself. So I do. I kick and scratch and bite at his hand, resulting in a wild chase around the apartment.
"Why you little bitch," He snarls when I bite at his finger, and I almost make it out the door before I feel his hands, snaking out, grabbing-
I wake up in a cold sweat, my shirt twisted up around my ribs and my hair in my eyes, the comforter hot over me.
"Ally?" Austin asks sleepily, sitting up on his elbows. "Y'okay?"
I pant, unable to respond, and he sits up all the way, reaching out to touch me, but I flinch, still not fully awake.
"Ally?" He asks, more concerned now. "Were you...having a bad dream?"
I nod, grabbing my knees and wrapping my arms around them, like I could be my own security blanket. He sighs and reaches out again, but stops himself when I flinch.
"Was it him?" He asks, and I nod, trembling. "Oh Ally," He replies, so softly I think the words might break if he said them louder. They hang in the air, somewhere between our pillows and star-covered ceiling.
"Did you put up a fight?" He asks, and I snort, but nod.
"Yeah."
"Good," He says, flashing me a cheesy smile. He reaches out a hand, as if testing the waters. When I don't flinch, he grabs mine, wrapping his large fingers around my own tiny ones. "You know that I won't ever let him come back and hurt you, right? I'd scale a mountain or walk through a desert before I let him hurt you again."
I catch him off guard, wrapping my arms around him and launching into his lap, knocking him over in the process. "Love you," I mumble, and he chuckles, trying- and failing- to sit back up again.
"Love you too. Now get some sleep, I won't let anything come hurt you." We settle back into my bed, now that my heart has stopped pounding.
"Will you-" I start, but he cuts me off before I can finish, already aware of what I'm saying.
"Mhm. Now close your eyes, okay? Because we have school tomorrow. Or...actually, it's three in the morning, we have school in five hours. Get some sleep," He advises, pulling my hair off my shoulders and settling it across my back.
She moved south as a child
She moved it from the Jersey Shore
Said she remembers the ocean
But she don't recall much more
He starts to sing softly and I close my eyes; this is one of my favorite songs and he knows that.
She lived a contagious youth
Still she swears she has no past
She said she don't take love
'Cause that high it never lasts
I sigh contentedly as his voice lulls me to sleep, most, not all, thoughts of pain and my father behind me. Most. Not all.
oOo
"Hey everybody, so this is my last song for the day. It's called Georgia Girl and I hope you all like it," Austin says into the microphone, and begins to strum.
She moved south as a child
She moved it from the Jersey Shore
His eyes flicker to me and I smile, looking down at my fries and trying not to giggle. It's just one of those things, I suppose, that makes me unable to control my smiles when he throws one my way.
"Someone's got a crush," Cassidy teases, elbowing my side playfully. "On their husbaaaaaand."
"Oh hush, would you?"
Said she remembers the ocean
But she don't recall much more
"He's really good," She comments, almost as if she hadn't expected it, but to my surprise, Trish coughs from a few tables over.
"He's always been good," She chimes in, grinning at me before turning back to a glaring Trent.
She lived a contagious youth
Still she swears she has no past
"Yeah, he's amazing, isn't he?" I ask, sipping my milkshake. "I love his voice. I could listen to it for days," I admit shamelessly, turning red when Cassidy does a low whistle.
"I wouldn't mind if he sang for me," She says in a deep tone and I gasp, half-shoving her out of the booth.
She lived a contagious youth
Still she swears she has no past
"Paws off girl, he's mine," I laugh, helping her up. "You can't have him."
"We can trade!" She suggests, flicking Dallas on the arm so he'll pay attention. "Football player for sale. Nice, tall, brunette..."
"Erm...no thanks," I say, scrunching up my nose. I'll pass."
Dallas feigns a hurt look and turns back to his friends, and Cassidy sighs dramatically. "Guess you're stuck with blondie over there," She says, and I smile softly.
"Guess I am," I say, looking over to where he's playing his guitar. "Somehow, I don't think it's a bad thing."
She said she don't take love
'Cause that high it never lasts
He throws a wink to me and I roll my eyes, secretly pleased.
"He really loves you," Cassidy observes, and I hum, because what am I going to say? "He really does. I like how he looks at you. I want someone to look at me that way one day," She says, throwing Dallas an annoyed look.
I just smile, because I have no words; really, I'm just happy on the inside.
Welcome to her world
Welcome to the world
Of my Georgia Girl
'He's a keeper," Cassidy sighs, grabbing her purse and throwing on her coat. "Look, I've gotta run. Bozo over there has practice and I needed a ride home, so..." I just nod and wave out the door; Austin's almost done anyway.
"Bye!" Dallas and Cassidy call, and I wave as they exit. Trish catches my eye and murmurs something to Trent, then comes to sit with me.
"Hey," She says, brightly, but it doesn't seem genuine. I was a (not-very-good) master of faking happiness for god knows how long, I can detect it well enough.
"Hey Trish," I acknowledge, pushing my milkshake away when there's none left. "How's..." I flick my eyes to Dallas and she sighs, looking more tired and older than I've ever seen her.
"It's...getting better. I told him he had to treat me better and he said he'd try. I mean he let me come talk to you, didn't he?" She smiles, but we both know it's weak and tired.
She offers up fellowship
To those that come from broken homes
Yeah she laughs in the crowds
While her heart is all alone
"I just worry about you," I say quietly, steadily avoiding the death stare Trent is sending my way. "I don't want you to get hurt."
"Don't worry about me," She says, a new resolve showing on her face. "If anything ever gets serious, I can take care of myself." Somehow, I doubt this, but now isn't the time to fight with her.
Welcome to her world
Welcome to the world
Of my Georgia Girl
She moved south as a child
Austin finishes and waits out the applause before packing up his guitar and walking to the table.
"Good job babe," I say, standing up on my tiptoes to kiss him. "Sounded nice."
"Thanks," He yawns, before turning to Trish. "How ya doing Curly?"
"Alright Blondie," She replies, with only a fraction of her old sass. "I'm alright." It's the underlying but I'm really not that we all pick up on, and a silence settles over us like a blanket.
"Welp," Austin says, popping the p. "Better get home. Ready Ally?"
"Yeah," I say hesitantly. "Bye Trish." I don't really want to leave her, not when I'm so unsure of Trent, but for once I'll not listen to my gut.
I know I'll regret it, what if-
No. Trish is a big girl, she can take care of herself.
"Just go," She tells me, as if reading my mind. "I'll be alright."
I nod, just wishing she'd break up with him already, and blindly follow Austin out of the diner.
"You okay?" He asks, an arm around my shoulders.
"Mhm," I respond vaguely, my hands stuffed in my jeans pockets. "Just a lot on my mind I guess."
"Like what?"
"Like Trish," I say. "And for another...isn't your sister's birthday soon?"
"No...it's the last week of September," He says, confused, and I shrug. "I don't know...I just thought of her is all, and I didn't know why."
"Right," He says doubtfully. "Look, I'm not going to go visit her, alright? It's just...not how this works. I miss her, but...I won't be making any trips anytime soon, okay? Drop it." And so I do, biting my lip and moving a little further away from me, pretending I don't notice when he drops his arm from my shoulder.
We walk in silence the rest of the way to the car, and once we get in, it isn't any more talkative.
"I'm sorry," He says when we pull into the apartment complex. "For blowing up at you. I'm just a little stressed and the subject of Annie just sets me on edge, okay?"
"I know, it's alright," I say, but he shakes his head, pressing his lips together.
"No it isn't," He says slowly. "I promised you I'd never hurt you, and I did. Even if it's just being loud and yelling at you...that hurts you, and I hate that I did that," He apologizes, so I lean over and kiss him.
"It's alright," I reassure him. "You didn't hurt me. I love you."
He looks defeated and responds with a love you of his own, heaving a sigh before getting out of the car.
"I just don't want to turn out like either of our dads," He says softly, kicking at the ground, and my heart breaks.
"You won't!" I cry, flying over to him. "I promise you, you won't! You're nothing like them."
"You sure?" He asks, still scuffing at the ground.
"Positive," I say, looping my fingers in his belt loops and tugging him close, making him look at me. "You're not like that. You're the best kind of man there is. I guarantee you."
"Mmph."
"Hey. A man like our dads wouldn't have done for me what you did, so don't you dare think you'll turn out like them. You, Austin, are a wonderful person. Okay?" I demand, rising on my tiptoes to peck his nose. "Don't you ever dare think otherwise."
A smile slowly spreads across his face and he kisses me, soft and slow. "I love you," He says simply, except now it's less in apology and more because he means it.
"But I'm holding you closer than most, because you are my heaven, " I sing quietly, and he rolls his eyes, gently smacking my head.
"Cheesy girl."
"It's true."
And it is.
/ /
AN: I'm sorry this is so short and that it's basically all filler.
Please review stay safe and be happy
xx