A/N: This isn't the final chapter! It was originally planned to be but it no longer is. :) Don't hate me just yet!
My Twitter: didyousayashton
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Austin & Ally, nor am I associated with Austin & Ally. Thanks to xxx All You Need Is Love xxx for editing this chapter.
BREAKING NEWS: UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI STUDENT SHOT AND KILLED
The headline flashes across my television screen. I know I should stop watching, but I can't. When the news reporter, a lady with bleached blonde hair and too much blush came on the screen, I leaned forward so that my elbows were resting on my knees and my chin was placed in my shaking hands while I sat on Austin's bed in his dorm. Dez is on his own bed, laying back, staring at the ceiling. I'm not sure whether he's paying attention or not. Trish has gone out to get us coffee at Starbucks... We didn't sleep at all last night.
"Austin Moon, twenty year old student of the University of Miami was shot and killed on the scene yesterday outside of his dorm. Police told reporters that Moon's girlfriend, Ally Dawson, was with him at the time and called 911, but when paramedics arrived, it was too late. The cause of this tragedy is still unknown, however, a man by the name of Darron Travers was taken into custody after other students saw him fleeing the scene, gun in hand. Those who were close to Moon say, they are devastated."
The screen changed to a video of Dez with a microphone shoved in his face. His eyes were splotchy, and I felt awful for him. He began to speak. "I'm his roomate... I don't know, I was visiting my parents when it happened. Of course, as soon as I heard that he had been shot, I came straight back to campus, but I guess I just didn't drive fast enough."Dez's voice cracked, and he looked away from the camera, running a hand through his red hair. The screen changed once again, back to the reporter. Dez had been the only one who had a kind enough heart to give an interview yesterday. I was beyond sickened by the reporters asking everyone who they could get within an arm's length of to give an interview regarding Austin's death.
"We will be sure to keep you updated on this heartbreaking story. Have a good day, Miami."
The reporter disappeared and the screen cut to a commercial. I was suddenly aware of the tears spilling silently down my cheeks. How could this have happened? And it happened so fast... Too fast. I never even got to say goodbye... None of us did.
"Ally..." He gasps, eyes wide, staring at the hand he had just removed from his chest. It's covered in blood.
"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh... What the hell?!" I fumbled through my pocket trying to get a grip on my phone. I breathed a sigh of relief when I got it out, and instantly dialed 911. I went and sat beside Austin, who was right outside of his dorm door. He got shot... How did this happen? One second we were laughing and the next there's a knock on the door. He opens it, and bang! Some guy with a gun watches Austin with a look of confusion and shock on his face as he crumples to the floor before he runs away. I wonder what in the world he was thinking.
"It's okay baby, it's okay, hold on..." I whisper, trying to stay calm despite the tears rolling down my face and the phone pressed against my ear. Other people had started coming out of the dorms now, staring, some screaming, some crying. Austin's head is in my lap... He's gasping, staring into space, his hand still on his bloody chest...
"911, what is your emergency?" The woman on the other line says calmly. I want to scream at her, how could she be calm at a time like this?
"Yes, um... My boyfriend just got shot... We're at University of Miami..." I continued to spill information out of my mouth until she assured me that help was on the way. I shoved the phone back into my pocket and stroked Austin's hair soothingly. Tears were now slowly falling down his cheeks.
"I'm dying. I'm dying. I'm going to die." He whispers with a shaky voice.
"No you're not," I say firmly, wiping one of my dripped tears off of his forehead, "you are not leaving me Austin Moon. I love you."
He moves his mouth wordlessly, and I put my finger to my mouth to tell him not to speak. He needs to try and stay calm. Despite my efforts to quiet him, he manages to choke out, "I love you too." I smile painfully, wondering if he can even still see me... He needs to stay concious. I'm thankful when some guy in the crowd comes forward, tearing off the arm off his shirt and trying to press it onto Austin's wound. I give him a small smile, and he just stares back at me as if to say, "No need to thank me... I just want to help."
I look at the crowd around me once more, mostly males, considering this is a male dormitory building... Most people have their phones out, texting frantically. I even hear someone say, "I saw the poor guy get shot, I was trying to get my door to unlock, but it wouldn't budge... I heard some guy knocking on a door but didn't really pay any mind, you know? I saw the door open, though, and next thing I know, the guy's pulled a gun out of his coat, put it right up to his chest, and pulled the trigger. No warning, no nothing... He looked at him for a second with a weird look on his face, and then he just ran away." I tear my eyes back to Austin's face. His eyes are fluttering closed.
I give a sorrowful laugh as I hear the sirens approaching. "They're coming, Austin... You're gonna be okay..."
I look down at his emotionless, young face... His eyes are now completely shut.
"Austin," I say frantically, tapping his cheek. He needs to wake up. "Austin!" I say more urgently, shaking him, but the guy who had come to help me moments before pulled me away from him.
"Stop!" I screeched, "Stop, I need to help him!"
"You can't..." He says helplessly, holding me back as I scream and sob, and a hole forms in the crowd as the paramedics and stretcher come through.
"Let go of me! I have to go with him!" I scream as they load his body onto the stretcher and begin carrying him away... The boy who taught me so much in life, the boy who made me feel like someone, the boy who I was planning on spending the rest of my life with... They were taking him away from me.
I gave a sorrowful laugh now, looking back at the memory that would be branded on my heart and mind forever. I had never even gotten to go to the hospital, I had to talk to police, relive the horrible incident over and over, and right when I was about to go I was told Austin hadn't even made it into the ambulance alive... I had been holding on to the little bit of hope I had that he would be alive when I arrived at the hospital, sitting up in bed, smiling, holding his arms out for a hug... He would say, "I've been waiting for you to get here, what took you so long?" I would just laugh and kiss him...
What did he do to deserve this? What did I do to deserve this? What did everyone who loved and adored Austin Moon do to deserve this? So many unanswered questions, so much pain... The only release I have is knowing that he's in a better place.
I turn off the television, I didn't want to have to hear any more about the tragedy that is Austin Moon's death. It's too soon, too soon... Then again, I knew that no amount of time would be able to heal the gaping hole in my heart.
I hear a faint knock on the door. My chest constricts as I remember what happened yesterday when Austin went to answer the door. I'm glued to the spot, and I give Dez an almost frantic stare. He's sitting up now. He rises slowly, and my breath catches as he answers the door just a crack, peering out. I see his eyes narrow, and his scowls before hissing, "What do you want, Dallas?"
Dallas. I've only met him once, when Austin and I came back into his dorm late one night and found him in there. I know Austin used to party with him some and things like that, and he didn't seem too happy with Austin at the time... What is he doing here?
"I... I need to talk to Ally, just for a second... Alone." The voice that answers Dez's question is frail, tired, even weak... It's not the intimidating voice I once heard.
"No way." I hear Dez say before he tries to shut the door, but Dallas has crammed his foot in the crack. "Go away, man!" Dez says louder and harsher than I've ever heard him speak.
"I'm not leaving until I talk to her!" Dallas says, a little more edge to his voice now.
Dez looks back at me for an answer, and I just give a weak shrug. I'm indifferent at this point. Dez sighs, and opens the door the rest of the way. I get off the bed and go to meet Dallas outside, and Dez threatens him one last time before shutting the door, "Five minutes, that's it. If she's not back in here by then, I'm coming out to get her."
I take in Dallas's appearance. He looks like Dez and I, like he didn't sleep at all last night. There's bags under his eyes, his hair's a mess... I wonder if it's from lack of alcohol and drugs as well. His voice is fragile once more when he speaks.
"Hey, Ally."
I swallow uncomfortably. "Hey."
He puts a hand behind his neck and stares at his feet. "I came to tell you something that I never planned on telling anyone... And you will hate me after I finish... You have to hear me out until the end, though."
I bit my lip, afraid. "Okay... Go on."
I see tears shimmering in the brims of his eyes as he continues. "Austin and I never did get along since you two started dating and he stopped partying. I always felt like Austin thought he was too good for us now or something, and quite frankly, it pissed me off... I was always his leader, since his freshman year, and now, suddenly, he had the decency to cut me and all of his friends out and stop helping to provide things for parties that none of the rest of us could, and... Well, I decided something needed to be done."
His hands begin to shake, as do mine. I force myself to keep quiet, and I had made a vow to hear him out... Though I'm not so sure anymore I wanted to hear what he had to say.
"Though it hasn't been long since it happened, I can't live with myself any longer, Ally... It was wrong, and I have no clue what I was thinking, I'm so dumb... I'm turning myself in to the police first thing tomorrow..." Tears are full on spilling down his cheeks now, "I hired Darron to shoot Dez, you know, to get back at Austin... And we thought Dez was supposed to be at the dorm at the time the shooting happened, but it was Austin who opened the door... And Austin who got the bullet. It's my fault he's dead, it's all my fault."
It takes me a moment before I process what he's said. He refuses to look at me, and I don't blame him. I feel the fury begin to burn in the pit of my stomach, and before I can think, I've shoved him, and he hits the opposite wall. "Damn you, Dallas!" I scream, louder than I anticipated... No doubt Dez's neighbors would be coming out of their doors soon. "How could you?! You... You...!" I grip my hair in my hands, not sure what to say, but I need to say something. "Get out of here!" I scream, "I swear if I don't see your name on the news tomorrow, I'll turn you in myself!"
"I don't blame you, Ally, I'm so sorry-"
"No!" I hiss through gritted teeth, pointing my finger into his chest, "It's too late for that..." I feel the fury beginning to die, and suddenly, I'm too weak to stand. I sink down against the wall opposite of Dallas, and see the massive blood stain in the dingy hallway carpet that no one has bothered to clean up yet. "It's too late... You've ruined everything."
I bury my tear-stained face in my hands. A moment passes before I hear one more faint apology, and the light footfalls of his feet disappear down the hall. I hear a few dorm doors open and close, but no one disturbs me in my fetal position, and I don't look up. I'm not sure how long it is before Dez looks outside of the room, and nearly has to carry me back into the dorm. I look around to see a lamp smashed against the wall, and Dez's face is red.
"I was listening." He says in a hoarse voice. "They must have seen Austin leave the dorm and me close the door behind him..." I have no reply as I curl up on Austin's bed and take in his fading scent, letting the tears continue to fall. Trish finally arrives back with the coffee, and Dez takes her out into the hallway to tell her what happened. I hear her faint screams through the closed door. Somehow, as I listen to Trish's sobs, I manage to fall into a deep sleep.
My dreams are filled with Austin. Austin smiling, Austin laughing, Austin telling me how beautiful I am, Austin telling me how glad he is that he found someone like me. He tells me he has to go now, and I beg him not to... He just smiles and says, "I'll see you later, Alls."... I give a weak smile and say, "Goodbye, Austin."... And then he's gone.
Some of my pain is eased from there on, because I got my goodbye. Somehow, someway, I would get through this... All of us, everyone who was close to and loved Austin would get through this. Austin left a mark on all our hearts, no doubt, but this was certainly not the end.
Austin Moon's memory would live forever.
A/N: So I really do hope you guys don't hate me after the outcome of this.I have to admit that I feel very, very bad. Worse than I thought I would, but I really do appreciate you all and hope you'll continue to read. :( :) If I could get 30 reviews that would be absolutely amazing, you guys. :) I love all my readers xxx