Hey guys, I'm back with another story! This idea first came to me about 4 years ago when I first started on here. This will be a multichapter story, but I have no idea how long it is going to be, probably between 8-10 chapters, with an epilogue as the last chapter. It also will probably take a while for updates. I'm trying to have as much of the story planned out before actually writing the next chapter. I'm on winter break right now until mid-January, then I go back to college and will probably not have as much time to even think about writing. I'll try to get this whole thing done fairly quickly so that you guys can read it!
This is my first actual story with multiple chapters, and I'm not the best writer, but I'll do my best to make this good enough! Reviews would be appreciated, too!
Let me know if you guys want me to do review shoutouts and replies like some other authors on this site. I want to try and be more interactive with fellow users, so PM me or leave me a review message to tell me what you think!
And now, on to the first chapter of Festival of Love! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally or anything else you may recognize. I have no idea if Crystal Falls is a real place, but if it is, I don't own that either. I came up with that name for the town for a reason (to be discussed later on).
Austin Moon watched as the scenery around him started to change from city lights to trees and farmland. The low hum of the radio was the only sound he could hear, with classic Michael Jackson songs playing throughout the car.
At 23 years old, moving from the big city of Miami to live with his best friend in the countryside of Crystal Falls, Florida was not in Austin's plans. Given no other option, he packed his things, hopped in his cherry red Ferrari and started his 8-hour drive to Crystal Falls.
You would think that since Austin was a pop star, he would be living his best life. Well, he used to be. His life took a turn for the worse when he suddenly lost his record deal and upon explaining what happened to his parents, he was shunned and kicked out of the house for failing to make a name for himself. With nowhere left to go, Austin called up his best friend, and after explaining his situation, found himself a new home in Crystal Falls.
And that's where Austin found himself currently: driving along the city and countryside borders at 9 pm with nothing but the radio playing soft music to break the silence, 20 minutes away from arriving at a new place and starting his life over.
Austin sighed as he realized just how close he was to starting fresh and creating a new life for himself. Turning onto the highway exit, his thoughts were filled with new possibilities that a small town brings.
Passing the town border, Austin glanced to his right and saw the sign welcoming him to Crystal Falls. Below the town's name was the town motto, and Austin felt a small knot in his stomach as he read the words.
We're all family here. Austin felt a small smile grace his face as he thought that this may just be the place where he can finally have a sense of belonging again.
Upon arriving at Wade Ranch, Austin smiled as he saw the lights on in the house and the silhouette of his red-headed best friend in the window, which disappeared as Austin pulled up and parked his car.
Momentarily forgetting about his entire life's belongings in the back seat, Austin threw open his door and made his way to the house's front porch, where Dez stood waiting for him.
Dez Wade. Austin's best friend since college and forever more. After graduating high school in Miami, Austin made his way to University of California in Los Angeles to pursue a music degree. There, he met Dez, who was in business school, and Dez's girlfriend Carrie, who was pursuing a culinary degree. The three of them were attached at the hip throughout their four years at UCLA. At graduation, Dez proposed to Carrie, and the two of them moved back to their hometown of Crystal Falls to run Dez's family ranch.
"Austin Moon. Look who's finally arrived!" Dez exclaimed as the two embraced.
"Hey, man! It's so nice to see you. And thanks again, for you know, letting me live here," Austin replied.
"Of course, man, you know it's no problem at all! Carrie and I are thrilled to have you, and we're excited to show you around town."
"Well, I appreciate everything you're doing for me anyway."
"Yeah, yeah, anytime, man. Now come on, let's get inside and show you around."
"And don't forget, say hello to that fiancée of yours. Just let me grab my bags first."
Dez smiled and nodded, helping Austin with his bags and bringing everything inside the ranch house.
"Is that Austin Moon I hear?" a female voice called from the kitchen.
Austin looked up as Carrie made her way to the front entrance of the house, a grin on her face and her arms spread wide. Austin smiled back and walked over to hug his best friend's fiancée.
"Oh, Austin, I missed you! I'm so excited that you're moving here!"
Austin chuckled. "I missed you too, Carrie."
After breaking from the hug, Carrie explained that she had to finish washing the dishes and left the boys on their own. Austin looked over at Dez, who nodded his head in the direction of the stairs.
"Come on, I'll show you to your room."
Austin followed Dez up the stairs and down the hall, dropping his bags in the room designated as his. Dez helped him get settled in, and then turned towards the hall.
"My and Carrie's room is right across the hall. If you need anything at all, feel free to ask us."
Austin nodded. "Thanks, dude."
"Of course. This is your home now, too. Although, I must warn you, occasionally we will get loud, and that is when you most definitely should not disturb us," Dez finished his sentence with a smirk on his face.
Austin scrunched his face up upon understanding what Dez meant, and smacked Dez's arms.
"Gross, dude. I did not need to know about your and Carrie's sex life."
Dez laughed and threw his hands up in surrender. "Hey, man, when you find someone you love and want to spend the rest of your life with, you won't be able to keep your hands off her, either."
Austin rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, when that happens, I'll make sure to let you know in advance before getting too loud."
"Well, at that point, you wouldn't need to warn me because you and your girl would be living on your own ranch and then you'd be free to do the deed every night."
Austin rolled his eyes again, but a smile started to make its way onto his face.
"Yeah, well, before any of that can happen, I need to actually find the girl first."
"That may be true, but I also know that it will happen someday. Maybe sooner than you think. I mean, you are here for a fresh start. There might be a girl somewhere in this town that can win the heart of my best friend."
"I don't know, we'll see about that. But really, I'd like to get settled in first before even thinking about starting new with a girl by my side. I just got here, and I'd really like to spend some time with my two best friends."
"Alright, fair enough. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a fiancée that is waiting for me to love her all night."
"Ew, dude, again! I did not need to know that. But alright, I guess I should let you go to your fiancée. Just please, dude, I'm begging you, don't be too loud while I'm sleeping right across the hall."
Dez laughed. "I can't make any promises, but don't worry, we won't keep you up too late."
Austin rolled his eyes yet again and then the two laughed. Dez then wished Austin goodnight before walking to the door. Before he left completely, he turned back around and looked at Austin.
"Tomorrow I'll show you around the ranch and explain how things run here, yeah?"
Austin smiled and nodded, wishing his friend goodnight as well.
Dez smiled back and left the room, closing the door behind him and leaving Austin with his wonders about the small town of Crystal Falls and all it has to offer.
"Ok, Austin, this is the last part of the ranch. This is our corn and wheat field."
Austin stood next to Dez as they looked out at the field filled to the brim with corn and wheat. For the past two hours, Dez has been showing Austin around the land and explaining how they do certain things to run it all. They were just now finishing up with the money maker of the whole ranch, the corn and wheat fields.
"We provide majority of the corn and wheat for a lot of the food-related businesses here in town. In return, we either get something from the business as a trade or credit at their business for something in the future," Dez explained.
Austin nodded, silently showing that he was following along.
"This is all very impressive, Dez. You're doing an amazing job taking over for your parents and running this place. I guess that business degree came in handy, huh?"
Dez chuckled. "I guess it did."
The two chatted while they walked back to the house, where Carrie was working in the living room, surrounded by fake leaves and fall-themed plants. As Austin and Dez walked inside the house, Carrie called them over.
"What's up, babe?" Dez asked.
"I need major help. I'm drowning in these decorations, I need more supplies to make the pies, and my mother is constantly pestering me about wedding details. I keep telling her that the wedding plans are on hold for the next two weeks while we prepare for the Fall Fest, but she won't listen to me," Carrie ranted.
"What's the Fall Fest?" Austin asked.
"Oh, it's this two-week-long festival the town holds every September, to get everybody in the spirit of the new fall season. Businesses usually have their own booths decorated with fall essentials or supplies from their shops, and all week there are different events going on. The week kicks off with a carnival, then there's a corn maze, some hayrides, and then the week ends with a dance. The final event after the dance is a fireworks show to celebrate the season. It's always a great time, but Carrie and I are stressing out about this year since we also have wedding planning to do," Dez explained.
"Yeah, it sounds great! Is there anything I can do to help you guys? Obviously not with wedding stuff, but with anything around the ranch or your booth for the fest?" Austin questioned.
Heaving out a sigh, Carrie smiled. "That would be absolutely amazing, thank you, Austin!"
"Of course! Now, what can I do? Carrie mentioned needing more supplies to make pies?"
Dez nodded. "Yeah, Carrie is making pies for our booth. We get our apples and pumpkins for them from the Dawson Orchard across town. They give us apples and pumpkins, and we give them corn and wheat to make pastries, because they also have a bakery there. Would you mind going over there and picking up the shipment? It's already paid for, you just need to go to the front desk in the main building and ask the girl at the desk for the Wade Ranch shipment. It's Thursday, so Ally and Trish should be manning the desk. Tell them Dez sent you and you should be fine."
Austin nodded. "Yeah, absolutely, I can do that. Where are the keys to your truck?"
Dez winced. "Our truck is actually broken at the moment, something about a rusty spark plug, so you'd have to take your car. Do you mind?"
Austin shook his head. "No, of course not. Anything to help you guys."
Dez let out a sigh of relief and smiled. "Awesome, thanks so much, man! You're really helping us out!"
After receiving the directions to Dawson Orchard, Austin grabbed his keys and was on his way.
On his way to the orchard, Austin took glances out his window and admired the landscape around him. Having arrived late at night the previous day, he wasn't able to get a complete view of the countryside in the light. Now, having that opportunity, Austin found himself enjoying it.
Pulling up to the orchard, Austin immediately noticed that his car was out of place. Throughout the parking lot, there were mini vans and pickup trucks covered in dirt and mud, while he was driving a spotless sports car. After parking and getting out of the car, Austin made his way to the main building. Taking in his surroundings, he saw families picking apples from the trees to the left, while young couples were in the pumpkin patch or sitting on bales of hay while they enjoyed apple cider and cornbread.
Everybody appeared to be happy and relaxed and gave off a sense that they belonged in Crystal Falls. Looking down at his outfit, Austin realized that not only was his car out of place, but also his outfit While everyone was donned in plaid or flannel shirts, denim jeans, and some form of boots, he was wearing a white button-down shirt, dark jeans, and white high tops. Brushing off the thought and continuing to the front desk, he prepared himself for his task.
The first thing Austin saw when he opened the door to the building was a giant banner hung over the entryway, reading Welcome to Dawson Orchard! Enjoy your day! He smiled, already appreciating the hospitality of the town.
The second thing Austin saw took his breath away. Behind the counter sat two girls, a short, curly-haired Latina wearing a purple flannel shirt and a petite brunette in a red one. These must be the girls Dez talked about. Trish and Ally. Austin thought. As he walked up to the desk, he could hear the end of the girls' conversation.
"–can't just show up driving a sports car! This is the countryside, Trish! That kind of car, or the person driving it, for that matter, doesn't belong here!"
Austin stopped once he reached the desk, and the two girls turned to him. The brunette smiled and got up, walking over to him. As she got closer, Austin noticed she was also wearing a necklace that said Ally.
"Hi! Welcome to Dawson Orchard! I'm Ally, my parents own the orchard. How can I help you?"
Austin smiled back. "Uh, hi. I'm here to pick up a shipment."
Ally nodded and took out a binder. "Sure! What's the name under the shipment order?"
"Wade Ranch."
Ally looked up at Austin and her smile dropped. Austin's did as well as was replaced with a look of confusion. Ally noticed Austin's expression and cleared her throat.
"Um, I'm sorry. It's just, you don't happen to be Austin, do you? The pop star best friend that Dez always talks about?"
Austin hesitantly nodded his head in confirmation. "Uh, yeah…I just moved here to live with him and his fiancée."
"I see. And is the cherry red sports car yours, too?"
"…Yeah…" Austin confirmed.
Ally looked back to Trish, throwing her a look of annoyance. Trish just nodded her head in Austin's direction, and Ally turned towards him again. She sighed.
"Look, I'll give you the shipment because it's for Dez and Carrie and they happen to be good friends of mine. Then you can be on your merry way back to the ranch in your amazing little sports car."
Furrowing his brows, Austin thanked Ally. "I need to ask one thing, though."
Ally sighed and nodded, giving Austin permission.
"Why did your mood suddenly drop when you realized who I was? Has Dez told you bad things about me?"
Ally sighed again before explaining. "I know what people like you are like. You're always looking for something in return for doing acts of kindness or some other charity, and I'm tired of that crap." And I had a bad experience with a pop star. With him…, Ally thought to herself.
"Well, look, I came here for a fresh start, so I'm not looking for any trouble like that," Austin protested.
Ally looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "A fresh start from what?"
"I –" Austin started, but then stopped himself. I just met this girl. I can't tell her everything within 5 minutes of knowing her. He shook his head and started again. "It doesn't matter. Don't worry about it."
Ally raised both her eyebrows and eyed him, but didn't push the subject. Instead, she gestured for him to follow her to the stock room for the apples and pumpkins.
Ally helped Austin pack the fruit in his car, and was about to turn away, when she turned back to face him.
Giving her a questioning look, Austin waited for her to say something.
Ally gave Austin a serious look before speaking.
"Look, I understand that you came here for a fresh start. A lot of people do. But if you really want a new life in Crystal Falls, you need to act like you belong here. That means learning to dress, drive, and talk like a resident. Many people here shun out-of-towners, especially if they act like out-of-towners. If you want to feel like you belong here, then you need to get your act together and start acting like someone who does."
With that, Ally turned and walked away, without waiting to hear an answer from Austin.
Once she returned to her seat at the front desk, Trish looked over at Ally and gave her a look as if to ask "well?!" Ally just grunted in annoyance and plastered on a smile as she went to help the next customer. When the customer left, Trish tried again.
"Ally."
"What?" Ally snapped.
"Do you think maybe you should give Austin a chance before you judge him? He genuinely seemed like he wanted a new life and to get away from his past."
Ally scoffed and turned to look at Trish.
"Yeah, right. He is just a no-good celebrity who charms his way into getting what he wants. I bet he slept his way to the top of the music industry until he was given the deal he wanted, too."
"You know that didn't actually happen when you were talking to him, right? He was just asking to pick up the shipment for Dez and Carrie, and you snapped at him. No charm was used on his part at all," Trish replied.
Ally shrugged and turned away, bringing her hand up to her necklace to play with it. "That doesn't matter. I know his kind."
Trish sighed and tried once again to reason with Ally.
"I think you should give him a chance to show his true self. He's not going to hurt you, he isn't like –", but Ally interrupted Trish.
"Whatever, okay? It doesn't matter, I don't want to talk about it anymore. All I want is to finish up the day and head to Cassidy's for girls night."
Trish sighed but agreed. I am going to get Ally to move on and be happy again. I don't know how yet, but I know that somehow Austin plays a role in making that happen. I need to get them together before Ally decides to never move on again…I'll need the others to help me!
As Austin drove back to the ranch from the orchard, he pondered over what Ally said to him.
Maybe I should start acting like I belong here. If I'm ever going to move on and make a new life, I need a fresh look. But first, I'll ask Dez, see what he thinks about all this.
Sighing, Austin arrived back at the ranch. He brought the apples and pumpkins to the shed where Dez and Carrie keep their crops, then walked into the house. Dez was heating up leftovers in the kitchen when Austin walked in, and looked over at him, smiling.
"Hey, buddy! Since it's Thursday, Carrie went over to her friend Cassidy's house for a girls' night with Trish and Ally, the girls you met at the orchard, and Kira and Piper, two other friends of ours. So, it's just you and me for tonight!"
Austin nodded and joined Dez is heating up food. At the mention of Ally's name, Austin decided now was as good a time as any to bring up the conversation.
"Hey, so, I need to ask your advice about something. Ally talked to me after helping with the shipment, and what she said stuck with me for the rest of the day."
"Sure, man, what'd she say?"
Austin sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, a tell-tale nervous habit of his. "She, uh, she kind of blew up at me for being a celebrity and having a sports car. Then she said that if I wanted to belong here then I needed to at least look the part before I could feel it."
Dez nodded slowly, pondering the information. Austin anticipated his response, biting his lip nervously.
"I mean, in all honesty, she's right, dude. You can't have a sense of belonging here if you don't at least act like you've lived here your whole life. Your car and clothes, while extremely nice and I would pay a lot of money for if I lived anywhere else, are what make you out of place here. I can help you through it all. We'll have you looking and acting like a Crystal Falls-born resident in no time!"
Dez finished with a smile on his face and his fist up in the air. Austin agreed, deciding that this would be his best option if he wanted to start new. What better way to start new than getting a new look?
After bidding Dez goodnight, Austin trudged up to his room and lied down in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. Deciding that he's done enough thinking for the day, Austin sighed and grabbed his phone, looking at the celebrity news back in Los Angeles. Most of the headlines were about new movies and celebrity couple breakups, but one headline made Austin freeze and tense up.
"Austin Moon: Off the Grid?" Knowing that the article couldn't be anything worse than the story behind Austin's dead record deal, he decided to read it.
"It has been confirmed that pop star Austin Moon has lost his record deal at Los Angeles's biggest recording company, Walker Records (1). The Miami native was seen leaving the studio last week and has not been seen entering since. We did some digging, and it turns out that Moon was released from his contract only 8 months after signing due to a mishap with the sound board and fellow recording artists' music.
Moon was last seen entering his parents' home in Miami, but was soon seen leaving a few days later, and he has yet to return. No one knows where he could have gone, but our sources suspect he messaged his friend from college Dez Wade of Crystal Falls, Florida for a place to stay. Moon himself mentioned in an interview with us that he and Wade attended UCLA together, along with Wade's girlfriend, and that if given the opportunity, he would visit Crystal Falls in a heartbeat.
Austin Moon's current whereabouts are unknown, but we are just as eager to find out as his former fans are! We will dig deeper and keep you updated on all things Austin Moon!
Austin sighed and closed the article. Dez and Carrie were the only ones to know of his situation, and he certainly did not want the press to find out where he was. Maybe I should go off the grid, he thought.
Deciding he's had enough drama for the day, Austin closed his eyes, ready for sleep to overtake his body. Before he was completely asleep, though, he found himself thinking about the stubborn brunette at the orchard. She was pretty, he'd give her that, but her attitude towards him was less than adequate. Although, through the stoic looks and resistant behaviors, Austin realized that there was something about her that kept him intrigued.
Laughter could be heard throughout the whole house as the six girls gossiped and played Truth or Dare. Ally looked around the room and appreciated her best friends that she grew up with while Carrie thought of a question.
The six girls have all lived in Crystal Falls their whole lives. They went to the local high school together, and while Ally went off to Juilliard for music school, the others stayed in Florida and went to University of Miami. The girls have their friend group, along with Dez and the girls' boyfriends. The guys all grew up in Crystal Falls as well and attended the same high school and University of Miami with the girls (with the exception of Dez, Ally, and Carrie).
After graduating from Juilliard, Ally had to put her music career on hold when she received the news from her parents that her father wasn't doing too well. Without hesitation, Ally packed up and moved back home to help her parents with the orchard. Being back home brought back so many memories, and Ally felt a sense of belonging and nostalgia again. She realized that this was where she wanted to be for the rest of her life.
When Dez and Carrie moved back from California and took over the Wade family ranch, Ally couldn't have been happier. All of her best friends were all in the same place at the same time again, and it would be that way forever. What Ally was not expecting was for Dez and Carrie to come back home with stories about a blonde wannabe pop star who stayed in Los Angeles to make a name for himself in the music industry. Ally tried to be happy that her friends found someone else to share memories with, but she couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed that they chose to have their adventures with an up-and-coming celebrity.
Ally snapped out of her thoughts when Carrie continued the game.
"Ok, this question isn't for one specific person. I'm just generally curious. Since Dez popped the question first and now we're engaged, it's only inevitable that one of you is next. Who's it going to be, girls?"
The girls all looked at each other, while Ally sat there watching them.
"I would guess not me, at least for a little while. I mean, the diner is just getting on its feet, and I know Dallas wants to wait until it's stable before settling," Cassidy said.
Cassidy got her culinary degree like Carrie, but while Carrie focused more on baking, Cassidy focused on restaurant cuisine. After moving back to Crystal Falls, Cassidy used all of her savings to buy the local diner. Now called The Crystal Diner, Cassidy ran the business with her boyfriend Dallas, who earned a management degree.
"Yeah, that makes sense," Piper replied to Cassidy's statement. "The same goes for me. I mean, I'm stable in my job, but Gavin is just now starting to make it big in his position at the rodeo. Adding wedding planning to his schedule would just add more stress."
Piper worked at the local pet store as the store manager. Her job paid well, and she was very happy there. Piper loved animals and was a vegan. Although none of her other friends shared the same diet, Piper was very supportive of their decisions, as they were to hers. Her boyfriend Gavin lived for all things country. He started working with the local rodeo as an assistant, but soon realized his passion of being an announcer for the sport.
"That's understandable. But as for me, I'm ready for the commitment. All I need is for Trent to man up and propose already," Kira said.
The girls laughed and Trish supplied her agreement. "I fell you, sister. I keep dropping hints, but Jace just keeps ignoring me."
"You too have been together since the eighth grade, Trish. There's no way he doesn't love you or want to marry to. It will happen, and you'll actually probably be next. I'm sure the guys have teased him about it and told him to get his act together many times," Carrie replied.
Kira's dad owned the local record store, and when Kira moved back after graduation, she took over for him while he went into retirement. Her boyfriend Trent worked there with her, and the two have been living a stable life ever since.
Trish was Ally's closest friend. They met in kindergarten and were inseparable ever since. It was heartbreaking when Ally decided to go to music school at Juilliard, but Trish understood and supported her best friend deeply. Trish worked at the orchard with Ally and was hoping to run her own someday. For now, though, she was content working beside her best friend. Her boyfriend Jace owned the local sports equipment store. His passion was skateboarding, and he wanted to give other residents the chance to fall in love with sports, so he opened up his own store. Trish and Jace have been in a stable relationship since middle school, and with stable jobs, could very well be the next couple to get engaged.
The girls all nodded along with Carrie's response before turning their eyes to Ally. She shrunk under their gaze and prepared herself for the mass amount of pressure about to come her way.
The girls have always tried to set Ally up with guys, and they've all been unsuccessful. He was a cheater, he didn't pay enough attention to her, he forgot her birthday, etc. The relationship that lasted the longest was with the last boyfriend she had, and they were happy for a while, until she discovered something that changed her mind about some guys. While Ally appreciated her friends' support and love for her and how much they wanted her to be happy, she was tired of their continuous pressure to get back out into the dating world.
"I know what you guys are going to say, and I'm telling you right now that I won't listen. I've got too much on my plate with helping out at the orchard and taking care of my dad, I don't have time for a love life right now," Ally told them sternly.
"We just want you to be happy, Ally. We know that somewhere out there is the perfect guy for you, you just need to see it for yourself," Kira replied.
The other girls voiced their agreements. "Who knows? You may have already met him! There are plenty of guys in town that would fall over themselves just to make you happy," Cassidy added.
Trish smirked and voiced her opinion. "Yeah, I mean, take that Austin guy. He seemed genuinely nice and like he would do anything to make you happy."
Ally glared at Trish while the other girls gasped and spoke all at once.
"Who is this Austin guy?!"
"Ally!"
"You didn't tell us that you met someone!"
Ally just rolled her eyes. "I didn't meet anybody. He was just a guy who came in to pick up a shipment for Dez. That's all."
"She was rude to him because she found out that he's that pop star that Dez and Carrie always talk about," Trish added.
The girls all gasped again. "Ally! Why would you do that?! He could very well be your future husband and father of your children, and you just push him aside without getting to know him!" Cassidy ranted.
Ally rolled her eyes again. "That is very unlikely to happen, but thank you for your input. I'll take it into consideration."
Kira smirked before speaking again. "Ok, well, it's my turn for Truth or Dare. I choose Ally."
Ally stared at Kira before giving her response. "Truth."
She braced herself for what Kira could possibly ask, knowing it had to do with Austin.
"What do you honestly think of Austin?"
The girls squealed and turned to look at Ally, awaiting her answer. Ally threw a look to Trish that said thanks a lot. Trish just smirked at her, while Carrie leaned forward, curious what Ally thinks of her friend.
Ally took her time answering, and the girls sat in silence, waiting.
Finally, Trish rolled her eyes and nudged Ally. "Come on, Ally! You have to answer!"
"Alright, alright. I'm going."
Ally sighed before giving her answer.
"I think that Austin is a stuck-up celebrity who only wants one thing: fame or money. Maybe both."
The girls groaned. "Ugh, come on, Ally! You know that's not what we meant! What do you think of his looks?" Kira asked while wiggling her eyebrows.
Ally finally gave in and responded. "Ok, fine, he was cute! But that's it. And before you say anything, I don't like him. His status is enough for me to turn away and not be interested."
The girls groaned again, but accepted Ally's answer before continuing on with the game.
Ally let out a sigh of relief before noticing Trish looking at her.
"What?" Ally asked.
Trish just smiled softly. "Look, Ally, I understand why you feel the way you do. Really, I do. But what happened was because of a single person, not the whole celebrity market. I just think it's unfair for you to be treating Austin with such disregard because he's a pop star without even knowing who he is on the inside."
Ally sighed, knowing Trish had a point. "So what do you suggest I do, then?"
"The next time you talk to him, consider apologizing. He didn't deserve the way you treated him. Maybe also offer to help him adjust to his new life here. You know, teach him the ways of a Crystal Falls resident."
Ally nodded slowly and agreed that she would consider Trish's suggestions. Taking that as progress, Trish nodded and smiled, returning back to the game the girls were playing.
Later on, when the girls were spread around the living room and falling asleep, Ally lay awake, fiddling with her necklace again and thinking over the whole Austin interaction and Trish's suggestions. He was good-looking, she would give him that, but she still felt uncomfortable getting to know him with his status reigning over him. Although, she must admit to herself, there was something about him that kept her intrigued.
Alright, guys, that's the first chapter! Hope you liked it! I'll try to make the chapters as long as I can, but I don't know how much else I can add to make the story longer without having too many fillers.
This story will be moving really quickly, with the main plot taking place over about 3 weeks. The ideas I have for this story make sense in that time frame, so it will seem like everything is moving fast. But don't worry, I will make sure to explicitly mention what day of the week certain events are happening so as not to confuse you!
(1) I know in the show Austin was signed to Starr Records, but I did not want him signed to there in this story for a reason, so I chose a random name for the company. If it's a real recording place, I obviously don't own it.
Long live A&A!