Ally sat down on one of the seats in the corner for lunch – making sure that she was alone. Austin wasn't anywhere in sight. It was good thing he didn't pay any attention in class – now he had to do his assignment at lunchtime. Dez was somewhere too. And Trish – boy, she hadn't seen the girl at all today. She must be at work – or not.

"Hey, Ally!" Trish sat down next to the girl, and Ally had to move over to give her space. "So having the usual fries?"

"Canteen lunch isn't that… appealing today," Ally scrunched up her nose. Trish laughed, and she laughed too.

"So where's Austin?" Trish asked looking around. "How is he? I heard he's in all of your classes right?"

"Yeah," Ally nodded, a bit annoyed that Trish was a fan of Austin too. It was weird – a girl like Trish can ever like somebody like Austin. Ally always thought Trish was different from the others.

"I wonder why he suddenly go to school like that, and get all his classes the same like yours after the day when you kicked him out of Sonic Boom," she said thoughtfully. Ally turned at the girl, confused. "Really – it must be a coincidence, right?"

"Well, he said that he wanted to 'rest' a bit from the spotlight a bit, and Jimmy – his agent or manager – thought he needed to get some education in him for the time in between, and Austin said Jimmy was my dad's friend in university, and somehow chooses this school for him and his redhead friend to go to this school – and unfortunately I was in that school too. And he said because he knew me already, he might as well be my friend – I told him no, but then he started to become this sweet boy singing my song in front of the students at lunch yesterday, and I suddenly felt like music was really his passion and he wasn't kidding, and it was just really sweet," Ally sighed dreamily as she got the words out. "So I told him he could be my friend – and Dez too. And yesterday at Kira's party-"

"You went to a party?!" Trish's eyes widened. "Wow! I mean … like, you never really go to one, and now you do go to one! Why?! I mean, like – ugh, I say this a lot – if I insist you go with me, you always say no, but when it's Austin you said yes?"

"He kinda…. Challenged me," Ally said. "He said I'm no fun, but I am kind of a fun thing, am I? And at the party… he kinda danced with me… then Dallas danced with me too!" Ally said the last part cheerfully, looking up at the brunette boy who sat on the populars' table.

"Ooohh… you and Dallas," Trish nudged Ally, who blushed. "And by the way – is the redhead been asking about me?"

"No, why?" Ally asked.

"Nothing," Trish shook her head again calmly.

"NO WAY!" Ally yelled furiously. "You had a crush on Dez? I thought you had a crush on Austin – like the other girls!"

"No," Trish scoffed, even though she was blushing. "So you let him be your friend after that one simple incident? You know, Ally-" Trish started thoughtfully. "I have a weird feeling about this – Austin's a popular, and you're not. And it's kinda weird he's suddenly going to the same school as you right after you said 'no' to his offer. And he said he wanted to be your friend. What if singing your song in front of the students yesterday was just a plan to make you melt? Because you're that kinda girl who fell for something real easy."

"Austin wouldn't do that," Ally shook her head confidently. "You're just paranoid, Trish. He's nice."

"Well if you say so," Trish replied worriedly, even though she didn't believe any word Ally said. "I'm just … telling you to be careful okay?"

"I know, Trish," Ally said smiling. "Thanks for always looking out for me," she gave Trish a hug.

"Well, I gotta go again, my 15 minute break started 1 hour ago – Bye, Ally!" Trish got up and walked away from her table. Ally rolled her eyes – typical Trish. She probably would get fired when she showed up again in her work – what was her work called again this time? Yesterday was library wasn't it? Now what?

Ally soon got up to make her way to the library – lunch would be finished in a few more minutes, she still got time to return those books she borrowed there and borrow another book there. She dumped her lunch tray in the lunchbin, and walked towards the door.

"Hey, Ally!" Ally turned to see Dallas waving wildly at her. Ally looked down at her feet. "Ally – over here!"

Ally walked carefully to Dallas, her cheeks already red now. "You call for me?" she asked.

Dallas nodded. "Hey, I was wondering …. Me and my friends are going out to the movies today – if you want – you can come with us?" Dallas asked again, almost shyly. "They said it would be alright if I invited a friend or two – usually I invite Cassidy, Kira or Brooke, but since me and Cassidy broke up yesterday, I can invite somebody else. You want to come?"

"Uh… sure. What time, though?" Ally asked casually, even though inside she felt like flying. She wanted to dance on the same spot right now – she felt so happy right now! "I have work today until 6 o'clock. After that, I'm free."

"Well, cool, because the movie starts at 6.30. It's at the mall – so you just come straight to the movie after you locked your store, okay?" Dallas instructed. Ally nodded. "Okay – well, good. I'll see you this evening then."

Ally smiled softly at Dallas, and went away, almost skippng. She felt like flying!

And she felt like falling. She let out a shriek as she hit the cold floor of the cafeteria, and pain blinded her as her face hit the floor. She groaned a bit – and felt something cold and sticky on her hair. Somebody laughed at her – those giggles from Cassidy, Kira and Brooke if she's not mistaken. She touched her hair, and smelt the spagetti the canteen had today on her hair – and yogurt? Her hair smelt like spagetti and strawberry yogurt right now – not to mention almost every kid in the canteen were laughing at her like she was some monkey at a circus. She heard some smirks from her lefts – again, it must be from Cassidy, Kira, and Brooke again.

She wanted to tear up right now – so embarrassed. What did she do to them now?

She scrambled to get up, tripping. She ummph-ed again as her body hit the ground. "That's for Dallas," she heard somebody loud-whisper to the others like she was meant to hear it and had no intentions to stop it. "I heard Dallas asked her out to the movies today – and that's also for Austin. Wasn't she the one who wrote the song Austin sang yesterday and hug?"

"Oh yeah – and she also danced with him yesterday! He put an arm around her – I heard that she also gotten rides from him too yesterday. Who does she think she is? A superstar like him?"

"I don't even know her name – and suddenly she's friends with Austin?"

"She's that straight A student right – teachers' pet?"

"Oh right, she's in one of my class! What was her name – Amy Dawlin?"

"No, I think it's Ally Dorkson or something? Just like her – dork."

"Did you see the clothes she wore?"

"Yeah – I saw the same ones at Vinnies yesterday! It was second-hand or something!"

"She's Trish's friend! I know her hanging out with her!"

"Oh, she works at Sonic Boom! Apparently her dad owns it or something like that!"

"Poor her!"

"Yeah, I probably would die from embarrassment if I was her right now."

"Yeah – serves her right," somebody else said. Her face was hot from embarrassment right now. She got up carefully, before running straight to the door, crying. She ran to the nearest bathroom, and rushed into one empty booth. She sobbed – she did nothing wrong and suddenly she was being bullied. Even though she was a nerd at school – she never got bullied like this before. Sure, some rude comments from Cassidy, Kira, or Brooke, or just comments from the other kids, but never like this. No one had bullied her like this before.

"Ally?"

She stopped sobbing, her heart pounding.

"Ally, you're in there?" It was a boy who asked that, that's for sure. Who was it? The boy was brave enough to go inside the girls' bathroom, too! "Ally – I know you're in there. It's me, Austin and Dez." Austin and Dez. The news must've spread fast enough. They weren't even at lunch today. Thank goodness they weren't – she didn't want her new friends to laugh at her too and left her just like that!

She wiped her tears off her cheeks with her sleeves, and took a big breath before whispering:

"Go away."

"Ally-"

"No, just go away, Austin! Just let me stay here," her sobs was coming out again. "Please… go away. I just want to be left alone inside. Please." She choked and sat down on the floor, bawling her eyes out. She felt smelly from the spagetti and yogurt, and she wanted to puke right now inside that booth. Maybe her dad will let her move to other school – Highstreet High probably. She heard the school is better than Marino High. Or move town – Sonic Boom can move somewhere else or open an outlet for it. Anywhere but here. Anywhere but Mario High. She probably should've say 'no' to Dallas' offer today or never be friends with Austin Moon yesterday. She probably should've say 'no' to going to that party at the mall yesterday and should've stayed at home yesterday doing her homeworks and watching tv alone like always. She probably should've never write that song too –

"Ally, please. If you're not going out, I'm going in," Austin wasn't giving up yet. She was too upset to reply.

It was her fault – all of it. Now a popstar and his friend were worrying about her, too. Could she be more embarrased than that?

"Ally!" she looked up, and saw in horror Austin and Dez were both looking down at her. Their heads stuck out from the wall that separates one booth to another. They were standing on the toilet seat – it helped being tall like that.

Austin looked down at the brunette, and felt pity for the girl. He was just meeting Dez and was heading to lunch together with him when he heard the news – Ally tripped and somebody spilled their food onto the poor girl. It must be them – Kira, Brooke and who – Cassidy? Yeah, it must be them who got her tripped like that. Ally was a nerd – he got it, but she was so nice, she wasn't deserved to be laughed at like that. He and Dez soon were rushing to the bathroom – they had known from experience that girls who had just been embarrassed like that always rushes to the they were right.

The bathroom was empty luckily, except for her – there were nobody inside. So they made a quick run inside, and locked the bathroom door – just to make sure no girls was going to go inside it and scream because there's 2 boys inside it.

She was shaken up badly – hearing from her uncontrollable sobs. She told them to go away – but he had to make sure she was okay.

"Ally, Ally, Ally," Austin shook his head, and Dez followed. "Hold on, I'm going to hop inside."

Before she can blink, he and Dez were both already on the ground, in the same booth as Ally. Ally didn't meet his eyes or Dez's. He sat down next to her, and Dez followed too. The redhead was still couldn't believe somebody did that to Ally – he stared at her in shock too.

The blond gently pried one of her hands and intertwined his hand with her. "Tell me what happen."

Ally bit her hair like everytime she was nervous, and started telling the story. "I was going out to the door, and I tripped and..." she stopped chattering and sobbed again. Dez patted her shoulder, encouraging her to go on. "They spilled spagetti and yogurt on me," she whispered, sobbing uncontrollably.

"'They'?" Austin asked.

"Cassidy, Kira, and Brooke- I'm so embarrassed!" Ally cried.

The bell rang, but the three of them stayed like that. "But you didn't do anything, Ally!" Austin defended. "You did nothing wrong – right?"

"No, of course not," Ally shook her head. "It's just that Dallas asked me to go out to the movies with his friends today – and somehow they heard then it happened. And they started to say-"

Before she can say anything else, he engulfed her in a hug. He felt her stop sobbing but stiffen. He looked down, but suddenly he felt 2 tiny arms around his torso. He started singing:

"Smile though your heart is aching

Smile, even though it's breaking

When there are clouds in the sky

You'll get by

If you smile, with your fear and sorrow..

Smile and maybe tomorrow

You'll find that life is still worthwhile

If you just

Light up your face with gladness Hide every trace of sadness. Although a tear maybe ever so near

That's the time you must keep on trying

Smile, what's the use of crying

You'll find that life is still worthwhile

If you just

Smile, though your heart is aching

Smile even though it's breaking

When there are cloud in the sky

You'll get by

If you smile

With your fear and sorrow

Smile and maybe tomorrow

You'll find that life is still worthwhile

If you just light up your face with gladness

Hide every trace of sadness

Although a tear maybe ever so near

That's the time you must keep on trying

Smile, what's the use of crying…."

He felt her smile, and Dez looked like he was tearing up. Austin looked like he also wanted to tear up too. "My mom used to sing the same song to me everytime I'm upset," Austin whispered, his eyes misty already. "It's not just you, you know." He suddenly said. "I used to get bullied like this too at kindergarten."

"What – you?" Ally's voice was muffled.

"I was the 'geek' in kindergarten – everyone liked batman and ironman – I like Ken and Barbie," he admitted. "It's not really my fault – I always wanted to be a performer ever since I was a baby, and Ken and Barbie were just so… superstar. And in first year – everyboy's hobby was playing football or watch it, and me on the other hand – liked singing and acting. I also liked the color pink and I listen to music everyday. My dad also doesn't want me to be a performer too – he said I got a bazillion to one chances making it in the recording studio – I wanted to proof him wrong. I met Jimmy one day – and he said I could make it in the recording studio. Sure, they liked me – but I soon realized they liked me because my looks, not my songs. They liked my voice too – but not the songs."

"I was also the geek too," Dez confessed. "I was called 'weirdo', not Dez. People don't even know my name. They thought my name was Zed." The 2 other kids burst down in laughter, and Dez glared at them. "Except you, Austin and your curly-haired friend, everybody still called me Zed. Even my mom and dad."

Ally pulled away, smiling softly. "I never thought you were getting bullied too, Austin," she said. Then she leaned closer to him, and whispered, "But Dez…" the blond burst out in laughter, and Ally smiled at him. "My dad also says it's a bazillion to one chances making it in the business, too, Austin."

"Here," Austin offered her another tissue, and helped her clean up her hair.

"Why would you help me anyway?" Ally suddenly asked quietly. "Wouldn't you rather go and flirt with the girls?"

"You're my friend," Austin stated softly. He didn't even thought about his career right now. He couldn't stand somebody bullying somebody. "I'm always going to help my friend."

"Thank you," Ally responded. "It's really sweet of you both to cheer me up," Ally leaned to hug both of them at once, and pecked Dez's and Austin's cheek. Austin and Dez both touched their cheek and looked at each other open mouthed.

"You feel better?" Austin asked after a moment of silence. Ally nodded.

"Well apart from some stickiness on my hair – I'm actually fine right now," Ally got up and opened up the bathroom door. Austin and Dez both followed her outside, and they both unlock the bathroom door. Luckily it was still in the middle of the period so it was quiet in the corridor. "We miss our period," Ally sighed. "But it's okay. I'll made some excuses for us."

"Got that done already Ally," they both walked separate ways from Dez. "I'll just send my dazzling smile to Mr. B and he'll nod. And don't worry about Brooke, Cassidy and Kira," Austin slung an arm around the petite body of the brunette casually. "You've got Austin Moon looking out for you."

"Usually I would roll my eyes at that – but this time, thanks," she giggled softly before making their way to the english class together.

AN: Wow! Austin is a sweetie in this chapter, am I right? And the song is called Smile by Connie Talbot. I really liked it – unfortunately my sister doesn't really like this song, so I only hear it certain times! I think it's perfect for the situation Ally's handling! Poor Ally, right?

I hope you like it! Please tell me your opinion about this chapter – thank you!