I know I said it would only take me a few days to update. Well, the holiday got the best of me and I woke up sick the day before it and I just spent the last few days feeling like shit. So, I apologize. I feel a lot better now and I really like this chapter.
Thank you for all your reviews. I read every one of them and sometimes the things you guys say end up changing an idea I had, or giving me other ideas. And the help you give is awesome. Sometimes it feels really nice to know someone honestly cares enough to really read my story. I've gotten so many nice words and lovely comments and I can't believe how far this story has gone. I'm so proud of it and I hope you guys continue to enjoy it. I want nothing but the best for it.
As for this chapter... towards the end there is a part that might make you go "you can't do that!" I'm trying to say this as lightly as possible without giving any spoilers away. I promise I'm going to do this carefully and it's being thought of completely before it's gone up. I know this might sound odd, but this is mostly for one reviewer who enjoys Ross Lynch's giggles because I know I'm going to send warning signs through your eyes with a single moment. In advance... don't worry. ;) Hehe. But I also added a few more giggles and adorable Austin for you. You've helped me so much with this story.
Shout out to Carly again for being freakin' amazing and awesome. Fangirl squeal for you!
I'm also giving a shout out to dacergirl as well for making me think more of how I want several characters. It may not be what you think of, but your review helped me a ton as well.
And last shout out to R5ismysoul because you're awesome as well and if I could send you Riker in a box I would but I'd prefer not to be in jail so here have a new chapter instead.
OKAYS.
PS. The song in this chapter is my favorite from the Soundtrack.
Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!
Ally couldn't lie; a night away from the shelter was exactly what she needed. Sitting in her seat, at the corner of the old café where she had first met Dallas, was bringing back happy memories and nothing seemed better than having one of the burgers they made here. Dallas was a little late, as per usual for him (he had called her a few hours before and asked to meet up instead of him picking her up) and it gave her a few extra moments to really think about her life.
The café hadn't changed much. There was still the faint smell of daises and grease, an odd but comforting combo that always met your nose the moment you walked into the place. The seats were still neon green and pink, aged but still had that home like charm, well worn and not old. Matching lights dangled like glitter from above, looking like long strings with little light bulbs attached, giving just enough light.
Dallas sunk into his seat, giving Ally enough of a scare to gasp and blink at the familiar yet changed boy in front of her. His once wavy hair was now all the way down his back, tied away from his face. He was even tanner than before.
"Wow," she managed to say.
"Sorry I'm late," he said in a rush. "You know me."
Ally giggled, still shocked to see the change in the boy she knew all so well. "Yeah."
"You look nice," he commented casually.
This made Ally want to scream. If this night was full of small talk, she was going to explode. If anything else, she expected things to somewhat remain the same between the two. "Thank you. I was just looking at this place and thinking it hasn't changed much."
"Yeah, unlike us."
Ally stared into his brown eyes, noticing he was staring at her like she was him. Not only had he changed apparently she had too in ways not noticeable to herself. His eyes were wandering over her, studying each section to see what was different. She did the same and after a moment, both looked up.
"I really don't know what to say," he admitted with a sigh.
"That's okay."
Ally was starting to realize she didn't either. Maybe this was a mistake.
"Okay, let's try this. You work with Jackson now. What's that like?"
"I don't work with him actually. I'm a volunteer."
"Same thing." He smirked.
Ally laughed and nodded. "Yeah, I guess it is. It's nice, I would have to say. Until he showed up, I didn't really know anyone. I work at a shelter and it's tough. A lot of kids, a lot of problems. I was shocked with what was thrown at me. I didn't know how to handle it."
"That surprises me, Ally. You've always been good with solving problems and helping others."
"Yeah, well it's not just casual advice anymore. It is runaways and state kids who don't have anyone else. When I tell you the problems I've seen are like nothing else, I mean it. I just want to run away at times." Her mind flashed back to the night with Dallas and her eyes almost glazed with tears. "It's a lot."
"I know you can't talk about it because Jackson told me there is some kind of law, but if you ever just need to vent… I mean… I don't know if I'll say the right thing, but I can be here." He paused and then smiled strangely at her, as if he wasn't sure he should say what he was about to. "If there was one thing I regret about the last year and what I've done in it, it would be pretending like we were never friends. I know we're always busy but I could have picked up the phone and said hello, or just done something to help. You were my everything… you still mean the world to me and it crushes me to see you looking so upset."
Ally didn't see this coming and couldn't find words to place together. Her mind swirled at his words, trying to come up with something to reply with but it just went to a nervous giggle that ended into a bit of tears. "I'm sorry," she finally mumbled. "I'm not upset, I swear. I'm … just overwhelmed. And… I'm sorry too. I could have also called or done something. I just figured we both moved on and that was that."
"I never wanted that."
She swallowed nearly spitting out her drink from those words. It was obvious her idea of them breaking up on common terms wasn't as smooth as she thought it had been. The more and more she thought about it, the more she was starting to realize how they both dropped each other. It happened all the time but it was special to her and special to him so how did it just go away?
"Ally, I still love you."
This time, she did spit her drink out. No, romance wasn't part of her thoughts. Sure, she did love him like that at one time but it wasn't her feelings now. She missed her friend Dallas, the one who looked out for her and knew what she was feeling just every very second. The one who could smile at her and make her laugh with just one look. But not the one she loved. That had faded over time and healed into a past of memories… nothing bitter, everything perfect.
Yes, she missed him. Just not like that.
"What?" she repeated, hoping maybe there was a misunderstanding about what he had said.
His sincere look seemed to waver a bit and he repeated, "I still love you."
It was after those words were said that Ally realized how little friends she actually had. It had taken her about a minute to really think what he said over before she ran out of the room and into her car. She sat there for another minute or so, until she saw him coming to her car window before she drove off. This led her to realize she had no where to go but the shelter, or home. She didn't want to burden anyone there with her problems, especially considering it was Jackson's night to watch over everyone. Home was nothing but a house with walls. There was no comfort there other than her bed and her mind was too wired to even attempt sleep.
Her mind ached for anyway to relieve the confusion and shock and for a moment, she ached for Sonic Boom. It was too late to go there now, and how would she explain that she needed the break room for her own breakdown? Ally drove until she found a quiet road and pulled out her notebook, hoping this would be enough.
Nothing came to her. That was because she had no idea what was even going on.
Was Jackson aware of what Dallas felt? Did he want her to know this too? It seemed like it was all some scheme to get them to fall in love again, but she wanted nothing of the sort. Her mind and heart told her they didn't work for a reason… they were too different and wanted different things. It wasn't a movie where this didn't matter and they went back to each other anyway… this was real life and she wasn't stupid. Dallas wasn't her for and nothing he could say would change that.
Ally woke in her bed the next morning, not really sure how she got home. Her body felt extra tired and sore despite the obvious sleep she had gotten, and she wanted nothing more to pull the covers over her head and pretend she was a child without responsibilities. Instead she got up, got dressed, and put together what she needed for the day. With that, she grabbed her keys and got into her car, preparing for a weekend day at the shelter.
"Morning," Trish greeted the moment she walked in, balancing a plate of breakfast foods in each hand. She watched her knock on both Rocky and Ellington's doors, muttered something when they opened them and came back plateless afterward. "Ratliff is still quiet."
"Ellington," Ally said without thought.
"What?"
"Nothing," she muttered. "Nevermind. What about Rocky?"
"He's also been very quiet and asked to be left alone. I've checked on him but he's been difficult. I don't know what happened, but I thought maybe he just needs alone time."
He was still dealing with the day before and was being the Rocky she knew all too well; Ally realized but didn't tell Trish this. If she knew this, she'd go poking in, trying to get him to talk or to see Jackson, something that wouldn't help him much. Until he wanted the help, nothing would get Rocky out of the room. Ally respected this and excused herself to find rest of the group.
Riker was with Rydel, playing a video game. They were both staring at the screen like it was worth a lot of money, neither looking up when she entered. Her mind giggled at this, and Ally felt at a loss. Nothing seemed to scream at her today, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
"Hey!"
Austin.
Ally smiled widely at his entrance in the hallway. His entire demeanor was happy and just relaxed and it immediately gave her a sense of calmness and quiet. "Hello!"
"I was waiting for you. How was your date with that guy last night? Any details you're just itching to tell me?!"
Ally groaned.
"I take it you're not so happy with the date."
"One, it wasn't a date," she said with a sigh. "Two, that was the problem, apparently. Let's not talk about this. I want to pretend it never happened. You're full of energy. Let's use that and do something. Anything you have in mind?"
His smile lit up. "Austin and Ally time! Alright!" His smile disappeared and a look of severe concentration replaced it. "Okay. Let's do something at the mall. I'm sure we can find something to do. Besides, I'm looking to get something to match that dress of yours."
Her smile reappeared at this and she shoved the boy. "I told you to burn that thing."
"Not a chance!"
Ally wished she realized how full of life Austin really was the moment she met him. Because he never stopped. The boy had no problem dragging her through every ridiculous store the mall in Miami had, giggling like there wasn't a problem in the world. It made her feel better to see him happy, but she still was feeling pretty annoyed with herself.
"Would you just smile?!"
"Excuse me?"
Austin looked up from his ice cream and pointed his finger her mouth. "You need to smile. I will not leave this table until you smile."
"That is okay with me. You've run me around this place like a thousand times."
"I'm not being funny," he answered. His face was completely serious and she knew he wasn't lying. "Ally, come on. Just let go a bit and have fun! Do you see how ridiculous this place is? How many stores actually exist and make money from people like us? Look at my ice cream. There are mini penguins on the cup and they look like they're stoned! That's funny! Look around you. There are people who look like they got dressed in the dark. There are bunnies in the window of that pet store. Life can be terrible and then there are such awesome things around you. I mean, just forget about the damn world and enjoy the little, stupid things around you. I'm sitting here right now, trying my hardest to jut make you smile. Could you just smile?!"
Ally put a fake smile on her face. He didn't buy it.
"Just to let you know, you're making me do this," he warned.
Ally went to ask what he was talking about when he tossed his ice cream into the garbage and started to climb onto his chair. She was going to warn him that he could get hurt when he started to yell. "Excuse me, I'm sorry for interrupting your daily activities. I'm here with my friend Ally and some loser last night is making her extra sad right now and I just want to let her know how awesome she is. She's helped me a lot in the last few weeks and sometimes I think she needs to be reminded that she is more than welcome to just let go and have some fun!"
"Austin!" she gasped. "Stop it!"
He smirked. "You asked for it."
Sometimes it feels like you lost your swag
You got a "Kick-Me" sign covering the skills that you have
And it all looks wrong when you're looking down
You get dizzy, doin' 360's
And you can't break out!
Even when you feel like you ain't all that
Just don't forget that I've got your back
Now turn up the beat and bump that track
(Bump that track)
Yeah!
Nobody rocks it the way that you do
You got style
Pop your collar 'cause you're all kinds of cool
You're legit, you're the boss
Even when the mic is off
Nobody rocks it, r-rocks it the way that you do
No, oh-oh-oh
The way that you do
Can't let one bad thing go and crush your ways
You got your epic wins, 364 days
And it's feelin' like your game is crazy off
But all you need is to bring the heat
Get back on top
Even when you feel like you ain't all that
Just don't forget that I got your back
Now turn up the beat and bump that track
(Bump that track)
Yeah!
Nobody rocks it the way that you do
You got style
Pop your collar 'cause you're all kinds of cool
You're legit, you're the boss
Even when the mic is off
Nobody rocks it, r-rocks it the way that you do
No, oh-oh-oh-oh
The way that you do
You're off the charts
You're number one
You got the fire and you can't be undone
You breakin' records
You make it pop
You got the fire so keep burnin' it up!
Nobody rocks it the way that you do
You got style
Pop your collar 'cause you're all kinds of cool
You're legit, you're the boss
Even when the mic is off
Nobody rocks it, r-rocks it the way that you do
No, oh-oh-oh-oh
The way that you do
Nobody rocks it the way that you do
(Nobody)
You got style
Pop your collar 'cause you're all kinds of cool
You're legit, you're the boss
Even when the mic is off
Nobody rocks it, r-rocks it the way that you do
No, oh-oh-oh-oh
The way that you do
Austin pulled Ally up when he was finished singing and spun her, making the crowd that had formed during the song go a bit nuts. Ally couldn't help but smile at his song and giggle uncontrollably as he made her dance in front of others. They awkwardly stood in front of dozens of people and danced like no one was there. He was working his hardest to make the girl smile, as that was all he wanted.
"I owe you everything," he said. "You saved me. You deserve to smile. And if I have to keep singing until you smile like that all the time, I will." He leaned forward and added, "Besides, I haven't gotten a chance to do that in a long time and it was awesome."
Ally laughed hard and pushed him away. It only took a second for her true smile to meet his and there was a moment where they were both smiling at each other, their eyes locked. Then reality hit the girl as he seemed to lean closer and she pushed him away as gently as she could. "Thank you. I needed that."
He stuffed his hands into his pockets. "You're welcome."
There was a brief and awkward pause when a voice cut off Ally's next words.
"And just who would this loser be?"
Ally felt her body literally cringe at the familiar voice behind her. She closed her eyes and prayed she was still in bed and she was dreaming all of this. But when she turned around and saw the angry eyes of her ex, she knew she wasn't dreaming at all.
"Dallas."
"I'm a loser, huh?"
"Dallas…"
"I heard what he said, Ally. You know, I poured my heart out to you yesterday and you left me in the café like I was nothing. And then you go and tell your new boyfriend lies and make me seem like I'm a dick when I'm nothing of the sorts."
"Dallas…"
"Wait a minute, you're the dude she was with?"
Ally cringed again. "Austin…"
"No, Ally don't. Are you who she was with last night?"
"I think I said that about a minute ago, blondie. Keep up. Maybe if you stop bleaching your hair, you'd have more of a brain to use to listen with."
Austin snorted.
"How old is this kid, Ally? I can't believe you left me last night for this piece of shit."
Ally remained silent, not sure what was going on. All she knew was this wasn't going to end well. Austin was protective. Dallas was one who would take comments and use them to fuel his fight and anger.
"I'm not a kid," he growled back, his face flushing with anger. "And all I know is you upset this girl last night. I don't care what you said. I don't care what you say to me or about me. But don't you dare come over here and act like you're some god when you're nothing but some loser with a bad tan hoping this girl would take you back. Guess what? As far as I can tell you're still single, so I guess that you've got your answer."
"You fucking…"
Ally didn't wait for the fight to go any farther. She grabbed Austin by his hand and pulled him away as fast as she could, feeling her face redden with each step she took. She didn't stop until she got into her car and was on the way back to the shelter. Austin didn't say a word, but his face said enough. He was furious and she couldn't blame him.
Ally just wished she could have slept through the day.