Man, I'm actually pretty scared to post this chapter. With all the enthusiastic reviews last time, this chapter might not live up to your expectations. Heck, ya'll might even want to send me to hell. Don't worry, I packed already...

Oh! Thank you so much for the amount of reviews last time! You were all so nice and so excited for the next update. And this is why I might get banished to the depths of hell... I hope the chapter doesn't seem too confusing, arghh.

I don't have much to say here. Enjoy and don't hate me! I don't own anything!

i should be making a break

Austin walked into class a few mornings later. He had his game plan set; avoid Ally Dawson at all costs. Nothing was going to stop him.

He hadn't talked to Ally since... that day. He was trying hard not to. Every time she would bounce over and wave a cheery hello at him, he would just shun out her beautiful smile and nod a curt greeting to her, carrying on with his day.

Austin quickly pushed past all the students into the library. It was lunch time now, so no one was in the library except for the usual people. He settled down in his little beanbag-chaired corner. Austin unpacked his lunch, a simple tuna sandwich, and began to eat while he read his new book, The Great Gatsby.

He was actually beginning to enjoy himself, and the quietness of everything. He read the first two chapters of his book before he was aware of a shadow looming over him. He gulped before looking up, bracing himself for whoever it was.

Austin looked up.

"Hi."

It was Ally.

Austin looked at her a little nervously, like a deer caught in headlights. He smiled a little before breathing out through his nose a little too loudly. His voice sounded shaky.

"Hi."

"What's going on?"

"Reading," he replied as she sat down on the floor beside him. Austin looked around, frantic for an excuse to get out. Ally seemed to notice this and scooted closer to him. She was only a few inches away from him as she sat down on his beanbag, looking the same direction he was looking at.

"Whatcha lookin' at?" Austin stood up abruptly.

"Nothing! Uh, I gotta go!" He quickly grabbed his bag , stumbling a bit as his books started to fall out. He pushed them back in his bag a little messily and quickly dashed off. Austin sighed in relief as he exited the library.

Austin speed-walked all the way to his locker, not stopping for anything. He past his next class, biology on the way there. Austin rounded the corner and almost ran into Elliot. He quickly swerved out of the way and kept walking.

"Austin!" Someone called. He turned around, knowing he was safe. Only his friends called him Austin. And Ally. But she wasn't his friend...

"Hey Jace!" Austin waved, waiting for the skater dude to catch up to him. Jace wasn't one of the popular kids, and he wasn't one of the loser kids either. He was just a normal one. Jace caught up to him and walked by his side. Austin enjoyed his company. It was like having a real friend, even though Dez introduced him to Jace in the first place.

"What's up?" Jace asked as they neared the lockers. Austin shrugged. Suddenly, Jace leaned closer with a glint in his eyes.

"I heard you're working with Ally Dawson on Mr. Bill's English assignment. How's it going? Did she convince you to start smoking weed yet?" Jace asked in a hushed tone, deathly serious. Austin just pulled away and looked at him.

"It's actually going great. And no, she hasn't convinced anyone to smoke anything. She's actually a really nice girl," Austin said, a little displeased that Jace was one of the people following the blow queen trend. Jace looked at Austin.

"What has she done to you! Aus, you okay man?" Jace shook him. Austin just pulled away and glared at Jace.

"She did nothing! How about you get to know someone before jumping to conclusions!" Austin yelled angrily, feeling protective. He quickly recoiled as Jace just looked at him stunned. Austin dashed off quickly before he let something else slip from his mouth.

Austin heard the clean up bell go and proceeded to his locker. Dez was by his locker as well. Austin quickly opened his locker, not making any eye contact with Dez. Dez, seemed to notice this however as he slammed Austin's locker door on him.

He glared at Dez.

"Can I help you?" He said through gritted teeth.

"You seem different," Dez observed. Austin just rolled his eyes as Dez moved to the other side of his locker, so the door wasn't in his way. Dez squinted at him and then got distracted as one of his football buddies called him over. Austin sighed and grabbed his biology books.

He suddenly caught a whiff of familiar strawberry and weed. Ally just brushed past him and gave him a small smile. Trent was on her heels. He glared at Austin before catching up to Ally and putting his arm around her shoulder. Ally didn't do anything.

He looked away too late. His books started falling out of his locker. He must've been too distracted to realize what was happening. Austin quickly grabbed his notebooks.

"Aw, Baboon can't get his books under control!" Someone laughed. Austin's cheeks burned as he quickly shoved the last of his books in his locker. He quickly stood up, feeling overworked. He looked for his biology textbook, realizing it was sprawled across the floor, notes scattered.

Austin quickly grabbed it before anyone stepped on it. Luckily the groups of people were making their way to class...

Which meant the warning bell must've gone.

Austin grabbed his books and slammed his locker shut. Pages were flying in his face as he raced across the school, getting to his biology class on the other side of the school. He almost ran into the janitor as he ran past washrooms. Austin huffed and thanked himself for staying in shape over the summer.

Austin reached his biology class just before the bell went. He sighed and plopped down on his desk, realizing that he had just put his books on someone else's books.

"Sorry!" He mumbled, cheeks burning along with his thighs and lungs. Usually, as he got there first, he'd always sit right at the front. Sun Hee was in his class, and she was sitting at the front today. Mrs. McCoy just shook her head at him and told him to find an empty seat. Austin scanned the classroom before settling on an empty seat all the way at the back of class.

He grabbed his textbook in both hands and shuffled his feet uncomfortably. The students were all staring at him. He plopped his books down and pulled the chair out, sitting down. He caught his breath before turning to his neighbour for the class.

Shit.

Ally Dawson stared back at him. She gave him a quirky smile and leaned over to whisper something in his ear as the class began.

"Looks like you're stuck with me," she giggled a little. Austin gave her a nervous smile, trying to calm his breathing. For both reasons.

Mrs. McCoy started the lesson. Austin copied everything down. He was aware of Ally breathing down his neck. He wondered why she wouldn't just copy down the notes rather than sit and text in class.

"You know, you should really take notes," he whispered, not looking up. He quickly finished another diagram before adding the sub notes. He knew Ally would hear him though. Austin saw her shake her head out of the corner of his vision.

"Nah," was all she said. She suddenly leaned over him and placed her head on his arm. Austin recoiled immediately, shocking Ally in the process.

"What are you doing?" He asked in a hushed tone. Ally looked at him through her eyes. She had no emotions to display.

"Reading your notes," she said simply. Austin looked at her before inching away slowly, so she wouldn't notice. But she did however and squinted at him.

"What's wrong?" She asked. Austin just shook his head.

"I-I don't like people reading over my shoulder," he mumbled. Ally laughed humourlessly. She looked at him with an unamused expression.

"You're a terrible liar," she told him. Austin just looked at her. He stayed silent for a bit before she narrowed her eyes at him. "Tell me what's going on! You've been avoiding me since Queens!"

Austin stayed silent. Ally looked at him expectantly.

"I-I can't. You... me... you're you! And I'm me! And..."

"And what Austin?"

"And we just—"

"Mr. Moon and Ms. Dawson!" Barked Mrs. McCoy. Austin almost jumped out of his seat. He'd never gotten yelled at before. He shrunk away as the eyes turned his way, looking at him expectantly.

"Is Ms. Dawson bothering you, Mr. Moon?" Mrs. McCoy looked at Ally accusingly. Ally just rolled her eyes and looked at Austin for the verdict. Austin swallowed nervously before shaking his head.

"N-no, Mrs. McCoy," he mumbled. The teacher looked at the two before returning to the board and demonstrating another light diagram. Austin huffed a bit before returning to his notes cautiously.

Mrs. McCoy's voice was the only thing going through the room as Austin copied down everything she said. Suddenly, he realized Ally was still staring at him. He gulped and turned to her expectantly.

"And we just?" She repeated him.

"I can't say," he got out.

"Tell me!" She said, eyes blazing. Her eyes were always blazing with something. He could never figure it out.

"I can't."

"Tell me!"

"I can't."

Tell me!"

"I ca—"

"Why not?" She was practically yelling at him now. He realized the whole class was watching them. Austin shrunk away in his seat, feeling embarrassed. Mrs McCoy was looking at the two expectantly.

"How about you two take this outside. Come back in when you're ready to stop disrupting the class!" Mrs. McCoy shook her head sadly as Ally grabbed Austin put the arm and dragged him outside. He gulped nervously, his collar digging into his throat.

Ally released his arm from her sharp-nailed hands. She looked at him expectantly, crossing her arms over her chest and tapping her foot on the ground.

"Well?"

Austin mumbled something incoherently. Ally looked at him.

"What?"

"They told me to stay away from you..." He mumbled. Ally looked at him. She still had no emotions on display. It was scary, not being able to read someone.

"I thought you of all people wouldn't be the one to listen to them!" She spat angrily. She ran a hand through her wavy brown hair, frustrated. Austin was beginning to get frustrated now. Why would he not listen to them? He clearly knew what she was capable of.

"Well, excuse me for being careful! You literally display what you're capable of!" He yelled at her. Ally turned around to look at him. She wasn't giving away anything, but her eyes did.

"I thought you would be different," she said in a small voice. Austin froze, his own words playing back in his head.

I'm not going to hurt you.

Ally looked at him through her eyes and turned around and walked down the hall. Austin watched her go, remembering they still had a class. He walked back into his biology class, telling Mrs. McCoy that Ally wasn't feeling well and left. She nodded and told him to return to his desk.

Austin sighed. The rest of the class passed like a blur. He couldn't even remember what they were studying. His mind wandered elsewhere, making it impossible to let the biology lecture stay in his head.

...

"So, you'll be there right?" Kira asked, a little too excitedly. Austin was packing his bag at the end of the day, shoving everything from his locker in his blue bag. He sighed as Kira began to shake his shoulders.

She had just invited him to another party at her house in two days. Kira seemed to like being the popular one who hosts all the parties. She was doing a good job too. Everyone looked forward to Kira's big skinny dipping parties.

"Yes, yes! I'll be there!" He spat. Kira backed up a little, looking a little shocked that the school nerd just snapped at her.

"Calm down there, tiger. Save that for the party!" She waved at him before dashing off to join her carpool. Austin sighed and ran a hand through his hair, messing up the neat 'do he put it in.

After biology, the rest of the day was spent avoiding Ally. Even while they worked on their English assignment, they sat at opposite ends of the room, keeping to themselves. Ally wouldn't even show him what she wrote down. Every time he would walk over to her and ask for the sheet, she just told him to 'fuck off.'

Austin sighed, closing his locker quietly. The halls were empty except for him and his blue backpack. Austin walked to the back entrance of the school, knowing everyone was probably hanging out in the front yard. He quickly trudged down the hall, the silent feeling getting to him. It made him feel lonely.

Not that he wasn't already.

Austin rounded the corner and stopped dead in his tracks when he realized who he almost bumped into.

"... And I'll give you twenty if you could get her at Kira's!" Austin recognized Trent's voice just down the hall. He glanced around the corner again, glad that both Gavin and Trent's backs were turned. They couldn't see him.

"Deal. Same goes for you T," Gavin said. He heard the two guys high five and chuckle like knuckleheads. Austin rounded the corner and quickly made his way to the back entrance.

Were they betting on who could get Ally first at Kira's party? Austin shook his head. Girls weren't supposed to be bet on. They weren't things that needed to be won. Ally didn't deserve any of that.

Austin stepped outside, the gloomy sky reflecting his mood. He walked home silently with his head down, wondering why. Why oh why was this happening. His brain stormed with thoughts, making his head ache terribly.

end part nine

Please don't hurt me. This had to be done, I'm sorry. I did warn you all a few chapters ago that the fun was just getting started. To be honest, this chapter was one of the hardest to write for me. I knew what I had to do, just no idea how to do it.

Oh, the next chapter seems like quite the read, hmm. Just a heads up, chapter 11 is my favourite chapter of them all. No spoilers but... ;)

Alright, please leave a review and tell me what you think!