OMG GUYS! I can't believe I'm uploading chapter 6 already!

This is all thanks to all the reviews, you know! I feel compelled to update once I've got more than 15 reviews, even if I only updated a few hours ago!

I apologise, but I will have to calm down and update less frequently, especially since I am writing a new A&A fic at the same time, which I will publish soon...it will be a one-shot unless people want more, so yeah, you can read that, you know, if you want...*hint hint* :P

Please review with your ideas and stuff, and if you have spotted any mistakes I would be more than happy to set them right if you point them out...I don't have teh patience to edit it myself and I don't have a beta, so there will be mistakes...I do try to limit them as much as possible, though.

If any of you have any stories you want me to read on the site, or even to proof-read, feel free to ask, I would be happy to xx Thank you!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot line :(

Chapter 6

Eventually I was all cried out. I slowly sat up, blinking away the last of the tears. I was shocked to see Austin sat there, looking down at me. We sat in awkward silence for a while, before he spoke.

"Well…are you okay?" he asked. I chuckled.

"This is the second time in three days that you have seen me cry. Must be a record." I sighed. He laughed.

"I do tend to have that effect on the ladies. But I'm guessing you weren't crying about my undeniable good looks, so…what's wrong?" he asked me softly. I shrugged.

"Why do you care?" I asked him.

"I just do. I thought we were sort-of friends." He said, looking a little hurt, although I couldn't decide whether he was faking it or not.

"Well…the strange thing is, when I went to school on Monday, I hated your guts. I mean honestly, I wanted nothing to do with you. At all. I really, truly hated you."

"Yeah, okay, I think I get the point. I wasn't your favourite person in the world. So, has that changed?"

"Well, that's the thing. It has. I don't hate you anymore. I mean, you're still not my favourite person, but you've turned out to be not as bad as I always thought you were. And, I mean, after all you've said about how you always liked me and stuff…I guess I misjudged you, never gave you a chance. But…it seems a little soon. It's only been two days since we first managed to talk civilly." I explained. He sat there, looking thoughtful, until I had finished speaking.

"Well…how about we get to know each other? We can just hang out a little, and if you realise I am the guy you thought I was, you can ditch me. Sound good?" he said, completely serious. I thought for a moment, before nodding in agreement.

"Sounds great." I smiled.

"Good. So, you wanna tell me what was wrong with you?" he asked me. I sighed, feeling my eyes well up again at the reminder. I considered keeping it a secret; I hadn't even told Trish yet, and she is my best friend. But I knew that if I kept it all bottled up it would drive me insane. So I started to tell him…and it all came pouring out. All the hatred and resentment I always felt for her, how much it hurt to know that she didn't deserve any of it.

"Wow. Sounds like you're parents really fucked up with this one didn't they?" he said bluntly. And just the way he said it, the way he wasn't afraid to say what I had been thinking, made me laugh and cry all over again.

"Yeah. Yeah, they did. But this isn't even something they can just fix, just like that. I can't go speak to her and everything will be okay again? Because she'll be dead before we even have the chance to get to know each other!" I cried, feeling the crashing depression take over me once more. I saw the panic in Austin's eyes and figured he probably didn't want to have to comfort me again, so I held it back, and managed to stop myself from crying again. He looked relieved.

"Well…maybe you shouldn't go see her. I mean, if you're already this cut up about it, imagine how hard it will be once you've met her, once you've known her. And isn't that the one thing she wanted to avoid? You being hurt when she dies?" he said slowly, and I could tell he was trying not to piss me off, but it didn't work.

"So you expect me to just sit here, knowing that my mother will be dead soon, the mother I have never even met, and not even attempt to go meet her? Sure, that's going to happen." I said sarcastically. He sighed, shrugging.

"I figured you would be like that. But it was worth a try." He shrugged. And just like that, the anger was gone. I relaxed, and we sat like that, in silence, for a while. Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore.

"Do you think you could possibly do me a favour?" I asked him. He smiled.

"Which hospital is she in?" he asked me. I blinked, confused.

"How did you know-?"

"You're pretty easy to read, Ally. Come on, my car's at home, but it's not a long walk."

"Thanks Austin, but I don't even know what hospital it is. I mean, dad always told me she was in Texas, but who knows if that was a lie or not…" I sigh. He stopped, thinking. Finally he shrugged.

"Well then, I guess you need to talk to your dad." He said. I grimaced.

"Uh-uh. No way. There is no way I can face him tonight. It might be hard to believe, but I have anger issues. There's no way I will be able to speak to my dad for the next couple of days without screaming at him. It's just what I do." I explain, blushing. I do pretty well to keep control of my temper, and only my closest friends know what I can be like-which means only Trish knows what I can be like. And now Austin, although he, at least, hasn't seen it first-hand.

"Well, what are you going to do for the next couple days? Tiptoe around your house and avoid him?" he asked me, his tone suggesting he didn't think that was a good idea.

"I guess I'll have to stay with Trish." I shrugged.

"Okay then, sounds good. You want a lift?" he offered. This was the second time in ten minutes that he had offered me a lift somewhere. I was beginning to get suspicious.

"Nah, it's fine, I can walk." I said.

"Where does Trish live?"

"Milner Lane."

"That's miles away, Ally. You'll freeze. And it looks like it's going to rain." He protested. I raised my eyebrows; it was only a little cold, and the few clouds in the sky didn't look too menacing, but I shrugged and agreed to let him give me a lift anyway.

We started walking in a comfortable silence, but soon it began to feel awkward. I pulled out my phone to call Trish and make sure I was okay to stay with her, and saw that I had seven missed calls and six text messages. I sighed, knowing exactly who they were from. I typed a quick reply, just to set his mind at ease, then dialled Trish.

"Hey, Ally. Look, things are kind of hectic right now, so do you think you could make it quick?" Trish greeted me, sounding stressed.

"I, erm…I wondered if I could stay at your place for a couple days? I've had a…erm, a fight with dad. I can't be around him for a while, Trish." I said, knowing she would get me.

"That bad, huh? Well, I love you Ally, and if this was any other time it would be fine, but dad's just announced that he's leaving to go on a business trip, and mom being the paranoid freak show she is decided we were all going, because she thinks he's going to spend the weekend with his younger girlfriend or something." She explained, sounding pissed. I felt tears threaten to spill out again, but I couldn't let Trish know. She would feel terrible.

"Oh, okay." I sighed.

"I am sorry, Ally. I'd ask if you wanted to come with us, but we're leaving in ten minutes and mom and dad aren't in the best of moods…" she said guiltily. I wiped my eyes and tried to keep my voice steady, despite the panic threatening to take over.

"Don't worry, Trish, I'll be fine. I guess I can just….try to stay out of his way." I sighed, but we both knew that wasn't going to work.

"I'd ask what the fight was about, but mom is yelling at me to hurry up…but I'll call you as soon as I can, okay?"

"Okay. See you Trish." I said, before hanging up. Austin glanced at me.

"That didn't sound good." He said. I shrugged, then burst into tears again. He hugged me again, which surprised me.

"Thanks Austin. I'm sorry I'm being such a cry baby. I just…this is so hard. Sometimes I wish I wasn't such an outcast…if I had more friends, Trish wouldn't be the only person I could turn to. I hate being the girl who always relies on one person, excluding my dad." I sobbed, wiping my eyes. He slowly pulled away.

"Hey, Ally, come on. There's nothing wrong with being an outcast…look at me. I don't have anyone I can rely on, especially no-one like Trish." He said. I frowned.

"What about your friends?" I asked him.

"What friends? I don't have friends." He said, like it was no big deal.

"Then who were those people you were hanging out with that time? When you, erm…when you called me a 40-year-old virgin." I mumbled, embarrassed by the memory. He laughed.

"First of all, they aren't what you'd call 'friends'. I won't go into detail, but trust me, they aren't 'friend' kind of people. And second, you know I didn't mean that, right? I guess I was just trying to impress them…stupid, I know, but that's all it was. There's no way you will end up a 40-year-old virgin…unless you choose to, anyway." He shrugged.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"Trust me, Als…there's not gonna be any shortage of guys who'll want to have sex with you." He said, smirking at my blush.

"Yeah…figured that one out all by myself." I muttered bitterly. He froze, and I walked right into his back.

"What?" he asked darkly. I frowned, confused by his sudden change in emotion. I hadn't thought he had heard.

"Nothing." I said quickly.

"Ally, tell me." He said sternly.

"No."

"Ally."

"Austin! Stop this! We're not even really friends yet, and you're ordering me to tell you something? Just drop it." I sighed, unable to sustain my anger. I was just too tired.

"Sorry. But seriously, if anything's happened…you really should tell someone." He said. I was confused.

"What? Why?" I asked him.

"Because it's a big thing, Ally! Rape, and sexual assault…it's not something to be blasé about!" he shouted. I froze, shocked.

"Whoa! Where did you get that idea from?" I asked him. He visibly relaxed.

"You mean nothing's happened?" he asked. I shook my head.

"No! Nothing like that!" I said. He sighed in relief.

"Good." He said, before turning away.

"Why do you care so much?" I asked him.

"I've already told you. I want us to be friends. And I've liked you for a long time, Ally. Besides, anything like that…it really pisses me off. I mean…never mind." He stopped speaking abruptly.

"What?" I asked, curious.

"Nothing. Look, my house is just around the corner." He pointed out.

"Great." I sighed, a little bit hurt. He sounded relieved, like he was happy he would be able to get rid of me soon. It wasn't surprising, but it still hurt a little.

"So, you can't go to Trish's…where do you want me to take you?" he asked me. I felt my phone buzz and pulled it out. It was a text from dad.

Don't do anything stupid. I want you home right now, Ally. I mean it; you are in serious trouble if you don't get back soon.

I felt the anger flare up again; he had no right to be mad at me. I mean, sure I had stormed out, but I wasn't the one who had kept a huge secret from him for most of his life.

"Ally? What's up?"

"I can't go home. Not right now." I said quietly.

"I never said you had to. But there has to be somewhere else." He said.

"Unless you want to drive me all the way to Hawaii; that's where my closest relative lives." I sighed.

"You must have someone else. Like, a friend who isn't a very close friend but wouldn't mind you staying with them."

"Nope. Other than Trish, you're the closest friend I have." I sighed.

"Oh. Well…"

"That wasn't a hint!" I protested, realising what I had said. He looked confused.

"What?"

"That sounded like I was hinting, but I wasn't. I know I can't stay at your place, for obvious reasons." I said, blushing furiously.

"I didn't think it was a hint." He said, smiling a little as we reached his house. He stopped to open his gate, so he didn't see how red my cheeks were.

"Oh. Good. Because it wasn't." I said.

"Definitely not." He said, smirking at me.

"Yup. I definitely wasn't hinting." I said again, humiliated. I followed him up his drive, but stopped when he walked straight past his car.

"Erm, Austin…"

"Yeah?"

"Where are you going?"

"Inside. Aren't you coming?" he asked me.

"I thought you were giving me a lift….?"

"Where to? You can't go home, and apparently Trish is your only friend."

"I guess…"

"So you're staying with me." He shrugged.

"What?"

"It was your idea."

"But I wasn't hinting!" I shouted. He laughed.

"I know that. But seriously, Ally, where else are you going to go? We've decided to try this whole 'friend' thing out. And as your friend, I am inviting you to stay with me until you have cooled off enough to speak to your dad again." He said. I considered protesting, but frankly I didn't have the energy.

"Okay. Fine. But won't your parents mind?" I asked.

"They've never cared when I've had girls over before." He shrugged. I blushed, realising that any other girls he had had over were probably there for a different reason.

"Oh. Okay." I said quickly, before following him inside.

His front door creaked as he opened it, and he ushered me inside quickly before slamming it shut. I jumped, and he shot me an apologetic glance.

"Sorry. We have to slam it else it won't shut." He said.

He led me down a narrow hallway, gesturing for me to be quiet as he glanced into a room on the left. I saw him tense up and then heard a guy speak.

"Where were you?" the voice said, slightly slurred, but II could tell the guy wasn't too drunk.

"Out." Austin said vaguely, before turning back to me and signalling for me to follow him.

"Out where-oh, you brought a friend? What's your name, girly?" he asked me, smiling crookedly. Now that I could see him, I realised that the sort-of distinguished sounding accent didn't relate at all to this guy's looks. He had about three teeth in his mouth, and he was wearing a grey wife beater covered in stains. His hair was greasy and black and, although he wasn't fat, I could tell that Austin didn't get his tall, skinny body from this man. If he even was his father.

"Ally." I replied shortly, afraid to look him in the eye. He leered.

"Ally. Wasn't there another one called Ally?" he asked Austin, smiling knowingly. Austin shook his head, and I could see by the tightness in his shoulders and the look on his face that he didn't like this guy. At all.

"No. You must be losing your mind. Come on Als, we're going upstairs." He said shortly, grabbing my wrist and practically dragging me through the room and towards a small staircase.

"Try not to make too much noise, son. I couldn't sleep last time!" the guy called after. I felt sick, and suddenly I remembered why I had always hated Austin so much. Not just because of the whole school thing. But because he was a womaniser; he would have a different girlfriend every week, and I had no doubt that all he did was screw them and then dump them. I tugged my arm out of his grip. He looked back at me, frowning, and I could see he was hurt. But I just couldn't bring myself to touch him again.

He led me into a small room, thankfully a whole lot cleaner than the rest of the house. Obviously it was still a mess; it was a guy's bedroom, what do you expect? But it was a superficial kind of mess; the surfaces were clean and the room smelt fresh. There were clothes strewn across the floor, and a baseball set on the floor in the corner, but other than that it was okay. I looked around, taking it in. The small black couch on one side of the room, the band posters on the wall, the desk and wardrobe. I scoffed when I saw the calendar on the wall; bikini models, one for every month of the year. Austin followed my gaze and smirked.

"Present from dad." He shrugged.

"So, was that guy…" I asked him. He nodded, his expression sad and a little embarrassed.

"Sadly, yes. He's not that bad when he's sober. Unfortunately, he's only sober one day a year."

"Christmas?" I asked. He shook his head.

"29th February." He replied. I laughed.

"Oh. That sucks. What about your mom?" I asked him.

"She's asleep. I think. I don't know." He sighed, walking over and throwing himself across the bed.

"Oh. Okay. So…do you have girls over a lot?" I asked him, trying to sound like I didn't care either way.

"Used to. Not for a while though." He replied.

"Why not?" I asked him, although inside I was glad. He looked at me, eyebrows raised.

"Why the sudden interest in my sex life?" he asked, smirking when I blushed.

"You were asking about my sex life earlier, I'm just returning the favour."

"Favour? So you like discussing your sex life?" he asked.

"You know what I mean." I said, blushing as I looked away. He laughed.

"Yeah. Not as if you have anything to discuss." He joked.

"I wish." I muttered. Once again, he heard me.

"What?" he asked me.

"For God's sake, Austin! What on earth makes you so sure I'm a virgin?" I asked him huffily. He laughed.

"Because you're you! Are trying to tell me you aren't?" he asked, laughing.

"For fuck's sake! No, I'm not a virgin!" I shouted, then regretted it since his dad could probably hear every word. He just laughed harder.

"Sure you aren't." he said sarcastically. I sat there, glaring at him, until he stopped laughing.

"Wait, were you serious?" he asked, sounding shocked.

"Yeah. I am." I said sadly, looking away. I was angry at him for not believing me, but the sadness I felt about it all overweighed my anger.

"Since when?"

"Since the summer." I sighed.

"Who was he?" he asked. His voice sounded strange, almost…pained. I glanced up at him, but his expression was unreadable.

"Dallas."

"What? As in, Dallas Jones? The new guy in school?" he asked. I nodded.

"Why do you think I hate him so much?" I asked cynically.

"So, what, he forced you into it?" he asked me, sounding angry.

"No." I said. Then I told him everything.

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