Chapter 28
"Austin get in there!" Trish hissed.
He shook his head. "No! I can't. Ally is... I just can't!"
"Well, if you don't get in there now, you've lost the chance of your life. If you don't get in there now, be prepared to say good bye to Ally. And I'll make sure of it!" Trish threatened.
Austin jumped back. "Um... sure... Yeah... ok... got this..."
Dez, Elliot and his sister nodded encouragingly. Not helping guys, he thought to himself. But with all the confidence he could muster, he walked into Lighthouse Book Café, nodding a hello to Dallas and going to Ally. He sat in his usual seat across from her. "Hey Als."
She looked up from her computer. Her face immediately brightened. "Hey Austin."
Why was he so nervous? Well, first, it must be his sister with Trish, Elliot and Dez watching their every move with their faces pressed against the glass and second, it was their second encounter, just the two of them. Was it the second time? He had lost track. But they just hadn't spoken in such friendly tones in quite a while, just... in a general tone, you could say.
He scratched the back of his head. "So um, what are you doing?"
"My story." Ally shrugged. "Aside that, nothing much. You?"
"Same," he replied. "So... your story, huh?"
Ally nodded slowly. "Yeah..."
"Chance Meetings?" Austin recalled. Ally nodded once again. "So how's it going with it? Any progress?"
Ally's eyes twinkled at the question. "Actually... yes."
Austin tiled his head with a questioning look.
"I just realized that..." Ally paused while Austin waited for her to continue. But she didn't.
"Realized what?"
Ally shook her head. "It's my-oh, our story. Written through my point of view."
"What?" Still Austin didn't understand.
"Our story," Ally repeated. She turned the computer so that it faced him. "This story, Chance Meetings, is just a reflection of all the drama in my life. From high school up till now. I just realized that."
Austin nodded. "Really? Well, it sounds interesting!" That was not a good line, he thought furiously with himself. So he thought again. "Would you like me to read it?"
Ally shrugged. "If you want to. I mean, it's probably not that good and maybe a waste of your time, but..."
"I'd love to read it, Ally," Austin interrupted. He scrolled to the top of the document and quickly skimmed what Ally had so far. It took him quite a while, so Ally had grabbed a book from the many that stood on the shelves. And Ally was right, it was a mirror image of their story.
"Really? Then this isn't a picture of you and some other girl named... oh I don't know... Kara. That's her name right?" he taunted.
Justin's hands clenched into fists. "No! It's Kira!"
Everyone gasped again, as realization clicked in for all of them.
"Here that everybody?" Evan declared, playing to the audience. "Justin's cheating on Halle!" He took a step forward, getting all up in Justin's face. "And I want you to stop. Break up with her."
Before Justin could retaliate, someone spoke for him. "No need."
Everyone looked at the speaker with wide eyes. Evan's mouth dropped and Justin turned to the speaker and about to make a rude comment when he realized who it was. His heart pounded as his voice was caught in his throat.
-Flashback-
"And her smile. Her..." Elliot knew Austin was talking about Ally... but Austin cleared his throat when he saw Elliot staring. "What.. no. You can't prove it," he quickly rushed.
Elliot chuckled. "Anyway, you like her do ya?"
Austin sighed. "Yeah... But I'll back off if you don't want me to."
"Nah. Don't care." Then a thought struck Elliot. He later regretted it, but at that moment it was all fun and games. "Um, hey Austin!"
"Yeah?"
"Why don't we have some fun with this?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, why don't we turn this into a bet?"
"Really? What?" Austin asked.
"I dare you to wrap Ally's heart around your finger. Then drop her at the end of the year." Elliot said all of this with a smug grin, not really thinking about the whole situation.
"What?! No! I didn't say that!" Ally exclaimed. "Forget it. Anyway, I like you and its time I admit it."
"Okay. So we like each other?" Ally nods in agreement. "What does it make of us?" Austin asked.
"What?" she questioned.
"Does that make us in a relationship?" he re-phrased.
"What do you think?"
"Will you, Ally Dawson be my girlfriend?"
"Hell yeah!" Ally exclaimed.
She jumped into his arms, and Austin fell back onto the bed. He gave her a quick peck, before flipped out from under her to cower above her with Ally laying back on the bed. "I've been waiting all week for this," he whispered into her ears. She shivered at his low, husky tone and his suggestive matter.
"Well, now I'm yours," she retorted.
"Gladly." Was all he said before sweeping her into another kiss. It started out soft and passionate to being hungry full of lust.
After a minute or so, it opened to show a grim looking Lester Dawson. "Yes?"
"Um... Where's Ally?" Trish squeaked.
Lester Dawson closed his eyes and sighed. His act really scared the three. "Gone."
"What do you mean gone?!" Austin demanded. "She couldn't have left. There's no way she'd leave!"
"Then think again. She left."
But Austin nor Trish and Dez believed him. As Mr. Dawson was to shut the door, using all their will-power they resisted and pushed it open. They tramped in the familiar home where they'd gone to millions of times, especially Austin. "Ally!" all three shouted. They began opening doors and closets looking for her. It was rude and intrusive, but they needed proof. Not finding her downstairs, they tried the bed and baths upstairs. Finally the barged in her bedroom.
Austin broke right there and then. The tears came again. This time they didn't stop. Her bedroom still looked like it, but it was cleared. The bed and bedspread were still there and so were the furniture. But the posters were gone. So were all of Ally's little trinkets. And most of her belongings. Austin stumbled to the closet and pulled them open. They were bare. Only a torn shirt, broken heel of a shoe remained. Ally was definitely gone.
"Told you, you wouldn't find her," Mr. Dawson said as he walked by to his room.
Austin just sobbed harder. He let her go. And he was planning on getting her back. All gone! All because of Elliot! Where the hell was he?! But Ally... She really must've hurt to be gone.
"Come on Austin, cheer up," Trish soothed.
"I did wrong. I know. Why'd I have to do that," Austin wailed, realizing it.
"Don't worry buddy. She'll come back," Dez said.
Austin looked up. "You think so?"
Dez looked uncertain but replied. "I know so."
"Yeah," Trish agreed. "She'll come back. And plus the perfect girl is much closer than you think. She might just be around the corner. She wouldn't be that far."
Austin nodded. Knowing his friend's words too good to be true, but believing anyway.
They had returned home, their home was ablaze and firefighters and first responders around it.
His first thought was, No! The scrapbook! I can't lose that!
So without thinking he ran, ignoring his parent's shouts; past the police officers, past the firefighters that were battling the blaze, and into the house. It started, clearly in the kitchen, but without a glance back he dashed up the stairs that were hot in temperature. There was so much smoke and fire. He jumped the last couple steps and was on the second landing. Good thing he jumped because the stairs suddenly collapse in fire beneath him.
He cast a frightened look at the so-called stairs and ran to his room. It was also in flames. There it was on his bookshelf, that scrapbook. But his bookshelf was half on fire. He ran to it, but by the time he got there all that was left of the book was ashes. Ashes were all that were left of his memories of her.
He wanted to die, right then and there with the house and the book. He couldn't take it. But a first responder had climbed up a ladder and grabbed a coughing Austin and then outside where fresh air greeted them both. He had barely lived because the second he was out the roof had collapsed into the fire.
Austin's life was in shambles. Ally was gone and the only remainders he ever had of their time together was gone. Yes, his family was rich and they were staying at a hotel for the time being, but he felt as though as life was lost. He wished he had gone down in that fire with the photos.
She had said to "burn these for me" and he never thought... that it'd happen.
Austin rolled back on his bed and stared glumly at the ceiling of his hotel room. His sister was in the room next to him and she was making quite a racket. Their parents were in a suit a few doors down.
He didn't know of his future. Ally was his future. He just didn't.
The following evening at the restaurant at the hotel, his family sat and ate dinner. It was a sullen mood, not one willing to spark a conversation. But it was fine to Austin. He couldn't care less. Unfortunately his mom had to ruin the peaceful silence.
"So Austin," his mother began as she speared her dessert with her fork, "What do you plan to do? School is almost over and I had a feeling you didn't want to work at the mattress store. College plans?"
Austin shrugged. "I don't know. I don't care."
"Austin." His father put down his wine glass and steely looked at him. "You at least must have an idea of wh-"
"No, I don't." He shook his head.
"Why don't you apply for college? Maybe that'll be good in the meantime. It'll maybe clear your head."
He shrugged again. "Maybe. I don't know."
"Why don't you try Colorado Sate University. I heard they have a hockey team. Maybe you could try out?"
Austin sighed. "Fine. Maybe. Whatever."
He skidded to the left to swerve the incoming skater. He caught the slide of the puck as it was passed on to him. Left. Right. Left. Right. His feet moved in a smooth motion as he drove forward passing the puck between one team member to another. He wind rustled through his blonde hair as he gripped the hockey stick and slammed the puck with all his strength aiming it at a crook that most goaltenders ignore. It sailed through as the buzzer rang and the crowd cheered. He won! He had scored the winning point for his team! He smiled triumphantly as his team pounded him with glee.
"Great job Austin!" they said. He smiled, nodded and joked along.
Long after the arena had emptied out, after all the fans had left, he was still there. He had gotten rid of his gear and they sat waiting to be washed in his gym back next to him. He watched his breath freeze in the air as he surveyed the stands.
She would've been so happy. She would have been one of the thousand of screaming fans that cheered him on. But he only cared about one. Her.
He closed his eyes and leaned forward placing his elbows on his knees for support.
"Great game," someone - a deep voice, so a male - said.
Austin turned around to see a professional looking guy complete in a suit and tie with a briefcase. "Thanks."
"Love the last score, the most epic one of all," he continued and sat next to him.
But Austin didn't want any company at the moment.
"Mr. Moon, I'm Ian. Ian Westingfield." The guy held his hand out that Austin shook. "Yes, I know who you are. And I have a proposition for you."
Austin looked at him curiously.
"I have been watching you for the past few weeks. Grades are good as well as your social status. That game earlier, most of all, impressed me. I am a scout for the Colorado Avalanche. And that last move was impressive. How would you like to start a career with the Colorado Avalanche?"
Austin's eyebrows rose in shock. "Really?"
Ian nodded. "Pre-season training begins next week. You can just have a tour and just be on the stands. When you're really ready to accept, a contract awaits and I'll be on stand-by to help you arrange your classes around your practice schedule."
"Thanks!"
"What do you mean Ally?" Austin asked as he sat down in front of his locker in the gym. Even thought he was still only 25, he was beat. "Your new girlfriend?"
"Dawson. Ally Dawson," Hayden said as he looked up from is tablet. Austin immediately looked up, caught by the name. Somehow that seemed similar to him. "She wrote this amazing article that I could use for my presentation tomorrow. Apparently a British law passed in 1845, attempting to commit suicide was a capital offense. Offenders could be hanged for trying. Isn't that just off?"
"Yeah, yeah. So what? And who is that girl?"
Hayden passed him his tablet and busied himself, changing into his gear. Austin looked down at the article and the author and picture. There she was. Ally Dawson. But who was she? Austin wanted to know. He looked at the publication. Just a few days ago. But where was this published? It was a Vermont newspaper on-line article, but where? But that was a lead. Vermont. So she lived in Vermont? Hm, that was interesting; why did he want to know more about her? It was just this tugging feeling...
"Um, Hayden?"
"Yep?"
"Do you mind doing me a favor?"
"What's it? If you're going to make me run nude into the swimming pool while the girls are there, fat chance of that happening."
"No. What's the use of that?"
"Public humiliation," Hayden replied.
"I'll tell the guys."
Hayden groaned. "What's the favor?"
"How long could you keep my cover? I want to leave, but I need someone to cover for me."
-End of Flashback-
"You are right Ally," Austin concluded. "This is our story."
She nodded. "Yes, I've realized."
"Hey guys!" Trish interrupted. Austin groaned inwardly. Why did they have to interrupt as of now?! He looked out the window, but they were all gone. They were all behind Trish.
"Hey," Ally and Austin greeted.
"So... how's it going?"
"Fine," Ally nodded. "But I want to talk to all of you." So chairs were pulled up to accommodate those who didn't have a seat.
"Before you say something, I'd like to," Elliot said. "I'm sorry Ally. With the bet, ten years ago. I'm sorry. I really didn't mean for all of this to happen. I was young, foolish. I was rash. I'm sorry. And if you don't forgive me, I'm fine with that. I know my actions and the consequences."
"It's okay Elliot," Ally said. "I already have forgiven you. You're already on the road to be forgiven. Austin helped me realize that."
"I did? When?" Ally pointed stared at him. "Oh yeah."
"Round of hot chocolate, everyone?" Dallas asked as he put down a tray of hot coco in front of everybody. "And I've already added in marshmallows," he added as everyone laughed.
"So what happens? The ending, I mean?" Austin asks, taking a sip of the warm drink.
Ally smiles, rethinking of her decision. "It depends. It might be a happy or sad, deepening on what we write as OUR story."
"I agree." And he smiles at her.
A/N: Hey! Only two more chapters left! One next week, and one the week after. Wow, it's nearly all over. But thankfully it is.
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