Chapter 22
Austin's POV
"Happy birthday baby." I whisper in Ally's ear from my position behind her and awakening her from her deep sleep. She groans as she stretches out.
"What time is is?" She asks quietly, still sounding half asleep.
"It's 11:30. We need to get up, isn't Trish coming down at half 12?" Rolling out from under the covers I walk over to the wardrobe, slipping out of my underwear as I walk. "What do you want for breakfast/lunch birthday girl?"
"I'm guessing you're not on the menu?" Ally asks sounding as if she's in a trance.
"No, not for the moment anyway." I smirk as I pick out a polo shirt and a pair of ripped jeans.
"I guess French toast will do then..." She sighs in disappointment. "Oh and if you're planning on just giving me sex for my birthday you've got another thing coming."
"Don't worry. You'll definitely like what I've got you way more than sex." I laugh as I walk towards the door. "Wait here and I'll bring your breakfast up to you."
"Okay." She sighs before curling up under the sheets again.
I walk down into the kitchen and everyone's there including Ratliff's mom, brother and sister.
"What happened?" I ask quietly almost scared of what the answer will be.
"He's dead." Ratliff answers in a whisper. Oh my god... "The doctors think it was a heart attack."
"We're free of him." His mom says quietly. Everyone seems to be in shock.
"Forever." Ratliff adds.
"There's just one problem. The house was his and in his will he's left everything to his brother. So we have nowhere to live." She explains.
"I'm moving in with Elliot, that frees my room up. You could share the double bed with Jess." Ashley offers.
"I'll share a room with Ryland or Riker. Michael can take my room." Rocky adds before Riker cuts in.
"Or if you don't want a room to yourself just now you can get a single bed put into one of the rooms and share with one of us or Ellington can move into one of our rooms and we can share like Rocky said." He says to Michael who looks as if he's trying to keep up with the possibilities. My mom notices his slight confusion and offers a suggestion.
"Why don't we sort this out this afternoon. We'll need to get your things out of the house and bring them here. In the mean time...Guys you've been asked to perform at the masquerade ball: we got a letter from the record company this morning it says you'll need a 20 minute set, they also said each of you is allowed a plus one as well as 2 additional invites."
"Seriously? That's amazing!" Rydel does a little happy dance. "Oh, Austin where's Ally?" She asks.
"Still in bed I came down to make her breakfast." I say walking towards the fridge to get out the eggs and milk.
"I'll just wait until she's up before I give her her birthday present." Rydel says hoping off of one of the kitchen stools.
"It's Ally's birthday? Dude you never told us, we would've got her a present." Rocky complains.
"Is this the Ally who was going to save us?" Jess asks from her spot on Ratliff's knee.
"That exact one." I smile at her.
"Can I meet her?" She asks excitedly. Causing everyone to laugh at her excitement.
"Wait until she's actually awake Jess." Ratliff lifts he effortlessly off his knee before he places her back on the stool he was sitting on. Walking to stand next to Rydel he turns to his mom.
"Mom?" He asks trying to contain the grin that's about to break out onto his face. "How do you feel about being a grandma?" I see her face go from shock to pure joy through the reflection on the tiles above the oven.
"That's amazing!" She exclaims capturing both of them in a tight hug. "Congratulations!"
I finish making Ally's breakfast and put it on a tray along with a glass of orange juice.
"I'll see you later." I shout as I head up the stairs.
"Baby? What took you so long?" Ally asks as I enter our room.
"Ratliff's mom's here." I say, placing the tray on the bedside cabinet. "John's dead...heart attack..."
"He's gone?" She asks in disbelief.
"Yep, forever. So Ratliff's mom, Jess and Mikey are going to stay here for a while. Jess really wants to meet you." I hand Ally the plate of French toast.
"And I'd love to meet her." She smiles sweetly.
Ally's POV
After meeting Ratliff's mom and his siblings, who are extremely cute by the way, and getting my present from Rydel I head to the club for a last minute practice before tonight's show.
"Alright I think that's us done all we can do. The doors open in 2 hours, go get your makeup on and be ready to get your outfit on for the opening number. Ally can you text Austin and tell him to be her as soon as possible?" Mimi asks after we finish the last of 7 run throughs of the new number.
"I'll do it." Cassidy shouts. Slut.
"I think he'd appreciate a text from his girlfriend rather than...whatever you are..." Mimi drops of at the end. Everyone laughs as Cassidy storms off the stage and back to the dressing area.
"Can I get the key to the office, my bag's in there?" I ask Mimi and she hands me the keys.
I walk down the long corridor past the toilets and towards the office when suddenly I hear a slow, loud clap from the other end of the corridor. I whip around to see Cassidy leaning against the wall a smirk playing on her face.
"What do you want Cassidy?" I growl at her, slowly walking towards her.
"I just wanted to congratulate you on being able to keep Austin for so long. Usually after one weekend together he's bored and moves onto the next girl." Sounding pitifully jealous isn't a good look on her, although nothing really looks good on her.
"Sounds like you would know." I smirk, completely ignoring the fact she's trying to make me jealous. "Were you one of the pitiful girls that wanted so badly to steal Austin's heart that you thought sleeping with him would get you there? Don't you think the fact that he's stayed with me shows that obviously there's something else to me and I'm not just an east lay, like you were." I can't help the smirk that grows on my face as hers fades.
"You need to watch your mouth bitch." Cassidy says shakily.
"No, you need to watch your mouth, Cassidy, being a jealous cow gets you nowhere." I say before turning and walking towards the office again. I hear her shriek as she storms off back down the corridor towards the club.
Once in the office I send a quick text to Austin before putting my phone back in my bag and locking the office again. Suddenly a pair of warm arms wrap around my waist.
"This quick enough for you?" Austin whispers in my ear before placing I kiss on my cheek.
"Perfect." I whisper, pressing my back into his chest. "Come on I've got makeup to do." I say as I take his hand and guide him back down the corridor.
"Wait, I want to give you your present before you go on tonight." Austin complains pulling me towards the bar.
"Okay, slow down." I laugh as I'm guided to a halt.
"So I'm not really sure how you're meant to go about doing this but...Ally before I met you and before you were there to guide me, I was lost. I was lost between going out partying, sleeping around, pining over a girl I'd barely spoke to. I know it's only been a month but you've changed my life for the better. And then there's just you: your laugh, your smile, your kindness, everything about you is just beyond perfect. So I want to give you this ring as a promise to you that no matter how crazy your life gets I'll always be there to save you, the same way you were there to save me." He finishes his speech, reaching into his trouser pocket he pulls out a black velvet box. Slowly he opens it revealing the most beautiful silver ring with two interlocking 'A's, each A with a single crystal on it: one red and one yellow, to signify each of us.
"Austin I love it." I manage to say despite my speechless reaction to the ring.
"Good." He smiles brightly in the dim lights of the club. "Do you want to put it on or will I?" He asks cheekily.
"You can do it." I smile up at him holding my right hand out for him. He slips it onto my ring finger, grinning down at me with a sparkle in his eyes.
"I could get used to doing that, only next time it'll be the left hand and we'll have some planning to do after." Oh my, one step at a time.
"Slow down a little Aus, I'm happy where we are right now." I laugh at his forward thinking.
"I know I'm just letting you know it's going to happen at one point." He smirks before leaning down to kiss me softly. "Good luck tonight, I'll be watching." He winks at me before I go into the dressing area behind the stage.
"I love you baby." I shout before the door closes.
Austin's POV
The people start coming in around an hour and a half later. Most coming straight to the bar before finding a table. Half an hour after the doors open the show starts, the music starts playing and the curtains rises revealing Ally, Kayla and one of the other dancer facing a mirror each. Then Ally starts singing and it's just wow.
It's a cold and crazy world that's raging outside
Well baby, me and all my girls are bringing on the fire
Show a little leg, got to shimmy your chest
It's a life, it's a style, it's a need, it's burlesque
Six more dancers come out of the mirrors, Cassidy included.
E-X-P-R-E-S-S
Love, sex, ladies, no regrets
E-X-P-R-E-S-S
Love, sex, ladies, no regrets
Been holding back for quite some time
And finally the moment's right
I love to make the people stare
They know I got that certain savoir-faire
Fasten up, can you imagine what would happen
If I let you close enough to touch?
Step into the fantasy, you'll never wanna leave
Baby, that's guaranteed, why?
The girls slap their chairs in time with the music. Ally in slightly different positions from the other girls.
It's a passion and emotion
It's a fashion, burlesque
It'll move you, going through you
So do what I do, burlesque
All ladies coming to flaunt it
Boys, throw it up if you want it
Can you feel me, can you feel it?
It's burlesque, burlesque, burlesque
I tease 'em 'til they're on the edge
They screaming more for more and more they beg
I know it's me they come to see
My pleasure brings them to their knees
Some of the dancers exit the stage leaving about 6 along with Ally in a small circle. Before they breakout throwing their chairs out to the side and back of the stage.
Fasten up, can you imagine what would happen
If I let you close enough to touch?
Step into the fantasy, you'll never wanna leave
Baby, that's guaranteed, why?
Now snapping their fingers in to the music the girls have the audience in a trance.
It's a passion and emotion
It's a fashion, burlesque
It'll move you, going through you
So do what I do, burlesque
All ladies coming to flaunt it
Boys, throw it up if you want it
Can you feel me, can you feel it?
It's burlesque, burlesque, burlesque
Burlesque, burlesque, burlesque, burlesque
It's a passion and emotion
It's a fashion, burlesque
It'll move you, going through you
So do what I do, burlesque
All ladies coming to flaunt it
Boys, throw it up if you want it
Can you feel me, can you feel it?
It's burlesque, burlesque, burlesque
Burlesque, burlesque, burlesque, burlesque
The girls strike a final pose in their various black and white outfits.
Ally's POV
"That was amazing Ally!" Kayla hugs me tightly as we walk back into the dressing area. I couldn't help but think how amazing it's going to be to work here and have this as my life.
So that's chapter 22, if you didn't really get the very bad description of the dance routine it's the exact routine from Burlesque, so if you haven't seen it you can get most of it on YouTube if you want to see it, basically Ally's Christina and Kayla is Coco(that's the characters name I don't know who plays her), then Cassidy is just one of the other girls.
Remember to review if you liked it or have any constructive criticism:)