"the pain we suffer is a way to make us appreciate what comes next." - Mitch Albom, The First Phone Call From Heaven.

Austin had been sitting on the bench - the bench where he first found out of Ally's blindness - outside of the school building for fifteen minutes. He figured she would wait here again for her ride home, and he didn't want to wait for her outside her class, creating loud murmurs again.

Dez had suggested that he offered Ally to come to their little barbecue gathering and Austin agreed before any second thoughts started to appear. He was biting the end of his thumb when he caught a glimpse of a beige sweater.

If Austin was ever honest to himself, he would admit that Ally was beautiful. Maybe it was the way her hair swept across her face as the wind picked itself up or the way the sun shone its rays through her brown locks that made Austin held his breath for a slight second. He found it quite odd that her blindness didn't have an effect on how he perceived her. He figured he would be much more shallow.

"Hey Ally."

She smiled past him and sat down just as Austin got up. "I see you like my spot huh." She giggled.

"Actually I was going to ask if you'd like to have a barbecue with me - us." Austin breathed out, "us. Dez and I."

Just then, a redhead jumped up and down to where the two were, frantically yelling Austin's name.

"What is it Dez?" He asked as he watched Ally laughed.

"Can we have the barbecue at your place? My mum just called and she's having her yoga class over. Ann-oying!" Dez sang.

Once Austin agreed, the three of them started making their way to his home, with Austin walking cautiously behind Ally.

"Maybe you can cancel your ride for today then?" He suggested.

Ally took his arm and held on to it as they walk , a force of habit, but she figured Austin knew that. For a split second, he was glad she couldn't see his face reddening. "I was planning to walk home today anyway. So it's okay."

"Walk home? Alone?" Austin asked with his voice coming out as a shriek, which received her laughter.

/

Austin stopped dead in his tracks.

The time he brought his friends home. The one time he brought Ally home, his dad had to be there.

His mum was sipping a cup of coffee (she didn't do tea) on one side of the table while his dad sat on the other end. A piece of paper was between them and as the door opened, the two pairs of eyes looked up to see Austin and his friends.

"Hey, son." Mike greeted while Mimi gave Austin her best smile as a form of a silent apology and a plead for him to stay behaved.

Dez stepped back subconsciously, pulling Ally with him, knowing Austin had very little self control when it came to his dad.

Just then, Mimi noticed the beautiful girl Dez was holding on to and stood up to greet the girl. "Hello dear. I'm afraid I don't know who you are."

"It's Ally Dawson. Nice to meet you Mrs. Moon." She said as she tried to shake her hand. With Mimi's confused face, she looked over at Austin who mouthed she's blind.

Mimi's mouth formed an understanding O and politely asked Ally to sit down. Mike, who caught up quickly to Ally's condition, introduced himself to Ally. "Hello Ally. I'm Mike, Austin's dad." This received none other than a scoff from Austin's side of the room.

Dez, feeling quite scared, started walking to the back porch to set out the barbecue.

Mike and Ally quickly picked up a conversation, which left Austin feeling even worse than when he entered this forsaken home.

"So how come you go to a normal public school Ally?"

"Dad." Austin warned.

Ally gave the man a polite smile. "I didn't want to miss out on any opportunities. My parents have offered special centres here and there for me, but I like being in a public school."

Austin figured he didn't need to hear anymore pointless questions his dad had in his pocket and practically dragged Ally out to the back porch. He got Ally sitting down on one of the wooden benches and rubbed his face.

Both Dez and Ally knew bombarding him with questions now wouldn't be the best idea and Ally, being the curious head that she was, had to figuratively glue her mouth shut.

The next two hours were spent with half of it trying to get a piece of beef patty off Dez's shirt and Ally's continuous snorts and laughs.

/

Austin had insisted he walked Ally home and by the feel of his grip on her arm and the way he was pleading, she couldn't say no.

Ally would be lying if she said Austin didn't make her feel smitten. Not that anyone would ever ask, but it wasn't fair to keep lying to herself. So far, she had only ever walked with either her mum or her dad, and so to feel a new pair of hands to guide her, it felt..exciting. His hands weren't the softest, but to her they offered her safety.

If she allowed her teenage girl conscience to speak up, she knew half of the reason she was smitten was because of who Austin was. He was all any girl at school would talk about and here she was, holding on to him as if her life depended on it. It seemed like something out a movie; the popular boy helping out a disabled girl and they fall in love. It was just like that. Minus the falling in love part.

"Can you take me to the zoo?" Ally broke her own thoughts.

He took a few seconds to laugh and grabbed her closer as they were passing the street. "That's interesting. Care to elaborate?"

"I like loud places. It's kind of a…compensation to the sense I don't have," she paused, "and I hear it's really fun there, but my parents wouldn't budge."

"It is fun, Ally. If you're six." He joked, which received a slap on the chest from Ally. "But sure. I'll take you."

She beamed and squealed while holding on to Austin tighter, as a way to thank him. The sunset shone by the side of her face, highlighting her excited expression further. This view made Austin feel slightly uncomfortable. In a movie, he would be given the pleasure of kissing her pink lips by the sunset, but his life was too complicated to allow that to happen. It meant nothing, he was just so used to kissing girls as soon as he learnt her name. So this was exactly like that.

He looked away for a moment. Ally had mentioned that she would want to see the sunset if she were able to see, but right now, he would much rather watch her face absorb the last glow of the sun.