Chapter 3:
Ally's heart was racing. Bumping into Austin was enough to do it anyway. Of course, he had apologized. Kind of. He had only said 'Sorry' for knocking into her. But still, it had sent a rush through her that only pure joy could do. After a month of isolation from him, his voice was still pure, but rough. It sounded like he hadn't sung for quite a while, probably since that last day that he had talked to her—sort of.
He had mostly fidgeted around, and stuttered during that. Only she was able to complete sentences. Trish and Dez weren't able to make it that day; Trish was at one of her many job stints, and Dez had to retake a scheduled test at school during a Saturday detention.
Something was different that day. And now Ally knew she had to remember. To figure out what happened to her best friend.
She took a deep breath and sat down on a mall bench…