Rapunzel

By Stephgirl9

Chapter Twenty-One

'Back To Normal'

Recap

"Goodnight Austin" I said firmly as we reached the balcony and he smiled as he reached down and spontaneously gave me another hug.

"Night Ally" he whispered into my ear before he broke away from the hug and started to skillfully clamber off the balcony.

I watched for a moment before I went back into my room just as my mom flung open the door. "Oh there you are Allyson! Everyone is terribly worried, are you alright?" she rambled coming over to pull me into a tight embrace.

I thought for a moment.

Okay, so the night didn't start off so well but I don't think that I've ever been happier than I was when Austin just came. I remembered the song he'd sang; I remembered my promise to hang out more and his promise too me. I imagined his smiling face as he rushed home. Was I alright?

I smiled widely. "Never been better."

Ally's POV

Dear Diary,

So right now Austin and I are in the downstairs common room eating strawberries while we play would you rather since we are taking a break from songwriting. We've been meeting in my house during the week to practice and song write and we've managed to finish one song and we called it Double Take. We're working a new one called It's Me, It's You and I'm working on a song of my own but that's in top secret confinement for a while. It's been fun and since that night where Austin came to sing me that song (which since then I've got him to record and give me a CD of), everything seemed to go back to normal, in fact a little bit better. For the rest of that weekend my parents tried to bribe me to accept the New York idea by buying me endless gifts; of which included a new snow-white piano which they are putting in the common room on the third floor and converting it into my 'practice room'. I really don't know why they bothered considering that we will be moving in three weeks, but I guess they just really want me to be happy. And I am, mostly. Also during the week, Austin and I hung out during lunch with Trish, Dez and Dallas and on Tuesday, Cassidy came in too. She's actually one of the most popular girls in school and quite pretty so I'm pretty sure I know why Austin likes her so much. Heck, I'm sure Dez and Dallas do too. Well Dez anyways. Dallas kept his promise on that 'date' before and we're supposed to go on Saturday. I have to be honest; I was really ecstatic about it before, but now; not so much. I mean, Dallas is awesome but I don't feel 'that way' about him anymore. I might have a crush on someone else. But shush, this is between you and me. Cassidy and Austin are officially together now and I think I'm happy for him. Does that sound bad? I guess I don't think Cassidy is right for him. He needs someone a lot better and down-to-earth. Who that is exactly – I'm not sure. Anyways I've got to go. Stay musical,

Ally xo

"Stay musical, how cheesy can you get Alls" I heard Austin say his warm cool-mint scented breath tickling the back of my neck as I realized that he had been reading over my shoulder.

"Austin!" I shrieked in surprise; slapping my book shut quickly and hugging it to my chest.

He smirked. "What?" he said innocently and I frowned in his direction then sighed. You'd think by now he would have learned not to read my book.

"How much did you read…?" I asked and he shrugged as he sat back against the couch.

"Just the end" he replied and I took a huge breath of relief as I perched my book on the glass coffee table. "Phew" I said as I sat back and he smirked once again.

"Why…didn't want me to see your secret love confessions to me" he joked, cocking an eyebrow to back up his supposedly funny statement. I smirked as I reached forward and plucked a chocolate-covered strawberry from the bowl that sat on the glass coffee table.

"Yeah, totally" I responded, trying not to stammer and he faked a look of excitement as he bounced up on the couch.

"Yes, I can't wait to tell all my friends, that the amazing Allyson Marie Dawson, loves me" he joked and I punched his chest jokingly as I chewed on my strawberry and gave him a playful eye roll. I wished he wouldn't joke about that.

The last couple of days I'd been hanging with Austin, I began to feel these...feelings. I don't know how to describe it and I'm usually able to communicate with my feelings so this was weird.

I didn't want to jeopardise my friendship with Austin, so I just decided to keep my feelings to myself.

"Shut up Austin, just get on with the game" I insisted and he chuckled. "Alright, alright" he said mimicking my actions and biting down on one of the juicy berries.

I smiled as I crossed my legs pretzel style and waited for him to speak.

"Alright got one… would you rather, shave off all your hair or never play music again?" he asked with a sly smirk. "Easy, shave off all my hair" I said finishing off my strawberry and picking another one from the yellow ceramic bowl.

Austin raised an eyebrow.

"Really…?" he questioned and I nodded. "Yeah, music means a lot more to me than fashion, if I couldn't play music I wouldn't be me, I wouldn't have a love you know and with the hair thing I could just buy a wig" I said simply as I took a bite into my strawberry.

Austin was quiet for a moment before he said "I wish I was still like that" and I raised an eyebrow.

"What?" I replied unsure of how to answer this sudden statement. He shuffled around for a bit on the couch; his eyes fixed to the bowl on the table before he answered.

"Like…I wish my love for music was as much as yours, I mean at a time, it was…" he began trailing off towards the end and I looked at him; my expression suddenly quite serious. "But what happened?" I asked him and he answered with another awkward silence before he shook his head.

"Nothing, come on, let's get back to practicing, that song's not going to finish itself" he then said; changing the subject before clambering off the couch and heading towards the living room.

I waited until his tall figure was out of the room before I emitted a small 'okay' and walked out after him.

Austin's POV

"How about, it's me, it's you, I know we're not the same, we all know that it's true?" Ally suggested to me as we sat down eating lunch on Monday.

Since our rehearsal on Saturday, I tried to not make things awkward between Ally and I. I had known her for a long time now and truly trusted her, but I just couldn't find it in me to tell her about my past, not now, not yet.

I shook my head in reply.

"It's good, but we could do better, how about, it's me, it's you, I know we're not the same but…" I took a moment to think, and then smiled, "but we do what we do?" I finished and Ally nodded, her ombre gold-highlighted locks flicking on her shoulders.

"That sounds awesome, Austin" she said giving me a high five as she scribbled in her book.

I watched her, hoping not to be too obvious. She had changed in the last couple of weeks, from the uptight goody-two shoes new girl to the amazing and fun Ally.

She hadn't just changed in personality but her appearance did too, she started to wear brighter colors and dyed the ends of her hair a nice gold. She looked absolutely amazing; but I always felt a little funny whenever I was around her.

I mean, there were always the little shivers when ever we touched by now they turning into full on sparks and stomach flutters.

And that was dangerous ground, I didn't want to ruin Ally and I's friendship by developing a crush on her, Dez thought I had a crush on her cause he heard me calling her Ally and besides that, I had a girlfriend.

Speaking of girlfriends."Hey Austy" Cassidy cooed as she sashayed up to Ally and I, pecking my cheek before she sat next to me.

Ally shot her a small smile, but continued to scribble in her songbook.

"What are you guys doing sitting here…alone together?" she said slowly putting her handbag down beside her and I shrugged. "We're just writing lyrics and stuff for a song we've been working on…" I answered taking a bite of my apple.

"Oh great…" she said and I could sense sarcasm in her voice and rose my eyebrow at her.

"Anything the matter?" I asked her and Ally looked up from her book. "If I am disrupting anything, I can just go sit with Trish or something…" she mumbled starting to clear all her things and I stopped her, placing a hand over her one that she was using to pick up her book.

She looked at me, brown meeting brown and I instantly felt the stomach flutters.

"Austin…leave the girl be, if she wants to go…let her go." I inwardly chuckled, trying not to mention that that was a song by passenger.

It would be totally irrelevant and I wanted Ally to stay.

"But she doesn't want to go" I insisted pulling Ally's hand so she'd sit. Cassidy grabbed her other one and pulled her up, "Of course you do Ally, you don't want to hang around us" she said, but it was almost like a demand; and I don't like the way her eyes looked.

Ally looked at me and gently removed her hand off mine. She picked up her book and her lunch tray and sent me a soft smile.

"See you guys" she said quietly, walking away from us.

I got up to follow her but Cassidy glared at me. "Don't you dare, if you do, I'll break up with you." she hissed and I rose my eyebrows.

"Excuse me?" I retorted, a frown plastered unto my lips.

"You heard me, I don't want you always hanging out with her" she replied simply, moving around her garden salad. "And why not?" I asked, feeling a familiar anger well up inside me.

"Because I don't like how cozy you two are, and even though her dad's rich, she's such a loser" she answered, saying it with so much ease that I had to clench my fist to stop me from doing something I'd regret.

"You know what, I don't care, she's an amazing friend and an awesome girl, I've been able to connect with her and she's been able to make me different, as my girlfriend you should accept such a person in my life, if you really liked me and if you don't well…why don't I just leave now?" I yelled and grabbed my backpack.

I heard a weird murmuring and I realized I must have been yelling because now everyone was looking at Cassidy and I's table.

"Austin, I swear, if you leave this table, we won't be going out anymore?" Cassidy said, trying to keep a strong front but I could hear the stammer in her voice.

"Then I guess we're not going out then." I said trudging away from her and pushing past a few students that were in my way.

I headed towards my locker and I couldn't help but feel a sharp pain in my stomach at the scene I witnessed.

Ally's POV

It was obvious.

Cassidy did not like me. Or that fact that Austin and I were such good friends. I mean, if she felt threatened by me...she really shouldn't. She was so pretty and popular and perfect. Of course, Austin would like her better.

Instead of finishing my lunch, I headed to my locker to get my books for the classes after lunch.

I started taking my books out of my tote, but a tap on the shoulder made me jump and drop all of my books. I whirled round and saw Dallas.

"Oh God...Ally...I'm so sorry" he said bending down to pick up my books and I helped him, shaking my head.

"It's okay" I said sadly, grabbing the last few books from the ground and stuffing them into my locker before taking the rest from him. He frowned.

"What's wrong Alls?" he asked and I couldn't help but feel weird with him calling me Alls. Only Austin did.

I shrugged, getting the right books out. "Nothing, just..." I sighed. "Nothing..." I finished and he gave me a sympathetic smile.

"Whatever it is Allyson, I am here for you and I always will be, you're amazing." he whispered in my ear and I smiled. "Thanks Dallas.." I said and as we pulled away, I couldn't help but stare into his big brown eyes. They were so gorgeous - the first thing I noticed when I met him.

I found myself getting lost in them and then all of a sudden, he was leaning and in and I was too. Before I knew it, his lips were on mine, sweet and gently but I couldn't feel comfortable because I felt a familiar 'summer breeze' scented presence behind me.

Austin.

OKAY GUYS.

I am so sorry that it had taken me MONTHS to update but I had writer's block. I knew I had to write soon and after reading all of your AMAZING reviews, HERE IT IS. The story will have at least ten chapters left so don't worry and I am a person who likes happy endings, so look out for one! Also, and I think I mentioned this before. I will NOT update quickly, if I don't get a lot of feedback, reviews and faves make me WANT to write more and I really want people to enjoy this story, so if you read, please try and review? Thank you for your support since this story started, I seriously love all you Auslly-gators.

Stay Auslly,

Stephanie XO.