HELLO, BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE! Soooo, I'm super excited for the TCAs. And also, PROMS & PROMISES IS THE ONE I SAW THE TAPING FOR AND IT COMES OUT ON THE TENTH AHHHHHHHH! Hmm...What else should I tell you guys? Do you even care? XD Oh! I turn 14 in 18 days! Yaaayyyyyy! Also, WE'RE AT 752 REVIEWS! THAT'S ONLY 248 AWAY FROM1,000! YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING AND I LOVE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU AND I PROMISE I'M NOT LIKE MEAN OR CONCEITED OR ANYTHING SO IF YOU'RE LIKE SHY TO PM ME OR FEEL LIKE I WON'T RESPOND IF YOU ASK ME A QUESTION YOU ARE WRONG! I LOVE YOU GUYS OMSTARS! Alright, now I'll do the disclaimer :D The prompt is from Louder4life and it is: you find a time machine and you and r5 travel back in time to the dinosaur age. You meet a grumpy t-rex who is extremely bored, he steals the time machine and refuses to give it back until you find a joke that will make him laugh. If he doesn't laugh after a certain amount of time he'll eat you.

Maddie's Fancy Disclaimers: Part XXIV

*I'm hanging out with R5 in my bedroom*

Me: Guys, I'm bored.

Rydel: Me, too!

Ross: Well, what should we do?

Riker: *looks around* C'mon, Maddie. You're all powerful and stuff. There's gotta be something fun for us to do.

Rocky: LET'S USE THE TIME MACHINE AGAIN!

Ratliff: Bad idea! That thing scares me.

Rydel: Oh, everything scares you.

Ratliff: Still!

Ross: The time machine sounds fun!

Riker: I vote yes!

Me: I dunno, guys... It's dangerous...

Rydel: C'mon, Maddie. You have your author powers to save us.

Rocky: Yeah! Please?!

Ratliff: We're all gonna die.

Me: *sighs* Fine. But only for a little while!

All Except Ratliff: YAY!

Everyone: *goes into the time machine*

Rocky: THINK ABOUT THE DINOSAURS!

*We all end up in the dinosaur ages*

Ross: Whoa! These are HUGE!

Rydel: Yes, well, they're dinosaurs, so...

Ratliff: This was a terrible idea.

Riker: It's fine! Let's explore!

Rocky: Yeah! C'mon, Scaredy-Rat!

Everyone Except Ratliff: *laughs*

Me: C'mon, Ell. I'm sure we'll be fine.

*We all walk around*

*Suddenly a T-Rex comes over to us*

Me: *looks up* Hi, Mr. T-Rex!

Ratliff: *freezes in fear*

Riker: *smiles at the T-Rex*

Ross: *whispers to me* You know they eat meat, right?

Rydel: He wouldn't eat us, though.

Rocky: Yeah, we're-

T-Rex: SHUT YOUR FACE HOLE, STUPID GIRL.

Rocky: I'm a dude!

T-Rex: YOUR HAIR SUGGESTS OTHERWISE!

Me: Well, someone's grumpy...

T-Rex: YES, WELL, THAT'S WHAT THE PROMPT SAID. WHAT ARE YOU, DUMB?

Riker: Hey, she may be blonde, but she isn't dumb!

Rydel: We're blonde, too...

Ross: Well, we're not dumb, either!

Rocky: *coughs awkwardly*

T-Rex: YOUR VOICES MAKE WE WANT TO BASH MY HEAD AGAINST AN ASTEROID! NOW, TELL ME A FUNNY JOKE!

Me: Oh! I-

Rocky: *rudely cutting me off* None of her jokes are funny.

Riker: We don't have any that are funny...

Ross: Sorry, Mr. T-Rex.

T-Rex: TELL ME A JOKE THAT WILL MAKE ME LAUGH IN THE NEXT FIVE MINUTES OR I WILL EAT YOU!

To Be Continued


And Yet She Doesn't Believe Me

I wake up from a dreamless sleep with a grin on my face. I get out of bed and run down the stairs two at a time before running into the living room, where my sister is watching TV.

"Good morning, Rydel!" I exclaim happily. "You're looking splendid!" I kiss the top of her head and skip into the kitchen.

"Please put pants on!" she tells me.

"Never!" I reply. Then I poke my head out of the kitchen. "I'm making pancakes. Want any? Isn't today a beautiful day? The sun is shining, there isn't a cloud in the sky, I just-"

"Whoa, slow down, Aus," Rydel says. "You're ranting about how beautiful the day is, and you're volunteering to make your own pancakes. And you used the word 'splendid.' What's got you all smiley? I figured you'd be anything but after last night." I grin.

"I went over to her house last night 'cause I was desperate, and one thing led to another and we're friends again!" Rydel smiles.

"Good for you guys! But…why aren't you, like, together?"

"She doesn't believe I love her," I say with a temporary frown. My grin soon returns. "Yet."

"You have a plan?" Rydel asks.

"Nope," I reply. "But I'm sure I'll come up with one. The important thing is that we're friends again!" Rydel chuckles and I go back into the kitchen, humming a random melody.

I'm putting the last pancake on top of my stack when the doorbell rings. I shrug, deciding to let Rydel get the door.

"Hey, Ally!" she exclaims. My eyes widen.

"Not again!" I yell, dashing out of the kitchen and up the stairs to get dressed.

"No pants?" I hear Ally ask Rydel. Then I hear laughing.

I run into my room and shut the door before going into the bathroom and getting in the shower. I quickly cleanse myself before turning off the water, drying off, and getting out.

I put on a pair of dark jeans and a black v-neck. Nodding at myself in the mirror, I grab my silver whistle necklace and mess up my hair a bit. Then I quickly go brush my teeth and put on deodorant. I spray on some cologne because now that Ally and I are friends again, I actually have to care about that kind of stuff. Not that I'm complaining.

I'm about to open my door, but someone pushes it open from outside and it hits me in the face.

"OW!" I exclaim, falling to the ground. I feel something hit my foot, a yelp, and then a body fall on top of me. I grunt in surprise and pain and open my eyes.

"Hi, there," I say with a smile when I see Ally's face inches from mine.

"Sorry!" she exclaims. "That was Rydel! I-oh my gosh, is that what Jordan did to you?!" She brushes her fingers lightly over the dark bruise on my left eye. I close my eyes, relaxed by her touch.

"Mmhm. Kid can pack a punch when he wants to."

"Only 'cause you weren't fighting back." She rolls off me and stands up, before reaching out a hand and helping me up. "You're just getting beaten up all over the place, aren't you?"

"Yeah…I think I've paid my debt." She nods.

"Telling the entire school who you really are will do the trick." I chuckle.

"You did say it would take something big." She smiles.

"I did. You never fail to surprise me, Moon Boy." I grin.

"That's my job."

"So, the Austin Moon I thought was only fake is actually the real you," she says.

"That is correct," I say with a nod. "And the Ally Dawson I thought I'd never see again is right here in front of me. Y'know, the one who doesn't make me wanna punch myself in the face for being so stupid."

"Those songs were really good, by the way," she says. "Like, for real. I remember when you couldn't even write the chorus of a song. Now look at you." I grin.

"Helps to have a little inspiration."

"Stay With Me has been stuck in my head since you finished singing it, no joke."

"Has it, now?" I ask. She nods.

"Oh, yeah." I smile at her.

"I missed you so much. Gosh, I was such an idiot."

"Hey, let's not live in the past," she says, smiling back at me. "Clean slate. No secrets, no acting." I nod and pull her in for a hug, still grinning. She wraps her arms around my neck.

"Are you wearing cologne?" she asks.

"Maybe." She chuckles and we pull away.

"Trying to impress someone?"

"Only you." She rolls her eyes but smiles anyway. "Hey, let's do something."

"Like what?" she asks.

"I dunno. Anything."

"Well, I don't know!"

"Okay, what is your number one favorite thing to do?" I ask.

"I don't have one."

"Alright, what's one of your favorite things to do?"

"You're gonna laugh," she complains.

"No I won't, Als. I promise." She raises her eyebrows. "Clean slate!" I exclaim.

"Alright, fine. I like going to the bookstore and just looking around and finding new books to read." I grin.

"That's adorable."

"You're internally laughing at me!" she whines.

"I'm not, I swear! You're just cute." Ally rolls her eyes and shoves my left shoulder. "Hey, we agreed no more lies. I'm just telling you the truth." I grin and dodge a light punch to the arm. "You would really punch me after what your little boyfriend did to me? My feelings are hurt." I dodge her again, still grinning.

"Someone sounds a little jealous," she says.

"Course I'm jealous," I reply. "Another guy-and a desperate wannabe at that-is fighting-literally," I point to my black eye, "for the heart of the girl I love." I catch her hand when she tries to swat me and twirl her.

"You don't love me," she says as I let go of her.

"Oh, but I do, Ally dear. You just don't believe me. But you will soon enough. And when you do believe me, I'm gonna say I told you so. And then probably kiss you." She chuckles and rolls her eyes.

"Whatever you say, Moon Boy."

"C'mon, let's go to your bookstore." I grab a jacket.

"Really?!" she says excitedly.

"Of course," I reply.

"You hate books," she says.

"That's not true."

"Well, you don't like them," she replies.

"But you love them. And I love you. So, by default, I love what you love. Y'know, 'cause I love you." We walk out of my room.

"No you don't," she says.

"Dude," I say as we walk down the stairs, "after I said I liked you, you literally told me you thought I was in love with you. And now that I actually am, you refuse to believe me. I thought you were a logical person."

"Austin, my logic went out the door the second I fell in love with you. At least I'm not saying love isn't real. I just don't see it in you."

"Well, boo you," I say as we walk out the door.

"Boo you, too," she says. We look at each other and giggle.

"Nice rhyming, Dawson."

"Thanks, Moon."

We get in the car and buckle up. I turn it on and pull out of my neighborhood, and I glance over at Ally with a smile on my face. I feel like she's back where she belongs, even though it's the passenger seat of my car.

"Hey, Ally?" I say.

"Yeah?" she replies.

"Sorry for being such a sucky best friend," I say.

"I already forgave you, remember? Clean slate."

"I know, but…seeing you break down like that twice in one day, and me being the cause of it..." I trail off and sigh. "I can't stand that I hurt you when all I want to do is protect you."

"Hey, we're teenagers. We're gonna screw up and get emotional and do things we regret. It's just a part of life. The important thing is that we get over it and remember that we're way too important to each other to just let go because of a misunderstanding or a kiss or another stupid reason." I nod.

"Yeah," I say. "You're the best, you know that?"

"That's a matter of opinion."

"Nah. You're the best. So, is Barnes & Noble an adequate bookstore?" I ask.

"That's the one I always go to," she replies. "So many books!" I chuckle and pull into the parking lot of said bookstore.

"Yup." I park and we get out of the car.

"C'mon!" Ally exclaims, grabbing my hand and dragging me inside. I chuckle and let her.

When we get inside, Ally lets go of me and runs to one of the aisles, pulling out her phone and looking at all the books. Whenever she sees one that interests her, she types the title and the author into her phone. I notice that she seems to really want a few of them more than the rest, and because I'm walking behind her, I can grab those few off the shelf without her noticing. She's so distracted by all the books, it's like she doesn't remember I'm here. Which I find adorable.

After a while, she stops. I quickly hide the books on a shelf.

"I have to go to the bathroom. I'll be right back," she says. I nod and watch her leave. Then, I grab all the books, run to the register, and buy them. There were only three, so it doesn't cost too much. Not that it would've mattered. I take the bag and sprint to my car and throw them in before running back to the aisle we were in.

I start looking at a random book, acting interested. When Ally walks back, she gives me a weird look.

"What?" I ask, looking up.

"You're reading," she says.

"Yes, yes I am." I put the book back. "But it was boring."

"Books aren't boring! They're like…doorways to whole other worlds. You open one and you're instantly sucked into a whole new reality. How is that boring?" she asks. I smile at her.

"Because I like this reality better." She blushes.

"Since when are you so flirty?" she asks.

"Since always. Have you forgotten my entire existence?" I ask.

"Never this much."

"Yeah…Gosh, we need to hang out more. It's like you forgot who I am. What's my favorite food?" I ask, pointing a finger at her. She rolls her eyes.

"Pancakes. Duh." I grin.

"Good job."

"It's obvious. That's like asking me what your dream is. Record deal." I make a sound like a buzzer.

"Wrong. If you were paying attention last night I said that used to be my dream," I say. Ally looks confused.

"Okay, then," she says. I smile.

"So, you wanna keep looking?"

"Nah. I already have a good list. And you're probably getting bored."

"Hey, I'm never bored when I'm with you." She blushes.

"Stooooop," she whines. I grin.

"Never!" I grab her hand and drag her out of the store.

"Why do you enjoy making me blush?" she asks, letting me pull her.

"Because you're adorable. Simple as that."

We get to my car and I open her door before walking around to the driver's side. I hop over the door since my convertible top is down and buckle up.

"What's this?" she asks, picking up the bag of books.

"Don't open it until we're on the road!" I exclaim, snatching it from her hands. I know that if she sees that I bought the books for her, she'll immediately wanna go in and return them.

"Alright, alright," she says, buckling her seatbelt. I turn the car on and pull out of the parking lot. After a few minutes of driving, I give her the bag.

"Okay, go ahead," I say. Ally looks inside the bag and pulls out the three books.

"You got these for me?" she asks. I nod.

"I could tell you wanted them more than the others."

"You didn't have to."

"I realize that."

"Then why did you?"

"Because I wanted to."

"Austin…" she trails off. I chuckle.

"Something tells me you aren't used to boys showing you affection in a way other than creepily stalking you."

"Yeah, well, boys don't usually like me."

"So, as a boy who loves you, it's my job to make you feel loved. Hence taking you to your favorite bookstore and buying you books," I say.

"I'm still not sure if I believe you love me," she says, "but thank you." I smile.

"You're welcome, Als. And we both know I'll get you to believe me sooner rather than later." She shrugs. "I mean, I totally get why you'd be hesitant, all things considered. But if I'm being perfectly honest-which I am, now-I'm almost certain that you don't particularly want to believe I love you."

"I-" she starts.

"I'm not being accusatory," I say quickly. "I'm not meaning that in a bad way. I don't exactly blame you for being a little slow to believe, but I also know that deep down, you know I love you. But you don't wanna accept it because that would mean that there's nothing else for you to hide behind. You're scared I'll break your heart again, but if you accept I love you, it'll be harder for you to find logic in that fear. But eventually I'll make you realize that maybe the fear, the risk of losing everything, is half the fun."

"Aren't you the one who refused to believe in love, mainly because you were afraid of losing control of your emotions?" she asks. "And besides, I'd hardly call being scared of heartbreak 'fun.'"

"Yeah, but I realized that it isn't even losing control of your emotions. I mean, we never really have real control of them in the first place. It's just…feeling something stronger than you're used to. And that could make someone more vulnerable. Or it could make them more powerful, give them the drive they need to actually want real happiness, not just accept when small fractions of it come and go." I glance over at Ally.

"You know, you're really well-spoken when you wanna be," she tells me. "I told you you'd be happier once you believed in it."

"So you believe me?!" I ask excitedly. She's silent for a second.

"I believe that you believe in love. I just don't think you're in it yet." I sigh.

"Well, you were right about the happiness thing. And about love giving people something to hope for and dream of."

"Yeah, you're hoping and dreaming of love. Which you aren't in."

"Quite on the contrary," I say. "I'm hoping and dreaming of you."

For once, she doesn't have anything to say to that.

Well, for a few minutes, anyway.

"Yeah, dreaming of me dying," she finally says. My jaw falls open in mock surprise and hurt. I look over at her when we're stopped at a red light.

"I just poured my heart out in a glass for you, and you dumped it all over me."

"That's disgusting."

"I'm literally dripping heart juice!" I pretend to shake 'heart juice' off my hands. "You just-do you know how hard this is gonna be to get out of my hair?!"

"Guess you'll be a redhead for life, then, Moon Boy." I shake my head in slight surprise and look out the windshield.

"Wow."

"What?" I sigh.

"I just made this long speech about my feelings and how much I love you and stuff-which you know, isn't exactly easy for me-and you just…you just…brushed it off like it meant nothing," I say. The light turns green and I start driving again.

"Because you don't love me," she says. I purse my lips and take a deep breath. "Hey, at least I believe it's possible for you to love me…kinda. You didn't even give me that."

"But you have parents who love each other deeply and completely and undeniably. You've believed in love your whole life. You're already in love with me!" I exclaim. "I at least had a reason not to believe. For you, it's just a matter of accepting it, while I didn't even believe in it in the first place! And I know I said I understood why you'd be hesitant, but that doesn't mean you can just brush off my feelings like dust!"

"Austin, c'mon. You're overreacting."

"Am I? I tell the entire school who I really am, I tell them I'm in love with you, and you don't believe it. Okay, whatever. You're still a little scared because we just became friends again. I get that. But again I lay out my feelings for you, put my heart on the line, and you just completely ignore it!" Ally sighs.

"I don't wanna fight with you, Austin. Can we please just let it go?" I tighten my jaw as I stop in front of my house.

"Sure, whatever," I say tiredly. "Anything for you, right?" I add bitterly.

She doesn't say anything, and neither do I. We get out of the car and I walk into the house and up to my room, not bothering to see if she's following me. Her quiet footsteps tell me she is.

"You're still mad at me," she says, standing shyly in the doorway of my room while I lay on my bed.

"Whatever. I'm over it."

"No you're not," she says.

"I'm a big boy, Ally. I can take a little rejection."

"You're still mad, though."

"Ally, I'm fine. Really." Though I know my tone of voice says otherwise.

"Austin, I know you."

"And I know you. I'm okay."

"You don't sound okay."

"Ally, I'm fine."

Ally purses her lips and turns to walk to Rydel's room. Knowing what's next, I stand up and open my arms. She turns to look at me one more time, and I see the relief flood her features. She runs into my arms and hugs me tightly. I hold her even tighter.

"I'm sorry," she says quietly.

"Shh, it's fine. I forgive you. I'll always forgive you." I start swaying us slowly, burying my face in her neck. "Take as long as you need to feel comfortable. I'll wait forever."

"Forever's a long time," she says.

"Doesn't matter," I reply. "You're worth it."

"But if you're waiting too long-"

"You're it for me, Als. I know what you're thinking, and even if you don't believe I love you for another twenty years, I'll still want you more than anything. No one can replace you." She hugs me tighter.

"I wish I wasn't so scared. This is the friendship thing all over again. I want to believe you so badly, but I just can't." I tighten my grip as well.

"Well, if we're repeating the past, then we both know I'll be able to make you believe. And then everything will work itself out."

"How're you so sure?"

"Think about our story. We used to hate each other, yet somehow you got me to believe in love and we ended up falling for each other. If we can do that, we're clearly meant to be."

She pulls away from me and stands on her tiptoes to press a kiss to my cheek. I smile down at her, and she smiles back.

"You're beautiful," I tell her. Her cheeks tint pink.

"ALLY!" Rydel calls, startling the both of us. "COME IN HERE!" Ally looks up at me. I chuckle.

"Go," I say, nodding at the door. "It's her turn." Ally giggles.

"Her turn?"

"Yes. I had my turn with you, and now it's Rydel's. Go." I push her gently to the doorway. She chuckles and walks out.

While Ally's with Rydel, I decide to write a song. Maybe if I sing her just one more love song, I'll be able to convey the emotions I need to and get whatever look in my eyes she isn't seeing. I pull out my guitar and a piece of paper and get to work.

After about an hour, I have most of the music done, but no lyrics. I'm about to play a little more for the bridge, when I hear Rydel yell.

"AUSTIN! COME IN HERE! IT'S AN EMERGENCY!" My eyes widen and I drop everything. I sprint down the hall to Rydel's room, expecting Ally to be on the verge of death or something equally as awful.

"What happened?!" I exclaim when I get there, surveying the room.

"Does Ally's hair look better straight or curled?" Rydel asks, looking at Ally in her mirror and playing with Ally's hair. I blink.

"That's the emergency?" Rydel nods.

"Yes." I sigh.

"I thought she was, like, dead!" I exclaim.

"Why would you think that?" Ally asks.

"Because-" I cut myself off and sigh, knowing this will go nowhere. "She looks gorgeous either way. Whatever you feel like doing." I trudge back to my room.

I continue writing the song, and once I start thinking of lyrics, I'm in a bit of a Christmasy mood. The reason behind that most likely being Rydel and Ally blasting Christmas songs in Rydel's room.

"BABY ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOUUU!" the girls sing together. I imagine them singing into hairbrushes and just having a jolly good time, while I'm here racking my brain for lyrics that'll make Ally believe I love her.

"HEY, ALLY!" I yell so she can hear me. I hear the music's volume being turned down.

"YEAH?!" her voice carries down the hall.

"ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU!" I call.

"Awwww!" I hear Rydel coo.

"THAT IS ALL!" I say.

The music is turned back up and there's no response, although I do hear a few squeals and fast talking. I can't make out what the girls are saying, but I hear my name a few times. I chuckle and get back to writing.

Ally has to believe I love her. And she has to believe soon. I don't know how much longer I can take this. I know I'm kind of being a hypocrite about it, considering I didn't believe she loved me for so long, but I didn't even believe love existed. Besides, I just realized love is real a few days ago. So the feelings are coming stronger and faster than hers. Her falling in love with me was gradual. Scary, but gradual. Whereas my falling in love with her hit me like a ton of bricks.

All I want is to be with her. I could be homeless, living on the street. I could lose my voice and my ability to play instruments. I could lose everything except her, and I'd be the happiest man alive. But she doesn't believe I love her. Yet.

Unless there isn't a 'yet.' After all this, she still doesn't believe I love her. Maybe it's a sign. Maybe it means we'll never be able to completely go back to normal. Maybe I'm wrong and we really weren't meant to be.

No. I can't afford to think like that. This girl is the reason I believe in love. She's the reason I wake up in the morning. She's the reason for my happiness. I can't just give up on her. You only try that once before realizing it's impossible.

Suddenly tired of writing, I put away my notebook and guitar and just lay on my bed, playing on my phone and listening to the girls have fun. Okay, I just stare at my phone screen because I'm too busy imagining me and Ally dancing around the house with our future child.

I might have a slight problem.

My daydreaming is interrupted when Ally and Rydel barge into my room, grinning. I lift my head and give them a nervous look.

"My sister and our best friend just burst into my room and are coming towards me with huge smiles on their faces. Ally's either about to kiss me, or you two are planning something that'll torture me. I don't know which to think." Both of them keep coming towards me slowly, still grinning. I back up. "You two are scaring me. Whose idea was it to have you hang out?! What're you doing?!"

Suddenly, Rydel grabs my arms and secures them above my head. Because of my position, I can't break free. Ally sits on top of me starts poking me in my ticklish spot on my stomach. I start cracking up and yelling death threats at the girls.

"I hate both of you-so much!" I exclaim between laughs. Ally grins and keeps tickling me.

"But I'm your sister and Ally's the love of your life!" Rydel says, giggling. I keep cracking up involuntarily.

"Why-are you-doing this-to me?!" I ask when I'm able to get a few breaths in between my laughter.

"Because you're the brother!" Ally says, still tickling me. "It's what girls do when they hang out!" I keep laughing.

"Aw, Ally, look how red his face is! Are those tears?!" Rydel says. Doesn't that happen to everyone when they laugh too hard? They get red in the face and their eyes tear up. Yeah, that's normal!

"Stop!" I exclaim through my laughter. "Please!"

Finally, Ally stops tickling me and Rydel lets go of me. I breathe heavily, first glaring at Rydel-who's standing next to my bed-and then Ally-who's still sitting on top of me, her hands resting on my abdomen.

"I'm going to get revenge," I say. "And you two are gonna regret messing with me."

"I'm sure we will," Ally says teasingly, grinning and poking my stomach one last time. I turn my head and look at Rydel, considering I'm still 'trapped' under Ally.

"Did she just flirt with me?" I ask. Rydel shrugs, grinning. I look at Ally again. "You just totally flirted with me."

"Did not!" Ally exclaims. "I don't flirt!" she lightly slaps my stomach and I grin.

"You just openly flirted with me and you know it."

"No I didn't!" Ally exclaims. "I. Don't. Flirt!"

"Uh-huh. So, if you don't flirt, or openly show your attraction to me in any way, explain why you're still sitting on top of me." Ally makes a face as though she's just realizing our position and quickly climbs off. "I wasn't complaining!" I say.

"You two are so cute, I might cry," Rydel says. I grin.

"We are," I say. Ally rolls her eyes. I gasp. "Yay! It's my turn now!" I climb out of bed and wrap my arms around Ally from behind. Rydel laughs.

"Have fun," she says as she leaves the room.

"You know," I say, starting to sway slightly, my arms still around Ally, "you're my favoritest person in the whole world." I rest my chin on her shoulder.

"Am I?" Ally asks. "What about your sister? Or Dez? Or your other old friends? Or-"

"Nope," I interrupt, talking quietly because I'm right by her ear. "You're still my favorite."

"Whatever you say…" she says. I smile and let go of her. She turns around to look at me.

"You were so flirting with me earlier," I say, reaching out to poke her in the stomach.

"I was not," she says, smacking my hand away. "Shut up."

"Okay, whatever you say…" I say, grinning.

"I just realized I've never been in here before. Some best friend you are, loser," she says. I grin.

"Well, welcome to my fantastic, well-designed bedroom!" I exclaim, making wide gestures with my hands. She giggles and looks around.

"Whoa!" she says, running to stand on top of my bed and look at the wall. "Are these all your guitars?" I look at the five guitars hanging on the wall.

"Yep," I say.

"Which one's your favorite?" she asks, brushing her fingers along the guitars in a sort of awe.

"Hmm," I say, walking over to her. "That's a tough one. I usually play the one on the ground," I point to the acoustic guitar on its stand on the ground, "but I think my favorite is probably this one." I point to my bright red electric guitar.

"That's my favorite color," Ally states, sitting down on my bed. I chuckle and sit down as well, casually resting my arm over her shoulders.

"Is it?" I say. She nods.

"Mmhm."

"Any reason?" I ask.

"It's bright. And it's the color of love, and, well, you know me," she says.

"Hmm, the color of love?" She nods. "I guess that's a pretty good reason to like it, then. Mine's yellow."

"Yellow? Why?"

"Because it's such a happy color," I say. "I like happiness."

"Do you, now?" she says. I smile.

"I do." Ally leans her head on my shoulder.

"I like happiness, too."

"Well, what would make you happy at this very moment?" I ask, leaning my head on her head.

"Lots of things. There isn't just one." I chuckle. "Are you excited for Christmas?" she asks.

"Eh, not really," I reply. "I'm excited to hang with my mom and Rydel, but I always end up arguing with my dad and ruining the day."

"I'm sorry, Austin."

"Don't be," I say. "We just don't see eye to eye. Nothing to be sorry about. He just needs to realize that it's my future, not his. I want my career to be in music, not a business man who doesn't even have time for his own family."

"I get that."

"Luckily, I leave with Dez on a ski trip for a week the day after Christmas, so I don't even have to think about my dad."

"Yeah, that's good," Ally says.

"The only downside is that I can't see you for a week." I shrug.

"We can video chat," Ally suggests. I nod.

"Yeah."

"Back to your dad, maybe it isn't such a bad thing that he wasn't a very good parent to you growing up." I lift my head to look at her.

"How can that possibly be a good thing?" Ally lifts her head as well and looks up at me.

"Because now you won't make his mistakes. When you're married with children, you'll know to show them how much you love them, and not to abandon and neglect them. You may have had a bad father, but because of that, your children will have a great one."

"And what if I do make his mistakes?"

"You won't."

"How can you be so sure?" I ask.

"Because you know how much it hurts. You don't want any child to have to go through that. You're gonna be a great dad someday, Austin."

"If I'm a dad."

"Why wouldn't you be?"

"Oh, I dunno. Because the only girl I can possibly imagine spending my life with doesn't believe I love her so we're at a standstill until further notice." Ally doesn't say anything. "Hopefully, further notice is closer than I think. Let's stop talking about this stuff."

"Okay," Ally replies. She gets up and skips over to my closet.

"Whatcha doing?" I ask.

"Exploring," she replies, opening my closet and walking in.

"That's a bit odd," I say.

"Oh, well. What's this?" Ally says, walking over to me and holding my old superhero cape. I knew she'd dig that up.

"Dez's old superhero cape. Dunno why it's here…" I say, snatching it from her hands. She grins.

"It's yours, isn't it?" I feel my cheeks heat up and don't reply. She laughs and ties the small cape around my neck. "You're cute." I still don't say anything. She pouts. "You said you'd be my superhero, and now you have the cape to prove it. Be happy!" I chuckle and roll my eyes.

"Yeah."

"C'mon!" she exclaims, pulling me up off the bed.

"Where're we going?" I ask, letting her drag me out of my room.

"The park!" she exclaims.

Sure enough, five minutes later we find ourselves getting out of my car at the park, the cape still tied around my neck. Ally runs off to the top of the jungle gym. I watch her in confusion.

"Austin!" she shouts when she gets to the top. "Dr. Evil trapped me! Help!" I immediately get into character as a superhero and run to the swings.

"I'll save you, Ally!" I lay on my stomach on one of the swings and pretend to fly. Then, I get off and run to the jungle gym, where I pretend to use my superhero powers to fight off bad guys as I climb to the top.

"Austin!" Ally exclaims when I get to the top. "You came!"

"Of course I came!" I point to the slide. "There! Slide down!" She nods and does as I say. I follow.

"You saved me!" Ally says.

"That's what superheroes do!" I say, forming my hands into fists and putting them on my hips and puffing out my chest a bit. She giggles and kisses my cheek.

"My hero."

"C'mon," I say, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her close to me, "I just saved your life. I deserve a little more than that."

"But we're not together, nor should we be yet," Ally says. I look down at her.

"Has that ever stopped us before?"

"Well, no, but bad things always happen."

"But they were always resolved. And I can't think of anything else bad that could happen. I killed Dr. Evil and rescued you. Please? Just one little-mmph!" Ally interrupts me by pulling my head down and pressing her lips to mine.

At first, my eyes widen in shock. I mean, I was hoping, but I didn't really think she'd actually agree. But soon I let my eyes flutter closed and sigh through my nose as I kiss her back.

With every kiss, I seem to fall for her more. I'm already in love with her, but I can feel myself falling even more in love with her, if that's possible. One hand rests on the small of her back, while I cup her cheek with the other. One of her hands is still on the back of my neck, and the other rests on my arm.

I can't help but smile as I kiss Ally. I love her and I know it and I'm kissing her and there's nowhere else I'd rather be, nowhere else I should be than right here, with her in my arms. I rub slow circles on her cheek with my thumb, and I feel her smile, too. Her eyelids flutter and I feel her eyelashes brush my cheeks, and I can't help but remember our very first kiss at the amusement park. My smile widens.

I feel the familiar burst of butterflies and pounding of my heart and smile even wider at how amazing this feeling is. I wonder how I ever survived the past seventeen years of my life without believing this feeling could exist, how I ever survived without her.

At this point, I'm smiling so wide I have to pull away, unfortunately. I don't let go of Ally, and she simply moves her hand from my neck to my shoulder so I can stand up straight again. I open my eyes and smile down at her as she opens hers.

"I will never get tired of that feeling," I say. She smiles up at me.

"Neither will I. But-"

"But you still don't see the thing. I didn't expect you to."

"I'm-"

"Don't be sorry, Als. I told you to take as long as you need and I meant it. I don't wanna rush into anything if you're not ready. Being in a relationship with me obviously isn't gonna be easy, and I get it if you wanna be sure I love you before you actually consider being a relationship with me. Don't feel rushed. I already told you, I'm not going anywhere." She takes a deep breath and nods.

"Soon," she says. "We'll be together soon. I know we will." I nod.

"Yeah. But until then, you're the bestest best friend ever," I say. She grins.

"You are, too."

Suddenly, I gasp and scoop her into my arms bridal style. She yelps.

"What're you doing?!"

"Dr. Evil's assistants are coming for you! We must return to my superhero hideout before they catch you!" I start running to my car, carrying Ally while my cape billows behind me.

When I get there, I lean over the door and set her down in the passenger seat before running over to the driver's side. She buckles her seatbelt and I quickly get in and do the same.

"Go! They're coming!" Ally exclaims. I turn on the car and pull out of the parking lot and start driving home.

"Curse you and your impossible beauty!" I say as we drive down the road.

"What?"

"Obviously, they want you for your beauty! They want to suck all of it out of you and use it to take over the world! You're too beautiful for your own good, Ally! Stop being so pretty!" I exclaim, acting frustrated.

"I'm not," she says.

"Yes you are! If you weren't, they wouldn't be trying to kidnap you! You are the absolute most beautiful girl in the entire universe and it's not up for argument! Your life is in danger because of it!" I stop at a light.

"Whatever you say, Moon Boy," she says, probably knowing she won't win this argument. I grin and start driving again when the light turns green. Ally takes out her phone, looks at something, and makes an excited noise.

"What?" I ask.

"Rydel updated!"

"Did she?" I say. I stopped reading Rydel's fanfiction when I started trying to get over Ally, and I never took it back up again. "Catch me up."

"Well, I survived the hypothermia. When Rydel was mad at you, she made us break up, so currently I'm heartbroken and you're attempting to get me back."

"Ah," I say. "Wow, that's never happened in real life." Ally chuckles and rolls her eyes.

We don't say anything else, but Ally makes a bunch of strange noises. Among those are squeals, giggles, 'awwww's, and gasps. I chuckle at her.

"Good chapter?"

"Yeah!" Ally says, not taking her eyes off her phone. "You are persistent."

"Duh." Ally chuckles and keeps reading.

I don't say anything else until we get back to my house and Ally finishes reading. Her grin is too big not to ask about.

"We got back together?" I ask. "Or, we got together for the first time? I forget what happened."

"Yeah, we got back together," she says as we get out of the car.

"C'mon," I say, leading her inside.

"Where're we going?" she asks.

"The living room," I reply.

"What're we gonna do in the living room?"

"Make out."

"What?" She asks, sounding shocked.

"Kidding!" I say. "Mario Kart." Ally looks relieved.

"Okay."

We walk into the living room and start up the game. I choose Mario as my character and she chooses Peach. We both sit on the couch facing the TV, and Ally sits with her legs folded under her and her knees resting in my lap. I smile.

"You're going down, Moon Boy."

"Not a chance, Dawson."

Twenty minutes later, Ally is creaming me. I haven't won one race. She's gotten first every time.

"Ally Dawson, I will murder your firstborn child with a paper clip!" I scream yet another random threat as Ally passes me in the final lap.

"Not if it's yours!" she fires back, staring at the screen intently. I laugh, sending a red shell to stop her so I can get in first.

"Touché." I grin as I'm about to cross the finish line.

Suddenly, Ally hits me with a shell and passes me right before I finish, landing me in second place while she gets another victory.

"YES!" she exclaims, standing up on the couch and pointing at me. "LOSER!"

"WHAT?!" I shout. "NO FAIR!"

"HA!"

"I HATE YOU!" I shout, standing up on the couch to glare down at her.

"YOU'RE JUST JEALOUS!" Ally yells back.

"I AM NOT-"

"Whoa!" Rydel cuts me off, coming into the room. "What's going on?! Are you two fighting again?!" I cross my arms and glare at Ally.

"I hate her," I say.

"I thought you loved her," Rydel says, sounding confused.

"I do. But I hate her."

"He's just jealous," Ally says, glaring back at me.

"I'm so…" Rydel trails off when she sees our Wii controllers in the Mario Kart wheels. "Mario Kart?" We both nod. "Ally beat you?"

"For the tenth time in a row!" Ally exclaims. "And he's jealous!"

"Am not!" I say.

"Whatever. You're known for your denial." Ally hops down from the couch. I roll my eyes.

"Wow, that's a low blow," I say, following her.

"You're one to talk. You didn't believe I loved you for a long time. Yet when I have doubts-and with a good reason-you get mad at me! That's what I call a low blow." I roll my eyes again.

"We're bringing that into this?" Ally shrugs. I sigh. "Come here." She grins and wraps her arms around my neck. I wrap mine around her waist and hug her tightly. "I will beat you at something one day, Dawson."

"Whatever you say," she replies. We pull away. "I gotta go to work. And then I'm going to Trish's until Christmas Eve. So…I'll see you after Christmas?"

"I'm going on a ski trip with Dez the day after Christmas until school starts."

"Aw," Ally says, frowning.

"We can video chat," I say with a smile. She smiles back.

"It's a date." I grin excitedly.

"Really?!"

"That's not what I-"

"Oh," I interrupt, frowning.

"Austin…"

"Oh, calm down, Dawson," I say, playfully rolling my eyes. I put on an exaggerated 'kicked puppy' face. "My heart is shattered into a million pieces because I thought you meant a real date but you actually didn't. I'll never get over it. Especially since I know you love me and it's only a matter of time before we really do date." I smile again. "C'mon, Als. You know me better than that."

"Well, you've surprised me before," she says. I chuckle. "See you when school starts again." I open the front door for her.

"Later, dude. Don't forget our dates." I wink and close the door before she can say anything else.


And that's the end! Sorry for the crappy chapter name... OMSTARS so I just got back from a camp reunion and it was SO FUN! I was a little upset that James couldn't make it... (he's the one I like if you don't remember XD) BUT IT WAS STILL SO MUCH FUN! All the boys were so tall though and most of them are 15 so I felt really young but THEY MAKE ME FEEL SO LOVED AND I LOVE THEM! Okay, anyway, this chapter was mostly a filler, so it isn't my best. But whatevs XD hopefully you guys will still like it. ALRIGHTY! TIME FOR QTTA!

1. Will Austin EVER learn to wear pants?

2. Will Rydel try to help Ally believe Austin loves her?

3. Is Austin going a little overboard with the love stuff?

4. How will Austin get revenge on the girls?

5. Will Rydel's friendship with Ally have anything to do with Austin getting her to believe he loves her?

6. Did that kiss do anything to make Ally start to believe Austin?

7. Will Austin's song work?

8. How will Austin deal with all this time away from Ally, especially since they just became friends again?

9. How will the football team react to Austin and Ally being friends again?

AAAAANNNNNDDDDD that concludes this chapter's QTTA! I tried to do them in order this time...idk if it worked XD. So again, I just wanna thank you guys SO MUCH for reading my story and reviewing and just liking me. Like, it's so cool to think that there are people around the world who read what I write and like it. I consider all of you my friends and like it's just really cool that you guys like me. YEAH! XD mkay so if you liked this chapter, scroll on down to that lovely box designated for reviews and type BOOKSTORE and then click the button designated to post the review XD. I said that weird. If you liked it, put BOOKSTORE in a review! (Much better XD). If you thought it was okay, put CAPE in a review! And if you hated it, put MARIO KART in a review! Thanks for reading and please review! I LOVE YOU MORE THAN I LOVE CAFE RIO! (It's a seriously good restaurant)

~Maddie :)

P.S. I like knowing what you liked, so it'd be really cool if you'd copy and paste your favorite part into a review! :)

Maddie's Fancy Disclaimers: Part XXIV Continued

All: *looks terrified*

Me: Um...okay...If you find a better fish pun, let minnow!

T-Rex: *blank look*

Me: *pushes Rydel in front of me*

Rydel: What's a bear's favorite drink?

T-Rex: WHAT?

Rydel: Rootbear!

T-Rex: HUMAN BEVERAGES ANNOY ME.

Riker: You know what they are?

T-Rex: OF COURSE, YOU IMBECILE.

Riker: *whispers to me* Any author powers to get us out of this?

Me: *shakes head nervously* *whispers* We have to get back to the time machine.

Ross: Did you just fart? 'Cause you blew me away.

T-Rex: THAT WAS NEITHER FLATTERING, NOR FUNNY.

Ross: *pouts*

Rocky: What did they call prehistoric sailing disasters?

T-Rex: WHAT?

Rocky: Tyrannosaurus wrecks.

All Except Ratliff (cause he's still frozen in fear) and T-Rex: *cracks up*

T-Rex: I FIND THAT OFFENSIVE. TIME'S UP, DIMWITS! I'M GONNA EAT YOU NOW! I THINK I'LL START WITH THE TALL BLONDE GIRL.

Rydel: *screams*

Ratliff: *breaks out of the daze* WAIT! What do you call a fake noodle?!

T-Rex: *annoyed and grumpy* WHAT?

Ratliff: An impasta!

T-Rex: *starts cracking up*

Everyone except T-Rex: *looks at Ratliff in shock*

Ratliff: *smiles a little*

Rydel: You saved us! *kisses him*

Ratliff: *kisses back*

T-Rex: *still cracking up, falls over because he's laughing so hard*

Me: *zaps Rydellington apart* You all know I love Rydellington, but we gotta go!

*We all run to the time machine and go back to my house*

Rocky: Well, that was fun!

Ratliff: I told you guys it was dangerous!

Me: Next time, we're going to the future. Rydellington wedding anyone?

Everyone (including Rydellington): *raises hands*

Me: THEN WE SHALL GO!

The End