Say You'll Stay
Chapter One
Austin's POV
In dreams I meet you in warm conversation
We both wake in lonely beds in different cities
And time is taking its sweet time erasing you
And you've got your demons, and, darling, they all look like me
- Taylor Swift Sad Beautiful Tragic
"Mr. Moon, how do you play this note on the piano?" That's a common question I get in my everyday life. I've been a music teacher at the local elementary school for almost four years now. I'm not complaining, It's not how I expected my life to go, but it works.
It's been four years since I arrived at the Miami air port on the fall night. It's also been four years since I spoke a word to the brunette, I try not to think about that as much. I still see her though, see her on magazines and award shows, winning awards for her songwriting.
That's right, little Ally Dawson from Miami is now a big songwriter for all the big stars. She really has made a life for her self, without me. I guess when she said that she didn't need me, she meant it.
On Friday, after a day of trying to show kids the fun of instruments, I visit Trish at her store in the mall. After graduating from college, with a degree in business and fashion, Trish started her own clothing store in the mall. She names the boutique it Short and Sassy. Being her own boss really works for her.
Dez graduated from film school last spring, he recently got a job at a small studio an hour away. He even found himself a girl friend, Carrie, who isn't completely crazy. Both of my friends life's are working out well.
Being friends with Dez and Trish, without Ally, is a little weird. Mostly because they won't talk about her around me, afraid that one mention of the brunette will set me off in a rampage. I can hear her name without going on some kind of bender, although when I turned twenty-one, I did go a little crazy. If Ally had ever been back to Miami, I wouldn't know because she is banned from any conversations I have.
My parents are even sensitive about the Ally topic, more so now then when we broke up in high school. For example, when Ally attended the Grammy awards two years ago, they changed the channel as soon as I walked into the room, worried that seeing her through a TV screen or hearing her name be said, would cause me to go back to the place I used to be in. That night, of the Grammy awards, she won her first award for song of the year. I always told her that her songs were amazing. Any way, that night I heard my parents down stairs whispering about how they thought I would never find someone else because 'no ones as good as Ally Dawson.' They were right.
It's not like I haven't tried to find someone else because I have. But every girl I have been on a date with since Ally has been a disappointment. The last girl I went out with had an annoying laugh, the one before that chewed with her mouth open. I can't help that I have picky tastes.
Any way, I decided to visit Trish to see how her wedding planning was going. The short girl had found a boy to tame her. His name was Jace and he had proposed to her a month ago. She had admittedly said yes, already envisioning wedding dresses. I'm happy for her, I really am.
At 3:30, I open the door of the small boutique to find Trish on the phone with someone. Before I can get closer to hear the conversation, Trish hangs up the phone. "Hey, who was that?" She looks up from her iPhone, surprised to see me.
She walks over to the counter, putting her phone in a drawer. "No one, just my mom." She walks back to the display window, fiddling with the arm of the mannequin.
"You sure?" I didn't want to make her angry. More than likely she was talking to Ally, and Ally is blocked from conversations with me.
"Positive." Trish looks up from the dress she's fixing to smile at me. "What causes you to stop by?"
The store's mostly empty, just an old lady looking at purses. "I'm going to my parent's for dinner tonight and I'm in charge of picking up desert. Figured I could stop by before picking up the cake at the shop in the food court."
"Dinner with your parents?" She asks. "Isn't that your favorite thing?"
"Ha ha. I just wish that they didn't treat me like I was still in high school. If it's possible they treat me more like a baby since I moved out last year." When I left New York four years ago, I moved back in with my parents for the first three years, while going to the community college for a degree in teaching. Worst mistake of my life.
"They're just worried about you." Trish looks over at me, eyes filled with concern. "We all are."
On this Friday, I decide that I need to bring up the elephant in the room. "Do you treat her like this?" I don't have to say her name for Trish to know who I'm talking about.
Her eyes grow wide, mouth slightly agape with shock. For me to bring up the songwriter is a huge thing. The hanger that she was holding drops to the floor, making a clank. "I, uh, don't know what to say."
"It's fine." I walk to the entrance. "She made a successful life for her self, she already has a bunch of awards at twenty-four and all I've accomplished is a teaching degree and a small apartment." Trish starts to open her mouth but I have more to say. "I just wish that you guys could see that she's not toxic for me. I can hear her name without wanting to jump from a building. Look, you, Dez, not even my parents, have heard about what happened that night. Unless she has told you." Her eyes tell me that Ally hasn't. "What happened that night was terrible, tragic, but it didn't scar me for life. What's scaring me is not being able to have normal conversations with my friends."
I give her a goodbye and open the glass door. It feels good to have all of that off of my chest.
That night, in New York, was a tragedy, it really was. But I'm not dying because of it. I always knew that Ally and I could never work. We were a sad, beautiful, tragic love affair. A love affair that's long gone.
As I walk through the food court, remembering the yells and whispers of the fall night, someone yells my name. I look around, searching for the voice that said my name. Who I spot is someone who I haven't seen in over four years.
How I ever managed to not run into Ally's dad before now is beyond me. Sonic Boom was still at the same spot in the mall, I haven't been back there since the last Christmas that Ally and I visited. Walking into the instrument filled store, might hurt me more than seeing Ally on a talk show would. Why? Because of the memories that Sonic Boom holds.
I make my way over to the older man, his face has a genuine smile on it. "Lester, it's so nice to see you again."
He shakes my hand. "You to Austin. It's been awhile."
"Yes it has." We both realize the meaning behind our words, he laughs.
He asks what I've been up to, I tell him about my job as a music teacher. "That's great Austin." Lester looks at the time on his watch. "I hate to cut this reunion short but I have to pick Ally up from the air port."
That's when I feel my heart stop. Ally. Air port. Now I get why Trish was extra weird and who she was on the phone with. It all makes sense that she would be back. She was, of course, going to be Trish's maid of honor. And Trish would need her in the next few months for wedding plans and preparations.
Ally was coming back. For four years I have said that I'm okay and have moved on, now it's time for me to prove that. I need to prove that I'm past all that happened.
I try to keep my face calm, not wanting Lester to know what's going through my head. I bid him a goodbye, and go to the bakery a few feet a way.
Four little letters, a vowel, two consonants, and a consonant acting as a vowel. An A, two L's and a Y. I could say that her name doesn't enter my mind all the time but that would be a lie.
Ally and I have been over four years now, four long years. Nothing's going to change that now.
Ally's POV
The plane takes off at a steady speed, I've never been a fan of planes. Being a song writer for celebrities means that I have to catch planes a lot to meet them where ever they are. A plane a day keeps the feelings away. Bad one Ally.
When I first became a song writer, three years ago, I was still mourning lost. Which meant that I had a lot of creative juice flowing out of me. One of my teachers at MUNY loved the song that I showed her so much that she showed it to some friends who showed some of their friends. Eventually it got the attention of a record label, Starr Records. The owner, Jimmy Starr, took interest in me so he hired me as a song writer.
A successful one at that. I've won two Grammys and a songwriter's award in three years. It feels good.
I look over at the person sitting beside me in first class. An old woman that is snoring loudly. It's going to be a long ride. Why am I on a plane this time? To see my best friend that I haven't seen in two years. The last time was when Trish went to my graduation with my parents. It's been awhile. But I'm going back now.
Back to Miami. I get to see my parents, and half brothers. As well as Dez and Trish. And of course the blonde that I haven't spoken to since that night in New York. Every time I talk to Dez, he purposely avoids anything having to do with Austin. Same with Trish. I want to hear about him. I want to know if he's doing okay. But I can't if no one will talk about him. I don't know if he's in Miami or if he moved to Michigan. Which is why my stomach churns at the idea of going back to Miami. I might not even have to see him.
As I lean my head on the window, I flash back to the last time I stepped foot on Miami.
On a Wednesday, in December, Austin and I arrived at the air port to be welcomed by my mom. She enveloped me in a hug while Austin shook hands with her husband, Terry. Penny explained that the twins, Sam and Seth, were at their last day of school before they started winter break. We made our way out of the air port, carrying the two suitcases.
We were only in Miami for two days, the first we spent with my parents. And the second we spent with his. On the last night there, at the Christmas party, Austin gave me a little box, wrapped with a bow on top. He told me to open it, I did and I was welcomed with a ring. Not an engagement ring, just a gold ring. A gold ring that had three hearts on it. "Oh my god! This is beautiful, where did you get it?" I had asked him after I slipped it on my right ring finger.
"My dad gave it to my mom when they were in college, I thought you would like it." Austin said, playing with the ends of my hair.
I put the box down on the table, then took his hand. "I'm in love with you Austin Monica Moon. I know that I've told you this before."
"Ally, you don't have to do this."
I looked above us, at the mistletoe. "You need to know how much you mean to me." I then went on a rant about love.
The plane catching turbulence brings me back to present time. I look down at my hand, playing with the gold ring on my finger. I kept the ring, well he told me to keep the ring. On that fall night, when it all came to an end, I tried to give him back the ring. He had said, "Keep it. I have no one else to give it to." When I was getting ready to leave the airport this morning, I found myself going through my underwear draw, the place where all girls keep things, and putting the gold ring on my finger. I twist the object around my finger, I didn't have the heart to get rid of it and my heart longed for the feeling of the gold surface. I loved the tan line it would leave on my finger, just like the scare that we leave on other's hearts, like sun burns.
The old women's snores get worse, why didn't I remember ear plugs? I grab my phone from my pocket, checking the time. Four in the after noon. I should land by 4:30, my dad is supposed to come get me.
That's another thing that has changed in four years. My family situation. Long story short, I grew up with out a mom, then I found my mom and found out that my dad had kept her from me. That's all long forgotten. In fact we all have dinner together, my dad, mom, step dad and half brothers. It was incredibly awkward the first time, but it got better.
I'm in the middle of responding to emails, when the pilot lets us know that we'll be landing in ten minutes. I put my phone in my bag, my stomach fills with butter flies. Not the good kind of butterflies. The kind of butterflies you get when you realize that things are about to change.
The plane lands, I grab my things and walk out the terminal. I packed light, only two suitcases. I spot my dad standing by the baggage claim, I run up to give him a hug. "Dad! I missed you."
He pulls away from my embrace to grab a suitcase. "I missed you to sweetie." We walk out of the air port, wheeling the suitcases behind us. He lets me know that we have to stop at the store to get groceries first.
I make conversations as we get on the interstate. "So, anything happen in Miami?" A look crosses his face, a look that says something did happen but he doesn't want to say anything.
He puts his blinker on, taking the exit that goes to the market. "Not as much as what's been happening for my Ally." I roll my eyes with a smile.
When we park in the lot, I open my door to be welcomed with a fresh breeze. Spring was always the best time to be in Miami. Walking into the store, I lose my dad from all the shoppers. I decided to go off on my own, going over to the magazine aisle.
Being a semi famous song writer means that I'm sometimes in the pages of magazines. I'm used to it now. I wonder what Austin thinks when he sees the pages of US Weekly with a picture of me pumping my gas or walking the beach with a mysterious male.
I turn the corner that leads to the magazine aisle, lost in thought. I'm brought back to the present when I see a middle-aged blonde couple standing in the middle of the isle, flipping through the pages of People. "Mike, go to the next page!" The women argues.
"Mimi, I'm reading the article, hold on."
Mike and Mimi Moon. Austin's parents. I make my feet move closer to them, knowing that I have to say hello. "Is that Mr. and Mrs. Moon?" They turn around quickly, faces filled with surprise.
"Ally Dawson!" Mimi says as she wraps her arms around me, Mike does the same.
"What are you doing flipping through a magazine in the middle of the grocery store?"
They laugh. "We like to keep up with Ms. Ally." At least I know they keep up with what I'm doing, they always did like me.
"Aw, that's so sweet." Mike puts down the magazine they were flipping through.
"When did you get back?"
"Today, actually. Trish is getting married so I can't miss that!"
They laugh. "Austin told us about that."
Austin. I try to keep my face straight. "What are you guys doing here?"
"Family dinner. We're in charge of the food while Austin's in charge of the pie." Mike answers.
Mimi adds, "Austin always did enjoy the pie that you made." My brain is screaming while my face remains calm, I hope. "We better get going, don't want to keep Austin waiting."
I don't hear anything else that they say because my brain is preoccupied.
Austin. Six letters. And a whole lot of memories. He still lives here in Miami. I just need to stay calm, it's not like I have to see him. And besides, I've moved on from him and the past. Have you Ally? Yes I have!
I'm not poor Ally and he's not poor Austin. We're adults now, we don't need pity or concern. Four years have passed, a long and successful four years. I'm different and I'm sure that he's different to. I shall move on from a love that did nothing good but inspire songs that are now played on the radio.
Hi! Chapter one of Say You'll Stay done! I don't have much to say other than thank you for the follows/favorites and reviews :) I like putting lyrics at the beginning of the chapters, as to set the mood almost. I have a playlist that I listen to when I write so I'll be doing lyrics at the beginning of the chapter that I think fits with the chapter.
I posted a one shot last night entitled Singing In The Rain, if you want to check it out. It's mostly fluff and cheesiness, the opposite of this story currently.
Please leave a review, they give me inspiration. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy.
I do not own Austin and Ally or Sad Beautiful Tragic by Taylor Swift.