Me Without You V
oooo
"Don't look down, Austin," Ally whispered into the kiss before pushing against his shoulders and slipping free. She was running before her feet touched the ground.
ooooooooooooo
"Ally, wait!" He took off after her and was suddenly yanked back. His neck snapped painfully at the abrupt shift in momentum. Austin's sneakers slipped along gravel as he fought for balance. "Hey, get off me!"
The attacker tighten his hold, pulling Austin further back by his collar. "Calm. Down."
He twisted his body, fighting to break free. Austin dropped low and rammed his shoulder into the stranger's chest. "Stop—" The man grunted as the wind was knocked out of him. Quickly, he shoved his opponent to the ground and scrambled free when the man caught hold of his leg.
Austin's back hit the concrete with a nasty crunch but he ignored the pain, using the force of the impact to explode back up. He raised his fist and swung.
But something about the stranger's outfit penetrated his anger. Wait! His knuckles stopped just inches away from the fragile bridge of the man's nose.
"You."
The man knocked the fist out of his face and released the hold on Austin's leg, causing the both of them to collapse to the floor. "Yeah. Me!" He panted, slowly getting on his hands and knees.
Austin stood up, ignoring the dust on his clothes. His chest was heaving as adrenaline raced thru his veins. It took a second before he was able to think clearly. It was the guy from the record company. Trish nicknamed him Money-Maker and to be honest, Austin couldn't remember his name.
Money-Maker finally manged to push himself to his feet. "Are you out of your mind?!" He yelled. The expensive suit was dirty, his leather shoes were no longer polished and his neatly slicked back hair looked limp and tousled.
Before Austin could apologize, a plane took off nearby. The gust of air nearly uprooting the trees. A flock of birds took to the sky.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of brown thru one of the building's windows. He turned towards the airport terminal. The brown was so rich, interrupted only by brilliant streaks of gold and deep flashes of red.
Ally!
He was running before he realized it.
Money-Maker sprung into action, leaping into his path. Both men collided. Austin kept moving forward until Money-Maker was force to shove him back. "Listen to me."
"Get out of my way."
They got into each other's faces. Austin stood a few inches taller but he was still growing into his frame. The other man however was older, solidly built and possessed a confidence that came only with age.
"Let me give you some advice because I think you're a nice kid," Money-Maker said, speaking slowly as if talking to a child. "Pretty girls, they come and go."
Austin pushed past him nearly knocking the man over. "She's not just some pretty girl."
Money-Maker rolled his eyes. "Your girlfriend. The love of your life. Whatever. The point is she'll still be here 6 months...a year from now."
"You know what won't be here?" He asked. "A multimillion dollar deal with the top recording studio in the country. Most people could live 10 lifetimes and still only dream about it."
The man paused to let it sink in but Austin didn't hear a word of what he said. Ally had just stepped off the escalator. He tracked her silhouette thru the windows. If he went now, he could still catch up to her.
"Tell you what," Money-Maker said, changing tactics once he realized Austin wasn't paying attention. A good businessman knew when to compromise. "Let's go to California, sign the contract so we can finally start producing your music. Isn't that the whole point of all this?"
Bingo! The man smiled triumphantly when they made eye contact. The kid was hooked. Now to seal the deal. "Then I'll send the most expensive plane in our fleet along with a chauffeur to escort her out to see you. You could even come back and take her yourself."
Austin gave him a blank stare, feeling like he was being ripped in half. The dream? Or the girl?
"Come on, what do you say?"
As if on cue, the control tower issued their final warning over the intercom, telling all remaining passengers that flight 1620 was ready for its takeoff to go from Miami to California.
Austin glanced back at the terminal. He was desperate for just another glimpse of Ally's dress or the familiar slope of her shoulders. Because for some reason, he knew that if he could just see her then he wouldn't feel so lost. But Austin didn't recognize any of the faces staring back at him thru the windows. She must've exited out the front by now on her way back home.
Without me.
He lifted his head and looked up to the sky. Miami air was too polluted to offer much of a view but he was able to make out a few stars twinkling in the distance. Don't look down, Austin.
The darkness seemed to expand until it took over his vision. It felt like an eternity before he was able to speak again and even then, his throat burned with every breath.
"As soon as I sign that contract, I want her on the plane."
Money-Maker nearly collapsed with relief. He eagerly nodded, steering them toward the jet. "Before the ink even dries, she'll be in the air."
ooooooooooooooo
"Ladies and gentlemen, please take a look outside your window. We are now officially leaving Miami."
"You okay, buddy?" Dez asked from the seat beside him.
"Yeah," Austin replied. "I'll see her in a few days. How long could it take to write my name on a piece of paper?"
Dez nodded, pulling a plate of pancakes from his backpack. "Well at least Trish stayed behind. If anyone could take care of Ally while you're gone, it's definitely her."
Austin smiled, staring out the window, already counting down till he could see her again. To be honest, he was excited. Everything was happening so fast now. He couldn't wait for Ally to come to California. For her to witness his success. Maybe then she'd finally see him as someone other than her best friend.
It'll be the start of a whole new chapter for them.
But, as much as he tried to convince himself, Austin still couldn't believe that she wasn't sitting there next to him.
"Goodbye, Miami."
don't let me go
don't let me go
don't let me go
(the fray – never say never)
NOTE: I know! Austin shouldn't be anywhere without Ally but this ending keeps so many story lines open. One word: REUNION!
I think it should be sweet with just a touch of bitterness and of course, some spice. Nothing that our favorite couple can't handle. =)