Stay With Me
Chapter 21
Ally's POV
Christmas break comes and I am beyond relieved. 2 weeks have passed since the break up and it hasn't gotten any better. Austin doesn't work at Sonic Boom any more, I transferred to a different music class. We were nowhere near talking again, I wasn't talking to anyone.
Everyone knew that we broke up on the first Monday, Austin showed up with out me on his arm and I didn't show up at all. The talk started, people talking to me stopped. I was invisible again, I haven't even talked to Trish since before the break up. I just couldn't. Walking class to class is the worst part of it all, Austin walks with his shoulders high, and his old posse on both sides. His eyes aren't as shiny any more, that's how I know that were both torn up, he just doesn't let any one else see it. The only time he will let his head go down is when he sees me, we haven't even been able to look at each other in the eyes, that's how screwed up everything is.
My Christmas break is going to be spent watching sad romantic movies and drinking hot chocolate while trying to move on. My dad and I are talking but it's awkward. I haven't talked to Penny since our last talk about Austin, I'm just not ready.
On the first day of break, I decide to go to a coffee shop that's a few miles out-of-town. I order a hot chocolate then sit down at a table by myself. I'm half way through my cup, when someone comes to sit across from me. I know this girl.
"Hi, are you Austin Moon's girl friend?" This is the girl who put the last knife in our relationship.
"Ex girlfriend now." Her eyes lower, the compassionate part of me wants to believe that she feels bad.
"I feel bad, I didn't mean for you guys to break up."
"Well we did." It's awkward for a few moments until she talks again.
"He told me that he had a girlfriend, I just didn't believe him. I forced him to kiss me, I put my arms around him, he didn't want me at all." The girl is now looking at me in the eyes and I can tell that she is telling the true, Austin didn't tell her to come say this. "I feel so bad that you guys broke up. I never got to see you guys together but when Austin came to see me that night I could tell that he really loves you."
"When did Austin go to see you?"
"The same night you walked in on us. He came to see me after you fought, he yelled at me, saying that it was all my fault. He started punching pillows and kicking chairs. He finally calmed down when he hit his leg to hard. I didn't know what I could do when he started crying, he broke down, screaming that it was all his fault. He said that he didn't think that he deserved you. I tried to get him to stop crying, he finally did when his phone rang and he saw his back ground, a picture of you." Wow, wow, wow. How am I suppose to feel about that.
"Why are you telling me all of this?"
"I just wanted you to know that he loves you."
"I know he loves me, that isn't the reason we broke up."
She looks confused. "Then why did you?"
I sigh, I didn't even want to talk to my best friend about this, least of all a stranger. "It's a long, complicated story."
She nods. "I get it, I know complicated. I also know that sometimes it helps to talk to a stranger, so if you ever need to talk, give me a call." She writes down her number on a napkin, leaving with out another word.
I leave the coffee shop a few minutes later. When I get home I walk in my room to see the box that I've tried to avoid. Austin's things. He left things at my house and I haven't had the courage to give it back to him. It's just some cd's, dvd's and a shirt, but the longer it's in my room, the longer I have to look at it. Today's the day. Grabbing the box, I make my way to the car, if I'm lucky, he won't be home.
I pull up to the house that use to be where I would go when I was happy, and sad. Now all I can think of is what happened the last time I was here. I don't see Austin's car in the drive way, I breath a sigh of relive. He's probably out with friends. When I reach the door, holding the box, I ring the door bell. A few seconds past before Mrs. Moon opens the door.
"Ally! It's so nice to see you again." She attempts to hug me but the box gets in the way. We laugh and she takes the box from me.
"It's nice to see you to, I'm just dropping off a box of Austin's things. Is he here?" She leads me into the living room, but I don't sit down.
"No, he's out with Dez. He hasn't been home a lot lately. I'll make sure he gets the box." I nod my head and the room becomes silent.
"Oh, while you're here, I'll give you the Christmas gift Austin got you." She gets up and walks out of the room before I can stop her. She comes back with a box perfectly wrapped with a bow on top. "Here, he bought this a few months ago. He's had in his closet for months just waiting for Christmas so he could give it to you, but with all that's happened I was afraid that he would never give it to you." I start to open it but she tells me to stop. "Wait till you get home." I nod an okay. "I really hope that you guys will find away to be friends again. All he does all day is sit in his room blasting sad music."
"I don't know Mrs. Moon. I should probably go." I start walking to the door and she follows.
"Ally, before you go, I just wanted you to know that Austin really does love you." Does everyone think that that's the reason we broke up?
"I know, that was never the problem. Good bye Mrs. Moon." Before she can say more, I walk to my car.
I head straight home to see that my dad is home early from the store. "Dad, why are you home early?" He's sitting on the couch with a box at his feet.
"I decided to close the store to come home early, I thought we could have dinner." He points to the box. "Austin was waiting on the porch when I got home, he wanted to drop of your things that you left at his house." I start to pick it up but my dad starts to say something else. "I gave him the present you got for him, I hope that's okay." I nod an okay and head up to my room to open the gift he got for me. I walk in my room, putting the box and gift on my bed.
I decide to look into the box first, not ready to open the gift. There's a hair brush, a few hair ties and a pair of sandals that I didn't know I left there. It's a simple box of things, but why does it hurt my heart like this. I guess because I gave him his stuff and he gave me mine, were really moving on.
After putting the stuff that was in the box away, I move on to the wrapped box with the bow on top. I un wrap the box and open the lid. I'm shocked by what I see, I'm taken back to a moment a few months ago.
It was in the middle of September, Austin and I had been sitting in the practice room on our break, talking. It was his turn to ask me questions about my self. He started with the basics, favorite TV show and movie, then he decided to ask me what my ideal gift would be. I had to think about it at first but then came up with it. I told him that I would love to receive a first edition copy of one of my favorite books, Alice in Wonderland. Then I said I would love a nice hand written poem about everything that someone likes about me, that one was a joke. I guess Austin didn't take it as a joke.
In the box is a first edition copy of Alice in Wonderland, which I'm sure was incredibly hard to find. Then, wrote in red ink on a piece of pretty paper is a poem called "Why We All Love Ally" .
Why We All Love Ally
This poem might suck
Because that's just my luck
I don't know if I can rhyme
Before I'm out of time
I've never been good with words especially for pretty girls
But you have nice curls
Sometimes you chew on them
But that's okay
Because at the end of the day
I still will give you the time of day
Why do I love Ally?
I love Ally because she makes me happy
She also makes me kind of sappy
My heart will beat a mile a minute
And I don't think it will ever stop it
I love the way she mops
And the way she tries to pop and lock
Even though it makes her fall of a dock
I better stop
Before I pop
This poem makes me want to hide in a bush
But it was worth making Ally blush
Ally I love you
And everyone else does to.
Merry Christmas to you
And please give me a kiss or two
When I reach the end of the poem, I can't help but laugh out loud. He had to of wrote this when we were dating, but at the moment I don't care because he did all of this.
Everyone thinks that the reason we broke up is because I didn't think he loved me, but that's not the case at all. I know he loves me because he made a poem that hardly makes any sense but Austin doesn't make sense most of the time. I know all of this, but that doesn't make my fears and doubts go away. In fact it makes them worse. If I go back to him, would I jump at the chance to blame him for something? Or would I never feel like I couldn't leave him alone?
I'm to busy thinking that before I know it its time for dinner. We have chicken and mashed potatoes. Dad asks me what Austin got me and I tell him about he book. He asks if I want to call my mom to see if she wants to do something but I shake my head no, not ready to see her. I excuse my self from the table and go up to my room. I want to call Trish but I don't feel like talking to her yet either.
I look at the clock and see that it's only 7, I decide to put on some shoes and go to the little ice cream shop that Austin took me to. I tell dad that I'll be back and head out.
I order a small chocolate and sit at a table in the back. I'm half way done when someone comes up behind me.
"Excuse me but didn't you sing here with your boy friend a month ago?" It's the old lady who talked to Austin and I that night.
"Yes, I am." She sits down across from me. What is it with people and trying to talk to me today?
"Where is that guy of yours?" Here we go again.
"We broke up."
She looks shocked. "But why? You looked so happy."
"We were, we just weren't a good idea together."
"Love is always a good idea. Did he do something stupid?" I laugh at the old lady.
"We both did stupid things."
"I hope that everything gets worked out. My husband screwed up a good amount of times to. But I married him any way. I believe you guys will find away back to each other."
"I don't know." She puts her hand on top of mine.
"I do know. Have a good Christmas sweetie." She walks away from me and I'm suddenly not hungry any more. I'm throwing away my ice cream cup when I hear the bell go off, signaling that someone is entering. I turn around and see people I didn't want to see. Austin, with all of his friends. Cassidy, Dallas, Elliot, Dez and others. They walk to an empty booth, and I thank god that they haven't noticed me. I grab my bag and start to walk out. I'm stopped when I hear Cassady's annoying voice.
"Hey, Austin, look who it is. Aren't you glad that you got rid of her?" Everyone at the table laughs, except Austin and Dez. Austin turns around to look at me but it's to late, I'm already half way out of the door.
I should've known that he only dropped off my stuff so he could get rid of it, make room for another girls things. He probably gave the guitar to someone else, he's probably telling them all right now about how stupid I was to think that he would like that. More lies, it's a never-ending circle.
I get home and go straight to my room. My dad is already in bed, he must have put presents under the tree while I was gone, I'm not feeling any Christmas spirit right now. It's 9 at night now and I reach for the poem to read it again. I don't know if it's the ice cream that I just had or if it's because I saw a young couple feeding each other ice cream, but I find my self reaching for my phone. I start typing a new message.
To Austin
From Ally
I just wanted to say thank you for my gift. It was very thoughtful. Merry Christmas to you to.
I know that I'll regret that in the morning but even though Austin and I aren't on the best terms, I'm still a nice person. I can't not say thank you for a gift like that.
It's almost 11 now and I'm about to go to bed when my phone dings from across the room. I get up from my bed and walk over to my desk to read his response.
To Ally
From Austin
I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for my gift to. Have a good Christmas.
That's our first direct communication in a few weeks, It's awkward and not what our texts use to be. He doesn't bring up that we saw each other tonight, or try to explain. I don't bring up that I talked to that girl who tried kissing him. We say thank you and merry Christmas. We're excepting that things are different now, things will never be the same. We've come to that conclusion. Now, if only I could stop my heart from hurting.
Hey! I can't believe were already on chapter 21. I hope you liked this chapter, even though nothing happy happened. I enjoyed writing the poem, even though it probably sucks. Next chapter will be a time jump. I just wanted to say thank you so so so so so much for reading my story, writing it makes me happy and I hope that reading it makes you happy, even though its painful. Please leave a review :)
Edited on September 14, 2014
I do not own Austin and Ally.