Chapter 2: I Miss Us

"Hey you can't do that! That's cheating!" Ally laughed.

"No, it's called playing smartly." I replied.

Every time Ally and I would play Mario kart I would use cheat codes to find shortcuts throughout the race. It drove her crazy. But I kinda liked it when she got angry. It led to great late night movies. I would apologize like crazy and she would forgive me. I would make it up to her by letting her pick a movie for both of us to watch. We both knew I was going anywhere.

"I'm tired of playing. You wanna grab something to eat?" Ally asked getting up from the couch.

"Umm yeah sounds great." I replied.

We went to Melody Diner. It was my favorite restaurant in Miami. Any time I was home, I would come here to eat. Ally and I sat at this booth table facing each other. Throughout the entire lunch, people kept walking by telling us we were a cute couple. It was really embarrassing. I guess it didn't help that we were holding hands. But we always do stuff like that. Most of the time we're just playing around. When we had finished eating, I told her I'd pick up the check.

"Wow, did your parents finally let you be in charge of your, own money, or have you been stealing it?"

"They just recently paid me for the month so I thought I'd be nice and pick up the check this time."

"Oh, cool. Okay."

If I'm honest, I do wish my parents would let me deal with my own money. They give me a considerable amount each month, but I wish I knew exactly how much I was making. My parents always say once I turn eighteen I'll be allowed to handle my own money. Eighteen is so far away when you're sixteen. Ally's parents let her manage her money and she always teases me about it. Especially because she is three weeks older than me. After we were finished we went back to her house. I loved Ally's parents they were always so welcoming. Their house always smelled like cookies for some reason. I like to believe Ally's a secret baker but doesn't want to tell me, because she knows I'll eat anything and everything she makes. I pull up to her house and we enter. I greet her mother. Her parents weren't home when I was there earlier.

"Austin, I'm glad to see you. It's been awhile How are you sweety?"

"I'm great how are you?" I smile.

"Fantastic dear, thanks for asking." I smiled before Ally slipped her hand in mine lightly tugging me away from her mom.

"How are the sales coming for your album?"

"Uhh they're good." I answered hesitantly. I didn't really know how to answer the question, because my parents had yelled at me last night for the decrease in sales from my last album. But I did win an award for best sophomore album. I personally thought the sales were fine, but my parents thought they were awful. My manager and head of my label, were indifferent. They said the sales weren't too bad.

"Mom, Austin and I are going to the loft."

"Okay that's fine." She smiled.

Ally's house was pretty huge, and they had this big staircase that lead to all the bedrooms and the loft. As Ally and I ran up the steps I asked her where her dad was.

"Oh, he's at the store preparing for dinner."

"Yay! I love it when he cooks!" I shouted happily.

"What about my mom?"

"Yay! I love it when your dad cooks!" I repeated.

We walked up to the loft after climbing a thousand steps. We both plopped down on the couch. We didn't turn the TV on or any game. We just talked the whole time. We talked about old times, like when I fell down her staircase in 5th grade or when she pushed me down the stairs. I think that might have been the same day. I don't know. I remember not being mad at her because I thought stitches were the coolest thing in the world. I've known Ally for almost all my life. We met in second grade. I remember the day like it was yesterday. Ally was playing the song that she wrote for music class on the piano. I really liked the song and was going to compliment her on it. Then, this mean kid named Gary fisher or something, came over to her and told her that the song was garbage and that no one would want to hear it. The kid was obviously jealous because he knew he couldn't write. I remember I saw a tear fall from her eye and I started to cry as well. You know when you're a little kid and you see someone else cry, sometimes it makes you cry as well. I pushed back the tears though and walked over to that kid and told. Him. Off. As well as a second grader could. Without getting expelled. I told him he was a good for nothing, lousy, tone deaf, wannabe- but ain't ever gonna be- singer, who is better off signing to deaf people cause that's the only way he'll get applause. I watched him shoot out of that room faster than a bullet. I then took Ally's music sheets and sang the song with her. Then afterwards I told her it was the best song I have ever heard. And the rest is history. Those were the good days. When things were simpler. Gosh, I feel like an old man getting nostalgic all the time. I'm only sixteen years old. I have to remind myself a lot of times that I have a lot of years ahead of me.

"Why were you so hesitant when my mom asked you how successful the album was? I mean it was voted the best sophomore album. It was obviously super successful."

I never really confided in Ally about my parents. I guess I just didn't want to complain about my parents when her life was hectic enough. She was doing almost the same things I do and also going to school. That couldn't have been easy.

"Well, I didn't exactly break any records or beat my first album's sales. I just won a stupid award." I answered almost quoting my parents. I was actually really proud of the award.

"Whoa, no love for the academy I see."

"It's not that I don't appreciate the award, I just could've done better."

"You're too hard on yourself."

No, my parents are too hard on me.

Ally played me one of her new songs. She was about to release it as her new single. She wanted to know what I thought about it first.

No matter where I go, there's no place like home.

When she finished I immediately starting clapping. The song was really good.

"You really like it?" She asked nervously. I always thought it was cute how nervous she got when she showed me her songs. They were always amazing, but she still valued my opinion.

"Of course." I smiled rising from the couch to join her at the piano. "You know I always love your songs. Your fans are gonna love this one too."

She rose to reach for her song book and turned to the page in which the song written.

"I wanted to write something here but I couldn't think of anything. The part right before the chorus." She explained to me pointing to the blank space. I leaned over scooting closer to her so that I could see what she was talking about.

"Play it for me?" I asked.

Feet on land I know I belong here,

Can't forget I'm never alone here

"And then there's this dead space before the chorus."

"Maybe you could say some like you make me feel like I've been found."

She nodded. Those nods people give when they are deep in thought.

"Can't forget I'm never alone here,"

"You know just how to touch me, make me feel like I've been found."

"Eh, I don't know. I don't really like that."

"Yeah I mean-"

We were cut off when her dad walked in.

"Ally you can come down for, oh!" He said shockingly as his eyes laid on me.

"Hi Mr. Dawson" I smiled.

"Austin I didn't know you were here? Haven't seen you around here in awhile."

"Yeah, work has been keeping me busy."

"Well, you know you're always welcome to stop by."

I smiled as I thanked him.

"I'm about to take these steaks off the grill, Austin are you staying for dinner?"

The way Ally looked at me in this moment was hilarious. She really wanted me to stay. I was going to stay anyway, but just to tease her, I thought about it for a moment.

"Umm." I pretended to contemplate.

"You should stay." She said pulling on my arm.

"Yes, I would love to stay for dinner."

She screamed a little and pulled me in for a hug. We stayed like that for a while. Her dad eventually left as we hugged.

At first it was just a little hug, but she held me tighter as the seconds went by and made it last an hour longer.

"I've really missed you." She whispered in my ear still hugging me.

"How do you mean?"

"I miss you coming over just to hang out and us writing together."

I slightly pulled away but not fully, just enough to face her.

"I know, these last two years have been crazy. And honestly, writing with a bunch of professionals is not nearly as fun as writing with your best-friend."

"We should take time out to write together more, you know? Like schedule time during the day to meet and just throw out ideas. Like we used to."

Back in the day we would write tons and tons of songs. We would stay up all night writing. Not because we had writer's block, but because ideas kept flowing and it would take all night to get them on paper. We would be popping out albums every month. Our chemistry was impregnable and our creativity levels were higher than ever. But as we got further in our separate careers we didn't have as much time to write anymore, so most of the time we have people write for us. Which I personally hate. My parents make sure professionals write for me so that I can focus more on interviews and photoshoots.

"You're right. You and I wrote my first album together and look where it brought us."

We returned back to the hug and hugged for about a little longer. Then she suddenly sprang apart from me.

"I got it!" She shouted.

"So put your arms around me, make me feel like I've been found. I'm found."

Ally sang the completed bridge, then smiled at me and we both knew it was perfect.

"I think you have yourself a new single."

Hello! I hope you enjoyed this one. I really liked writing it. Review if you liked it!