"Babe, there's something tragic about you
Something so magic about you
Don't you agree?
Babe, there's something lonesome about you
Something so wholesome about you
Get closer to me
No tired sighs, no rolling eyes, no irony
No 'who cares', no vacant stares, no time for me
Honey, you're familiar like my mirror years ago
Idealism sits in prison, chivalry fell on its sword
Innocence died screaming, honey, ask me I should know
I slithered here from Eden just to sit outside your door
Babe, there's something wretched about this
Something so precious about this
Where to begin."
Ally could hear Austin's voice muffled through the concrete walls. This time, as she moved around the kitchen, she decided on the coffee mix instead of the beans. She really didn't want a repeat of what happened last time, of what she'd never let happen again.
She knew the song had ended and Austin would most likely be looking for his beverage at any moment. She scurried around, popping the lid on the coffee cup and raced out the kitchen, nearly knocking somebody down in the process. She chirps a quick apology and moves as fast as her feet can go.
She stands bolt upright in front of the wall as she waits. Maybe not even a fifth of a second later, Austin comes through the door, and to Ally's surprise: having a sparkle in his eyes, like maybe he might've actually enjoyed himself up there.
His eyes meet hers and she tries not to take it personally when the sparkle seems to flutter away. She questioned its existence. She glues a smile on her lips and props the coffee up more to prove her good deed.
Austin's hands snatch the coffee and he frowns at it. Ally sighs. "What now?" she quizzed. She wondered how one person could be so much work.
"I just got off stage; I expected something to cool me down." Austin said, his eyes condescending.
"Are you kidding me?" Ally suddenly spat. She was about to take it back and quickly apologize for sounding so rude and disrespectful, until she realized her tone caught his attention. She decides not to take it back, instead, she continues, "You played a stupid piano and sang one song. You literally sat down the entire performance."
"The light's are hot." he tried.
"Take the coffee." she demanded.
She wasn't sure if he cracked the smile because she'd made a point, or simply because for the first time, her tone left no room for his remarks. Either way, she figured it didn't matter. She was surprised at the way his lips moved before he decided to put the coffee to his lips and take a sip. Not once did he look away from her eyes.
She narrowed her eyes at him. He looked over his shoulder to find Trish busy and Cassidy no where in sight. He looked back at Ally and smirked. "Follow me." He plopped the full cup of coffee in the garbage, but that was the least of Ally's concerns.
"What? What are we-"
"Shut up." Austin muttered, exasperatedly. Ally opened her mouth to defend herself, but he quickly cut in, "Ally." His tone sounded like a warning. Ally frowned. He nodded his head in the direction he wanted them both to go, silently beckoning her to follow.
So she did.
She wasn't sure why, but she did.
He took her down a hallway, one that was quiet and without people. Her mind pulsed with questions. "Austin, What are you doing?" she finally blurted, sighing. She hoped this wasn't some sort of psychopathic killing ordeal. It seemed he did lack a vast amount of human emotion, maybe it was possible.
"Come on." he beckoned.
Ally continued to follow, only halting in her footsteps when she saw where he was going. A blue metal door. Her eyes caught the sign just above it in bold letters: EXIT.
"Austin, what do you think you're doing? We can't leave. You can't leave." Ally said, grabbing his shoulder, hoping to stop him.
"I want to get out of here." Austin told her, nothing but mischief in his eyes. His palm rested on the metal bar. At any given moment, he was going to escape the building and Ally would be responsible for knowing about it and not stopping him.
She noticed he'd held her stare. Her mouth curled into an 'O' shape, eyes growing in size. She pointed to herself, "With me? You want to...leave...with me?"
His eyes searched her face for something, she wondered if he'd found it because his lips grew into a crooked grin. "With you." he confirmed. He glances over her shoulder, double checking for anyone who could've followed them. He looks at her again. "Let's go."
"Austin, we can't just-"
"-What's the worst that could happen?" he questioned her.
Ally didn't have an answer. What was the worst that could happen? They flick Ally on the back of the wrist? Austin gets a lecture? They both get a lecture? They couldn't fire Austin, the best musician on the label, and Trish wouldn't give up on Austin, and Ally knew it, too. She also knew that Trish would never dream of firing her either, Austin needs a songwriter and an assistant. Both of which, Ally seemed to occupy pleasantly.
"Stop over analyzing. We're not running away, we're just..." he pondered his mind, "getting away. Just for a minute."
"Austin, but we-"
He was out the door and she had a feeling that he was leaving with or without her. Ally groaned softly and followed after him. She squinted at the sun as it beamed down at her. Why was one in the afternoon always so bright? Especially after you've just been in a dark arena.
Austin glanced over his shoulder, "You're coming, then?"
"No, Austin, we have to go back. We can't just leave. You have a meeting with Jimmy in an hour and Trish said that you have a photoshoot with Vogue magazine in twenty minutes, you can't-"
He turned around. "You worry way too much."
"Well, somebody's got to." she replied.
"You can't worry about me, Ally," he told her, "Worrying would be pointless."
"What makes you say that?" she questioned him. Austin glanced at her, giving away nothing but a crooked grin. "Austin, this is stupid. We're going to get in trouble."
"I get the notion that you like to follow the rules." Austin said.
Ally stopped in her steps as she watched him. "That's not true."
Austin turned around to face her. "Oh, Yeah? Then this shouldn't be too heavy on you, hm?" he smirked. He continued on his way, not caring if she followed or not. His smirk widened a little bit when he heard her feet clicking on the pavement, hurrying to get next to him again.
"Well," Ally swallowed hard, "Where are we going?"
"I don't know. Places." Austin said. Ally rolled her eyes. "Doesn't it feel good to just...walk out?" Austin crooned, looking down at her.
Ally shook her head. "Not really."
Austin looked over at her, shaking his head. "You're a little bit impossible, Ally." he said.
"It's called honesty. You should try it." she retorted. Her eye brows shot up slightly at the sound of a chuckle rumbling out from his vocal chords. "It laughs?" she muttered, grimacing when he caught her eye.
"You know what you need," Austin said.
"No, but I have a feeling you'll tell me." Ally responded.
"I didn't know you had an attitude on you, Ally." Austin said.
"Does it bother you?" she quizzed, a spark of hope flickering somewhere in her ribcage.
"Not one bit." Austin grinned. "I think I like it."
The spark burnt out. "Oh?" she couldn't hold back the saddened, sarcastic laugh.
"What you need," he began, getting back on track, "is a little taste of the fast life."
"I've been your assistant for two months. I've already been experiencing the fast life." she replied.
"No, No," Austin shook his head, "You've been experiencing it, but you haven't been tasting it."
"Tasting it?" she echoed.
He nodded. "Yeah, you know...Heading out into the town to do your thing, your own thing."
"My own thing?" she replied, scrunching her nose to look at him. He looked down at her and nodded. "I was on the high school debate team. I don't really have an out-in-the-town thing."
"Good." Austin said. "That means I get to show you."
"No, Austin," Ally sighed, "We need to get back. You can't miss this photoshoot or your meeting with Jimmy."
"There's a thing called rescheduling." Austin chimed, "And guess who's job that is?" Austin grinned over at her.
She frowned at him. "That's not my job. I'm just told to follow you around and do what you say."
"Right." Austin said, "And I'm telling you to reschedule."
"I'm not rescheduling. It's also my job to get you to accomplish your tasks, not help you ditch them." Ally said. "Take your dress off and end your tea party, we need to go back."
"Are you normally this mouthy?" Austin asked.
Ally sighed. "I'm sorry. I think-"
"That's your problem." Austin interrupted. Ally arched a brow. "You apologize. A lot. You do everything everybody wants. You never stick up for yourself. You address everybody's needs before yours. You need a moment to be just Ally. Not a songwriter, not an assistant. Just Ally."
"What am I supposed to do as just Ally?" she questioned, giving a shrug. Over the last two months, Ally had a routine to follow. A schedule. She felt rather lost without it. It was almost foreign not to have Austin ordering a coffee.
He sighed, "Ally, you're missing the point." He stopped walking and grabbed her shoulders so she was facing him, "Stop doing things for everyone."
"I can't just-"
"-Ally." Austin growled, growing frustrated.
"It's my job, Austin. To tend to needs, that's what I was hired for." Ally retorted.
"No," he argued, "That's what you were hired for me for. Not for Cassidy, or Trish, or Dez, or some lady at the grocery store. You were hired to be my assistant and as your boss, I'm telling you to stop doing things for everyone. Grow a backbone. Ditch work for a little while and spend quality time with me."
"Quality time?" Ally repeated, questioningly.
"Fine. Ditch work and have a break. When was the last time you had a break?" Austin quizzed.
"I don't know. Your my boss, why don't you ask yourself that? You're the one who dismisses me." Ally said. Austin sighed. Ally stopped him from walking, laying a palm on his chest. "Why are you acting like this? Why are you being different? Why are you being nice?"
"Because," Austin said, grabbing some black ray ban's and shading his eyes with them, "As of right now, I'm not Austin Moon."
"Hm, Wow, I wonder where Austin Moon went. Hey, is this him? No, No way, it couldn't be him. He's got glasses on!" Ally's voice went for a swim in sarcasm.
His grin disappeared. "Seriously?" he snarled.
Ally shrugged nonchalantly. "Hey, you said to be just Ally. Well...This is her." she pointed to herself. A smile twitched on his lips.
Austin slid his hand into the pocket of her jacket and taking out her cell phone, handing it forward to her. She slowly grabbed it. Her finger tips hesitating to dial, but soon enough, she had the phone against her ear.
"Trish," Ally said, eyes glued on Austin's, "We need to reschedule that photoshoot and maybe that meeting, too." she smirked. "I can't find Austin." His lips curled upwards, too. "No, I've got this. I doubt he's gotten far."
Austin spun around on his heels, a grin on his face as he started walking away. "I'm getting farther." he called over his shoulder.
Ally held in a laugh. "Yeah," she said into the phone, "Yeah, of course. No, I'll be fine. I'll call you when I get to him." Ally hung up the phone. She watched Austin kicking pebbles on the side walk. "Hey, Rockstar!" she called. He turned around and looked at her curiously. "I've never see the Hollywood sign."
Austin's response was only a grin.